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forever-rogue · 3 years

Note

Congrats on the milestone!!! I found your blog thanks to "In Name Only"- haven't read an Oberyn fanfic that good in years!!! <3 <3 Buuuut could I have one with Javi, pretty please? :3 “Why aren’t you with her?”; But because I've seen you're already done some with Javier and maybe you'd like sth else: Din “ I thought we were family!”. Happy New Year!!!!

So, I had to go with Javier on this because I am in it for him 💕

Javier Peña x Fem!Reader ; warnings: language

Javier Masterlist

»»————-　♡　————-««

“Oh no, no, no,” Javier shook his head fervently as he picked up his glass of whiskey, downing it in one go before he took a long drag of his cigarette. He seemed amused as he spoke in rapid Spanish to his companion for the evening, a man you hadn’t met before. A small smile tugged on your features as you noticed just how relaxed he seemed for once; normally he was tense and tired, just like you and Steve as well. It had been a last minute decision to come here for a drink by yourself, and you definitely hadn’t expected to find Javier here, but you weren’t upset in the slightest, deciding to go in and say a quick hello and see how it went. But his next words caused you to freeze in place.

“She’s nothing to me,” he commented as both burst into gruff laughter, “she’s just a kid, but good for a fuck now and then. A good rookie, but that’s it. If you want something worth your time, you know where to go.”

Your heart felt like it froze before dropping into your stomach at his words; they were so cruel and vile, laced with amusement at your expense. It didn’t long to figure out who he was talking to. Rookie? There was no one but you. Fucking every once in a while? Also you - well the two of you. But it had never been just...sex to you. It had always held so much more weight and somehow you’d thought it had for him to.

“Move,” a man, clearly drunk, shoved you slightly as stood in the doorway, rooted in place. Your eyes were focused on Javier, and you made a small sound as you were jilted to the side. Javier’s head snapped up at the slight commotion and he paled as he noticed that it was you; shit, shit, shit. Judging by the broken hearted look on your face, he knew you had heard everything.

You mumbled a quick apology before meeting Javier’s eyes for the briefest of moments before tearing out of the bar and out into the cold, dark street. It wasn’t but a moment before tears were spilling down your cheeks as you tried to control the sobs that threatened to rack your body. No - you weren’t going to let him or anyone see you like this. If he even cared enough to come after you and see if you were okay or what you’d heard. Judging by the cruel sharpness of his words, you highly doubted he would give the situation as much as a passing thought.

Well, you huffed lightly to yourself, dabbing at your tears with the sleeve of your sweater, no one to blame but yourself. Everyone had warned you about Javier Peña - you just hadn’t listened.

»»————-　♡　————-««

“What’s wrong, Peña?” the man across the table looked at him and laughed, flagging down a nearby waitress and signaling for her to get two more beers, “you look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Javier closed his eyes and let out a long breath, running a hand over his tired eyes. Part of him knew he should have come after you, but another part of him figured it was pointless. You’d probably never want to see his face again. It was supposed to be a quick comment to his contact, a blaise comment so the man knew to stay away from you, so you were protected - at least as much as he could ensure it. Instead he royally fucked everything up, and naturally you’d had impeccable timing.

“Nothing,” he lied as he accepted the beer and downed half of it in one go, “nothing at all.”

»»————-　♡　————-««

Part of you had wanted to call in sick to work the next day - and the rest of your days. But you’d decided that that was not the way to handle things. You were going to steel yourself and offer him as much indifference and disregard he had afforded you. May it was stupid and childish, but in the moment you didn’t care. He didn’t want anything to do with you and only viewed you as a good fuck now and then, then you would give it right back. You were finally going to take everyone’s advice and keep Javier Peña out of your personal life. At work it was unavoidable, but everywhere else, you were done with him.

“Good morning,” you offered Steve a kind smile before handing him a cup of coffee just like you did most mornings. Javier was already at his desk, pouring over paperwork, but stopping to glance up at you. Steve offered you his own greeting before eagerly accepting the coffee and getting back to work; you could feel Javier’s seeing gaze on you, but weren’t about to break down and gave into him.

“Morning,” Javier offered, looking intently at you, as you sat down at your own desk and busied yourself with paperwork. There was a ton of it to do after last week’s raid, and that meant the three of you would be stuck at the office for the next few days. Not exactly ideal, to be stuck in close proximity with the man you desperately wanted to avoid, but you’d deal with it. You nodded and made a small, noncommittal sound.

Steve looked between the two of you, opening and closing his mouth a few times as he realized something was wrong. Javier and yourself were normally thick as thieves, so this was a sharp contrast to what he had come to know as normal. While he didn’t know the full extent of your relationship, he knew it was more than friendly, and it didn’t long to figure out that something had happened. But he wasn’t going to push it or say anything; it wasn’t his place and he was sure that the two of you would figure it out.

The rest of the day continued in much the same fashion...as did the day after...and the day after that. You played the role of cool and collected, not hurt and unphased by anything, while Javier felt like he was slowly breaking down. He just wanted to speak to you for just a moment, to explain what had happened and that none of it was true - he’d never meant to hurt. He’d just wanted to protect you.

By Friday evening, he couldn’t handle it anymore; he needed to explain himself, to just get you to listen for a few minutes. Whether or not you chose to believe him would be another case.

“Dulzura-”

“I have a name, Javier,” you snapped at him, trying to push past him and head out of the office for the weekend. You’d planned to meet up with Connie to grab a drink, a much needed girls’ night, and that didn’t include Javier. You’d spent all week trying to get up and over him, and even though you weren’t sure it had worked, you liked the illusion that it did.

But the seasoned agent was quick, and was able to grab your wrist and keep you from walking away. You looked at him, a frown on your features as you tried to pull out of his grasp, but he was stubborn and steadfast and didn’t release you.

“We need to talk,” he insisted softly as you huffed impatiently. You didn’t dare to meet his eyes for fear of breaking down and giving in to him. Instead you stared at your feet and wished the ground would open and swallow you whole.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” you hissed, the venom in your voice causing him to recoil, “you made that crystal clear. I’m just...what did you call? A good fuck every now and then? What could you - the wonderful most amazing agent - possibly want with me? A rookie?”

“You need to listen and let me explain-”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” you’d caught him off guard and he dropped your wrist, allowing you to pull out of his grasp and take a step away, "if you thought that's all I was you could have made it clear. I never...I don't know what I was thinking. I guess I should have listened, huh? Stay away from Javier Peña and I was just thinking dumb rookie that didn't listen. Joke's on me, right?"

"That's not - that's never what this was. Not to me," he insisted as you'd started to walk, causing you to stop dead in your tracks. Slowly turning around, you cocked your head to the side in confusion, "that's not what this started out as or what I wanted."

"Oh really?" you were stuck somewhere between shock and disbelief as you laughed bitterly, "do you mean it or are you saying that because you're trying to look good? Is that what you tell all the girls when you want them to get back in your bed?"

"Would you just stop and listen to me for one fucking moment?!" the sharpness of his tone caused you to look at him in surprise, "I've been trying to talk to you all week and you've been avoiding me like I've got the fucking plague. You won't even look at me."

"You broke my fucking heart!" you yelled back at him, feeling something snap within you as a few tears rolled down your cheeks, "and the worst thing? I was never even supposed to know. You couldn't even tell me to my fucking face! Was I supposed to find out or just be a laughingstock for you and your buddies? Or what about your informants? Why aren't you with her?"

"Stop! Just let me talk and listen for a moment," he ran his hands over his face as he groaned in annoyance, "fuck - if you never do anything else just please listen now. A few minutes is all I'm asking for."

"Fine," you agreed quietly, crossing your arms over your chest as you quirked an eyebrow, "you've got five minutes."

"You weren't supposed to hear those things I said," he agreed with a heavy sigh, as you tried not to sniffle too loudly at his declaration, "because it wasn't true - not in the way you think."

"How...what-?"

"My turn to talk," he reminded you, "your turn to listen. That man I was with...he's not a good man, Dulzura. He's an informant, but that doesn't mean he has any honor or virtue. If he knew you were mine, or anything if the sort, he would have used that against me in a heartbeat. He's not a good man. And all I wanted to do was protect you. The only way I could think to do that was to make it seem like I didn't care - if you don't matter he won't think twice about you. If he knew even a fraction of how much you mean to me, you'd be his first target if the tables ever turned. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

"Javier…" at some point your mouth had dropped and your mind was reeling as you tried to figure out what was going on. Had you really jumped to the worst conclusion with knowing only half of the story? He leaned against the door-frame and let out a long sigh, "do you...really?"

"I just wanted to protect you," he confirmed with a small nod, "I didn't mean for you to hear it because none of it was true. Of all the times for you to walk into that shitty bar...amazing timing, Dulzura. I'm sorry you had to hear it, especially since none of it was true."

"Wait," you looked at him with wide eyes as your heart sank when you realized you'd been giving him the cold shoulder for no reason. You felt like a fool; you should have known better than just to give into your flighty emotions. You knew Javier - the real Javier. You should have known you could have trusted him - talked to him from the start. But...shit.

"I would have told you that already if you'd just let me talk and not run away every time you saw me," he admitted with a shrug, "maybe it wasn't the best way to say it but I just...I want to keep you safe. Always."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

And just like that, you threw your arms around his neck and pulled him close before crashing your lips onto his. He kissed you back without hesitation, his strong arms wrapping around your waist as he pulled you close.

"What if someone sees?" you suddenly remembered between kisses as grinned at him. He shook his head and easily played it off.

"Doesn't matter," he insisted as he kissed you softly, this particular kiss filled with more longing and saccharine intensity, "I'll protect you. I'm sorry for how things seemed. I would never mean anything like that."

"I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions," you whispered softly, sneaking in a few more kisses, "I should have known better. I should have just come to you."

"Next time," he insisted as he gently touched your face, "Dulzura - you know how much I…"

"I know, Javier. Now I truly know," you grinned at him, "me too."

"Want to get out of here?"

"Sorry babe," you teased, "its girls night. I would not be opposed, however, if my two favorite partners happened to make a surprise appearance at the same bar…"

"See you soon," he grinned, "and then you're all mine."

"I'm counting on that."

»»————-　♡　————-««

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#javier peña #javier peña x reader #javier peña x fem!reader #javier peña x you #pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #narcos #forever-rogue's follower celebration

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dizzydancingdreamer · 3 years

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Bubblegum Princess, Cherry Angel | Kai Parker

Hello my lovelies! 2020 is almost over, can you believe it? I sure as hell can’t! I have no idea what inspired this, I truly don’t, but it seemed only fitting to end this year off with a raunchy round of sex! Because why the fuck not! I hope you all have a safe and wonderful new years, and I can’t wait to see you all in 2021! Please enjoy loves!

Description: He smells her bubblegum lip gloss and then wonders how on earth he managed to convince an angel to let him fuck her into next week, let alone get in his truck.

Pairing: Kai Parker x Female!Reader

Warnings: THIS IS AN 18+ FIC ONLY!! Smut (terribly written smut is more accurate), nothing more than the usual but, like, it is like 7000 words of pure sex so read at your own risk

Word count: 9.2k

Tags: SMUT, FLUFF

The four hours in which it took two people to find magic within each other, all thanks to one tube of drugstore, bubblegum lip gloss.

Hour One

Her bubblegum lip gloss attacks him from all the way across the café, cutting cleanly through the aroma of coffee and donuts and sending his heart racing at the obscenely sweet scent. He should hate it. No, scratch that, he shouldn’t think anything of it at all. It’s not in his nature to enjoy things- or to feel things at all, to be frank- but he can’t help it. The drugstore brand, wildly over-scented balm makes his head fuzzy like nothing else.

Kai watches as she pours over the book in front of her, tilting his head when she scrunches her nose. She murmurs something inaudible, tapping a pen to her lip a couple times. One tap, two taps, three taps. Each time that pen touches her lip he grows more envious, his heart now very much in his throat. Does the pen know her lips taste like candy? Does it at least have the courtesy to enjoy it? He releases a breath when she finally writes something down, leaving her mouth alone.

He forces his eyes away from her and back to his own coffee. Well, the term coffee should only be loosely used here; it’s more sugar and cream than actual coffee. The sweet syrup warms his chest as he takes a sip, lighting his taste buds on fire. Maybe this is what her lips taste like. He shakes his head to clear her face from his mind- a task much more impossible than one might think- before setting the mug down and turning to the device between his fingers. A cell phone.

Kai presses the ‘on’ button, his eyes lighting up with the screen. Damon had handed it- the cell phone- to him a few days ago, muttering something about leaving the 80’s in the past where it belongs, and told him to get used to it. A little apple symbol appears and he scrunches his eyebrows. Is that supposed to be there? It disappears, replaced now by a picture of the forest he took a couple days ago. That’s better. He swipes past the lockscreen, coming to a page of little square pictures. Damon said those are called apps.

He clicks on one with a little bird- Twitter, he thinks it’s called- and opens it, scrolling a little sloppily through the page. He comes across a picture, one with a man holding a guitar, and stops to look at it for a minute. It looks like someone he used to know and he clicks on the picture to check. That looks like the same birthmark and he kind of remembers the guitar-

All of a sudden the picture starts moving and music starts blaring from the phone, filling the quiet café with an obnoxious twang. It startles Kai, his heart jumping and his cheeks much too hot, and he drops the phone on the table, a sharp bang now joining the music. He grabs at his phone frantically, feeling all the stares that are now on him as he blindly searches for the ‘off’ button and sighing in relief when the screen goes black once more. Cell phones are awful, he decides in the moment.

Kai hears soft giggles as his shoulders sag, the same bubblegum fragrance tickling his senses. The musical laughter and the sugary gloss are a lethal combination, one that taunts his senses and consumes him whole. The giggles echo in his ears, invading his head and bouncing around every nerve. He turns towards the sound- he doesn’t have a choice- and his eyes meet the girl, zeroing in on her glossy lips now wrapped around the end of her pen. He takes in her face, every curve and edge, before landing on her eyes and promptly losing his breath. Does she know she’s the prettiest woman he’s ever seen?

He smiles at her and rolls his eyes in what he can only hope is a playful way, holding up the phone and shrugging his shoulders. Her eyes draw over his face and down his arm, trailing fire over him with her very gaze before landing on the estranged device. She giggles again and Kai wishes he could grab the sound out of the air and pocket it. Is that normal? He bites his cheek as she looks back to her book, the pen still between her sweet lips. He doesn’t bother trying to answer the question; he doesn’t care.

He clicks the phone once more, this time simply to check the time. A quarter to five. He glances back at the woman, his eyes widening as she slips her book into the leather bag hanging off her chair. Shit, she’s leaving. He stands quickly, shoving his phone in his pocket and slapping a five dollar bill on the table. When he looks up again she’s at the door, her bubble gum aroma fading as she clears the threshold. He shrugs his jacket on, racing out the door to catch up with her.

The cold air bites his skin as soon as steps onto main street, his eyes scanning for the pretty girl with the worn satchel and voice like a siren. He spots her halfway down the square and doesn’t think for a moment before jogging to meet her, his chest a mess of warmth and butterflies. Her head is down, lost in the sound of her heels against the pavement and quite oblivious to the love struck puppy chasing after her. It seems that only a bark will catch her attention now.

“Hey, wait up,” Kai calls, his heart screaming in his chest, “you forgot something.”

He’s a few feet away from her now and her bubblegum scent has morphed into the sweetest mixture of maraschino cherries and candy and every, little, perfect thing he’s ever experienced. It makes his mouth water and his cheeks flush, two things which are only intensified when she turns around and her eyes light up, a soft smile taking over her supple lips.

She tilts her head at him, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, “I did?”

He almost can’t answer, the cheesy line he had already lined up on his tongue melting away at the sound of her angelic voice. Two words. Two little words and she has him completely wrapped around her perfect finger. He doesn’t understand the feeling in his chest, the way her voice makes him feel like he’s breathing for the first time in his entire life, but he doesn’t care. That’s a recurring theme with this girl.

A grin spreads across his face, his stomach twisting as he finds his words once more, “you did,” he nods, taking half a step towards her. “You forgot to let me buy you dinner.”

Her face lights up even further as she throws a hand over her lips, her giggles once more flooding his body with tingles. She looks like an angel, the way her eyes close slightly when she laughs. She must know what she’s doing to him, how when she throws her head and her neck curves against the setting sun his entire body goes stiff. His fingers squeeze at his sides, wanting nothing more than to trace over her soft skin. What is going on?

“How silly of me,” she murmurs, her pretty eyes- yes that’s all he can think, that they are the most pretty eyes he’s ever seen- dancing over his face, “how could I possibly forget to let a man- whose name I don’t know- ask me to dinner?”

His cheeks flare with heat but he can’t wipe the adoring smile off his lips, “where are my manners? I’m Kai,” her takes her hand, pulling it to his lips and stealing a few more of those delicious giggles from her throat, “and I would really like to buy you dinner.”

She hums appreciatively, a wide smile on her lips. His heart flutters rapidly when she twists her fingers into his, running her thumb over his. Every part of her is soft- gentle- and he would give anything in that moment to be able to pull her into his arms. That isn’t normal, though, he knows that much.

“Kai,” she tests his name on her tongue and his heart stops, his whole being screaming at him to beg her to say it again and again, “I like that. I’m y/n,” she supplies and the name clicks into his chest like a missing puzzle piece as she continues on her little ramble, “Kai.” She tilts her head, her eyes clouded over in thought, “something is missing, though. Is that your full name?”

His eyes widen, his chest flooding with dread at her soft inquiry, “no, actually. It’s Malachai,” he winces slightly as it rolls off his tongue- he always has hated that name- watching her closely for the moment she recoils in disgust, “I know, what were my parents thinking right? I sound like a villain-”

“I like it better,” she interrupts, her eyes catching his and her hand squeezing a tad harder, “it suits you. Malachai.” This time when she says his name he has to swallow the lump in his throat, his stomach tensing, “tell me, Malachai, do you like pizza?”

Hour Two

Her heart pounds hard in her chest as she sits in the booth across from him, his chocolate and honey scent still clinging desperately to her hand. She brushes an invisible strand of hair from her face, using the excuse to breathe him in again. He’s intoxicating, she muses to herself. Does he know he’s the most handsome man she’s ever seen? He smiles at her, his grin tugging at his red lips and sending her heart even further into overdrive. He must know.

“I hope this place has good pizza,” Kai laughs, the sound like heaven to her ears, “I haven’t actually tried it yet. If it’s awful I give you full permission to hate me.

She laughs as well- she can’t help it, she never giggles this much but he around him it’s impossible to not- pressing her hand to her mouth, “you’re lucky then; you chose my favourite restaurant. I always make sure to stop by the grill when I’m home. The pizza here is wonderful.”

That’s what she says. The pizza is wonderful. What she wants to say is that she doesn’t think she could ever hate him. That five minutes under his gaze, listening to his smooth voice and honeyed laugh, is enough to have her completely spellbound. That she’s almost certain by the time an hour passes she’ll forget every other boy she’s ever laid eyes on. What she wants to say is that she thinks he’s wonderful. But that’s not normal- not proper- so she just smiles at him.

He tilts his head, his eyes skimming over her face in a way that makes her cheeks warm, “when you’re home?”

She nods, trying to ignore the way he leans towards her slightly and how it makes her blood pump harder, “I go to school out of town. Not too far away but far enough that I have to live on campus. I actually have to head back tonight,” her heart stings for a moment, thinking about how she only just met him and now she has to leave, “I was only here for a day.”

“So I only have a few hours,” he hums, his smile like a bullet straight to her heart, “I think that’s enough time.”

His fingers slide slowly across the table, his pinky skimming her hand. It’s the simplest of touches- just a brush of his skin against hers- but it’s like she can feel all of him through it. She can feel his hands skimming her body, every inch of it, in intricate detail, as if she’s been in this very moment before and her muscles can recall each of his. It only increases when he grins, no doubt catching the way she sucks in a breath. The sinful twist of his lips strikes something in her. She has felt those lips on her, perhaps not in this life but definitely in another. She can feel it.

She’s breathless, the phantom feeling of his mouth on hers consuming her completely even as she speaks, “enough time for what?”

He slips his fingers between hers and she sighs, the feeling of their hands fitting so perfectly together overwhelming, “enough time to make you fall in love with me, obviously.”

Her mouth falls open and he laughs again, pulling her arm across the table and kissing her knuckles once more. Too late, she wants to scream, you don’t need an hour. She pulls her bottom lip between her lip, artificial bubblegum bursting across her tongue. His lips on her skin is too much; too much and not enough all at the same time. How is that even possible?

She doesn’t need to ask herself the question again. No, this isn’t normal. Nothing about how she feels right now is normal. Not the way she wants to wrap her arms around Kai, not the way she feels like she knows him already, and especially not how she’s dreading leaving this town when normally she wants to run as far away from it as possible. The most not-normal thing about it all, though, is the way she wants to tell him each and every one of those things. She wants to grab his face, run her fingers through his gorgeous hair, and tell him everything she’s feeling right now.

But she can’t so instead she whispers, “what if I make you fall in love first, Malachai?”

Kai squeezes her hand tighter, his legs tangling with hers under the booth. His lips part, his tongue darting out and wetting his lips. Her heart hammers in her chest as she watches, ridiculously jealous at the notion of not getting to taste him in the same way. Her body floods with heat when his eyes twinkle, a response dancing on the very same, traitorous tongue, but before he can answer their waiter arrives, setting down a large pizza and turning to face her. He has blonde hair and an easy smile, one that would send most girls reeling. Matt Donovan. She remembers him from high school; he was a good kid but they never really ran in the same social circles. She doesn’t regret not knowing him, his group is part of the reason she left this town.

“Alright, one pizza. Is there anything else I can get for you,” he smiles at her and her heart doesn’t hammer anymore, it slows.

She tightens her fingers around Kai’s, her voice less melodic than moments ago, “no, this is great thank you.”

Matt nods, stalling a moment and smiling at her. She can feel Kai tense, his legs stilling against her own. Her eyes dart between the two and she catches the way his eyes narrow at the blonde, his head tilting as if calculating what he should do. His chocolate scent increases, if that’s even possible, wrapping around her like a blanket as he sits up straighter. Matt doesn’t even look at him, his eyes focussed on her and her alone.

“You sure I can’t get you anything else?”

She nods but before she can speak Kai answers, his voice clipped but a smile on his lips regardless, “actually,” his eyes lower to the nametag on Matt’s chest, “Matt, we’d love a box.”

Matt’s eyebrows scrunch and she giggles, a tad confused but deeply invested in the cruel twang to Kai’s voice. She meets his eyes, pulling her lip once more between her teeth and swallowing her heart that has crawled it’s way into her throat. Something about the way he’s holding himself- the way he taunts the boy she went to school with only a few years ago- makes her feel alive. Who would have thought that the bubblegum princess would get such a thrill from watching the devil go head to head with the boy next door?

“A box?” she has to stifle another giggle, not wanting to appear rude despite how much joy she’s feeling.

Kai nods, “please, and the check. We really should get going now.”

Her heart thrums, wondering what on earth he’s up to. She doesn’t care. It’s starting to become a recurring theme with this boy; how little she cares about anything but being in his presence. Each second that passes she falls deeper into something she can’t explain. Her heart jumps when Kai’s eyes meet hers, his smile softening from the malicious grin that he had been aiming at Matt. She shakes her head lightly, nudging his foot under the table and rubbing her calf against his.

“Alrighty,” Matt grumbles, “I’ll get that for you right now.”

She watches as he walks away, turning back to the man across from her with a grin on her glossy lips, “how am I supposed to fall in love with you when you don’t even feed me?”

He laughs, tugging her hand to his mouth. She’s starting to think that her hand belongs there, pressed against his lips for eternity. Every time his lips swipe across her knuckles she swoons, sparks tingling up her arm. If his lips feel this good against her hand then they must feel even better- no, nevermind that.

“You can eat in the car,” he suggests, his eyes searching hers as he draws another knuckle to his mouth and nipping lightly with his teeth.

The feeling of his teeth scraping against her skin sends her reeling, a shiver racing up her spine as she registers his words. In the car. She presses her lips together. What does that mean?

“Malachai?”

“Let me drive you back to school.”

Hour Three

Kai watches her steal the last piece of pizza and laughs, tossing the box into the back of his truck and pulling her closer on the bench seat. She tangles her fingers through his free hand and his heart explodes in his chest. His eyes lock on the road again but his thoughts are stuck on the beautiful girl beside him whose hands are wrapped around his arm. She clings to him, her bubblegum and cherry and just plain irresistible scent invading his senses. She leans her head against his shoulder, rubbing her cheek against his jacket, and he forgets that she hasn’t been in his life more than three hours.

They’ve been driving for an hour, laughing and talking as the sun set. She’s told him about her major, about the books she reads and her parents. She’s spouted all the lines of her favourite movies and listed her favourite cities in order even though she’s only been to a couple. He, in turn, has told her about his favourite song. He told her about the time he broke his leg and how he isn’t usually like this. How he’s never like this. She agreed with that, taking the opportunity to tell him how focussed she usually is. He didn’t mind when she spoke over him. Had it been anyone else he would have but he could listen to her talk for ages. She makes hours feel like minutes- like seconds- and every sign they pass he gets more and more desperate. He doesn’t want to leave her. He wants more of the minute-like hours.

“What’s your favourite color,” she mumbles, running her nose over his arm.

He’s never understood why people care about favourite colors. It’s just so trivial, the answer always changing, that it’s never made sense to him. Is it possible to have a favourite color? He doesn’t think so. For some reason though, when she asks him and her voice goes high at the end of the question- as if she’s truly dying to know his favourite color- his heart stammers, not wanting to mess up the answer. He glances at her, his eyes finding her bubblegum cherry lips. Maybe he has a favourite color after all.

“Red,” Kai responds, running his thumb over her wrist and smiling when she shivers against him, “my favourite color is red.”

She hums appreciatively, her voice bouncing around the cab of his truck, “I like red too. It’s not my favourite though.”

Her fingers untangle from his, her hand landing on his thigh, using him for balance as she tucks her legs underneath her. Kai sucks in a breath at her touch, a tingle shooting up his spine. Her innocent eyes peer into his, no doubt still thinking about colors without a care in the world. His mind, on the other hand, couldn’t be further away from the color wheel.

“Why’s that,” he forces out, his voice gravelly, “what’s your favourite color?”

“Black,” she answers and for a moment he doesn’t think about her hand still curled around his thigh, “I think I like the color black.”

He scrunches his eyebrows. Black. He wouldn’t have pegged her for a dark colors kind of girl. Every part of her screams light. Goodness. She seems like the type of girl who likes laying in the sun and eating ice cream on hot days and filling the bath with more bubbles than water. No, she doesn’t seem like she is; he knows she is. He doesn’t have to ask her to know that she is the complete opposite of him.

Kai can’t stop himself from asking, “why the color black?”

She moves her hand back to his arm, wrapping both of her arms around his, and he lets out a sigh of relief. Well, relief mixed with frustration. He didn’t want her hand gone, he wanted it higher. He’ll take her wrapped around him though, it’s just as good. It’s better. He can think of a hundred different ways he would like this woman wrapped around him.

She presses her lips to his shoulder and he wishes the stupid jacket would just burn, “because it suits you. I didn’t think I liked it before today but now I think there’s something beautiful about it.”

Kai’s hand finds her thigh, his heart pounding fiercely, “the color?”

She gasps lightly when he squeezes, a sound that hits him straight in the gut. He does it again, this time harder, and she presses her forehead against his shoulder, her soft moan tumbling against him. His hand tightens on the steering wheel at the sound. He has no idea how he managed to get an angel into his truck. How he convinced her that he was good enough to sit this close to her; good enough to hold her in his hands and hear her pleasure.

“The darkness,” she whispers, her voice hitching when his hand slides higher, “I didn’t think I would like the darkness this much.”

He digs his fingers into her jean-clad skin, reveling in her warmth and the way she squeezes her thighs around his hand. He bites his cheek, barely containing his own moans. She’s not even touching him and yet the sound of her voice alone has him so close. His eyes read the next sign, sucking in a harsh breath. Ten more minutes and she’ll be out of his truck.

Kai looks over at her- perhaps for what will be one of the last times- forcing a sharp smile to his lips, “this darkness is nothing, princess.” His voice is hoarse, his words soft but pained, “it’s just a glimpse. I don’t think you would like the real thing as much.”

He watches as her eyes widen, her mouth falling open a touch. Exactly, he thinks to himself, now you’re starting to get it. He clenches his jaw, going to move his hand from her heavenly thigh when she stops him, her hands closing around his wrist. His shoulders- among other things- tense as she drags his fingers to settle directly between her legs, using her hand to guide his motions and arching into his touch. Holy fucking shit.

“Princess what-” Kai tries to process his thoughts clearly but he can’t; the heat seeping from her and her fingers pushing his to rub against her are much too demanding for him to form a coherent sentence.

The sign for her university comes into focus as he rubs his fingers harder against her. A soundtrack of her moans fills the cab of his truck, her hands wrapping like a vice against his arm as she presses her face once more against his shoulder. He curses, breathing in her sugary aroma, his chest flooding with heat. All he can think about is how he has to park this damn car before he crashes and doesn’t get to experience more of the exquisite creature next to him. She rolls her head back onto the seat, spreading her legs further for him, her hands never leaving his arm.

“Just try me, Malachai.”

Hour Four

She moans as Kai’s hands find the button of her jeans, the tires of his truck screeching as he finally pulls into her dorm’s parking lot. As soon as he shifts the gears into park she’s on him, grabbing the collar of his jacket and pulling his lips to her own. God, she was right, he tastes chocolate and mint gum. He groans into her mouth, one of his hands finding her hip and pulling her onto his lap while the other goes to her neck, pushing her lips against his. She presses against him, rocking against the hard bulge in his jeans and gasping against his mouth.

“Malachai,” she murmurs, her hands sliding through his silky hair, “I need you.”

He wraps his arms around her back, pressing his chest against hers and backing her into the steering wheel. Her heart thunders when his lips meet her jaw, nipping at her skin before sliding back to her lips and pulling her bottom lip between his teeth.

“Fuck,” her body lights up at the throaty tone of his voice, “are you sure, princess?”

She nods, the words lodging in her throat as Kai’s lips trace to her neck, his tongue flattening against her pulse point. She’s sure alright. She’s never been more sure of anything. She wraps her hands around his back, clawing at his shoulders and mewling at his skilled lips. She tugs at his jacket, trying her best to convey her need for the material to disappear. The girl is rarely speechless but right now, when she needs her voice the most, it’s as if it’s nowhere to be seen.

“Off, please get it off,” she finally murmurs against his lips, her hands splayed hard against his jaw as he shrugs the jacket off, “I need to feel you.”

Kai’s fingers curl around the hem of her shirt, sliding underneath and around her back, his fingers digging into her spine deliciously. She rocks higher on his lap, her lips finding his throat and sucking his warm skin into her mouth. She runs her tongue against the hollow of his throat, smiling when he bucks his hips against her. Tingles shoot through her as he brushes against her and she lets loose another moan into his skin.

“More,” she fumbles, seeing stars behind her eyelids, “I need more. I need all of you, right now. Please.”

She doesn’t even know what she’s saying; she just knows if he doesn’t make love to her soon she’s going to literally combust. She slides her hands down Kai’s chest, her fingers slipping beneath his shirt and glimpsing at his hard muscles. Her fingers explore slightly and she reels when he tenses under her, a breathy moan of his own joining hers.

He crushes her against him, his head falling against the seat, “angel, I will do whatever the fuck you want me to but not in my truck.” His hand slides to her ass, squeezing so hard her core clenches, his name slipping from her lips, “I am not about to let just anyone watch me fuck you into next week. That’s mine and mine alone.”

She can hear exactly what he means; you’re mine and mine alone. It sends another wave of heat coursing over her, her core clenching again, harder, and she nods furiously against his neck, “my room. Now!”

He laughs, pulling his keys from the ignition and opening the door. She giggles with him, sliding out of the truck and all but dragging him with her. He kicks the door shut, his arms wrapped around her stomach and his face buried in the side of her neck. She squeals gleefully when he lifts her, her back pressed against his chest as he kisses the side of her neck and spins her around. The cold air nips at her stomach, exposed from where her shirt rides up.

“Malachai,” she whines, her hand sliding behind her and into his hair, tugging a tad harshly, “please hurry, baby.”

“You’re no fun, angel,” he murmurs against her skin but sets her down nonetheless.

She wraps her hands around his arm, tugging him to jog after her, her giggles spilling into the night, no doubt waking up some of the other students as she leads him through the campus. She doesn’t care, she hasn’t felt this free in ages. He laughs with her and the sound of his joy exhilarates her, lighting her whole being up with a dangerous kind of fire. It weighs down her limbs, pooling in her stomach and soaking her jeans. His hand links with hers, his fingers squeezing hers as her body tingles. She’s so close to her dorm she can taste it- taste him and everything he’s going to do to her- and she hurries quicker.

She tugs him around a corner and he stops abruptly. Her heart jumps in her throat, wondering for a moment if he’s changed his mind. When she turns to look at him, though, his dark eyes pour over her, his lip pulled between his teeth. He looks like he wants to take her right here on the stoop of a dorm that isn’t her own. She squeezes her thighs, trying to ignore the part of her that reels at the thought.

“Kai-”

He pushes her against the brick of her dorm building, his mouth slamming against hers, his tongue slipping between her lips, “Malachai, princess. That’s my name. Say it.”

She moans at his soft and stern tone, grinding her hips against his the best she can, “Malachai, I need you.”

He nods against her lips, his hands wrapping around her hips and pulling her up his body. She wraps her legs around him, sighing when he pushes her harder into the wall with his hips, pressing his hard length against her covered core and moaning into her mouth. His scent consumes her, lingering in her chest when he pulls back, his eyes consumed by darkness. Her heart thunders when his nostrils flare, her thighs clenching around him at the sight of his flushed cheeks.

“What room number,” he pants, grinding his hips and sending another relentless wave of heat racing through her.

She presses her mouth against his, her tongue lapping at his minty lips, “I’m in 102.” She tugs his bottom lip, pulling a heated groan from his chest, “it’s just a few doors down. Please, Malachai.”

She kisses down the side of his throat as Kai searches for her room, running her nose along his warm skin and sinking as far into his arms as possible. She tugs the key out of her bag when he slows, leaning away from him to unlock the door before turning the knob and all but falling into her room. She giggles as they stumble, pushing the door shut quickly and throwing her keys to the floor. No need for those anymore.

He tosses her on her bed and she can’t help but giggle at the feeling of her plush blanket, knowing soon it will be brushing her bare back as he slides into her. He makes quick work of her heels, pulling them off and tossing them to the side. She winces when she hears them clunk somewhere in her room- that loud sound better not have been one of them breaking, Kai- but is soon distracted when he kicks his own boots off, kneeling on the bed and crawling towards her. The bed sinks at his knees and her body thrums in anticipation.

As soon as he’s within arms reach she grabs him, her fingers twisting in his t-shirt as she hauls his body over hers. Well, she tells herself that she’s the one who brings him closer. In reality it’s he who complies, letting her command him in whichever way she so pleases. He leans down, finding her mouth and kissing her hard, lowering some of his weight onto her. She moans, pressing back against him and wishing that his clothes would just vanish already, their mutual affinity for jeans starting to become a problem.

“Angel, fuck,” he murmurs as her hands slide once more under his shirt and he grabs her fingers, pulling her wrists above her head, “I need permission right now before we keep going. Yes; I fuck you. No; we cuddle. I am more than fine with both options.” One of his hands slides down her belly and wraps around her hips, fire flaring everywhere he touches, “what’ll it be, princess?”

He hovers over her, his gray eyes soft on hers. For the first time tonight she can see them clearly and her breath hitches, an unexpected wave of emotion flooding her chest at the way he’s looking at her. All that talk about darkness and he’s anything but. She yanks her arms from his hand, instead loosely hanging them around his neck. She arches her chest as close to him as she can, feeling each layer of clothes between them in agonizing detail.

“As wonderful as cuddles sound,” she tangles her legs around his hips, pulling his hardness back to her heat, “I really need you to fuck me.”

A wicked grin settles over Kai’s face, his lips drawing to her ear and pulling the lobe between his teeth, tugging hard, his words sending shivers through her body, “then I think it’s high time these clothes go, don’t you?”

She nods, her voice choosing once more to vanish at the most inopportune moment. He pulls her onto her knees, his lips brushing her jaw softly as his hands find the hem of her shirt for the last time, dragging it slowly up her stomach and over her chest before finally discarding it next to the bed. His fingertips draw over her skin lightly, his pinkies grazing the valley of her breasts and his thumbs smoothing over her collarbones. Even the slightest touch makes her clench, knowing he’ll soon be putting those fingers to good work.

She thanks the heavens for a moment that she thought to put on a nice bra, her body flushing with heat when Kai sucks in a breath at the blue lace barely concealing her peaked nipples. His hands circle her waist, his thumbs trailing fire over her soft skin. He darts his tongue out again against his bottom lip, watching her breasts rise and fall with her breaths like a starved man. If a look could ever make someone come on the spot it would be this one. She takes a sharp breath, her chest swelling, the cups of her bra stretching, and his eyes darken.

“Fucking hell, you really are an angel, aren’t you?” he slides his hands up her ribcage, over the flimsy material covering her and flicking her hard nipples, his mouth falling open in a half smile at her breathy sounds, “my angel.”

She gasps, her eyes as wide as saucers, and Kai smiles, fully, his eyes flitting to hers as he does it again, watching her face as his fingers lazily sweep back and forth over her buds. Each brush of his fingers sends a jolt of electricity straight to her core, her body tensing at each pinch. Her hands jut out, grabbing onto his shoulders as to not fall over from the sensation. She squeezes her thighs, rubbing her jean clad legs together in her best attempt to quell the raging fire but it’s useless. Only he can put it out and he knows it, chuckling- a sound like ice cream melting on a hot day; slow and sweet- at her sweet agony before finally slipping behind her back, his fingers finding the clasp of her bra.

“Perhaps I should leave this on, hmm?” Kai teases and she whines, arching her back into his hand. “Watch the way you bounce,” he leans down, his mouth capturing one of her nipples through the lace, his tongue hot and wet against her, “the way the lace pulls.” His teeth find the edge of the cup gently, careful not to ruin it as he drags it over her chest. She jolts when his lips graze her nipple directly, a small taste of his electricity, “what do you think angel?”

As soon as her breast is free from the lace she digs her fingers through his hair, desperately pushing his face back to her chest, “please take it off.”

He laughs, his hot breath fanning her bud as his fingers pull at the hooks behind her back, finally releasing her from the suddenly constricting material. She hears it hit the floor but she doesn’t watch where it lands, her eyes locked on Kai’s as he lowers his mouth back to her nipple, his other palm sliding up her ribs to tease her other breast. His hair tickles her skin as he flicks his tongue over her, his fingers imitating the same sensation, twisting and flicking her peaked bud in time to the laps of his mouth. Her stomach twists, her core dripping from the stimulation.

“Malachai,” she pleads, her fingers tugging at his hair, trying to find his eyes desperately, “please more. I need more.”

Kai tugs her nipple between his teeth, biting harshly and pulling a small hum of pleasure from her lips as waves of heat attack her body, “patience, angel.” He runs his tongue over her burning bud, soothing her skin once more, “I want you to feel everything. I want you to remember it- me.” He kisses across her chest, pressing his lips gently against her sternum, “every kiss-” he bites at her breast, sucking her skin roughly into his mouth, sending another jolt through her core, “every bite.” His hands drag down her stomach, lazily drawing circles as he teases the waistband of her jeans, “I want you to think about me in every class, I want my name to be the only thing you can say when you go to answer a question. That will take patience-” he kisses her stomach, his tongue dipping against her bellybutton and his fingers grazing the lace under her jeans, “but I think maybe these can go.”

She moans her agreement, the sound tearing from her throat as she nods, most likely once a coherent thought but now just a mess of want- of need. Kai quickly pops the button of her jeans, his fingers digging into the waistband and yanking, tugging her pants down in a way that very much goes against his wish for slow. She lifts her hips from the bed, helping him as much as she can to get the damn pants off. He chuckles as she writhes, each gentle laugh zeroing in on her now barely covered core and sparking little fires across her clit. The sound of the material finally pooling on her floor is like music to her ears but her eyebrows furrow when she looks at him, still completely clothed.

She sits up on her elbows, biting her lip, “come here,” she coos, her voice breathy and her chest heaving, “please, Malachai. C’mere,” she sighs when he complies, her fingers twisting his shirt when he settles between her thighs, “this should have come off ages ago.”

She clenches her bare thighs around his own jean covered legs, mewling as the rough material scratches deliciously at her skin.

“Of course, angel,” his nose skims over her neck as she pulls the material from his body, his voice low and teasing, her fingers gliding over the hard dips of his abdomen, “where are my manners.”

She hums happily- a kitten purring from some much needed attention- as he pushes her back, his sculpted stomach now fully on display for her viewing pleasure as the soft blanket tickles her bare skin. His attention is now focused on the matching, blue lace that is not even trying to conceal her core. Kai slides off her bed, kneeling beside her, and her mind races, her heart thumping hard in her chest. What are you-

Her thoughts are interrupted when his hands dig into her hips, tugging her so that her legs dangle off the bed. He spreads her thighs, his eyes latched on hers as he leans down, kissing the inside of her thigh much too lightly. Her fingers dig into the comforter as he pulls her legs over his now bare shoulders, his hot skin soothing her aching muscles. He plants another gentle kiss on her other thigh and she almost screams- do something Kai, do anything, please- her breath ragged as she watches his lips crawl closer to the soaked lace. She digs her heels against his back, hoping to spur him closer to her.

He runs his nose along the lace, straight down her clit and she gasps, the sensation like lava flowing through her veins, “Kai!”

He flicks his head up, squeezing her hips harder, “what did I already say about that, angel,” he kisses under her belly button, purposefully avoiding her throbbing nub, “what’s my name?”

His gray eyes are wild, filled with a hunger that makes her clench around her emptiness.

She digs her heels harder against him as his teeth tug at the lace, his name a delicious moan on her tongue, “Malachai.”

“Very good,” he praises, “you’re so good for me, baby.”

She moans again as he strikes gold, no response to the name other than pure lust filling her body. His hands tug at her panties, finally pulling the last article of clothing- if a piece of sheer lace even counts as clothing- from her body, exposing her pulsing clit to the cool air of her room. He sucks in a breath, leaning down to blow warm air against her, spreading her legs even further. She throbs, watching as he finally lowers his mouth, his tongue licking a stripe directly to her core and planting stars behind her eyes.

“Fuck, baby,” he moans, more to himself than her, his muscled arms wrapping around her thighs and crushing her to him, “I was right you taste like fucking candy. So damn sweet.”

He dives back against her, his hot tongue flicking her bud back and forth. Waves of white fire pour through her, compressing together in the pit of her stomach. Her fingers dig into the sheets, tugging at the plush comforter because she knows if she runs her fingers through Kai’s hair she might just rip it out. Her back arches, her breasts greeting the air as Kai’s tongue swipes straight to her core again, dipping into her heat before going back to her clit sucking hard.

He moves one of his hands between her legs, his fingertips lazily circling her entrance as he continues to devour her, “so wet for me, baby. From the moment I first touched you,” he muses, his eyes finding hers over the arch of her sternum and swell of her breasts, “it’s like you knew I was coming.”

“Maybe I did,” she pants, squeezing her thighs around the man buried between her legs, letting out a strangled gasp when he sinks one of his fingers into her, “maybe ever since I locked eyes on you-” another gasp, this time from him pushing a second finger in and curling them both- “I’ve wondered how I’m going to forget you.”

He curls his fingers faster at her words, sucking that much harder on her nub. His eyes stay latched on hers, dark and determined. The ball of fire grows dangerously as his fingers brush over a spot- the spot- and she groans, her hand finding his hair. She doesn’t care anymore, tugging harshly on his silky hair and pushing his face as close to her as she can, grinding against his lips as her whole body starts to tingle. It’s like someone replaced her veins with fluorescents and Kai’s tongue is the outlet.

“Well maybe,” Kai curls his fingers and her body jolts, teetering on the sweet edge of nothingness, “baby,” his voice is just this side of taunting, his tongue finding a tortuous rhythm, “I don’t want you to forget me.”

He curls his fingers one more time and she falls- quite possibly in more than one way- over the edge, an earth shattering orgasm tearing through her entire body, “fuck, Malachai!”

Her body trembles in his arms, his fingers still twisting inside her, his mouth still latched to her, sucking and licking until she comes down from her high. She sinks back into her comforter, entirely spent and limbs heavy, his name still a moan on her lips. Her heat throbs, clenching and unclenching as she watches him stand. Maybe she isn’t so tired after all. She pushes her heels into her bed, crawling back towards her pillows as his hands find his belt, making quick work of the leather. He doesn’t bother pulling it from the loops, he just hooks his fingers in his jeans, his taut muscles heaving as he shoves his clothes off in one steady push.

She moans as her eyes land on everything he’s been keeping from her, her mouth watering at the sight of his thick, hard shaft bouncing slightly against his abs. She sinks back against her pillows, her toes curling at the thought of him- what was it Kai said? Oh, right- fucking her into next week. She stretches her arm out, her eyes lidded in anticipation and her nipples peaking once more, and curls her fingers at him. Come here, she almost screams, come burn yourself into my very being. She’s doing her best to remain composed but her skin is flushed, the feeling of his lips still fresh on her body, and her core aches to be filled with something more than his fingers.

He kneels on the bed once more, his lips tilted and his eyes dark, and he crawls back to her body. He grabs her thighs when he reaches her, pushing her knees to her chest and baring her core him, stretching her muscles deliciously. She grabs his shoulders, digging her fingers into his warm skin and tugging him to hover over her, her legs pressed between them. His shaft presses against her still sensitive clit and she hisses, giggling slightly from the stimulation.

“Angel,” Kai murmurs, his lips pressing against hers as he rocks his hips against her, his tip teasing her entrance, “fuck, just tell me you don��t want to forget me.” He pushes in a few inches and she gasps, cooing at the way he’s already stretching her walls, “tell me you’re mine-” he pushes further, his eyes locking on hers and making her core tighten, her fingers digging harder into his skin. “Tell me you’re mine even if you’re lying.”

He pushes all the way into her, his thighs pressed against hers and his hand shoved into the pillows beside her head, keeping him from falling against her. She feels the most full she’s ever felt, her heat pulsing as he gives her a moment to adjust. She can feel each breath he takes, each slight bump of his hips as he holds himself back, each twitch inside her like he’s a lit match and her body is a temple about to be burned to the ground. She shifts against him and a line of fire zings straight from her bellybutton, a tremor of pleasure shocking her heart. Burn me, please, she chants in her head.

“How could I forget about you?” She breathes, her mouth falling open when he slowly pulls back, only to snap his hips back into hers, driving himself deeper than the first time, “why would I- ah,” Kai presses his chest against her knees, pushing her further into the mattress and leaning on his forearms, circling his hips and stealing the air from her lungs, “I’m yours, Malachai.” She resigns, her train of thought long gone, “all yours.”

“Absolutely right, baby,” he growls, pulling out of her again and slamming back into her as soon as the words are out of her mouth, “mine.”

His hand grabs her knee, pulling her legs apart to wrap around him as he settles into a faster pace. She wraps her arms around his neck, her fingers anchoring in his hair and tugging his lips to hers. She squeezes her thighs around his hips, her toes curling from his bruising pace, whining when he almost pulls all the way out of her once again before thrusting back. She arches her spine, her chest bouncing against his as he circles her arm around her back, pulling her flush against him.

She drags a hand down Kai’s back, her nails digging against his skin and drawing a sinful moan from him. His lips latch on to her jaw as he thrusts harder into her, his arm sliding behind her neck and holding her closer, “fuck, you’re so tight-”

He lifts to his knees, bringing her with him and shifting the angle of his thrusts, his shaft brushing the same spot from before. She lets go of his shoulders, falling back into her pillows to grip her fuzzy sheets for dear life. She can feel the fire from before start building again, only this time hotter, and she rocks back against him, doing her best to match his pace but it’s impossible. He has her legs around his waist still, her bottom half clean off the mattress as he pounds her top half into the pillows; there is nothing for her to do but let the pleasure wash over her.

Kai pulls her leg further up his chest, hanging it from his shoulder as he smirks, tugging his lip between his teeth, “if only you could see how pretty you look princess, all stretched out for me.” She clenches at his words, the ball of fire pulsing dangerously, and he tightens his hand on her thigh, his eyes going dark, “do you like it when I praise you baby?” His voice is throaty and she can feel him twitch, just as close to coming undone as she is, and her walls clamp around him harder this time, “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“More,” she begs, screwing her eyes shut and letting the sound of his voice push her closer to the cliff, “tell me more. Please!”

He sucks in a sharp breath, his hips slamming impossibly harder against hers, brushing that magical spot relentlessly. His fingers slide down her leg, dragging through her folds to find her throbbing nub, circling his fingers lightly and drawing a strangled scream from her lips.

“And what should I tell you, hmm?” He presses harder against her clit, his fingers picking up the pace to keep time with his increasingly sloppier thrusts, “should I tell you that you look exquisite wrapped around my cock?” She moans, his words making white flash behind her eyes, her core squeezing and sending the first taste of her second orgasm spiraling through her, “that I can’t wait to flip you over in a minute and make you cum again,” her legs jerk, the second wave so much more intense than the first, so much more earth shattering, “and again,” he pushes into her one last time, throwing them both over the edge, “and again, angel.”

Her whole body splinters when he empties himself into her, meeting her release with his with a shuddered breath. She can’t even scream his name- god, she certainly tries though- the white, hot pleasure coursing through her veins, stirring a new life into her bones, only allows her to whisper it. Mouth it over and over again as he collapses against her sticky chest. Fuck, Malachai. He pulls out of her and she hisses, swallowing the last wave of electricity as she stretches her bones, delighting in the careful pop of her joints.

“Fuck,” Kai rolls onto his back, his eyes shut and his mouth wide open, “that was-” he props himself up on his elbow, his eyes now open and swimming over her face, “that was just wow, baby. Fucking wow.”

She giggles breathlessly, her legs jelly as she turns to him, reaching her arms out. Her body still craves him, her skin aching to press against his in a way she’s never experienced. He wastes no time scooping her up, wrapping an arm behind her knees and pooling her on his chest. His other hand glides up her spine, his fingers pressing hungrily into her flesh. Her thighs slip around his hips as she sinks against his chest, her face finding the crook of his neck. His hands work at the kinks in her shoulders and she shivers, her body starting to light up again.

“Fucking wow,” she agrees as she presses her lips against his throat, squeezing her thighs as his fingers draw lower again, swiping over the dip at the base of her spine as she murmurs a soft, “you don’t have to leave yet, do you?”

Kai’s body tenses under hers and her heart stutters, her chest stinging- oh, maybe he does.

“If you do though that’s okay,” she rushes out quickly, pushing her hands against his chest to put some distance between the two of them, “I don’t want to keep you if you, uh, have places to be, I guess-”

He tightens his arms around hers, sitting up quickly, keeping her in his arms as he does so, “I have nowhere to be but here.” He presses his lips against hers and she sighs, reveling in his slightly salty taste, “nowhere I want to be but here, princess”

She nods, brushing her nose against his, “okay.”

Her fingers tangle through his matted hair and he sighs, leaning down to brush her back. Okay. It’s not what she wants to say- something more along the lines of please never leave- but she can settle for it for now. She shifts to straddle his thighs better, pressing her chest against him and sighing at the growing electricity. Round three it is. When she kisses him back she can swear she tastes a hint of her bubblegum gloss on his lips.

“Okay,” he agrees.

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drabbles-of-writing · 4 years

Text

If Love is Pain Then We’re Smitten

This is part of my Beta AU

AO3

Masterpost

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

It was no secret that Luz Noceda and Amity Blight didn’t get along.

Ever since the human transferred to Hexside, mostly on accident, mind you, there’d been trouble.

Now, fighting in Hexside wasn’t out of the ordinary. It’s Hexside. Everyone is basically a feral animal with sentience.

Their fighting, however, was constant.

Verbal or physical, the two simply couldn’t be in the same room together and not raise the tension. At first it was treated like trying to walk with an egg floating in an overfilled glass of water. After all, Amity used to be part of Boscha’s group. That alone commanded respect.

But over time, it became more...tolerable.

It was a regular spectacle to see what disaster Luz would find herself in each day. Sometimes they were as big as stopping a lava monster from burning the whole school to the ground, and other times it was a simple spat with the resident demon, King.

It had become a common occurrence to Luz and Amity as well. They barely batted an eye at their own barking anymore.

And yet….something felt different about this fight.

Luz was unconsciously aware that she was being lifted by the front of her shirt. Her head hurt, her eye, good lord, her eye hurt. She registered Amity getting in her face, fangs bared, pupils slitted. The mane she called hair had come undone and framed her face in a wild, mangled manor. She had a bruise on her cheek, and bits of blood running down her face.

Luz was too tired to find the source of it. She couldn’t pinpoint why, but all her fire from before had died in the blink of an eye.

“Are you even listening?” Amity snapped, bringing the human back to reality. “You look like you just died.” She huffed.

“Maybe I did,” Luz mumbled, limp in the witch’s grip. “You don’t know. Bet I possessed my own corpse just to torture you.”

“No, I’ve seen that happen. You’d actually look better if that was the case.” She said, stepping back, but still holding her up by her shirt.

“Thanks,” Luz muttered, rolling her eyes and wincing at the pain in her left eye.

She took this moment to look over the witch again. She had scrapes all along her arms, and she could see a bit of blood soaking through her pant leg. There was a long cut on her forehead, not a deep one, but enough that blood was still faintly trickling around her eyes.

And, Luz noticed with a hint of satisfaction, she was favoring her left arm, holding her up with more force with her other hand.

“You look like hell,” Luz said, her gaze drifting back to her face.

“You’re no model yourself,” Amity huffed, curling her lip in a sneer, flashing a slightly bloody fang.

Luz narrowed her eyes. If she found a bite mark on herself, then there would be war.

“Just put me down you melodramatic witch.” Luz muttered.

Amity shrugged and released Luz’s shirt. The human yelped before hitting the pavement, flinching as she felt fresh scrapes on her arms. She glared up at the girl, who only gave her a smug look in response and began to walk off.

She winced mid-step, pulling up her right leg with a hiss. Luz raised a brow and lifted herself onto her hands, straining with the effort.

“You alright there, Mittens?” Luz taunted.

Amity whirled her head around, giving a low growl as her ears flicked back. She straightened up and glanced away, a faint flush at the tips of her ears.

“Don’t call me that,” Amity said lowly.

“Whatever,” Luz shrugged, beginning to push herself to her feet. “Come on, let's head closer to the seven-eleven.”

“What?” Amity blinked, looking back at Luz incredulously.

“You're a mess, I’m a mess, I’d rather neither of us went walking off in the middle of the night looking like we lost a fight with a gang of raccoons.” Luz said, cringing as she got to her feet.

Amity still looked unconvinced, crossing her arms. Luz hobbled past her, unbothered as she made her way out of the parking lot and towards the side of the 7-11, a few meters away from the door, but far enough away neither of them would scare off late-night customers. Unless they were cowards, of course.

“C’mon,” Luz mumbled, waving her hand for the witch to follow.

She fully expected the witch to blow her off with a jab, but to her surprise, she didn’t. She instead heard the sound of Amity shuffling after her, grumbling something inaudible.

Luz turned so her back was leaning against the wall and slid down, knees bent as she leaned her head back, shutting her eyes with a pained groan.

“Aw, someone had too much for one night?” Amity jeered, slumping down next to Luz with her right leg stretched out and the other bent, which she lay her arm on.

“Shut your bloody mouth,” Luz growled, though it was nowhere near the level of Amity’s.

“Do you usually become British when you're beat up?” Amity chuckled.

“I meant that literally,” Luz cracked open an eye. “You have blood on your teeth.”

Amity paused, clearly not expecting that. She opened her mouth and poked her tongue around at her teeth. She pulled back and shut her mouth with an appalled look after only a few moments.

“Ew, I do.” She agreed. “It better not be yours,” She warned.

“Oh, yeah, like I want a massive bite-mark on me.” Luz rolled her eyes. “You're worse than a rabid possum, you know that?”

“Says the one who hangs out with the weird owl janitor,” Amity huffed. “If anyone has rabies, it’s her.”

Luz opened her mouth to argue before slowly shutting it again.

She muttered something under her breath before beginning to dig through her jean jackets pockets. Amity watched her curiously for a few moments until she pulled out a healing glyph with a gleeful expression.

“You have one of those?” Amity asked as Luz sat on her knees, turned towards the witch.

“Obviously, I’m fighting you all the time.” Luz scoffed. “And, well, I get into a lot of fights by this parking lot.” She said with a shrug.

“You what--”

Luz leaned forward, reaching for Amity’s left shoulder. The witch cut herself off and pulled back, giving Luz a mildly concerned look. Luz met her gaze with her own tired stare and the witch eventually let up.

She mumbled something about her ‘wasting a glyph,’ but Luz paid it no mind. The witch pulled the hem of her shirt to the side, revealing a nasty mark right where her shoulder connected to her body. Luz reached out and placed the healing glyph on it before tapping it.

The glyph glowed brightly for a moment before steadily beginning to dull back to normal. Amity grit her teeth at first, but quickly relaxed with a sigh, her ears relaxing to an almost normal position.

“I know, right?” Luz grinned. “Feels like a high.”

“I’m not gonna ask why you know what a high feels like,” Amity said, giving Luz a warning glare.

“It’s best you don’t,” Luz agreed, sitting back. “Anyway, I need ten bucks.”

“What?” Amity stared at Luz.

“Ten bucks, for supplies.” Luz said, pointing behind her towards the 7-11 doors. “We both look awful, and that was the only healing glyph I had on me.”

“Wh--and you used it on this?” Amity gaped, gesturing to her shoulder with her free hand.

“Yeah, so now you owe me ten bucks, that I will also proceed to use on your broken face.” Luz said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Your rich, aren’t you? Make it even.”

“That...that wouldn’t be….” Amity sighed and shook her head. “You’re an idiot,” She muttered, digging in her pocket and pulling out her wallet.

“You had that on you the whole time?” Luz blinked. “I thought you would’ve, like, kept in your purse in your car.”

“I was too busy getting ready to curb-stomp your face.” Amity replied simply, withdrawing two fives and placing them in Luz’s outstretched hand with more force than necessary.

“How sweet of you,” Luz rolled her eyes before pulling herself to her feet with a wince. “Wait here.”

“Do I have a choice?” Amity muttered.

“Eh, I could probably call a taxi with this.” Luz said, shoving the money in her pocket and hobbling towards the door.

Amity frowned, confused for a moment as Luz opened the store door.

“Wait...did you walk here?”

Seven minutes had never felt so long before.

Amity impatiently drummed her fingers on the ground beside her, constantly glancing back at the door, even when there was no indication it had opened.

She rolled up her pant leg, exposing the nasty gash on her knee. She recoiled at the sight and decided to leave it be and hope Luz kept her word.

Despite it being the middle of the night, there was the occasional weirdo or group of people wandering about. Amity would turn her head away and hide her face with her hand every time someone walked by and stared at her, or the one group who went inside the 7-11.

They probably thought she was a junkie or some hustler who had a bad day, she thought bitterly. After all, who in their right mind would be sitting alone in the middle of the night looking like they had a tussle with a wild dog?

She heard the door to the store open and glanced up, immediately turning when she saw it was Luz.

In her hands were bandages, a roll of gauzes, and antiseptic wipes. She nodded to Amity before sitting beside her again. She didn’t say anything, only set down the medical supplies and withdrew a small pack of twizzlers.

“...did you seriously buy that with my money?” Amity finally broke the silence.

“There was some left over, and that employee just wanted me out of his store.” Luz shrugged, pulling out a twizzler. “Also, this one was already open, so it cost less.”

“That employee probably thought you were involved in a gang fight or something,” Amity scoffed. “And is that black licorice?”

“Too bottom-of-the-barrel for your refined taste buds?” Luz taunted, holding a twizzler in her mouth while shaking the package in front of Amity.

“Licorice is revolting, that’s common knowledge.” Amity sneered, backing away.

“Cowards, all of you.” Luz huffed, setting the packet aside and biting off a piece of the twizzler in her mouth.

“You’re nature's greatest mistake,” Amity curled her lip, disgusted.

“I know,” Luz said cheekily, pulling the antiseptic wipes into her lap and beginning to try and open it.

And then Amity watched Luz struggle to open the plastic around the wipes for a good minute. Luz’s hands couldn’t get a good grip or tear in the covering, either due to how tired she was or because her hands were a bit bloody from fighting. It was hard to tell.

It didn’t take long for her to grow impatient and she let out a small growl. Luz glanced up, giving her an annoyed glare in return.

“Look, this thing is difficult to open--”

Amity snatched the antiseptic wipes out of Luz’s hands, too tired and riled up to wait any longer. She sank her fangs into the plastic, easily piercing it. In one easy movement, she tore the packaging, and some of the cardboard, clean off.

Amity spat out the plastic and cardboard and lifted up the small box to check it over. She’d pierced a few of the wipes inside, but there was still plenty left. The hole wasn’t clean and a bit small, but it was open.

“There,” Amity said, turning and holding the box out to Luz. “I opened it.”

Luz stared at her for a few moments, speechless. Amity raised a brow, wondering if Luz somehow went into shock. For a moment, Amity almost swore she saw a redness on her cheeks before Luz quickly grabbed the box out of her hands.

“Told you it was difficult,” Luz mumbled, digging through the box and pulling out the wipes and opening those with much more ease.

Amity rolled her eyes and licked at her fangs, trying to get the taste of cardboard off them. Luz pointedly looked away from her face and got onto her knees, reaching for Amity’s scraped knee.

“This is gonna hurt, by the way.”

That was all the warning Amity had before Luz pressed the antiseptic wipe to her wound. Amity hissed and jerked back, her ears lowering and snapping her teeth close to Luz’s face, causing her to draw back.

“What the hell?” Amity snarled, pulling her knee closer.

“This isn’t like the glyphs you use,” Luz explained, minorly annoyed. “It’s going to hurt, but it will help.”

“What kind of backwards logic is that?” Amity demanded.

“The human kind. Now either hold still or get an infected knee.” Luz said firmly. “I’m already bleeding to death as it is.”

“Then just help yourself,” Amity muttered under her breath.

But she listened and stretched out her leg again. She tensed and bit back a hiss as Luz cleaned the wound.

She suspected the human cleaned a bit longer than necessary for a bit of revenge.

Once the wound was clean she unrolled the gauzes and ripped off a strip before wrapping it around the witch’s leg. Amity watched her every move like a hawk, eyes narrowed.

“Alright, now for the face.” Luz said, pulling back and withdrawing another wipe.

“What?” Amity felt her face, wincing as she pressed the bruise on her cheek. “Ow,”

“Yeah, hold still.” Luz said, sitting up on her knees and leaning forward, pressing the wipe to her forehead injury.

Amity flicked her ears down as Luz concentrated on cleaning her wound. Due to the proximity, she was stuck taking in Luz’s face, as much as it annoyed her to do so.

Luz had a black eye, and there was a scrape on her nose. Her beanie was lopsided, but stubbornly stayed on her head. Her hair was frazzled and knotted, and she wondered how much conditioner she had to use to keep her hair as straight as it usually was. Amity herself had given up on conditioner a long time ago.

Luz pulled back from cleaning her wound, leaving Amity subconsciously wondered why she didn’t feel any pain this time, and pulled out a large bandaid.

“Is that going to cover all of it?” Amity raised a brow. “And that’s a genuine question,” She added when she saw Luz give her a deadpan look. “Because in case you forgot, I can’t exactly see the damage.”

“Poor you, unable to see your wrecked face.” Luz sneered, rolling her eyes and leaning forward again to place the bandaid on. “It’ll cover most of it. You’ll live.”

Amity grumbled, crossing her arms as Luz tried to cover as much of the wound as possible.

Once again, Amity caught herself staring. She could see that Luz had cuts on the palms of her hands, and bruises that stretched passed the sleeves of her jacket where she couldn’t see. She noticed that Luz was sticking her tongue out while concentrating. The edge of Amity’s lips curved into a smile at the sight.

Luz glanced down, catching Amity’s gaze.

Amity jerked back and sharply turned her head away, her face heating up.

“I know, I look dashing in blood,” Luz taunted, sitting back with a cocky smirk. “Simply an enchanting sight.”

“I’m going to break your spine over my knee and toss you into a woodchipper.” Amity spat, pulling her lips back in a snarl.

“That’s fair,” Luz nodded, unphased as she got another antiseptic wipe. “Hey, how bad is my eye?” She asked, gesturing to her left eye. “Like, could I play it off that I smacked into a pole?”

Amity gave Luz a disbelieving look. Even in the low lighting from the store, she could tell that unless Luz could brush off she was incredibly clumsy, there’s no way someone would think she just ‘hit a pole weird.’ Her eye wasn’t swelling shut, but the entire skin around it was a dark, angry purplish black. There was even a bruise forming around the edge of her right eye where Amity had just missed hitting the eye itself.

“Yeah, no, you’d do better putting makeup on that.” Amity shook her head. “The fact you didn’t get any ice for that is already a little concerning, and that’s coming from me.”

“Store clerk wouldn’t let me steal any,” Luz shrugged, dabbing an antiseptic wipe on her nose scrap and wincing. “Guess it’s another day of concealer.” She grumbled.

“Do you even know how to properly apply concealer?” Amity asked as Luz pulled out a small bandaid.

“I just gotta find one that matches my skin tone and brush over it, don’t I?” Luz said, hovering the bandaid over her nose and realizing too late she had no idea how to place it on properly.

Amity sighed and took the bandage from Luz, slapping her hand away when she fumbled and tried to grab it back.

“No, you moron. It’s a whole process.” Amity said, reaching out and placing the bandaid over the scrape, smoothing it down.

“You gotta apply green concealer, then one that matches your skin tone, then you do the same to your other eye so it looks natural, and then you want setting powder. Plus mascara if you want to divert less attention to your eye.” Amity listed off, grabbing another antiseptic wipe and taking Luz’s hand, turning it over so she could start cleaning it.

Luz stared at her for a few moments. She seemed confused as she looked from her face to her hand that Amity was cleaning but eventually just gave a sheepish smile.

“I’m, uh, going to need to write that down.”

Amity groaned and glared at the girl. She pressed the wipe harder onto Luz’s hand and the girl winced and almost drew her hand back if it weren’t for Amity’s death-grip on her wrist.

“I have makeup in my purse, I can just apply it tomorrow before school.” She said, tossing the wipe aside and grabbing the gauzes. “Since you obviously have no idea how makeup works.”

“Gus is better at it than me, he was a theater kid.” Luz shrugged. “Well, I was also a theater kid, but he was a makeup theater kid. I was an acting theater kid.”

“That explains a lot,” Amity said simply, checking Luz’s palm to make sure the gauzes covered her scrapes before seizing her other hand.

“Oh please, I swear nearly everyone in this school was, or is, a theater kid.” Luz muttered.

“You’re not wrong.” Amity said, only half-paying attention. “The makeup isn’t going to look very good tomorrow, but that’s because of the swelling. And adding more makeup is going to make the healing process slower, so pick your battles.”

“Do you get in fights often?” Luz raised a brow. “Or are you sneaking out and helping other girls with their concealer when I’m not around?” She teased.

“Please keep in mind I’m the one holding your hand right now,” She growled, gripping her wrist tighter and glaring at her face.

There was a momentary silence between the two.

“That kinda--”

“You know what I meant.”

“Can’t believe you actually drove to a fight at seven-eleven,” Luz whistled, leaning against the front of the black car. “And I’m willing to bet this is an expensive car too, huh?”

“It’s just an old dodge charger,” Amity shrugged, opening the passenger side door. “Get in.”

Luz blanked for a moment. She processed Amity’s words before jerking her head up to look at the witch.

“Huh?”

Amity exhaled like this was testing her will and gestured to the inside of the car.

“You said you walked here, didn’t you? And even bandaged up, you still clearly got in a fight. I’m not letting you walk around at one AM looking like that.” She said impatiently.

“...you're going to willingly let me get into your car?” Luz said, pressing her hands together before flinching and remembering that was a bad idea. “And you're not trying to kidnap me?”

“I’m not asking again.”

“Just making sure,” Luz said, avoiding eye-contact as she walked over and scooted into the passenger seat.

Amity shut the door with a bit more force than necessary and walked around the car to the driver's seat. Luz took her time in looking around, checking out the interior of the car. She noticed an air freshener hanging over one of the air ducts. It was shaped like a staff from the Good Witch Azura series.

Luz leaned forward to sniff it and instantly recoiled. Partly because it had a disgusting blend of lavender and ash, and partly because Amity had gotten into the car.

“You read Azura books?” Luz asked as she turned to the girl.

Amity froze, stiff and still, both hands gripping the steering wheel. Luz scooted back slightly, preparing for a claw to come flying at her face.

Amity turned to glare at the human and pointed a finger, nails unsheathed into sharper claws and Luz instinctively raised her bandaged palms in innocence.

“You say anything about this and I will rip out your tongue and force-feed you your own eyes. Understand me?” She growled.

Luz nodded slowly and Amity pulled back, twisting her key in the ignition and starting up her car. Luz waited until they had left the parking lot and began driving before she drummed her hands on the armrest and casually tilted her head.

“So...which book’s your favorite?” She questioned. “Personally, I think book five was--”

“Shut your mouth before I do it for you,” Amity hissed. “But do that after you tell me your address.” She added right after.

“...ignoring the way you worded that first part,” Luz said, attempting to sound as indifferent as possible. “It’s just a few streets away from here. Do you have a GPS?”

“Punch it in,” Amity said, her voice sounding stained. She took one hand off the steering wheel and dug in a compartment between the two seats, pulling out a small black GPS.

Luz did so, casting a glance every now and again towards Amity, who had gotten a faint pink to her cheeks at her earlier threat. She had one elbow back on her seat, with the other hand on the steering wheel.

Luz sat back and let Amity continue the drive in near total silence. She pulled out another twizzler from the packet she’d taken and half-heartedly gnawed on one.

“Thanks,” She mumbled around the twizzler.

“Hm?” Amity hummed, glancing over for a moment before turning back to focusing on the GPS.

“For driving me,” Luz said, keeping her eyes on the window next to her. “Even after I messed up that pretty little face of yours.” She said with a hint of tease.

“Oh, so when I say something that could be taken the other way, it’s a big deal. But when you say it--”

“Shut up and drive,” Luz grumbled, slumping down in her seat and shoving the last of the twizzler in her mouth. “This is what I get for trying to be nice.”

Amity chuckled and shook her head. Luz pouted and glanced over at her. The witch was noticeably more relaxed than before, smiling ever so slightly.

Luz gave a small grin and pulled out another twizzler. She offered it to Amity, her grin growing as Amity gave the licorice twizzler the side-eye.

“I’m not eating that, Luz.” Amity growled. “Don’t taunt me while I’m driving.”

“Oh, so you can take a hit, but you can’t take licorice?” Luz taunted, still holding the twizzler by her face.

“What happened to Luz being thankful I spared her?” Amity grumbled.

“I was thankful because you were being nice, not because you spared me. Which, by the way, no you did not.” Luz huffed. “But both of those moments have ended because I still don’t like you.”

Amity growled and pressed her ears down. She sharply turned her head, and in the span of a few seconds, she snapped her jaws around two quarters of the twizzler, barely missing Luz’s fingers, and broke the candy cleanly.

And calmly, she went right back to driving.

Luz sat in shock for a moment, unmoving. She had the sight of Amity’s fangs in her mind for a few moments before quietly leaning back in her seat and looking over the small piece of licorice left in her hand.

She was having a lot of thoughts at the moment, and that was evident by the flush gathering in her face.

She was, however, distracted by the sound of Amity gagging.

The witch stuck out her tongue in disgust, revealing it was slightly forked at the end. Her face was scrunched up and she shuttered.

“That was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever eaten,” She hissed, shaking her head.

Luz watched the sight for a moment before bursting out laughing. She tried to cover her mouth, but it didn’t do much. Amity glared over at her and looked ready to growl, but she didn’t. She only raked her gaze over Luz before deflating and rolling her eyes.

And then she slammed on the breaks.

Luz went flying forward, realizing too late she had neglected to put a seat belt on. She hit the dashboard and groaned at the impact. Amity, meanwhile, started laughing at her as Luz pulled herself up.

Luz grabbed the boxes of bandages she’d taken with her and chucked it at Amity’s head. The witch laughed harder, unbothered.

Luz scoffed and sat back, crossing her arms. Though she couldn’t help a smile herself, giving a giggle at the witches antics.

And for a brief moment, it was like they’d never fought at all.

“Alright, alright,” Amity wheezed, turning back to Luz. “Get outta my car you bruised idiot.”

“Huh?” Luz said, looking around and peering out the car window.

Sure enough, they had arrived at Luz’s house. Which made sense, why else would Amity stop? She had to get home. Why was she disappointed?

“Oh, yeah, right.” Luz nodded. “Er, thanks, again.”

“Don’t mention it. Ever. Because Boscha will never let me forget this.” Amity warned as Luz opened the car door and slipped out.

“Yeah, no, I’m not telling Boscha anything.” Luz agreed. “I’d rather swallow a tooth.”

“Pray that you do,” Amity taunted as Luz shut the door.

Amity rolled down her window and hung an arm outside of it as Luz stopped right next to her, shoving her antiseptic wipes, gauzes and packet of twizzlers into her pockets.

“Meet me outside the school tomorrow so I can fix your face,” Amity said. “If you're still awake by then.”

“I’m never fully awake,” Luz said simply. “My bags under my eyes are so deep that now they’ve just melted into my face.”

“Yeah, whatever.” Amity rolled her eyes. “See you later, Luz.”

Luz offered a smile in return and stepped back. Amity hesitated for a moment before pulling her arm back in and starting up the car once more.

Luz watched Amity leave, waiting until the old dodge charger was out of sight before she turned back to her house.

Her mother would leave for work before she got up, so she wasn’t worried about her seeing the injuries. She could probably get some makeup from Amity at the end of the day tomorrow, if she sucked up enough.

God, that was a weird thought. Actually getting help from Amity Blight.

Luz looked down at her bandaged hands as she walked to her house, turning them over like she was looking for flaws. She paused at the front door and raised her head, thinking.

Alright, maybe Amity wasn’t so bad.

But this absolutely, positively, did not mean she liked her.

Not in the slightest.

303 notes · View notes

wisewidow · 4 years

Text

Cloudy With A Chance Of Assassination

PAIRING: Yelena Belova x Reader

SUMMARY: My new girlfriend takes meeting the relatives to a whole new level.

It's cloudy up ahead, but patches of sunlight leak through certain gaps like chinks in the sky's armour, and a warm silver lines the clouds as the sun sets behind them. There are no pink or orange hues in the sunset this cloudy evening, just tinted blue and cream with grey mountains in the distance and muted coloured trees at their bases. I have one hand on the wheel of the car Yelena and I just bought together, a sleek black Fiesta, and the other on my partner in crime's thigh. She has her window rolled down, the high speed we're going at blowing her golden hair everywhere. I drum my fingertips along the wheel as an upbeat song starts to play.

She's lost in the clouds, I can tell. I ask her if she's imagining pictures out of the white puffs, but either the roaring wind at one ear or the song at her other is blocking her from hearing my words.

I squeeze her thigh. She smacks my hand and glances sideways at me, mossy green eyes playful. I allow myself a single glance before looking back at the road. "I asked what you're seeing in the clouds."

She turns the radio dial down. "What?"

I snort. "Nevermind."

"You wanted attention?"

I flip her the bird, earning a boisterous laugh from her. "You were!"

I mimic her accent in a high-pitched voice. "You were totally like, give me attention! Because I'm Yelena Belova and I'm so special!"

"I don't sound like that," she objects. "You once said, and I quote, 'your voice is deep and sexy, like if a dressage horse could speak.'"

I frown. "I don't remember that. Was I drunk?"

"You were trying to outdrink me."

"Oh. Were you cheating? I don't black out that easily."

"No, I wasn't. And yes, you do."

I grumble and turn the radio up again. She hums along to the song, Snap Out Of It by the Arctic Monkeys. We drive until the sun goes down, or at least until I notice her energetic nature die down like a used battery. I search up the nearest motel on my phone and by the time I've pulled in, she's asleep.

I switch the engine off and relax into my seat. I allow myself a few seconds to admire the girl beside me.

I met her through a friend of mine, who lived in the apartment beside hers. I'd visit frequently, and she noticed and eventually grew tired of me oggling her everytime I passed her on the way out. So she coerced me into drinking too much red wine and then sent me over to her door, drunk and giggling.

I didn't know much about her past. She's from Russia, and she sometimes jokes that she's actually a trained assassin. She grew up in a foster home, got close with a girl named Natalia, who ended up living in the Big Apple as a high school teacher with a husband who renovates houses. She calls her every other week before bed, I think, when I spend the night and she thinks I'm asleep. I never hear what they're saying, but I enjoy falling into slumber listening to the soft hum of her voice through the plaster walls.

I admire her small, round, button nose, the even slope of her jawline, her long lashes that brush against her subtly tanned skin. We've only been dating for two months, but I'm positive I'm im love with her. We haven't exchanged those words yet, though. The car is actually our first and only big step.

I gently shake her shoulders to wake her up, and she grumbles sleepily as she shifts and peeks up at me. "Where are we?"

"Motel. Didn't feel like driving home. Come on, lazy bones, let's get you a pillow."

Once we're settled in a room, stripped of jeans and bras so we're just wearing shirts and underwear, I drift off with my head on her shoulder and my hand wrapped around her stomach.

When I wake up, the first thing I notice is the dried drool in the corner of my mouth. I don't think much of it other than the teasing I'd endure in the morning when Yelena finds out I drooled on her.

I pull her closer and then frown.

I am holding a pillow.

My girlfriend is not said pillow.

I rub my eyes and sit up. It's still dark outside, and the clock on my phone reads three in the morning. I scan the room for her figure, but I can't see her silhouette lingering in any of the shadowed corners. I frown and push the duvet off of my body, shivering slightly as I maneuver around the bed and into the bathroom.

No sign of her.

I'm starting to get worried.

Quickly, I grab my jeans — at least I think they're mine — and force my legs through them. I slip my phone in my pocket and head to the door.

It's locked, which doesn't make sense, because my current assumption that Yelena had gone out for a quick smoke would mean that she wouldn't have gone far enough to warrant locking the door.

I swallow down the bad feeling in my gut and step outside.

The upper wrap-a-round level of the motel showed no people in sight. I head to the stairs and down to the front desk, where a young man with purple streaks in his hair sits, droopy-eyed and scrolling mindlessly through his phone.

"Um, excuse me, sir?" I ask tentatively, rubbing the goosebumps off my arms. I hadn't brought my jacket.

His eyes flick up to meet mine. "Sir? You're friendlier than your girlfriend."

"I'm assuming you mean the blonde, very pretty, homicidal-looking woman I came in with?"

He sighs, turning his phone down. "Look, this is a motel. Things like this happen a lot. My advice is to run before the wife sees you."

I stare at him blankly.

He stares back.

"Uh, what?"

"A tall redheaded woman came by, stole your girl for a talk. They were squabbling about you. I assumed . . . oh. You didn't know. Well, who knows, could be a relative or something."

My heart hammers against my ribcage wildly. I have to keep reminding myself that Yelena loves me, that she wouldn't cheat on me, or cheat on anyone else with me, or . . . I feel myself becoming pale. Her scars, I'd never thought much of them, but with her mysterious past, and this mysterious paramour? She was running away from the woman who had now found her.

"Where did they go?" I demand, anger rushing through my veins.

He shakes his head, looking sympathetic. "I've seen this play out before, trust me when I say you don't want to confront—"

"Tell me where they went or I will make you swallow your own fist."

He recoils. "Christ, fine, they're in the parking lot. For the record, I hope you get a good slappin'!"

I speed walk out of the motel and around the back, adrenaline rushing. I stop when I spot two figures under a streetlight by my car, one taller and waving her arms around as she speaks and the other, unmistakably my Yelena, glaring up with her arms crossed.

I march over to them. Their heads snap in my direction almost immediately. The redheaded woman pulls out a gun and aims it at me.

I yelp and freeze, hands up in surrender. Yelena yells something in Russian and smacks the weapon out of her hands before rushing towards me. "(Y/N), what are you doing?"

"We're leaving," I say, completely freaked out. "Right now. You run, tell the guy in the office to call 911. I'll fight her off."

"What? No! (Y/N), this is my sister! She's just paranoid."

I gape at her. "I thought she was a science teacher!"

"I told you we should have met somewhere else," the redhead hisses.

Yelena spits back in Russian.

"No, no Russian! Explanation, now!" I turn to the woman. "You're Natalia?"

"Natasha."

"Okay, Natasha the science teacher who owns a gun, what are you doing here?"

Her lips tighten into a fine line. "I'm not a science teacher, I'm an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., and I wasn't expecting Yelena to have company when I came here to drag her back home."

Yelena starts spurting more angry Russian words that mean nothing to me as I try to process what's happening. The two sisters argue for a solid two minutes while I decide I must be dreaming.

The lies. The scars. The mystery. The jokes about being an assassin.

This is a living nightmare.

I turn and walk away.

Yelena calls out, "(Y/N)! Wait!"

I don't stop until I've reached our room, where I promptly grab my jacket and bra and shove them in my bag.

"(Y/N), don't leave," Yelena begs when she catches up, blocking the doorway with her body. "Let me explain, love, please."

"Get out of my way," I snap.

She doesn't flinch, doesn't turn around as she closes the door and backs up against it as if to provide another barrier between me and the world she's trying to hide.

"Yelena," I warn.

"Let me explain," she pleads.

I stare her down, but she doesn't seem to be budging any time soon. I drop my bag on the floor and sit on the bed with my arms crossed, glaring at her. "Fine. Enlighten me."

She slowly eases away from the door. "I didn't lie to you about everything. I'm one hundred percent Russian, and I consider Natalia to be my sister, and we did grow up together. But we were trained together, too. As assassins."

"Fuck," I mutter.

She kneels down in front of me. "I got away from that life, I swear. And I met you and everything after that was the realist thing I'd ever had. I really love video games, and I really love your pancakes, and I really, really love you."

My glare softens.

"Even if you can't cook," she says.

I give her a semi-playful, semi-annoyed shove.

"You said be honest, don't hit me!"

I stand up and pace the room nervously. This time, she sits down on the bed. I mutter under my breath, gnawing on my thumbnail, until, finally, I sit down beside her.

"Okay, deal breaker. Do you know Captain America?"

#yelena belova x reader #yelena belova x y/n #yelena belova x you #florence pugh #wlw x reader #marvel wlw #marvel x reader #florence pugh x reader

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squidlyskeet · 3 years

Text

Joy Ride -.002

Pairing: StreetRacer!Bakugou x Fem!reader

Genre: TokyoDrift!au, Noquirks!au

Status: Ongoing

TW: violence, blood, firearms, eventual nsfw, 18+, mentions of anxiety and OCD disorders, grand theft auto, gang activity.

Summary:

It started with a simple question, “what do you say Y/n? You coming?”

After the sudden death of her mother, Y/n is sent to live with her estranged aunt halfway across the world in Tokyo, Japan. Weary of what this new adventure might hold for her, she decides to let loose the first night she was there, but how was Y/n supposed to know it would lead to a car chase? A car chase in the the passenger seat of a very angry, very hot, street racer’s super car?

A/n: yall im still so frickin bad at summaries😭😭😭 word. ✌🏻-squidlyskeet.

═══☩══♛══☩═══

I have no idea what I was expecting when we finally made it to where we were headed for the ‘meet’. Whatever it was though, It absolutely was not this. When we finally made it to the huge parking garage about an hour out of Tokyo it was difficult for Mirio to move his whole squad through the crowd. He pointed out that every side of the huge square space was where the designated side riders were parked. Naturally we pulled up and backed into the space next to the east wall. Mirio’s car parked in the middle and the rest of the squad parked on either side of him.

Right now I was standing next to Noel, while she patiently waited for Mirio’s attention. He was greeting his friends, or squad, as he called them while we were pulling in. Maybe coming here wasn’t such a good idea after all.

There were so many people of every kind, predominantly Japanese but others as well. Men and women parked in the middle of the garage lined up with their hoods open and showing off their engines. Young girls maybe even the same age as me, wearing tiny little outfits and throwing themselves on drivers. Music low and thumping pumped into the open night air.

I did notice that not all sides were here yet, but the ones that were were just as impressive as Mirio’s squad. In fact the only squad that hasn’t shown yet was the west side, as no cars lined the walls on the other side of the building.

My mood was tense, the light atmosphere of having fun leaving me almost instantly when I got out of the car. I could Noel was picking up on it too.

“Come on, lemme introduce you to the squad.” She grabbed my arm again, dragging a circle of people standing in front of their cars.

“Hey guys! This is Y/n, she’s my niece and she just moved here from the US. She doesn’t know Japanese, so try to be easy on her okay?” Her mischievous smile playing at a self introduction as she turned to me.

“Uh- Hi,” I waved awkwardly, “I’m Y/n.”

I didn’t know what to say, and I was mentally beating myself up for being so weird. Especially now that I was getting a good look at everyone and realized that Mirio wasn’t the only walking god.

These people were obnoxiously gorgeous.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here, Hmm?” A deep raspy voice cut my focus to a tall lanky man with bright red hair and the bluest eyes I've ever seen. “You seem to be a little lost princess, I could show you around if you’d like.”

I instantly recoiled at the blatant insinuation, heat spreading across my neck. Another voice interjected before I had a chance to reply.

“Dabi for fucks sake, leave the kid alone. Hi Y/n,” This man was short, comically short compared to the six something beanpole standing next to him. “I’m Keigo Takami, and this asshat is Touya Todoroki, Dabi for short.” He ran his hands through his wavy blonde hair, before bowing low and rising with a wink in my direction.

The heat in my neck spread to my face, and I avoided eye contact. The wall seemed extremely interesting.

“Don’t listen to either of them Y/n, this is a tactic they use to pick up women.” A woman with powder blue hair stood off the side checking her nails with a fist on her hip. “Nejire.” Was all she said in any way of introduction.

Her nonchalant attitude put me off even further, but I was quickly distracted when I felt another presence slink up beside me.

“They don’t know how to interact correctly. Sorry about that. Amajiki. It’s nice to meet you.” He pushed his hand forward in a jerky movement, offering a handshake, eyes directed at the wall.

I placed his face as the man who was riding most of the way with us and I could feel the excitement bubble back up when I remembered how skilled he was at driving. I felt my anxious shell break before I could get it under wraps.

“Oh my god, Amajiki, you were so cool out there. I couldn’t believe how well you handled your car. When we were drifting onto the highway you were so close. I’ve never done anything like that before, and you just made it look so easy-” I didn’t notice until then how red his face was getting, and instantly felt bad. He dropped his unshook hand and backed up a few paces before turning to face the wall.

What..?

“T-t-thanks Y-y/n,” He said.

“Hey now, don’t get worked up over something like that Jiki, she thinks you're good!” Mirio yelled over to the nervous boy facing the wall. He walked over to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder, Noel’s hand latched in his other.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you nervous Amaj-”

“Please, I j-just need a m-m-minute.” He stuttered before I could finish my apology.

Mirio giggled, and the sound shocked me, to watch a full grown titan giggle was wild. At least he wasn’t in a bad mood anymore.

“Anyways, Y/n we’ll make this quick cause I want a drink. That crusty weirdo over there is Tenko Shimura, Shiggy for short, and his little sister Toga. Over there is Kamui, he’s a good friend even if he has the emotional maturity of a wet sock. Over there,” Mirio pointed toward the north wall, “Is the North Side Riders. A guy named Monoma leads them and honestly, they really aren’t much of a threat. On and off the pavement.

Down there, is the South Side Riders. Ten out of ten do not recommend. Just like avoid the south wall at all costs please. In case we lose you. And oh yeah, over ther- Hmm? Where are those westies? I think out of all them you’d get along with them the best. Bakug-” He started saying a name but stopped when he leaned backwards to look at the entrance of the parking deck.

The noise in the giant concrete balcony quieted to a low murmur. Music was shut off, and surprisingly people were getting out of the way. Trying to squeeze next to the walls as far as they could get. Well every wall with the exception of the west wall.

Mirios squad all migrated to the spaces in between their cars, but Mirio looked as if he refused to budge from the spot leaning against his front bumper with Noel still tucked into his side.

I looked back at his squad and then back to where my aunt stood with her boyfriend. I wanted a front row seat to whatever was about to happen too and, with as much confidence as I could muster, I walked up and stood next to Noel. I looked around nervously, trying to figure out what was going on.

“Tch. Westies. Always on some dramatic entrance bullshit.” The beanpole muttered from beside what I presumed was his car. A black hatchback, with blue flame decals.

The silence on the roof of the parking garage was deafening now, and a ripple of anticipation rolled through the crowd.

Just when I thought I couldn’t wait any longer, sounds I was quickly becoming familiar with sounded off in the distance. Motors, wide open and bouncing of rev limiters causing a chatter of turbo whistles. Screeching tires, and the low thump of a deep bass blaring out of a subwoofer system.

I could make out that they’ve made it to the garage and started their accent up the spiral entrance, the sounds mixing together and sending a thrill through my body as the anticipation of seeing the display.

The sound of the music was becoming more clear and as it got closer, I was shocked to find out that again it was english, and that I knew it. Was that..?

Here comes the Boom? By Nelly?

Whatever system they were using was loud enough to compete with a concert, cause it drowned out the sounds of the cars drifting to the top of the building. I tried to guess when one of the cars would pop up over the small bump at the top but I was wrong with every timing.

I looked at Noel in confusion, but she was paying attention to the entrance intently too.

The music cut off, until-

BOOM.

The first car practically launched itself over the bump. It hit the ground front bumper first, creating a light show of sparks. When the tail end hit the ground, the driver didn’t waste any time, they hit the Ebrake and swung the rear bumper sideways before stomping on it and accelerating again. I noticed the cars color, a deep burnt orange. It was sleek, made for speed and the driver -as far as I could tell- knew exactly how to handle it. The windows in the car were down but I couldn’t get a good look at the driver while they were gliding their car through the makeshift aisles of cars.

BOOM.

The second car launched itself over the bump, this car smaller and red but just as nice. They took the first cars movements, synchronizing perfectly, and mimicking the maneuvers with accuracy. More cars came out of the bump and played follow the leader but my eyes were glued to the orange car in the front.

When the car finally rounded the corner Closest to our designated wall, they revved the engine and shot forward, gaining speed and everyone’s attention. Somehow, I feel like they did that on purpose.

Halfway through they changed tactics again, stomping on the brakes and threw the car into a full one eighty, never stopping. They accelerated backwards with their driver side window facing us speakers blaring.

For me, it was like time stopped all together as the driver finally came into view.

A spiked mess of pale blonde hair came into focus first, and broad shoulders holding up a thick muscled neck. The next glimpse I got was of his face. A chill shot through me, when I made eye contact and noticed he was staring directly back at me.

Ruby red eyes narrowed in obvious disdain, and a sneer twisting his face, he never broke the hold. It felt like he was burning holes into my head with his clearly disapproving expression. And while it was only a few seconds, it felt like I was standing there, under the scrutiny of his glare for a lifetime.

When he was finally too far away to keep the eye contact, I dropped my line of vision to the concrete under my feet. How could someone just outright glare at another person they didn’t even know? Did he hate me? No that’s probably not right. He doesn’t even know me, for all he knows I’m just another inconsequential girl here.

I argued with myself in my head, debating on whether I should just give up on this night entirely and call a taxi or wait and see if tonight gets any better. It was so fun on the way here, the laughing and the drifting lifting my mood to a height it hadn’t been at for months. I was peeved to find out that all it took to deflate my mood was one insignificant glare from a boy I didn’t know. All I wanted to do was retreat back to the safety of Mirios car, where I had fun and could breathe easily.

“Y/n you okay?” Noel broke me from the spell I was under, and placed a hand on my arm. “Hey, don’t let Bakugou bother you. He is like that with everyone.” She said as she smiled at me.

“Bakugou?” Finally lifting my gaze from the ground to let her know I appreciated her attempt at comfort.

“That’s his name, the guy in the orange car. He’s the squad leader of the Westies and he by far is the biggest dick I’ve ever met.” She answered, gently rubbing circles on my arm.

“Did something happen Y/n? I swear I’ll go drag his bulky ass out of that car right now.” Mirio popped his head into our comfort bubble and smiled. I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not, so I just shook my head and kept my answer vague.

“Nothing that constitutes a fight, hah thanks though Mirio.” I replied, hoping to evade him getting into ‘one of his moods’ as Noel described it.

“Good good. Well if we are done standing around, I’m gonna go get a drink before the races start,” He pulled his phone from his pocket to check the time, and turned his attention to Noel. “Ten minutes to go baby, make sure you’re strapped in and ready to beat these amateurs, we’re in the first round.” He leaned down to give her a kiss, and turned to go find something to drink, looking at the cars on display on the way.

I turned to look back at Noel, that soft look on her face again as her eyes followed his retreating figure.

“You really love him don’t you?” The words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them, and I felt my cheeks flush at my directness.

“I do, I want to spend the rest of my life with him,” She sighed happily before shaking her head and clearing her throat. “Anyways though, not all of the East boys are going to be racing the first round, so try to stay with them, okay? I think only Keigo and Dabi will be sitting it out. Make sure you tell me if they give you any trouble.”

“Wait, you're going to race with Mirio?” I asked, shocked.

Isn’t that dangerous?

“Well of course honey, I’m his navigator duh? Look,” She turned around to point at the passenger seat inside his car.

My eyebrows lifted in surprise to see that there on the bucket seat headrest, in fancy swirled English letters, was Noel’s name.

“What’s a navigator?” I was curious now, and I wanted to get the question out before my brain told me to shut up and that nobody cared.

Her eyes lit up when she heard my question, her hands clapped together and she grabbed me by the arm once again dragging me further into the mess of cars and people. I tried to relax my limbs, but I could only feel them tense. She was pulling me further away from our wall and further away from the comfort of Mirios car. I knew that, rationally, I had no right to feel like Mirio’s car was a comfort. I couldn’t help myself from latching onto things that brought me out of my anxious shell. It was a habit I knew was bad for me, because everything leaves eventually, but I’d still like to squeeze as much of the feeling out of anything I could.

It made me wonder if it was Mirios car specifically or if it was any car that could be handled like his. The last thing I needed was for Noel to get mad at me, thinking I was trying to make a move on her man, when in reality it was just his car. Or more accurately, the escape it could provide me.

Noel stopped me in front of a car that looked a little out of place around all these over the top machines surrounding it. I actually recognized this make and model as it was from the US. A Ford Taurus. A two thousand and one if I’m right. It was tan and had a few dents, but still looked drivable.

The trunk was open and inside it lay a few piles of different things. One pile were maps, all folded the same way with handwriting on them. The next item was a scanner of some sort, I put two and two together to realize this probably wasn’t the most legal of events, and if Japan was anything like the US then those were most likely police scanners. The third item, were stacks of boxes, all of them had an image of a plastic gun on them.

I watched as Noel took one of each.

“What the hell? A gun?” It seemed the shock value was a never ending escalation for me tonight.

“Let me start by explaining that a Navigator is exactly what it sounds like. I ride shotgun for Mirio while he races. I have the map to tell him where to go, and potentially make last second changes to our route. The police scanner is for knowing where they are before we are on top of them, and the gun. Well the gun for when you cross the finish line,” She held up the box, as if that would make it clearer as to why she needed it. “You put your driver's color in it, and the Navigator shoots it off when they cross the finish line. We won’t be able to see anything, but the spectators will be keeping track from on top of the parking deck. That’s how they tell who won.”

“That sounds like a really important job. Do you do it often?” I felt like I was finally starting to get a read on this. This was street racing.

We lingered around the Navigator car, talking quietly. I occasionally glanced at the people coming and going from the trunk, noticing mostly women but some men.

“Normally a Navigators job is really important. When they actually do their job. A lot of these girls have romanticized it to the point of competing to see who gets the coveted passenger seat of one of the better drivers. Most don’t even grab the stuff they need. They just flail around, and take credit.” She rolled her eyes, scoffing. “I don’t think some of these brats realize, the reason some of the drivers win as much as they do is because they have good Navigators.”

“I’m sure you’re great at it, I’ll be watching for you guys when it’s time to-“ My voice cut off and I jumped when I heard a loud gong.

“Ladies and scumbags, five minutes to first line up!” A voice blasted through a set of speakers, and the crowd began dispersing.

“Oh shit, that’s my cue. Gotta go get strapped in. Don’t take drinks from anyone, and don’t wander too close to the south wall. Be safe, and cheer for us!” Her voice drifted as she ran back to Mirios bright yellow car.

I felt my body tense again at being by myself, I tried to make my body move but working up the courage to walk anywhere and have people notice me kept my feet planted in place. I knew that the thought was stupid and redundant because standing here by myself while the cars needed to get out down the ramp would bring way more attention to me than anything else.

Alright deep breaths, one, two, thre-

“Hey, are you okay?” A sweet feminine voice said from behind me.

“U-uh sorry, I don’t understand Japanese.” I shot back without turning around.

A genuine laugh sounded off from behind me, and without forcing myself I felt my muscles relax at the gesture.

Before I could think too much about it, I held my breath and turned around.

“Hello, I’m Ochako Uraraka. And you look like maybe you need a bottle of water.” The tiny girl waved at me with a friendly smile.

Oh my god she’s adorable.

She couldn’t be any more than five feet tall and her angular brunette bob complimented her round baby face. Her outfit is similar to mine, with a cropped t-shirt and high rise shorts.

“Sorry, about just standing here like an idiot. I’m a little l-lost.” I decided feigning like I didn’t know where to go was better than admitting I was frozen in anxiety.

“That’s okay, who are you here with? I can help you try to find them. I know almost everyone here, and I’m sure my boyfriend wouldn’t mind me helping, we don’t race until the second round anyways.”

I debated on telling her. What if she was like some kind of bait to be kidnapped. I quickly decided against it, she seemed too sweet. Besides, she's already offered me a bottle of water, and to help me look for Mirios' squad. I knew in which general direction they were and could probably find them myself but I didn’t want to be alone.

“I’m with the East boys.” I said, hoping she’d keep the conversation going.

“Oh Mirios squad?” Her voice rose an octave with her revelation. “Oh my gosh, I’ve never seen you with them before. Are you new? Who did you come with? Please don’t tell me it was that toaster oven Touya…”

She rambled on while I tried to hold in a laugh at her quip. Toaster oven Touya? Looks like beanpole has a new name.

“No I’m with Noel and Mirio, I’m her niece.Y/n L/n. I just moved to Japan.” I replied, hoping that would cover her rapid fire questions about where I’m from.

“You’re a part of the squad? Do you want to meet mine? Sometimes we team up on jobs from the south side and it might be helpful to know we finally have another girl,” She leaned into me and whispered like someone would overhear us. “We are outnumbered by like, a lot.” She was laughing as she leaned back and turned to grab things out of the Navigator car.

I noted her comment about jobs from the south side, and filed that away too. Man, Noel list of questions is adding up quickly.

So she’s a navigator too, probably a half decent one since she was actually using the equipment provided.

When she finished she motioned for me to follow her, and like the lost puppy I was, I did exactly that. I realized we were headed in the opposite direction of my designated wall, and felt my stomach clench. Isn’t this the way that angry guy parked? I really hope she’s just making a detour and she isn’t a part of the west side.

When she didn’t stop walking though, that fantasy went directly out the window. My last option was to hope he wasn’t here or was distracted by something.

“Hey guys! This is y/n, I found her over by the Nav beater. The East side Riders have a new member, can you believe that?” She jumped into her explanation, catching the attention of a group of people leaning against their cars.

“A new member?” Said a red head with hair spiked to the gods looking up from his phone. They looked sharp, but upon further inspection not nearly as sharp as the man's teeth. He was leaning on the hood of a red and black car, and his non threatening position put me at ease a little.

He was built like a brick shithouse. Towering over everyone else in the group, and If it weren’t for his gentle voice, I’d probably be running for the hills.

“That’s Ejiirou Kirishima. Complete himbo and about as smart as a bag of hammers, but he has a heart of gold.” The man waved from his place, perched atop his car, and a heartwarming smile on his face.

“Call me Kiri.” Was all he said before he returned to his screen.

“Sweetheart why are you speaking English, you know I don’t catch on to it that easy.” A deep Japanese voice called out from under a green hatchback.

“Because Deku, y/n doesn’t speak Japanese.” Ochako said from beside me.

“What?” A tuft of fluffy green hair popped up from behind the car, standing probably a foot and a half taller than it. I jumped backwards at the height even though he was on the other side of the car.

“Sorry about that, I didn’t mean to be rude. I’m Izuku Midoryia, but you can just call me Deku.” He said before looking at Ochako, his face squished up, and looking for approval.

She nodded at him with a sweet smile on her face.

“That’s my boyfriend, don’t take him too seriously. He just doesn’t know what’s going on most of the time.” She leaned over to tell me the second part, and then pointed behind two cars parked obnoxiously close to one another.

A laugh burst out of my mouth as my eyes followed what she was pointing at. Behind the cars, laid two lawn chairs. One huge umbrella hanging over top of them and two men sitting in each one. Both looked like they were sucking down a yellow slushie.

“That’s Denki and Shinsou. They are best friends and are doing their pre race routine of getting mildly shitfaced. Denki is a Shinsous Navigator and they claim it helps them get in the game. Uhg. You’d think they’d learn but they never do.” She paused to go to the passenger door of Deku’s hunter green hatchback and pull something out from the dash.

As she leaned down, through the windshield, I could see another example of a stitching in the headrest. But this one was in Japanese. I assumed it had something to do with Ochako but didn’t want to press and look stupid for asking questions.

When she walked to stand back next to me she handed me a water bottle and I thanked her with a small voice.

“Shoto, Jirou, and Sero are getting ready to race the first round,and they have Mina with them so they aren’t here right now or else I’d introduce them as well, and I’m not really sure where Bakug-.”

“Oi. What the hell is this.” A deep gravelly voice gritted out from behind us.

For some reason I felt like-

Oh shit.

___________________________________________________

-.002 💥MASTERLIST💥 -.003

A/n: Keep in minds, this is U N E D I T E D. Word✌🏻 -squidlyskeet

#my hero academia #mha #this took a lot longer than i thought it would #uhgggg #bakugou x fem!reader #bakugou katuski x reader #bnha bakugou #bakugou x y/n #someone love me #i love him #bnha fluff #bnha au #tokyo drift #bnha angst #mha smut

96 notes · View notes

bitchfitch · 3 years

Text

Death crept through the lavish halls of a rich man's home. Old cracked paint flaked beside sun faded tapestries and over well worn wood floors. The raged leather soles of of his boots softly thumping along with the creaking of old wood that accompanied his every step. He found the room easily, following the sound of a fading cough and short not quite gasping breaths that failed to draw enough air.

He ducked through the door and the dying man greeted him with age hazed eyes and a broad grin.

"Copper!" his exclamation carried joy even if his lungs couldn't support more than a creaking whisper, "Bastard, it's so good to see you again," he stopped to catch his breath, his eyes closing as he did so,

"And you as well," Copper returned the smile as he sat in the chair beside the bed, "But to be honest I'm a touch surprised, both that you can see anything through those cataracts, and that you would... Appreciate my presence,"

The rich man chuckled, "Not many people have hair that color, even fewer are as tall as you. I may not be able to see much, but I can still see that,"

"I suppose you're right," Copper huffs with a hand going to his dark red mess of a mane "Still, you must remember the terms of our deal and what my presence means for you now?"

"I do," he nods, "I'm going to die tonight, going to see Min again,"

"Min?"

"My wife," he smiles as he speaks of her even as his words become more labored, "That quill you gave me, I wrote a letter to the girl I had fallen in love with when we were young. I didn't know she couldn't read, so she had to get someone else to read it to her, but when she'd heard what I wrote she came all the way into the valley to slap me and call me an idiot," he laughs, "Told me we should've eloped when we were both still fresh, before she'd found another man to call her own,

I'd not even thought that she'd have gone on like that. It made sense, she could have, and did, do so much better than me. But luck of lucks saw that husband of hers dead not long after. I felt bad for being so happy, but I couldn't stop smiling when she and I married,

That quill- You, gave me the happiest life I could have imagined. I'm glad to pay my end of the deal now, because it means I get to see her again,"

"It's a rare treat to find someone with no regrets, thank you for your story," Copper smiles softly, genuine and warm,

"Oh, I've got regrets," the rich man say "Many, but I don't care to dwell on them, not now... or... Well, one, there's one,"

"Hmm?"

"Min and I, we had a fight right before... She was so mad at me last time I saw her. Do you think she still is?"

"I don't know, but you will have plenty of time to make it up to her soon,"

"Yeah, yeah that's true... It's close now is it?"

"Moments if I had to guess," Copper shrugs, "The clot in your lung is migrating and will soon block off blood flow to the area completely. After that happens you won't be able to get enough air and will... fall asleep, then you will suffocate over a few minutes. It won't be the most pleasant of deaths, but it won't hurt badly," he simplified things greatly, not caring for the slight inaccuracies so long as they helped keep the rich man calm and peaceful in these final moments.

"Any final requests?" Copper cocks his head,

"I think... yeah, I think I want to be alone for this. Thank you,"

"Of course. Rest well then, and may your sleep bring great growth" Copper stood from his seat, the blessing leaving him without thought as the rich man closed his eyes a smile still tugging on his old, withered face.

The door to the rich man's room shut with a light thud as Copper drifted down the halls, a heavy sigh falling from his lips. He rarely visited the dying, usually he only came to the deceased caught between their death's and their afterlives to guide them across, and this was why. He knew where the clot was, it would only take a moment and a little bit of concentration to break it up enough that the rich man's body would be able to handle it on it's own. Sure, doing so would probably only buy him a few more bed bound days, a week maybe, but healers can rarely be trusted to leave the sick and dying to the whims of nature and he was no different.

He wandered through the empty halls decorated with treasures that, do to a single deal made half a century ago, would soon be his, and found his way into a shrine room. Shelves upon shelves of precious jewls and metals, fine fabrics and sculptures filled the room. Though the alter beneath the stained glass window held only sea glass and shells that glittered from around a poorly made tapestry that depicted a stormy ocean.

The threads were too loose in some places too tight in others and there were places where it was clear the weaver ran out of one color and had attempted to dye more only for it to come out just wrong enough to be noticed. It was clearly made by inexperienced hands and now stood displayed still in it's loom in the place of honor on this shrine. Pride in its existence radiated from it and that made it stunning despite it's flaws.

Distantly, he felt the rich man die, quietly and peacefully.

One of Copper's aspects would guide him across and later while Copper slept he'd dream of the conversation that aspect and the rich man would have, and he would dream of the conversations his other, near innumerable, aspects would have, and have had, and have been having with every other human who has crossed into his domain since he last slept. Then he would wake, and forget almost everything said during those conversations as they meld together into a messy but beautiful tapestry. All the threads visible and traceable in their places but ultimately he saw it not for the individuals, but the grander thing they made together.

He picked at the stones and shells scattered on one of the shelves, his dulled claws scraping against the rough surface. He should probably go find someone to deal with the body...

The soft creaking protest of a floor board that no longer fit in it's place being tread on called from behind him. Copper turned, curious to who or what would be intruding on this moment, but he was left slack jawed with a greeting trapped behind his lips as he saw the man.

Surrounded by gold and silver and precious gems that glittered in the low moonlight that flowed through the windows, this man outshone them all. He was tall for a human, coming up to just below Copper's collar bones, with broad, strong looking shoulders. His sharp features highlighted by the silver light caressing his warm tan skin and haloed by that same light echoing through the broken strands of bleach blonde hair that fell from his neat bun to frame his narrow face.

Light agitation turned to wonder and awesrrucked silence as Copper struggled for a second to find words, but once again those words died when he met the man's eyes, they were probably a deep brown but the low light turned them onyx. His gaze was sturdy, not cold or calculating, not bored. Determined but practiced.

The strange, beutiful, human man wore the expression of a butcher or a slaughterer, he did not draw perverse pleasure or joy from what came next. He was so obviously merely doing a job as he moved faster than Copper's confusion addled mind could react to that that alone struck more fear into Copper's core than if the man were hissing and snapping with rage.

The ice hot cut of an iron blade dug past the flesh between his ribs and into his chest even as he recoiled. On pure instinct he growled an awful rumbling sound that made the butcher- the hunter, flinch as Copper managed to stumble away, nearly falling to one knee as his own lung struggled to inflate. He could feel his magic burning along the wound as it tried, and failed to pull it closed. His hand going to his bloodied side in a vain attempt of staunching the flow.

The hunter advanced, cautious and silent, his blade, slicked with Copper's own viscous black blood, raised as he followed the retreating god.

Copper hissed as his back collided with a shelf, cornered he pulled his attentions together just enough to attempt to teleport away, only to feel his magic jolt painfully within him as it failed completely.

The hunter advanced, already readying another swing.

In that moment Copper forced himself to focus on the warm summer night air, on the flickering candles and the heat of the hunter's body, most seals could be overpowered, he just needs to rush it hard enough.

Heat leaves the room, the hunter stumbles with a pained gasp as the heat leaves him too. Copper doesn't see if the hunter falls because the seal gives as he uses all of that stolen energy to burst against it.

He drops to his knees on the cold stone floor of the cave he calls home. His blood singing through magic seared veins, his hands shaking as he braces one against the floor below him as his world swims, both from blood loss and the disorientation that always came with pushing his power that hard,

He struggles with his wound, gasping with effort as his magic finally starts working again. The wound tieing itself closed beneath his palm, a thick black scar forming as he comes down from the mountain top high of fearing for his life for the very first time since before the advent of this universe.

Copper slumps against the water-carved wall of his home, his head falling back against it with a deep buzz running beneath his skin, and he Laughs, deep and hearty and Alive in a way he has not felt in centuries.

#tbh i dont have a name for this project #like the old one was super cringey and just straight up doesn't fit anymore #im taking suggestions znsnsnsssn #and also i will probably be boosting this again later when more people are awake #im proud of it :)

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darlingsdevil · 4 years

Text

Of The Valley (Joel x Reader)

Chapter 2: Bullet Memories

Summary: Life in Jackson is never easy. Consoling angsty teenagers, wading through the mysterious waters of Joel’s romance language and with a child of your own on the way? Life is about to get a lot harder.

Chapter summary: A test is administered. Did you fail?

Tag list (please comment to be added or removed): @sidepuff @joelsheartache @fangirl-inthe-us @cowboyfrazer

RDR2 Masterlist

Of The Valley Masterlist

A/N: Hi everyone. I’ve been really happy with how this story is going so far! I hope you will stick around!

Please tell me if you see any ‘Mike’s’ — I keep accidentally writing Mark’s name as Mike lol.

:readmore:

•••

You rode in silence for the rest of the way. That didn’t help with calming you down either. Every inch of you was burning up at the thought of being outside Jackson again. Having to relive that nightmare all over again. At least it was nice out, but the hollowed out homes and burnt cars were anything but soothing.

Joel’s silence was disheartening. You knew he was upset at you. In truth, you hadn’t really talked to anyone you were close with in the past three months. You blissfully shut out everyone you were close to and had meaningless conversations with mere acquaintances at the bar. People came by and checked in on you, but you almost always pretended you weren’t home, or you lied and said Mark was sleeping.

Joel deserved an explanation for your disappearance, you were avoiding him, but you weren’t avoiding him because of something he had done. The explaining section was the hard part, you weren’t sure where to begin or even when you should. Joel would listen. That was given, you just weren’t sure you were ready to open up just yet.

When you finally arrived at the nest after a solemn ride, your breath hitched at the side of your old spot. It had been longer than three months that you had been there. It was your favorite nest to shoot out of. Secluded, hard to get to, views of all roads leading to the small perch.

Joel hopped down from Caesar and hitched him on the tree, you followed suit. You took a small sugar cube out of your old saddle bag and gave it to her. Levia was a spoiled horse.

You walked up the steep hill to where Tommy was waiting, when you finally saw him you smiled. Your worries drifting away momentarily.

“Damn girl, didn’t think you would ever show up,” Tommy joked, holding out his arms for a hug.

“Didn’t think I was going to either. Maria convinced me to,” You laughed, hugging him tightly.

“My wife is a convincing one, that’s for sure,” Tommy chuckled as he began walking over to the nest. Joel leaned against a tree watching you two interact. Tommy nodded to Joel. You pulled the rifle off your shoulder and kneeled down on the wooden hut that was on the side of the hill. Tommy kneeled down next to you. The rifle’s weight was strange and clunky. It used to feel so natural in your hand, but now it felt like you were holding a stick.

“See them over there?” Tommy pointed towards the tree line. You pulled out your binoculars and looked at the group of infected. A couple of runners and two clickers.

“That’s all of them?” You hissed out. Why were there so few?

“So far. Spotted some more earlier, but they disappeared into the forest, we might be able to draw them out from the gunfire.” Tommy eyed you, speaking quietly.

“There��s six infected and it’s a two man job? Come on Tommy, you could have taken these out within ten minutes,” You huffed, pulling your rifle up to your shoulder and looking out the scope.

“I promise there’s more. I saw at least three.”

“Three? There’s only three more?” You stared at Tommy. Things were beginning to make less and less sense..

“There’s more by the north lookout,” Tommy explained. You sighed and picked up a bullet from the box Tommy had brought over. Feeling a bullet in your hand sent your nerves racing. There was suddenly a loud buzzing in your ear, growing increasingly louder and louder.

“You have to stay silent. If they see you, they’ll kill you.”

You blinked and it was gone. Whispers of a memory that would forever be etched into your mind. “Tommy, will you, take the first one?” You looked up at him with wide eyes, your voice vacant. Tommy nodded with an understanding look and took his own rifle and lined up his shot on a runner near the tree line. He pushed out the breath from his lungs and shot. You looked away, wincing, as the bullet hit its mark.

“Your turn,” Tommy said, resting his rifle on the wooden perch.

You gulped and slowly picked up your rifle, hiking it up to your shoulder. You gently picked up a bullet from the box without looking, you loaded it into the chamber. You looked out into scope, staring down at the infected below. It had been a while since you had seen infected. They were almost hard to look at, their bloody torn faces and mechanical moving bodies. It was saddening. They were people once too.

You lined up your shot. You let out all your breath, your finger over the trigger, and pulled it. You felt the recoil before you heard the shot. The burst of noise sounded like a scream. A warning. You weren’t supposed to be out here.

You immediately pushed the gun down, you fell back to the floor, crawling away from the gun. Panic rose in your chest, you tried your hardest to quell it, but nothing worked, fear outweighed everything when there was nothing else there. Tommy rushed to your side, he was concerned.

Your eyes were wide, and terror ripped through you like a wave, pulling you under. Joel noticed too, he came over quickly. Joel or Tommy asked you something, but you could barely hear. It was too loud, the ringing in your ears sounded like a terrible screaming alarm.

“Oh my god,” You choked out, eyes unfocusing. Tears threatening to spill from your eyes in heavy droplets.

“Hey, hey, snap out of it,” Joel gently shook you. You pulled your arm away from him quickly. You glared at him without thinking.

“I-I’m sorry, I don’t know what happened,” You said, you put your hands on the cool grass in an attempt to ground yourself.

“Well it’s okay, I think we’ll head back to the north lookout for a little while, until you calm down, that okay?” Tommy asked you, looking at you with sympathy.

You still weren’t calm, it felt like a scream was waiting to be pulled out, but if you tried, no sound would come. Instead there was silence. Not a single sound in the world.

“Yeah, yeah,” You replied quickly, springing yourself up from the ground and brushing the dirt off from your pants. Tommy and Joel shared a look. Tommy picked up the guns from behind you, you reached out to take yours but Tommy resisted.

Joel unhitched the horses for you while you waited, holding your arms and taking in deep shuddering breaths. You knew exactly what came over you, it was foolish to agree to this stupid patrol. Tommy could have easily done it himself and you wouldn’t have had to make a mockery of yourself.

Joel led Levia over to you, and helped you up to the saddle. You had something to hold on to now, which was much better than before. Tommy got on his own horse and waited for Joel to hop on Caesar. When everyone was situated, you headed off towards the north lookout.

•••

The ride was silent on the way there, luckily it was only an hour away. Anymore silence would have made your head hurt. You still weren’t entirely calm, you were still outside of Jackson, your job wasn’t done here yet.

When the large building came into view you suddenly remembered all the good times you had there.

You hitched Levia at the front of the lookout and walked in, Joel and Tommy following you.

“You wanna tell us what the hell happened back there?” Joel asked while you walked down, setting your bag down at the table.

“No. I don’t want to talk about it,” You sighed. You weren’t in the mood for another argument. Why did Joel always have to pry?

“Okay well, Joel and I will get out of your hair for awhile, I think Ellie should be nearby, actually, we’ll go get her,” Tommy said from behind you. He hit Joel on the arm for that last comment.

“Ellie’s nearby?” You asked, plopping down on the couch. You noticed her guitar then.

“Yep, she’s been waiting to hang out with you, you know? Been awhile since she’s seen you,” Tommy responded, you could hear him grabbing something from the kitchen.

“She has?” Both you and Joel said at the same time. You glanced over at Joel, your eyebrow raised, he simply shrugged.

“Course she has. You’re like a mother to that girl,” Tommy said, looking through the cabinets. That was true of course, when things got rough in general for her, Ellie was the one she came to talk to. Someone who wasn’t related to Joel — or an in law, someone who wasn’t close with her friends, just an outside force in her life. It was good to have someone like that.

Tommy threw something on the couch next to you, you were startled for a moment. Upon examination, you realized it was a candy bar.

“Found Mark’s stash up here a few weeks back. Hid it for you,” Tommy told you. Joel was silent.

“Thanks.” You opened up the candy bar. It was Mark’s favorite. He always said that a person could be having the worst day of their life, and all they would need was a candy bar to make it good again. You weren’t sure how true it was — but candy did make you happier.

“We’ll be going out now, you best not go anywhere, alright?”

“I won’t be going anywhere, Tommy.”

•••

“Seriously Joel? The hell is going on with you two?”

“Ask her. She’s only avoided me for the past three goddamn months, and suddenly on my first day off in weeks, I have to escort her to a place she knows damn well where it is? Seems pretty damn fishy to me,” Joel scoffed. Caesar galloped besides Tommy’s horse, they were getting closer to the Ottawa Lookout, where Ellie was at.

“You know what today was supposed to be for her, Joel?” Tommy asked Joel.

“No, you really think I’m told much of anything that goes on about her anymore?”

“Today was supposed to be a test. See how well she could do back on patrol, ease her back into this, and Joel, you aren’t making this much easier for her,” Tommy glared at his brother as they traveled across the forest to the lookout.

Joel’s brow furrowed, “A test? The hell for?”

“You really are as dumb as rocks, big brother. It’s not my place to say. Maybe you should confront her about it instead of bickering and causing her to panic. Even a goddamn clicker could see that you were making her uncomfortable.”

“And you think I haven’t tried asking her where she’s been for the past three months?”

“Knowing you Joel, I’m sure you didn’t ask. More like yelled,” Tommy bit back. Joel was more than willing to continue the argument, but the Ottawa lookout came into view. It was a smaller building, that was once a home, on a steep hill that faced Jackson.

Ellie’s horse, Shimmer was waiting outside. Ellie was on the front porch with a journal.

“Hey guys,” Ellie called out.

Joel and Tommy waved to her as they got off their horses.

“Let’s go inside for a bit. Got some things I want to discuss,” Tommy said.

“Sure,” Ellie grabbed her notebook and headed in. She sat down at the table that faced the many windows, Joel and Tommy pulling up a chair to sit with her.

“How’d it go? Didn’t expect you guys to be back so soon.” Ellie rested her hands on her thighs, waiting for an answer.

“Can’t say it went well so far. I think we’ll go back out tomorrow, or maybe later today,” Tommy shrugged. Ellie gave him a knowing look.

“Wait, you’re telling me Ellie’s on this too?” Joel asked, leaning forward onto the table.

“Yeah? I mean, I thought you were too,” Ellie said, raising her eyebrows in confusion.

“Maria decided two people would be enough. She wanted to ease into it, get her around people who don’t piss her off immensely,” Tommy replied, glancing over to Joel.

Joel huffed before replying, “We butt heads sometimes, sure, but I don’t piss her off all that much.”

“All that much? Joel, I saw how uncomfortable she was riding with you.” Tommy shook his head. The sun was high in the sky now, the windows allowing light to come through.

“And Mark couldn’t have come out here instead of me, why?” Joel asked Tommy. He was only becoming more and more confused.

“Mark’s out of commission right now, but it don’t matter. I know you care about her Joel, I know she cares about you too but Maria just wanted to test the waters first. It was supposed to be your day off too, she didn’t want to assign you to a small job like this.”

“Yeah, why are you even here?” Ellie said curiously.

“Maria asked me to escort her. If Maria didn’t want me out here, why’d she ask me to come?”

“Y/N insisted you come. Maria told me that she said that she needed someone she could trust out here. Someone who she could count on,” Tommy said.

“Count on? And she can’t count on you guys?”

“She can’t count on us in the way only you could,” Tommy replied slowly, he leaned back into his chair.

Joel nodded, it was all starting to click in place.

“Still doesn’t make much sense why she doesn’t want to go on patrols anymore.”

“I’m not really sure either,” Ellie chimed in.

“Not mine or Maria’s place to say. If you want to hear why, maybe ask her, but be careful, I hear it’s a delicate subject.”

•••

#joel x reader #joel miller x reader #tlou 2 #tlou 2 spoilers #the last of us pt 2 #the last of us part 2 #the last of us pt ii #the last of us part ii spoilers #the last of us part ii #the last of us pt 2 spoilers #the last of us #the lash of us part 2 spoilers #tlou fanfiction #tlou fanfic #tlou x reader #tlou 2 x reader #of the valley

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buckysgoldenheart · 4 years

Text

F-Buds: Seb Stan x Reader

Summary: You and Seb are friends with benefits and Seb has had enough.

Words: 2345

Warnings: Cursing some. Not proofread.

Your fist pounded hard against the door belonging to the one person you could turn to in your moment of need after an undesirable crisis.

“Seb, open up!” Slow footsteps could be heard on the other side of the wood panel and you groaned loud at his lack of haste. “Seb, seriously, open the damn door!”

Your clenched hand paused mid-air as the door swung open to reveal your disheveled friend. He rubbed his eyes with one hand as the other ran through tousled locks.

“Finally!” You said, throwing your hands up and slipping past him into his large apartment. You tossed your purse on the couch as Seb closed the door, his body still half asleep.

“Y/N, what’s wrong?” He asked, finally meeting your Y/E/C eyes that held nothing but frustration, though not intended for him. No, your anger was directed toward the man you had spent hours, hours, with only for him to leave you alone by the end of the night, sexually unsatisfied. He was a rare man looking for commitment which was not something you were ready to give.

“It’s 2 a.m. Are you aware of that?” Seb said, folding his arms across a solid, bare chest, finally taking in the full view of you. “Well, look who’s all dolled up. Big date?”

“Oh, shut up.” You groaned at his sarcastic tone. “You know I wouldn’t be here at this hour if my night went the way I wanted it to. Seriously, when did men start wanting relationships? Isn’t it supposed to be all sex, sex, sex with you guys?”

Seb rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess it depends on the people and, ya know, timing.”

“Timing.” You scoffed as you slipped out of your jacket and set it over the back of a barstool. “One of those things desperate people make up to make themselves feel better about getting dumped.”

Seb rolled his eyes and puffed out a breath.

“’Oh, well, he was nice, but the timing wasn’t quite right.’” You said in your best ‘ditsy girl’ voice. “AKA, ‘he dumped me and broke my heart, but I’m not gonna tell you bitches that.’”

“Why are you so cynical? God Y/N, do you ever want to find someone?” Seb asked as he watched you kick off your skyscraper heels.

“I’m not going to go scan the city with a metal detector so I can settle for some scrap of a man just to say that I have one.”

Arms still crossed, Seb leaned against a wall and watched you place your heels by your bag. “Yea, well what if there was a man that really cared about you, but you brushed him off because you didn’t give him a chance?”

Your face pinched. “That’s stupid.”

“Oh, really? Because you go around looking for men to fuck, and even when they want you for more than your body you completely shut them down. Then you come running to me to satisfy you.”

You whipped your head to his at the judgement. “So, what?”

“So, what? Y/N, you’re scared of love, of even the possibility of love and it hurts me to see you go through life like that.”

“I’m not fucking scared, Seb. Don’t be ridiculous.” You whined, then after a few seconds of silence between you, smiled your best suggestive smile and swayed your hips as you strutted over to blue-eyed man.

He held your eyes with his as you wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him closer, but he portrayed no emotion at your behavior.

“C’mon Seb, I don’t want to have this conversation. Can’t we just kiss and have our amazing sex and just call it a night? I’m stressed and I need release. I need you.”

Seb wasn’t grabbing you. He wasn’t holding you close to his body or making any move to kiss your lips. He just stood there while you hanged off him, his arms at his sides as you pouted.

He sucked in a deep breath and you instantly got excited for him to give in to you and make a damn move. A smile replaced your pout as you felt his hands graze your hips before trailing up the length of your dress, along your curves until he made his way to the arms clinging to him. Rough palms grasped firmly on your forearms.

Slowly, he untangled your limbs and placed them back at your sides, holding them there for an extra second to make sure they stayed in place before releasing you and taking a step back.

“No,” He sighed, struggling on the word. “I can’t.”

“What?”

Seb sucked in a breath and swallowed. “I can’t—I can’t keep doing this with you. It’s not…fair anymore.”

You crossed your arms and planted yourself steady, your posture straight like a wall ready to block out the coming assault. “Fair to whom exactly, Seb?”

A dead chuckle shot out of his mouth, stinging your ears. “Are you fucking with me right now?”

“What!”

“God, Y/N!” He nearly shouted, fisting his hands in his dark brown hair. “I let this go on for too long. I really did. I only allowed it in the first place because the woman I’m in love with threw herself at me, repeatedly, claiming that I was the only one that could satisfy her. I didn’t have the willpower to tell you no, to ask for anything more from you because I knew you would end what little we had.

“I was stupid, and weak, and I’ve wanted you so bad for so long and I felt like I finally had a piece of you, but that’s not enough anymore. It’s time for me to step back from this, because otherwise I’m gonna go insane.”

His heavy breathing was the only thing that could be heard throughout the apartment now. That, and the agonizing pounding of your heartbeat in your ears. “You love me?”

Seb scoffed and crossed his arms, the muscles budging more, it seemed, than an average humans should. “You fucking knew that.”

“No, Seb, I didn’t.” God, if you had known…

“Just go.”

“What?” You recoiled as if he had hit you, tears stinging your eyes.

“Just…please, Y/N, I can’t, just go.”

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Next Day:

You groaned around your ice cream spoon at the knock on your door. You didn’t want to deal with anyone; at this hour, it would most likely be the old bat next door who always complained when your TV volume exceeded five. If she knew what was good for her she’d turn herself right around and go back to that doily museum she calls an apartment. God, you were mean when you were hurting, but who disturbs someone fifteen minutes before midnight anyway? It’s the time when the most miserable of people binge-watch brain-cell-killing reality TV and eat cookie dough ice cream topped with full snickers bars and m&ms. What asshole would dare interrupt that?

Yea, you weren’t answering that door. Or, you wouldn’t, if whoever was on the other side would leave you in miserable peace.

“Agnes!” You yelled as you harshly set the ice cream carton on the coffee table and walked to the entryway. “If you go away now, I’ll turn the volume down to a respectable seven, but that’s it!”

You waited a moment to hear if the tiny old lady’s footsteps would retreat, but then the knock came again. At the sound, you huffed out a deep breath and whipped the door open. “Son of a bitch.”

“Who is Agnes,” Seb asked. “And why does she deserve the hard end of your wrath?”

Somehow the frown on your face grew deeper at the casual nature of the joke. “Don’t worry about my relationship with Agnes, ok? Just mind your own business,” You snapped, then turned on your heel and went back to the couch.

“Ok,” Seb started, “You didn’t slam the door in my face so I’m going to assume that I’m allowed inside of the apartment.” When you didn’t respond, he continued. “Is this a fair assumption?”

Without looking at him and his annoyingly handsome face, you grabbed the carton and began to dig in again, then made a small noise that neither agreed nor disagreed with what he said. You couldn’t decide if you had made a mistake once he finally entered your apartment and shut the door behind him. When he chose to block your view of the awful reality show, you realized you definitely had.

You took another bite of your dessert. “I don’t know if you know this, but you make a better door than you do a window.”

“I do know that,” He said, sloughing off his leather jacket, tossing it next to you on the couch, and aggressively rolling up his long sleeves just above the elbow.

“What, are you gonna fight me?”

“Depends on whether or not you plan to actually listen to what I have to say.”

You pretended to contemplate for a minute, staring him down as you continued to eat more snickers. “My boxing gloves aren’t here, so rain check on the fight.”

“Alright.” He groaned, then took the remote off the table and clicked off your show.

“Hey!” Seb held the remote out of your reach then turned and threw it through the open door of your bedroom. “Are you fucking with me?”

Seb walked closer to you and bent down at the waist, planting is arms either side of your body on the couch and forcing your eyes to meet his. You could feel his breath against your lips as he spoke. “You are going to listen.”

“Oh, yea?” Your eyebrows rose and you crossed your arms in the small space between your bodies.

“Yea.”

Your eyes remained locked as you moved to stand, not caring that his body was blocking yours and so forcing him to lean back until he stood tall in front of you. “So, you just get to be the biggest hypocrite in the world, do you? You get to get mad at me then force me out of your place when I try to talk to you, and now you come over here and demand I listen to you speak?”

“…Yes.”

Your shook your head and rolled your eyes, then went for the kitchen. He followed. Grabbing a soda out of the fridge and opening it, you said, “Alright, fine then. Go for it.” You took a sip.

Seb’s eyes widened a bit as if he didn’t expect to easily persuade you, but they settled back into determination. “Ok, look, I know asking you to leave—”

“Yelling at me to leave.”

“Fine. I know that yelling at you to leave was a dick move, but…” Seb paused and stepped towards you. You head jerked back at his sudden movement, but your body remained planted in its spot. “I didn’t expect to get so upset, ok?” He said. “Well no, that’s not true. I knew I’d be upset. I got pissed every single time you only came to me for sex, but I didn’t think I would lash out. It’s just…it’s been a year.”

He sounded exhausted and you finally understood. You finally saw just how long you had been in denial, and how long you had been hurting more than just yourself. You looked away and to the blue tiles of your kitchen floor. Seb grabbed your hand and you jumped a little at how fast he managed to move to you. “Look at me,” he whispered and squeezed your fingers. With his free hand he took the soda out of yours and put it on the counter, then grabbed that hand as well. “Y/N.”

You took a deep breath and met his eyes. “Seb…”

“I’m sorry.” He dropped your hands and placed his own on your cheeks, brushing away the tears that began to fall at some point. “I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s ok, Seb.” You cut him off. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you. I didn’t think I was. I knew what I was doing to myself, but if I thought I was making you feel the same, I never would’ve—”

Sebs eyebrows pinched together. “Doing to yourself?”

“What?”

“What exactly were you doing to yourself?”

You flinched and sighed. As you tried to lower your eyes, Seb’s grip on your face held firm. “Damn it,” You whispered to yourself, then said to him, “Why do you think I keep coming back to you every chance I get; why nothing ever works out with these other men? I tried it, finding someone else to sleep with so I could stop torturing myself, but it never worked. At the end of every date, I turned them down just so I had an excuse to be with you.”

Seb’s jaw dropped and after enough agonizing seconds of silence, you brushed his hands off your face. Deciding to keep your ice cream from further melting, you moved around Seb’s body, but he turned and grabbed you around the forearm. “What exactly are you saying?”

“It’s not clear?”

“No.”

You shifted your body back in front of his. “You’re really going to make me say it?”

He smirked then. “I said it to you. It’s only fair.”

You rolled your eyes and ran a hand through your messy strands. “You know I’m not good at this stuff.”

Somehow, he got closer to you. “Yea, I do.” He placed his hands on the sides of your neck and stroked the edges of your jaw with his thumbs. “I can wait. I have absolutely nowhere to be.”

“Oh, really? You have nowhere to be at midnight on a Tuesday? I’m shocked.”

“Y/N.”

“Fine,” You sighed, closed your eyes for a moment, then looked at him. “I love you.”

Seb smiled and touched his forehead to yours long enough for you to smile as well and place your hands on his chest. “I love you, too,” He said, then tilted your head back and touched his lips to yours.

Tags: Perm: @dugan365 @moonlightimagination @pietrotheavenger @marvel-fanfiction @hawkeyeharrington @dani-si @wintersoldier98 @then-there-was-me-emily @prxttybirdz @xceafh @jazzwoman897 @fandoms-who @meganwinchester1999 @ufffg @debra77 @rebelliouscat @anise-d-castle6 @projectxhappiness @buckybarnesappreciationsociety @lowkeysebby @stringgeek13 @quotemeow @notmyfault404 @jjamesbbarness @stangirl4eva @guera31 @sophiatomlinson23 @thisismysecrethappyplace @hiddles-rose @vibhati123 @mywinterwolf @picapicapicassobaby @lokilvrr @private-bucky-barnes

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beca-mitchell · 4 years

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i've never been a natural (all i do is try) (1/1)

Summary: Chloe, Aubrey, and what it means to be loved over their years together at Barden. References to side-Bechloe.

This is for @snowbritt who donated in support of @ppfandomdrive. ❤️ Your prompt was "chaubrey + smangst".

Fic title from "mirrorball" by Taylor Swift, which somehow encapsulates what I feel about Aubrey's character through PP1 and PP2 and some of PP3. Stream folklore.

Word count: 4,442

Rated M/E for some smut.

Read below or read on AO3.

* * * * *

to be forgiven

Aubrey knows what love is. Or at least—conceptually, she knows what it means in all the usual ways: being cared for, having somebody be there emotionally and physically, maybe even a serenade here and there.

Aubrey doesn’t even necessarily have high expectations, just expectations. Simple, mundane expectations because it’s what she’s been told all her life. It’s what has been instilled in her: standards, rigidity, obedience, and expectations.

And she has to live up to every one of those things or face the consequences.

She senses Chloe before she hears her adjusting into the seat next to her.

“I messed up the solo, I deserve whatever’s coming,” Aubrey says, primly adjusting her uniform collar.

“Aubrey, you didn’t mess up,” Chloe says gently.

Gentle. That’s something that Chloe has about her. It makes Aubrey envious, really, but she has no time for that. Any of that. The feelings, the envy, the gentleness.

Gentleness never got anybody anywhere.

That being said, meeting Chloe on the first day of Bellas rehearsals had been both the worst and best experience of Aubrey’s freshman year.

Scratch that. Perhaps it’s this. Or what had transpired not too long ago. A few short moments ago.

“I...I missed my cue for my solo—the solo I had to beg for. Posens don’t beg.”

Chloe shrugs. “I didn’t notice if you messed up.”

“Alice definitely noticed.”

“So?”

Aubrey doesn’t dare twist so she can face Chloe fully. The auditorium has since emptied and they are the only two, sitting right in the middle of the orchestra seating. She doesn’t want to see whatever sympathy flashes across Chloe’s face. It’s not like they’re friends, not really.

“I noticed,” Aubrey finally says quietly. A Posen would notice.

“I thought you sounded really good,” Chloe informs her. “Your voice is pretty.”

Aubrey glances up at Chloe, somewhat intimidated by the startling clear blue eyes gazing back at her without an ounce of sympathy. Simply understanding and a kindness that Aubrey has seen so rarely in her life.

“Thank you,” she manages. “But...the competition. Our performance…” She isn’t sure where she’s going with this, only that she failed and it is odd that Chloe isn’t even acknowledging that.

“I thought we sounded great. It was your first solo, Aubrey! You did amazing.”

The nauseating feeling lessens ever so slightly. “You did?”

“And so what if you think you messed up? You were so brave for taking that solo.”

There is no hint of deceit in Chloe’s eyes. Aubrey isn’t sure Chloe could be deceitful even if she tried.

“Thank you,” she whispers, allowing Chloe to reach out and hold her hand.

It is nice, knowing that she can still be a success in somebody’s eyes. It is nice, knowing that the sensation of Chloe holding her hand isn’t conditioned on her successes of failures.

Just the two of them, sitting in an empty auditorium and nowhere else to be.

* * * * *

to be cherished

When Aubrey breaks up with Howie near the end of her sophomore at Barden, she finds herself storming up to Chloe’s apartment—Chloe who hadn’t been lucky enough (or unlucky enough) to secure a spot in the Bella’s House—and breaking down in ways that would have made her parents recoil.

“That’s it,” Chloe announces after only five minutes of moping. Or at least, Aubrey’s version of moping: voraciously stuffing Chloe’s homemade cookies into her mouth. “We’re going out tonight.”

“Why?” Aubrey asks shortly. “I’m perfectly fine here.”

“You need to get over him,” Chloe responds, tugging the plate of cookies away from Aubrey’s grasp. “I know just the cure.”

“I don’t need to get over him. I already have.”

“I’m sure you have.” Chloe sighs from where she is wrapping the cookies in saran wrap. “He was a total dick to you anyway and you guys were going to break up. I’m shocked you guys didn’t break up weeks ago.”

Aubrey takes a moment to really assess her emotions on the matter. She finds that she is mostly shaken up that it wasn’t something she had anticipated. Not in the near future at least. She just kind of figured they’d kind of taper off and simply...exist in each other’s life. She hadn’t expected him to throw a wrench in her plans quite like that.

“Right,” she says slowly. “I suppose that’s where we were going anyway. I just...I’m not a fan of change, Chloe.”

Chloe reaches out to pull her hands up so they are standing in front of each other. “I know,” Chloe acknowledges quietly. “But you didn’t like him. And he treated you like crap. You deserve to be treated better.”

* * * * *

That’s how it starts without Aubrey even realizing what is happening until she is sitting across from Chloe at a nice restaurant, two weeks in a row.

This is, for all intents and purposes, Chloe treating her like a total queen.

On a date.

These are dates.

Aubrey can’t even bring herself to ask for fear of embarrassing herself in front of Chloe, even though she knows Chloe would never laugh at her or ridicule her. She has spilled so much to Chloe over the past couple of years. There is something incredibly deep and fulfilling about their friendship.

I could love you, Aubrey thinks.

At that moment, Chloe glances up at her, smiling at her through a mouthful of pasta. Her smile is playful and light, but her eyes are bright, shining with an emotion Aubrey can’t identify. Aubrey hates the notion of blurry lines—hates the idea that this could be something.

I could love you too, Chloe seems to say back. If you’d let me.

Chloe has always waited for Aubrey to make her moves—waited for Aubrey to open up. It would be, Aubrey thinks, fairly easy to let this transition into something more. But Chloe represents something so much deeper; something incredibly important to Aubrey that she doesn’t have the stomach to burrow into her own mind in order to figure out what.

“Are you going to eat your dinner?” Chloe asks, breaking Aubrey out of her solitude.

“Yeah. It’s...I was just thinking.”

“About?”

“Oh. You know.”

Chloe hums, a small smile playing at the corner of her mouth as she wraps her lips around her fork once more. “This is nice, y’know? You and me. Without the other Bellas.”

Aubrey doesn’t have the heart to tell Chloe that it is simply because they are so wildly disliked by the rest of the senior Bellas, being the only two juniors in the group. She doesn’t like it when Chloe is disheartened.

“You and me,” Aubrey echoes.

Chloe hums, something non-committal, but Aubrey doesn’t miss the way Chloe’s eyes cut to her very briefly before she gazes away again.

It is nice, saying that aloud, but Aubrey is afraid to say more because she doesn't understand the breadth of her own emotions. She can't even categorize what she's feeling, how could she possibility explain anything to Chloe?

* * * * *

Later, as Aubrey lies awake at night, she decides that she somewhat likes this state of in-between with Chloe. It doesn’t feel as daunting as she would have thought. Instead, it feels comfortable, knowing that Chloe and her seem to be on the same page, despite all the things left unspoken.

(She is wrong.)

* * * * *

to be desired

They aren’t dating. They probably never will. But this—this making out on and off—this is a new development.

It had started at a party a few weeks ago, under the shadow of drunkenness, tumbling into Chloe’s bed, arms around each other. A tangle of limbs. A mess, for all intents and purposes, but it hadn’t sent Aubrey running. Quite the opposite in fact.

And now...

“I’m—” Aubrey swallows the lump in her throat (categorically it feels like desire and panic all at once) as Chloe’s lips trail down her neck. “I’ve never done this with a girl before,” she whispers, clamping her mouth shut almost immediately after. It feels like admitting something is wrong with her—feels like admitting some kind of failure because after all, life is nothing but a binary of success and failure.

It is then that Chloe stops and ceases her ministrations to draw back and look at her with her brow furrowed. “I know,” she murmurs, sliding her hand down Aubrey’s jaw. “We talked about it,” Chloe continues, casually bringing up a conversation that been both freeing and mortifying for Aubrey. She had never known somebody like Chloe before—had never known a friend who would be so open and willing to share anecdotes about her own life without a care in the world.

Aubrey inhales shakily, willing her body to resist the temptation of Chloe’s lips against her skin, as pleasurable as ever. “No, wait—” Chloe draws back, sitting back on Aubrey’s thighs patiently at Aubrey’s protest. Somehow she manages to still look equal parts innocent and filthy with her eyes blown wide—innocently so in some respects—and with her hair in a complete disarray from Aubrey’s eager hands. Aubrey clenches her hands into her bedspread and sits up slightly to level herself with Chloe more. “I’ve just...also never really…” She clears her throat. “You know. Gotten...there.”

Chloe’s jaw slackens for a moment and she tilts her head, contemplating Aubrey’s words. “What do you mean you’ve never gotten there?”

“Chloe,” Aubrey complains.

“Okay, maybe I do know, but—” Chloe leans forward with a soft giggle. Her hair tickles Aubrey’s skin ever so gently. “Never? Not even by yourself?”

Aubrey’s face feels ridiculously hot. “I’ve...tried. A few times. Maybe a couple times I—” Words stick in her chest, unwilling to spill forward. A swell of insecurity and unspoken desires course through her.

I don’t know myself.

My own body.

I don’t know how to love myself like that.

Chloe’s eyes soften. “Aubrey,” she murmurs quietly, like she knows. Because of course, she knows. It is just so very Chloe of her—a marker of who Chloe Beale is as a person since she crashed through Aubrey’s life like a tornado over the past two years or so. Chloe has somehow known things before Aubrey has even had a chance to compartmentalize them and sift through every point at her painstakingly slow place; Chloe has somehow always been the antithesis.

Aubrey doesn’t dare say anything, too caught up in her own thoughts again, but Chloe lifts a hand to curl through her hair. If they weren’t in the position they currently find themselves, sprawled on Aubrey’s too-large bed and across Aubrey’s too-plain sheets, Aubrey could close her eyes and imagine Chloe carding her fingers through her hair on a regular movie night on the couch.

It scares her how normal this feels.

“Not even with Howie?” Chloe asks, still quiet. Still moving her fingers through Aubrey’s hair. Still sitting astride Aubrey’s thighs. Aubrey shakes her head. “Good thing you broke up with him,” Chloe comments with a smile.

That breaks some of the tension that Aubrey had felt building in her chest. She both hates and loves how comfortable she can be with Chloe—how Chloe makes things feel easy and light, like Aubrey can exist without trying so hard. Like this is how it can be. How it ought to be.

“Yeah, good thing,” Aubrey murmurs, closing her eyes when Chloe’s lips meet hers again.

“We’ll get you there,” Chloe murmurs, kissing determinedly down Aubrey’s neck and between her breasts with a destination seemingly in mind.

Aubrey believes her.

Eventually Chloe seems to settle between Aubrey’s legs—how had she gotten there?—and Aubrey feels, abstractly as she dissociates from her own body, kiss-swollen lips begin to trail over the soaked material of Aubrey’s underwear.

“Chloe,” she rasps out. “Okay—you...you don’t—” Aubrey cuts herself off with a choked gasp when Chloe kisses the fabric of the soaked material of her underwear. You don’t have to do that, is what Aubrey had wanted to say, but in a rare moment of internal conflict with her word choice, she clamps her mouth shut as Chloe’s kisses increase in their pressure and intensity, even going as far as to gently sucking at Aubrey’s clit through her underwear.

Now, all Aubrey wants to say is Never stop.

She can barely manage more than a strangled, moaning gasp—a foreign sound—when Chloe draws her head away.

“Why?” It comes out as a demand.

Chloe’s smile is positively sinful, a far cry from the usual pleasantness or playfulness found on her face. Aubrey feels dizzy from the heat coursing through her body. “Do you want me to stop?” Chloe asks. “We can stop,” Chloe promises, though she licks her lips with devastating effect. Aubrey wonders if Chloe’s lips will glisten as they do now if she were to...well. The thought remains half-complete in her mind.

“I guess…” Aubrey clears her throat going for some authority. “You don’t have to stop.”

“Oh,” Chloe drawls. “So you want me to continue?” Chloe asks, adopting a tone entirely too innocent and too willing for the situation. Aubrey clenches around nothing, entirely too wet and swollen, at the tone and Chloe’s subtle nudge at her penchant for control.

“Yes,” Aubrey murmurs.

“Okay,” Chloe hums. “I want to taste you…if that's okay with you.”

Aubrey tries to run through a list of reasons why she wouldn’t want that—tries to itemize reasons why she should tell Chloe to stop, but she can’t. She finds that she wants this so much; she wants Chloe to make her feel good and she wants to just feel good, period.

She is no longer thinking about Howie, any of her other exes, or even her own inability to make herself feel good.

Allowing herself this one pleasure will make her feel good.

The simplicity causes her to sag into her bed, gasping out a breath when, at the same time, Chloe pulls her underwear down her legs eagerly.

“Okay,” Aubrey murmurs, mostly to herself. “Okay.”

Chloe shifts forward, the movement guiding her snugly between Aubrey’s legs. Beneath Aubrey’s thighs, she feels the press of Chloe’s shoulders, shifting forward ever so slightly. But no—that isn’t what she’s supposed to be focusing on, not when Chloe and her damn tongue are as eager as the rest of her. Despite the eagerness in Chloe’s movements, there is something gentle and exploratory about it all. It feels pleasant and warm and her stomach clenches pleasurably—a far cry from the usual nauseating feeling she gets with startling regularity.

This is it, she thinks, eyes slipping shut as Chloe’s mouth moves against her, wet and soft and so, so warm. This is what it’s meant to be like—what it must mean to be wanted.

A beat.

Aubrey’s heart sinks.

She doesn’t feel anything—doesn’t feel the white-hot pleasure or the sharp sensation of desire or lust like she’s always read about in her own research. Chloe’s tongue and lips between her legs and—and—

“Oh fuck—!” She claps a hand over her mouth as Chloe’s tongues curls and slides, this time pushing upward just right. A jolt of pleasure hooks into her, somewhere in her belly, and tugs. Aubrey cries out again, this time from behind her hand, hips lurching upwards. Chloe pins her hips down with sure, deft hands. The strength of Chloe’s hold on her only makes her wetter even though she had thought that impossible.

Oh.

This is what it feels like to be wanted.

Between her legs, Chloe grins. Aubrey can fucking feel it.

We’ll get you there, is what Chloe had said.

Aubrey believes her.

Chloe has, after all, never given Aubrey any reason to not believe her.

* * * * *

Touching Chloe in return is an experience on its own. It is incredible and satisfying and all the words that Aubrey has yet to learn. An enviable vocabulary and she has nothing on the tip of her tongue to describe what it means to be so breathless after having Chloe come apart at her hands.

Chloe’s soft voice, ever soothing, guiding her as she learns Chloe’s body inside and out.

“Right there,” Chloe murmurs, like she is telling Aubrey the time. Her hand, wrapped around Aubrey’s wrist, guides Aubrey’s hand against slick, wet folds and an insistent, stiff clit. It makes Aubrey inhale sharply, knowing that she is touching Chloe so intimately—another woman!—and yet, she feels like she can’t imagine herself doing anything else.

“Here,” Aubrey echoes, rubbing the pads of her fingers gently against Chloe’s stimulated center. A soft moan escapes her when she dips her fingers inside Chloe ever so slightly, feeling Chloe tense beneath her immediately, like she is trying to pull Aubrey in deeper. The thought makes her hot and wet all over again and she shifts, biting her lip as she hovers over a shockingly quiet and docile Chloe Beale.

Chloe says nothing. She nods, pulling Aubrey in for a searing kiss that makes Aubrey feel like she has been doing this for years.

* * * * *

to be loved

The summer before senior year is a lot.

Aubrey watches Chloe sip leisurely at her margarita, eyes hidden by dark sunglasses. She finds that she hates when Chloe hides her eyes like this when she can’t see the swirl of emotions behind Chloe’s eyes.

“Are you ready for our senior year?” Chloe asks suddenly, putting her drink down.

“I am.”

For a long moment, Chloe doesn’t respond. It is enough of a pause for Aubrey to turn and face Chloe completely because it is so unlike Chloe to not have a response.

“Chloe?”

“I’m...yeah. It’s nothing. I’m just thinking about the Bellas.”

Aubrey is sure that Chloe knows that she hadn’t been thinking about anything else except the Bellas since the end of their last competition. And Puke Gate. She represses a shudder. “Right,” she says slowly. “About what?”

“Just that it’s our last year together,” Chloe replies simply. “I’m thinking about missing you. And just...not being together all the time.”

Aubrey is sure that Chloe isn’t necessarily referring to their loosely-defined Friends With Benefits arrangement (though, Aubrey thinks, it wouldn’t be so loosely-defined if she had just drafted up that contract she had in mind), but it’s the first thing that comes to mind regardless. As with most things having to do with Chloe and sex, a full-body flush immediately rushes through her and she does everything in her power to school her face into one of neutrality as to not alert Chloe to her thoughts.

Still, Aubrey feels affection and tenderness from the woman in front of her. Over their time together at Barden, she has come to know Chloe so intimately and so thoroughly that she can hardly imagine being apart from her as well.

“I get it,” she manages to say. A litany of words—more words, always, somehow—threaten to spill from her lips, but she represses it, afraid of what it would mean to finally, fully wear her heart on her sleeve. “But that just means we have to give it our all, doesn’t it?”

At that, Chloe smiles. “Right. We’re going to be aca-awesome.”

Chloe’s consistent attempts to combine “aca” into their terminology had been something that had made Aubrey laugh at first, not taking it seriously. And Chloe had continued to say it, with the intent of making Aubrey laugh. But now, it is something of an inside-joke between them, neither serious nor a joke. Just something for them, as co-captains. Co-leaders.

Partners.

“Aca-awesome,” Aubrey echoes. “We are, aren’t we?”

The way Chloe gazes at her then, like she thinks Aubrey can do anything in the world...that alone nearly makes Aubrey’s emotional padlock completely fall off her heart, but she grabs at the shackles in a moment of desperation.

The issue between her and Chloe is that neither of them is willing to push each other to that extreme limit—at least not in terms of matters of the heart. Chloe is too gentle with her. Aubrey is too reserved.

Too afraid.

Even though Chloe makes her feel more than she’s ever allowed herself to feel in the past two decades of her life.

* * * * *

It is just so much more efficient to put actions to work when words fail. That is something that Aubrey has learned from Chloe herself. Even as she pulls Chloe into her arms, both of them vying for dominance over the other as they stumble through the darkness of Aubrey’s bedroom.

Nights like these always start and end the same way. She and Chloe have gotten efficient, for lack of a better word, at their arrangement.

Except tonight, something feels slightly different. Not quite off, but not quite what Aubrey’s used to, at least with them. Even with all her incessant planning and thinking, she hadn’t foreseen this.

Tonight, it’s different.

Tonight, it’s short, and intense. It leaves them both incredibly sated, both embarrassingly wet and ready for each other as soon as they tumble on the bed, naked. Even with Chloe’s fingers pressed inside her, Aubrey scrambles for more—so much more—grappling with the heaviness of her own emotions. On the cusp of everything, Aubrey tumbles and the experience, breathlessly crying out Chloe’s name, leaves Aubrey stunned into somewhat of a shocked silence. Belatedly, she feels Chloe shuddering against her as she comes around Aubrey’s fingers as well, a soft cry escaping her lips. The jerk of Chloe’s hips against Aubrey’s hand almost sends them both tumbling from her bed, from where they had been lying too close to the edge.

Somewhere, in the recesses of her mind, Aubrey thinks that they had been loud. And even more belatedly, was that a soreness in her throat? She needs to remember to get tea and honey for herself and Chloe as soon as possible.

Together, they lie, pressed against each other. Aubrey enjoys the sensation of Chloe’s fingers drumming a slow, uneven rhythm against her shoulder, a reminder that they remain connected even by music.

Chloe sighs, somewhat happily. Somewhat morosely. “Aca-amazing,” she whispers, breath hot against Aubrey’s neck.

The brief silence that follows is enough of a space for both their walls to come crashing down. Aubrey bursts into laughter first—true and real giggles leaving her lips—followed quickly by Chloe. Despite the breathlessness in her chest, Aubrey feels calm.

“Aubrey?”

Never mind that. Chloe sounds entirely too nervous for this to be anything good, but Aubrey knows she is powerless to resist whatever Chloe wants to ask of her.

“Yes?”

Aubrey steels herself for whatever question Chloe might throw at her; Aubrey steels herself for whatever the question might hold for their future together. She settles somewhere between being ready and terrified, not too unlike how she feels whenever she performs.

For so long she hadn’t known whose court the ball was in. Now, she might get the chance—now she might—

“It’s…nothing.”

With that, Chloe rolls over and falls asleep rather quickly, leaving Aubrey to stare at the dark ceiling, wondering if the ball had been in her court all along and she had simply failed to do anything about it.

* * * * *

(But what would that conversation have even gone like? Aubrey imagines a thousand possibilities, each ending the same way.

“What do you want this to mean?” Chloe would have asked. Or some variation.

No matter the variable, no matter the input, Aubrey can only compute the same answer: “You,” is what she longs to say. Longed to say. Longed to have said.

The worst part is that she knows that she never would have said it even if Chloe had been asking the same question for the better part of three years together...in every sense of the word.

She tastes the word on her lips, saying it aloud to herself when she lies alone in her bedroom. You.

An entire world of possibilities.)

* * * * *

Beca Mitchell.

She’s...she’s something, Aubrey can admit that much.

So much possibility rolled into one person.

Aubrey wonders which parts of Beca appeal to Chloe the most.

Aubrey wonders if Beca’s smugness has anything to do with the fact that Chloe looks at her and sees an entire world that she hadn’t known existed before Beca strolled lazily into their lives. It is so easy to identify because it’s all Aubrey can see when she looks at the crumbling pieces of her and Chloe’s world in her own hands.

* * * * *

to have loved and lost

Aubrey is not an eavesdropper. In fact, she has learned over time that she would really rather not hear some of the things she’s heard. Some classified, some just...the Bellas at their best and worst.

This probably falls somewhere between the two.

Aubrey pauses. She shifts the spare blankets to her other hand as she catches the tail end of soft murmurs from the lounge area for Lodge guests.

“—wish you told me.”

She recognizes Chloe’s voice immediately and draws closer on instinct. She already knows who Chloe is with even if she hasn’t fully heard another voice. Her assumption is confirmed when she hears a long drawn-out sigh that can only belong to one Beca Mitchell, somehow managing to imbue a sigh with the very slightest hint of sarcasm.

Aubrey closes her eyes. She knows she’s being unfair to Beca. It’s not that she doesn’t like Beca. She likes her very much, in fact. She respects her a lot.

“I wanted to tell you,” Beca finally says. “You know I want to tell you.”

“Anything in particular?” Aubrey’s chest seizes at the flirty, playful tone to Chloe’s voice. She should go. She should.

“Um.” Beca exhales. “Everything.” Her voice has a strange tone to it. Soft and uneven. Low. Quiet. “You know...about the internship,” she adds hastily. “But also…”

“Beca,” Chloe responds. “Of course.”

“I just get so…”

“I know, Bec.”

“There is um, something else.”

Aubrey suddenly feels like she is intruding on something intimate, but she cannot bear to draw away. She tells herself that it is because she’s looking out for Chloe, even after all these years. Even after years of drifting apart.

She just wants to be right.

“What is it?” Chloe asks. Aubrey closes her eyes. She hates the tenderness in Chloe’s tone—the sheer gentleness that afflicts Chloe’s voice whenever she talks to Beca. Whenever she so much as talks about Beca.

“It’s you,” Beca says, so quietly that Aubrey has to strain to hear it. "It has always been you."

Aubrey does not hear Chloe's response.

fin.

#chaubrey #pitch perfect #pp fandom drive #pitch perfect fandom drive #chloe beale #aubrey posen #mine #my fanfic #queue

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blackevermore · 3 years

Text

x Secrets of The Lake: The Company of Misery and Pain

{ Chapter 13 }

Summary: Vladimir Masters’ family tree has always been tainted by secrets swept under the rug. From generation to generation there have been countless reasons the Masters’ family had seemed to keep private from the public. Even to this day, Vladimir was no exception. But what was one to do when a restless spirit from the settlement years finally breaks free from restraints and demands you answer for your ancestor’s crimes? Vladimir doesn’t know. However, Clockworks does.

Notes: We just having fun, rewriting some of the canon, new adventure new characters. I will apologize now for any grammar, spelling, weird sentence structuring in advance. My brain writes faster than my fingers and even when I go back through to reread it I still miss things. Sorry about that!

Word Count: 8640

P.s: Long chapter is long because i didn’t wanna stop writing pff

There was something off about the townspeople. He could feel it every time he set off in the mornings to sell and trade produce. First, it had been the women, their heads hanging low and their eyes barely meeting him when they handed him the money. Some of them tried to linger their touches but he quickly pulled away. Young maidens sought out for his affections but he would quickly reject them with the promise they would find their true suitor in due time. However, when it was whispered through the walls that Lady Spelltra was smitten by Vladan, the other young maidens ceased to come near him.

“Have you already taken someone?” Vladan could remember the way the fiery ginger hair woman asked him in annoyance. Vladan had told her many times he wasn’t interested and yet she came to his stall every day with hope on her shoulder. Every day she came and every day he would tell her he wasn’t interested. He tried to be as much of a gentleman as his mother taught him to be. But even so, he was getting tired of her advances as they became more and more aggressive and demanding.

“I have and she waits for me.” Vladan held no remorse for the way he answered her. Maybe being nice was foolish, to begin with, he should have been more assertive with her, but none of that would get through the woman’s head. Vladan watched as the girl’s eyes widened then narrowed into a snarl. Through her anger, he could have sworn he saw green eyes glow. Unlike Tayonna’s that glowed with the help of the sun, this woman’s eyes gleamed in the shade that covered her face. The woman clenched her fist then sighed as she straightened herself out and held her head up in a pompous pride.

“Does she wait for you at home? Here or across the sea?” She asked, eyeing him up and down with a smirk. Vladan wishes he could say she waited for him at home. He wished he could happily say he was married as well, but they knew of the tragic end of his family and they knew he only lived with the housemaids. Vladan tried his best not to allow the other to see his anger. Lady Spelltra was the head judge’s daughter, it was best not to anger her if Vladan wishes to continue business within the community. Vladan told himself that in two months he would pack up everything and head back across the seas. The colonies were too much of a hassle while the English had a hold over it.

“She waits,” Vladan turned away from the woman and finished tying off the order she had come with. He handed it to her and the woman huffed and threw the money into his hand before yanking the bag and leaving.

Then there were the men of the town who tried their hardest to get him to join them in their scandals. Whether they were playful adult pranks or shameful adultery, Vladan always held up his hand to dismiss them and excuse himself. Since his family had died it seemed like the townspeople were different creatures. Four years ago they were respectable townies that gave each other space and kept the community running with honesty and pride. Of course, Vladan had his issues with the English but even so the community was able to prosper with the incoming Dutch natives. But now the men were sleazy, everything they did was excused by the law created to shield them from punishment or swore to by the bible. Vladan could recall the many times some old man wrapped an arm around his shoulders to pull him in and point to a crowd of women.

“They are to worship us like gods as we are to give them divine pleasure bestowed upon us by God himself.” The old man smelled of rioting morality and crooked senses, Vladan had pushed the man off of him and the old man laughed as he fixed his hat. “You are hesitant now, but once you are guided, boy, you will understand.” Vladan wished he could strike down the man by the power of the so-called God they worshipped. The cruel nature of imbalance was evident in the dark clouds that hung over the town more and more each day. The only peace Vladan had was when he was able to drive the carriage home and see the sun shining over his house in the distance. He could feel the weight of the gloomy corruption slid off his back as ghostly hands wrapped around him and the faint feeling of lips kissed his temple. When he made it to the short stretch of dirt road that led up to his home he quickly jumped from the driver’s seat. Without having to call out to the woman he loved, the door would always open to Tayonna wiping her hands on her skirt, smiling and beckoning him inside.

Vlad stirred in his sleep as he felt a wet sensation drape across his forehead. Slowly he blinked his eyes and tried to sit up but the pain in his chest made him wince and fall back. He could tell he was now in a bed and was grateful, the last few times of fainting to the floor was starting to wear him thin. After a few deep breaths, he had to make sure his lungs were back to normal, he placed a hand on his forehead to hold the cloth and sat up. He couldn’t remember everything that had happened before he made it to bed. The dream he had just woken up from had blocked out reality as he could now clearly remember it. Vlad removed the cloth and placed it on the bedside table. He tried to recall everything. He had been in his room drinking, then screaming, then that darn mist getting into his body...but what else? Vlad felt an aching pain starting to throb in the front of his head and he hissed as the throb felt like it was moving to the left and right. Then it all came like a crash course causing his brain to bounce around.

“Don’t get up.”Tayonna’s voice was demanding and Vlad was taken back by it. Vlad looked up and saw Tayonna standing by the door with his two ghost maids standing right outside. Vlad cocked a brow then tried his best to sit up straight.

“Tayonna, I assure you I’m fine.” Vlad gritted his teeth as he felt another throb hit the sides of his head, harder than before. He fell back into the bed and groaned, laying down was the only thing that subdued the pain and gave Vlad a small ounce of ability. Vlad turned his head to the side and sighed as he saw the three ghosts watching him carefully. “Just a minor headache is all, nothing to be worried about, now if you all must be here at least take a seat. Your constant standing makes me uncomfortable.” Vlad let out a small chuckle and snapped his fingers for the maids to heed his command. But they wouldn’t move and only looked even more anxious than before. Vlad knotted this at their hesitant nature then turned towards Tayonna. He could see that even though she was hesitant to come closer to him, she looked angry as well. Vlad didn’t like that look, it told him he was in trouble and she was the last person she wanted to upset. ‘Wait, why?’

“They refuse to come in,” Tayonna told him, moving closer to him slowly before taking the seat in an armchair across from the bed.

“But I ordered them,” Vlad huffed and gave Tayonna a look.

“You may have ordered them but he doesn’t want them around.” Tayonna's eyes bore holes into Vlad’s as he looked between his maids and her. Vlad was confused and sat up once more in a haste and pushed to his feet. He stumbled and quickly caught himself, he could see in the corner of his eye that Tayonna was gripping her wrist, most likely to not reach out and help him. Vlad took a deep breath as the sudden dizziness of shift in gravity unbalanced him. Once he was sure he could stand on his own he straightened up and ran a hand through his hair. It was a silvery mess and he knew he looked dishevelled and hated every minute of it.

“No ghost or mist or whatever anyone shall be will be making orders within my house. When I call for them they will come.” Vlad commanded with anger and snapped his fingers once more to command the maids. The two maids jumped and turned towards each other in fear. The maid on the left reached out and took hold of the one on the right and hid behind her. The maid on the right sighed and tried to walk towards Vlad but quickly recoiled when she placed a foot over the threshold. The maid behind her quickly pulled her back and checked over her. Vlad couldn’t possibly understand why something like this was happening. This was his house! If any ghost of any sort wished to have control over anything Vlad had they would have to go through him. Linked to him or not it didn’t matter, Vlad was a force to be reckoned with that held power for a reason.

“I demand that the both of you come here, now!” Vlad's voice was dark as he snapped his fingers again and pointed to the floor in front of him. The maids shook with fear and tried once more to heed their master’s orders but when they both tried to ghost through the door they were zapped away by a now visible red force. Vlad’s sudden rush of anger dropped a bit and he took a step back. Surprised by the boom of his voice and the way it shook him down to his core. He was losing control over his own emotions and that worried him. He had never yelled at his maids, human or ghost, he always treated them with respect and valued the work they provided. He held his head in his hand and muttered an apology to the maids then turned back to Tayonna. The girl sat quietly in the chair still facing away from him.

“They can not come in until you can control yourself,” Tayonna said. Control himself? Vlad could feel himself slowly losing a grip since she had started to haunt his dreams. How could she make such a comment when nothing had been going right when she was the one to blame. “He is projecting his anger through you and none of us can go anywhere until you can control it, control him.” Tayonna stood up and walked towards Vlad and once again locked eyes with him. Vlad felt the anger vanish completely from his body and a warm feeling spread through his chest. He wanted to reach out and touch her, pull her in and feverishly kiss her until he heard her laugh. He had never felt her lips before but yet he craved them. He wanted to apologize to her about something he didn’t know he needed to apologize for. Vlad really wanted to take her in his arms like he had longed for her unstoppably. He wanted to hold her like he wished he could hold Maddie. Tayonna was far from being anything remotely close to Vlad’s Madeline. But yet he reached out and tried to touch her which made the girl flinch away.

“Do not touch me,” Tayonna's green eyes grew cold and she gripped her wrist tighter. Vlad’s breath hitched and he took a step back as well. Behind Tayona Vlad had noticed the red barrier had faded away and the ghost maids stayed put with continuous worry. Vlad cleared his throat and sidestepped around Tayonna making sure he looked away from the girl.

“You two are dismissed, I apologize for my rudeness, please know I will never raise my voice like that towards the two of you ever again.” Vlad scolded himself for his behaviour and the maids knew he was sincere.

“Of course, Sir.” The maids spoke in unison and curtsy as they poofed away. The silence in the room grew awkward as the last two in the room stood frozen in place. Vlad wanted to say something but he was afraid anything he said wouldn’t be of his own thinking.

Tayonna on the other hand had finally worked up the courage to speak, “I want you to remove this collar.”

“Excuse me?” Vlad turned around and Tayonna was already beside him running a hand over her neck where the metal was.

“Remove this collar,” Tayonna said bitterly, folding her arms across her chest. Vlad rolled his eyes and did the same, even with his weird new thoughts and emotions he still had his same old mind working and he refused to be bossed around.

“And why would I do that?” Vlad lowered his eyes and watched the other take a deep breath. Vlad could feel the pull in his hands that wanted to remove the collar but he fought against it. This wasn’t him. This was nothing he wanted and nothing he felt. If this ghost was going to be in his house he wanted to have the advantage against her. But the constant double thinking and fogginess of certainty was a steep uphill battle.

“Because you’ve already allowed him into your house, into your body, into your mind.” Tayonna stopped and took a moment to look away from Vlad as she tried to find her words. Vlad could tell it strained her. “You’ve already become a pawn.” Tayonna slowly looked up towards him with heavy eyes and Vlad’s heart skipped a beat. He wasn’t sure he could trust her, let alone trust himself, but he also couldn’t be too sure if something else happened he would be able to handle it alone. He could call upon Danny but then he knew Dani would want to come. Plus they were a good distance away even with the aid of the ghost portal. Vlad sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he tried to think of something reasonable and failed.

“I am no pawn Miss Tayonna, all of this will be sorted out and settled once you are put to rest. If I remove that collar there are rules you must follow.” Vlad held up a finger waving it back and forth and Tayonna rolled her eyes. He understood this was going to be a tough situation with Tayonna not being able to look past his face to see he was someone completely different. But the recurring reminders of him and Vladan being alike was displeasing.

“Even you have rules that must be followed. It’s like he never left.” Tayonna caught herself before she let out giggles and swallowed them to keep quiet. Vlad noticed but said nothing. Again, he didn’t want to be compared to someone else.

“As I was saying, the rules are simple, one, you are not allowed to attack me when you feel like it. Even if you look at me and see him you are to keep your hands to yourself. Two, We are to try and work together to figure this out, which means when I ask you a question you must answer it. I deal with enough vague responses from my affiliates. Three, you will behave yourself as need be and you will never use those mind tricks on me or anyone else in this house. If you break any of these rules I will not only throw you back into the Ghost Zone, but I will make sure you never leave that dark hole you called home. I will also make sure you will never be heard of again. Do you understand?” Vlad knew his words were harsh and that he only meant half of what he said. But he had to save face and keep his advantage over her if this was their new agreement. Tayonna was wary and it showed as she bit her bottom lip and hunched over a bit, surrendering.

“Very well,” Tayonna bowed her head and Vlad walked forward to reach out and pushed her curls to the side. They were so soft and full of life despite the fact she was dead. He wanted to run his fingers over them but he quickly stopped himself and took hold of the collar. He made sure to whisper the release phrase so she couldn’t hear it and the glowing bars lit up, turning red as the collar unlocked itself. As he slid the collar off her neck and dark rings formed at her waist and she transformed into her ghost self. Vlad could admit silently he much rather preferred her in her human like state. Her skin was no longer the soft brown with red undertones but purple with a steel blue hue. Her eyes were the same but now looked like floating orbs in a black void. She was still attractive as she was when human but now it was evident that she was dead. Tayonna was a spirit that was haunting Vlad, not a welcome guest.

Vlad cleared his throat from how dry it had become and nodded his head.

“Better?” He asked, raising a brow.

“Much,” Tayonna answered by rubbing her neck and sighing.

Vlad had locked himself away in his study as he felt it was the only place in the house that didn’t feel intrusive. He had asked that Tayonna kept her distance as he needed space and the other happily agreed. It didn’t need to be said that the both of them much rather preferred the space between them. Vlad couldn’t handle the unnecessary need to touch her and Tayonna couldn’t bear to look him in the face for too long. Vlad had told her where in the house she could go and where not to. When he saw that she kept making eyes towards the garden he quickly made it another rule that if she stepped outside she had to turn back into a human and be human. In an instant, Tayonna became human and sank through the floor to walk out the kitchen backdoors and find home in Vlad’s garden.

Vlad tried to muscle himself into doing work but it was a failed attempt as he kept getting distracted by visions. Every so often he would think of being off in the countryside of some state he couldn’t recall and walking along a stream enjoying nature. Then he would think of someone waiting for him to find them through the wildflowers. The warm feeling in his chest would come back and he hums happily. It would be minutes before Vlad realized he was slacking off and would pull at his ears to get back to work. The visions were peaceful and Vlad found himself longing for his trip to Wisconsin to hurry closer. The sooner he could make sure all his companies were staying clear in the green, the faster he could plan his trip and get away from Amity. Amity was his home away from home, the fields of Wisconsin was where his heart lied considering he was born there. After an hour or so of fiddling on his computer, he had finished all his leftover documents and emails.

Vlad sat back in his chair and closed his eyes to take a breather. The headaches were gone, thank god, but the constant mixed and foreign feelings he was experiencing kept tugging at him. Where is she? ‘She’s in the garden’ Vlad answered himself. Is she safe? ‘Why wouldn’t she be?’ Vlad opened his eyes and frowned at the odd thought. Why wouldn’t Tayonna be safe at his home? If a ghost wouldn’t dare to randomly show up and cause trouble, he was sure the fickle humans outside wouldn’t bother crossing into his property. Vlad tried to push the thought away but the more he sat in silence he kept asking himself the same question over and over. Now that Vlad knew who the little voice inside his head actually belonged to he had no choice but to reason with it to shut it up. Even he was getting tired of hearing his own voice, accented or not.

“I will go check on her, will that satisfy you?” Vlad asked coldly to the air knowing he wasn’t going to get a response. He grumbled and made his way out of the office and down the stairs to the kitchen. When he made it to the sliding doors he opened them and stepped outside. Tayonna was nowhere in sight but the garden seemed like it had become more vibrant. The rose bushes he had newly planted had already bloomed and the lilies were bigger than they were a day ago. Vlad ran his hand over the soft pedals and smiled at how beautiful they were. His mother would have been proud. He walked through his garden and saw his other flowers were just as alive, the tulip beds were fully bloomed and the many different colours they came in painted the ground. Vlad further into his garden and had finally found Tayonna sitting under the statue. She held a rose in her hand lacing the stem through her fingers somehow avoiding its thorns. Vlad couldn’t stop the smile that laces gently across his lips and the sigh that left his body in relief.

As Vlad watched the girl for a while he could recall a dream he had months ago when this all started. He could now piece it together, Tayonna was sitting by a small garden by the front of a house. She was digging with her hands to plant flowers she found and she looked so pleased with herself. Vlad could only imagine how happy, if she actually was, back then doing whatever she did. The dream would always end up with Vlad mouthing Tayonna’s name and the girl turned around to look at him with a big smile until it dropped in dread and fear. Tayonna would then drop everything she was doing to pick up her dress and take off running towards the dark nothingness. That dream always clenched at Vlad’s throat as he was never sure why Tayonna would suddenly run away when she looked so happy to see him.

I had to protect her.

“Oh! Will you go away,” Vlad grumbled and waved a hand near his ear to silence the voice and it seemed to work. As he rolled his eyes and looked back towards Tayonna he noticed the girl had finally spotted him. He awkwardly cleared his throat and nodded towards her before walking towards her.

“I see you take a great liking to my garden, Miss Tayonna. I also see you’ve done some work with advancing their bloom.” Vlad was pleased by her work. He hadn’t thought much of it to maybe use his powers to speed along their growth. Perhaps it was a part of him who wanted nature to take its time and he could play happy caretaker. Tayonna spun the rose in her hand with her fingers and hummed before placing it down on the ground and waving a hand over it. The rose started to glow and its stem warped like a snake and travelled towards the statue and began to climb up the base. The stem broke in twos and threes and little rosebuds sprouted. The stems wrapped around the body of the statue and stopped when it reached the head. The stem wrapped around like a crown but instead of rosebuds sprouting, thorns grew like spikes. Tayonna waved her hand over the rose on the ground once more and it began to wither and fall apart. When the rose on the ground was dead and nothing but dust, the stem around the statue curled into itself and stayed put.

It was a magical site and Vlad was very impressed as he watched the statue become something even more remarkable. Take that Mrs Welmsworth!

“As much as I would love to woo my neighbours with the sudden change in the garden in the middle of the summer, I would actually prefer it if you didn’t perform where people could see you.” Vlad spoke towards Tayonna as he kept his eyes forward looking around to see if anyone was outside. When he was sure no one had seen what Tayonna was doing he looked back towards her. She curled into herself and that intoxicating sad expression she wore was back.

“He used to tell me to stop doing magic all the time. Afraid someone would catch me.” Tayonna said. Vlad could feel the all too familiar tug on his heart to comfort her but he stayed still.

“Why would he be afraid of someone seeing you?” Vlad was curious, maybe this would help further aid in solving all this.

“I don’t know, I can’t remember.” Tayonna sighed and looked up towards Vlad in the same routine, her eyes would fill with hope but then die as she realized something and looked away. Vlad secretly hoped that’s not what he looked like when he reconnected with the Fenton family and saw Maddie.

“Was he trying to protect you?” Vlad walked closer and held out a hand for Tayonna to take. The girl was confused but it quickly faded as Vlad gave her a warm smile and nodded slowly for her to take it. Tayonna took it and he helped her to her feet, she pulled away from him and grabbed her wrist and turned away.

“I don’t remember,” Tayonna replied.

“Hmm, can you recall anything that might be important?” Vlad knew there had to be something buried that would unearth the truth. He could see the way her eyebrows twisted together that Tayonna knew something but didn’t want to share it. “Tayonna?” Vlad called out to the girl and she shook her head a few times, her mouth opened and close as she tried to find the words. Vlad saw the way her fingers dug into her skirt and she gripped the fabric for dear life.

“He was always so worried, always so tense, he didn’t like being there. We had to stay there because of his family but he wanted to leave so badly. He….He was….He-” Tayonna's voice began to break as the words lost themselves and tears formed at the corners of her eyes. She tried to wipe them away but the more she swiped at her face the more fell. Vlad had noticed that the sky above them started to turn grey and lighting sparked between the clouds. Vlad knew he shouldn’t touch her but he couldn’t deny that this was necessary for calming her down. He took hold of her hands and lowered them and used his thumbs to catch a few stray tears as he held her face. He didn’t say anything and just hoped his pleading expression was enough to calm her.

Tayonna didn’t pull away which amazed him, he continued to do that as a few more tears fell and finally, Tayonna held onto his arms. Not to pull him away but almost for safety. They stared into each other's eyes and that’s when Vlad felt an easing sensation starting to rise within him. For the first time, he felt his core beat against his chest like a heart. And a faint glow started to rise through his skin. He hoped she didn’t see it and he quickly lowered his hands from her face and she let go and held onto herself. Vlad held a hand to the centre of his chest and pretended to be more so relieved rather than checking his core. That was an all new experience for him. When he felt it settle down again he checked back over to Tayonna to make sure she was calm.

“This is a troublesome matter and it’s best if you don’t stress yourself talking about it. In due time, if you are comfortable enough to talk about it I’m willing to listen.” Tayonna only nodded her head and Vlad smiled. He turned on his heels and looked over his shoulder. “Would you like to come in for tea?” Ghost didn’t need to drink nor eat but Vlad felt this was the right response. Tayonna was more human than she was a ghost in the short time Vlad has had her around and could notice. Tayonna nodded and followed behind him as Vlad walked back towards the house and opened the doors for her to enter first. He gestured for her to take a seat at the small dining table as he went about preparing them both a cup. As the water boiled Vlad checked over his shoulder a few times to make sure Tayonna was still where he left her. A nagging feeling kept him doing so until the tea was ready and he could finally bring everything to the table. Setting up the tea set and giving Tayonna her cup and platter, Vlad sat across from her and poured both of their drinks.

“Thank you.” Tayonna watched him pour the tea and Vlad gave her a gentle smile in return. They sat together in silence sipping their tea keeping an eye on each other. So much for wanting to put space between them. Vlad snickered at how it was he who broke his own rule. He practically ran to find her like a dog to a bone. But now that they were in the same space it didn’t feel as awkward. Sure Tayonna still glazed upon him every so often like a lost child, but Vlad no longer had a strong desire to touch her. Which means he could now continue his investigation about who she was and her relationship with Vladan. Surely a simple question wouldn’t get her railed up like before.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Vlad waited for her to look up and to have her full attention before continuing. “Did you and Vladan have a good relationship?” Vlad could easily put together all the dreams he had to know they did. But he wanted to hear it from her, see if her side of things were the same or different than what he knew. Tayonna’s shoulders dropped and she looked down onto the table with a lost but relaxed expression.

“We were in love,” Tayonna said so dryly then took a sip of her tea then pushed away from the table to pull one of her legs onto the chair to lean against. Vlad wouldn’t ask any more about the relationship if she didn’t want to speak about it. So he hummed and sipped away at his drink. “You look so much like him,” Tayonna mumbled, not really hoping for Vlad to hear. But with ghost senses like his, he heard her loud and clear. Vlad put down his cup and sat up straight, he moose back his hair though it had no fly aways and he smiled.

“Well I assure you once more, I’m not him, no matter how much we may look alike. This is a new era of people with new and approved mindsets. All I ask of you to do is look upon me as my own person. I know it must be hard but try. If we are going to work together then it’s for the best.” Vlad was calm when he said it, he meant every word and hoped she would listen with open ears. Tayonna seemed to perk up and looked him up and down.

“You handle yourself differently from him, Vladan hated being proper and well put together. He was such a slouch.” Tayonna cracked a small smile and whisked her finger in the air to make her tea move in circles.

“Was not!” Vlad snapped then quickly covered his mouth. Tayonna looked at him with wide eyes then her face softened before shaking her head and looking away. “Pardon me,” Vlad cleared his throat again and blushed. The sudden outburst was not something he would normally catch himself doing....anymore.

“I’ve told you, Vladimir, you are nothing but a pawn now.” Tayonna sighed and lowered her head as she continued to magically stir her tea. Vlad grumbled ‘I’m not a pawn’ to himself and silently enjoyed the rest of his. Vlad looked off towards the garden and watched the flowers. They truly were beautiful.

It was finally Saturday, the week had felt like a whole month, but it was Saturday and Vlad couldn’t wait for the day to be over. Saturdays were special days, Vlad gave the whole office a half day so he could mossy over to the local country club for a round of golf. Then afterwards he and Dani would spend the rest of the day doing whatever she wanted. Which wasn’t much for the freshly 15 year old, she mostly wanted to spend time with her friends now that she was experiencing the thrills of being a teenager. Which was fine with Vlad but ever so often he craved the father-daughter bonding hours. Which reminded him, he needed to call her and make sure she was okay. After the whole thing on Tuesday he needed to make sure that those effects Tayonna had on her weren’t permanent. Vlad quickly reached for his personal phone and flipped through the contacts before landing on Dani’s number. He pressed dail and held the phone up to his ear.

“Hello?” Dani answered the phone in a whisper, Vlad brows knitted together and he looked over towards his desk clock. Why would she be whispering at 12 in the afternoon on a Saturday?

“I hope whatever you are doing is either legal or won't be getting you into trouble with the authorities.” Vlad tsked and he could hear the sigh in Dani's voice when she pulled away from the phone.

“It’s legal in the Ghost Zone,” Dani responded. Vlad could easily tell that whatever Dani was hiding from she really didn’t want them to find her. Vlad sighed and hit a button on his computer that blanked out the whole screen then pulled up a tracker on Dani within the Ghost Zone. Vlad hadn’t told her about it but Danny knew, the young Phantom thought Vlad was being overprotective but Vlad swore that he would only use it in emergencies. That was also the reason he placed one on Danny as well. Because wherever one went the other was sure to follow. Vlad saw that Dani was in fact following Danny somewhere north of the zone.

“Why are you following Daniel?”

“Wait how-oh never mind! I’m not sure I actually wanna know.” Vlad smirked as he gave himself a point for being ahead of the game.

“A father has his ways, now tell me young lady why are you following him.” Vlad knew Dani could hear the smile across his lips and he could only imagine her making the infamous pouty face she was known for.

“I just wanted to go out with him but Danny was doing that weird big brother ‘no stay home’ and I wanted to know what he was up to.” Vlad knew Dani got more of her nosy behaviour from him rather than Danny. That’s what happens when you raise clones. And that was enough for him to also become curious as to what Danny was up to.

“So where is he going?” Vlad leaned more into his computer and pulled up the exact location of where the two phantoms were. Since the map wasn’t complete it was hard to actually pinpoint what islands of certain ghosts were where. But still with how many years Vlad had spent bonding with those in the zone he had a somewhat clear understanding when he looked at the charting numbers.

“I think he’s going to Clockwork, I heard him mumbling about wanting to ask questions earlier.” Dani's voice became clear which meant she was moving from her hiding spot.

“Danielle, you realize he wouldn’t have to travel through the Ghost Zone to get to Clockwork. He has the medallion that could easily open a patrol for him.” Vlad could hear Dani stop moving and grumble to herself.

“Then I have no idea where he's going. Shit!”

“Language young lady.” Vlad couldn’t help but laugh at his daughter’s failed attempt at following her counterpart. Just then Vlad saw that Danny’s signal went out then popped back up now behind Dani. “I believe you should turn around.”

“Why-”

“Ha, I knew you were following me!” Vlad could now hear Danny loud and clear through the phone. Ah yes the good old dupe trick, never gets old.

“I just wanted to know!” Dani groaned.

“Is that Vlad on the phone? Cough it up, short stack.”

“Stop calling me that!” The phone shuffled through hands before Danny mumbled something to Dani about going home with the teenager replied with a strong ‘no’.

“Hey fruitloop, sending Dani after me again?” Danny laughed and Vlad took the jab light heartily.

“Nonsense, she has a will of her own and became curious of where you were going. I actually called to speak to her but she was very busy keeping an amazingly low profile.” Vlad could hear Dani asking what he was saying but Danny kept replying with ‘nothing’ and ‘go home’. Vlad wouldn’t mind listening to the children bicker back and forth, making him feel just as much as a father as he liked to be. But he had pressing matters that needed to be sorted out. “Well Daniel as much as I would love to listen to you go, I would rather like to speak to Danielle, please.”

“Yeah, Imma hand her the phone but you gotta convince her to go home. Deal?”

“You have my word,” Vlad gave a scout's honour to himself and laughed. Danny handed the phone back to Dani who was not out of breath from trying to fight off the older phantom to get her phone back.

“Yeah?”

“I wish to ask you if you are alright since the time you left the house.” Vlad didn’t want to sound worried but he knew he did. Dani could tell and she didn’t speak for a moment.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Dani didn’t sound sure of herself and Vlad could only blame himself.

“Danielle, dear, I’m sorry you had to be put in that situation trying to help us. This is exactly what Daniel and I were trying to warn you about.” Vlad felt his heartache and he loosened his tie from around his neck. “Those memories…I…

” Vlad halted in his words, he didn’t want to bring it up either, those times were dark for the both of them, but he had to know. “You aren’t-”

“Dad,” Vlad felt the strength behind Dani's words as she stopped him before he could speak. “Dad, I’m okay, that was the past and we’re beyond that and we’re good, okay? Her weird mind powers were just hella strong for no reason.” Vlad could care less to warn her about her language. He only cared that she was alright mentally and physically.

Vlad nodded and sighed happily, “We are good, I was just worried about you, was all.”

“Oh god, come on, fruitloop, I can handle one mental breakdown and besides I wrapped her up with the gun. All under control.” Dani laughed.

“Don’t you dare start picking up any more of his bad habits. That forsaken nickname will be the death of me.” Vlad rolled his eyes and closed out the secret features on his laptop to pull back up his normal business work. “But I also wanted to know if you will be returning home before school is out or do you wish to stay with the Fentons’?” Vlad heard the laughter die down and he grew worried again.

“I-is it safe?” Dani whispered again, most likely turning away from Danny so he couldn’t hear her.

“Very much so, Tayonna is now being cooperative and has promised to do no harm. If you choose to come home, I will promise you no harm will ever come your way again, as long as I stand.” Vlad felt the protectiveness side of himself swell to its highest. He meant what he said. Even if Tayonna was willing to be on her best behaviour, one slip up between her and Dani and Vlad was ready to destroy her till there was nothing left. Even if it pained him in the end.

“I’ll think about it, that lady gives me the creeps.”

“Very well, just tell me when you are coming.”

“Thanks, dad.”

“Always.”

“Love you, bye!” Danny quickly hung up the phone before Vlad could register what she said. When the words finally formed themselves, Vlad pulled the phone away from his face with the biggest smile. Dani didn’t say if often, remotely never at all, but when she did he knew she meant it. Vlad had still yet to say it back despite how much Dani filled the empty hole in his heart. He didn’t feel the need to say it, which maybe was a problem, Danny says, all kids should be told they are loved. But Vlad was just never good with words. It was a lot easier to throw money at things and hope that they understood why you did it. Vlad would spoil Dani rotten if she’d only ask, but he was also grateful she had Danny’s small bit of humble nature. That’s why Vlad secretly placed money randomly throughout her room to make it seem like she forgot she had put it there. Vlad loved it when he saw her face light up and she called her friends to go hang out at the arcade. This had surely put Vlad in a good mood, he could only hope his golf match was just as great.

Vlad had luck by his side or was it so the high he still had from being told he was loved by Dani, either, his golf session was amazing and he even signed a new deal with an associate that happened to be on the course with him. Vlad felt the shine of the sun hit his face as he drove his golf cart back to the lot and it felt mighty fine, the summer was rolling in nicely. Though his core did make it a bit difficult to enjoy the really hot weather. Even when it was 90 degrees outside it felt like a nice sunny 70, people would be sweating to death and Vlad sat comfortably in his suit. When he parked the cattie he waved goodbye to the staff and gathered his things to head home. As he settled into his car his phone began to ring.

“Masters.” Vlad happily answered and he heard the ‘tsk’ of his lovely assistant on the other side.

“Good game?” Kate knew of Vlad’s Saturday golf sessions since she was the one that scheduled them for him.

“Simply splendid.” Vlad hummed back and started the car for his 30-minute drive.

“Well that's great but I have news for you. No luck at the other library nor any of the small business records I managed to get ahold of from companies that also happen to have partnerships with you currently that were established in the mid 18th century that happened to date back to the 17th century.” Kate sighed then moaned and Vlad made a bewildered look towards his car’s display screen.

“Miss Way if you are calling during rather private interactions, I think it's best if you would’ve-”

“I’m at the spa, Sir. I would much rather go out with your wacky affiliates than call you while getting my back blown out.” Kate groaned and then hissed in pain.

“Very well.” Vlad cringed at her explanation, rolling his eyes, he couldn’t be upset that she was doing something for her own pleasure when she did inform him she would.

“I leave for Pennsylvania tomorrow so I’ll keep you updated. Also, Jackson says hi.” Vlad could hear a faint nervous ‘Hi Sir’ come from the distance behind Kate and Vlad slapped his face. That’s where Jackson went?! “Before you get uppity about him leaving, it was a last minute thing and I paid for his flight.”

“Well it’s great I didn’t feel the need to call for him or I would have been utterly confused to be informed my driver was on vacation. A vacation he failed to inform his boss about.” Vlad sneered and Kate let out a small chuckle.

“Don’t worry you’re a big boy you can drive. Bye Sir.” Kate hung up the phone and Vlad shook his head but didn’t allow that one little hiccup to throw off his mood. Today was a good day, he thinks, and hopefully, when he got home it would end on a good note. When Vlad arrived home and pulled into his driveway he noticed Mrs Welmsworth standing outside across the street with her annoying little dog, Pepper, in her hands.

“Hello, Mrs Welmsworth, lovely day isn’t it?” Vlad didn’t particularly enjoy his neighbours, not because they were around but more so they didn’t know how to treat their former mayor with a bit more respect. Even in a quiet gated community people felt the need to be inside of someone else's home. Mrs Welmsworth was the worst offender. With only standing 5’foot nothing and 78 years old, she was the definition of old Hollywood that didn’t know who current celebrities were. She always wore her finest designer loungewear and kept her face painted with outdated beauty. She had long white hair and slanted hooded brown eyes that only showed young but matured mischief. She wasn’t ugly, even with her large nose and long face, Vlad knew that in her prime she must have been a catch with dark ebony hair and eyes, but she was indeed a very insufferable woman. Imagine her surprise when she thought the new guy moving him was just as old as her by the colour of his hair, only to find out he was only (mentally) 44. Vlad was grateful she didn’t like them young.

“Afternoon Masters,” Vlad felt his skin crawl at the way she seductively held out the letters in his name. Hopefully, she wasn’t changing her mind and trying her luck. “I see you’ve done some garden work and I couldn’t help but admire it. Considering just yesterday they weren’t in full bloom. Tell me your secrets.” The old woman chuckled and petted her dog as she eyed Vlad up and down.

‘My secret is a ghost that’s currently in my house’ Vlad thought and swallowed his annoyance to put on a gentle smile. “I have no secret other than money can make things very beautiful in a short time.” Vlad walked towards his trunk and pulled out his golf bag.

“Surely there must be something, I saw a young woman lurking around yesterday, is that your new gardener?” Vlad stiffened and quickly tried to think if anyone might have seen Tayonna when she wasn’t human. He should have been more careful. He knew he couldn’t turn around and lie or else the old woman would stick her long nose even farther into his property. So Vlad turned and nodded as politely as he could.

“Ah yes she is, a new hire I thought would help me maintain the glamour of nature. My mother would roll in her grave if I didn’t.” Vlad did take pride in his garden so it wasn’t a complete lie his mother could haunt him for killing flowers. God, he hoped not. One restless ghost in his house was enough. Vlad could see that Mrs Welmsworth was about to cross the street until he saw her stop in her tracks and go wide eyed. The woman began to seem confused as her mouth opened and closed repeatedly and she stumbled back a bit. Vlad’s brows knotted until he heard the sound of his front door open all the way. Vlad turned around and saw Tayonna, luckily as a human, staring deep into the old woman. Vlad hissed and quickly walked up the pathway and the stairs shooing Tayonna back into the house. “Good day, Mrs Welmsworth!” Vlad waved and slammed the door shut. Tayonna looked up at him with a stoic face while he was more than visibly distressed.

“Why in the world would you do that?” Vlad’s voice was a harsh whisper and Tayonna rolled her eyes.

“I could feel that you were uncomfortable and then you started to panic.” Tayonna crossed her arms and began walking away. Vlad’s distress lowered and he cocked a brow towards her remark. She could feel his emotions? Did that have something to do with his core? Vlad facepalmed and grumbled a butter biscuit, of course, it did, Vlad had spent years learning about this ghostly half and yet he threw it out the window of logic. Tayonna was linked to his core which meant she could sense him and...he could sense her. Vlad had ignored it this whole time, the over sense of emotions were mostly hers even when she wore a blank face. Of course. Of course.

“I appreciate your help, but do not ever do that again. I don’t need any more trouble from the humans than I already get.” Vlad pushed off the door and kicked off his shoes before hanging up his visor. He was curious though, “What did you make her see?” He called out to Tayonna who only huffed which led him to the kitchen. He waltzed in and saw her sitting on top of his breakfast counter with flowers scattered around her, she was weaving the flowers together. Oh, how Vlad wanted to yell at her to get off and sit decently and clean up her mess.

“Her husband cheated on her with her brother and she caught them but never said anything. He doesn’t know that she knows he prefers to lay with men and has never actually loved her. She loves him and tries to win him back but it never works.” Tayonna said dryly and continued weaving the flower stems through each other to create bases. Vlad was impressed and hummed in a pleased manner. He never knew that about his neighbour and now he couldn’t help but want to know more. Oh no, he was becoming the thing he hated. “She killed him ten years ago, he’s buried in the basement under the new flooring.” Vlad’s face quickly dropped and he stared at Tayonna bewildered. She said it so calmly, casually as if it was another Saturday conversation.

“Well, um, that’s none of my business, I should stay out of it.” That would explain why sometimes Vlad could see a shadow of a man standing in Mrs Welmsworth’s bedroom window some nights. Mrs Welmsworth always said her husband was a very busy movie man who was always away on trips filming his new movies, not dead. Vlad felt a shiver run down his back, he has been living next to a murder sight for the past 3 years. Vlad took that as his cue to probably leave Tayonna alone and busy himself with something else. In a couple of hours, Saturday's big game would be on and he much rather think about the Packers winning than the fact he could see Mr Welmsworth and never knew.

#📖Ghost Stories👻#vlad masters #Danny Phantom #dp fanfic #Secrets of The Lake #My writing #self shipping community #self ship

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just-another-ficwriter · 4 years

Text

Stay

Pairing: Sweet Pea x Reader

Words: 2000ish

Warnings: Mentions of a panic attack and claustrophobia, angst

Summary: 2 hours and 54 minutes. That’s how long Sweet Pea and Y/N are stuck in an elevator reliving their past, 6 years after they last saw each other.

Notes: Another squared filled on my @riverdalebingo card using the prompt ‘The Prembrooke’.

It’s the sound of her heels clicking along the marble floors that first grabs his attention. He turns his head briefly away from Smithers to see black thigh high boots and a tartan skirt that screams Veronica so he looks away again.

But then he remembers the old man behind the desk had told him that Ronnie was already upstairs in her apartment and his head whips around again so fast it makes him dizzy.

It can’t be.

But there’s something familar about her walk, the way she carries herself and he finds himself following her through the unusually crowded lobby.

She ducks into the elevator as people start to pile out and it takes everything in him not to push them out of his way just to get a better look at her face.

He doesn’t think about it as he squeezes his body through the closing gap of the doors just before they shut, leaving them both trapped inside alone.

His eyes meet her widening ones, and as they move upwards he starts to feel his heart sink.

There’s no deny it’s Y/N now.

1 minute

He feels the awkward tension grow between them until it starts to suffocate him.

He tries his best not to look at her while she pretends he’s not even there but every passing second feels like a life time and he can’t bare it anymore.

“Y/N...” She flinches as her name falls from his lips and she tries not to crumble at the sound.

“Hello Nate.” It’s his turn to recoil now, the use of his first name really showing how things have changed between them. There’s something cold in her tone and he hates it.

“I didn’t know you were in town.” He notices the way her hands clutch tightly around her bag strap, her knuckles turning pale and he suppresses the urge to make her release them.

“I was passing by, thought I’d visit V.” She still can’t look at him, her lips pressing into a small thin line in between every sentence. “You’re the last person I expected to see.”

“You and me both.” He’s murmuring now, all confidence lost. He’s not sure why he even followed her in the first place it was always bound to end this way.

A few more seconds of tense silence passes by and just when he thinks their about to reach Veronica’s floor and finally escape, the lift holts to a stop and sends them stumbling into each other.

“What the hell was that?” He catches her arm to stop her hitting the back wall, and she wonders if he can feel her pulse through her clothes as her heart rate accelerates.

He senses her panic, still knowing her far too well, and tries everything he can think of.

He presses every floor, but they don’t move.

He holds the emergency button, but there’s no one on the other end.

He tries to pry the doors open, but they don’t budge an inch.

He turns back to her, her eyes are still wide and he knows what he’s about to say next won’t offer her any relief. “I think we’re stuck.”

10 minutes

He’s given up.

But she hasn’t.

She’s pacing back and fore, her cell phone held high in the air. He’s watching her squint at it, thumb jabbing at the screen like it’ll make a difference. But they both know it won’t.

She’s frustrated. Frustrated that the lifts stopped working, frustrated that she’s stuck in here with him of all people.

Frustrated that she can’t get any damn phone signal.

“This can’t be happening!” She slips her phone back into her bag so she can throw her fists at the door in desperation.

Sweet Pea just sits there watching her, searching for the right thing to say. He’s thought about this moment before but he never imagined it happening like this.

36 Minutes

She’s hyperventilating.

They’ve spent the last 20 minutes in silence as far away from each other as possible but now he’s at her side.

She can feel the tension grow throughout her body until her chest is too tight, and her breathing becomes so shallow she starts to gasp for air.

Her eyes are wild as he places his hands either side of her face, forcing her to look straight at him. Theres something calming about his warm touch and reassuring gaze.

“Breathe okay?” He’s breathing loudly now too, remembering from when they’ve done this before. In and out, pushing her to follow his lead as she nods against his palms. “Just breathe.”

Her chest raises up and down harshly with each sharp breath, her hands now wrapped around his wrists, anchoring her to stability as her heart rate finally slows.

She’s always hated small spaces.

1 Hour and 13 Minutes

The whole situation is funny in an ironic kind of way, or that’s what he tries to convince himself.

They haven’t talked in over half an hour and with each passing second he grows more irritated.

His nostrils flare every time she sighs too loudly, he hates the way she constantly locks and unlocks her phone and now she’s tapping her long nails against the floor in an irregular rhythm, the sound driving him crazy.

She hasn’t even said thank you properly.

“Could you just stop that?” His voice is harsher than he intended it to be and it makes her head snap to him.

“Sorry.” She rolls her eyes at him like he’s just an inconvenience leaving a bad taste in her mouth and it pushes him over the edge.

“This is just typical you isn’t it?” There’s a lava bubbling in the pit of his stomach, burning its way through his body until he can’t take it anymore.

“Excuse me?” She looks at him likes he’s offended her, her mouth slightly agape. It makes him feel guilty but not enough to make him stop.

“Why are you the one mad at me?” It’s like they’re 19 again and everything he felt back then is rushing back to him. He wants to hurt her the way he was hurt but at the same time he wants to pull her into him and smell the shampoo on her hair. He hates her and he doesn’t. “If I remember correctly you’re the one who walked out.”

She wants to hit him. She wants to scream out. But she just sits there, body tense and back straight. She’s a flurry of pent up anger and rage but there’s a wounded look in her eyes that he’s all too familiar with. “Because you told me to!”

“But you didn’t fight!” There’s a guilt that washes over him because there’s a truth to her words. He pushed and pushed until she couldn’t take anymore and chose to leave. He’d told himself it was for the best, but that hadn’t made it sting any less. “I knew what you wanted in life, that being with me would hold you back and well... look at you now.”

She pauses briefly, pondering over her next words but the sentence is far from what he expected. “I never thought you were holding me back.”

“Do you really think you would have graduated from Harvard, started your own successful business and got a fancy apartment in LA if you were still running around with a small town gang member?” Her eyebrows shoot up to her hairline, she’s a little impressed, a little terrified. He realises what he said and his feels his face flush. “I might have stalked your social media once or twice.”

“You know...” For one brief second she shows the underlying vulnerability she so desperately tries to hide, even though it’s always there. Her voice cracks just a little but it’s enough to make him feel even worse about himself. “If you asked me to stay I would have.”

He looks at her properly for the first time during their argument with the saddest smile on his lips and she feels her heart break. “That’s why I never asked.”

1 Hour and 47 Minutes

They’re sitting closer now.

He doesn’t know how it happened, did she move or did he?

Either way he doesn’t care. He likes her being beside him.

And as she rummages away in her bag, his eyes drift down to the girl that once meant everything to him and his lips turn up into a natural smile.

She’s different but she’s the same. There’s more of a confidence to her, her y/h/c seems lighter, but she still smells of vanilla.

She senses him watching, feels his eyes on her and she wants to be annoyed but her cheeks just burn a shade of pink she hopes he won’t notice. She grins at him to throw him off, and the sight takes his breathe away.

They lock eyes in a way that just feels natural as she holds a bar a chocolate between them. They laugh as she offers him some, the sound filling the small room.

Who’s he trying to kid, she still means everything to him.

There’s no point trying to convince himself otherwise.

2 Hours and 26 Minutes

“I never asked what you were doing here?” She turns to look up at him, their faces so close it makes his thoughts a little fuzzy. He suddenly finds himself wondering how her lips taste and he has to blink the idea away.

“We’re stuck in here remember? I can’t leave.” She rolls her eyes again, fondly this time as she laughs at his stupid joke, bumping his shoulder with hers.

“I mean the Pembrooke.” She’s relaxed sitting next to him, picking at her hem of her skirt. They’re now surprising comfy in each other’s company, all bitterness fading away.

“When Veronica took over the building she knew I was struggling for business.” Sweet Pea’s quiet again for a moment, a little embarrassed by his admittance. “She offered me a contract to fix all the maintenance issues, present and future.”

“You still have the business?” He cocks an eyebrow at her surprise and she groans loudly in protest. “I didn’t mean it like that’s I just... I’m proud of you Sweets.”

The way she says his nickname hurts just as much as seeing her, but he wants to hear it again.

2 Hours and 54 Minutes

They're finally out, and where he's glad not to be stuck anymore he's feels a little lost with out her.

They thank the fire department for helping them after Veronica tackles them both and makes some jokes about being surprised they're both alive. They say their awkward goodbyes, and something within him comes alive.

He doesn't want her to disappear around the corner and have her retreating frame the last thing he remembers. He doesn't want her to go back to another face on his Instagram feed.

“Y/N wait up!” He's running towards her before he gets a chance to change his mind, grateful that Veronica excuses herself and leaves them to it.

“Sweets...” She sighs his name half heartedly, biting her lower lip.

“Stay.” He doesn’t care that it’s six years too late. He doesn’t care that she’s looking at him like he’s crazy, maybe he is. All he cares about is telling her how he feels and hoping she feels the same. “Here, with me.”

“I can’t just drop everything-“ She releases a small huff of exasperation but he can see the admiration in her eyes. All he can hear is that she didn't say no.

“That’s not what I’m asking, we’ll figure the rest out but just for tonight-” He takes her hands in his in once last desperate plea. "Stay?"

She doesn't give him an answer, just crashes her lips to his.

Riverdale Winter Bingo Masterlist

Forever Taglist: @p-marie-sp

Sweet Pea Taglist: @80sand90simagine @wildberryyyy @hopelesslylosttheway

#riverdale #riverdale fanfiction #riverdale imagine #riverdale bingo #riverdale winter bingo #riverdale one shot #riverdale au #riverdale sweet pea #sweet pea #sweet pea fanfiction #sweet pea imagine #sweet pea x reader #sweet pea one shot #sweet pea au

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adarlingwrites · 3 years

Text

Absolution

Summary:

noun: formal release from guilt, obligation, or punishment

The Capital Wasteland lauded the Lone Wanderer as a hero, a Messiah, a savior who’s willing to give her life for the Good Fight. Beyond the legends, the propaganda, and the mythification that surrounded her legacy, there is only one person who knew her bare soul. She gave him his absolution, and now he will fight for hers.

Author’s notes: Finally, after months, I finally got to updating the fic! Schedule will be still irregular, but if things go according to plan the next chapter might come at around April 7. Thank you for staying tuned, please enjoy the chapter!

XXIX

January 14, 2278.

The green glow of Percy’s Pip-Boy illuminates the dark corridors of the Vault. I squinted, vaguely reading the time as two in the afternoon. She stands closer next to me. My partner does that whenever we explore vaults, and I can’t blame her.

Even I get creeped out by these damn things.

I didn’t know which was worse; the ones filled with insane clones who screamed “Gary”, or the one that filled my lungs with some kind of drug that made me and Percy trip out of our minds and almost hurt each other.

I don’t even wanna remember either. I must shift my focus on helping Percy find the GECK.

The ventilation is dead, and so is the thermostat, with the vault being in a state of decay for fuck knows how long. Some of these underground bunkers were built when I still had skin. Percy was extra cautious, and she was right to be. We faced several super mutants; Percy took care of them from a distance, while I offered additional firepower, ensuring none of those big green muties came within ten feet of her.

Reloading my shotgun, I hid behind a fallen desk as Percy fired another round from her Gauss rifle, nicking one mutant coming from my blind spot. The corner of my mouth tugs upward when I remember the first time we faced super mutants together, in the DC ruins.

I look at her now, and how she’d grown as a fighter.

Once all the muties in the area are dead, Percy sneaks over to a terminal, the glow of the monitor washing her helmet with a sickly green hue. My partner retracts her helmet, and begins typing away.

Shotgun still warm on my peeling hands, I’m alert to my surroundings as usual, though I can’t help but glance at her baffled expression, her frown frown deepening the more she reads the text on the screen.

“Shit. This isn’t science, this is sick! Charon, oh my god,” she whispers, eyes fixed on the terminal. “Some twisted scientist experimented on the vault residents to make the mutants. Vault 87 is where all the muties are coming from. They kidnap wastelanders and take them here and infect them with the FEV strain that doctor concocted.”

Expression grim, I turn to Percy. “Are you hinting that we blow this place up too, like Paradise?”

Sighing, Percy shuts the terminal off. “It’s too dangerous due to all the radiation in the area, and we don’t have the means to do it now. Maybe we can inform the Brotherhood.”

Knowing those tin cans, I roll my eyes at her. “If they decide to do something about it. They can’t even send their own men to fetch the damn GECK and they sent you.”

“My opinion of them is slowly getting worse as the days pass, that’s for sure,” Percy quips, powering down the terminal. “Fuckers have the most advanced weaponry in all of the Capital Wasteland next to the Enclave and they’re hiring a teenager and her ghoul partner as errand runners.”

At Percy’s remark, I chuckle.

“You mean the Wasteland Avenger and the Ghoul Reaper.”

“I thought you hated those nicknames,” she chuckles, the helmet of her suit protracting to cover her face once again.

“I still do, and Three Dog has no fucking problem using them, and us, to promote the Brotherhood. But those assholes don’t even respect you.”

Percy pauses, then her helmeted face turns to me. “Do you think he’s a little bit biased towards the Brotherhood?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, for starters, he preaches about how ghouls are people too, and he’s absolutely right about that, but he says nothing about the Brotherhood's bigotry against ghouls. Worse, a ghoul had been directly and indirectly helping them, and he’s still quiet.”

I rubbed my chin at her observation. “Huh. I’ve never thought of it- Percy, your six!”

She turns around, and sees the centaur approaching us, those god-awful tentacles writhing as it advanced. A few things unsettle me, seeing how I have to deal with my ugly mug whenever I look in the mirror, but those things? It makes the hairs on what little skin I have left stand.

It took two rounds to take it down, its head splitting like a rotten fruit the second time Percy shoots it. Disgusting.

Percy seems to be thinking of the same thing, recoiling and shivering. “Thanks.”

I grunt in response. “Let’s get a move on. I don’t wanna spend another minute in this damn place,” I muttered, and my partner nods.

We advance, taking care of any mutants we bump into along the way. Percy sweeps every area we go into for supplies, and terminals she can tinker with. I have a feeling that her accessing the files in this vault isn’t born out of her natural curiosity now. She’s seeking something.

A truth of some sorts.

On one particular terminal she accessed, she recoiled in horror, stumbling into me. I steady her, my large hands cupping her shoulders as she takes a sharp inhale.

“That bad?”

“Yeah,” she gasps. “Look.”

Barely making out the words, I lean over to read the text with difficulty. Thankfully, Percy spells it out for me. “These are death codes. They represent what the vault residents succumbed to. See that?”

She points at a string of text on the screen. “UD000.”

“Unexplained deaths. If I had to guess, they came up with this to cover up the fact that these people actually died due to the experiments their bastard scientists did to them. Now look at this,” Percy continues, typing away and accessing a list of the deceased. Eighty goddamn seven of those were unexplained.

A twisted feeling crawls up my spine, reminding me of the government program I was forced into.

??? ??, 2074.

Lined up, waiting for what’s about to come next, I stood beside Mag. My lanky limbs were tense, and the skin of my neck felt sickeningly tender, the collar around it making it bulge. From the corner of my eye, I look at my fellow trainees, all six of them.

Out of the hundreds of people they brought in, only the seven of us survived.

Sergeant Williams steps in the room, and all of us move in unison to salute, starched black uniforms barely creasing as we raised our arm for the gesture.

“Listen up, maggots! Out of the four hundred seventy three recruits we had for rehabilitation, only the seven of you didn’t wash out, drop dead, or ate a gun. Consider this the greatest honor, for you are now considered rehabilitated from commie propaganda,” he barks, barely concealing his Texan drawl, spittle flying everywhere.

“Consider this the greatest honor, for you are now ready to dedicate your worthless goddamn lives to the USA! You are to follow every damn command issued to you by whoever holds your contracts! You were trained for this singular purpose, are we clear?”

Our voices filled the room as we shouted “Yes sir!” in unison.

That was the day I was given my name.

The sergeant christened me as Charon, burning away whatever was left of Artyom Volkov, or so he thought.

Out of the hundreds of souls that got wasted from the Enclave’s bullshit, I somehow managed to survive, and I still intend to continue surviving. I have my partner Percy, that jackass DeLoria, and the dog now.

I pull myself back to the present as my partner shuts down the terminal, turning to the medical safe and taking whatever supplies we can get.

“C’mon. I don’t wanna linger here any more,” she whispers, a small tremble in her voice.

Following her to a corridor, the red lights glower over us almost ominously as we pass by several holding cells. The goosebumps on whatever’s left of my skin intensify. It was cold, desolate.

Until some crazy fuck lunged at us from behind a reinforced glass window and scared the living daylights out of Percy, who screams in surprise and bumps into me. Out of instinct, I catch her, and use my body to shield her.

The man continued to bang on the window as we both recovered from the damn surprise, a frown on my face as I took a closer look. The poor guy’s been driven mad from being held there. I doubt we can save him.

Of course, what happened made us look inside the rest of the holding cells.

I regret doing so immediately.

Centaurs, blobs of vaguely fucking human abominations and other unsightly shit occupied the holding cells. Percy is visibly disturbed, gagging, her helmet retracting just in case she vomits from the sights.

“Jesus fucking Christ,” she curses, sweat dripping from her brow despite the cold. “We should put them out of their misery.”

“Do you really want to deal with them right now?” I ask her as her eyes watered from the scene. “Let’s just come back for them once we retrieve the GECK,” I continue, gently placing my hand on her upper back.

Percy nods, and wordlessly forges on.

As we rounded a corner, we heard a brash voice ringing through an intercom.

“It can’t be!”

Both of us turn towards the sound. Slowly, cautiously, we creeped at the source, and we saw the unthinkable.

A super mutant is locked behind a holding cell. He’s standing next to the window, looking at my partner and I in surprise. Then, he continued talking. Not the broken speech you’d expect from a mutie, but full, actual sentences.

“Either you are quite real, or I’m going quite mad. Could you actually be a pure human?” the super mutant asks, gawking at Percy. Just to be safe, I remain at her side, still gauging if he can be trusted. “And this… is he another of the experiments, like me?” he continues, addressing my presence.

“Yes, I’m human. He is a ghoul. He’s like that because of the radiation and not an experiment, I’m afraid,” Percy replies, stepping closer to the glass to stare at him back, craning her neck to get a better view of him. What’s left of his jumpsuit are in tatters, and he loomed over the window, as big as the uglies who were dumber than him, if not even bigger. Even I had to crane my own neck upwards. This guy dwarfed me.

Damn, is this what Percy feels like when she’s with me?

“But what are you?” Percy asks.

“Me? You care who I am?” he asks, and I can almost hear Percy’s heart break at the question. He seemed like an outcast, locked away like this. I get the feeling he’s exactly on good terms with the mutants that roam the vault.

“I’m not used to pleasantries, forgive me. I’m more used to being struck around by the others,” he responds, pressing a meaty hand against the glass. Just as I thought. Guy’s an outcast.

“My name is Fawkes. I’ve lived in this cage… all my life.”

I looked at Percy and expected the sympathetic expression on her face. One look at that face and I already damn know she’s thinking of how to help him out.

“I’m Percy Zhou,” my partner introduces herself. “This is Charon.”

“A friendly mutie. Now I’ve seen everything,” I comment, and I hear Fawkes groan.

“Must you use that vulgar term?” he laments, face twisting in disdain, or disappointment, or an approximation of either seeing how the movements of his face muscles are limited. “Indeed I was born in the F.E.V. Chambers, but super mutant I am not. I prefer the term Meta Human. Suits me better, don’t you think?”

I was taken aback. I mean, damn, this guy sounds smarter than DeLoria. Hell, he sounds smarter than me. And that’s what makes him dangerous; if the dumb ones are a menace, imagine the damage a smart one can do.

“Percy, I think we should go. He might be dangerous,” I mumble, and Fawkes moves even closer to us, a shift in his tone.

“No, please! I haven’t had a single civil conversation all my life! Don’t go,” he begs, and though his voice is grating and booming like the rest of the super mutants, you can almost hear pain behind it.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Percy reassures him, pressing a small hand against the dirty window as a gesture of camaraderie. Then, she whips her head towards me, and whispers. “Charon, he’s lonely. Don’t you think he deserves even just a polite conversation?”

Grumbling, I fold my arms and nod. Percy smiles softly, and turns to Fawkes again. “Is your name really Fawkes? Like Guy Fawkes, the man who was involved in a plot to end his people’s persecution by assassinating a king?”

Fawkes seems delighted that Percy knew that tidbit of information. “Ah! You know your history as well! Yes, the name comes from a man who was willing to fight and die for what he believed in. I found it fitting, given my current circumstances. I’ve taken it from a historical entry in the computer,” he replies, gesturing to the terminal in his cell.

As they continued their conversation, I scanned for any threats that might befall us. What’s left of my ears picked up something from their chat, and my head whips towards Percy.

“I’ll get you out,” she said.

I frowned and folded my arms. “Percy, what the hell are you doing?”

“Charon, Fawkes said that the chamber holding the GECK is highly irradiated, and he can get it for us. Don’t you think it’s a good trade? He can have his freedom, and we can get what we came here for.”

“And I’m immune to radiation too. I’ll take the GECK,” I tell her, straightening my back subconsciously out of bravado. “We don’t know if he can be trusted. For all we know, the moment he gets out of his cell, he’ll attack us!”

“You’re not an errand boy, you’re my partner. That’s perfectly reasonable, but we’ve handled mutants before, Charon. If he gives any indication that he’s going to betray us, you’re free to empty your clip on him.”

This is starting to turn into an argument. I massaged my temples, frowning. “I’m not going to take that risk. I need to protect you.”

“What if he’s actually decent, and we just leave him here to rot and be tormented by the other mutants? You have your freedom now, Charon. Don’t you think he deserves his too?” Percy almost shouts, voice raised, and on her tiptoes.

Her words made me pause. Percy just had to go there, didn’t she? And it was effective too. I look at the big, green super mutant, or Meta Human, whatever he wanted to call himself, and a pang of guilt tugs at my gut.

Grumbling, I relent and nod.

This woman’s heart might be the death of her one day. Setting Fawkes free better be worth it.

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bitchfitch · 3 years

Text

Copper artfight resource

big soft boy. if a cup of spicy hot chocolate was a massive apex predator/ obligate carnivore.

mikely stabbed him the first time they met and he fell in love Instantly.

an excerpt:

He ducked through the door and the dying man greeted him with age hazed eyes and a broad grin.

The rich man chuckled, "Not many people have hair that color, even fewer are as tall as you. I may not be able to see much, but I can still see that,"

"I suppose you're right," Copper huffs with a hand going to his dark red mess of a mane "Still, you must remember the terms of our deal and what my presence means for you now?"

"I do," he nods, "I'm going to die tonight, going to see Min again,"

"Min?"

That quill- You, gave me the happiest life I could have imagined. I'm glad to pay my end of the deal now, because it means I get to see her again,"

"It's a rare treat to find someone with no regrets, thank you for your story," Copper smiles softly, genuine and warm,

"Oh, I've got regrets," the rich man say "Many, but I don't care to dwell on them, not now… or… Well, one, there's one,"

"Hmm?"

"Min and I, we had a fight right before… She was so mad at me last time I saw her. Do you think she still is?"

"I don't know, but you will have plenty of time to make it up to her soon,"

"Yeah, yeah that's true… It's close now is it?"

"Moments if I had to guess," Copper shrugs, "The clot in your lung is migrating and will soon block off blood flow to the area completely. After that happens you won't be able to get enough air and will… fall asleep, then you will suffocate over a few minutes. It won't be the most pleasant of deaths, but it won't hurt badly," he simplified things greatly, not caring for the slight inaccuracies so long as they helped keep the rich man calm and peaceful in these final moments.

"Any final requests?" Copper cocks his head,

"I think… yeah, I think I want to be alone for this. Thank you,"

Distantly, he felt the rich man die, quietly and peacefully.

He picked at the stones and shells scattered on one of the shelves, his dulled claws scraping against the rough surface. He should probably go find someone to deal with the body…

The hunter advanced, cautious and silent, his blade, slicked with Copper's own viscous black blood, raised as he followed the retreating god.

The hunter advanced, already readying another swing.

---

A day passed, and Copper's wound still ached every time he bent wrong, sending a pang through his chest as his heart picked up at the memory that accompanied it. Truly, he could only go a few moments without thinking of the death dealing adonis that had, very litteraly, struck him to his very heart. He needed to find the man again, to see if a second meeting would make his blood race the way the first had.

Perhaps he would even find out why he'd been attacked, but if Copper was being honest with himself, he didn't care to know. The Hunter was a mystery, and like many mysteries, he was one that could be enjoyed as is, and did not need unraveling quite yet. Still, Copper couldn't wait around for fate to bless him with a second chance meeting. He needed to find The Hunter on his own, and that meant doing a little investigating.

The moment Copper had had time to rest he laid in his bed and let his consciousness drift to the aspect that could interact with the grand tapestry. The Hunter had not hesitated for even a moment, had not flinched at spilling blood, and so there was no denying that he was experienced. That, perhaps, killing was something that either came easy to him or that he was very well practiced in the art of it.

The hunter was young, maybe mid twenties to early thirties, which narrowed his search, and the location narrowed it further. That valley was a hard month long trek through ice capped mountains from the next nearest settlement. The Hunter probably lived and prowled within its confines.

Copper focused on the last ten years worth of threads from that area that ended in white knots, the tragic, violent deaths. This would be where he found what he would need.

Going by date he gently tugged the ends through the weave so that he could examine them closer. He was careful to not pull anything more than an hours worth at a time, dreading upsetting the careful balance of the fabric and the places of the souls that he examined within it. It took a few tries, a few years worth of deaths until he found the first one that he could catch a glimpse of The Hunter from.

And oh how Copper dreaded what he saw. Five years before he'd met the man, an older boy, maybe sixteen with sharp, fearful and wild, onyx eyes and short, jagged ink black hair cried with blood stained hands, one still holding a blade, the same one Copper would become familiar with, it was still slick with the red of human blood as the boy stumbled back against the wall as the man he'd just killed gasped his last breath.

Copper found the conversation he'd had with that spirit, a man who'd heard screaming from within a home. He'd gone to help only to be found by the Chief's boy before he could find the source of the screams. Copper had reassured him, had praised him for his bravery, had not paid enough attention. He'd guided the kind man to his afterlife while the chief's boy who would become The Hunter silently wept beside the man's body, struggling against the tears as someone called out for him.

Tucking the tread back into place with one hand and pulling another free with the other. He grimaced when he realized it was merely a visitor's thread. Someone from Copper's own home universe who'd come into this one for one reason or another only to find their end here.

The visitor's soul had not been theirs to keep stored away amongst those of their creations and so had already been returned home. Where it would have dissipated into the background energy to eventually become the fuel for something new. No life was stored in this thread, it was merely a place holder.

Copper found more threads like that in his search, nearly twenty pale threads all from the last few years lined side by side. Tragic human deaths surrounding them but none of those human deaths involved The Hunter. That was odd, very few places in his tapestry looked so strange and knotted, and most patches that did were of wars and disasters not… whatever this was.

If he had been tangible in that moment he would've been nipping at his claws as he tried to piece together what something so strange could mean. But no answers came to him.

He found the next, and most recent, human victim of The Hunter, a man now, still too young, but undeniably a man by Copper's math, cold and stoney eyed, tangled bleached hair and a badly bruised and swelling jaw. Copper would have been surprised if The Hunter didn't have a few cracked or missing teeth from the injury, the mandible itself might be broken, a serious wound that needs setting and cleaning imeaditly. Copper's mind supplied him with the diagnosis without him meaning to think of it, so focused was he on that wrecked face and the lack of answers it presented that his mind tried to give him what few answers it could, even if those answers were worthless.

The woman The Hunter had killed had sat silent and glaring at The Hunter who silently watched her die, his blade dripping with her blood. She'd not spoken a word to Copper. Fuming as she stormed through the gate without any guidance from him.

He wished he had insisted on actually speaking to her, on finding the answers. The iron eyed Hunter was a far cry from that sobbing boy, and yet they shared a thread.

More visitors, more tragedy, and no more answers came from the grand tapestry.

He needed to return to that valley, surely if tragedy struck this often they'd welcome a healer? Even if they didn't, the Oracle made her home at the very center, and while Copper tried to avoid his sister's emissaries, The Oracle would be able to tell him what he needed if all else failed. Besides, her daughter was such a cute little thing, it would be a joy to hold a chubby baby again. Would the daughter still be a baby? maybe she was toddling about already, having her first little prophecies as she explored the world she would be entrusted to protect.

Oh Copper couldn't wait to visit.

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xhanisai · 5 years

Text

Phantom Pain

Read on AO3 and FFN

A/N: *Dumps remaining coursework and essay crap to one side* So! Chat! Fucking! Blanc! EH? I think it's my favourite episode of miraculous of all time lel~ An idea popped up in my head and I won't be able to sleep till I've got it out of my system. It's been a long time since I've written some decent angst despite it being my favourite genre. Enjoy the drabble and my ten minute doodle along with it~~~

(WARNING: Mentions of child abuse is in this fic)

Inspired by this MV "Phantom Pain" (collaboration of Rahwia and Luz of their Royal Scandal collection) It's wonderful~!

~(x)~

"Tch!"

Again.

The familiar yet foreign stab of pain resonated through the teen's body as he recoiled slightly and clutched his chest. This time, Adrien felt like he was smacked by something hard and heavy.

A cane perhaps...?

He inhaled sharply once more and then allowed himself to relax. The boy didn't dare to meet his kwami's pitiful gaze- he's had enough of everyone treating him like some wounded lamb.

"It's been weeks now kid..." Plagg murmured out with anguish, ears and tail drooping and his favourite pungent snack left uneaten. The God of destruction plopped himself on top of Adrien's shoulder, hoping he can comfort the boy. "You need to tell Ladybug-"

"No." Plagg felt his fur stand up to the ends at the hero's uncharacteristic harsh tone. Adrien realised it too, lowering his head down apologetically and used a finger to stroke his kwami's head. "No Plagg, not now."

"You've been saying that for a long time! You can't hide it forever. If you're not gonna see a doctor then at least see the Lady!" Plagg was met with another sigh whilst Adrien flopped back down on his bed. He pulled a pillow against his face, fingers close to digging holes into the few comforts he has in life.

"My Lady was literally thrown into Guardianship with little warning and zero training even though she's so exhausted from her civilian duties. I don't know how much you can see or hear whilst I'm transformed but one good glance at her and you can tell that she's about to burst. I'm supposed to help her out, not add to her burdens..."

"You'll only start burdening her once your pains elongate, especially during akuma attacks. Stupid!" Plagg scoffed, kicking one of Adrien's blonde locks that stuck out of his gelled hairstyle. His scowl only deepened when the model chuckled at his antics. "This isn't funny kid! Watch, when you start bending over in pain and crying and crawling on the floor, I will rub it into your face of how I told you so! Stupid kitten!" The God kicked the hair strands a few more times till Adrien rolled over and merrily flicked him away.

"That's not going to happen Plagg." A reassuring smile was set on Adrien's face. "These pains itself are kinda...I'm not sure how to word it...abstract?"

"What is that supposed to mean, Blondie?"

"It's like they're there but not there at the same time, do you understand? It's like taking a shot to the arm and getting that sting for a split second...only to feel nothing afterwards- excluding that horrible ache you get from injections. That's about it..."

"Hmmmm...interesting..."

"Do you have an idea of what it is?"

"The only thing I know is that human biology is weird and sucky."

"Wo-ooow. You're so helpful." Adrien commented dryly.

"I know~ I should absolutely win the most helpful being on Earth award!" Whether Plagg was being serious or not, Adrien couldn't tell. With another painful sigh, the boy forced himself to sleep.

He couldn't sleep that night.

Neither could Plagg.

~(x)~

Until the God commented on it, Adrien wasn't aware that he was unconsciously avoiding his father. The boy hadn't realised when he have made a habit of eating his meals in his room or when he stopped asking about his paternal figure in general. To no one's surprise, neither Nathalie nor Gabriel attempted to approach him about his new behaviour patterns.

"Huh...I didn't notice," Was all that Adrien muttered out before he shrugged and munched on his toast. Plagg narrowed his eyes at this and decided to pursue a new mission.

Keep his eyes open.

Even if this costs him his own sleep and relaxation.

Just as the teen was about to leave the bitter mansion for school, an authoritative voice from the top of the stairs halted him. Whether that was from habit, surprise or even fear, neither Plagg nor Adrien were able to pinpoint it.

"Yes Father?" As soon as the boy made eye contact with the man, excruciating pain bled through his body. Adrien's acting skills however are said to be immaculate so the only thing Gabriel caught was an eye twitch from his son.

"Nathalie has fallen sick again so I'm here to inform you that you have a photoshoot starting at twelve sharp till the rest of the afternoon. Make sure you're on time, or else." The pain only worsened when Gabriel's tone turned grave.

"U-Understood, Sir." It took everything for Adrien to let his voice out coherently rather than the anxious, scratchy feeling that built up instead. He couldn't bare to stand for another second so with a quick nod, the boy exited the building.

A walk turned out to be a speed walk.

A speed walk quickly changed to a jog.

A jog suddenly burst into a full blown sprint.

Adrien didn't stop until he was safe and secure inside the car with Gorilla. He gasped for a breath and clenched a fist against his chest till the pain and apprehension died down. Plagg's soothing purrs sent warmth through his body and Gorilla's presence was like a soothing balm to the mind.

"I haven't been this scared since..." Adrien immediately bit his tongue to say no more. He refused to let that memory resurface to his messed up mind. It took him months to stop flinching at his father's presence ever since that day and he would gladly chop off his arm than go through that again.

Finally, they've arrived at school, a good thirty minutes early. Just as Adrien was about to step out, Gorilla caught his attention with a soft grunt. Curious, Adrien paused with wonder.

The bodyguard moved his hands and arms into various gestures, his beady eyes softened with worry and kindness.

'I'm here for you, it will be okay. I will protect you.'

Adrien felt himself getting choked up from the exhilaration that spread through his body from head to toe. Blinking back his tears, he signed back a 'Thank you,' with a megawatt smile.

He's not alone.

~(x)~

She looked so much more tired today.

Not as in sleepy or anything like that- just exhausted and full of melancholy.

Her wonderful smiles were always something that Adrien looked forward to along with her energetic antics. Now? He hasn't seen that smile in weeks (he declines the outrageous idea of her fake smiles as an actual smile).

What happened to his Princess? She could give his Lady a run for her money right about now.

Adrien felt a heavy ache agonising his chest and his eyes pricking again. Only this time, it felt like his heart was mourning. Or that he was longing for something. He has long since gave up on identifying his emotions when it comes to the budding designer. Before, Adrien vowed that if anyone dared to hurt Marinette or make her cry, he wouldn't spare them.

Now, he's willing to destroy the world for her.

It scared him beyond conception but at the same time, he's accepted it as naturally as breathing. He didn't dare to tell Plagg this. Nor Ladybug.

"You alright there, Marinette?" Adrien placed a tentative hand on her forearm, face etched with worry. Marinette lifted her head off her hand, blinking slowly at the boy. Her desk was scattered with so much work, ranging from school work to commissions to student council work and- is that Mandarin?

"Hey you," For the first time in a long while, Marinette smiled. It was soft, slightly pained and her eyes twinkled ever so lightly. Yet, it was like a goldmine to Adrien. He let his lips mirror hers. "I'm fine, don't worry about me Adrien," Her voice was quiet and slow as she placed a hand over his.

"Telling me not to worry about you is like telling the weather to stop raining in England," He earned a delightful giggle from Marinette and he felt his body alleviate from the pain earlier on. Sometimes, he could swear that Marinette's smile is the cure to everything.

"I can assure you that there are better things to worry about. Like the Chemistry test we have this afternoon,"

"Eugh. For once I'm thankful for the shoot at twelve." He dramatically draped himself on the desk, the back of his hand against his forehead as he pretended to die. He caught laughter from not only Marinette but a few other students in class. "Also, sorry to burst your bubble but I can assure YOU that you're the only thing worth worrying about,"

He got a small gasp from her.

Marinette's cheeks pinkened beautifully and her lips were shaped in a perfect 'o'. She was about to gleefully retort back but suddenly, she seemed to have closed back in and her eyes turned downcast again.

A restraint.

But why?

Adrien didn't get the chance to ask; the bluetooth on her ear buzzed, alerting Marinette of some prior engagement and she was quick to excuse herself. The teen didn't want to let her go so easily.

Marinette felt her hand getting tugged backwards by a larger pair. Like a deer in headlights, she glanced at Adrien with despair. He only stared back with plea, tightening their interlocked fingers.

'Stay. Please.'

'I can't...'

Reluctantly, Adrien let her go. He memorised every movement and feeling as her fingers slipped away, taking away all the comfort and warmth with her without a word. The misery and irritating pain sounded their presence in his heart once more for a millisecond before droning away into a numbing buzz.

Is this...

Heartbreak?

"Hey dude," Nino's voice brought Adrien back to reality. "I know you're worried, we all are. But we have to give 'Nette some space. She's going through some personal shit right now."

"She is? I wasn't aware..." He clutched his shirt and twisted the fabric against his chest, staring at the door forlornly as if Marinette's going to magically appear.

"None of us were till I finally cracked her down after pestering for so long," Alya mused sadly. "She mentioned that she's really messed things up so badly that she has no choice but to fix it alone. Oh and she's taken on Chinese too which is like another clusterfuck."

"I saw some of the papers on her desk..." Adrien added.

"She literally lives in the library now with all this work she's doing. When was the last time she ate Alya?" Nino's innocent question set Cesaire off as she stormed out of the room.

"MARINETTE! YOU BETTER HAVE EATEN BREAKFAST TODAY OR ELSE I'LL SHOVE A MILLION CROISSANTS DOWN YOUR THROAT!"

Adrien bit his lip and shook his head, knuckles whitening as they gripped the desk with displeasure.

"Whoever turned Marinette into this must be the lowest of the low..." The model let out a violent curse afterwards, ignoring Nino's astonished look. It's rare for Adrien to swear but from what Nino has observed, whenever the boy does so, it's because he's absolutely pissed.

"Marinette must really care for them, whoever it is she claims she's hurt." Nino murmured. The pain in Adrien's chest only intensified after hearing this.

"If making her into a passive, depressive robot is what it takes to satisfy them, then they clearly need a wake up call,"

"...or maybe she isn't aware that she doesn't need to push everyone away and take on all of these responsibilities to redeem herself. Marinette is a perfectionist so whenever she falls, she falls hard."

"I-I never really thought of it like that..."

"You gotta come up with conclusions of both sides of the argument before jumping into the fray. Not everyone likes to dig their teeth in like an overprotective angry boyfriend." Nino cackled at Adrien's flushed complexion, digging his elbow into the model's torso fondly.

"Hey! I'm not her boyfriend!"

~(x)~

Ladybug and Chat Noir stood tall at the top of the Eiffel Tower, peering down at the citizens downbelow at the stroke of midnight. The lights of the tower gave the duo a superhuman glow, making them seem impenetrable and omnipotent.

The wall between them however made them so much more vulnerable and human than a Parisian could possibly fathom. The heroine was oddly knackered, silent and stoic whilst the hero was peculiarly submissive, tight lipped and detached. Their internal thoughts brought out their intimidating fronts, possibly fooling a foreigner that Ladybug and Chat Noir are mere strangers.

"So, when were you going to tell me?"

Chat Noir felt another strike of pain hit him but this time, in the head. His iron will and pride was what stopped him from staggering on the spot. His eyes did widen in surprise but knowing his partner, she caught that in her peripheral vision.

"Tell you what?"

"Don't act dumb, Chat Noir. Plagg snuck in this evening and told me everything." He would have melted at Ladybug's gentle tone had he not been busy muttering about how he's going to replace Plagg's camembert with the cheapest cheese in France. "Why didn't you tell me?" Ladybug's voice wavered with hurt and Noir was hit with deja vu.

"They're not serious bug, just...odd sensations that come and go."

"He claimed that you collapsed onto the floor once because you were in so much pain!" The boy winced at this, recalling the horrendous memory that surfaced. His mind wandered to his father's actions a few years back and suddenly, the belt wounds on his back felt raw again.

"But you've already got so much on your plate already..." He found his face cradled by her hands and her bluebell eyes turned icy. Chat couldn't help but shudder, shattering his aloof composure.

"Listen to me, those things are nothing compared to you. You will always take priority, do you understand? If you're hungry, we drop everything and get you food. If you're tired, my arms are open for you to sleep in. If you're in pain..." Tears were now pouring out of her eyes as she sniffed. "Then you should let me heal your wounds...and I can't do that if you don't tell me what's wrong, Chaton."

The sight of Ladybug's composure crumbling before him suddenly flashed to Marinette's despondent expression, causing a piercing pain to shoot through his head like a bullet to the brain. Chat didn't stop himself this time as he toppled into his Lady's arms, digging his claws through his hair with one hand and grasping Ladybug's waist like a lifeline with the other.

"If worrying about me is what makes you cry like this, then I'd rather die."

Chat pulled away from the embrace and clenched his teeth. Ladybug only paled, shaking her head. She didn't dare to let him go, gloved fingers digging into his shoulders.

"W-Why would you say something like that?" Ladybug sputtered before masking her raw feelings with anger. "Don't you DARE say something like that again! Do you understand!? There will be no dying or talk of death!" She banged a fist against his chest for good measures. Hard enough to send a message, gentle enough to afflict zero pain.

"I can't help what I feel," Chat Noir settled a hand on her cheek, thumb massaging the area below her eye. His face mellowed to the most tender expression Ladybug has ever seen. "You were already acting weird and skittish around me that evening when you placed your head on my shoulder," He let his hand trail to the back of her head. "And then when Fu gave up his memories and left you with everything, I always saw you with puffy eyes, tense muscles, no more of that beautiful smile..." He kissed her forehead so lightly, it was like a butterfly tickled her skin with its delicate wings. "It's like you've given up on happiness and I hate it. And if I'm just going cause more sadness then-"

"Stop. You're one of the few people out there in my entire life that keeps me going. You're one helps me keep fighting," Ladybug looked away again and then faced him with newly found determination. "But that's not what matters right now. What matters is this bizarre pain you're going through. Please, tell me everything."

Ladybug is a stubborn girl. This doesn't mean it's impossible to crack her down. However, Chat decided that it'll be easier to tackle on her overworking habit after they got his mundane problems out of the way.

He told her everything. Starting from waking up in the middle of the night, clutching his chest, the feeling of heartbreak whenever he sees his close friend, the deja vu and finally, his avoidance of his father.

"You...you fear your father?" Ladybug looked confused for a second as Chat looked sheepish. Abruptly, her face darkened with indignation, causing his heart to start throbbing. "Chat Noir...has your father ever hit you?"

The wind breezed past them in a howl.

Time seems to have stood still.

Chat felt the blood rushing through his ears like a hurricane and his body shook. Hugging himself, the boy quickly denied, shaking his head and stammering.

His teary eyes said otherwise.

~(x)~

Adrien collapsed back on his bed, the energy seeped out of his pores yet his eyes remained wide open. He played the memories of earlier on through his head.

Of how Ladybug refused to let him go.

Of how she cursed their secret identities.

Of how she threatened to mutilate his father for DARING to lay a hand on him despite it being a few years ago.

Or...

Has he recently done so but Adrien somehow wiped it away from his memories?

He didn't know anymore.

The model rubbed his chest, thankful that he's been relatively pain free after his meeting with Ladybug. Was opening up the cure to it? Did Ladybug put some sort of healing spell on him? Maybe talking about feelings isn't so bad after all. Yet, Adrien worried his lips with guilt- how is his Lady meant to cope now that she knows what a shitty Father he has?

Plagg has been strangely quiet, now that Adrien has realised. He prodded the Kwami a few times with his fingers, trying to get a reaction from him. He even waved a slice of camembert but that got nothing!

"Plagg...please talk to me..." As if the heavens have finally answered his prayers, Adrien grinned goofily when Plagg finally faced him. The God gave a little purr when his charge stroked his head.

"Get some sleep kid, I wanna see you, Glasses one and Glasses two bully Princess into eating breakfast tomorrow. M'kay?" Adrien felt his heart warm at the thought of the noir haired girl.

"First of all, stop calling Nino and Alya 'Glasses'. Second, 'Princess' is my nickname for Marinette, get your own." With that said and done, the teen was swept away into a blissful sleep for the first time in forever.

No more pain.

No more sadness.

Plagg's gentle smile was then eclipsed with the most demonic, dangerous expression a being could possibly have. His lime green eyes turned acidic and feral. His aura switched to one of bloodlust.

There are many things and secrets that kwamis keep away from their holders or be vague about.

For example, when the holders are transformed, the kwamis can see everything through their eyes and hear everything through their ears. It's like watching the world in someone else's body.

Consequently, it wasn't only Ladybug who found out that Adrien used to get hurt.

That's also not it, not even the slightest.

It took perhaps a week or longer for Tikki and Plagg to regain their memories from Oblivio. An adorable secret that they'd happily share with Adrien and Marinette once it's safe for them to share their identities.

It was only after Ladybug asked that question today when they regained their memories...

From the erased timeline.

Plagg phased through Gabriel's door robotically, his aura growing larger and larger and so much more dangerous.

This is the man who hurt Adrien...

This is the man who forced Marinette to leave Adrien or else he'd take away his freedom...

This is the man who did this just to create akuma fodder...

This is the man who broke Adrien's mind with his mother's corpse in the basement...

This is the man who BEAT the ever loving SHIT out of his own son...

This is the man who MANIPULATED Adrien and kept on BREAKING him...

This is the man who CAUSED his kitten's and Ladybug's world its DEMISE.

And ALL of this is just for a SELFISH wish which can only be granted at the price of ADRIEN'S LIFE.

Much to Plagg's chagrin, Gabriel was wide awake, ready to step inside a strange circle with Nooroo hovering miserably by his side. The dark God knocked over something to grab the man's attention.

Gabriel Agreste turned around with anger at being disturbed and caught (probably was expecting Adrien and more than ready to lash out at the poor boy) only to gawk like a dead fish. Plagg paid no mind at the villain's rambles, piecing together that his suspicions were true of Adrien being Chat Noir. As expected, Gabriel had a psychotic grin plastered on his face, ready to steal Adrien's ring.

"Nooroo," Plagg finally spoke. "Take the brooch and hide in my kitten's bag. You'll meet up with our lovely Guardian tomorrow." Tears of joy escaped the lilac kwami's eyes, nodding and easily phased through his ex-master's chest to grab the brooch, making way to the door.

"What!? Nooroo what are you doing! Obey your master now this instant!" Gabriel's thunderous roar was left unheard and soon, it was just him and Plagg. "What the hell did you do to my servant you despicable rodent!?"

"That's the God of Destruction to you, scum." The aura around Plagg suddenly took shape, distorting into the most monstrous being one could ever imagine.

"And I will show you what we do to those who misuse the power of the Miraculous and mistreats their offsprings..."

~(x)~

Marinette and Adrien burst out laughing as they witnessed Nino get whammed by a hoard of snowballs from not only Alya but the rest of the girls as well. Something to do with revenge of his earlier comment about how the latest Marvel film sucked. The duo sipped on some of the delicious Dupain Cheng hot chocolate, savouring every drop.

"How are you not freezing your butt off?" Marinette whined, blowing some air into her hands with a shudder. "I can't feel my fingers..." This caused the boy to blurt out into snickers again.

"Not all of us are cold blooded like you, Mari." The girl in question simply stuck her tongue out at him. "Wow, very mature." He poked her cheek with his ungloved hand, earning a squeal in protest.

"Don't touch me! You're so cold what the hell!?"

"But the best way to warm up is to cuddle! Come one~"

"Noooooooo-"

Marinette didn't make it two steps as she found herself enveloped in a pair of arms and her untimely clumsiness caused them both to trip and fall into a blanket of snow. The two glanced at each other for a moment before dissolving into giggles.

"Ah~ it's been a while since I've laughed like that." Marinette quipped. Adrien helped lift her to her feet, brushing off any snow on her body like a gentleman. "I missed it, letting loose like that."

Adrien smiled warmly in return when she fixed his scarf. "I missed it too, your laugh," Marinette's eyes widened with awe, that beautiful shade of pink sprinkled on her cheeks before she ducked down shyly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Deja vu swept over them both as they made eye contact again.

Adrien tucked a strand behind her other ear before trailing his hand down her arm and reaching her hand. He gave it an encouraging squeeze so that she can let her fingers curl with his. Their eyes darted between each others lips to their eyes, a silent question left in the air.

The model didn't get a chance to lean in as soon as he felt a large hand place itself on his shoulder. He turned around only to see a grave looking Damocles.

~(x)~

Dead.

His father is dead.

Police has swarmed the mansion, searching for clues and leads in how the man managed to die.

The details weren't pretty.

Apparently when Nathalie went to Gabriel's room with his schedule in hand, she found a grotesque looking corpse staring back at her on his chair. The room was filled with black soot, vines and extraterrestrial things. Things beyond human understanding. Adrien had an idea of who exactly did it.

He surprisingly didn't care. In fact, it's like a weight has been lifted off his chest and he can finally breathe.

"Monsieur Agreste? I know it's a lot to take in but do you need a minute to clear your head? Anything?" Sabrina's father asked considerately, a fatherly tone used in order to coax him.

Adrien didn't say anything for a while, touching his shoulder with one hand and staring off into space.

Plagg's purrs in his pocket gave him a sense of reality and finally,

The dams broke.

"He can't hurt me anymore...I'm free..."

~(x)~

A/N: Tfw you say you're gonna do a drabble but sit down four hours straight instead and go crazy hurr durr...

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