#I couldn't resist one last cliffhanger

[fandom-imagines-stories]

This is Just the Beginning

Raylan Givens x Reader

Words: 2907

Summary: The reader’s husband finds out she’s been investigating a series of disappearances without telling him after she comes home with a dislocated shoulder and a concussion. 

Notes: I don’t really know where I was going with this one, but you know what, it was fun to write. I couldn't resist writing a good 'who hurt you' story with Raylan. I also might write more to this story, hence the cliffhanger, but I thought that starting off in the middle of the drama would be fun to experiment with. I love me a good in medias res. This man has taken full control of my brain, so be ready for possible other Timothy Olyphant appearances on this blog. 

Other Crime Drama imagines: HERE

-

You took a deep breath, braced yourself, and jerked your arm. Biting your lip, your muffled cry of pain still filled the bedroom as you popped your shoulder back into place. Your vision blurred even more, adding to your already dizzy state. You stumbled your way to the bathroom where the mirror revealed more carnage. 

A large gash on your forehead explained the pounding in your head and a massive mark on your left cheek showed the beginnings of a nasty bruise. As for the rest of you, it felt like you’d been trampled by all of the horses in the Kentucky Derby. 

All to get you to stop looking. To scare you into submission. To forget about all of those girls. 

Instead, it just pissed you off. 

But that would have to wait. For now, you were just grateful your husband would be out of town until tomorrow. It at least gave you some time to figure out how to hide your injuries so he didn’t have a goddamn heart attack. The last thing you needed was to have to explain what you’d been doing that led to you getting jumped in the parking lot of your work. 

What Raylan didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

Hoping to distract yourself from all the throbbing and aches throughout your body, you pulled out your computer to get some work done, maybe figure out who it was that attacked you. There were moments, between the swings and the yelling, that you thought you got a good enough look at the bastard. Skinny, white, teeth that hadn’t seen a brush in years, and you were pretty sure he had a tattoo on his hand. You should know from how many times it smacked you around. 

You flexed your jaw, wincing. “Son of a bitch,” you muttered, pulling up your search engine and typing in the Chamberlain Family Movers website. The cover image depicted all of the members of their little clan of criminals. You narrowed your eyes and leaned over your screen to get a better look. 

The front door opened. 

You slammed your laptop shut. 

“Shit,” you said. “Shit shit shit shit shit.” You scrambled to your dresser for your concealer. “Raylan, honey, is that you?”

“Yeah, it’s me,” he called back, sounding tired. “Got the job done early so they sent me home.”

“That right?” In your hurry, your hand swept the tube of makeup you needed and you watched in panic as it rolled behind the dresser. “Goddamnit.” 

“Guess that means we can break open that wine you wanted to, huh?” 

“Yeah, that sounds nice!” 

There had to be something. You had to find something. You tried reaching behind the dresser, but it just made the screaming pain in your shoulder shoot up again and you had to cover your mouth with your hand to keep from making any sound. 

Heavy footsteps echoed up the stairs. 

You kept your back to the door and your arm behind the dresser. 

Raylan opened the door. 

“Whatcha doing?” He asked, clicking the door shut behind him. 

“Looking for my makeup,” you said, your bruised cheek pressed against the wooden surface. 

“In the dark?” He turned on the light. “Do you want some help?”

“No, no, I almost got it.” You stretched your fingers, accidentally bumping it further away. “Shit.” 

“Are you sure?” He chuckled. “Not that I’m complaining about the view here, sweetheart, but that cannot be comfortable.” 

“Almost…” You caught the tube of concealer between your middle finger and pointer. “There.” You stood up straight, careful to not be facing him. “Now I’m gonna go put it on. I want to look pretty if we’re having a date night.” You hurried to close the bathroom door, putting an inch and three-eighths between you and his gaze.

“Hold up,” he said before you could close it. “Everything alright?” 

“Yeah.” You kept your face turned away. “I just want to put on some makeup.” 

You almost had it. Just a few more inches…

Raylan put a foot in the door. “Why won’t you look at me?” He put a hand on your cheek.

“Raylan, wait,” you said. 

He turned your head to face him and, immediately his face changed. His mouth fell open and his hand fell to his side, but it was his eyes that got you. Oh, his eyes. They filled with worry, but with that, there was a fire. A fire that burned all the way through you. 

“What happened?” 

You held up a hand, motioning for him to calm down before that flame in his eyes turned into a wildfire. 

“Raylan,” you said calmly, sweetly. 

“Don’t Raylan me,” he snapped back. “What the hell happened?” He didn’t let you finish. “Somebody mug you? What have I told you, Y/N, you don’t fight ‘em, you give-”

“I know you are not blaming me right now when I’m standing in front of you with a bruise the size of Tennessee on my face,” you scoffed, crossing your arms as best you could. “God, Raylan, you always have to say ‘I told you so.’” Despite the bite in your words, you couldn’t stop the crack in your voice. 

His eyes softened. He brought his hand back to your face, gently grazing your cheek. 

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” he sighed. “I’m sorry.”  

Raylan pulled you into his arms, holding you tightly. But when his embrace hit your shoulder, you cried out against his chest. He pushed back in a panic, eyeing you for the injury. 

“It’s, dis-” you took a sharp breath. “Dislocated. I popped it back just before you got here.” 

“You relocated your own shoulder? Why the hell would you do that?”

“I figured if I went to a hospital, you’d find out about it, or hell, maybe someone would think you did it.” You blinked back tears, looking up at the ceiling. 

Raylan saw marks on your neck. Like someone had put a boot there. 

The fire in his eyes returned. 

“Come here.” He led you to the bed, careful not to hurt your shoulder again. “Now, sweetheart, I need you to tell me what happened.” 

You swallowed. “You’re not gonna like it.” 

“I don’t like coming home to you beat to hell either,” he said. “So you’d better just tell me and I can figure this out.”

“You won’t be doing anything.” 

He tilted his head in warning. “Y/N, honey, just tell me who roughed you up. I’m not going to run off and shoot ‘em if that’s what you're worried about.”

That was exactly what you were worried about. 

That, and dragging him into the mess you’d found yourself in was the last thing you wanted. 

Lie. 

“A guy jumped me when I got to my car after work,” you said. If you kept things vague enough, maybe he wouldn't keep asking. Who were you kidding? You married a Marshal. So you added one more thing to throw him off the scent. “Took my purse.” 

Raylan’s eyes narrowed in confusion, darting between you and something behind you. 

“The mugger took your purse?” 

“Uhuh,” you lied. “And I did exactly what you told me to. I cooperated. I didn’t mouth off. And he still beat the shit out of me. Some people I guess.” 

Raylan leaned forward and pointed. “That purse?” 

You turned. Sure enough, that damn bag hung on the back of your chair. 

Shit. 

“N-no, my other purse.”

“You don’t have another purse, honey,” he sighed. “Unless you have another husband that bought you a different one.” Raylan moved so he was crouched in front of you, taking your hands in his. “Just tell me the truth, baby.” 

You closed your eyes, took a deep breath, and blurted it out. 

“I’ve been looking into some disappearances. I think it might trace back to a crime group outside of Lexington, but I wasn’t sure and I went down there to look around and someone must have seen me-”

Raylan held up a hand. 

“You started investigating organized crime and you didn’t think to tell me?” 

He spoke slowly and quietly. You would have preferred he yelled. 

“I was only looking into it because a friend of mine’s daughter was taken. I wasn’t sure it would lead back to anything big.”

His expression stayed the same. Eerily calm. “You started investigating organized crime and you didn’t think to tell me?” He repeated. 

“They’re taking girls, Raylan,” you exclaimed. “I had to do something.”

He stood up. 

You followed, moving to the chair to grab your purse. 

Raylan spoke from behind you. “Where are you going?”

“I’m not going to sit here and be lectured by you,” you said. “I need to go check on Beth, anyway. If they found me, they might have found her too.” 

“If you are going anywhere, it’s to a goddamn hospital.” There was the yelling you were looking for. “Do you have any idea what kind of shit you are in?” 

“No, Raylan, I really hadn’t thought about the possibility that the Chamberlains might have a problem with me looking into their human trafficking!” You clamped your mouth shut. Shit. You shouldn’t have said that. 

“You went after the Chamberlains alone?” 

“I think we’ve established the alone part, honey. You’ve made it very clear.” 

“Goddamnit, Y/N, this isn’t a joke!” He whirled you around to face him. “I’ve dealt with these people before. And this,” he motioned to your multiple injuries. “This is just the beginning.” He took your face in his hands, thumb running over the mark on your cheek. “It’s just the beginning.” 

Looking into your husband’s dark, worried eyes, you almost broke. 

How hard would it be for them to find him? To make him bleed, to break him. And it would be your fault. 

You had to catch them first. 

“Alright, I won’t go to Beth’s tonight,” you sighed. “But I’m not going to a hospital either.” You stopped him before he could argue. “It’ll draw too much attention.”

“Sweetheart, your head is bleeding, you probably have a concussion, and you relocated your own goddamn shoulder,” he said. 

“Well, it’s a good thing I have you here to keep an eye on me then, hm?” You put on your sweetest smile and pressed your lips against his to keep him from fighting about it. 

When he pulled away, there was a small smile, albeit a reluctant one, on his face. “I’ll go get something to clean that then,” he said, pointing to the gash on your head.

“I’ll surrender to that.” 

He kissed your forehead as he went. 

You waited until you heard his footsteps on the stairs to reopen your computer, peering at the picture until your head hurt. 

There, in the very center, was the sonofabitch who attacked you. 

-

You would have crossed your arms in frustration if your shoulder still didn’t hurt so damn bad. If he was going to treat you like a kid, you were very tempted to start acting like one. 

He led you into the office, pointed at you, then pointed at the chair across from his. 

“You. Sit.” 

“Yes. Sir.” You pronounced with the same agitated tone he presented. Despite your defiant eye, you did as he said and sat down, catching a glimpse of your reflection in the glass of a photograph. An ugly bruise sure enough covered the lower left half of your face and the cut Raylan cleaned the night before. 

“I’ll be right back,” he said. “You think about anything and everything you can tell me about what you found out. And I mean all of it, Y/N.” The sternness and frustration in his voice hid something else that only someone who knew him like you did could see. 

He was scared shitless. 

Art was already out of his office, watching the encounter between the two of you curiously. 

“Raylan, I didn’t know it was bring-your-wife-to-work-day,” he snarked. When you turned your head, revealing your injuries, his teasing smirk fell. “Good Lord, what happened?”

“I gotta talk to you,” Raylan sighed. “Now.” 

Art nodded and led him into his office, closing the door behind them. 

“Hi, Mrs. Givens,” Rachel greeted with a small smile and a questioning gaze. 

“Oh, it’s just Y/N today,” you said. “My husband’s a touch mad at me, so I think it’s best to leave his name out of it.” You watched her eyes widen. “Oh God, no this wasn’t him.” You laughed humorlessly. “This is my own mess, as I’m sure he’d love to point out.” 

“Looks like quite the mess,” she noted, motioning to your cheek. 

“Yeah well, even Marshalls can’t stop the world from happening, right? Despite what Raylan would like me to believe.”

She chuckled, shaking her head. “Good luck convincing him of that. Sometimes I think he must believe he’s Superman with the shit he gets himself into.” 

“Tell me about it.” 

The two of you laughed. You tried to get a look into Art’s office, but the blinds were drawn shut. You didn’t like being talked about behind closed doors. It made you feel like a kid waiting for your parents outside of the principal's office. And you didn’t even work here. 

Your leg bounced with a mix of impatience and anxiety. You were so high-strung that you nearly jumped out of the chair when your phone rang, your knee hitting the edge of Raylan’s desk. Everyone in the office looked up at you. You pretended like nothing happened as a string of whispered curses left your mouth. When you looked at the number, you sighed. It was just Beth.

“Hey, I can’t really talk right now, but I might have found something.” 

“Do anything to alert the pretty little Marshal next to you and we’ll shoot Mrs. McCaughly,” a voice you didn’t recognize said. 

You froze. 

They continued. “Go outside. There’s a car waiting to pick you up. We just want to talk.” 

“Hold on, I think you’re breaking up. Let me see if I can get a better signal.” You kept your tone as level as possible. Luckily, everyone in the office had returned to their mountains of work, including Rachel. 

“We appreciate your corroboration, Mrs. Givens,” the voice said slyly. “We’d rather not have to bring your husband into this. That wouldn’t end well for anyone.” 

You turned your head.

Raylan was still in Art’s office. 

“We promise to return you to him in one piece,” the man cleared his throat, “so long as you cooperate, of course.” 

“Let me just step outside. I’ll hear you better there.”

You stood up and walked out without causing any alarm. 

“Jesus, Raylan, what the hell was she thinking?” Art sighed, running a hand down his face. 

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Raylan’s leg bounced, fists clenching and unclenching around the arms of the chair. 

He could still see the blood in your hair, and hear your whimpers when you moved your injured shoulder. He wanted to find the sonofabitch who did it more than anything, but right now, he was more worried about what it could lead to. 

What had you gotten yourself into?

“I want to put her in protective custody,” Raylan said. 

Art shook his head. “It doesn’t work like that.”

“Make it work like that.” Raylan stood up, pacing. “Did you see what they did to her, Art? They could have killed her. Honestly, I’m surprised they didn’t. And I know her, she’s going to keep pursuing this and pushing and pushing until someone goes over the edge.”

“I guess you two are perfect for each other then,” Art muttered. 

Raylan closed his eyes. “I need help. I don’t know these people. I don’t know what they’ll do, but I know they’ve already gone after her once. Please, Art. I can’t…” He trailed off. 

The tone of his voice alone showed his supervisor just how afraid Raylan really was. Art hadn’t seen him this way before. The anger and frustration, sure. But never afraid. 

Art sighed. “I can’t do anything officially. We can’t confirm that this was anything more than a mugging.” He shot Raylan a look to keep him from arguing. “But why don’t you take a couple days off? Get Y/N and yourself away for a while. Let us look into it and see if we turn anything up.”

Raylan took a deep breath, nostrils flaring and that same fire in his eyes from the night before. He exhaled slowly and nodded. 

“Alright, fine, but if anything happens, I want to be the first to know.” 

“I’ll look into it,” Art said. “Now go take care of that pretty wife of yours.” 

He dismissed him with a wave of the hand. 

Raylan left the office feeling just as wired as he had when he walked in, but when he looked at his desk, his entire body went cold. 

“Rachel,” he started, “where’s my wife?”

The other Marshal looked up from her paperwork. “She had to take a phone call, why?”

“Did she say where she was going?”

“I think outside- hey, wait! What’s going on?”

Raylan was out the door in seconds. Waiting for the elevator would take too long so he sprinted down the stairs as fast as his legs would carry him. 

But it didn’t matter how fast he ran. By the time he reached the sidewalk, you were gone. 

#raylan givens x reader #timothy olyphant #justified imagine #justified #raylan givens #raylan givens imagine #who did this to you

[honeyhotteoks]

it started with this night together. i don't even usually read a/b/o fics but for some reason i felt compelled to give TNT a chance (probably because the pairing of mingi + yunho is just so top tier that i couldn't resist). and now, having read all seven chapters available on ao3 + having consumed some of your other fics (the husband series!!!!! with love for you!!!!!!) all i can say is that you're so talented! time and time again your fics pull me in. the world-building is phenomenal and i appreciate the build-up to the smut instead of just being thrust straight into it (though sometimes that's fun as well!). i adore how you write the boys in your fic. they feel so human to me and i always understand the motivation behind all of the characters!!! i'm gonna stop gushing now because tbh i could talk on and on about how much i love your writing and how lucky i feel to have found your work by accident last week but i'm gonna shut up before this ends up being an essay in your inbox. just know i'm grateful for all of your masterpieces!!!! the fact you give us these works for free honestly feels a little illegal? like i feel like i should be paying for content this good and yet you come on here and share it with us out of the goodness of your heart so thank you!!!!!!!!! you've just earned yourself a new loyal follower and fan! i also can not WAIT for the next chapter of this night together because the cliffhanger you left off on has me on the edge of my seat! i love that wooyoung told y/n to rest first and worry yunho and mingi later. even though i'm sure they are probably losing their mind rn not knowing where she is and how her heat is going bUT THEN AGAIN THEY PROMISED TO BE FRIENDS AND THEN IMMEDIATELY STARTED BEING WEIRD/IGNORING HER AFTER SO MAYBE THIS IS WHAT THEY GET! also i love the friendship that's developed between y/n, woo, san, and hwa. also sidenote but am i insane for feeling like mingi only "made up" with y/n after overhearing hwa asking her to dinner in the hallway? cause the timing seemed a little too convenient and like he wanted to make sure she'd miss the dinner! ALSO ALSO I SWEAR I WILL STOP RAMBLING SOON BUT IT MADE ME GIGGLE THAT IN THE HUSBANDS YUNHO WAS JEALOUS SEEING WOOYOUNG FLIRT WITH Y/N AT THE BOOK READING AND IN TNT YUNHO IS CURRENTLY TEXTING Y/N FREAKING OUT MEANWHILE SHE'S AT WOOYOUNG'S PLACE SNUGGLED IN HIS ARMS!!! wooyoung is always at the scene of the crime i see and i love him for it. and you for it!!!!! once again thank you for sharing your creativity with us!!!!

THIS WHOLE MESSAGE WAS SO NICE ARE YOU KIDDING 😭

but also......................... new chapter of TNT is coming today so you really don't have to wait much longer...................

also to answer your one question about mingi.................that would be correct. that boy got jealous even though he can't get his shit together and just SAY HOW HE FEELS. the timing was def intentional.

also lol woo at the scene of the crime because he just reads that way to me always. like is he going to get someone to cheat? no. is he going to shoot his shot once? yeah buddy. and i always read yunho as pretty possessive, just not toxically so, and that always is the most fun to write.

thank you again for everything you said i appreciate you so much!!

#answered anon #this night together ask

[alyss-spazz-penedo]

@w1lmutt So tbh I probably could’ve had this ninth part of the unedited v!Wind fic out earlier; I already had it mostly written. But on the flip side, I’m sure you’ll be happy know that the whole story's going to be a bit longer than previously expected!

I only took my eyes off them for like a DAY, where did all these new plunnies come from aiieeee 

I don’t want to promise the next part will also be out soon bc that feels too much like jinxing it, but, um. *side-eyes the pages and pages of Stuff I've already scribbled for the next few parts*

TW: The ending scene made me cackle evily when I first thought of it. That's it that's the warning

<<First Part 8 Next>>

Twilight climbs the ladder to the lookout post the newest Link first greeted the traveling heroes from. The kid’s perched there now, kicking his heels in the open air, head resting on arms folded against the railing—just like the first time they’d met.

Such a difference a single day makes.

“Food’s ready,” he announces himself, though there’s no way Phantom hadn’t heard him making his way up. The boy doesn’t respond. Twilight musters up his patience, makes an effort to keep his voice even and nonconfrontational. “Wild made enough stew for everyone. He’s a pretty darn good cook; you’re missing out.”

Phantom doesn’t move. “Don’t need it.”

Twilight frowns. He climbs all the way into the lookout and approaches the slumped form, stopping just outside of striking distance. “You haven’t had anything all day. You need to eat, kid,” he coaxes.

“Fuck off. Don’t patronize me.” There’s no bite to the words. Twilight folds his arms, trying to project sternness. Phantom lackadaisically flips him off without even looking his way.

Twilight sighs. “...Enjoying the view?” He prods instead, changing tack.

“...A little. I’m mostly listening. I’d... forgotten what it sounded like.” A stilted pause. Phantom sighs, so quiet it’s nearly lost on the breeze. “The village, I mean. While it was awake.” 

Twilight, who hadn’t meant to provoke such honesty with his offhand comment, finds himself momentarily derailed. Phantom seems to take his silence as an invitation to continue—or perhaps he’s not talking to the other man at all, anymore.

“Aryll hugged me back today,” he says, blank. “And. Everyone’s awake. I... don’t need to sweep the porches, or trim the grass, or make sure the water in the rainbarrels is still fresh. I...”

One of the seagulls hops closer. Link holds out a hand to it automatically, but it flaps away. He stares down at his empty hand for a long moment before he seems to realize there’s no bait in it.

��It shouldn’t be this hard. It’s not anything new—I should be able to do this, greet my friends and talk to my sister and help out where I’m needed. I used to. I know I used to.”

The silence stretches.

Twilight finally sighs, breaking through the tension that had settled gauzy and ill-defined over them. “I came up here for a reason. I need to talk to you.”

Phantom finally deigns to look at him, giving the other a droll look from the corner of his eye. “Of course you do. You wouldn’t be here alone otherwise; you guys have been paired off all day.”

Smartass. Twilight hisses a breath through his teeth. “Look, it’s about Time.”

Phantom tenses.

“You’ve been hurting him. You’re going to stop doing that,” he informs the kid.

Phantom’s eyebrows furrow. “I’m not going to attack you guys again. And I apologized for the-”

“I’m not,” Twilight grits out, “talking about a physical wound.”

The boy doesn’t understand. How can the boy not understand? Twilight wants to pick him up and shake him.

“As far as I can tell, your only impressions of him come from legends that reverie him, and memories that hate him. He’s not whoever it is you’ve built up in your head, Phantom. Try opening your damn eyes for a change.”

Twilight stares the younger boy down. He needs the kid to understand: he is deadly serious about this.

The little hero is wide-eyed with confusion, uncertainty grinding away his usual guard. Phantom visibly chews over his words, slow, like they might make sense the third time where they didn’t the first. Skepticism paints his face. He still doesn’t get it. 

But he nods. Agreement, however reluctant. Twilight will take it.

"Now come on," Twilight huffs. He stalks away. "Wild's made food; the least you could do is not let it go to waste."

~o0o~

Phantom picks at his dinner. Like he'd told the Hero of Twilight, he doesn't need it—hasn't bothered with food for a long time, frankly—but refusing to eat after it'd already been doled out to him would be terribly rude. He's not so far gone that he's forgotten all his manners.

He and Aryll sit back-to-back in a ring of people, surrounding the roaring beach fire one of the visitors had made to cook with. It's still odd, feeling something moving and breathing so close to him, but... it’s not so bad when no one’s trying to grab him. He’s fine as long as nothing's moving too quickly in his personal space.

Pressed against his sister now, he remembers the times he'd hug the statues or lean on them for comfort. He throws a few token comments into the soft evening conversation, just to hear those real, actual voices respond to him, and this alone is leagues better than relying on his memory and imagination to fill the silence.

Listening to Aryll’s excited chatter, to the gentle shifting of over a dozen living bodies gathered on the same beach... he realizes how much he’d missed this.

It’s not perfect. But for the first time in a very long while, Phantom finds himself held in the grip of a feeling that could almost pass for peace.

~o0o~

They send Grandma out to sea that night.

Dusk is not the appropriate time for someone to set sail on a long journey. But for her last voyage... the darkness will see her safely to her destination. That’s what the villagers say, at least.

Phantom’s lost his share of people over the years. He hates that he should be used to goodbyes—hates hates hates that this time is different.

(It’s not even that she’s family; he was old enough to remember his parents, after all. No, the difference between Grandma and everyone else he's lost is that he is so much more directly responsible for her death.

He might've loved and missed some of those others comparably, but Grandma... Grandma is one of his mistakes.)

~o0o~

Tetra finally comes to him in the morning.

She’d been avoiding him, and he’d been letting her have her space—no matter how much he ached to have her back again. She had every right to be angry at him, after all.

(He’d failed her. In every way that mattered, he’d failed her.

All that strength and he still couldn’t keep her safe; all that resolve and he still couldn’t get her back before Bellum had dug it’s claws in deeper than he could pry out of her; all that time, and still no Hyrule to show for it. He couldn’t even avenge her, in the end; the traveling heroes had robbed him of that killing blow.)

So of course she’s angry. Of course she’s disappointed in him, of course she's been avoiding him, of course of course.

There is a time and place for regrets, Phantom knows. That time is not now; that place is not here. Not when he’s shoulder-to-shoulder with Tetra—his best friend, his partner, his anchor—finally, finally awake.

And yet. And yet.

She stands next to him without a word. They watch the dawn like that—together, with neither able to bear looking at each other.

~o0o~

The sun is fully up by the time her idiot speaks.

He fingers the mark on the back of his hand in lieu of looking her in the eye. “Do you think the power of the gods could bring her back?” He asks. He doesn’t look at her as he says this, gaze fixed on the distant horizon. “Not forever. Just... just for a little longer.”

She feels cold. “I thought we’d agreed never to make a wish.”

“...Yeah.”

Tetra scowls. “How seriously are you asking? Is this the grief or the insanity talking right now?”

“I... I don’t know.” His eyes belie this—calculating, intent. He’s looking out at the ocean, but she can’t tell what it is he's actually seeing.

“I heard the story from those other heroes. How long?” She grabs him by the arm, yanks him around until he’s forced to look at her. “How long has it been?” She demands.

Link rips himself away from her touch. “I don’t know,” he lies.

She punches him on the arm for that. He winces but she can tell it’s entirely for her benefit; he’s not hurt at all. Her blows don’t reach him anymore.

She probably hasn’t reached him for a long time, now.

“Give it to me,” she demands—suddenly, inexplicably furious. He regards her warily. She barely recognizes him anymore. “This has gone on for long enough. I never should’ve let you try to carry this power alone. Give me the Triforce, Link.”

Link’s eyes narrow. For a moment, Tetra is convinced he’s going to refuse—that she’s going to have to enlist her crew and maybe those outside heroes to hold the idiot down so she can pry the corruption from his hand. 

But no. Link deflates and, for once in his life, makes things easy for her. “Okay,” he agrees, all wilted and sad and nothing like the spunky kid who once demanded a ride to the Forsaken Fortress from her on this very shore.

She lets him twine their hands together, goddess marked to goddess marked. The symbols glow together, synchronized in a way their bearers used to be, and when they open their eyes Tetra has an extra golden triangle on her hand.

The Triforce of Power is a trip. Link’s eyes are blue again, and they widen in alarm when she pins his wrist, when she seizes him by the collar and drags him around like it’s nothing. “That’s not enough,” she growls. “I said, give me the Triforce. All of it, Link.”

“Tetra- what are you-”

“Give it to me!” She shakes him a little. “Now!”

“No! Have you lost your mind-”

She backhands him. It's the easiest thing in the world.

He goes staggering, one hand flying to his cheek and the other reflexively dragging that terribly familiar sword from thin air. He freezes before he can raise it against her. "Tetra...?"

"Fine." She cracks her knuckles. "The hard way, then."

"What are you doing?"

He looks frightened. Of her. Is this what they've come to, now? Tetra could almost laugh, could almost cry. She draws her blade instead of doing either.

"Making sure something like this never happens again," she vows, eyes burning gold, and strikes without holding back.

#Vinked Universe #my writing #mwahaha #I couldn't resist one last cliffhanger #...lmao 'one last' listen to me #so you know how I mentioned last time that this fic is almost done? #so that was a fucking lie #I figured out how the PH stuff would've gone down and I swear the wordcount just exploded on me #me @ my brain: but y r u like this 😥

[dragondemoness]

If you can, can you do a part 2 on the Yandere Mastermind Togami?

I was honestly trying to leave the last part at a cliffhanger because I didn't have a lot of ideas for a second part, but I'll try! Sorry if it's not as good, but oh well😅

Yandere!Mastermind Byakuya Togami x Reader Part Two

Warnings: Yelling, light cursing, mentions of killing, unhealthy relationships

After the killing game came to an end, you and Byakuya left Hope's Peak and Byakuya brought you to his mansion

On the way, you noticed how completely destroyed the world was

Everything was abandoned, there was no human life in sight

Or any life, really

Everything was just dead

And it was all the work of one man

Byakuya Togami

He killed all of your friends and family, and you were completely alone

Alone with him

When you guys entered his mansion, you took note of how lifeless it was

He didn't even have any servants

Byakuya confessed that he had slain his entire family, including his rotten father

Your fear and disgust grew even more, and was now resting as a weight in your stomach

Your hatred for him grew, and you refused to let him control you

You would fight him, resist him, whatever it took to get away from him

But if you bite him, he'll bite back

You belonged to him now, and he had no intention of letting you go

"Let me go, you psycho! You can't keep me here forever!"

You had been going at this for hours, shouting at him and fighting him.

Honestly, Byakuya was starting to grow impatient.

Why couldn't you just accept your fate and be his little pet?

It would make things a lot easier for you.

"For the last time, (Name), I am all you have. Just accept your fate and stop being so difficult," Byakuya said with an exasperated tone.

There you were in a bedroom that he selected for you, with your hands bound together, and he locked you in there until he decided you could be trusted.

But you were seriously making him consider locking you in the closet for eternity.

Byakuya was not a patient man.

"I don't care if everyone in town is dead. I wouldn't care if everyone in the world is dead! I'd rather die than give in to you!"

"What is the problem, (Name)?" Byakuya snapped. "I have a mansion for you to live in, I can buy you whatever you want, and once I decide you can be trusted, I will allow you to roam around in the mansion, for the very small price of never being allowed to leave. What more do you want?" He asked with a frustrated tone.

"Money can't buy love, dumbass! Not only are you a spoiled rich boy, you're a sadistic, sociopathic freak! You got rid of everyone I've ever cared for just so you can keep me for yourself!"

"Why do you care for those commoners?! All they ever did was drag you down to their sin of worthlessness! I am all you need, (Name)!" He shouted.

Now your voice was starting to give out, and your throat was starting to hurt from shouting for hours on end.

"I don't need a psycho like you. Who knows what you'll do to me if I give in to you."

"Simple. I'll shape you to be my perfect little pet. All you will have to do is do exactly as I say, and in return, I will buy you whatever you want, and grant you protection from the outside world."

"So you'll just turn me into your little puppet? You're sick!"

His patience was nearly at his limit. He didn't anticipate you being this stubborn.

He glared at you.

"If you continue this behavior, I will lock you in that closet until you break. I will starve you if I must. You will not leave this room until I can trust you," he snarled.

Now the fear began to settle in.

"What? No. No, don't lock me in there!" You tried to stand, but your feet were bound as well, you were sitting against the wall, and the windows were bolted shut, so there was nowhere else to run.

Byakuya walked towards you and gripped you by the neck, and dragged you over to the closet. He opened the door and shoved you inside.

Your head hit the wall hard, but that was the least of your concerns. Compared to the bedroom itself, the closet was very small.

Before Byakuya shut the door, he stared down at you with narrowed eyes and a stone-faced expression.

"Until you decide to submit to me, that is where you will stay. You will be my pet, and nothing will stop me. Remember, I am all you have now."

And with that, he shut the door and locked it, imprisoning you in darkness.

#danganronpa trigger happy havoc #danganronpa x reader #yandere byakuya togami x reader #byakuya togami x reader #mastermind byakuya togami x reader

[hey-there-juliet]

Random Drabble Day (2/23)

Summary: First off, let me just say that this is more like a one-shot than a drabble because I'm a wordy bitch and I cannot control myself 😅

That said, I always had a hard time imagining Julie writing some of the Perfect Harmony's lyrics about herself, so I thought why not make this just another song that Luke and Julie wrote together? This is set somewhere between Finally Free and Edge of Great, in that week when Ray was stress-eating. This is supposed to fit back into the show at the end, so it might seem like a cliffhanger, but it's not.

Quick shout out to @jamestkirkish for betaing this for me! I love you and you are amazing! Any remaining mistakes are my own. And to the fabulous Sloan, for helping me out with Luke's handwriting! Enjoy 🧡

Fandom: Julie and the Phantoms

Relationship: Juke 💜

in the great scheme of life and ghosts

No matter how many times Luke insisted that she had been snooping through his things, Julie knew for a fact that she had done no such thing. In reality, she had simply been cleaning the studio when she came across it.

For three ghosts who didn't eat and could barely even touch anything most of the time, the boys sure knew how to make a mess. Every morning Julie would walk into the studio to find the chairs or coffee table rearranged, at least one of the rugs was always askew, and the clothes... the clothes were everywhere, and the worst part was: they reeked. 

And so every morning before leaving for school Julie would shoot them a stern look and tell them to pick up after themselves. Which they did - when she got back home, things were mostly in their rightful place. Still, every weekend Julie would make sure to take a moment away from homework and rehearsal to tidy the place up to perfection, just like her mom liked it. She'd dust off the furniture, water the plants, sweep the floor, and even vacuum the whole place. One Saturday when she was home alone (her dad photographing a wedding, and Carlos at a friend's house), she even went through the trouble of washing all of the guys' old clothes. 

Somehow, and she didn't even want to think about how that worked, the clothes didn't stink when they were actually wearing them, but at any other moment when they made no contact with their skin? Yeah... not good. So she washed them all (three times, using every trick and product she had). She washed them a fourth time for good measure and, by the time she was finished, any traces of twenty-five year old mold was gone, and so was the smell.

So no, she was not snooping - no matter what Luke said - when she came across the crumpled paper ball between the couch and the low cabinet, just behind a big vase her mom had gotten from tía Victoria.

Julie sighed, making a mental note to tell Luke to put his discarded ideas in the bin (again) if he didn't want them anymore, when one scribbled and wrinkled word caught her attention: Perfect Ha-

She bit her lip, staring down at the teasing word. Perfect what? Was it lyrics? Maybe half formed ideas? Doodles? Julie knew Luke liked to doodle in the margins of his notebook whenever he got stuck trying to come up with the next best piece of lyric or melody. She also knew she should probably just leave it alone, put it with his stuff to ask him later if he wanted to keep it, or put it in the garbage. Except the more she glanced down at that damn word, the stronger she felt it pull her towards uncovering whatever else the crumpled paper ball was hiding. 

In the end, the pull was too strong. She'd just take a quick look, make sure it wasn't anything important before she threw it away. And, she reasoned with herself, trying to squish the guilt that was making itself known in the pit of her stomach: Luke had gotten rid of it, so he clearly didn't care much for whatever was in there. 

Not able to resist any longer, Julie carefully unfolded the paper, slowly making her way towards the piano and using its surface as a table to help smooth the page over.

Luke's (horrendous) handwriting covered it with the bare bones of a song, random lines were scribbled in the margins with a couple of doodles for company, and even a little note from their bassist - ‘Reggie was here ;)’.

It took her a minute before the chicken scratches became words, and then Julie's breath left her in a rush, as the guilty feeling in her stomach turned into butterflies and flew away with her imagination. 

It was a song, parts of one, anyway, and - more importantly - it was a love song.

Unprompted, her own words came back to her, "Wow, Luke! I didn't know you were such a romantic." Quickly followed by Alex's short reply, "He's not."

She knew now who Unsaid Emily was really about, but these new words were clearly about a different kind of love. The romantic kind, and Julie couldn't help letting herself believe - just for a moment - that the song might be about her.

Before she could let herself be carried away in a daydream, there was a - now familiar - shift in the air, a sound almost like static, the only thing letting her know of a ghost's appearance. Without a thought, she crumpled the page again and shoved the paper ball in her pocket for later inspection. 

"Hey, Julie!" Reggie's cheerful greeting sounded across the studio from where he had poofed in, and soon - with his "help," bless him - Julie was finished with her weekend clean up. 

As if summoned by the end of her chores, Luke poofed in, ready to rehearse. Alex soon followed; and by the time Julie retired for the night, the song had been almost forgotten where it hid inside her pocket. 

Almost.

***

After getting ready for the night, Julie settled on her bed with the wrinkled page and her dreambox. She read over the words again and again, imagining they were about her.

Step into my world, 

Bittersweet love story about a girl 

Shook me to the core 

Voice like an angel, 

I've never heard before, 

- 

You and me together, it's more than chemistry 

- 

Love me as I am 

I hold your music 

Here inside my hands 

- 

You are my brightest burning star 

- 

We create Perfect Harmony.

And unless Luke had been singing with another girl, there didn't seem to be many options on who it could be about, right?

From the beginning, Julie had felt something connecting her to him; to all of them, in different ways. But Luke had been the one to give her a little piece of his soul right after meeting her when he let her use Bright to earn back her spot in the music program. Seeing his passion reflecting back on her, the way he treated music like she used to, made her miss it more than anything for the first time in almost a year. It made her miss the way it felt to use music to connect with her mom.

After they spent a whole weekend finishing each other's songs and working on new ones, getting to know each other's inner workings - the part of them that bled out feelings into paper to create beautiful melodies, Julie knew she was a goner. Finding out he'd been the one to write the words that shaped her taste in rock certainly didn't help. Like he'd been helping her find her way to music long before they even met.

Her crush on him had been inevitable from the start, and while falling for him was probably one of the worst things she could’ve done, it was too late to stop it. She'd been free falling for a while, and hopefully she'd land in his arms soon enough. Reading over his words again gave Julie a warm fluttering in her stomach that made her think he was more than ready to catch her once she reached the ground. 

Carefully folding the piece of paper, she put it inside her dreambox, then placed the box back on the shelf.

***

The following week went by without any hiccups. Every once in a while, Julie would remember Luke's song and a familiar warmth would fill her up, leaving a soft smile on her lips and glazed eyes staring off at nothing. Just as often, Flynn would have to shake her out of her daydreams.

She didn't think much would come of it until her dad decided to throw the band a party so he could film them and post their video on YouTube. Which was fine. Amazing, even. It was most certainly great! Until Luke came to the school, staring at her with his stupid, beautiful, awed eyes, and with his soft, perfect smile, saying things that made her combust and melt, all at the same time.

"I think you make me a better writer." 

    "I think we make each other better."

Calling Nick 'Luke' was bad enough, but slipping into a complete musical sequence as she danced with him? "Goner" didn't even begin to describe her. 

Like the other times they'd written together, the lyrics flowed through her, finishing the song he'd started with the same ease as one would take a breath.

Julie knew that whatever was going on between her and Luke couldn't happen or, if it did, it couldn't last. In fact, in the great scheme of life and ghosts, she didn't know much, but what she did know was that - be it in life or in death - love was constant. 

He didn't need to have a heartbeat or to be able to touch her for her to love him. He was just as real to her as the next person, and whether it would hurt in the long run or not, it didn't matter. 

She knew Flynn was only looking out for her, but that ship had sailed, and Julie was already so lost in his ocean eyes that avoiding eye contact wasn't going to bring it back. She would entertain her though, even knowing it wouldn't work. Just like the tide, eventually he'd pull her right back in.

She could love him just as he was, for however long they had together, and especially after that.

-

End notes: I hope you guys enjoyed it! And, if you'll notice, at the beginning it kind of gives off the impression that Luke eventually finds out about the song and Julie tells him how she found it. Which may or may not lead you to believe that they're in a relationship. I guess it all depends on interpretation though ;)

Oh, also! Shout out to the chaos squad folks that guessed right! You guys are no fun :( /j lmao

#RDD #23 by 23 challenge #fanfic #mine #jatp #jatp fic #julie and the phantoms #julie molina #luke patterson #juke #jukebox #julie x luke #fic recs

[maplecornia]

Your Untold Truth

𝔴𝔬𝔯𝔡 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔱: 1.03K

𝔤𝔢𝔫𝔯𝔢: angst | jungkook | taehyung | OC

𝔰𝔲𝔪𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔶: when someone is gone, all that is left is to say goodbye.

𝔞/𝔫: I might make this into a series after I'm done with Infinite Stars. This has been cooking in my drafts for a while, so I hope you like this teaser ehehe. I saw the prompt for it on @ficscafe 's new prompt thing and I just couldn't resist, it fit so well.

𝔴𝔞𝔯𝔫𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰: cliffhangers | angst | drabs | teaser for future series | prompt fic

Some things never change.

I met her on a sunny day. The leaves had not yet turned their shade of red, and the flowers were in full bloom. She was laughing, lost in her world amongst the flowers. Even then she was beautiful. I remember the way her hair sparkled its soft shade of red in the setting sun, the way her cheeks turned pink at even the slightest sign of a smile, the way she resembled light and love...the way she still does.

Father had warned me against meeting her, he told me that I had obligations which she could not be a part of. We were born to stay separate. She was born to never know me. I was born to stay away.

But I had to see her at least once, I had to meet her.

I should've known that she would only be hurt in the end.

Maybe I shouldn't visit her now. Maybe I should erase her from my memory. Maybe this was how it was meant to be.

But I can't do that. I can't leave her alone.

Not even now.

A soft call from a raven who waits on the branches of a giant oak which protects where she now sleeps breaks me out of my thoughts. I smile softly before looking up into the tree, though it may be bitterly.

"Hello, Taehyung."

At the mention of his name, he narrows those pitch-black eyes and flies off the branch, transforming into a man. Standing next to her, like the protector he was meant to be, he narrows his eyes. His hair black like his feathers, his cloak as majestic as his wings, he doesn't say a word.

Any familiarity we may have had with the other is gone now.

"Did you know I was coming?" I ask him, weary to move forward.

"I'm still your familiar, master. Of course, I knew."

Though he may have been my familiar in the past, that contract was broken long ago. He now serves one purpose, and it's a lost one.

But at least he knows his purpose.

Can I say the same?

"I'll leave you to speak with her." He murmurs before transforming once more and flying away. Not far enough that he won't be able to watch over her, but far enough so that I can speak to her without any interruptions.

Once he's gone, I'm left alone with her.

But there are no words left to say.

Biting my bottom lip, I kneel before her and offer up the flowers I've brought from my garden. The garden I first saw her in, the garden where I was reunited, the garden where she left.

How can one have so many memories, and then be lost every time they were together? How can she be marked on my heart, and yet every time I visit her, it's as though it's for the first time?

Even though I can remember every curve to her face, even though I could tell you the very color of her, even though I could describe to you in extensive detail the movement of her lips, the flutter of her eyes...

...I still long to see it one last time.

"I wasn't made to know you," I murmur, hardly even able to raise my eyes to her. I made this resting place, and yet I cannot bear to lay eyes on it. I can't bear to come to the reality that she is no longer able to stay by my side.

"Did you know that?" I chuckle, remembering her strong spirit, her laugh. "I'm sure you did, but you never cared."

Why do you trust fate?

"You never believed me."

I was made to defy fate.

"If I had told you this would happen...then would you have stayed away?"

I make my own path.

"Then would you have been safe?"

And it just so happens that I want you to be a part of it.

I didn't know tears until I met her. And on the day she left, I thought that all my tears had been used up. I thought that would be the last time I allowed myself to cry.

If that were the case, then why are my cheeks wet?

Is this what they call...despair?

Grief?

"I came here to tell you that I won't be visiting anymore." I swallow hard, staring at the flowers, and watch as the harsh wind pulls some of their petals from the stem. Leaving them to make their path on the current of the wind.

"I've decided that I'm going to move on."

One day I won't be here anymore.

"You told me to be happy."

I just want to know that you'll be okay.

"So I'm going to try my best to find what that means."

Swallowing hard, I hesitate for a moment, my hand shaking before I grab hold of the porcelain edges and pull the mask off of my face. Holding it gently in my two hands, I stare at it. It holds so many years of pain and suffering, hides a part of myself that I wish I could forget.

And yet it also reminds me of her.

"You know...every time I think of you I'm in pain."

Memories of her laugh, the sunlight sparkling off of her hair, the flowers in bloom, and her sweet voice echoing over the walls of the castle in which I reside. A prison which she turned into a home.

A home that has broken with her absence.

The mask used to hide a person who I wished had never existed. But now it is useless, because with her...

I am grateful to be alive.

"But I don't want to forget you."

I smile before placing it next to the flowers.

Today is a sunny day. The leaves have not yet turned their shade of red, and the flowers are in full bloom. It's a beautiful day, and on the breeze, I can almost swear I hear her whisper, a ghost of a laugh that will continue to live on in my dreams. For she will always be dancing, even if it's not with me.

And though it kills me, I smile.

I'm unable to forget the tears, unwilling to forget her.

Because even after all this time...

"I still want you."

note: hope you enjoyed! you may see this again after a while, but right now don't worry I'm going to focus on Infinite Stars ^^ tell me if you'd like to see more.

check my BTS masterlist for other BTS content

check out my masterlist for other kpop fanfics

#bts fanfiction #jungkook fanfiction #angst #fantasy au #bts teaser #ficscafe dpe #{teaser} updated! #{your untold truth} updated! #drabble #bts imagines #bts scenarios #jungkook imagines #jungkook scenarios #bts drabbles #bts angst #bts hard hours #bts x female!OC #bts fantasy #jungkook drabbles #jungkook teaser #jungkook hard hours #jungkook x female!OC #jungkook fantasy #jungkook angst #jungkook #fanfiction #fanfic #kpop #kpop fanfic #kpop fanfiction

[ethanharli]

Requested: Nah.

Pairing(s): Asra x Top Male Reader

Warning(s): Some Angst, Flashbacks, Mentions of heartbreak, Sudden confession, Cliffhanger, Long, Sister Nadia.

A/n- I brought this over from my Wattpad, and I edited it a bit but this is the longest One-Shot I've ever made, just fifty words away from three thousand :")).

_______________

A frustrated groan slipped past my lips as I fumbled with the sleeves of my costume, it may sound silly but its true. I refuse to wear anything that could reveal my torso, besides my face of course but that's only because its not covered in ink. Now don't get me wrong, the art adoring my body is nothing but beautiful, yet some of its a bit much for the public eye, and I hate attention. Guess Muriel and I are the same in that regard. After adjusting the sleeves I slipped on my rings and emerald necklace that clung tightly around my throat, which didn't bother me in the slightest bit as I drag my pierced tongue over my bottom lip. Finishing up with a few things I quickly locked up my house and headed on my way to the palace, Nadia had invited me over for the Masquerade this year since the last one ended with Lucio and the Devil trying to take over.

I really have to admire that apprentice, their magic is quiet fascinating. With a small smirk I slipped on my wolfs mask, nothing original but the black and vibrant neon of purple and green helping it stand out, even if only by the slightest. The journey to the palace was quite fun, watching people light up fireworks and drink to their hearts content without a worry in the world. Yet it was a whole new world once I entered the palace gates, making my way towards the ball room in hopes to run into my sister, but Nadia is nowhere to be found. "Should've expected as much, she is the Countess after all" I muttered with a proud smile, if only my familiar where here to keep me company but sadly having a grey wolf in this crowd isn't such a good idea, poor thing would be trampled despite her large size.

Taking a glass of wine I sipped it slowly, enjoying the bubbly feeling of it going down my throat. Yet a slither around my ankle caught my attention, and I froze at the sight of a familiar snake, looking up at me with their cute tilted head. "Friend!" Faust cheered, happily slithering up my body to rest on my shoulders, "Yes Faust, it's good to see you again" A pained smile forced at my lips, scratching softly under Faust's chin. If Faust's here then Asra and his apprentice must be close by, I should've expected as much. "Miss you" My heart tightened at the words, forcing the breath out my lungs painfully, and here I thought I could enjoy the Masquerade without running into anyone else, but I guess even an over packed Masquerade can't hide me from them. "I missed you too Faust-" My words were cut off by a familiar voice, merely a couple feet behind me, yelling for the beautiful creature wrapped around my shoulders.

"Im sorry Faust but I really should be leaving, please don't tell Asra I was here alright?" I asked as worry started to pool in the pit of my stomach, however Faust simply tilted her head, watching me curiously. Nevertheless I made a slow pace to the exit, not wanting to rise any sort of suspicion as Asra yells a bit louder. And there he is, my savior. Putting on a small smile I took a drink from a waiters tray, walking up to Julian without seeming any bit out of place, then once the right moment hit I brushed my shoulder against his and shrugged Faust onto him, not once turning back to look at them. However I knew I wasn't out in the clear just yet since a pair of eyes followed me as I left the room.

Being out in the hall felt a lot better then being so close to him. Especially when I'm not ready to face him just yet, hell I don't even think I have the power to look at him without freezing up, how stupid of me to think I could come back here. "[Y/n]?" The sound of Nadia's voice finally got me to relax a bit, letting the tension in my shoulders drop, "Hey Sis, it's been a while" I smiled down at her, watching as her eyes soften before pulling me into a tight embrace that I gladly returned. "Where'd you go? You told me that you were going to talk to Asra after what happened with Lucio and the Devil but it was only him that came back, he said he didn't know where you ran off to and when I tried to ask what happened he'd never answer!" Her crimson eyes glare up at me as they slowly fill with tears that I quickly brushed away.

"Its okay Nadi, Im back now and I plan to stay, I missed my little sister way to much to be gone for so long" I chuckled, trying to lighten up the mood even only for a second, before she looks at my costume with not very well hidden disgust. "You've really never had an eye for fashion have you?" She sighs, taking my hand and dragging me down the hall where Portia was standing. Once her eyes met mine her face lit up in realization, "[Y/n]! You're back!" She jumped up to hug me, which I returned with a ruffle of her long hair.

"Portia could you please get my dear brother to one of the guest rooms so he can change?" Nadi smiled and Portia couldn't have answered any happier, "Yes milady! Now c'mon [Y/n] lets get you a new costume!" She cheered, dragging me away by the sleeve of my shirt. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew this wasn't going to end well, and by the time I was pushed in the room with a new set of clothing I knew I was right. The clothing was way to revealing for my liking, even though the color and fabric made me look elegant and right at home. The top exposed my arms and most of my chest, the 'V' stopping right above my waist which the pants hugged tightly, yet the rest of it was baggy except the bottom of it, which also hugged my ankles nicely.

But my tattoos and scars were out in the open. The skulls, flowers, and chains that decorate my body glowed a faint blue color, as if cheering that they were finally free from my always concealed clothing.

I didn't want to wear it, every part of my mind was screaming to tear it off but I couldn't. My sister picked this out for me and this is her party, I'll do it for her if not for myself. Sliding my mask back on I headed out the room, looking down at Portia with a nervous smile as she stared at the art in wonder, "I never knew you had these!" She pouted, looking as If I had betrayed her somehow. I could only reached out and pat her head, trying to ignore the eyes that locked onto me, "Im not very fond of them, so I always hid them, Im sorry for not telling you sooner." She merely rolled her eyes and smiled at me before realization yet again broke on her face, "I need to go tell the rest you're here! Stay put!" My eyes widened as I tried to stop her, but she was already out of reach before I could, and the slithery presence was back at my feet.

"Friend!"

Fucking hell.

At that moment I felt the fight to run away slowly drain from me, I knew I couldn't avoid him forever, no matter how hard I tried. Even so, with what resistance was left in me I headed towards the garden with Faust resting peacefully on my shoulders, and stayed put by the fountain, letting my eyes flutter shut for a mere moment.

_____

My palms started to sweat as I looked down into those mesmerizing lavender eyes that watched me with an amused glint, "Asra I-" The words got caught in my throat for the millionth time now, and even I was getting impatient with myself. But can you blame me? Asra looked so majestic under the moonlight, with the stars that practically glowed in his eye's, I don't think I've ever thought it was possible to feel so relaxed and intimidated at the same time.

"[Y/n], are you okay?" He asked, his voice barley above a whisper as he slowly reached up, softly brushing his fingers against my cheek. A flutter in my chest caused the chains on my body to recoil slightly, and thankfully he didn't notice the change, "No, I just can't hold it in anymore Asra" My hand clenched tightly on my sleeves, nearly causing them to rip while Asra brushed a lock of hair of of my face. "Hold in what?" He smiled, but my eyes drifted to his chest, looking where the mark on his heart is hiding, causing me to reluctantly pull away from his touch.

It was a simple friendly gesture he's always done to calm me down, to bring me back from whatever clouded my thoughts. So when I pulled away he reached out again, slower this time, as if any rushed movement would send me away. "Asra stop" He looked a bit shocked when I grabbed his wrist, but my grip was gentle, cause I'm more afraid of hurting him than anyone else. However the negative thoughts practically swallowed my mind whole as I rejected his magic from flowing into me. The mark on his chest was the only thing I could look at, cause it reminds me everyday that he gave up some of his heart for his apprentice, to bring them back. Jealousy truly is a cruel thing.

"Nevermind, it was foolish of me to think I even had a chance" I whispered with a bitter chuckle, taking a step back I crossed my arms, turning my broken gaze towards the sky. "Forget it, just go back to your apprentice, they need you more than I do" I don't know why my words came out laced in such malice and sorrow, but they did, and that seemed to earn a glare back from him. "What's wrong with you? Ever since you found out about my deal its like all you want to do is run away from me and push me away, if you have something to say to me then go ahead and say it, but do not drag them into this."

The chain around my neck tightened, slowly crushing at my windpipe as I clenched my fists and smiled softly to myself. I knew I'd regret what I did next, I knew it would weigh on me forever, I knew it would cause me much more pain then it did right then, but I did it anyway. Ill have to thank Ilya if this works, putting on my best face I turned towards Asra and scoffed, tilting my head a bit, like I usually do when pissed off, even though this is just a lovely facade. "Don't even bother, its not like you'd care anyways, would you? All you care about is that apprentice of yours, you even gave up part of your heart for them" I let the words flow, nearly letting the tears pool in my eyes when I spat them out.

"Is that really what you think?" He hissed, knuckles turning white from how tightly he was grasping his sleeves, but I didn't let myself falter under his gaze. "Asra I don't have to think it when I know its true, we've known each other since we were kids, you can't fool me" I scoffed, glaring back into his lavender eyes, keeping that gaze was a lot harder then I thought it would be. Before he could speak up I made sure to cut him off, "You love 'em, that's the only reason you'd do it right? Because you love them? Let me guess, you couldn't live without them could you?" I rolled my eyes, looking off to my left, practically feeling his breath hitch for a moment, confirming what I needed to know.

Im sorry Asra.

You don't have to forgive me.

Because I highly doubt these chains will go anywhere, I can never be free. Even with you by my side, the one person that keeps me together, the one person that I'd risk everything for.

Im so sorry.

"Just leave already, its not like you want to be here anyways right? So just leave me alone, I don't want you here."

_____

I don't remember much after that, but I do know he left, and I was left alone to wallow in my own despair. The chains got tighter over the year, so tight that the only thing keeping me breathing is all the techniques I've learned, and the fact I learned how to hold my breath for a long while. A few tears slip past my [E/c] eyes, that Faust happily wipes away with her tail, rubbing her face against my cheek, "Friend!" She smiles, curling against me, it felt so good to have her around again. Even if this'll be the last time.

The chains tighten a slight fraction, forcing me to hold my breath. "[Y/n]?" My body tensed at how my name rolled off his lips, it felt like a distant dream, like this isn't actually happening, but one look at him and I know its real. My god has he always looked so gorgeous? Or am I going crazy? Probably both. Once [E/c] met Lavender I knew I was done, his hairs pushed back like last year though the mask kinda looks the same, with only a few added touches, and his costume definitely gets him to stand out above the rest, just a beautiful array of bright colors clashing against his mixed skin, it hugs his figure perfectly. He looks like a god amongst the light of the fountain.

"Its me" I sighed out, reluctantly turning my gaze back to my feet. I couldn't help the surprise when he moved in front of me, placing both hands on my cheeks, looking into my eyes with such relief that I could hardly believe it. His touch sent shivers down my spine, slowly I started to breathe again as the chains retract a bit, I had clearly forgotten how revealing my clothes are, cause once the chains pulled back Asra's eyes shifted to them.  "How long have you had these?" He asked, trailing his hands down to trace the marking with a soft touch, "Asra wait-" Yet the mark appears, the same one he has, just mine glowed a faint blue in the center of my chest.

His eyes widened seeing the mark, keeping his eyes on it as if it were to attack at any moment, "You've never had chains, its always been your skulls and flowers, is it because of this? Why didn't you tell me about this?" He looked hurt, the same hurt in his eyes that he had a year ago when we last talked.

"What was your deal?"

Oh how I wanted to tell him, but the chains tightened at the thought, yet I pushed through it, Im tired of lying, I'm tired of keeping everything in, Im tired of it all, "That I couldn't be open anymore, that I wouldn't be able to speak my mind freely like I once did." A small cough ripped out my throat as a blue glow tried to burn past the chains, failing miserably. "What? Why?" He looked stunned, I don't blame him, I've always been one to speak my mind and tell everyone how I'm feeling, to be honest to myself and them without a care about what others thought.

But..

"I was scared, there's something I've always wanted to say, but I never could because I've always been so afraid about what would happen after, what if it went wrong? What if I messed up? What if I said something wrong? What if you-" My mouth snapped shut as quickly as it could, now I certainly can't avoid this, cause those lavender eyes stare at me with such intensity I might just burn away. His hands slowly moved up to my neck, letting his magic aid in pulling the chain away from my neck, allowing me to breath freely. "What about me?" He asked softly, keeping his gaze fixed on mine as my hands unconsciously travel to his hips.

I guess it's now or never..

Building what up whatever courage I had left, I pulled Asra against my chest, using one hand to push his mask out the way, before claiming his lips with mine.

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