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wwilsonbarness · 9 months

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I messed up.. (part 2)

pairings: bucky barnes x reader

summary: Bucky tries to apologise for the things he said... do you accept?

warnings: angstttt, some fluff, anxiety?, idkk i think that's all :)

word count: 2535

a/n: I'm so sorry it took so long for part 2. I hated what I first wrote and my week ended up super busy. I'm so scared to post this lmao I hope it doesn't disappoint!

Feedback, likes and reblogs are much appreciated :)

I do not give permission for my work to be copied, reposted or translated on any other platform.

part one

masterlist

Sam insisted you took it easy for the rest of the night, he brought you dinner in bed, checked on you every hour, and brought you everything you could need. You appreciated it but at the same time you just wanted to lay in bed alone and cry. For the first few hours it was out of sadness, seeing Bucky that angry with you made your chest ache, the thought of disappointing him was something you couldn’t handle, but as the hours passed the sadness slowly turned into anger. The more you replayed his words in your mind the angrier you got, how could he imply you didn’t care about your baby?

Ever since you were a little girl yourself you had wanted to be a mom, it was your dream and Bucky knew that.You had both spent countless nights talking for hours on end about how excited you were to have a baby together, you thought he was excited too but were you and your baby just a burden to him? A problem he had to sort out? Did he even want this?

Hours had passed and you were starting to drift to sleep when you heard voices outside your bedroom door. Part of you wanted to stay in bed and ignore whoever it was but when you heard Bucky’s voice you jump out of bed.

“I just want to check if she's okay.” You hear Bucky’s voice through the door, slightly louder than he normally speaks, a clear sign he was getting frustrated. You hear a second voice but you can’t figure out who it is until you move closer, it was Sam.

“You… chance..screwed up..” It’s muffled but you can guess what he said. You keep walking closer to the door and go to open it as you hear a third voice.

“Barnes, you need to leave her be, you’ve done enough tonight.” That was definitely Tony, he was the only one to call Bucky by his last name.

You weren’t ready to face Bucky yet but you didn’t want to have to listen to them arguing any longer so you opened the door, to be faced with Bucky standing right in front of you, Tony to the side of him and Sam a few doors down outside his room.

“Can you guys argue somewhere else please?” Bucky’s head flys round at the sound of your voice. He instantly looks you up and down, focusing on your bump for a few seconds longer than anywhere else, which reminds you of how he had looked at you earlier. You bring your hand up to your stomach without realising.

“Doll, are you okay?” You could see the concern in his eyes this time but you couldn’t get past the anger you were feeling.

“I’m fine, Bucky. I just want to sleep so can you three go somewhere else if you’re gonna shout at each other.” Bucky’s face started to lighten up in relief for a second but tensed up again as you continued.

“I’m sorry, can we please talk?” He starts to walk closer to you but you flinch and move backwards into your room. You weren’t scared of him but you couldn’t handle this tonight. Bucky’s face drops as he watches you move away from him. “Doll I just want to-”

“I don’t have the energy tonight Bucky, please can you just leave me alone.” You look at each other for a few seconds before you plead again, “Please.” Bucky slightly nods his head but you don’t wait for any other type of response before you close your door.

You lean your head against the door as it shuts, taking a deep breath in as an attempt to keep yourself calm. You hear Bucky and Tony throw a couple more sentences at each other, resulting in Tony asking F.R.I.D.A.Y to lock your door to anyone but him and Sam. You didn’t want to shut Bucky out but the things he said to you really hurt your feelings and if you were to talk to him about it now you would end up saying things you regret. You just wanted and needed time to yourself to calm down. You climb back into bed and go to sleep to try and forget about the whole situation, it takes a few hours but sleep finally washes over you.

You could only sleep for a few hours before your morning sickness hit. Without Bucky there to help you like every other morning it was a lot harder to deal with. After sitting beside the toilet for a few minutes you manage to run yourself a bath and relax for a bit. You wanted to put off talking with Bucky as long as you could, you knew he’d already be awake as he was every day, probably in the kitchen making breakfast.

You hear a knock at your door as you're in the bath which brings you out of your thoughts about Bucky, but when you reach the door all that’s there is a tray with waffles, fruit and orange juice on it. You pick it up and place it on your desk to find a note, recognising Bucky’s handwriting straight away you pick it up.

I’m sorry for everything I said and did. I want to make it up to you when you are ready to talk. I know you’ve probably been unwell this morning so I hope this makes you feel better. I put some gummy bears on the waffles since I know you’ve been craving sweet things. I love you and baby so much - Buck x

You feel your eyes tear up as you read each word, and even though you’re mad at him all you want in this moment is for Bucky to hold you. You quickly get dressed and start to walk towards the kitchen, hoping he’s still there. To your luck he was still hovering around the cooker cleaning up his mess from cooking breakfast.

“Buck?” His head whips around at lightning speed to the sound of your voice. He takes one step towards you before stopping himself, remembering how you reacted last night. The last thing he wanted to do was scare you more.

“Doll, are you okay?”

“Mhmm, can we talk?” Bucky lets out a huge breath he wasn’t aware he was holding as you speak, he wants nothing more than to talk to you.

“Of course doll, wanna sit over here?” He points his hand towards the couch in the corner of the room. You nod your head and walk over. When you both sit down it’s quiet for a few minutes, both of you equally scared to break the silence until Bucky speaks.

“Are you scared of me?” He asks, tone soft as if he’s scared of what the answer might be.

“No, Bucky I’d never be scared of you.” His shoulders start to relax in relief but not for long as you continue. “But that doesn’t mean I’m not mad at you.”

“I am so so sorry y/n, I promise you I didn’t mean anything I said, I was just scared which I know isn’t an excuse but it’s the truth. My worst fear is losing you, and now with the baby on the way I’m even more scared of losing you both. When I heard Sam telling Tony and Nat that you were seen with a bump it was.. It was like my brain just took over, I kept imagining you being hurt and I just wouldn’t be able to live with myself if that happened. I can’t lose you, either of you. If you let me, I promise I will try my best to make things back the way they were.”

Bucky’s speech took you off guard, you were expecting and hoping to speak first so you could get everything out while you felt able to, you had to try so hard to hold back your tears. You could tell he was sorry and honestly part of you just wanted to say it’s okay, tell him you forgave him, that everything was fine but the other part of you was still focused on his horrible words yesterday, and you knew things would never be okay again unless you told him how he made you feel. “I just need to get this off my chest Bucky, I know you’re sorry but I still need to say this. He nods his head to show he understands you.

You take a deep breath and prepare yourself to speak. “First off, I just want to make it completely clear, that” you bring your hand to your stomach and cup the small bump you have, “I love and care so much for this baby, more than anything or anyone else in the world. So when you said that to me, said that I.. That I didn’t care, it really really hurt me. I know I went against what we agreed, I know I scared you, but that didn’t give you a right to talk to me the way you did.”

“I kno-” Bucky tries to respond but you don’t let him. Your voice is beginning to shake and there are tears starting to fall from your eyes. Bucky’s heart was breaking at seeing you so upset.. all because of him.

“No, please let me finish. I.. I know you care about me and our baby, I know you do but you went way too far. You were so worried about other people hurting me you didn’t realise that you were the one doing it.”

You can hear Bucky swallow deeply as he listens, his eyes growing wetter with every word, it was hard for him to hear but he knew everything you were saying was true. He had done the one thing he swore he never would, he hurt you and he wasn’t sure he’d ever forgive himself for it. “You promised me that you would never hurt me, and I believed you.” Your voice cracks with your last words, and the tears finally escape. “You made me feel like we were burdening you, like we were just a problem to you, something you had to deal with.”

Bucky desperately wants to reach out and comfort you but he stops himself. He keeps his eyes locked with yours and you nod your head a little, a silent way of telling him that it was his turn to talk. He nods back and readies himself, he had a lot he wanted to say but now he’d heard how much he had hurt you, it was like his brain had forgotten everything.

“You have to know that you both are the most important people in my life, you could never be a burden to me, ever. I'm so sorry I made it feel that way. Y/N I know I hurt you, I want.. I need you to know that when I made that promise I meant it, I’ve never intended to hurt you, and for the rest of my life, as long as you’ll have me I promise, with every single part of me that I will care and love for you and our baby.” You are starting to choke up at what he is saying but try so hard not to let it show.

“I’m not going to lie to you, I’ll always be scared of something happening to you both and nothing’s gonna ever change that, but I know now that I need to find other ways of working through that. I’ll do anything it takes for you to forgive me. I want to be there for you and our baby forever.” He looks down to your bump, his gaze softens, a slight smile grows, and with a quiet, soft voice he continues.

“I can’t wait to see you be a mom, you’re gonna be the best there is. I really mean it, our baby is so lucky to have you as a parent.” When he looks up he tries to understand how you’re feeling but your face is pretty much blank, you were in shock. You’d only been in two relationships before Bucky but not once had either of them apologised for something they did, now Bucky was practically begging you to forgive him, you didn’t know how to take it. You just knew you couldn’t lose him.

“Buck.. As much as I hate how you spoke to me, I don’t want to let this argument get between us, I want things to change. I know you are scared and I understand that.. I’m scared too, but we can get through it together. We are strong enough to not let this break us apart, okay?”

Bucky lets out a huge breath he didn’t even realise he was holding in. “Doll, I want nothing more than for us to be okay.”

You stand up and put your hand out towards him, “Come on, I got you something.” He hesitantly grabs your hand, and follows you to your room. Just as you reach the door he stops, and drops his hand out of yours. “Bucky.. It’s okay you can come in.”

“Are you sure?” He asks hesitantly.

“I’m positive.” He smiles slightly at your answer then follows you in.

“I got youu…” You trail your words out as you dig for his gift. “This.” You pass him the teddy, expecting to smile but instead he frowns, rubbing his thumb over each word as he reads it.

“You don’t like it?” you ask him, taking a seat next to him.

“I do,” He forces a smile out, “I’m just worried I won’t be a good dad. I’m just scared doll.” He looks up to you again and sees your eyes still glossy, and he feels he has to defend his words. “I am excited, please know I am. I just don’t wanna mess up again.” He reaches out to touch your stomach and you see him hesitating so you put your hand on top of his and gently push it onto your stomach.

“It’s gonna be okay Buck, I trust you.” You lay your head on his shoulder and cuddle into him, “We’re gonna be okay.”

“I love you both so much.”

“And we love you too.” Just as you finish speaking your stomach rumbles, which startles Bucky.

“Oh my god. Was that the baby??”

You had to hold in your laughter as you replied to him, it was way too early for the baby to kick. “No Bucky, I’m just hungry.” He follows your gaze to the tray with the breakfast he made you.

“Dolll… you didn’t eat?” You shake your head and Bucky stands up and brings it to bed.”Wanna share?”

“Of course.” He picks up a gummy bear but before he can put it in his mouth you grab it.

“Hey!” He looks at you confused.

“Sorry,” you say between your giggles, “you aren't getting any of the gummy bears, baby wants all of them.”

“Oh yeah? Baby wants all of them? Sureee.” You were both laughing now, as you tried to get all the gummy bears before him.

tags: (tagging everyone who was interested, sorry if I miss anyone!)

@missvelvetsstuff @learisa @pattiemac1 @satanstittyss @opheliabarnes @mrs-bucky-barnes-73 @kandis-mom @lokislady82 @k4t13l0u1s3 @jbbarnesgirl @nikkivillar @sarahjoestewy-blog @aboobie @queerqueenlynn @shabanggg @topguncultleader @wintrsoldrluvr @invalid-croissant @ada728 @that-girl-named-alex @spoopiloops @mayusenpai666 @paarthurnax59 @cl7ire @hereforfun22-blog @almosttoopizza @trixiekaulitz @aweleyirene @blackwood-bodecker-housewife @mavrellover91 @yeselmolovesyou

1K notes · View notes

readychilledwine · 7 months

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Hello. First of all thank you for that post, it amazing and no one has ever responded. I would like you to write another story of az where they have a child and she and her child get kidnapped. And she dies trying to the child. Az goes bolistic. (If u don't want the reader to die it's cool with me. Whatever u think is best). Thank u and have an amazing day ahead.

Eeeeee. This made little pregnant brain go meeeeep. I kind of changed it up. I didn't want to actively kill the reader, because I can't imagine Azriel ever pulling himself back together after that. I just imagine if Azriel found someone he loved enough to have a child with, it would devastate him. So. I put a spin on it. if I squeeze my eyes shut really tight, I can create a world where he finds a mate and heals with her, but that wound would always be there, and that creates angst. So this is loosely based on the aftermath of your request. I'm sorry it isn't perfect.

Replacement

Warnings - trauma, mention of torture, Az being kind of an ass.

🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇🦇

The words echoed in your mind. You aren't his mother! Azriel had screamed them at you so carelessly. Just because Xiden had come to you for a booboo. Just because Xiden had called you "mommy" and Azriel had heard it. How dare you seriously think you can replace her? What the fuck is wrong with you?

You loved your mate's son. You loved that little illyrian more than you could form into words. Shock had fallen into your own bones after he called you mommy and kissed your cheek, though. That wasn't a threshold you had meant to cross. It was an unspoken line in the sand. You were not his mother, and Azriel had managed to remind you quickly and make you feel so small over one word uttered by a child.

Your relationship with the two started a few years ago. You were Nyx and Xiden's private nanny. Rhysand had met you once in a volunteer childcare center. The two of you had talked about everything you had found important in raising little ones, and the High Lord brought you to his mate instantly. They had been looking for childcare whose values aligned with theirs for weeks, and Feyre, with tears of relief in her eyes, hired you on the spot and made a pay offer you would have been stupid to turn down.

You spent time with the two young boys constantly. You three would spend countless hours giggling. Your life ranged from cooking with them, playing with them, snuggling them, and doing basic school lessons with them, but mostly teaching them how to be good fae, teaching them right from wrong, showing them how to love and respect themselves and others.

Nyx was wonderful. You adored the little heir. But there was something about the way Xiden would hold your hand when you three would go for walks, the way he constantly searched for your approval. You can't remember if it was the first night he ran to your guest room on an extended care stay and buried himself so deep into your arms and pillows that made you love him, or if it was the solstice gift he drew of you, him, and Nyx that hung framed in your living room that sealed the deal, but you loved Xiden. Unconditionally and unexpectedly.

You had finally asked Feyre one night about his mother when she came over to bring you a birthday gift from the Inner Circle and the boys. Azriel had appeared after she told you gently Xiden's mother had died. He had the little male in tow. He had his wings tucked in so tight around him and his little footie pajamas and that made your heart tighten as he ran to you.

The bond snapped for Azriel as you were kneeled down, holding his son and comforting him. It snapped for you when you woke up to the male shirtless in your kitchen, making breakfast for the three of you after Xiden refused to leave.

There was no going back after that. Xiden had a room at your apartment now. You had things in their home. You and Azriel told each other everything. Well, almost everything. He still had not told you about his former love or where she was. Xiden had done it late one night after another screaming fit woke him up and had him crawling into bed with you.

I watched momma die, you had tried to tell him it was just a bad dream. But when his eyes met yours and he shook his little head, you shattered into pieces. I watched it, miss y/n. I watched them hurt momma.

You had approached Azriel about it gently, holding his hand as he closed you out. You didn't push the issue at all, knowing he'd tell you when he was ready to. You had, however, pushed for him to enroll Xiden into therapy with Madja.

That was almost 8 months ago now, though. Tonight had been the breaking point. It stung, knowing the male you adored had all but dismissed his son's feelings, and your own, without giving you a single explanation of why. You had left his home in silence despite him calling for you. You had shielded yourself for the time and sealed the bond so deeply into your heart that you couldn't feel him, and he couldn't feel you.

You curled deeper into the bed, holding your blanket tight against yourself as you cried. You had no interest in replacing Xiden's mom. You never set that as a goal in this relationship. You just wanted to love Azriel, love his son. You wanted to support them, be there for them.

A loud knock came at your door, and you ignored it. Then another, more insistent than the next, and finally, your door just opened. You knew it was him, that he had picked the lock. He made his way to your bedroom, opening the door without knocking and moving to sit on the bed next to you.

"I'm sorry, y/n," his hand found your hip as he tried to get your attention. "I lashed out, and I shouldn't have. It's just- It's hard. Knowing she should be here, but isn't."

"I never wanted to replace her, Az. I never asked to fill that role." You voice sounded as broken as you knew it would. Hours of crying finally had begun to show damage.

"I know, love. I know."

"You won't even tell me what happened to them. All I can do is offer him whatever I can based on what I know, and then i get yelled at for it. How can I comfort him, help him, and support him when I don't know the full story. How can I support YOU when I don't even know what happened?"

His jaw tightened as he looked at you. He had been avoiding this conversation for too long, and now it had come to a head. "When Xiden was 4, he and his mother were visiting her parents in Illyria without my knowledge." Azriel looked up, blinking tears away as his throat grew tight. "I had made a few enemies in the camp they went to, and they took them. It took us 3 weeks to find them and track them down. By time we got there, she was gone. Xiden was.." His jaw tightened again. "He was traumatized. He had watched them rape, beat, and torture his mother for weeks. He was starved, sleep deprived, and disassociated from us completely. I only added to that trauma by slaughtering every single male in that place without thinking about the fact that he was right there."

"He wouldn't let me touch him for weeks. He ran to Rhys and Cassian instead of me. And it killed me." Azriel was biting his lip, shadows stilled and wrapped around him as his wings also pulled in. "I will never forget her lifeless eyes, her body, her bruised face. I will never forget my son's broken mind and soul. I will never forgive myself for what happened to them."

You sat up, running a hand up and down his back and between his wings. "It wasn't your fault, Az. She wouldn't want you to blame yourself."

He broke then, sobbing out a gentle I know as he broke down. "I just don't want him to forget her, how much she loved him, how much she sacrificed for him."

"He won't," you said firmly. "He never will. He's six, Az. He remembers his momma. He knows I am not her." Azriel nodded. "Az, you need to forgive yourself. You can't move forward, and Xiden can't move forward, with this cloud hanging here." Another silent nod as he leaned further into your touch. "You need to give yourself permission to be happy, to move on, and to take care of him without being scared of the world."

"It's just so hard," you nodded this time, kissing between his shoulder blades. "I loved her so fucking much."

"I know. Her picture is still up in your office. I make sure to dust it every day. You also have some of her dresses still. A few of her blankets." His shoulders fell, guilt flooding the now empty bond. "Don't," you whispered. "Don't feel guilty for loving the mother of your child. Don't feel guilty for wanting to honor her memory."

"Please come back." Azriel sounded broken at the confession he was about to make. "He can't sleep when you aren't there." You nodded, grabbing a bag to pack an outfit for tomorrow.

Azriel watched you moving through the room in silence. "I wanted to talk about you moving in," you froze on the spot. "Or us finding somewhere for the 3 of us."

"Az-"

"I fucked that up, though, didn't I?" You shook your head, rushing to him and throwing yourself onto him and the bed. "Or maybe I didn't?"

"Of course I want to move in with you two." Your response was muffled into his neck. You could feel his smile grow.

"Perfect." He said.

"Perfect." You agreed.

#acotar #acotar x reader #azriel acotar #azriel #azriel x reader #azriel fic #azriel shadowsinger #az x reader

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murdockparker · 1 month

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Paralyzed

Steve Harrington x Reader

Summary: She walked in on a Friday afternoon. Steve needed nothing more than to get to know her--if only he could find it in himself to speak to her.

Word Count: 5k

Warnings: just pure fluff, mentions of murder (but not frfr)

A/N: no this isn't based on a big time rush song you're crazy anyway!! I think this is my first real Steve fic? The first real one I got around to posting I guess. Cheers!

It was a Friday afternoon.

Correction, it was a terribly busy Friday afternoon. Family Video was seemingly the place to be, people swarming the building in hopes of renting new releases for their perspective weekends. Steve usually loathed his Friday shifts for this exact reason, countless questions about the new tapes, a dozen or so mothers berating him when a certain movie is out of stock—as if Steve Harrington himself is the reason behind the madness.

But, this afternoon was different.

This afternoon she walked in.

He had enough of the madness, leaving Robin all alone to deal with the wolves for a mere five minutes—he needed to get out of there. With his head in his hands, he sat on an unopened box filled to the brim with different assortments of candy—candy he needed to stock sometime today, a fact he surely couldn’t have forgotten even if he tried. Only two minutes into his escape, Robin came bounding in the backroom, a wild look grazing her eyes.

“Steve,” she nearly panted. “You gotta take over for a minute. This woman is just—ugh—not taking no for an answer! I told her we don’t have The Breakfast Club in stock, but oh no, why trust the employee who rented all ten copies earlier today? Huh? How about we give the girl who makes a little over three bucks an hour a hard fucking time!” Robin was rambling at this point, the words falling deaf on Steve’s ears.

“Robs,” Steve groaned, finally looking up at his friend. “Give me another minute, I have a nasty headache—”

“Me too, Harrington,” Robin sighed, plopping down on the box next to him. “Her name’s probably Debra and she’s a beast in fake leopard print.”

Steve snorted with laughter. “Fine, I’ll head back out there,” he stood up, dramatically dusting off his jeans. “I just don’t know why the hell our help wanted sign hasn’t brought in more folks, we’re dying out here.”

“No one wants to work for Keith,” Robin said simply.

“Damn straight,” Steve pointed, pushing his way back onto the sales floor. The leopard printed demon was nowhere to be seen, much to Steve’s utter relief—he didn’t have the energy to fight her off anyway. Finding his way behind the counter, the doorbell rang out, a pavlovian response nearly spilled from Steve’s lips. “Welcome to Family Vid—”

His heart stopped.

She was gorgeous, like she just stepped out of a magazine ad—the one’s his mom bought, not the trashy shit they sell down at the gas station. Sunglasses adorned her temple like a crown, her hair perfectly falling around the pink lenses. Steve didn’t know what to say, it felt as if he simultaneously forgot all the words in the English language and stuffed seventeen Saltines in his mouth—he was tongue tied.

“Uh, hi,” the girl said softly, waving towards the frozen spectacle behind the counter. “I saw you have a help wanted sign outside?”

Steve could only nod, making a good effort to keep his jaw from falling on the floor.

“Well,” she smiled, the kind that would make babies giggle at the sight, “I just moved here and sorta need a job so…” A resume was placed on the counter before him. It looked professional—way more than what Family Video could ever hope to ask for from an applicant, anyway. Steve couldn’t stop reading it. She was literally an angel, an answer to his very prayers—every one of them. If he had the power to hire her on the spot, he’d be tossing her a green vest from the back without a second thought. Part of him was cursing the fact Keith wasn’t here to interview her this very second, he needed to get to know this girl.

“I-I…” Steve tried to speak, feeling his cheeks grow inflamed with embarrassment. He wasn’t used to being so… foolish around a girl.

“Steve, is it?”

She knew his name.

Of course he knew she read it off his name tag, he wasn’t that thick, but hearing it come straight from her lips? He could have melted directly into the floor and no one could have stopped him.

“Yeah, this doofus here’s Steve, I’m Robin,” Robin appeared by his side, seemingly in the knick of time. “Don’t worry about him, we’re getting him the help he needs.”

The mystery girl giggled. “Ah, I see.”

“You want to apply here?” Robin asked, prying the resume from Steve’s—reluctant—hands. “Oh thank God, we’re dying for more bodies around here.”

“I love movies,” she explained quickly, noting how intently Robin was reading over her simple paper. “A-and I used to work at a movie theater back home before moving here, so I know a lot about the recent releases—”

“I’m gonna be honest,” Robin said, leaning onto the counter, voice dripping with secrecy. “You’re probably too good for this place, I mean, way too good for this shit-hole—”

“I need a job,” she repeated, almost desperately. “My folks forced me to move here and I’m trying to save up to get my own place back in Chicago, I’m not built for this small-town bullshit.”

This made Robin explode with laughter and Steve shrivel in despair. She had an expiration date—a way out of Hawkins.

“Well, I’ll make sure to pass this off to our manager—with a glowing recommendation, of course,” Robin winked.

“I appreciate it!” She smiled again, the sight nearly had Steve wishing he had his own pair of sunglasses to wear—it was blinding. “Well, I hope to see you guys around?”

“We’ll be here!” Robin called out, watching the girl walk back towards the door and out towards her car. A hand smacked across Steve’s bicep.

“Hey!” He finally responded, rubbing the aforementioned spot. “What the hell?”

“I should bring that whiteboard out of retirement,” Robin arched her brow. “You’re positively hopeless, Steve Harrington. What the fuck was that all about?”

“I don’t know, Robs,” Steve sighed. “She was just—I didn’t even know what to say!”

“Clearly,” she snorted. “You looked like a gaping trout—”

“I did not—”

“This was worse than the girl who asked for a Mint-Choco Deluxe and you handed her a straight scoop of ice cream—no cone. I had to practically chase her out with a stack of napkins and a thousand apologies.”

Steve cringed at the memory. “Maybe…”

“When Keith hires her—and you know he’s gonna—you better get your act together. I don’t wanna deal with…this every day.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Steve waved. “Sure.”

And deal with it, she did.

(Y/N) was her name, Steve had the pleasure of unpacking her new name tag for her first day. He almost wanted to keep it, but figured it would make him look like a crazed lunatic. Patiently, he waited by the front door, hoping to see her pull up in her car, ready and rearing for her first day on the job. Steve begged Robin to allow him the pleasure of training her, given he could somehow speak in her presence, of course. She simply rolled her eyes and agreed to the shift exchange.

A shiny, cherry-red BMW peeled into the lot—Steve noted it looked awfully familiar to his own car, minus the color of course. It seemed a bit out of place in a small town like Hawkins, but the car had suited her just fine. Everything about her suited her kindly, Steve had noticed, especially the clothing she wore. Family Video was no place for a fashion show, Steve could attest to that himself, but with the way she was practically strutting towards the doors? The parking lot was her runway and he was begging to see more.

“Good morning!” (Y/N) greeted cheerfully, pushing the glass door open wide.

“Morning,” Steve managed to squeak out. He pushed the unflattering green vest towards her. “Your uniform.” She easily slipped the fabric over her own shirt, the stark whiteness of her blouse really made the green pop.

“Well?” She spun around, twirling like a princess. “Do I look the part?”

Steve could only nod.

“So what’s the first thing on the agenda? Do y’all have a time clock?”

Steve nodded again, pointing his thumb towards the break room.

“Ok..ay…” She said quietly, walking in the direction she was given.

He could cry—it was so pathetic. The way this girl had him so worked up? How was he expected to train her? No, forget training her, how was he supposed to even talk to her? Steve had been in pickles before, but this one took the cake.

“So you just… don’t speak then?”

She had managed to sneak up behind Steve, who had clearly been deep in thought. Her angelic voice alone made him jump.

“I-I speak,” Steve explained. “I just… have a lot on my plate currently, s’all.”

“I’m sure working at the Family Video is real hard work, superstar,” she giggled, jumping up onto the countertop. “But I’m glad I don’t have to understand your training through charades."

“I’m pretty good at charades,” Steve said, crossing his arms. “O-or so I’m told…”

“I’ll take your word for it,” she smiled. “But seriously, I really thought you just didn’t want to talk to me or something.”

That couldn’t have been farther from the truth.

“So… I should probably show you the computer system for rentals,” Steve tried changing the subject—poorly, but she graciously turned her attention to the computer she so-conveniently sat next to. “Y’know, because that’s like, the entire job.”

The girl leaned in, not daring to remove herself from the counter top, trying to see what Steve was clicking on.

“You seem tense,” she noticed.

“It takes me a while to get warmed up to new people,” he lied.

“What? Like a cat?”

“…exactly like a cat.”

“Well, Steve,” she hopped off the counter, “it’s a good thing I like cats.”

He tried his best to hide the redness flooding his cheeks.

She made Family Video more enjoyable, even after her first shift, Steve thought. He already liked the job enough, spending time with his best friend and getting paid for it was already a huge perk, but now that he got to know her? He might just keep this job forever.

Forever lasted only four months.

“Steve!”

He peeked his head over the horror aisle, finding (Y/N) staring at him expectantly from the front counter.

“Yes?”

“I’m dying over here,” she said dramatically, falling over on the countertop. “It’s so… boring.”

“It’s a Monday morning,” Steve said simply, commanding every fiber in his being to not shrug at the statement. “Mondays are usually boring around here.”

“Everything about Hawkins is boring,” she said, not lifting her face up from the counter. “How do you manage living in this God-forsaken town?”

“I don’t think everything is boring,” Steve scoffed, ignoring the rest of the tapes that needed to be put away. His feet were already leading him towards the counter, as if they had a mind of their own. “I mean, I doubt you’ve run through everything this town's got to offer?”

She lifted her head up from the counter, a red mark gracing her forehead. “In the last four months of living here? I think I have. Hell, the one cool place y’all could have had burned to the ground.”

Steve winced at the mention of StarCourt, the wounds still fresh. “It wasn’t that cool…”

“Fine,” (Y/N) propped herself up, head in her hands, “name one cool place in Hawkins.”

“Skull Rock.”

He doesn’t know why he said it.

“Skull Rock?”

“Uh, yeah,” Steve sheepishly said, hand finding the back of his neck quickly. “It’s the go-to for the coolest kids in Hawkins—made popular by yours truly.”

“And what exactly is Skull Rock?” Her arms were neatly crossed by the time he managed to look back at her.

A make-out spot.

“A-an… experience?” Steve squeaked, trying his best to sound cool. “It’s hard to explain, you just kinda gotta go and see for yourself.”

“Huh,” she tutted. “Why haven’t I heard of this Skull Rock until now? Certainly if it was as neat as you say it is I would’ve heard about it by now.”

“It’s underground,” Steve tried to convince her. “Not physically, I mean. It's above ground, I promise. Underground in the sense that only the cool kids know about it.”

She snorted. “Cool kids?”

“Y-yeah,” He tried to double down.

“As in, like, high schoolers?”

“Other people besides high schoolers can be cool kids, y’know,” Steve said, trying his best not to cough.

“Maybe I’ll ask Robin about it when she comes in—”

“I could take you?” Steve is quick to interject. “To Skull Rock, I mean. Tonight, if you’re free.”

A smile crept across her ruby red lips. “Like a date?”

“Pshht, no,” Steve waved. “Like a thing friends do! An activity of sorts.”

“Sounds like a date.”

“An activity,” Steve corrected, feeling queasy at the thought she may actually say yes.

As if mulling over her options for the evening, (Y/N) stared directly into Steve Harrington’s brown eyes, pinning him to the spot with such a glare. “Hm. Alright.”

“A-alright?”

“Do you think I have to change for this ‘activity’?” (Y/N) motioned her hands up and down her body, giving Steve actual permission to fully look at her. Her outfit was already sensible enough—she was here to work, after all—he didn’t ever see a reason for her to change.

“Maybe different shoes?” Steve offered, looking down at her feet, adorned with ruby red flats to match her lips.

“What sort of shoes do you recommend? These are my favorite flats.”

“Sneakers. Something you don’t mind getting dirty—”

“I don’t mind getting these dirty.”

“Something more suitable for the forest,” Steve amended. “Sticks, mud, poison ivy. Would hate for the tops of your feet to succumb to that bullshit.”

“Succumb,” (Y/N) repeated. “Big word.”

“Average word,” Steve mumbled, feeling only a tad bit embarrassed.

“Average is fine,” she shrugged. “I have sneakers in my car. We could go after work?”

—

Six o’clock couldn’t have come faster.

Steve had spent the last few hours of his shift trying to best plan his escape from Family Video—an escape that involved pulling (Y/N) into his car before Robin could tell her what Skull Rock really was. Thankfully, (Y/N) hadn’t had the mind to tell Robin what their plans were after work yet, but he knew it would come.

The minute hand finally ticked to the top of the clock. 6pm on the dot. Steve practically threw off his vest and ran to the wall clock to punch out.

“In a rush?” Robin asked.

“Something like that,” Steve said, not wanting to share much more.

“Well, enjoy yourself Rob!” (Y/N) nearly sang, now standing behind Steve waiting for her turn with the wall clock. “I left the counter nice and warm for you!”

“I know you meant that to sound endearing, but it just sounds gross,” Robin laughed, not even looking up from the book she had been reading. “Get out of here before Keith makes you both work overtime.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” (Y/N) said, pushing her pink sunglasses—which were housed in the tiny locker she used every day—onto her head. “Besides, we’ve got plans.”

“We?”

“Gotta go Robin!” Steve could only shout, pushing (Y/N) out of the small room in the back—it could hardly be called a break room. Containing a small T.V on the wall, a stack of lockers, a small fridge, quaint table and a broken microwave.

“Alright, weirdo,” (Y/N) laughed, “we made it outside.”

Steve hand only blinked, but she was right. Somehow he didn’t recall the jaunt from the break room to the front door, much less the fact they made it out to their cars. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” she laughed again, “oh.”

He was sure his face was the near same color as her lipstick—cherry red and probably emitting the heat of a thousand suns. “Are you gonna change your shoes?” Somehow he strung together a full sentence.

“Go start up your car, pretty boy,” (Y/N) said smoothly, “I’ll meet you in a second.”

Pretty boy.

Start up his car, he did. He fumbled through the few cassette tapes he stored in his glove box, eager to find one she’d like. Though a thought like this had crossed his mind a handful of times, he never thought she’d actually agree to go out with him. No, not go out, this wasn’t a date. Right?

She had called him pretty boy.

And he was planning on taking her to the unofficial make out spot of Hawkins.

Maybe it was a date.

“There!” (Y/N) exclaimed, sliding into his passenger seat, showing off her worn shoes. “My well-loved sneakers! Just like you requested. How I allowed you to talk me into going to a random forest is beyond me.”

Me too. Steve thought.

“You’re not going to murder me, right?”

“What!?” Steve had already begun driving to their destination, but her sudden question had him nearly swerving off the road. “No!”

“That’s what a murderer would say.”

“I—why would I…?” Steve was at a loss for words. “If I was going to murder you, don’t you think I’d admit to it at this point?”

“No,” she shrugged, crossing her legs. Her sneakers were red too—her favorite color, perhaps? “I assume you’d admit it right before you kill me, not in transit to the murder location.”

Steve could only laugh. “You confuse me.”

“You love me,” she admonished.

Maybe he did, and if he didn’t? He certainly could see himself, though, sooner than later.

It only took another fifteen minutes of driving to reach their destination, parking his beloved BMW in a spot he knew all too well—part of himself cringed that he could admit that, even to just himself. “We’re here.”

“I’m still not convinced you’re not going to murder me,” (Y/N) hummed, hopping out of the car, a spring in her step.

He couldn’t help but chuckle, popping his trunk to dig for a blanket he knew he had left behind for one reason or another. “Come on,” he ducked his head towards a clearing, “it’s this way.”

“You really have to start explaining the appeal, Harrington,” (Y/N) said, pushing past a rather suspicious looking bush, following closely behind Steve. “This trek is nothing to scoff at.”

“Do you trust me?”

“I thought the murder accusations already confirmed that I did not?”

“Yet you still got into a car with me,” Steve said.

“I still got into a car with you,” she repeated.

As if on cue, Skull Rock, in all of its glory, peeked through the brush and into view—thankfully with no one else around.

“We made it!” Steve exclaimed, nearly impressed he remembered how to get here. Quickly unfurling the blanket he grabbed, he sat on the ground. “Come on, I promise it’s clean.”

“Doubting that,” she said, still sitting beside him. “So, spill it, what makes this place so cool?”

Steve took a deep breath.

“I, uh, may have stretched the truth a bit?”

“How far?”

“Huh?”

“How far did you stretch the truth?”

“Not by much…”

“You’re sweating,” she pointed.

“No I’m not!” Steve said, trying his very best to not look down at his pits, afraid they were betraying him. Looking back up at the girl sitting beside him, her ruby lips were twisted in a wicked smirk. “You’re making fun of me.”

“Nah,” she said, almost sounding honest. “But I also know pretty well what goes on around this rock—sick as fuck, by the way, it really looks like a skull.”

“You know about Skull Rock?” He was nearly dejected, embarrassed, even.

“I do.”

“And you still came here with me?”

“If it meant I could spend some time with you outside of work? Sure,” she said with her brilliant smile. “Though, don’t expect any swapping of saliva.”

“Then why…?”

Her knees tucked under her chin, arms wrapped fully around them. “I don’t have many friends here. You and Robin kind of are it for me, at least, since I moved here. I figured I should try and spend time with y’all before I move again.”

Her big move. The one she was saving up for.

“Back to Chicago, right?”

She nodded. “Yeah. Though, it’s going to be a while until I do actually move. Who knew trying to rent your own apartment in a big city is stupid expensive? Wait—don’t answer that, that’s a stupid fucking observation.”

“It’s a bit silly,” he agreed, trying his best not to laugh. “But, yeah, way more expensive than Hawkins.”

The sun had begun to set, not that they could see it, through the trees and all, but the sky was now a warm orange. The kind of color that reminded Steve of summer, melted creamsicles and sweet memories.

“What’s in Chicago, anyway?” Steve finally asked, eyes glued to the sky. The question had been on the tip of his tongue since he met her. “I mean, I never really hear you talk much about it—only when you feel the need to dig at Hawkins.”

“It’s where I grew up,” she shrugged. “All of my friends are out there, my life is out there.”

“I mean, you did just say Robin and I were your friends?” He offered, leaning back on his hands.

She narrowed her gaze, pulling her head up from her knees ever-so-slightly. “Most of my friends are out there,” she corrected. “I just… my dad moved out here for work, a job he literally can’t tell us about—my mom is stuck being some bored housewife waiting every night for him to come home, slaving over a home cooked meal, and I’m just his failure of a daughter who works at a video store.”

Steve knows that feeling a bit too well.

“It doesn’t even have to be Chicago,” she chuckled, mostly to herself. “I just can’t stay here. My forward thinking mind is too big for this town. I figure, maybe in the city I can find myself, figure out what this planet has in store for me, you know?”

“I do.”

“You do?”

“I mean, I never had the thought to leave Hawkins,” Steve said, still looking up at the sky—darker now, but still orange. “Especially now with all of the…”

How does he explain the Upside Down? Does he explain the Upside Down? No. She doesn’t need to know. Not yet, anyway.

“…you know, the missing people,” he finally said, finding the right explanation. “But the idea of going to a big city, finding my way and maybe figuring out what this big head is good for?” His self deprecating laugh echoed from under the large rock formation. “I get it.”

“Y’know,” (Y/N) relaxed her grip on her knees, “my mom had hesitations about moving here because of the missing people—afraid I was going to go missing too.”

“And your dad still moved you here anyway?” Steve still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact people would move here willingly, especially all that’s been in the news about their small town.

“I told you, big secret job,” she said, as if that was the only answer. “My dad’s answer to the problem was buying my mom a new kitchen set and me a car.”

“The BMW?”

“Hell yeah,” she snorted. “Though I suppose once I get to the city—any of them, I’ve decided—I’ll sell it. No need for a car if you’ve got decent public transit. I wonder how much I can get for it?”

“Probably less than what you’re thinking.”

“You’re probably right.”

The sun had finally set, leaving a hazy, sort of mystical hue over the rock and clearing.

“You could come with me, you know,” (Y/N) finally spoke up.

“Huh?”

��Get out of Hawkins? Lord knows I’d need a roommate. Rent is gonna be insane regardless.”

He pondered the thought. Moving out of this God-forsaken town with practically the girl of his dreams? It sounded too good to be true. “Huh.”

“You obviously don’t have to answer right now,” she said, nearly flustered. Was she flustered? “It was just a dumb thought…”

“It’s not dumb,” he said steadily, truthfully. “Not dumb at all.”

“What? You’re actually considering it?”

“Don’t ask me things if you’re not serious about them,” Steve joked, pointing at her. “I mean, it sounds pretty perfect. Leaving Hawkins, making a way for myself, trying to not rely on my parents… I dunno. Something to think about.”

She only nodded.

“Of course, I can’t leave yet,” Steve corrected, mostly to himself. “I have… unfinished business.”

“Ominous,” she snorted.

“A man has his secrets,” he smirked, turning to look at her. “Not murder-y secrets, I really can’t stress that one enough.”

“Handsome, funny and mysterious, the full package,” she hummed.

“You think I’m handsome?”

“I don’t want to stroke your ego,” (Y/N) said. “Surely you know you’re handsome.”

“I didn’t know you thought I was handsome.”

“I think everyone thinks you’re handsome,” her eyebrow raised. “Especially all those girls who come in to rent movies I know for a fact they have no interest in. Robin says you had a similar effect back at the ice cream place.”

“You’ve talked to Robin about my handsomeness?”

“I’ve talked to Robin about your obliviousness,” she corrected, “I think there’s a difference.”

He felt like his brain was melting. If he had a mirror, he’d check his ears to make sure no pink matter was dripping out. “But you think I’m handsome?” If the lighting hadn’t been as low as it was, he’d probably be able to see just how dark her cheeks had become.

“Irrelevant.”

He found the courage to scoot a little closer to her. “I mean, I think it’s pretty relevant… considering I think you’re pretty handsome too.”

Her head couldn’t have turned faster.

“Beautiful! I meant beautiful! Not that you can’t be handsome,” Steve felt himself choking on his own foot, falling deeper into a hole he knew he couldn’t get out of. “If you’d rather be called handsome, that’s fine by me, but traditionally, you’re stunning—so so pretty and I—”

“Steve—”

“A-and I’m messing this up,” Steve deflates. The crickets around Skull Rock must have been paid actors at this point. Steve made a mental note to bring a can of Raid the next time he came here—revenge of some sorts. “I can’t believe I’m messing this up.”

Something slightly wet touched his cheek.

“I don’t think you’re messing anything up,” (Y/N) said, pulling away from his face. She kissed his cheek. “I think you’re a little silly and overthinking a lot, though.”

“You kissed me?”

“I kissed your cheek, no need to short-circuit,” she smiled softly. “I figured it was a good way to bring you back down to Earth. Did it work?”

He nodded, a bit too fast for his liking. “Uh, yeah. I think so.”

“Good,” she said, so sure of herself. “You were really spiraling there for a moment.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I guess I was.”

More crickets.

“Would you have kissed Robin on the cheek? If she was spiraling like that?”

“No,” she said honestly. “Just you.”

“Oh.”

“You took me to the make-out spot of Hawkins,” (Y/N) gestured to the rock above them. “Did you expect me to not kiss you?”

“You kissed my cheek,” he clarified, feeling bolder. “I don’t think that counts.”

“Hm,” she tapped her chin in faux-thought. “It probably doesn’t.”

“I could let you try again?”

“Oh you’d let me?” She crossed her arms, voice airy, light.

“Or I could kiss you,” he shrugged. “Dealers choice.”

“Oh what endless options I have,” she laughed, getting up from the blanket. It was only a little scratchy. “Come on, pretty boy, it’s getting late. My mom is probably worried sick I haven’t made it home yet. Probably waiting by the front window with some terrible dinner in the oven, I assume.”

She offered her hand, helping Steve up off the ground. “You’re probably right.”

“This was nice,” she said, walking back to the car. “Thanks for taking me out here, Steve. I finally found the one good thing in Hawkins.”

“Skull Rock is just that impressive, huh?” Steve laughed, his smile reaching his eyes.

“Something like that,” her smile was just as big.

BONUS: “Pop your trunk, I’ll put this nasty blanket away,” (Y/N) said, circling to the back of Steve’s car.

“It’s not that nasty,” he snorted, fulfilling her request. Climbing into his car and starting up the engine, he waited for her to throw the scrap of fabric in the back. In the corner of his eye, he could see her through the mirror, staring intently at the contents of his trunk. “How long does it take to put a blanket away?” He sighed, hopping back out of the car to join her, realizing quickly why she was just staring in his trunk.

“Y’know,” she clicked, “this doesn’t really help the whole ‘I’m not gonna murder you’ thing.”

In her hands was his tried and true baseball bat—still outfitted with spiky nails and the very essence of dried blood.

“I-I can explain—”

“You probably can,” she said, throwing the bat back into the trunk, slamming it shut. “How about over dinner sometime?”

He’d be stupid to say no.

#Steve Harrington #Steve Harrington x Reader #Steve Harrington x You #Stranger Things #Steve Harrington Imagines #okay fine twist my arm this is loosely based on the btr song of the same name #can't blame a girl for finding inspiration everywhere #does it have a plot? no #do I like pining and love-sick steve? yes

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rubberfuckey · 11 months

Text

summary: After a worried phone call from Wheezie, you decide to come back to Kildare.

wc: 1.3k

a/n: This is set right after season three, let's pretend the time skip in the show doesn't exist (: This is my first post since 2020! Let me know what y'all think <3333 part two??? ;)

Eyes snapping open and with a rush of panic, you try to locate your piercingly loud phone tangled in the sheets somewhere next to you. Who the fuck would be calling me at whatever ungodly hour it is? Finally finding it, you damn near blind yourself with how bright it is and how unadjusted your eyes are. Squinting, too tired and agitated to read it, you swipe to answer the call like muscle memory.

“Hello?” you huff.

“I’m sorry I know it’s late… but I have a favor to ask.”

“Wheeze? What’s going on? Are you okay?” Hearing her voice sits you straight up in your bed, she has never called this late or has ever asked of anything from you.

“I’m okay, kind of. I’m alive. It’s not me I’m worried about.”

“Wheezie-”

“I know,” she cuts you off, “nevermind it was stupid anyways.”

“No, Wheezie, talk to me.”

“It’s just, Rafe,” you flinch at hearing his name, “I’m scared. I’ve never seen him like this before. We know he’s already a pretty angry guy, but this is something different.”

You sit there quietly listening. You left Kildare a year ago, after a nasty breakup with Rafe and trying to break apart the unhealthy codependency you both developed. You transferred to a different state college but you always stayed in touch with Wheezie. Before you and Rafe went wrong, you were close with both his sisters and promised to stay in contact with the young girl you watched grow throughout your time with Rafe. No one knew of course, you and Rafe were completely no contact- opting to block his number after one too many heartwrenching voicemails while obviously under the influence of his favorite white powder.

Sarah hadn’t tried to reach out, but from what Wheeze had mentioned she got herself distracted with a pogue-turned cop killer-who was proved innocent. What a shit show. You knew it all, countless Facetime calls caught you up to speed. You consoled her through the “death” of Sarah, the “death” of her father and what other trauma presented itself. Sometimes it was too much being constantly reminded of your ex, whom you still loved very deeply, but being there for this poor girl trumped how it made you feel. The feeling went both ways, she stopped you from coming back to the island quite a few times when she told you just how bad things have gotten, insisting that she would be okay, when in reality she really just needed a hug from her honorary sister. He was never brought up, you didn’t ask, she didn’t tell. Something in your gut told you it’s just better if you don’t know what had been going on with him. You appreciated her respecting that boundary.

“The club is hosting some kind of party in Ward’s honor tomorrow. It’s weird, he was supposed to be dead months ago and the island is just now doing something in memory of him. Probably Rose organized it or something, who knows. Anyways,” she stopped and took in a deep breath, “Rose wants us all to be there and speak about him in front of everyone. I went to ask Rafe what he planned on saying to hopefully find some inspiration but he just went on and on about how ‘the pogues killed him on purpose’ and how ‘they have another thing coming to them if they think they’re just going to get away with it’. I’ve seen him mad before, I’ve watched him punch holes through the walls, scream, yell, and cry. But this…” she trails off, inhaling deeply after her fast paced rant.

You sigh, not knowing what to say, “Give me some time to get a bag packed and get on the road, and I’ll be there.”

“I’m sorry, I wouldn’t bother you with his dramatics if I didn’t think it was important.”

“Hey, don’t apologize, I’m glad you told me. I’ll be there soon, just keep working on what you want to say. I’ll help you brainstorm tomorrow while I’m driving if you need me to.”

“Thanks, Y/N. You’re seriously the best.”

“Keep your head up Wheeze, get some rest and maybe steer clear of your brother for a little bit.”

After hanging up, you sigh and stare up at your ceiling. Shit.

The drive back to the OBX gave you time to think, what would you actually be walking back into? Was his grief manifesting itself into the kind of anger and violence that could be fatal to anyone he saw at fault? You shuddered at the thought. Pulling in to your parent’s driveway, you sent a text to Wheezie telling her you just got in and you’ll meet her at the country club. You could name about a thousand and one places you would rather be than under the same roof as Rafe Cameron for the first time in over a year, but you wanted to pay your respects and be there to support the people that had turned into your bonus family during your 2 year relationship with Rafe.

“You ready honey?” your mom asks as you slip on your shoes to match the black dress you had chose.

“As I’ll ever be.”

The car ride was quiet, your anxiety was palpable as you bit your nails down and bounced your leg uncontrollably. Walking in the familiar doors, all you saw was the looks on people’s faces as they realized you were back on the island and here no less. Pretty much everyone knew who you were, your family’s status not much different from the Cameron’s themselves. You were known as the sweet girl from the affluent family who smiled politely at everyone who looked in your direction and would never hurt a fly. Rafe’s reputation was quite the opposite. When you and Rafe had made your first entrance together at Midsummers at the age of 17, it was the talk of the island. Ignoring the stares and whispers, you held your head high and looked for Wheezie.

Standing next to a huge photo of Ward leant against an easel stood Rafe, watered down whiskey in hand as he blankly looked around at the people in the room. If one more person awkwardly gave him a tight lipped look of sympathy, he was going to lose it. He heard people murmuring and the looks in his direction seemed to increase. Shaking off the feeling like everyone knew something he didn’t, he downed his drink and made his way over to get another. Sofia caught him before he reached the bar and assumed her position under his arm.

“Maybe slow down on the whiskey?” She meant well, but damn did he need another drink. Looking at her blankly, he kept moving towards the bartender. His father was dead, who gives a fuck how much alcohol his grieving son intakes. Kelce walks into the room from the hallway, looking around frantically, catching sight of Rafe as he beelines toward him, out of breath.

“Yo, Rafe, Y/N is here.”

Rafe nearly chokes on his drink as he looks at Kelce with an unreadable expression, “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Y/N, I just saw her walking in with my own two eyes bro.”

He sets his glass back down and suddenly Sofia was right all along, he needs to slow down on the whiskey if you were really here. He thinks back to the last time he saw you, all the screaming and crying and pleading with you not to leave. Even with the past year's events, he puts losing you at the top of the list of the most painful things he’s ever been through. He understands why you left and couldn’t blame you, but damn did he miss you like you were the air he needed to breathe. You walked in, obviously looking for something or someone as he watched your eyes scan the room until they caught his. He immediately felt nauseous. I’m going to puke, you thought.

part two

#rafe cameron #outer banks #rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron imagine #outer banks imagine #outerbanks

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jogetsobsessed · 25 days

Text

Mud Puddles - Seth Clearwater

This is based on this request !! I had a lot of fun writing it, thank you so much to the anon who requested this! Also, I hit 100 followers, so yay! Thank you so much to everyone for being patient with me and my unreliable posting. I hope you all enjoy!

“Come on Y/N”, a squeaky voice called from ahead.

You bounded through the countless mud puddles littering the Clearwaters property, the heavy raindrops soaking through your clothes. But you didn't care.

You didn't care that the cold was reaching your bones or that the mud most likely had wrecked your favorite t-shirt.

No, you simply were having the time of your life, chasing after your best friend, who was equally as dirty (if not dirtier) than you.

It was some make-believe game that his older sister had taught the pair of you that had the two of you sliding all around the yard. Today marked the season's first “good” rain, turning the sizable lawn into your own slip-and-slide.

The game went on for hours, each of you taking countless turns at being game leader, trekking through the wilderness, finding different treasures to take back to your shared treehouse, one that his father had built the two of you as a shared birthday gift years ago.

Eventually, the chill did catch up to both of you, as you reluctantly marched back home, taking the time to jump in just a few more puddles. Once Seth had burst through his back door beckoning you to follow you were immediately stopped by his mother, who almost had a heart attack at the sight of him and you.

Head-to-toe mud was caked on your bodies.

“Seth Clearwater and Y/N Y/L/N what on earth were you two thinking”, Sue screeched as she rushed off to find towels to attempt to clean you off enough for her to get you home.

She was still yelling about how she couldn't believe the two of you managed to get that dirty in one afternoon and how you shouldn't be left unsupervised any longer. Leaving you and Seth standing in front of the sliding glass door, clothes dripping on the linoleum. You were focusing on the sound of your teeth chattering when you felt someone staring at you.

Your gaze tracked to your left and you saw your best friend, teeth chattering and looking like a drowned rat staring back at you. As soon as he saw you looking back at him a wicked grin broke out on his face and he threw his head back, howling with laughter.

Soon you joined him, laughing so hard that your cheeks started to hurt almost instantly. And there stood the two of you, ten years old, laughing until Sue came back in the room, accepting the towels she brought, and you happily agreed to stay for dinner.

Life couldn't get any better, not when you lived in Forks, down the street from your best friend on the entire planet.

The cruelness of reality caught up to you only a mere month later.

When your parents sat you down after you had got ready for bed one night and explained that in just a couple weeks you were going to be leaving your childhood home, and the town that you loved. They did their best to try and explain how it was a smart economical decision for your family, your dad got a new high-paying job. Bribery was their main tactic, explaining that you were going to get to decorate your new bedroom and pick out some new toys and clothes for your new school.

But it didn't matter.

Because all you heard was that you were moving twenty hours away.

Twenty hours away from your best friend.

It was like your entire world was crumbling apart. The light from within was blown out.

They promised that you would make new friends.

But you didn't want to make new friends, not when you had the best one in the entire world.

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

Rolling into town you truly had no plan.

Your mom had heard from an old coworker of hers that the Clearwaters still live in the same house from your childhood. Sue and Harry had always been the type of people with an open-door policy, and you were hoping that their generosity still stood to this day. “You're always welcome in our home Y/N’, Sue had told you all those years ago when you ran to their home, tears streaming down your face after your parents told you about the move. You didn't need a place to stay, just someone to talk to and catch you up on everything from the last ten years.

The turns in the road came to you naturally, it was like riding a bike, something you never truly forget. Crossing through Forks, turning left onto the reservation. And just like the drive through town, nothing had changed.

And when you came upon the familiar gravel driveway you felt like you were ten years old again.

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

Your hand was hovering over the faded green door, the peeling paint revealing the old shade of brown it used to be.

Your thoughts were racing, what if Sue didn't recognize you, or thought it was weird you had just shown up out of the blue after all these years? Part of you wanted to turn around and haul ass back to San Diego, and just pretend that the past few days and this road trip didn't happen.

But you knew that if you showed up back home so soon you would look like a complete fool to your parents and your friends. You came all this way for this moment.

The sound of your knuckles rapping against the wood caused the sounds of someone moving about the kitchen to halt. Footsteps padding through the house were the next sound and you took a step back, preparing for whoever you were about to come face to face with.

“Y/N?” a voice said, completely startled.

“Sue!”, you mirrored, relieved to see the woman you once considered a second mom. She stared at you in shock before opening the storm door fully, ushering you inside, pulling you into a bone-crushing hug. Laughing you hugged her back, breathing in her familiar smell of pine and fresh bread. She pulled away but kept you in her outstretched grasp admiring you.

“I can not believe how grown up you are”, she fawned tears in her eyes.

“A decade away will do that to yah”, you said laughing slightly.

She ushered you through the house and into the kitchen. You sat on the barstool where she directed you, accepting the glass of water and a small plate of cookies she pushed in your direction. Comfortable silence fell over the two of you as she stood on the opposite side of the counter just gazing at the sight of you.

Conversation flowed freely after you broke the silence, complimenting her on the cookies.

You were in the middle of laughing at a story about Leah learning how to drive for the first time when the sound of the front door crashing open sounded through the house. Sue immediately rolled her eyes at the sound, muttering something inaudible under her breath.

Heavy stomps bounded into the kitchen but came to a sudden stop.

“Hey honey, we have a surprise visitor”

Slowly you pushed yourself around on the stool, taking in the sight in front of you.

Saying he was handsome was an understatement.

He stood tall, his tan complexion glistening with sweat and his jaw dropped to the floor. Your smile was weak as you watched his eyes look you over from head to toe, drinking in the sight of you.

His gaze drifted past you, looking at his mom who seemed to understand what was going on, even if you didn't.

Sue left the room, sliding past you and slipping out the back door. Leaving just you and Seth in the kitchen.

Slowly you slid off the stool and took a few steps towards him. As you approached a loud snort escaped you and you snapped your palm across your mouth trying to stifle your laughter.

“What is so funny?”, he questioned cocking an eyebrow.

Your laughter only got louder as you had to crane your neck back to meet his gaze. Confused he started to laugh a little too, rubbing the back of his neck as he glanced down at you.

“You were two inches shorter than me when I last saw you, that's what's so funny”.

His laugh was full this time, finally understanding where yours was coming from. Now he stood what seemed to be eight to ten inches taller than you, definitely surpassing six feet.

“I can't believe you're here, standing in my kitchen”, his voice was soft as if he didn't want to startle you, as if this was a dream. His hand slowly reached out towards yours. And when your two hands met you could have sworn you felt electricity. He coughed back another laugh, a nervous energy suddenly taking him over.

You rubbed your thumb over his unnaturally warm hand as you met his gaze again, giggling before you threw your hands around his neck. He faltered for a second before he wrapped his arms around your waist lifting you and tilting you around slightly. You squealed, caught off guard by the gesture, tightening your grip on him.

Seth sat you down and continued to stare at you, watching every slight movement you took, almost like he was afraid you would disappear. Tugging him towards the living room, the two of you sat on opposite ends of the loveseat, tucking your legs into your chest so you could turn and fully face him.

You wanted to know everything about him. Every detail about the past ten years of his life. Because even though it had been almost that long since the two of you had an actual conversation you still felt drawn to him. Like no time had passed at all. Looking at him behind the new adult body you still saw the ten-year-old that you had once loved.

Seth knew.

He knew from the moment that you turned around.

You were his person.

The imprint bond was just like everyone, all his brothers had explained it.

Suddenly Y/N was his reason for existing.

The same girl that he had been having dreams about since he was a child, the same girl who he had pined after, breaking down in secret whenever she got brought up in conversation. The same girl who had been missing for over half his life.

He had been able to communicate it with Sue by just the look in his eyes, and he was grateful she had gotten the hint and left the room. This was something that he needed to process with as few eyes on him as possible.

You were none the wiser, simply laughing about the reversed height difference the two of you now shared. Why would you know, you hadn't been around when Seth phased for the first time or experienced the hellish year that followed the Cullen's returning from their short time away from Forks.

And he was glad. You had been kept safe, far away from the danger that the supernatural world possessed.

Seth wanted to tell you, he wanted to tell everyone. Something deep inside of him was telling him to jump up and scream it from the rooftops, you were his imprint.

But he knew he couldn't. At least not right now.

You didn't have the slightest clue about anything supernatural, so he certainly couldn't start by telling you that the two of you were meant to be together. That the two of you were going to be tied together for the rest of your lives.

So for now, he didn't.

For now, he relished in your company, listening intently as you told him about your life. About everything he had missed during your absence from Forks.

And he was content, someday you would know. But not today.

#edward cullen #fanfic #imprint #paul lahote #paul lahote x reader #twilight #x reader #sam uley #fem reader #seth clearwater #seth clearwater x reader #seth clearwater imagine #twilight fanfiction #the twilight saga #twilight wolfpack #twilight wolfpack x reader #jogetsobsessed

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teaberrii · 7 months

Text

Chapter 28: Home

You've been Cupid for as long as you can remember. You've brought countless soulmates together, yet you've never found love.

When you're assigned to bring two childhood friends back together, it should be simple until you unexpectedly catch feelings for the mysterious and cold Ph.D. student, Dan Heng, the man with a soulmate… the man with answers to your past.

Dan Heng/You

Chapter notes: Smut

Notes:

Cross-posted on Ao3

Female reader

Chapter index at the end of chapter one

Later in the day, Jing Yuan is sitting in his study with a glass of wine when his phone goes off. He looks at the name on the screen and frowns. But, he picks up, regardless.

“It’s outside business hours,” Jing Yuan says flatly. “You better have a good reason to be calling me.”

“If you really didn’t want to pick up, you wouldn’t have,” Stelle’s father says. “...Are you going to get rid of her?”

“...Who?”

“You know who I’m talking about. She’s the one responsible for The Withering, isn’t she?”

Jing Yuan spins his chair around, looks out of his large window, and stands with a hand in his pocket. “Don’t get involved in this.”

“Are you really expecting me to sit here and do nothing? My son is dying, and…”

The rest falls on deaf ears. Jing Yuan knows everything that’s going on, including your choice to “crawl your way back to the living" as a mercenary so eloquently put it. He senses a presence, but it’s not the god he’s so familiar with. Jing Yuan looks over his shoulder and sees Young.

“I’m not him.”

“I know,” Young answered earlier that day after mysteriously appearing in Jing Yuan’s office. “You’re my brother’s reincarnation.”

Jing Yuan heard something click, and when he spun around he saw Dan Heng leaning against the closed door. “All right.” Jing Yuan narrowed his eyes. “What is this about? Are you two teaming up to assassinate me?”

“...We’re here to talk,” Dan Heng answered.

“Gosh, that really explains things and doesn’t sound ominous at all.” Jing Yuan crossed his arms. “Don’t tell me you think I’m going to do something to her.”

Young and Dan Heng glanced at each other. “We’re here to ask for a favour, Brother.”

"What favour could you possibly need from me at this point? Isn’t the rest up to her?”

“It’s about Stelle’s father,” Dan Heng answered.

Jing Yuan looked down and smiled. Then, he walked over and plopped on the sofa. With one leg crossed over the other and an arm draped over the top of the couch, he looked at the two with intrigue. “The man might be a little crazy, but he’s not crazy enough to kill her if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“He couldn’t even if he tried,” Dan Heng said. Then, his gaze hardened. “But, he’s going to try to convince you to do it.”

“...Seems like your status in this world hasn’t changed,” Young added.

Jing Yuan sighed. “You sound so sure.”

“I grew up with Stelle and Caelus," Dan Heng said. "Our families are close, so I know what kind of man he is.”

“Well, you ain’t the only one.” Jing Yuan scoffed. “He's a man in power who cannot take responsibility for his actions. Men like that are often the ones responsible for everyone’s misery.”

“Sounds like he came to you for a lot of things,” Young said.

“You ain’t wrong.”

Dan Heng sat on the opposite couch of Jing Yuan. “...Cupid is going to become human.”

“Ah, I see where this is going.” Jing Yuan leaned forward. “Both of you don’t want her to become involved in any danger when she does because all of her godly powers will be gone.”

“The Withering will disappear,” Young said. “Luocha and Caelus will be cured, but for someone who does not understand what has been happening, it might be difficult to accept.”

“All right, all right! Enough with making excuses for Operation Save Cupid.” Young and Dan Heng looked at each other just as Jing Yuan asked with a sigh, “Why does history have an uncanny way of repeating itself?”

“No matter what, Caelus will be cured,” Jing Yuan says, interrupting the man’s rambling.

“...How do you know?”

“Look, you wanted her to do something, right? Well, she’s doing something now. So, stop your worrying.”

Caelus’s father frowns. “And she’s just going avoid responsibility? She admitted herself that she cursed my son for—”

“Well, your son tried to kill her.”

“...Excuse me?”

Jing Yuan sighs. “The past is the past, and as long as Caelus will be fine, that’s all that matters.”

“How do you know about my son, anyway? You’ve never met him.”

Oh, we’ve met, is what Jing Yuan wants to say. But, instead, he says, “I know everything about my clients. You’ve been one for years, my friend. So, if you try to hurt her… there will be consequences, and I won’t hold back. Do you understand?”

“...Doesn’t sound like money can even convince you otherwise.”

“There’s more to life than money, my friend.”

Caelus’s father scoffs. “The last person I want to hear that from is you.”

“Then, why don’t you let this entire thing go and spend some time with your children, hm?”

“...If anything happens, I’ll hold you responsible.”

And then the line goes dead.

Jing Yuan puts his phone down with an unamused look at Young who is slightly smiling. “What are you smiling for?”

“That went well, didn’t it?”

Jing Yuan picks up a pen and twirls it around his fingers. “Don’t make me throw this at you.”

“What's with your obsession with throwing sharp objects?”

Your voice catches him off guard, and he turns around and sees you standing behind him.

“...What are you doing here?”

“I’m going to become human,” you say. “I might as well use my powers while I still can.”

“So, you decided to pay little ‘ol me a visit? Flattered.”

“Young and Dan Heng told me everything.” You walk up to him. “...Thank you.”

“If I’m being honest, I think I like you better when you’re being prissy.” You lean up and give him a chaste kiss on the cheek, to Jing Yuan’s surprise. You instantly regret it, however, when you see him slightly smirk. Then, he leans down until his face is in front of yours. “You sure your ‘lil boyfriend won’t get jealous?” You frown. But before you can say anything, Young appears in front of you. Jing Yuan leans upright and sees Young’s unamused look. “Just bein’ friendly.”

“No need.”

You step out behind Young, and Jing Yuan glances at you. “...Looks like you want to say something, sweetheart.”

“Your fianceé…” you say cautiously, and Jing Yuan’s smile almost instantly fades. “You still have things left unsaid.” Your gaze softens. “...She’ll be there… in the afterlife.”

“...What is there left to say?” Jing Yuan asks, walking back to his chair. He looks over his shoulder. “If she sees you there, she’ll probably try to kill you a second time.” He sighs. “...But, if I could tell her one thing… I’d tell her that The Withering is gone. It was what she wanted.” Jing Yuan walks over to you. “A killer and a saviour… What’s up with that, sweetheart?”

“You’re asking the wrong person.”

When Jing Yuan blinks, you’re already gone. Then, when he looks at Young, he says, “...I hope we succeed this time, Brother.”

Young looks down with a little smile. “We will.”

Jing Yuan doesn’t need to turn to know that Lan is in the room. “Well, look who decided to join the party? If you’re looking for Cupid, you just missed her.” Jing Yuan turns while Young glances to his side to see the god.

“It’s been a long time, Lan,” Young says.

“Looks like her kiss separated the two of you.”

“Gosh, spare us the details,” Jing Yuan says, rolling his eyes. “What brings you here?”

Lan walks towards Young. “Cupid plans on coming back as a human… You should’ve been the first to know.”

“...And?”

“It’s not like you to put her in danger,” Lan says. “You should know that if she doesn’t make it back to the living, her soul will either disappear or be stuck in limbo.”

Young closed his eyes for a brief moment. “That won’t happen.”

“How are you so sure?”

“It’s not like you to interfere with other people’s affairs.”

“...She’s a friend.”

Young smiles. “Then, you can rest assured that I will not let anything happen to her… or Pom.”

◆◆◆

When you return to the Astral Express, your shoulders fall. This will perhaps be the last time you step foot on the mysterious train you’ve called home for centuries. You never thought you’d miss this place. But that’s not why you’re here. Like always, you’re here to get some answers… but this time, it’s not for yourself. As if expecting your arrival, the door to Himeko’s compartment is open, and you walk right inside.

“Are you satisfied with what you discovered?” Himeko turns around. “I kept my promise, didn’t I?”

“...You did,” you say. “But that’s not why I’m here.”

“Well, I’m listening.”

You take a small breath, bracing yourself for the answer. “Is it possible for Pom to become human?”

“...I’m sure you know about the dangers of coming back to the living. I heard from Sampo about your decision. You will die once as a god… but if you fail to make it back, there are no second chances. Do you understand what that means?”

“...I do.”

“And you wish the same fate on Pom?”

“I want to know if it’s possible,” you say sternly. “That’s all. Whether Pom wants to take that chance… That’s his choice, not mine.”

Himeko shakes her head. “You truly are an interesting woman, Cupid.”

“So, what’s it gonna be?”

You turn around while Himeko looks past you. “...Nanook? Pom!”

Pom, as a rabbit, hops onto Himeko’s table. Though he’s trying to look serious, he can’t keep it for long. “It’s possible, Cupid.”

“We went on an adventure…” Nanook says, “did a little digging… and, well, nowhere does it say that ‘magical beings’ other than gods can't do the same thing.” Nanook shakes his head. “They really should make the rules clearer, huh?”

“Have you thought that there might be a reason why?” Himeko asks. “I don’t know where you got that information, but there’s a reason why that’s not public knowledge. We don’t know what will happen, and no one wants to be the guinea pig to find out.”

“But, what if? Yeah, I don’t know what’ll happen in there. Maybe I’ll suddenly vanish… or burn into a million pieces… but I still want to try!”

“Pom…”

Pom turns to you. “We’ve walked together this far. I don’t see a reason why we have to separate now!”

You almost laugh. “Are you sure it’s not because you just want to stay human?”

Pom shyly rubs the back of his head. “It’s been a good experience, I have to admit.” Then, he turns to Himeko and bows his little head. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Himeko.” He gives her a smile and pats his chest. “I won’t disappoint you!”

Himeko scoffs with a small smile and shakes her head. “I see your mind’s made up.” A sigh. “Well, who am I to stop you?”

Upon leaving the room, you immediately see Idrila who comes up and hugs you tightly. “I had to hear it for myself! What is this about you leaving?”

“It’s… a long story,” you say. “But, I want to be human, Idrila.”

She puts a hand on your hip. “Don’t tell me this is the cute kid’s doing?”

“...Are you talking about Dan Heng?” Nanook asks.

“Who else would I be talking about?” Nanook rolls his eyes just as Idrila chuckles. “Do you remember that one day you told me you thought it was ridiculous someone would risk it all for love?” She nudges you. “Well, look who’s doing the same now!”

“That’s… well…”

Idrila sighs dramatically. “Just goes to show that someone has to experience something for themselves to really understand it.”

“...Dan Heng does play a role in my decision,” you say. “But…”

No matter what happens, if you do make it back, you’ll be human… a chance to live out a life in a society where you’d be just like any other person. Your heart tingles at the possibilities, the things you can accomplish. There are so many things to try, and you want to do them all.

Idrila smiles. “I get it, Cupid. I get it.” She gives you another tight hug. “Hey, just so you know, you won’t be rid of us forever.”

“That’s right,” Nanook adds. “Humans worship gods, after all.” He gives you a cheeky grin. “Maybe you’ll get so drunk one day that you’ll be wishing on a star for me to help you.”

You scoff. “Riiight. Well, if that day ever comes, I’ll make sure to save some alcohol for you.”

Idrila look at Pom who is on your shoulder. She squishes his cheek, and Pom has to swat her hand away. “And little Pom is also growing up.”

“Yeah,” Nanook says flatly. “Look at him all ready to put his life on the line. It’s mindblowing.”

“Hey!” Pom stands up straight and puffs out his chest. “I’ll have you know that I’ve risked my life plenty of times!”

“For what?” Nanook deadpans. “The cafeteria food?”

“Rrraagghh!”

Before you can stop him, Pom throws himself at Nanook, throwing punches at his face while Nanook tries to claw him off.

“...They sure come a long way,” you say.

Idrila chuckles. “They sure have.” Then, you feel her take your hand. “...Safe travels, Cupid. One day, we’ll meet again. I’m sure of it.”

You pull her into a hug and chuckle. “It’ll be like deja vu all over again.”

“You must’ve had enough of that.”

“A little, not gonna lie.”

“PomPom Punch!”

You and Idrila stop hugging and see Pom standing victoriously with his paws on his hips. Nanook's face is covered with little scratches and bruises.

“Enjoy my farewell gift,” Pom says.

Nanook frowns. “I’ll remember this.”

Suddenly, you feel a gust of wind behind you. You look over your shoulder and see Lan. Pom quickly finds your shoulder and says, “Uncle Lan!”

“...It’s time to go.”

You hear footsteps behind you, and Pom hops off your shoulder and into Idrila’s arms. She gives you a small wink. “I’ll leave the two of you alone.”

You and Nanook end up walking together behind the others.

“...You said you and Pom went on an adventure. Where did you go?”

Nanook smiles. “Curious?”

“I’m not going to keep asking if you’re going to play me."

“Well, I would, but I’ll let you in on my secret considering you’re, well…” Nanook clears his throat. “...I found out who the original owner of the Grimoire was. It was Sam… of the Stellaron Hunters.”

“So, he was the creator?”

“That’s right. It was passed within the Hunters before making its way down. They are gods who have extraordinary power. Every single spell that we know about are branches from spells that were created by them.”

“...So, every single form of dark magic is like a relative of one in the Grimoire?”

“Something like that.”

You sigh. “Still, why create something like that in the first place?“

“You used the Grimoire when you were still human. That wasn’t supposed to happen. That was with dark magic. Who’s to say the same thing can’t happen with white magic?”

“That’s…”

Nanook stops, puts his hands on your shoulders, and spins you to face him. “Don’t say it can’t happen. As long as you exist, as long as we exist… There’s always a way to make it happen.”

You smile. “Huh… That’s perhaps the most philosophical thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

“Even Nanook has his moments, I suppose,” Pom says, finding his way back onto your shoulder and kicking Nanook’s hand away. “You’re going to make Dan Heng mad.”

“Oh, boohoo."

“...Nanook’s right.” Lan walks up. “Anything can happen.”

Idrila chuckles. “If Uncle Lan says so, then it must be true!”

You look at Nanook and give him a quick friendly hug. He doesn’t have time to reciprocate before you pull back.

“...I’ll miss you,” you say, “as a good friend.”

Nanook smirks. “Well, it’s better than nothing.” Then, he pulls you in for another hug while Pom pretends to gag.

“...It’s time to go,” Lan says.

Upon letting you go, Nanook puts a hand on your head. “Just so you know… no one can replace you as the God of Love.”

You never thought Nanook could make your heart feel as if it dropped to the pit of your stomach.

“...This isn’t goodbye.” You turn to Lan. “I trust there will be a time when we all meet again.”

“It’s not like you to agree with Nanook,” you say, forcing a smile.

Lan smiles at you. “Then, you should trust that his words have meaning this time.”

◆◆◆

“You’ll… The two of you will be back for our trip, won’t you? It’s what’s kept me going this entire week!”

You’re standing in front of a long, dark tunnel where it’s supposedly the entrance from the living to the dead.

“I’ll be back,” you say to March. You look at Dan Heng beside her. “...I promise.”

“Might I remind you that time works differently?” Sampo says. “A day over there can feel like months over here. So, uh, sorry to disappoint, but your little trip might not include your two friends, dearie.”

“So… how long does it take to walk back here, anyway?” Gepard asks.

“Good question,” Sampo says with that annoying smile. “I guess it depends on how strong you are.”

“...Strong?”

“The way back will challenge you physically and mentally.” Sampo tosses a coin in the air. “And, well, you might’ve heard by now, but the journey back can break you.” Before the coin falls onto his palm, it bursts into flames. “You might even combust.”

March turns pale. Nanook slowly claps and says, "Wow. We can definitely count on you for reassurance."

Dan Heng puts his hands on your shoulders. You know what he’s thinking, so you say, “Hey… Don’t think I’m doing this all for you.” You hope that’ll take some pressure off of him. “...I also want to live.”

“We’ll take good care of him while you’re gone,” Gepard says, trying to lighten the situation.

March pulls you and Pom into a tight hug. “When you’re back… we’ll all go on that trip, okay? So, come back to us!”

Sampo claps once. “All right, it’s time to go, children. Let’s buddy up on our way to the afterlife, shall we?”

Dan Heng takes your hands in his after March lets you go. Then, he puts his forehead to yours. “...Please, be safe.”

Lan glances from you to Young who hasn’t said a word. Jing Yuan also does the same but looks away as if to stop himself from saying something that shouldn’t be said.

Pom and Sampo are the first inside the tunnel while you and Young travel in after them. The air is musty and gets increasingly humid as you travel further in. Eventually, small, floating lights start appearing all around you. At first, you think they’re something similar to fireflies when Young suddenly speaks.

“...Don’t touch them.”

“...What are they?” you ask.

“Souls.”

“S-Souls? But why are they…”

“These are the souls that cannot rest. They still have unfinished business.” Young takes your hand. “...It’s best to leave them alone.”

You nod.

The further you go, the more Pom and Sampo start to fade, and you start to sweat. Is something happening? What’s going on? Soon, you see a bright light, and everything goes black…

When you open your eyes again, you’re standing before a long bridge. Above you is the galaxy, and you can see the constellations of the gods. Around you are the same floating white lights, but all of them are crossing the bridge.

You hear Young say your name and you turn to him. “...This is as far as I can go.”

“...What… What do you mean?”

Young cups your face in his hands. “If I go any further, I won’t have enough power to send you back.”

You freeze, and you force a little smile. “Y-Young… What are you talking about?”

He put his forehead to yours. “...Dan Heng is so convinced that we’re two different people.” Then, he gives you a little smirk. “So, this will be our little secret.”

The contact of his lips on yours is all glowing and sparkling warmth. It’s just as you remember. The desire. The need. The hunger. Young’s intimate kisses take your breath away and give it back in a way that leaves you in a dizzying trance. The longing. The promises. The love. Nothing had changed. Your pulse thunders, the heat pulling you closer to him until your hands are in his hair. His tail wraps around you which has your body flush against his. You can feel his every muscle and smell the mountains and forest. It reminds you… of home.

“Young…” you say breathlessly. “What is…”

That’s when you see it.

It starts at his feet and begins eating its way up. Young is disappearing. But, why? How? He doesn’t let you go as he says, “...You’ll make your way back to Dan Heng. I promise.”

“What’s happening?” you cry. “Why—”

“Centuries ago, I made a mistake by keeping you in the dark.” Young smiles gently at you. “I want to make it up to you.” Your eyes widen when he quietly says your name. “...Be happy. And…” It reaches his neck, and you hear him say, "...I love you" with a warm look in his eyes that you'll never see again.

4 years later

“Food’s ready!”

March is the first in the room as Gepard walks in with food fresh off the stove.

“Gosh, I’m starving!”

“How?” Gepard asks teasingly. “All you did was game all day.”

March points up just as the sound of rain gets louder. “Yeah, I wonder why.”

As Gepard and March continue their bickering in the living room, Stelle walks by the balcony and sees Dan Heng sitting on a patio chair underneath a large umbrella. She opens the door and peeks out.

“Food’s ready, didn’t you hear?” she asks.

“I heard."

Stelle walks out and quickly joins him under the umbrella. “Then, what are you doing sitting out here for?” She looks up at the full moon that Dan Heng is looking at. “...Are you still thinking about her?” When he doesn’t say anything, Stelle sits next to him. “It’s been four years, Dan Heng… She’s… I… I don’t think she’s coming back.”

Tomorrow will be exactly four years from the day you left. You’ve always been on Dan Heng’s mind, but it’s always this time of year that you fill his thoughts the most. Ever since you left, he hasn’t seen Nanook or Lan again either. However, Caelus and Luocha have recovered, so something happened. Dan Heng wishes he knew what. The uncertainty eats away at his sanity every day.

“...You’re coming tomorrow, right?”

Right. He almost forgot. The latest movie that Stelle stars in premieres tomorrow. Everyone said they’d be there to see it.

“I’ll be there."

Stelle smiles. “Good!”

The balcony door slides open, and Caelus peeks outside. “Hey, you two. Comin’ for food?”

“Coming!”

Stelle is the first one inside. Dan Heng, before following her inside, glances at the full moon, and like every night… he hopes you’re safe… wherever you may be.

The next night, Dan Heng arrives at Stelle’s movie premiere dressed in a teal dress shirt and black blazer with gold stitching. There’s a bit of gel in his hair, styling it in a way that makes it look a little messier and fluffier than usual, and his expensive cologne smells like mountains and the ocean.

Gepard, who’s dressed in a white suit, nudges his friend. “People think you’re the main attraction here.”

And it’s true.

As he and Dan Heng make their way toward a VIP section, Gepard catches some people whispering to each other and looking at his well-dressed friend. Suddenly, Dan Heng stops, turns, and looks around.

“What’s wrong?” Gepard asks.

“...Nothing.”

Maybe the familiar presence he felt was just his imagination.

When Dan Heng and Gepard arrive at a room with Stelle and the other actors, March immediately walks up to them in her cute, strapless dress. “You two clean up well!”

Gepard smiles and gives her a hug. “We try.”

Dan Heng looks over his shoulder but sees nothing out of the ordinary.

“Hey! Let’s get a group photo!” Caelus shouts.

It’s in the middle of taking the photo that Dan Heng sees him. A man… dressed in a butler suit with large blue eyes. The man looks at him once, smiles, and then disappears into the crowd. As soon as the photo has been taken, Dan Heng hurries into the crowd to look for him.

“Hey!” he hears Stelle shout. “Where are you going?”

Dan Heng eventually ends up in the main area where people are gathered in small groups chatting or taking photos with each other, but the man who strongly resembles Pom is nowhere to be found.

“Hey.” Dan Heng turns and sees Caelus. “You okay?”

“...Yeah. I just… I thought I saw Pom.”

“...Pom?” Caelus looks down. “Is that… possible?”

Dan Heng looks down and mutters, “I’d like to think so.”

“But…”

Dan Heng sighs, knowing exactly what Caelus is going to say. It’s been four years. Why would Pom be in a place like this?

“Let’s go,” Dan Heng says. “The movie is going to start soon.”

As soon as the movie ends, Dan Heng is ready to go home. But his friends have other plans.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come to the afterparty?” March asks. “There’ll be drinks! Celebrities! Food!”

“...Pass,” Dan Heng says. He’s had enough socializing for one night. Plus with his hallucinations of seeing Pom, he needs a good night’s sleep.

“Do you need me to call you a taxi?” Gepard asks.

“I’ll be fine.” Dan Heng slightly raises his phone. “Already called one.”

The night has warmed since Dan Heng and Gepard first arrived at the venue. Dan Heng takes off his blazer and casually unbuttons the first two buttons of his dress shirt just as his taxi pulls in. Once the door closes, he's about to tell the driver his address when the man says it himself.

A small chuckle. "Oh, please don't be alarmed. A lot of people have been going to that area... I figured you'd be, too."

Dan Heng has his doubts, however.

Then, the car is off.

Dan Heng is looking at his phone when the driver suddenly says, “That looked like quite the party back there.”

Not wanting to be rude, Dan Heng says, “Ah… yeah.”

The driver chuckles softly. “Guess you’re not the type to party.” Dan Heng raises a brow and puts down his phone. But he can’t see the driver’s face. “What do you do for a living?”

“...I work as a chemist in the pharmaceutical industry.”

“Ooh.” Dan Heng slightly narrows his eyes as the voice starts to sound familiar. “So, you develop medicine and stuff? How magical.”

Then, before the driver can ask any more questions, Dan Heng asks, “...Have we met?”

“Us? I… I don’t think so.” The driver lowers his hat. “Why would you ask that?”

“Your voice. It sounds familiar.”

The car slowly rolls to a stop in front of the apartment building. Then, the driver clears his throat. “Does it?” Dan Heng decides to drop it and opens the door. As soon as he steps out, the driver says, “Hey, it’s on the house.”

And the car drives off.

Dan Heng watches the car disappear around the corner, sighs, and walks into the building. What a night. He reaches his floor and steps out of the elevator. He’s looking at his phone when he rounds the corner. Then, just before reaching his suite, he looks up, and his phone drops to the ground.

Upon seeing him, you push yourself off the door you’re leaning on. You take three steps and put a hand on his cheek.

“...Guess I don’t need a million years to surprise you after all.”

His hand is around your head, and his mouth finds yours in a heated, unrelenting, passionate kiss that sends your head and heart to the heavens. This is real. Everything he feels, he touches… is real. You’re in his arms, kissing him back with just as much intensity as he. His fatigue instantly washes away, replaced by a dire need to hug you, kiss you, and tell you…

“...You’re home."

He drowns your words with another breathtaking kiss that ignites your nerves, leaving your skin hot and your face flushed. You hear a click, and the door supporting you is suddenly no longer there. Dan Heng’s arm is wrapped around you, supporting you as he guides you over the threshold without breaking the kiss.

The door swings shut, and his mouth leaves yours just long enough for you to say, “...I’m home. Forever.”

“I thought…” his voice breaks as he finishes, “I thought I lost you.”

He kisses you again.

“I promised you,” you say.

You kiss him again.

“...I was going to come back to you…” Your breathy voice is sending his emotions wild. “...No matter what.”

“...Can I show you how much I missed you?”

Your hand is trailing down his chest, and you smile against his lips. “...Please.”

Dan Heng takes your hands and puts them on the buttons of his shirt. Then, as if doing it together, he slowly reveals his toned, lean torso. Your hands glide down, and your breath catches in your throat when you see his muscles react to your touch. Dan Heng tilts your head up and kisses you once more.

A shirt falls to the floor. Pants slide down. Boxers and lingerie are left forgotten.

With you against the wall and a hand beside your head, Dan Heng slowly slips two fingers between your thighs. One finger glides against your folds and your knees buck from that one sensual touch.

Leaning in, Dan Heng whispers, “Hang onto me… We can’t have you falling when I haven’t even started yet.”

Your hands find his broad shoulders, and you’re expecting him to slide a finger inside. But, instead, he hooks your legs around his waist, and his lips place a kiss on your neck. Lower and lower he goes… leaving behind a trail of kisses that sets your body on fire. He finds your hardened nipple, and he takes it into his mouth, caressing it with his skilled tongue that soon finds its way in between your legs. A rub. A nudge. Soon, he’s working his tongue in a giant rhythm that has you bucking your hips and your body shaking with unrelenting pleasure. Every lick, every flick causes an electric surge that has your mouth singing the most beautiful song, one that he wants to hear all. night. long.

“Nngh…”

Your legs are resting on his shoulders. His hands are against the wall. But just when you’re about to feel that final wave, he stops.

“D-Dan Heng…”

Your legs fall from his shoulders before finding their way around his waist, his weight supports you completely. Dan Heng grabs your wrists and puts them beside your head as he looks you in the eyes.

Then, with a small, teasing smile, he says, “...I've waited too long.”

In one swift, delicious move, Dan Heng goes right in, and the satisfied moan that leaves your lips makes him all the more eager to please. Your breath becomes short as he begins to move, slowly at first until you become accustomed. Then, his grip on your wrists tightens, and he pumps harder…

“Oh…” you breathe.

Harder…

“Oh…!”

…Until he’s driving into you. He lets you go, and his hands find your hips while yours go around his neck. And with one last push, both of you crumble like sand.

You’re still recovering from the high when Dan Heng puts his forehead to yours. And, with a smile, he says, “Welcome home.”

Bonus:

“Eep!”

No one can take their eyes off this mysterious man who’d effortlessly taken down a man almost twice his size. Stelle stands behind him, still trying to process what had just happened. She’d gone to get food, and a larger, drunk, older man started talking to her. While it was a casual and innocent conversation at first, he turned sour when she rejected his invitation to spend some “quality time” with him later in the night.

When he suddenly grabbed her, someone stepped in.

A sigh. “Gosh. Nothing has changed.” The mystery man shakes his head in disappointment. “What a waste of a human being.”

Hang on. She recognizes that voice. Slowly, she approaches him, and the man turns around. She gasps loudly as Pom flashes her a peace sign.

“Miss me?”

“P-Pom?!”

Upstairs, two men in suits look down at the busy venue below. A woman stands beside one of them in an elegant white dress that beautifully shows her curves.

She chuckles. “Guess he upgraded his PomPom Punch.”

“Ugh. You just had to mention that, Idrila.”

“...Come. Our time is almost up.”

Downstairs, Pom glances up but no one is there. Maybe he’s the one imagining things now.

End notes:

#Youngdeservesbetter lol

Wow, what a ride this story has been. It pummeled me to the ground, but I finished it 🥹... Let's just ignore the amount of editing this story needs and focus on some fun facts. XD

1. Pom was supposed to be your younger brother, and Welt was supposed to be your older brother.

I can't remember when I made the choice to change, but it was probably when Luocha was officially introduced. The man just won me over with how pretty he was, and he knew about medicine, so he just fit into the story. But, I still sometimes imagine the possibilities that could've happened if I did include Welt in here somehow. He would probably be the cousin... twice removed... or something lmao.

2. I was considering multiple endings for this:

You become human while Pom remains on the Astral Express. At the end, he visits you as a cat, but you don't know it's him.

You die, but Pom doesn't. Your soul is stuck between the afterlife and the living, and Pom breaks the news to Dan Heng that you're dead. Then, you witness him slowly move on with Stelle, but he still has feelings for you.

The last ending is that you and Pom both die. No one knows what happened, and everyone is stuck in limbo. Dan Heng moves on with Stelle, but of course, still has feelings for you.

The fact that none of these made it in shows I need a happy ending for everyone. LOL My heart wouldn't be able to take it. But, if enough people are interested, I could write these endings as extra chapters.

I'm already thinking about my next writing project, and I have two ideas in mind. I can't choose lol so I'm running a poll on tumblr. If you're interested, go check it out :3. But, I'm going to be taking a short writing break before starting whatever wins the poll cause I can feel the burnout coming lol

Lastly, I'm participating in Honeyfeed's monthly writing contest. If you're interested in reading something on the darker side, please check out Taste of Death and leave a like and comment if possible :)

Tag list: @suoshiii @lordbugs @lxry-chxn @seirenspinel @nqctre @akwardbiscuit @lunavixia @tanspostsblog @theprinceofkhaos @sunsethw4 @hiqhkey @n8mareee @vintagepoetryluna @immahuman

#danheng x y/n #danheng x reader #danheng #danheng x you #honkai dan heng #dan heng x you #dan heng x reader #dan heng #dan heng x y/n #dan heng smut #danheng smut

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virizona · 8 months

Text

Rest and Reassurance

Pairing: Luis Serra x Reader (AFAB)

Warnings: None; all fluff. Potential spoilers for the game

Summary: After the events of Resident Evil 4, you, Leon, Ashley, and Luis escape to a safe house off the horrific island to rest and recuperate, awaiting extraction.

Word Count: 2,270

A/N: This has been sitting completed since like June, so time to post my first ever Luis Serra fic! Spanish is not my first language, but I am learning, so I'm open to any corrections on the Spanish sprinkled in here.

—

It was a long jet ski ride away from the plague-infested island. At least it and the cult were reduced to ashes now.

The mission you and Leon Kennedy were sent on should have been a simple fetch quest: recover the President’s daughter, Ashley Graham. But, of course, things always had to go sideways. The three of you ended up infected with Las Plagas, the mind-controlling, body-disfiguring parasite. Turns out, the leader of Los Illuminados, Osmund Saddler, planned to inject Ashley with the parasite all along as a way to get to the President.

It was a long and grueling mission between locating Ashley, finding a cure, and stopping Saddler (not to mention a run-in with Leon’s old Major, Jack Krauser). But, there was a silver lining to it all: you met Luis Serra Nevarro.

Luis was a charmer through and through. He was flirtatious from the very first moment you were introduced to each other. You thought his advances would be more distracting, but they were honestly a welcoming reprieve from the constant fight or flight moments. What sealed your trust in the Spaniard however, was he was the one who knew how to cure your Las Plagas problem. A former Umbrella researcher, Luis was tricked into working for Saddler after he fled his previous employer. Holding onto his belief that people can change, Luis brought you, Leon, and Ashley to his lab where he held the cure: a radiation procedure that targeted and eradicated the parasite growing within your bodies.

To say you owed the man your life would be an understatement. You glanced at his stubbled face from where he rested over your left shoulder, hair blowing in the wind as you zipped across the water. His arms held snugly around your waist as you drove after Leon and Ashley’s water craft. The rising sun brought a pleasant warmth to your face, as if the world was showing you there was hope on the horizon.

—

Disembarking from the jet skis, you followed Leon ashore. He was saying something about a safe house that Hunnigan located you could use, just until she could send in a helicopter for you all.

It was well hidden within a forest a few miles inland. The hike was worth it alone for the chance to take a hot shower and sleep in a clean bed. The safe house was sparse, but it held all the necessary amenities: a kitchen, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a tiny living space. Leon was quick to designate the bedrooms, one for you and Ashley to share and the other for him and Luis.

“Actually, Leon, I think I would feel better if you stayed in the room with me.” Ashley spoke up, sounding slightly embarrassed about her request. It wasn’t unreasonable though, the blonde man did protect and save her countless times in your efforts to escape the parasitic cult. It made sense she would feel safer sleeping with his presence in the room.

Leon opened his mouth to likely protest, but was cut off by Luis clapping his hands together once. “No problemo, mis amigos! Mi amor y yo can take the other room.” He flashed a grin that would have had you blushing if you hadn’t been solely focused on that much needed hot shower.

“You guys decide whatever, but I need a shower and then I’m going to sleep for at least 24 hours. Wake me when the chopper arrives.” You waved a dismissive hand as you made for one of the bathrooms. You caught the sound of a weary sigh from Leon as you left the front room.

—

The hot water beating on your back felt heavenly after trudging through cold, rainy weather during most of the mission. You tipped your face up to the steady spray, sighing in relief as the grime ran off your body, pooling on the shower floor and into the drain. Now that you were no longer running for your life, exhaustion hit like a freight train and you had to steady yourself with a hand on the slick, tiled wall. You jolted as a knock on the bathroom door interrupted your peace.

“Mi amor, estás bien?” It was only Luis, his thick accent muffled by the barrier. “You’ve been in there for quite a while.”

“I’m fine.” You called out wearily. “Just tired is all.”

There was a long pause and you thought he was satisfied with that answer, except you never heard his retreating footsteps. Then, he spoke again. “May I come in?” You waited a few beats, taken slightly aback by his question and unsure how to answer. Luis continued talking. “I found some clean clothes for you.” You were a bit baffled as to how there was clothing stocked in the place, but you decided not to question it too much.

Taking a deep breath, you relented to the Spaniard’s offer. “Come in.” You turned your back to the semi-opaque shower door as a precaution as Luis entered the room.

“Phew, you weren’t kidding about the hot shower!” He exclaimed as the steam and humidity hit him. His shoes clicked softly on the tile floor as he moved over to the bathroom sink, placing some folded clothes on the counter there. “I’ll leave them by the sink for you then get out of your hair.” You could practically hear the wry smile in his voice.

Suddenly, the thought of being alone again clutched your chest like a vice. Just as Luis was about to step out of the room, you found your voice. “Wait, could you… could you stay a bit longer?” You hoped you didn’t sound too pathetic, especially after everything you went through, just as much as you hoped it wasn’t too weird of a request. You chanced a glance over your shoulder, peering at him through the fogged shower door. It was hard to tell, but he looked genuinely concerned.

“Sí mi amor, I can stay.”

—

Luis sat on the bathroom floor with his back leaning against the shower wall. Most of the time he spent in companionable silence, which was rather unusual for him. Perhaps he was exhausted like you were. Still, it made you ask, “estás bien, Luis?”

“Mi amor, I will always be fine with you by my side.” There was that charm again. It made you chuckle as you finally turned off the shower.

Luis was immediately on his feet, towel in hand. You reached through the shower door, opening it just enough to take the towel from him. Murmuring your thanks, you briefly toweled most of the water off yourself before wrapping it around your torso, tucking the corner in just under your armpit. Stepping out, the tile floor was chilly on your feet. You suppressed a shiver as you came face to face with Luis.

He looked tired as you observed his face, though you couldn’t imagine you looked any better. Dark circles were forming under his eyes, his hair oily, and his skin grimy. You couldn’t bring yourself to care about any of that as you became trapped in his silvery stare. Hesitantly, Luis reached out a hand to tuck a damp strand of hair behind your ear. Ever so slightly, you leaned into his touch.

“Tienes sueño?” He asked, and you gave a nod, eyes drooping as his hand continued to linger on the side of your face. “Why don’t you go get comfortable and I’ll join you after I’ve had a turn to shower, hm?” The thought of sharing a bed with the Spaniard wasn’t lost on you.

“Leon actually agreed to stay in Ashley’s room?” You asked with a breathy laugh in disbelief, picturing the special agent begrudgingly agreeing. It was also your way of getting around asking the obvious and hopefully saving yourself from any embarrassment.

“He took some convincing, funnily more from me than la señorita, but he came around to the idea.” Luis chuckled as well as he passed the folded clean clothes into your arms. “Now go, I won’t be long.” His hands were suddenly on your lower back, gently pushing you out into the hall and in the direction of the bedroom. You glanced over your shoulder to see him wink before shutting the bathroom door.

Face feeling hot, you shuffled down to the bedroom. Once inside, and with no more distractions for the moment, your exhaustion returned. It took all your effort, but you managed to change into the clothes Luis had found for you. They were simple: an oversized t-shirt and a pair of gym shorts, likely for someone more of Leon’s size, but you were just glad to no longer be wearing your muddied, bloodied, sodden outfit from the mission.

You crawled under the sheets and blankets, leaving your towel on the floor, too tired to care. When you had gotten comfortable, hugging a pillow under your head, that was when a soft rap on the door snagged your attention. You rolled over just enough to look back to the doorway. “Just me, mi amor.”

Luis, back from his shower, was wearing the same gym shorts but he had forgoed a shirt. You rolled back over quickly enough, hiding your face against the pillow. There was the gentle sound of the door clicking shut and Luis’ footsteps as he made his way to the other side of the bed. He pulled up his end of the sheets, sliding into bed with a groan, the mattress dipping momentarily from his movement. “Mierda, this is nice.” He spoke with a sigh as he finally settled.

It felt surreal. After days of running ragged around the island, fighting people and monsters alike, it was strange to be vulnerable again. You looked across the space between you and Luis and up to the man’s face. His soaked hair framed his visage and he still held that look of exhaustion. His expression was soft, however, his eyes casting a warmth as he stared back.

“Almost too good to be true.” You whispered, fearing that this may all turn into a dream should you voice it any louder.

Luis gave his lopsided smile with an airy chuckle. “It’s like you read my mind.” He reached out to brush a strand of wet hair back from your face a second time. His voice dropped a pitch, almost matching the volume of your whisper. “Try to get some sleep, mi amor.”

You nodded and snuggled down further into your pillow. Just as your eyes were slipping closed, you were abruptly pulled against Luis’ chest into a strong embrace. You shot your arms out and wrapped them around his back, clinging to him as he buried his face in your hair and against your neck. You squeezed your eyes shut tight, willing yourself to not start shaking as fatigue and anxiety clashed behind your heart. Anxiety for everything you went through, anxiety for never feeling safe anymore, anxiety for the thought of almost losing Luis again.

The Spaniard in your arms shuddered as he seemed to hold in a sob and you only hugged him tighter, closer. “We’re okay.” You began in a murmur. “We’re okay… I got you and you got me.” You weren’t sure if you were trying to console yourself or Luis more.

“Sí mi amor, I’m not going anywhere. No te dejaré.” He appeared to relax little by little after each affirmation. You still clung to him, inhaling the scent of his shampooed hair and trying to ground yourself.

Eventually, you were able to doze off, wreathed by Luis’ light snores.

—

You bolted upright in bed, no longer ensnared in the man’s embrace. Sweat coated your forehead and hairline, practically dripping down the back of your neck. Breathing heavily and in a panic, you check over your hands and arms before bringing your palms up to your eyes. It was just a night terror you tried telling yourself, and likely the first of many. Your rapid movements must have awoken Luis for he stirred with a hand reaching out for you.

“Mi amor, qué ocurre?” His hand found purchase on your knee as he pulled himself up partly to sit with you.

Your hands remained pressed against your eyes as if you could push the horrid vision from your mind. “Bad dream.” You uttered, voice shaky. Gentle fingers grasped your wrists, lowering your hands from your face. You were met with Luis’ concerned, even stare. You thought he would press for more details, but he only waited for when you were ready to share. “It was um, it was Las Plagas… that thing was inside me again.” A sniffle escaped you as the adrenaline was finally wearing off.

“Oh, mi amor, I’m so sorry.” Luis crooned, coaxing you into a hug. “The parasite is gone, prometo. I made sure of it.” The hug shifted to you sitting in his lap, legs out to one side and his arms looped around your waist, hands clasped on your hip. He began to gently rock side to side, doing his best to be reassuring. “And, just think, if we’ve done it once before, we can do it again.”

You paled at the thought. “But I don’t want to do it again.”

“Lo siento, but you know what I mean, yes? You’re so capable, strong, and brave. Much braver than I.” That got a little snort out of you. “You can take on the world, mi amor.” He pressed a kiss to the side of your head. “And I will be by your side the whole way.”

#resident evil 4 #re4 remake #luis serra x reader #luis serra #vizo writes

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simplylatte · 9 months

Note

How about a reader who does everything to piss yandere wally off?

For example: stealing wally's apple and eating it in front of him, ignoring wally's speech and pretending he's not there, flirting with howdy in front of wally, among many other things...

(the reader is very angry for being kidnapped from the real world)

Love you? I hate you.

Yandere!Wally x Reader

Idea: Wally took you away from your home, separating you from your loved ones. Being forced into the neighborhood, completely unaware of your surroundings, you were more than pissed. So, you were going to do everything in your power to piss Wally off as well. Take away your comfort and you'll take away his joy.

Warnings: This post will contain kidnapping, obsessive behavior, one-sided love, jealousy, and stalking!! Hurt, no comfort

☆☆☆☆☆

If you hadn't gone on that stupid website like your best friend begged you to, you would've been at home by now.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

Unknowingly as you scrolled and scrolled, intrigued by the secrets, you caught a certain puppet's attention. And his interest.

Even when you couldn't see him there, he could see you. But he couldn't hear you.

How he longed to hear your voice. How he longed to be near your presence. He wanted you, Neighbor.

He needed you.

Unfortunately for you, he got exactly what he wanted.

You don't remember how or what happened. You only remember the website. Everything went black. It felt like hours until you finally woke up.

But you weren't home.

Just barely did you recollect yourself enough to notice that you were now in the neighborhood.

Your thought process was slow. You were dazed for a good few minutes until panic finally decided to sink in.

You screamed, you cried for help. The neighbors grew worried and concerned for your well being. Confusion spreading all over, but you couldn't bring yourself to tell them.

Not a good first impression.

With no way out, you were forced to stay and befriend everyone.

You got along with everyone. Well, almost everyone.

You couldn't help but get freaked out by Wally.

Whatever it is you are doing, you always felt uneasy around him. You could never pinpoint why, not for a little while anyways.

You'd always catch Wally staring at you, not blinking. He'd stare at you at whatever chance he gets. It freaked you out.

Wally would always call you on your telephone. The way he spoke to you made you shiver.

"Hello, Neighbor. Are you enjoying your stay?"

No, you hated it more than anything.

You've tried countless times to avoid him. Everytime you'd do so, you'd either find Wally secretly following you or he'd try to get up close to you.

Everyone else didn't think nothing of it, and assumed it was just Wally's way of expressing his feelings to you.

It was getting out of hand. It became bad enough to where Wally wouldn't allow you to see your other neighbors, not while he was around you and when you couldn't get away.

Why can't he just leave you alone?

It was one day that Wally finally decided to confess his feelings for you.

"I love you very much, Neighbor. Do you love me, too?"

Absolutely not. You weren't afraid to reject him on the spot.

Long story short, you and Wally got into a heated argument and he admitted to taking you from your world. From your own home, where you belonged.

You have never been so livid and angry in your life. You had enough.

If he was going to make you miserable, then damn it, you'll make him miserable, too.

From that moment on, you did whatever you could to upset, anger, piss him off. Make him feel any sort of negative emotion.

You ruined his paintings at any chance you got. Anytime you'd see him with an apple, you'd take it and eat it right in front of him. You ignored him at the best of your ability and tried to refrain eye contact with him.

Wally was getting very fed up with your behavior.

He did so much for you. He brought you into his very own neighborhood so he can finally have someone be his.

And you were being very, very complicated.

He's tried to keep calm, but it's been very difficult. Taking his apples made him frown. Destroying his paintings made him angry. But you, talking to anyone besides him? Made him beyond furious.

The final straw was when Wally was trying to get your attention. You weren't able to ignore him as well, so you relied on any neighbor that was willing to help. Partially out of boredom but also because you grew interested, you decided to try to flirt with Howdy in his shop.

The way Howdy looked away, all bashful and flustered made you feel happy, something you haven't felt in so long.

"Aren't you just a cute caterpillar? You just make me feel like butterflies around you!"

Wally had enough.

For the first time, Wally forcefully grabbed your wrist and dragged you out of Howdy's shop. You tried to break free but to no avail.

You were dragged into Home and forced into a locked room. You grew anxious and frantic. You tried screaming for help.

"They can't hear you."

Wally stared at you. This time, you couldn't break away from his gaze.

All of his pent up anger, sadness, frustration, all of that was being radiated off of him and it was then you grew scared for your safety.

"I will make you understand, Neighbor."

"I will make you love me."

"You are mine. Mine only."

"Why don't you love me?"

☆☆☆☆☆

I think I either got carried away or didn't write enough. This was my first take on this yandere stuff, so let me know what you guys think! <3

#welcome home #wally darling #wally welcome home #wally darling x reader #wally darling x y/n #wally wh #wh wally #welcome home wally #wally loves you

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yancherrysoda · 10 months

Text

Ephemeral Emancipation

This takes place one year after the events of Wind God. I had planned to write about what happens a month later and then six months later, but I'm currently out of ideas for those parts.

I'm not sure if sharing this was a good idea, considering that there are two more parts that come before it that I haven't written yet. This might confuse the readers. However, I really enjoyed writing it since I have an inclination towards violent scenes, and since I won't be writing anything very soon, I decided to post it anyway.

Warnings: decapitation, slashes being inflicted on a person

Word count: 5.246

''I would like to leave this place.''

Venti almost choked on the apple he was munching on. "Huh?"

You shifted from one foot to another as you nervously fiddled with the bottom hem of your shorts and repeated yourself, "I want to go out."

He set the half-eaten apple down on the table and leaned back in his chair, studying your face. The wind stirred his dark locks as he pondered your words. "You know I can't let you leave, right?"

You sighed, knowing this conversation won’t be an easy one. "I know, but I just... I miss the outside world so much. The endless blue skies, the warmth of the sun on my skin, the sound of birds chirping, and the fresh air."

Venti raised an eyebrow and asked, "How is the air outside any different from the air in here?"

You took a deep breath, trying to find the right words to express how you felt. "It's not just about the air; it's about freedom, you know, the thing that you're supposed to represent." You crossed your arms over your chest. "It's about living, rather than just existing."

He brought his fingers up to his chin, contemplating your words. ''I tried my best to make you feel happy in here,'' he said. ''Wasn't that enough?''

As you thought back on the various moments you two had spent together, memories flooded your mind, including the times you had danced under the stars or sat on the swing while he tried to teach you how to play the lyre.

"You don't get it," you said, stepping forward and looking into his eyes. "Maybe this may be enough for you since you don't have the same perception of time as I do—being immortal and all that—but for me, it feels like I'm stuck in a never-ending loop."

You knew that discussing this topic with Venti required a different approach if you wanted to get through to him.

Your thoughts returned to the countless hours you'd spent poring over the books in Lisa's library; pages of Old Mondstadt unfurled like scrolls in front of your eyes, as if presenting you with a plan.

''You know, I've been curious about your past,'' you began, trying to pique Venti's interest. ''I've read stories about Old Mondstadt, but I always wondered what the experience of the people that lived there was like.''

That was true. Being from Mondstadt, you were curious about your city's history and how it evolved over time, but you never knew that the way you would get to briefly experience it was thanks to the situation you found yourself in about a year ago.

Venti's eyes narrowed slightly, the wind rustling his viridian attire. "How come you're suddenly interested in that? You could have asked me about my past a long time ago."

''But a long time ago you wouldn't have let me out!''

''What makes you think I would now?''

You crossed your arms behind your back and looked to the side. "Because I behaved well and followed your rules. I've proven that I can be trusted, didn't I?" you looked back at him. "I thought maybe you could walk me around while you explain its history to me. It would be a nice chance for me to learn more about you and experience the real world once again at the same time."

He sat up straight in his chair, considering your request. "Well, I suppose that could be arranged," he responded. "But only if you promise not to do anything stupid like last time. I'll be keeping a close eye on you."

You nodded eagerly.

He approached you and grabbed you by the waist, pulling you closer to him as a golden mist enveloped you both. You now found yourself standing on a cobblestone path surrounded by stone arches. You inhaled deeply, taking in the crisp, fresh air.

''Is the air different?'' he laughed.

''It's fresher,'' you said simply.

''Oh, come on.''

You looked around. "Well then, tell me something about this place. Since you've been here during its downfall centuries ago, I expect a tour in great detail."

He crossed his arms and looked down at the cobblestones beneath his feet, then at you. "This area was ruled by Decarabian, the God of Storms, who thought he protected the city and its people from the harsh winds that would sweep through," he began. "Back then, the entire Mondstadt region was known for being covered in snow and ice, which made it a difficult place to live in. Decarabian used his powers to form a wind barrier around Old Mondstadt, shielding it from the elements and creating what he thought was a haven for its inhabitants.'' He paused for a moment. ''However, as time passed, people began to realize that they were living in a false sense of security. The wind barrier became a prison, trapping them within its walls and preventing any contact with anything that was on the other side of it," he continued as you both walked along the path.

You hopped onto a fallen pillar, trying to balance yourself. "Reminds me of a certain someone."

Venti chuckled and looked up at you. "Unlike Decarabian, I don't create barriers to, quote on quote, protect people."

"But you decided to kidnap a person and strip them of freedom," you interjected, raising an eyebrow at him.

He sighed, "Do you want to listen to what I have to say or should we go back?"

"Fine, fine," you said, hopping off the pillar and gesturing for him to continue.

As you continued walking through the ancient streets of Old Mondstadt, Venti pointed out various landmarks and shared stories of the city's past. He also mentioned the grand tower that is still standing at the heart of the city, where Decarabian would reside.

You listened intently as he spoke, genuinely captivated by the tales of old.

He explained that after centuries of ruling, Decarabian’s people began to question his authority and the validity of his so-called protection. They desired freedom and the ability to explore beyond the confines of the city. Their discontent eventually grew into a rebellion led by a group of individuals who sought to end his reign and free the city from his control—Venti among them.

''Everyone fought against his oppressive rule, even his partner. The rebellion was successful, and Decarabian was overthrown, giving the people of Old Mondstadt the freedom they had longed for,'' he spoke.

"He had a partner?" You raised your eyebrows in surprise. "Did he kidnap her too?"

''...No, and yes, Decarabian had a partner—a mortal who had been by his side through his reign—and who then saw the injustice he had inflicted upon their people. She couldn't bear to stand by his side any longer, and so she joined the rebellion.''

You drew circles on the dirt with your foot, pondering Venti's words, "And how did you become the Anemo Archon?"

''The individuals who led the rebellion were his partner, Amos, a young boy, and me." Venti's gaze turned sorrowful. ''They both perished, leaving me and Andrius—who also fought against Decarabian and who is now one of the Four Winds—as candidates for the position of the new Anemo Archon,'' he paused. ''Andrius was chosen, but he declined the offer, feeling that he was not suited for such a role. He believed that he was unworthy of this position due to his perceived lack of love for humanity that an Archon ought to have, and so the responsibility fell upon me. I accepted the role, not because I believed myself to be the most qualified,'' he said, lifting up a finger. ''But because I believed in freedom and the goodness of humanity, and once I became the Anemo Archon, I vowed to never repeat Decarabian's mistakes and to protect my people. I reshaped the terrain and changed Mondstadt's climate to its current state and then moved everyone to what is now the current City of Freedom,'' he concluded.

You exhaled heavily as the weight of Venti's words settled in your chest. ''What a journey that must have been.''

"What a journey indeed," he replied, a hint of weariness in his eyes. "I'm glad you didn't get to experience such an event."

Both of you came to a halt, taking in the view of the abandoned city.

''You said you took the form of a human, what did you look like before?''

''Ah, before I took the form of a human, I was just a tiny being who lived in the wind. I had no physical form but rather existed as a manifestation of the wind itself,'' he explained with a smile.

"So now you're, what, human-shaped air?" you asked, trying to wrap your head around the concept.

Venti laughed at your question. "That's an interesting way of describing it! I suppose you could say that.''

You simply nodded and resumed your walking.

You spotted a small opening in the rockface—a split in the wall just wide enough to squeeze through it—from which you could see the light shining out. A flicker of doubt crossed your mind, but you needed to take the chance, so you grabbed his hand and started walking towards it, leaving him no time for reaction.

"I don't think we should go there," he voiced, but you kept dragging him.

"It's alright; I promised I wouldn't do anything stupid, didn't I?"

"Is this your idea of not stupid?"

‘’Just for a while, there’s nothing wrong with that. Besides, you're still keeping an eye on me.’’

As you made your way through the narrow opening, the sharp edges scraped against your skin, causing slight discomfort. Venti followed closely behind, his grip on your hand tight.

Finally, you emerged from the darkness and onto a long and wide road amidst tall boulders. The sky overhead was clear blue with puffy white clouds, and the sound of wind around you was but a low hum. The birds soared over the trees and chirped out a song, unlike the melancholic silence of the abandoned city you had just left behind.

You let go of his hand and walked ahead, taking in the beauty of the surroundings. The vibrant swaying grass danced in harmony with the gentle breeze, and although it was pretty similar to what you had in the Serenitea Pot, it somehow felt different.

"Hold on, you're walking too fast!" Venti called out and hurried to catch up to you.

You didn't listen to him; instead, you kept powering forward until you were met with a small beach overlooking a lake that shimmered under the golden rays of the sun. The water stretched out before you like a sparkling mirror, reflecting the hues of the sky and creating a captivating scene.

A gust of wind gently pushed you back onto Venti's chest, causing you to stumble slightly. He grabbed your chin and lifted it up to make you look at him. "I told you not to run off like that."

"Couldn't help it," you shrugged. "What did you expect? I haven't been here in so long."

His hand squeezed your cheeks. "I get it, but please try to stay by my side."

You huffed in annoyance, letting out a loud and long sigh. "Right, I'm supposed to behave, I totally forgot about that."

"Y/N, I'm serious." He was afraid that the two of you would run into someone familiar and that you would take that as an opportunity to run away, so he tried to be cautious.

You wiggled free from his grasp and made your way towards the lake, taking a few steps closer to the water's edge. "You know I most likely won't get to experience being here again, right? You've been very adamant about keeping me confined in that realm, let me at least enjoy this."

He joined you by the shore. "I didn't say you couldn't enjoy this. I just wanted to make sure you were safe."

You snorted, "Safe from who? I don't see anybody else around here other than you."

Looking around, you noticed a wooden boat tethered to a nearby rock and ran up to it, excitedly tugging on the rope to set it free. Venti trailed close behind, a worried expression on his face. "What are you doing?"

You threw the rope to the side and turned to face him. "I want to go on a boat ride, we don't have that luxury in the realm. We won't go far, just a short trip around the lake. Does that sound good, or are you going to baby me again?"

You both then pushed the boat into the water. He reached out to take your hand in his, helping you lift one leg over the side of the boat and then the other. As you settled into the boat, you saw Venti take his place beside you, a small smile playing on his lips.

The boat gently rocked as it sailed across the still surface of the lake, and the sound of the water lapping against the hull gave you a sense of peace that you hadn't felt in a long time.

You felt a sense of liberation wash over you as the boat moved further away from the shore. The wind tossed through your hair, and the warm sun kissed your skin. You closed your eyes and let out a contented sigh, savoring every moment of this brief taste of freedom.

You leaned over the side of the boat and ran your fingers through the cold water. The fish swam lazily beneath the surface, their scales glistening in the sunlight and creating a vibrant display of colors.

Venti watched you with admiration in his eyes. He understood the significance of this moment for you, and despite his reservations, he was captivated by your joy and the way it lit up your face.

The boat continued to drift along the lake, taking you deeper into its embrace. The surrounding landscape was a picturesque panorama of meadows adorned with wildflowers and half-cut mountains in the distance.

Taking a glance at Venti, you saw him look in another direction with a mix of emotions on his face, one of which was predominantly sadness. He wished he could give you more of these moments where you could truly be free, but he also didn't want to risk losing you.

You dipped your hand into the water again and splashed a handful of droplets onto Venti's face, breaking him out of his pensive state.

"Oh, so that's how it's going to be, huh?" he teased, wiping the water off his face with his sleeve.

"Well, I couldn't resist," you replied, splashing some more water in his direction.

"If you're going to play dirty, then I guess I'll have to retaliate," he said, reaching over to splash water back at you.

The boat rocked with your antics, as you two engaged in a water fight, and the tension and sadness that had been lingering in the air vanished, replaced by pure joy and laughter.

You both eventually calmed down, catching your breath and letting the laughter subside. The boat continued its journey across the lake until it arrived on the other side of the shore. You two stepped off drenched but with smiles on your faces.

As you walked on the sand, you talked about everything and nothing at the same time. The conversation flowed effortlessly, as if the water had washed away all the barriers that had been holding you back. While you were talking, you saw a Sunsettia tree a few steps away, its vivid orange fruits hanging from the branches like jewelry. You walked towards it, plucked two of them, and handed one to Venti.

"Here," you said, offering him the Sunsettia fruit.

He took it with a grateful smile. "Thank you. This has been fun, I'm glad I agreed to bring you here."

You smiled back at him. Perhaps thanks to this little adventure, he will let you out more often.

You leaned back against the tree trunk. The soothing rustle of the leaves above provided a calming soundtrack to your conversation.

As the sun began its descent, casting a warm golden glow across the landscape, you felt a gloved hand cover your mouth and push you onto the ground. Looking up, you saw a person wearing a coat and whose face was covered by a mask. You struggled against their grip, but their strength overpowered yours. Panic welled up inside you, and you desperately searched for Venti, only to see that he was apprehended by another masked figure.

The clapping of hands and a voice that sounded like a snake, hissing and ready to strike at any moment, resonated across the air from behind him. ''Well, well, well, what do we have here? A little romantic date interrupted by some unwanted guests?''

You both were lifted from the ground and forced to sit on your knees, hands bound behind your backs. The playful atmosphere had vanished, replaced by a tense and dangerous situation.

Your heart thumped in your chest, and your throat tightened with fear as you looked over your shoulder to see four people standing behind you. You exchanged a quick glance at Venti, who silently tried to reassure you that you would find a way out of this together.

As the voice taunted and threatened, you turned to see a blonde woman in a revealing dress, a cloak draped over her shoulders, and some kind of crown perched on her head.

She approached Venti from behind and grabbed him by the hair, forcing his head back. "You thought you could avoid me, bard?" she sneered, her voice dripping with venom. "No more slipping away, you little rat."

Venti let out a laugh. "What more, O highness, dost thou crave from me? Yet more songs, perchance, to set your spirit free?" he joked.

The woman's grip tightened on Venti's hair, her nails digging into his scalp. "Quit it with the rhymes," she hissed, and her eyes were like flames, scorching everything they touched. "I assure you; this is far from a laughing matter. I already took your Gnosis; maybe I can take something more from you." She let go of his hair and turned to face you.

It looked like Venti had encountered this woman before, and she had some deep-seated vendetta against him.

The masked man who was holding you in place pulled out a dagger and pressed it against your throat, causing you to take a sharp intake of breath. The cold metal glinted ominously in the dying light of the sun, casting a shadow across your face.

Venti shifted uneasily in front of you, his eyes locked on the dagger that threatened your life. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

''Isn't this the mortal you hold so dear? The one you spent countless days serenading with your songs and that you now hold behind lock and key? How selfish of a God of Freedom,'' the woman mocked, ''I must say, I've never seen such devotion from a God before. It's truly touching,'' she gestured towards the person behind you. "But you're no better than your predecessor.''

Venti's body tightened at the sight of the dagger pressing deeper against your skin. He clenched his fists and said, ''I fucking swear, if you do something to her, you will regret it. I spared you many times before, but my patience is wearing thin. I won't hesitate to kill you and your stupid fatui puppets." His voice trembled with a mix of anger and desperation.

The woman laughed coldly, her eyes narrowing with amusement. "Oh, how bold of you to threaten me, Barbatos. But I think you underestimate the lengths I'm willing to go to get what I want."

As he locked eyes with the woman, his demeanor darkened and his speech took on a more serious tone. "Did you forget who you're dealing with, Rosalyne?"

Her eyes widened at the mention of her name, and she slapped him, the sound echoing throughout the tense atmosphere. Venti's head snapped to the side, but he didn't flinch; his defiance only seemed to fuel her anger.

''Is this how you always greet people? By slapping their faces?'' he laughed sarcastically. "You should be more careful with your actions and words, they leave traces.''

She leaned closer to him. "You don't get to mock me, Barbatos. You see, I would like to know what you would do if I were to end your mortal's life right in front of you. Would you still have the audacity to talk to me like that?''

The fatui behind you retracted the blade from your throat only to twist it around his hand and try to stab you, but you never felt it pierce your skin.

At that, a powerful surge of wind swept through the air, and you heard heavy weights fall to the ground. You looked up to your sides just to see a gruesome scene; the heads of the fatui rolling across the ground and leaving a trail of blood in their wake, their lifeless eyes staring back at you. In horror, you quickly closed your eyes and tried to fight the nauseous feeling in your stomach.

Venti stood tall in the midst of the chaos, as the wind whipped around him, carrying the scent of blood.

''I warned you, didn't I? I warned what would happen if you dared to harm her.'' He spoke with a chilling conviction that sent shivers down your spine.

Rosalyne took a few steps back and attempted to channel her elemental powers through her catalyst in a desperate attempt to regain control of the situation. Venti raised his hand, and a whirlwind formed around him before she could utter a single incantation. The wind blew her off her feet, causing her to collide with a nearby wall. As she collided with the hard surface, she let out a strangled cry of pain, and her body crumbled to the ground.

He stood over her, ''I don't think you're familiar with the expression fuck around and find out, are you?''

She attempted to stand, but her body trembled from pain. "I'm from Mondstadt, you wouldn't harm someone from your nation,'' she panted. "Try to kill me, and I'll make sure your precious little—''

Slashes began to appear on her body as if carved by an unseen force, causing her to scream in agony. Venti's wind continued to slice through her with precision, each cut calculated, inflicting pain but avoiding any fatal blows.

As the wind howled around them and the air was thick with tension, carrying the echoes of Rosalyne's screams, his eyes bore into her writhing form. His once playful and carefree demeanor had morphed into something dark and unyielding.

With one last slash, his wind finally ceased, leaving her broken and bloodied on the ground. Her body twitched and convulsed with each ragged breath she took. "Do me a favor and die here, Rosalyne," he said with a frosty tone, his words lacking any warmth or emotion.

As you stared in disbelief, he turned around and began walking towards you. His steps were heavy, each one echoing in the silence until he came to a halt in front of you. His eyes, now devoid of their usual gleam, were hauntingly intense. He knelt down and gently stroked some of your blood-stained hair; it was gentle, contrasting with the brutality he had displayed moments before.

''We're going home,'' he said, and grabbed you by the wrist to pull you up from the ground. The golden mist from before swirled around you both once more, taking you back to the realm.

You now stood at the entryway of the house. Your heart still pounded from the horrifying events that happened during the evening.

Venti looked you up and down. "Take your clothes off and go bathe. There's blood on you,'' he commanded.

You didn't move, your voice shaky as you spoke, "What did you do?"

His eyes met yours. "What did you want me to do?"

''You murdered those people!''

"Would you have rather died?" he yelled. "I protected you!"

''Yes! ...no, I don't know! You're not supposed to protect me by killing other people!'' You managed to say through labored breaths, ''There must have been another way to handle the situation, we could have found a peaceful resolution, or we could have tried to escape...''

As he listened to your words, his gaze hardened, and his jaw clenched tightly. ''Peaceful resolution? With someone like her?''

"I don't know what you did to her to make her hate you so much, but resorting to violence is not an answer!"

''Enough!'' he snapped, ''You will not be leaving again.''

"Venti," his name escaped your lips.

He shivered. This was the first time you pronounced his name since he brought you here. He wanted you to call his name for so long, but not like this.

You lowered your voice, making it gentle and soothing to try and reach him in his hardened state. "Was a single life above those people?"

''Your life is above those people. You don't realize just how important you're to me, Y/N." He tried to come closer to you, but you stepped back.

You didn't want to continue this conversation anymore. It was futile to reason with him.

This whole situation was giving you a horrible night. Every time you were close to falling asleep, you'd toss and turn in bed, replaying the events of the evening in your mind. The images of heads rolling on the floor and that woman's horrifying scream as Venti slashed through her kept flashing before your eyes.

You tensed up as you heard the door creak open, your heart racing once more. You watched Venti stumble into your room as he clumsily made his way over to you. He sat on the bed and leaned in close, his lips almost brushing yours and his breath heavy with the scent of dandelion wine.

You backed down, causing him to fall on you and rest his cheek on your collarbone as he sighed heavily. You nudged him to sit up straight, but he groaned and buried his face deeper into your collarbone, both arms tightly wrapped around you, refusing to let go.

"Y/N..." he murmured, his voice muffled against your skin. His shirt was rumpled and unbuttoned, exposing a teal tattoo on his chest. This was the first time you saw his bare skin in such an intimate way and you couldn't help but trace your fingers over the design, admiring the details and the way it seemed to glow under your touch.

While you lay there, fascinated by the intricate tattoo, you felt Venti slowly lift his head from your collarbone and leave a trail of soft kisses down your neck. The feeling of his lips against your skin sent shivers down your spine, and a rush of warmth flooded your cheeks.

"Hey," you said, placing your fisted hand on his chest and lightly pushing him away. "You should go to bed. You're drunk."

Venti looked up at you, his usually vibrant eyes now hazy and clouded with the effects of alcohol. He let out a small chuckle. "I'm in bed."

''Not in yours...''

He hugged you tighter, ''What does it matter?''

You sighed, trying to come up with an excuse, ''It matters because this bed is not big enough for the both of us.'' That was a lie; the bed was large enough for two people, but you felt uneasy about this situation and wanted to create some distance between yourself and Venti.

He resumed giving you neck kisses as one of his hands made its way underneath your shirt, caressing your bare back. ''I love you, haah... I love you a lot,'' he breathed out. ''Give in to me already.''

"Venti, this is getting out of control." You tried to push him away harder, but his other arm wrapped around your waist and held you firmly in place. "You need to get back to your room."

You attempted to wriggle out of his grasp, but his strength was surprisingly strong for someone who seemed to be so intoxicated. The two of you lay there in a tangled mess of limbs.

You took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. You couldn't help but think about the complicated relationship you shared with him. He kidnapped you and forced you to stay by his side, yet he never treated you badly; in fact, he had shown you nothing but kindness and affection.

A soft snore escaped his lips, and you turned your head to see him knocked out. You scanned his features, taking in the relaxed expression on his face and the way his chest rose and fell with each breath.

You woke up the next morning to soft rays of sunshine filtering through the curtains. As you stretched and yawned, you realized that you were no longer tangled with Venti. You turned your head and saw him still peacefully asleep beside you; his messy hair was spread across the pillow, and he was now covered in a blanket, hiding the teal tattoo that had captivated you the night before. You carefully removed your side of the blanket and tried to slip out of bed, but as you did, Venti stirred and his eyes fluttered open. He groaned and rubbed them, looking at you with confusion.

"What am I doing here?" he mumbled, his voice rough and low.

"You came home drunk last night and made your way into my bed," you replied, trying to hide the lingering warmth on your cheeks.

As he propped himself up on his elbows, his expression changed from confusion to realization. He took in the familiar surroundings of your bedroom as he looked around. He then glanced down and saw that his shirt was still on, albeit slightly wrinkled and unbuttoned halfway, causing it to fall loosely off his shoulders.

''Nothing happened,'' you quickly added, hoping he wouldn't misinterpret the situation.

He watched you walk up to the dresser, grab a brush, and run it through your hair while you tried not to look at him. He leaned back against the pillow, one arm behind his head as his hand absentmindedly ran through his messy hair.

''Venti,'' you turned to him, ''The state you were in last night was because of—''

''The fatui,'' he interrupted. ''I made you uncomfortable. I made you fear me,'' he said, looking up at the ceiling. ''I don't want you to see me as a monster, Y/N.''

You didn't say anything, instead, you kept brushing your hair.

''I'm sorry. I can't make it up to you with words alone, but," he paused for a second, "I don't want to lose you. I sacrificed so much in my life. I said goodbye to so many people." His voice faded away, losing its strength and volume. "If I had someone to pray to, I would ask them to let me keep at least one person by my side, just one is enough."

He got out of bed and walked over to you, taking your hands in his and looking you in the eyes. He brought them up to his lips and gently kissed your fingers. "You're everything I have."

#yandere #venti x reader #venti x y/n #yandere venti #lord barbatos #genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #la signora #fatui

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starlit1daydream · 28 days

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so i finally did it: flowey the flower's classpect & asriel dreemurr

obligatory disclaimer that this post will include massive spoilers for undertale and undertale yellow.

let's get the obvious out of the way first - what is flowey's ASPECT? this is something that i feel is pretty obvious, he's a very clear-cut doom player.

he deals with inevitability and predestination, has a very nihilistic and cynical worldview based on his soulless perception of the world and the repetitions he's gone through, and he's associated a lot with some very morbid and edgy imagery. in particular, i think it's his manipulations with fate and inevitability that solidify him as a player of doom (save states and such). it's for this same reason that i believe sans is a doom player, but that's for another essay.

what's his class? well, let's get into how flowey experiences doom.

flowey's existence, from the very moment of his creation, has been defined by doom. an inability to die or cessate his own existence that leads to a plethora of lives full to the brim with death, experiments with predestination and a general morbid curiosity. flowey does things until he's exhausted every single possible outcome of the situation, and then he moves on to the next until he's sucked all novelty and nuance out of it, effortlessly manipulating doom and making it bend to his whim.

a lot of people would be quick to place him as a witch because of this, but personally i think that flowey's absolute will and dominion places him at an even higher tier.

flowey isn't a witch, he is a lord of doom. he holds absolute control over the aspect of doom, exhibiting full control over inevitability and decay in every facet.

let's just look at some of the things flowey does. he subjects clover to countless resets and deaths at his hand for his own amusement, sets up the denizens of the underground like little dolls for him to play with until they break apart, all the while plotting to grasp more control and seize true dominion. he's a textbook lord, endlessly determined and power-hungry as he lets nothing stand in the way of his goal (acquisition of the SOULs). much in the same way, we see caliborn's quest for power leaving similar destruction in its wake and he holds the same determination, hell, they're even associated with the same laugh soundbyte! the similarities are all there, and the stunted mental development definitely shows for both of them given they're a kid who never properly got the chance to grow up.

in fact, it's the link to caliborn that brings me to my next point. what of asriel?

simple. in the same way the caliborn has his calliope, the muse of space, flowey has his asriel, the muse of life. this may sound contradictory to the asriel we see in the finale of undertale, but i propose that this is an asriel still under the throes of the inversion that brings flowey his classpect.

their true classpect has always been the muse of life, it's merely that flowey's soulless state brings about an inversion that is only 'fixed', if you will, after asriel is brought back to normality.

the real asriel is much like a muse. he is tender, emotional, caring, perhaps a little weak-willed or timid at times. he is the narrative's driving force but in a wholly passive manner. throughout the whole game asriel is the inspiration that hangs over the plot (throughout BOTH games in fact, his role in deltarune very much cements his role as a muse) but we never see him until the final hour. much like a muse, he has become his aspect for the sake of the narrative. life, of course, represents growth, affluence, the natural energy of all things, and uses both baking and plant-life as symbolism. consider what asriel and chara used for their plot, and what flowey is now, and those two symbols make a lot more sense.

so, though asriel and flowey have two separate classpects by technicality, they are still the same person and it's a inversion similar to that people say rose underwent during her descent into 'grimdarkness', going from a seer of light to a witch of void.

now, this is a controversial statement to make because a lot of homestuck fans question the validity of the 'inversion' argument, saying that it's never explicitly stated in canon and to that i say that homestuck is quite possibly the poster child for 'death of the author'. i want you to bear in mind this is my personal view on the subject and homestuck's fanbase has never been one to agree on any concrete interpretations of the classpect system.

that's all from me. until next time, tumblr.

#undertale #undertale yellow #flowey #flowey the flower #asriel dreemurr #homestuck #homestuck analysis #classpect #classpecting #homestuck classpect #lord of doom #muse of life #doom aspect #life aspect #lord class #muse class

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star2fishmeg · 2 years

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ʀᴇғᴜɢᴇ

Pairing: Kantou!Manjiro "Mikey" Sano x f!reader

Summary: with nowhere else to go, the one thing that separated y/n and Manjiro reunited them again

Warnings: minor angst, fluff, kissing, mentions of blood and violence, kinda short (it's drabble-esque)

Authors Note: I had a dream Park Jimin was teaching me how to drive and told me he was gonna teach me how to park the Park way and made me reverse into a giant oven while Jungkook proceeded to tell me that he's making me sweat like that and that it was time for the break down

Request: my heart.

"I...I didn't know where else to go..." She mumbled, boring her bloodshot eyes into his. Mikey just stood there in a crumpled t-shirt and briefs, eyes slighly wide at the sight he never expected to see. Y/n, hair and clothes clinging to her body from the torrential rain and hands held weakly in front of her, stained in, now, watery blood. His gaze hopped from her hands to her face, her untainted features now corrupted with grazes and yellow bruises on her cheeks and bloody dribbling from her lip. She stood awfully frozen, no trembling, hell, not even an ounce of fear or remorse running through her veins. It was more or less just post-incident shock before she'd feel any sort of warmth or life in her limbs. Manjiro hastily, yet gently, took her hand and led her into his living room, setting her on his sofa - the fabric would dry on its own and he couldn't be upset, he'd soaked her furniture countless times before in his Toman days.

He wasn't even sure if he had a medical kit, he rarely needed such a thing anyway but he eventually found one after hurridly scavenging his bathroom. He knelt between her knees and wiped her hands with a wetwipe, "What did you do?" It hurt her to hear how monotonous his voice came out, but not surprising after everything he has endured. The pads on his fingers were rough, but comforting as all her repressed memories seemed to flood back at once. The many late night bike rides through Shibuya where her arms would belong firmly around his waist, everyday after school you'd walk to the corner shop for Doriyaki hand in hand, him letting you play with his hair for hours while watching TV or just chatting - they were the days she valued the most and equally pained her to remember. It pained him too, she gave him refuge from all the struggles his younger self had to hide, allowing him to live as an awkward fifteen year old like everyone else.

Releasing a shaky breath as Mikey pulled the cotton and rubbing alcohol from the box, she hesitated, "I...some guys in Kantou Manji were conspiring to...well, sabotage and well...you know, I couldn't let that happen," She flinched at the alcohol burning her cut before continuing. "I didn't mean to intervene, but I just went into autopilot and before I knew it they were on the ground around me. I didn't know I could do something like that, I know I can fight but...you tried so hard to keep me out of it and protect me and I fucked it up because of my stupid feelings. I'm so sorry, Jiro."

He stayed silent, placing the alcohol back into the box and returning it to the bathroom. Y/n, after finally regulating her breathing from confessing the weight on her chest, followed him. Everything she had admitted was true, and saying it aloud brought the realisation that they were never to be apart - something that had been obvious to an outsider. Mikey couldn't cope with the separation from his once angel, and Y/n couldn't find any other purpose for herself outside the gang culture. She tried studying, but with no real dream other than excelling in the illegal trade of drugs, it was a weak flame.

Wet clothes piled into his washing machine with an irritating slap. She didn't even care about being half naked in front of Mikey, they had know each other so long and knew so many details about the way they think, what they've done, she didn't mind. Perhaps it was because deep down she yearned for him, chasing a love that had the potential to always be one sided. It didn't matter in that moment, what did matter was him sliding one of his t-shirt over her head and drying her hair with a towel. Anyone who knew of Mikey would never know Manjiro Sano, the human side of him. The side that had no walls to him. Manjiro Sano smiled ever so slight when Y/n's cold, small finger tips grazed his cheek, thumb rubbing his cheekbone when her palm made contact. In his deprived state, he instantly melted into the lost feeling, sensing her soft gaze analyse his matured features.

"I'm proud of you," He mumbled suddenly. Surprised, she was surprised to hear such an almost empty man say such meaningful praises. "You found out who you are. I never wanted to keep you from doing that, but I didn't want to see you how you are now. I just wanted to protect you but all you've ever done is protect me. I'm pathetic."

"No." She took his face firmly in both her hands this time, forcing their eyes to meet, "We can't do this without each other, we've discovered that. I am always with you, I will protect you like you protected me, fight with you, fuck, this Kantou gang? Share out the responsibility, I'm not 'gonna lose you completely." For a while they remained in that silent stare, processing words and feelings. In fact, it was probably the moment y/n decided to completely abliderate all fear within her. He wasn't perfect, he had a lot of problems from the start and if anyone could see that it was her, but he needed to be loved too. She wasn't perfect either, she was crazy for loving a man such as him, she enjoyed fighting and all she wanted was to be loved.

Dropping the small towel he used to dry her hair, he took her by the hips, pulling her body closer to his, chest to chest. In a hoarse, gravelly whisper, he finally spoke, "I think I owe you something." And with that his lips softly met hers. Y/n's hands wrapped around his shoulders as he leant down, almost awkwardly but he didn't care. It was the most warmth she'd felt all day, his lips never changing; they were usually chapped and she didn't mind that anymore, just being able to submerge into his ocean was enough to feel content and whole again. They drew back slowly, eyes never leaving each other's but if you looked carefully, you could see the corners of Manjiro's lips slightly upturned. Feeling so gentle was almost foreign, feeling complete was so intoxicating. Hastily his hands gripped the underside of her thighs, hoisting her onto the counter before devouring her lips again, but rougher, more desperate this time. They were messier this time, tongues lapping and the quintessential sounds of longing when their mouths moved to the same rhythm.

Y/n's fingers raked gently through his blond hair, pushing his bangs over his forehead and tugging slightly at the roots, keeping him close to her. He kneaded her skin from the globes of her arse to holding firmly holding her waist. He loved everything about her, she was always perfect to him in every way possible. His favourite part to run his hands over was the particular curve in her back and how smooth it was just to run his fingers down it.

She pulled away first, a string of saliva connecting between their lips, her hands cupping his flushed cheeks, "Never leave me again, Jiro. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am." He mumbled, burying his face into her shoulder and embracing her figure tightly. Without her, he wouldn't know where else to go.

[Masterlist]

#kantou mikey x reader #mikey x reader #kanto!mikey #kantou manji gang #kantou mikey #manjiro sano x reader #sano manjiro x reader #manjiro sano #tokyo revengers #tokyo rev x reader #tokyo revengers x reader

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cafeinthemoon · 1 year

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Ruins - Chapter VI

Chapter 6/?

Wordcount 3,5 k

Title Part VI

Fandom Shuumatsu no Valkyrie / Record of Ragnarok

Pairing Hades X reader

Previous chapters

1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5

Symbols ⭕ . ➕ . 💛

Warning (s): none

Tagging @darling-imobsessed (if you want to be tagged in any of my stories, just send an ask or a message 😉)

N. A.: So I've been trying to deal with a creative block at the precise moment when y/n-chan was supposed to finally connect the dots and figure out the god's identity, which made me so insecure about this chapter that I almost gave up on posting it to rewrite it from the first line, but I decided that the way she ends up solving the mystery matches what is expected from a fairy tale or a myth, where most things happen by coincidence or by a superior force's will. The complete line of thought that led her to the solution will be revealed in the next two chapters if everything sets as planned, but for now I hope you enjoy how things are going rn :)

The days after the party’s announcement passed like a dream, blended in just one big, vague memory of excitement, anxiety and countless activities. All the girls had much work to do, but they were never seen tired or complaining: the cleaning of the spaces that were going to be used as dining room and dancing hall; the decoration; the rehearsals for the presentations and in which order they should happen… there were so many things to worry about that the few hours of free time were used only to rest and cheer.

You, on your part, were excited as well, but other things occupied your thoughts.

Days have passed since Hermes stopped you on your way to the Library. You’ve been following his advice about analyzing your conversations with the mysterious god as best as you could, but no matter how you recalled them, nothing came to your mind in order to help with the enigma. And, despite not being able to make an exception and allow you into the Library, he could have at last brought you a book or two, right? As far as you knew, there were no rules against it. But it was like he wasn’t willing to move a finger in this sense. You were starting to think that Hermes was the one who didn’t want you to figure out the truth. But what would he gain by acting that way?

As if I’d be able to understand...

One day, after lunch, you were so tired that you almost gave up on going back to the room where you’ve been assigned to work just to stay alone for a moment. You lied on your bed and closed your eyes, sighing.

This way, I'm not going anywhere. I won’t be able to keep my word and give him the answer when we meet again.

The day of the festivity was the deadline you established for yourself, for you were sure the next encounter would happen during it: from the Gardens to the corridors, the kitchen, the rooms and everywhere you girls were allowed to stay at, there was no sign of him; it was like he was waiting for this occasion as well.

Unsurprisingly, Hermes was keeping silence about his disappearance since that day at the Library’s corridor, but though you didn’t talk to him concerning the case anymore, he kept an eye on you as he’s been doing since the start, always checking if you were eating and sleeping well just as he did to the other girls.

Speaking of them, you also noticed that none of the apprentices seemed to know about the god’s existence: you’ve heard no conversations about a man with his description or anything that might have had the slightest connection to him; your little meetings also seemed to be known only by you and Hermes-sama, and you were never questioned about your lonely wanderings. Yes, you’d certainly hate to invent stories to maintain your privacy or to tell the truth and become the perfect target to gossip, but the man’s invisibility didn’t make it less strange.

On the other hand, you couldn’t say you didn’t have your cheering moments: many times – more than you’d like to admit – you caught yourself wishing to see the party’s day finally coming, the moment you would enter the decorated room, observing the people around you, the talking, the laughter, the smells of the food and the drinks, and among all these elements confusing your senses you would find him, his beauty, his calm, deep aura taking over his surroundings, attracting eyes of surprise and fear as he would make his way to you… or he would be faster and appear behind you, greeting you with one of his gentle smiles, but having fun watching your startle. Yes, you were even eager to see the other girls’ reaction when they would first see him, hear his voice, sense his power; you found yourself giggling at the idea.

But, regarding your connection, what was going to happen after you give him the answer? Would he be willing to continue the sequence of light, polite talks you started just a few days ago? Or would he be just interested in seeing if you were wise enough to decipher this mystery, and wouldn’t mind leaving you aside in case you didn’t match his expectations? No, it couldn’t be. It didn’t fit him, didn’t it?

You smiled to the air.

It’s so funny how I’m suddenly full of certainties when it comes to him.

Was all of this right, or even healthy? You weren’t sure, but for a girl raised with other people’s wishes and expectations tossed at her regardless her will, thinking of this as the only wish you wanted to carry with you was tempting, enjoyable. Thinking of him was like granting yourself permission to feel safe.

It’s not bad. So that for now, I’m giving in to it.

***

The day of the festivity came at last, but no insight came to you with it. Your deadline was almost over, but you still had no answer to the god’s enigma.

In the morning, most of the girls were out of their beds a few minutes after the sun rose up. However, even when they left the rooms after that, they didn’t let the others sleep for a little more, for they came back right after breakfast to give the news: each girl was going to receive a jewel to wear during the event, accessories specially designed by Weland, Athena (who apparently wanted to reestablish her connections to Valhalla) and Vulcan as a request from the girls’ divine tutors.

You were one of those who stayed in bed for a little longer and despite choosing to not participate in the conversation, you couldn’t help paying attention to it.

– Hermes-sama said that each jewel was made according to our preferences and personality – a girl sitting on the bed on the right side of yours was explaining to the one lying on it – Even the colors were carefully selected!

– And they’re of many types! – a second apprentice replied from the door – Some of them are necklaces, and others are earrings!

This excited the presents, provoking loud and multiple replies.

– Really? I love earrings!

– Do you think our master chose a jewel with a purple stone for me? I remember mentioning purple as my favorite color once…

– I think our group will receive matching jewels. What do you think?

Many other questions of this kind were made and repeated until you understood you wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep, so you stood up and went to take care of yourself.

In the bathroom, Amalia, the girl who slept in the bed at the left side of yours and who also couldn’t find a tutor, told you additional details about the jewels that she heard at the kitchen.

– Apparently, we who have not guardians will receive jewels as well – she was saying while brushing her hair – But ours will be in the form of hairpins or something like that. Honestly, I prefer hairpins. What do you think, y/n-san?

You couldn’t care less about wearing a jewel on your hair or neck, but in respect to Amalia you replied with honesty.

– I don’t have specific preferences, because I’m not used to jewels, but I’m sure they will send us beautiful things – you finished drying your face – So I’m happy with this.

Amalia laughed at this answer.

– Sometimes you sound so modest that I can’t believe a word you say!

And that was your turn to laugh. You didn’t see yourself as this modest; you just thought you were conscious about your own limits. This attitude might have stolen the fun from you in some occasions in the past, but saved you in many others, and you believed you could live with that.

And with such challenge under my responsibility right now, my limits are as clear as day.

***

The room was as crowded and as noisy as a lodge for dozens of girls getting dressed to a big party could be that evening. The elves who served at Valhalla have brought the clothes, shoes, make up and many other necessary items earlier, and now everyone was occupied in using them to become the best version of themselves among the sounds of rustling skirts, the regular noises of high heels being tested as their owners walked between the beds, little screams, laughter of excitement, gossip spreading across the space and exclamations of anger and frustration for makeup and hair styling mistakes that were promptly fixed.

The girls without tutors, as expected, were given dresses that resembled each other as if they belonged to the same category – and maybe it would work as a strategy to make them easy to identify among the gods – but each piece was still unique, especially due to the variety of colors.

You, on your part, received a long, flowing dress with a high collar and a discreet front with no cleavage, but loosen sleeves that would leave your shoulders at sight, and an elastic stripe at your waist’s height. The fabric was of a soothing shade that you would describe as dusty, old pink. You looked at yourself in the mirror while brushing your hair and ended up satisfied with what you were seeing: it was impressive that, though you were never invited to have your measurements taken, they made everything your exact size.

They must have spent an abnormal amount of time studying us.

The sound of firm, regular knocks on the room’s large doors caught the attention of all the girls, who stopped what they were doing as one of them went to answer the call. By the rhythm of the knocks, all of you knew who was waiting on the outside.

– Hermes-sama! – the girl who opened the door to the god took a step behind, as to open the way for him.

Hermes walked in with a cheerful smile to greet you.

– I can see you’re all doing your best to look presentable, children – and passing his eyes all over the room – As you can suppose, I came to call you to receive your gifts.

The girls let out exclamations of joy, understanding that he was talking about the jewels.

– I’m going to call you individually or in groups, according to the number of disciples of each deity – Hermes explained – Then, an elf will lead you to the room of the festivity, where the gods are waiting. Now, the ones who are ready, please, take a step ahead!

The girls elevated their voices in approval, and the Olympian began to call the groups according to their guardian, starting by the most important ones such as Shiva, then passing to the minor deities, nymphs and elves that inhabited Vallhala. Hermes would indicate the place where the apprentices should meet their guide and receive their gifts, then come back to the room and call the next ones. The girls without guardianship would be the last ones and would be called in groups.

That was a long process since the room you were lodged were one of the most crowded that year, so some of the girls took the chance to give a final touch to their looks. You were ready, so you sat on your bed and took a moment to take one last look at your notes. Your fingers trembled upon the pages.

I’m sorry, my Lord. But I guess I won’t be able to keep my promise.

The girls who were under the minor gods’ wings had more time to take care of the minor details on their looks, but as time passed, they grew impatient, so that mistakes were made.

By the time Hermes came to call the last group – so that only you and the others without guardians were left – two girls were in front of a mirror trying to fix one’s makeup: apparently, an asymmetry was noticed in the eyeliner of the girl who was sitting in the vanity by her friend and this latter offered herself to fix the problem, but the excessive use of water caused an accident that made the other desperate.

– I told you it was too much water! – she was crying out – Now look at my state! I’ll never conquer anyone with this appearance!

You were close enough to hear the conversation and to observe the girls, and one look at the weeping one convinced you that the mistake was not impossible to be fixed, but you doubted that she would listen in case you said that out loud. You were still with your notebook open on your lap, but forgot it for a moment as you paid attention to the girls’ interaction.

The girl managing the water recipient, standing beside the vanity, wasn’t the type who just listens to complains in a passive way.

– If you stood still when I told you so, that would never happen! – she was scolding her friend – Now, stop screaming and let’s try again!

And after the other’s reluctant agreement, she restarted her work.

– What if Hermes-sama calls us first? – the girl with the messed make up asked with genuine preoccupation.

– In this case, we can simply ask him to call us later. There must be no problem in this. We’re all going to receive our jewels, right? – she sighed, speaking more to herself than to her partner – Please, stand still… Heavens, will you never learn?

You stared at the small bowl full of water as those last words echoed inside your head.

Learn… When was the last time I thought about this?

The water was stirred when the girl put the wiper on it again, and you remembered the conversation at the secret garden.

When I was a child, our house was near the coast. I used to sit at its entry and observe as the ships would come and go…

Why looking at the water should make you think about your house by the sea? You didn’t know, but decided not to interrupt the stream of thoughts.

There are… so much knowledge I want to gather…

You said that to him. You said how much you wanted to learn, to live an exciting life just like the people who traveled on those ships. Because the more one would learn, the more they would grow.

Grow?

A scary, sudden idea cracked inside your brain at that word.

You looked down at your notes again. According to the enigma, the third brother’s domain inspired love and fear, and through these feelings it educated humanity. What were the exact words used by the god on this part? You searched for them with a nervous finger slipping through the paper. They were…

Through it the men will grow.

Yes, those were the words! Through his domain. Through…

Water!

So, the third brother ruled above water… above the seas! Of course! Traveling through them has led men to expand territories, gather knowledge and reach prosperity. The sea has made men grow in many senses, but while men loved the water, they knew that perils and tragedies were waiting for them in it, leading to a justified fear. Love and fear were united in the human heart when it came to the sea. And who was the Lord of the Seas?

Another Olympian, known by Hermes-sama.

Poseidon-sama!

And in this case, the other brothers should be…

Zeus-sama, Lord of Heaven, where only a few were allowed. Adamas-sama, God of Conquer, who doesn’t possess a physical domain, but it was publicly known that he lived with one of his brothers in his kingdom. And this brother...

The advice you received from Hermes the day you showed him your notes emerged at that moment.

I know there are precious details you can recall from your encounters with him.

Your conversations then came back to you in shattered pieces, as to prove him right.

This place… is the same of my own dreams… And it is part of Hellheim...

The soil of my domains is not appropriate for the species...

A way to soothe my yearning for these lands…

Yes, you’ve studied about this once. The Greek pantheon has four ancient brothers whose power is unparalleled, and you have met the fourth, the eldest one. The god with the most terrifying of the divine domains under his command. One to where the men will always go, sooner or later.

Right when they die.

You closed your notebook suddenly and startled, having to gather all your strength to not scream, not only because of your discovery, but also because you heard your name being called from the door, maybe not for the first time.

You raised your eyes to the room’s entry and felt your face burning in embarrassment.

– You seem a bit distracted tonight, Y/n-chan! – Hermes was saying with his usually calm, modest smile – I understand your anxiety, but can you please collaborate and come to receive your gift?

Your response was to give him a clumsy apology and hide your notebook in a drawer under your bed, then approach the door with trembling hands. A quick exchange of looks between you as you passed the doorway and both of you knew that something was about to happen.

Only after leaving the room, you realized how strange it was being called separately instead of accompanying the other girls without guardians, but you didn’t question your guide about this: he might know what he was doing.

Instead of leading you to an elf as he did to the previous girls, Hermes walked with you to another corridor, out of the other girls’ reach, and put a small, black box with fine, delicate ornaments in silver and red stone, in your hands; he pressed a little button to open its cover, and the interior revealed a hairpin made of noblest, polished silver that would end in a splendid couple of two flowers – narcissus – with the same reddish stones of the outside as petals. The leaves around them, also made of silver, had a sharpness on their edges that made you think they were gathered to form a weapon more than a hair accessory.

Your eyes widened at the sight of the object, and even knowing it was made for you, you didn’t try to touch it.

– It’s... beautiful beyond description, Hermes-sama…

The man giggled. He has been observing your reaction since the start and, apparently, was having fun with it.

– An appropriate gift… don’t you think?

You raised your eyes to him, not taking long to understand. Hermes put in words what you didn’t dare say:

– Yes, he sent this to you. Unlike the other jewels that were made by the Artisans, he made this himself. He personally collected the silver and the gems formed in the caves of his domain and used his abilities to create a replica of the narcissus you saw on the fields of Valhalla.

So... he still remembered the brief chat you had about Valhalla’s narcissus and why they were in bloom regardless the season and created a version of them using precious materials.

Silver and gems… from Hellheim.

You didn’t reply to that. Hermes took the hairpin from the box and went behind you to do your hair. Only then you gathered courage to speak about your discovery.

– Hermes-sama.

– Yes?

– The enigma. I solved it. I figured it out.

You sensed when his hands stopped moving for a second before he replied. He wasn’t as surprised as you expected.

– I see. It happened moments before I called you, didn’t it?

– Yes.

He finished his work, taking a moment to observe the result, making small adjustments here and there.

– Perfect – he spoke more to himself than to you.

You closed the box in your hands and gave it back to him when he took his place before you again.

– So… are you ready to go, Y/n?

You nodded, but gave him no verbal response. He frowned in preoccupation.

– How are you feeling? Are you alright?

– Yes, yes, I am – you shrugged – I just don’t know exactly what I’m feeling, and I fear what I’m going to feel once I…

Hermes smiled.

– Once you see him and give him the answer?

You made an affirmative gesture. He thought of it for an instant.

– Hm… In this case, allow me to tell you a secret – and lowering his tone as to be heard only by you, – He is eager to meet you again and to have your answer. The last time I saw him today, he was anxious as yourself.

At heat came up to your face when you heard that. A god – an ancient, powerful god like the Ruler of Hellheim – was anxious to meet you? Could you believe that, or was Hermes just being dramatic?

He might have noticed your disbelief, for with a giggle, he offered you his arm and held the box with the other.

– Allow me to lead you to the festivity’s place, child. Hades-sama is waiting for you.

#shuumatsu no valkyrie #shuumatsu no valkyrie x reader #shuumatsu no walkure #record of ragnarok #record of ragnarok x reader #snv x reader #ror fanfiction #ror x reader #shuumatsu no valkyrie hades #record of ragnarok hades #ror hades x reader #snv hades x reader

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hyunnieshannie · 10 months

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Have you ever read a fic that captures you in every way?

Warning: this is a rant // Review about a fic I just finished. I DONT usually post this kind of thing on the writing blog and would usually post this on my secondary ( @hyunsungbased ) but I felt like I needed to rant properly so here you go.

I just finished the most gruesome. Heart wrenching. Psychiatric facility needing fic I have EVER read and enjoyed all 35 chapters of the gut twisting, anxiety inducing story line.

The tags? Usually ones I don’t go out of my way looking for (Dead Dove: Do Not Eat and others) but when I saw THE TRAILER. YES. A WHOLE. MOVIE. TRAILER. for it. I had to do it.

Like this fic genuinely surpassed being just a fic. I 100% believe that if the author changed the names around from SKZ / ATEEZ names it could be a published book. That would more than definitely capture the attention of horror // psychological thriller fans.

As someone who wants to be in film as a director I’d JUMP at a chance to make this a tv show or movie. It was fucking PHENOMENAL.

The plot. Attention to detail. Continuity. The side plots. The foreshadowing. The hints dropped throughout the story, Everything about this fic was so incredibly well done. The author must have been as meticulous as Chan was throughout the story to genuinely have me this floored.

There are very little authors who’ve had me this intrigued. A few being some mutuals I’ve made here. (@milkandhyunnie & @straywrds I’m looking at you) and some who I continuously read their works. (You can find the works I genuinely love SO MUCH in my Fic Suggestions list HERE

Back to my rant/Review:

I Don’t cry at fics. I barely cry reading but some of the deaths gutted me. I have an entire video of myself SOBBING over two deaths. Ranting to a friend of how cruel it was even tho I was EXPECTING it. And every-time it was brought back up I could feel myself choking. It was unfair and cruel. And one of the characters last words being “Do you think he’s waiting for me?” Destroyed me in my entirety.

This fic became an obsession. Almost as unhealthy and the relationship between the main characters. It ate me alive. My brain couldn’t function properly. It became an obsession. I stayed up countless nights reading because i couldn’t put it down.

I fell in love with the characters, their development, and genuinely felt so strongly. And DEFENDED THEIR ACTIONS.

There were times I found myself thinking ‘wow yeah I’m in love with Hyunjin’s character in this fic..’ when I know I should have been wincing at the thought of who his character was.

It. Fucked. With. Me. So. Bad. (In a good way)

I talked about it to all my friends —> told them what was going on as a play by play as I read.

They aren’t really down for the kind of fic it was (Murder// Gruesome killings// and other things that is best described in ‘Have you ever seen the show Hannibal?’ {no. No one in SKZ does those things to each other // Eats. Weird things}) they opted to me giving a synopsis.

They laughed with me and when it came to. Cried as hard as I did and they weren’t even reading it. (Ty to my friends for putting up with me because dear god. When I say it became an obsession I genuinely mean it. A lot of it inspired how Kierra acts within our fic super board. So if our last chapter of Kierra’s past shocked you that fic may have definitely had a part to play. Kierra was ALWAYS going down that road. The author inspired the gruesomeness of the act itself)

As someone who’s been writing another fic on the sidelines to test the waters of the dark and twisted this fic has truly inspired me. (I may perhaps leave it on AO3 instead as I’m not sure how our readers here - who are used to our casual fluffier happy ending writing style may react.).

I have never been more inspired to write angst with either a hopeful ending or no happy ending at all.

I could go on about this all day. I have done it too. I have went on a whole TWO HOUR explanation on how I felt about this I could probably write an essay about why it was so good.

If you made it this far thank you.

Here’s a gift for your troubles.

*cries seeing them because this fic altered my brain chemistry*

>> Mini’s Note: If somehow any of this interested you after reading this (i tried to leave it as vague as possible while my brain still tries to process the last 3 chapters) pls feel free to dm me for info on it but I cannot stress this enough. This fic is so heavy in terms of topics and the details put into it. SO. HEAVY. I’ll gladly pass it along but it really is not for the weak of stomachs. If you still want it, I advise you HEAVILY READ THE TAGS MORE THAN ONCE.

Ps: i have started their next series which is on going and supposedly DARKER than the one I just finished. Please pray for not only may sanity, but for the sanity of the friends who will have to deal with me for the next [insert time period] that I spend reading it.

#hyunnieshannie #stray kids #stray kids fic #fic recommendation #fic review #ao3 works #i seriously have a problem #i seriously want to cry #this fic is so good #this fic will be the death of me #this fic altered my brain chemistry.#dm me if you want the link.#READ. THE. WARNINGS.

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happyalkina · 2 years

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Thank you, Kazuki Takahashi.

[Click View Post to see a process video to the song Bonding from the YGO OST]

»»——⍟——««

I've been thinking about what to say to convey how his sudden death makes me feel, and I just can't come up with words. It's been so hard these past two days for me. All I feel is loss and I don't handle the loss of those beloved all too well, and what a tremendous loss for this world.

I've spent actual hours trying to throw my feelings into the keyboard and I'm not sure how well I did it, but here it goes!! I'll be back in a year to commemorate Mr. Kazuki Takahashi.

...

I love Yu-Gi-Oh so undescribably dearly and it genuinely means the world to me. I would be lost without it and it's helped me in an unfathomable number of ways.

Thank you so much, Kazuki Takahashi, for helping me make friends and learn to see the value in the things within me that those around me would view as undesirable. Thank you for keeping me together. Thank you for giving me the bravery to finally draw people and complex scenes. Thank you for caring so much.

I would be so much worse off if Yu-Gi-Oh never came to be. I wish you could see how much you mean to me and countless others right now, how were all celebrating the unseen effect you've had on the world now that it's become far more visible. I so badly wish you were still here with us. Despite the fact that you aren't, I would like to say that I've made friends because of Yu-Gi-Oh, and because of you. You're one of the few reasons I see value in myself.

That felt impossible for the longest time, and you did that for me. Thank you so much.

...

I genuinely can't express at all how much I love Yu-Gi-Oh. It's brought my family and I together, created memories and inside jokes, it's helped me make friends, it's helped me to learn what friendships are made up of, I've learned to have faith in myself and my ability and because of Kazuki Takahashi, I feel like maybe things will be okay.

Thank you for giving me that hope.

...

➹Time spent: According to Procreate, 6:30:29 [I had tried attempts in other canvases but scrapped them so it took me longer]

♬♩♪♩ ♩♪♩♬ Music: Bonding - Yu-Gi-Oh! OST

#yugioh #ygo #anime fanart #fanart #ygo fanart #yugioh fanart #yugi moto #yugi mutou #kazuki takahashi

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crowdomain · 2 years

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Why Darkest Dungeon Is A Minimalistic Storytelling Masterpiece

Asa speaking! This is going to be a long essay-post, so buckle up! In case you don’t have enough time to read through all that, or you just don’t feel like it, here’s a TL;DR: Darkest Dungeon, although not story-driven, manages to tell you just enough about the characters and the circumstances to get you hooked, but not enough to clearly explain what exactly is happening, giving the players lots of ground for theories, while at the same time forcing no plot on the players. The best a player can do to understand the characters is collect the bits and pieces we are given and interpret them.

The Darkest Dungeon fandom is one of the wildest I’ve been in. Everyone has different interpretations for the same characters, and the headcanons (well, most of them) manage to uphold the integrity of the characters to a great degree, despite how random they can become. This of course owes to the way the plot is written and executed.

I admit, a big reason why I play games is the plot. I love myself a good story, with fleshed-out characters I can relate to, and having a story is a great way to keep me involved even if the game ends up being too hard, because I will push through in order to see where the story goes.

Darkest Dungeon is not one of those games. I originally wanted to play it for the art style and the memes, to be honest, and it has grown into so much more since then. I play when I’m bored, I play while chatting with my friends through Discord, and strangely enough, I play when I’m feeling too stressed (at least when my favourite character dies I’ll be stressed because of that and not because I didn’t pass my lessons). I think about the game every day, and it never ceases to amaze me, both because every mission is unique and because you can always find something new in the game, a new detail, or perhaps a playstyle you hadn’t thought of before.

This game is one of the most original ones I’ve seen. Many concepts are subverted or twisted and made into something spectacularly different than what you would expect. At the same time, the plot and the differences are not forced upon the player; a player who is in it for the gameplay can just go on and start assembling new teams to fight bosses without having to go through pesky cutscenes, and the characters are essentially nobodies, which takes away the worries of what would happen if they die. (In fact, I believe that this is one of the aspects that discouraged many players from playing the second game; the fact that, unlike the first one, this one is more character-oriented. I understand and respect that, no two people find the exact same allure in a game. That, however, is a matter for another day).

On the other hand is the player who likes the story. This player, a player more like me and Bedelya, can spend countless hours looking into game content, and still find new things to fuss about. (This may be because both of us love literature and giving meaning to everything, but I’ll get to that in an instant). Where the gameplay-oriented player may enjoy the Ancestor’s monologues before the bosses because they offer a distraction until the game loads or collects the journal entries to boast that they collected them all, the story-oriented player enjoys them because they offer a deeper understanding of the game’s world. They will read them carefully, and perhaps wonder when all these troubles began.

The story-oriented player, however, will not stop there. An inquisitive mind will wonder who these people are, what brought them to the Hamlet. A keen eye will notice that the stressed players’ lines are no mere filler text. Maybe a skill or two has some strange properties. A restless player in love with stories will try to give those little details meaning, and in turn, once they have their meaning, they will seek to perfect their understanding.

This is where the wonder of this game lies: even being given the least details possible, one can deduce the identities of the characters, their motives, their loves, their fears…

You begin the game with two characters: Reynauld and Dismas. You only know their names, their professions, and their skills, and the fact that something drove them to the Old Road, where they are to help the Heir reclaim the Estate. You open up Reynauld’s character sheet. One of his quirks is “Kleptomaniac”. With a little looking around, you learn that this is a behavioural disorder people might develop when under extreme pressure. This means that Reynauld had been in a stressful environment for a while.

You take your heroes to a mission. Dismas is stressed and becomes irrational. Many of his quotes seem to be about a woman he loved, who is now following him in the form of a ghost. These might be the ramblings of a madman, but he references similar –not identical, but similar- scenarios a lot of times, and you begin to wonder: are those bits and pieces of his past, a past he left behind?

A jester comes into your stage coach. This man carries with him a sickle and a lute. One of his skills, only one, has a dirk. This skill has low accuracy compared to the rest. It bypasses guard and drives him one rank forward. You execute the skill in combat. He seems like he’s putting his whole weight on the hand with the dirk. Even the grave robber, who uses her pickaxe only once, has it mentioned a lot of times; the blacksmith, the guild, even on her equipment, it gets upgraded alongside her far more used daggers. The jester’s dirk is nowhere to be seen. Something is off in this situation.

Next up we have the comics; each of the characters has one comic that depicts a part of their past, the one that played the most important role into making them the characters we know in the game. The catch: these comics have absolutely no words, not even as sound effects, like “slash”, or “bang”. One has to pay close attention to understand what is happening, and even then, many of them remain mostly unclear. Why did the antiquarian kill the wizard? How did the occultist get to the shrine?

Even something as small as the characters’ unique trinkets can say something about them. In the base game, the bounty hunter’s trinkets are mostly helmets, so it might mean that it is highly important for him to hide who he is. He also has two talons, which show an affinity for birds of prey, who kill swiftly and silently. He is shown, in his comic, to kill four men in a matter of minutes, and he has a whopping amount of 21 quotes comprised purely of three dots, showing silence, and 14 more with non-verbal sounds. Then, you get to his Crimson Court trinkets: a vengeful kill list, which means that there are people who have wronged him, and a collection of teeth, which means that he keeps trophies from his victims, which, being a bounty hunter, could mean that he needs to show proof of his work, or, if he’s been killing for a long time, that he has developed a serial killer urge, and that removing the molars from his victims is something he feels the compulsion to do. Perhaps it is both. Then, there’s his quote for the Crimson Court set: “They Will Pay”. We know for sure that someone wronged him, but we know neither what happened nor the identity of the offending party, or how many people they were.

It has become clear that this game offers huge amounts of information, while at the same time offering very little. In my opinion, this also makes it extremely fleshed-out and realistic. You meet those people who came here for work. You only know what they do, not who they are, but their words, the items on their person, the way they move, they are the only things that let you get a glimpse into these people’s desires, ideals and worries. You are a cold employer, or a nonchalant colleague; you do not know who they are. You are only interested in their qualifications and in keeping them in good shape, so they can serve you better. There are no guides to tell you of these folks’ past, no in-game flashbacks to tell you why they are who they are. The only way to learn about them is to study them, learn about them, perhaps even ask them about their past. The comics, if you’d like to take it that far, could be times when a character asks another about themselves, and they answer. There are no words, because that was a long while ago. There are feelings, hence the frequent appearance of the stress halo and the importance of colours, and they all see things differently, hence why each of the comics has its unique elements; the plague doctor’s comic is the only one illustrated like a guide to a procedure.

I enjoyed talking about this subject. It’s been on my mind for a while now. Perhaps those are some far-fetched ideas of a person with lots of curiosity and the desire to find meaning and explanations in everything. Perhaps all this is too much and false. Perhaps Red Hook really did intend to hide all those details and have players find them out. I don’t know for sure, and I won’t know until I ask.

I would like to thank a Tumblr post I saw a while back for bringing the Dirk Stab’s stats to my attention. I do not remember the blog I saw it in, sadly, but I would love to find it and give it proper credit. I would also like to thank one of my friends, who made me realise that, even though you start the game idealistically (“Oh no, look, my highwayman Caen got masochistic, time to get him to the gambling hall!”) you end up becoming quite the mean boss as you see that you can’t keep everyone in good condition (“Oh, my antiquarian got a creeping cough again? Who cares, she doesn’t attack anyone. What’s her name again?”). Lastly, if you got this far, I’d like to thank you, for sitting through this essay and listening to my ideas. Give yourself a pat on the back and a cool glass of water!

#darkest dungeon #darkest dungeon theory #asa rambles #darkest dungeon crusader #dd reynauld #darkest dungeon highwayman #dd dismas #darkest dungeon jester #dd sarmenti #darkest dungeon antiquarian #dd josephine #darkest dungeon occultist #dd alhazred #darkest dungeon bounty hunter #dd tardif #darkest dungeon grave robber #dd audrey #darkest dungeon plague doctor #dd paracelsus

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