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cherienymphe · 1 year

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Amnesiac XIII (JJ Maybank x Reader)

WARNINGS: mentions of NON-CON, violence, memory loss, underage drinking, drug use, non canon ages, kook!reader

➥ banner by @maysdigitalarts | divider by @firefly-graphics

We have reached the end! This was so beyond fun to write and I’m glad you guys came on this journey with me. Enjoy!

➥ series masterlist

summary: “There’s something wrong with your love story, baby…”

After a surfing accident leaves you with little to no memory of everything that happened before that day, you start to wonder if the blond in what little memories you do have is the same one who claims to be your boyfriend.

You struggled to keep your dress up, holding it to you as you stared out into the water. You felt both numb and nauseous, still trembling even after Rafe’s assault. The man in question was lazily buttoning his shirt, cool and collected like he hadn’t just attacked you on the beach. The minute he was done, you’d tried to run away, but the way your arm stung reminded you of how that had gone.

“Get up.”

You looked up at him from your place on the ground, not having noticed that he’d gotten done fixing himself and was standing now. His blue eyes were as they always were, and there wasn’t a bit of regret in them. Your lips trembled at the guy you’d once considered a friend, both sick and disturbed at how stupid you had been. When you didn’t move, Rafe moved to yank you up, and you hissed.

“So, this is how it’s going to be?” you wondered, wincing with every step. “You’re going to drag me around and only get sex when you hold me down and take it? That seems okay to you?”

He abruptly stopped and yanked you around to stand in front of him, lip curled into a sneer.

“You’re a Kook,” he quietly said. “You were born one, you were raised just like the rest of us, and you didn’t start turning on me until you started hanging around them-.”

“I didn’t turn on you, Rafe! I just realized that none of this matters! None of it,” you said, shaking your head. “Trust funds and Midsummers and private school… It’s all bullshit.”

You didn’t even know why you were having a conversation with Rafe, at all, very much aware of the feel of him dripping down your thighs.

“It mattered before,” he lowly told you, faces inches away from your own. “You were happy with it all before…then you started hanging around them, and you wanted JJ to like you, and all of a sudden you’re ashamed of where you come from.”

You had started shaking your head before he even finished, and Rafe chuckled at that.

“You did,” he sneered, tone mocking. “You wanted to impress him. You wanted him to like you like you liked him-.”

“JJ had nothing to do with it,” you spat. “Its all just…bullshit.”

The events of tonight were starting to catch up with you, and you blinked back tears. You didn’t know if the police actually took Sarah seriously, and you didn’t know if they were even close to finding Rafe’s truck on the side of the road, but everything was fully hitting you now. What if Rafe got you back to his house? What then? What if he prevented you from leaving?

He’d already proven that he had no limits.

With that thought in mind, and suddenly terrified of what else this night had to offer, you leaned in and bit his arm. Hard.

Rafe let you go with a yelp, and sand kicked up around you both as you ran. The half moon and stars in the sky lit your path, and you sobbed at the sound of him following you. The ocean was loud, the waves ebbing and flowing, and you remembered your accident, the sound of the waves that day.

You stumbled back when Rafe grabbed the back of your dress, pulling you against him. His arm snaked around your neck, and he shushed you, turning you around. You struggled against him, vision blurry and legs shaking.

“Stop-.”

He cut himself off when you elbowed him, and you fell out of his hold. You coughed, pressing your hands into the sand to push yourself up. Rafe kicked your legs, forcing you to collapse again, and you screamed when his hands rested on the back of your neck. He kept you beneath him, forcing you onto your back, and you were reminded of what happened only earlier.

You felt tears spill over at the thought of going through that again, but you froze when you realized that wasn’t what was happening.

Rafe had a hand on your neck, holding you down while his other searched around you. You bucked beneath him, hating the look in his eyes right now more than anything else. The moonlight shone down on him, lighting his hair as it hung into his face. When he found what he’d been looking for, he moved slow, careful. He was still on top of you, and with your tearful eyes, you saw him lift his hand.

Your eyes widened.

“It’ll be okay…”

“Rafe.”

Your voice was panicked, strained with emotion as you squirmed beneath him, reaching for him and his hand.

“You can forget everything again,” he told you, fingers tight on the rock in his hand. “We were happy.”

“No, we-.”

“You loved me…and I loved you…and you didn’t even know who JJ was.”

His voice was even, empty in a terrifying way, and you shrieked, moving your head to the side just as he brought his hand down. The rock caught the side of your ear, and you winced in pain, your ear feeling warm and wet. You were sobbing now, chest tight and heaving.

You screamed again, hitting him and trying to get his arm. You thought about how crazy it was that you’d rater he accidentally kill you than succeed in what he was trying to do. You would rather be dead than endure what you had before, even if you hadn’t known.

“Rafe, please- stop!”

You blocked his arm when he tried to hit you again, and Rafe lifted your head by your neck before slamming it back down again. You squeezed your eyes shut in pain, teeth clenched as you pushed against his arm. You both were breathing hard, and your hand wobbled, and Rafe took the opportunity.

Your head snapped to the side, and your vision spun. The pain in your temple was splitting, and you whimpered in pain, hand dropping. You were still conscious, but your head was swimming, and you drowsily brought your hand up, unsurprised when you felt blood. You were blinking so much, trying so hard to stay awake and clear your head.

When you looked up, you could see that Rafe was lifting his hand again, and you weakly tried to stop it.

However, someone else beat you to it, tackling Rafe to the ground as you groaned. You weakly rolled over, the commotion passing over you as you tried to sit up. It was difficult, and when you looked over, you saw Rafe and JJ rolling around in the sand. JJ was repeatedly hitting the other blond in the face, his other hand fisted into Rafe’s shirt.

Rafe struck JJ in the jaw, and your boyfriend stumbled to the side. You stood on shaky legs just as JJ collapsed with a groan. You stumbled back at Rafe’s approach, pushing against him when JJ’s arm snaked around his neck, pulling him back. That didn’t stop Rafe from grabbing you though, a hand on your throat and his other fisted into your hair.

All 3 of you fell to the ground just as you heard more footsteps approaching. Kie’s voice was loud as she called your name, pulling on you, but Rafe’s hold was tight. You heard John B. and Pope and Sarah too, jumping into the mix. JJ successfully pulled Rafe away, but not before Rafe picked up another rock. You were pushing yourself onto your hands and knees when Rafe swung his arm, and your world spun.

You could hear several people calling your name as you fell back down. There were hands on your face, shaking it and screaming at you. You blinked, your vision fuzzy, but you could make out Sarah and Kie in your sight. You blinked, looking over, and you lazily watched as John B. and Pope pulled an irate JJ off of Rafe’s still form.

“Is he alive?” you heard Pope ask.

“Is she?” you heard Kie scream, her hands on your face.

Your head felt so hot, and you tried to reach up, but Sarah stopped you. Her eyes were wide, and her voice grew fainter as she yelled at you to stay awake. Your hearing was the first to fade, her mouth wide and moving but no sound coming out. You could read her lips though, could see that she was calling JJ, and the only sound you could hear as he replaced her was your heartbeat and your breathing.

He looked distraught, blond hair going every which way and blood on his lip. He was talking to you, shaking you, and your lashes fluttered. You could feel him taking you into his arms, holding you tight, and your head lolled against his chest. You could feel yourself relaxing, always so comfortable around him, and you breathed him in, closing your eyes.

You opened your eyes to stare at the ceiling.

You laid there for a moment, returning to consciousness and realizing there wasn’t a single thing you could recall. Not even your own name. The sterile white walls that met you were anxiety inducing at first, but the more you stared at them, the quicker it took you to realize where you were. You were in a hospital. You couldn’t remember if you had ever been in a hospital before, attempts at trying to search your memories only bringing forth frustration.

Your body felt weird, unused, and you struggled to sit up. Your movements were in time with someone else’s, and you jerked, looking over in shock. Someone was slouched in a chair beside your bed, and you drank them in, curious and alarmed.

His blond hair hung into his face as he slept, visage partially hidden from view, and you tilted your own head. You didn’t recognize him, at all, and you felt your heart skip a beat as you processed being alone with this stranger. As if he felt your eyes on him, he shifted, groaning and stretching.

Like a cat.

Once his eyes met yours though, he paused for half a second before jumping to his feet. The action had you leaning back, watching him in a mixture of wariness and curiosity. The smile that broke out over his face was almost contagious, filled with so much relief. He took a step towards you, and you eyed him with a frown, swallowing.

At the look on your face, the stranger stilled, his own face falling dramatically as he watched you watch him.

“Y/N…?”

Your frown deepened, and you wondered if that was your name. He blinked at you, eyes becoming shiny as he just…stared at you. His own face twitched, and he took a few steps back before telling you he was going to get the doctor and let them know you were awake.

He was gone before you could process his words.

You didn’t miss the way he seemed to want to get away from you, all the more noticeable when the doctor came, and the mysterious guy leaned against the farthest wall. You listened as she told you about some attack you had suffered, someone bashing your head with a rock that she had expected would result in some possible memory loss.

She had carefully explained the situation, and all the while, you didn’t take your eyes off of him.

You couldn’t even really focus on the horror of your attack, on the act of someone wanting to hurt you so badly in more ways than one. She had mentioned something about an arrest, but you didn’t notice the relief you felt at that, only able to focus on one thing she said.

“You gave your boyfriend quite the scare,” she said, making your eyes widen as you looked between her and him. “It took everything in us to convince him you were in good hands, that he could let you go.”

Your lips parted at that, gaze resting on the blond man now.

“You’re my boyfriend?”

You didn’t recognize him one bit, but somehow, you believed it. His expression was pained, and he slowly pushed himself off of the wall with a nod. The doctor spoke again as he slowly approached you.

“Your friends haven’t left the hospital in days,” she said. “They’re eager to see you.”

You had friends…and a boyfriend.

It felt so strange to wake up to a whole life that you didn’t remember. After examining you and writing some things down, she left you two alone. Your…boyfriend looked almost afraid to approach you, but you only found yourself curious, unable to take your eyes off of him. You drank in his blond locks, sun kissed skin, and calm blue eyes as he hesitantly reached for your hand.

“You don’t…you don’t remember me, do you?”

You shook your head, a soft ‘no’ leaving your lips, and for some reason, you felt so bad to say it. He nodded, some strands kissing his forehead as he gently took your hand.

“I’m…I’m your boyfriend,” he told you, thumb brushing over the back of your hand. “JJ.”

You couldn’t stop flipping through all of the photos, obsessed with knowing everything about him that you could. You looked so happy in all of the pictures, and even without your memories, you couldn’t deny that it was all because of JJ. His smile was wide in every picture, eyes sparkling as they looked at the camera…or you.

You were stuck on a particular picture of you laying next to him on the couch, your face smiling at the camera while his was turned towards you, focused.

“Tell me about this one…”

JJ couldn’t hold in his laugh, bringing you a glass of water.

“I already told you about that one.”

“Yeah, but I want to hear it again,” you told him.

He sat down beside you, and you were glad to be alone with him.

Since you’d woken up, you’d been surrounded by nonstop car and attention from your friends. Pope, Sarah, John B., and Kiara. They’d been beside themselves with worry, and as overwhelming and confusing as it all was, you could see how much they loved you, so you forced yourself to take it in stride.

You’d spent months getting to know them all again, months learning the dynamic of your friendships, and discovering everything you could about yourself. There was never a moment where you were alone, and as grateful as you were, you couldn’t deny how badly you wanted to get to know JJ.

Your boyfriend.

“We were drunk, really drunk,” he added. “…and you couldn’t stop laughing. Everything was just so funny to you, and…it was the cutest thing.”

You moved closer, always so eager to hear the memories of you two that you couldn’t remember.

“You wanted to take pictures of us so bad, and you just couldn’t stop laughing. I thought it was so funny…and I couldn’t stop staring. You hadn’t really smiled like that in a while.”

His voice lowered, and you watched his face fall. Sometimes, you noticed that JJ got like that. Real somber and subdued, a stark contrast from how you had grown to know him to be. He’d get this look in his eyes that he was remembering something you didn’t, something he wouldn’t tell you.

Something they all wouldn’t tell you.

You picked up on how careful their conversations seemed to be around you. You noticed the way they changed topics so quickly sometimes or the way you’d catch someone staring at you with a look you couldn’t place, a cross between concern and fear. You noticed the way they treated you like porcelain, like the worst of things had happened to you.

You always noticed that it happened especially when Sarah’s family was mentioned.

Namely her brother.

Rafe.

The thought of the name did make something twist inside of you, although you didn’t know what…or why.

“Will you ever tell me?” you whispered.

JJ came back to the present then, and he frowned at you, touching your cheek.

“Tell you what?”

“What happened to me,” you said, making JJ exhale. “Whatever…makes you look like…that sometimes.”

The corner of JJ’s lips curved up into a bitter smile, and he looked over you with a shake of his head.

“Nah,” he quietly replied. “Probably not.”

In the months since you’d woken up in that hospital, you had grown to trust JJ so much. He looked after you and made you feel so safe. Even without the countless pictures of you two together, happy and in love, you knew he was special to you from the moment your eyes met his.

You reached up, touching the shark tooth on your necklace.

“…okay,” you said with a small smile.

He looked thankful for your response, and you reached for his hand, threading your fingers together. You were slow to lean in and press your lips to his, pulling away and watching him. You were so curious about JJ and your relationship, in more ways than one.

The first time you’d kissed him, two months after you had woken up, he’d looked shocked. It was obvious that he was holding himself back, hesitant to kiss you back, unsure of reaching out and touching you. It had confused you at first, maybe even hurt you a little, but you quickly understood that he didn’t want to overstep. Even though he was your boyfriend, you didn’t remember any of it, so it did make for a tricky situation.

As the months had gone by, you were surprised at just how much you wanted him.

JJ was beautiful. His blond hair was always wild in a way that suited him. His blue eyes reminded you of the sky, and with how much time he spent outside, you understood why his skin was always sun kissed. Sometimes you liked to watch him work on his bike, hunched over the hunk of metal, brows drawn together in concentration.

You found it deeply attractive, and although you understood his reasons for his hesitation, you sometimes wondered if he felt the same about you.

“Do you want a beer?”

You were combing through John B.’s fridge, grabbing a few. JJ had come with you inside, everyone else in the hot tub, and when he didn’t answer you, you looked over your shoulder. You hadn’t expected JJ to be so close, and he startled you, but only for a second before you giggled.

“You okay?” you wondered, tilting your head at him.

Sometimes he’d just look at you in a way you couldn’t name, and todays was one of those times. You bit your lip as he reached out to gently pinch your chin, thumb brushing your skin as he ran his eyes over you. You didn’t move as he came closer, and you actually felt your heart flutter when his lips brushed yours.

You kissed him back, eager and wanting. He tasted like the two beers he’d already had, his bare chest brushing against yours. You reached up, placing your hands on his arms and moving closer. JJ took your face into his hands, deeply inhaling and breathing you in as he moved his mouth against yours. You moaned in the back of your throat, and that seemed to ruin it.

You frowned when JJ all but ripped himself away from you, and you struggled to swallow down the deep rejection you felt. JJ’s hands were on your arms now, holding you at length, and you watched his chest slowly heave.

“Why don’t you want me?”

You hadn’t meant for that to come out, but you found yourself wanting to know JJ in every possible way, and he didn’t seem to be on the same page.

Your boyfriend’s eyes widened, and he blinked, shaking his head. He stepped towards you, closer now, and JJ’s gaze held yours. His face twitched, and it was then that you could see the hunger in his eyes. They weren’t as soft as they normally were, hardened with a desire that you weren’t used to being on the receiving end of.

“You’re crazy if you think I don’t want you,” he chuckled, more so to himself than you.

You smiled.

“Then…what’s wrong?”

He opened his mouth before snapping it closed, frowning now.

“I get that you want to make sure I’m comfortable, but… Sometimes I feel like it’s more than that.”

You thought about that thing that none of them would talk about. You could tell that JJ was thinking about it too, eyes faraway and dim. You watched him swallow, briefly looking down before taking your hand.

“I just don’t wanna rush you,” he whispered.

You resisted pushing for more, accepting his reasons.

You knew that whatever happened must have been bad. After all, you wound up in the hospital because you took a beating to the head. You couldn’t imagine someone hating you enough to do that, and there had been so many moments where you wanted to ask JJ about it, but you didn’t need to be a genius to know that whatever memories you couldn’t remember were painful for him.

JJ’s fingers threaded through yours as he placed kisses along the expanse of your throat. It was raining outside, the sound of it soothing right outside the window. It was open, allowing for a cool breeze to come in, and you were beyond thankful for it. It relieved you, lessening the heated atmosphere and cooling your dewy skin.

JJ’s hips curved into yours, thrusting into you at a pace that made your head spin. You were so hot and cold at the same time, shuddering at the feel of his skin against yours. This was what you had wanted for months, so curious and desperate to feel him against you. You softly moaned his name, briefly thinking on how things had escalated.

A nightmare had woken you up in the middle of the night.

No.

Not a nightmare.

A memory.

You hadn’t known that it was a memory at first, too distraught and terrified. You’d woken up screaming, the vivid image of hands on your neck and teeth on you at the forefront of your mind. JJ had been there immediately, quick to take you in his arms as you screamed. You were more thankful then than ever that his dad had screwed off to God knows where as JJ had put it.

You had sounded like you were being murdered.

“You’re okay, you’re okay,” he had reassured you, rocking you.

You had clung to him like your life depended on it, tears escaping your eyes. You’d been almost inconsolable, unable to stop sobbing. You couldn’t remember much, but the fear and panic and desperation you had felt were palpable. You remembered feeling like you were going to die.

When JJ had pressed kisses over your face, his lips brushed against yours, and you hadn’t even meant to deepen it, just desperate for him. For once, he didn’t pull away, just as eager to kiss you too.

“I’m sorry,” he had murmured into the kiss.

You hadn’t known what he was apologizing for, but he kept repeating it, kissing you and undressing you and apologizing over and over. You knew that you’d had sex with JJ before, but you didn’t remember it, and so this felt like a first. You had gasped when he pushed his way into you, slow and gentle and groaning at the feel of you wrapped around him.

Your entire body buzzed like you were filled with bees, toes curling and eyes rolling. JJ ran his hands over you, fingers sliding along your sweaty skin. There was a breeze that cooled you off, and you sighed, throwing your head back and arching against him. JJ’s hips snapped against yours with purpose, fiercely trying to push you towards the edge.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” he breathed, kissing you again.

Why, you wanted to ask, but he kept going.

“I failed you,” he choked out, face falling to the crook of your neck. “I tried, and I didn’t.”

“JJ…it’s okay.”

You didn’t know why you were reassuring him, but he was trembling against you, and you wrapped your arms around him, holding him close.

“I’m here now,” you pointed out, reminding him that you were safe. “So, it’s okay.”

He shook his head, pushing his cock into you and pinning you beneath him. He hit something in you that had you whimpering, legs wrapping around him. When JJ lifted his head, troubled eyes meeting yours, you could see then that he was scared. He wouldn’t take his eyes off of you, touching you like you would disappear at any moment.

Your nails dug into his skin as your stomach clenched, a pressure building deep in your gut.

“I’m not going anywhere,” you whispered. “I promise.”

When you came, JJ did too, collapsing against you and pressing his forehead to your shoulder. His hair was damp with sweat, and you ran your fingers through it, not wanting to let him go anytime soon. As his arms tightened around you, you knew that he felt the same.

You stood in the doorway, watching JJ as he moved about, trying to make you something to eat. His hair was going every which way, reminiscent of how it normally looked after sex. That thought had your eyes drifting to his neck, lingering on the soft bruise you’d left.

You ran your eyes over him, wondering how you had ever forgotten him.

After almost a year with JJ and spending so much time with your friends, you had woken up with a splitting headache. However, it was nothing in comparison to the onslaught of memories bombarding you, making you squeeze your eyes shut.

It had been too much, making your head spin, and you’d almost passed out. It had taken everything in you to stay conscious, swaying in JJ’s bed. Your chest was heaving, and you pressed your hand to it, trying to slow your breathing.

You had remembered it all.

Rafe. The party, the assault, the accident and the first time you lost your memories. You remembered the ‘relationship’ and the violation he’d put you through. You remembered his behavior after you got your memories back…the beach. It had brought tears to your eyes, and you had swallowed down the loudest scream, chest tight.

In that moment, you only wanted your boyfriend, and that was how you found yourself watching him. When he noticed you, he paused, frowning in concern at the look on your face. JJ rushed towards you, gaze inquiring.

“Hey…hey, what’s wrong?”

He touched your face, alarmed at the tears he felt, and he pulled you closer.

“What’s wrong? Is it your head?”

Your lips parted, and you let out a sob, worrying him more.

“You…you saved me,” you choked out.

It took a moment for JJ to process your words, and when he did, his eyes widened.

“What?” his voice was so low, you almost missed it. “You…”

You threw your arms around him, collapsing in his hold, and JJ tightened his own around you. He pressed his face against your hair and neck, breathing you in and squeezing you with his hands. You didn’t know how long you two just stood there, holding each other and basking in the feel of being with each other as you had been before. You remembered him and everything he’d been to you, and you couldn’t stop crying.

“Thank you,” you breathed, thanking him for so much, too much to even vocalize.

“I told you,” JJ whispered, kissing your neck. “…never thank me for that.”

Fin.

#dark!rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron x kook!reader #rafe cameron x reader #jj maybank x kook!reader #jj maybank x reader #obx fic #outer banks fanfiction

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farity · 8 months

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Obsession, part 15

"Daeron called. He wants to know if he needs to come home."

Aemond looked up. "The last thing I need to worry about is Daeron being here. He's safe with grandfather."

"After all this Baratheon mess is over," Aegon said, "we'll all get together. But I was thinking we should strike first."

When Aemond said nothing, Aegon sat across from his brother. "I don't particularly feel like spending my time worrying about when the Baratheons will strike. I suggest we make a plan. Get the daughters married to our allies so we know where they are, take over Storm's End, make sure Borros is never a problem."

"That will take a lot of planning. A lot of firepower. A lot of banners being called."

Aegon nodded. "I trust you. Put a plan together, I can start setting up potential destinations for the daughters, calling on our allies. They've just pledged loyalty, might as well put them to good use."

Aemond smirked. "What about you? When are you getting married?"

"Oh, don't fucking tell me you've become one of those married people who want everyone else to get married."

"No, but it's been a while since you dated anyone."

"I don't fucking date. What do you want me to do, go to a fucking bar and meet some girl?"

"Um-"

Both brothers turned to see Helaena standing at the doorway.

"I'm going out with Cregan, I might not be back until super late."

"I don't want to fucking know," Aegon said. "Seriously, just go. And remember, No Glove, No Love."

"Oh my gods, Aegon!" Helaena turned bright pink and left in a hurry, and Aegon started cackling.

Aemond studied his brother. "You are such a weirdo."

"Do you want a litter of little dragonwolves running around? Because I don't. And anyway," he added, turning serious, "let me know. I don't want this to be a dark cloud hanging over us. What's the fucking point of being the ruling House if we live our lives wondering when we're going to be attacked?"

* * * * *

"You know, Aegon was seeing someone for a while," Alicent said while out on the gazebo. She was halfway through one coffee cup and you looked up, wondering why she would tell you about her oldest child's love life.

"Um, okay?"

She smiled. "A therapist, I mean. She is very good and when Aegon was losing his way and we wouldn't seeing for weeks at a time, she helped him straighten out."

You buttered your toast, saying nothing. You hadn't kept up with the gossip on the Targaryens before you became one of them. You knew of them, of course, but you didn't scrutinize the press for news and rumors on them.

"It must be shocking to be part of this family when you've known only . . . " she waved a manicured hand around, "normal people life. If you need to talk to someone, I can have her come here. Every week if you wish." She drank more of her coffee. "It's not good to bottle things up."

"Thank you. It's been such a whirlwind, really. I will take you up on that," you said, and took a bite of your toast.

She smiled at you, nodding. "Very well, I will set it up."

"Mom!"

"Helaena, dearest, sit with us."

* * * * *

"Oh, that was just a silly thing. It doesn't bother me," Helaena said after Alicent left.

You had wanted to make sure, now that you knew one of the Baratheon daughters was going to marry the Snow boy that Helaena once liked.

"I don't know that I have any influence on this, but if you would rather he didn't marry her, I can-"

"You have influence," Helaena said, eyes wide, "believe me."

You made a scoffing sound, "please."

She took a long swig of her orange juice. "It's true. You know Aegon is not supposed to go with Aemond when he's doing," she lowered her voice and leaned in, "gun stuff."

"So?"

"He went because of you. He wanted to show respect to Aemond. Plus more than once he's said, 'oh, Aemond's wife said this, and she told me that,' which means he listens to you. So," she smiled at you, "you have influence. But no, there's no need. I am very happy with Cregan."

Leaning over, you raised an eyebrow at her. "oh yeah?"

She smiled happily. "He's told me he wants to marry me, that he knows I'm the one for him, that he will wait until I know he's the one for me."

"Oh my gosh, Hel! So romantic!"

"Who's romantic?"

You whirled around at the sound of Aemond's voice. "The guy from the movie," you replied easily.

"Hmm."

"Are you joining us for breakfast, brother?"

Aemond kissed the top of your head. "No, I need to talk to Aegon." He ran his fingertips across the back of your neck before continuing to the house.

* * * * *

"I locked the bank accounts in Essos, that's where Borros was keeping a lot of hidden accounts. He's been funneling money from his own allies and now he doesn't have access to it."

Aegon nodded. "Well done." He checked his phone, then looked back at his brother. "Tomorrow I will let him know we've found husbands for his daughters, and then it should get interesting."

Aemond nodded slowly. "I can't imagine he's going to take the news well. Even worse when we tell him his assets are frozen and all he has is the miserly budget he runs his household on." He smiled at the thought, "shouldn't have messed with us if he didn't want retaliation."

"I sent people to the borders, in case they try to run. We have people in Pentos, too, they will let us know if they hear anything. I'd prefer not to have to go myself."

"Would that be because you don't want to be away from your wife?"

Aemond glared at his brother. "Fuck off."

"Yep, I thought so. I have a zoom meeting with the Martells. They keep asking me to go to Dorne but I can't until this is all settled. Anyway, sounds like you have this all handled."

Aegon left and Aemond's thought went to his wife, remembering the answer she'd given him earlier.

She loved him. It both comforted and frightened him, and he hadn't wanted to delve too much into his own feelings for her. It was complicated.

Feelings had always been complicated.

He had been teased and bullied by his brother and cousins. Ignored by his father. His mother found him the easiest to love, compared to Aegon's recklessness and Helaena's unwillingness to open up. Then the incident with Luke. Then the other incident with Luke. He felt cursed and like if he didn't excel at everything he did, he would be ostracized again.

Aegon had matured and Helaena had decided she adored him, and his mother appreciated him. She loved him in her own way, he was sure.

He hadn't even thought about his father making the decision to kill him. He couldn't.

He thought of a child. His child. He would protect them with everything he had. He wouldn't make them prove themselves to him over and over. Then he saw her, clear as day in his mind. Her belly large with his child inside her. He felt his insides clench with want.

Would she even want a child with him? When he couldn't even tell her what she meant to him? He knew Helaena had procured birth control for her, the day they'd arrived at the safe house. It was what Helaena did. If Daeron lost his inhaler on a trip somewhere, Helaena had a replacement couriered to him within the hour.

The thought of his wife, pregnant, holding their child, teaching their baby to walk, Aemond realized he was smiling and that tears had gathered in his eye.

She loved him. And he was a fucking coward who had nearly lost her and couldn't even form the words.

* * * * *

You turned your face back and forth before the mirror in the bathroom. The scratch had faded to almost nothing, the bruises were gone. Your feet had healed up and Aemond had told you the self-defense instructor would start in a couple of weeks.

You heard the front door open and you went to find Aemond walking in. He headed straight for you and, cradling your face in his hands, kissed you so gently that you could only lean in against him, your hands on top of his.

"I'm a fool," he said, pulling back. "I'm the biggest fool there is."

"Aemond, what is it?"

He was still holding your head in his hands, and he looked flushed. "I've spent the last ten years holding people at arm's length. and fuck this, I don't want to any more."

"Aemond," you whispered, touching his cheek.

"I love you."

Your mouth dropped open, but you found that you couldn't speak.

"I adore you. I love being with you. I love having a future with you. I married you because I couldn't let you go."

You felt the heat of tears beginning to gather in your eyes.

"I love laughing with you, and knowing that you are mine, and sleeping next to you. I love that I belong to you and you belong to me. I hate that-"

You pressed a hand to his mouth. "Nope, we're not doing hate stuff right now," you said as you started crying, and he wrapped his arms around you.

"I've been a godsdamned fool."

"Stop."

He kissed you again, then pressed his forehead against yours. "I want a life with you," he whispered, "a life full of joy, and adventure, and all the dumb bullshit happy people do."

You laughed through your tears. "Oh, we have adventure all right, I don't think we'll be lacking in that." You kissed him, wiping off your tears. "I want it all, Aemond. I want everything with you."

He kissed you again, and you stayed like that, holding each other in the middle of the living room for a long time.

* * * * *

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coltrainbat · 1 year

Note

Do you think you could write about short sized! Reader working for Bruce banner as a lab assistant and Steve has a total crush on her.

Get A Life

You sat comfortably at your desk, analysing recent data on your computer screen. To an everyday person what would look like a jumbled mix of numbers and symbols to you made perfect sense.

“Bruceee.”

“Ah-huh.” He responded, eye deep into a telescope.

“The optimal temperature for nuclear reaction is…”

“100 million Kelvin… depends.”

“Figured.” You grumbled, nibbling on the end of a pen.

He rose from his stool, moving towards your desk and minimising the screen.

“This might sound hypocritical coming from me, but you need to get a social life.”

You re-opened the screen, eyes zoning in on him “This is social.” Gesturing between you both.

“No this is work.” He minimised the screen again.

“It’s a hobby.” You re-opened it,

“That you get paid to do.” He minimised the screen once more.

Before you could continue your game of cat and mouse, a knock at the door caused both your heads to rise.

“Sorry to interrupt I just came to drop off these documents for Y/N.”

Your eyes darted up to the large frame leaning against the door, his blue eyes never leaving yours as he offered a soft smile, holding a thick manilla folder in his hands like it was nothing.

“Oh yeah, okay, I was just about to go.” Bruce rose, walking past Steve.

Bruce raised his pointer finger at Steve, leaning in close and whispering while you were distracted by the screen in front of you “I…MIT won’t stop calling desperate for her to join so don’t… you know because I will go Hulk on your ass.”

Steve gave him a respectful nod “I won’t.”

“Good.” With a slap on the shoulder Bruce made his way out.

Steve stalked towards you, placing the folder on your desk with a thud.

You skim through the contents only to find blank pages.

“These are all blank?”

“Yes, they are.”

“What… why would you… what?”

Steve’s hand rubbed the back of his head “I just wanted an excuse to come see you.” He smiled at you sheepishly.

You sighed, rising from your desk making your way to the chemical cupboard with Steve close on your tail.

“I’m in the middle of making universe altering research breakthroughs Steven.” You thumbed through the walls of vials and chemicals.

Steven. Only you called him Steven. Not Rogers. Not Captain. Steven. And while he’d choke out anyone else who called him that besides his mother, he loved hearing his name fall from your lips.

“Which is why I think you deserved a break.”

“Why is everyone so obsessed with me talking breaks around here?”

“Because you work the hardest.” You momentarily paused, turning your head over your shoulder, catching the sincerity on his face.

“I’m not a superhero.” You shook your head.

“You are, in a way…” He moved forward coming behind you as you reached upwards, pushing your weight onto your tippy toes to reach the container on the top shelf, your fingertips barely brushing it. Even in heeled boots you couldn’t even reach.

With a swift motion, he placed his hand on your hip to pull you back slightly, raising his toned arm and grabbing the container effortlessly and handing it to you.

“I can’t even reach the top shelf.” Blush rose to your cheek at the feeling of his body so close to you.

“Yes, but even superhero need help sometimes and more importantly… lives.”

“I have a life!” You moved out of his reach going back towards your desk.

“When was the last time you had a beer with us? Or didn’t go into the lab for a day? Or went on a date?” He spat out.

You paused, turning on your heels, eyeing him.

“What do you want?” You said bluntly, crossing your arms over your full chest.

You were annoyed and he could tell. But he was absolutely obsessed with the way you looked in this moment, eyes piercing right into his soul through your glasses, your hair in a claw clip with strands sticking out and falling over your face. The tapping on your boot against the linoleum floor and the way your arms crossed pushed your chest together revealing a small sight of cleavage under your sweater.

He shouldn’t have found it as sexy as he did.

“I’d like you to take a break…”

You went to interject him and give him a 1000 reasons why you wouldn’t take a break until he finished…

“So, I can take you on a date.”

Your mouth fell agape but you were quick to recover with a sarcastic chuckle.

“Do you want me to warm up the CAT scan? Seems your brain has turned to mush from being in the ice so long.”

“Y/N please.”

“Steven, I don’t date.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not scientific and it’s not logical, it’s unexplainable nonsense that drives women to insanity.”

He crooked an eyebrow up at you. “I don’t think you could get more insane than you already are if that helps.”

You rubbed your temples turning on your heels to go back to your desk until you felt a strong hang grab your wrist and pull you back into a hard chest.

“Y/N, I see what you do day in day out for this team, and it doesn’t go unnoticed. But I also see how when you’re focused your eyebrows knot together, how I know which pencils are yours because of the bite marks on ends, how at the end of every day you let your hair fall out and you shake it with your hands, how the sweat drips down your chest and soaks your sports bras in the gym, how when you make a sly comment everyone laughs because you’re funny without realising and I can’t stop looking at you and I won’t but I desperately want to see what’s in your mind behind formulas and data because I know there’s more to you than that so if you would give me the pleasure I really REALLY want to be the social life you so desperately need. I see you, more than you know. And while it may not be mathematical, it makes perfectly calculated sense to me.”

You sucked in your lips, emotions swelling inside of you. His head bowed towards you, foreheads touching.

“Please.”

You nodded unable to form words as his arms tightened around your waist, pulling you in as his lips lightly brushed yours, forcing you to relax in his grip and reciprocate the tender kiss.

“I’ll see you at 7pm - don’t be late.” He gave you final kiss on your forehead, walking out with a beaming smile.

Leaving you in shock as you finally let out the breath you’ve been holding in and warmth spread throughout your body.

#steve rogers x y/n #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers #steve rogers fluff #marvel mcu #mcu #mcu fanfiction #steve rogers fic #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers one shot #steve rogers drabble #steve rogers au #captain america #steve rogers x you

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nkn0va · 9 days

Note

Blazeblue request: If your ok with it, can you write relationship headcannons for F!Ragna and a M!S/O?

Thankfully Ragna's got protag privileges when it comes to fanart. Whitehorse made the banner completely impromptu, the absolute madlad.

Also fun fact, did you know that Ragna is an actual name that's originally feminine? It's a Scandinavian name so you probably won't actually meet anyone with it. In Blazblue's case though, it's likely a reference to Ragnarok in Norse Mythology.

-Poor Ragna has absolutely no romantic experience. Growing up in a church and then being raised by an anthropomorphic cat whose wife was yeeted into the great beyond will do that to you.

-She's extremely hesitant to let you join her when she goes out to destroy the cauldrons, she can't afford to risk losing anyone else she cares about.

-She does eventually relent and let you join. At least that way she can keep you close to her, which may be for the better considering the target likely to be on your back by proxy of hers.

-On the bright side though, you can think of it as a way of travelling, getting to see the world outside of wherever you were born and Jubei's "abode", if you can even call it that. Try bringing this up to Ragna though, and you'll only get a scoff in return. Half amused, half annoyed.

-She's definitely got a bit of tsundere-ness in her like her brother. She'll chew you out when you do something dangerous, it's how she expresses her worry. She doesn't really know how to worry like a normal girlfriend.

-Speaking of Jin though, you're gonna have to deal with his never-ending jealousy/rage when you happen to meet him. There's no avoiding it. He can target Ragna all he likes but if he dares point his blade in your general direction she is going to pound his ass straight back to the Azure.

-She's extremely protective in general, she'll often patrol around the area where you set up camp for the night to make sure nothing is there, aggressive wildlife, scouting NOL soldiers, or otherwise.

-There aren't a lot of chances for intimacy, the kind that's normal for two people dating. When the opportunity does come around though, Ragna can actually be surprisingly soft. It's around you that she can finally relax and not have to worry about putting on the tough attitude.

-It's in moments like those where you realize she really isn't all that aggressive by nature. She has to be if she wants to protect the people important to her, and you're no exception. In fact, you're really the only person that gets to see her be vulnerably like this.

-Of course you're both going to face endless teasing about your relationship. Rachel, Jubei, Kokonoe, and Kagura in particular are all going to give you varying degrees of shit.

-Rachel's going to ask you what made you fall for such a "lowly, unladylike creature" with a shit-eating grin on her face, much to Ragna's chagrin, while on the other end of the spectrum Jubei's just going to playfully tease you two like a dad watching his kid in a relationship. He won't give you the ol' warning about breaking her heart spiel, it's not needed with Ragna of all women. If you cross her she'll fuck you up herself.

-Your relationship with Ragna is really the only semblance of normalcy she has left in her life. You're her tether to reality, a comforting presence that keeps her sanity from truly slipping. Though of course she probably won't be saying this out loud.

-She'll be damned before she lets the NOL, Sector Seven, or God forbid Terumi get their filthy hands on you. You're the only person who can truly see her for who she really is deep down, past the sardonic, hotheaded exterior.

-When she takes control of the Master Unit, you're the one at the forefront of her mind above everyone else that she creates the new world for. Deep down her heart is breaking at the fact that you can never see each other again, and that you'll never even remember her and all the shit you had to go through together. Even at the fact that in the new world you'll probably find someone else.

-But...that's fine. Ragna knew what she was signing up for, and she knows it needs to be done. For the people she loves. No matter how much it hurts.

#blazblue x reader #x reader #relationship headcanons #headcanon #ragna the bloodedge #genderbend

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oh-katsuki · 1 year

Text

in which you can't handle change and tendou wants to confess

cw: angst, best friend!tendou, implications of emotional cheating but not on reader, cheating mentions, wc is 990

“how’s your girlfriend?” you ask softly into the receiver. you hear tendou shift on the other end.

“we broke up.”

“oh shit, that sucks,” you say, sitting up a little. “you really liked her. What happened?”

“i dunno if you want to know,” he laughs a little. it’s a tired one, like he’s dealt with the problem before.

“i definitely do. i care about you, dude. tell me what’s up.”

“i cheated on her.” his sentence comes to a hard stop.

“what? jesus, satori. what the fuck’s the matter with you?”

“well, she said i cheated on her.”

“did you?”

“no,” he pauses, inhaling a little. “she said it was emotional cheating. she said she thought that there was someone else that i loved and gave my emotional energy to.”

you pause for a minute, blood thickening in your veins. “who?”

“who do you think?”

“jesus…” you sit on it for a minute, letting the silence brew before speaking again. “is this the first time that’s happened?”

“uh, no…” he drones lightly.

“how many times?”

tendou pauses and you can hear him weighing the answer. you already know what it is. the pause is too long to be anything else and you find yourself bracing for its impact.

“all of them.”

you only nod, not offering a verbal answer and trying to swallow your guilt. you’re unable to conjure any words besides an apology but before you can muster up the courage to say it, tendou speaks.

“but,” you hear him weigh his words, “y’know i was thinking that maybe she’s not wrong. that none of them really were.”

“what?” softer this time, afraid that he’s going to say something he can’t take back.

“it’s not your fault. i don’t want you to think that i’m like… friend breaking up with you or anything. the opposite actually.”

“stop.”

you hear his words catch, the weighted pull of his tongue as he closes his lips.

“what are you saying?”

“i think you know.” he exhales and you can hear the sadness in his voice. it’s laden with it, lacing through your ear and carving itself into the side of your skull.

“no… satori, stop it.”

your phone starts to ring in your hand. he’s requesting a video call. you can see the banner pop up over the already ongoing voice call.

you’ve been dreading this, not because you don’t feel the same, but because you cherish him in such a way that you don’t want to risk what you already have. you could feel it coming for weeks, like a heavy wind before it rains; one day, the air started to dampen and then thicken and you had been unable to shake the impending sense of dread that built with every lingering touch and glance. your phone lights up in your hand again, the video call request trilling lightly as the device vibrates against your ear.

“why aren’t you picking up?”

“because I know that if i do you’re going to say something weird and fucked up.” you heave into the receiver, trying to calm the feeling of injustice rising in your chest. he breathes quietly into it, silence confirming what you had been worried about. “i know… that if i answer that call... you’re going to say something that we’ll need to heal from. i don’t want to heal anymore. i’m tired of healing.”

he goes silent before speaking again. “i need you to know.”

“no, you don’t. you don’t need it. neither of us do- god! why can’t you just be fair?”

“i am being fair.”

“no, you’re not. you’re being cruel.”

the phone in your hand rings again. “pick up the call, let me see you.”

“no. if i answer you’re gonna say it and then everything is gonna be different.”

“then let it be different.”

“i don’t want it to be. i want to be like this with you forever. i want it to be you and me forever exactly as we are. i don’t want change. i want to just be us, like this. i can’t lose you. if i accept that call… something is gonna break.”

“it’s already broken! whatever it is, it’s already broken!” you hear the way he raises his voice, caught in his throat. it’s not frightening, nor does it make you feel uneasy. instead, his words are tied together with the distinct sound of anguish and his plea seems to reach deep into your chest, pulling your own injustice from it. pressure builds in his syllables, like he’s a dam fit to burst— then, he speaks quietly, genuinely, "you could never lose me, kid. i promise."

“yeah, because you broke it! you broke it with your stupid video call and your stupid ex-girlfriend and your stupid need to be honest! if i answer this call…. i need you to lie to me.” your anger coats the back of your throat, thick and heavy where your tongue meets the roof of your mouth. you love him, but you can’t bear the change. you won’t. he’s too important. satori means too much.

tendou agrees without hesitation, something uncharacteristic of him. “okay, i’ll lie.”

he calls again, the screen lighting up with the requested video call. you answer it this time, finger tapping the green accept button, and the phone makes a pleasant hum as his face glows across the screen. when Satori comes into focus, you can see the way his low-lidded eyes are puffy. they hang like he’s tired and below his eyes, his prominent under-eye bags have deepened. his face is fond and familiar. after so many years, you have his features memorized.

“hey,” he says like you haven’t been yelling at him.

“hi,” you answer meekly, voice low as you avoid looking at yourself in the top corner of the screen.

then, tendou takes a deep breath and looks through the camera. his lips pull down in a frown and he speaks in clear and distinct syllables. “i am not in love with you.”

he’s lying and you feel whatever it is break anyway.

#tendou x reader #tendou satori x reader #haikyu x reader #tw: angst #tendou satori angst #[ 📕 – writing ]#this has been in my drafts foreeeverrr #and i WAS gonna write a full fic on it #but i dont think that's gonna happen so here it is

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imaginesfordifferentfandoms · 1 year

Text

evermore

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Prompt - ‘And I couldn't be sure I had a feeling so peculiar this pain wouldn't be for evermore.’

You and Matt had been sitting together on his rooftop, neither of you donned your costumes, content to just sit together under the mid-morning sun, your hands playing with Matt’s and sharing soft kisses. It wasn’t until you pulled away that you saw, off in the distance, a spaceship suddenly appear, the round ship causing your eyes to widen as you listened to Matt and headed downstairs into the apartment, switching on the TV you insisted he have and watching the events play out.

The Avengers, or whatever was left of the Avengers honestly you weren’t sure who was a member and who wasn’t anymore, seemed to have it covered. There was footage of a wizard or two who you didn’t know, Tony Stark was there and you recognised Bruce Banner, then there were the aliens. Whilst there was no sound you could see one of them talking, Tony Stark not looking impressed and cutting him off before the wizards used their powers and suddenly they were fighting.

“Hey, is that Spidey?” You grinned at Matt when you saw a familiar figure swing into frame and Matt raised an eyebrow at you before shaking his head.

“Isn’t this above Spider-Man’s paygrade?” Matt groaned and you laughed before turning back to the screen.

Both of you knew Spider-Man fairly well at this point, neither you or Matt had shared who you were under your masks and neither had Spidey but sometimes he swung by the Kitchen and he was always fun to fight alongside.

You continued to watch the screen, narrating what was going on as it happened, laughing about how insane the camera people were, literal aliens were tearing the streets of New York apart and they were still getting the money shot.

“Wait…” You said, sitting straighter in your seat and leaning forward, Matt raising an eyebrow as he waited for you to continue. “Spider-Man’s on the spaceship…and the spaceship’s gone.”

“Spider-Man was on it?” Matt asked, feeling a wave of worry for the kid because at the end of the day that’s all he was, a kid who put way too much responsibility on his shoulders.

“Iron Man’s heading up too so he should be good.” You said, leaning back into the sofa and letting out a deep breath before cuddling into Matt’s chest, his arm going around your shoulders.

“Aliens.” You grimaced, years of living in New York, years of playing vigilante and you still didn’t think you’d ever get used to everything that happened here.

“Let’s just hope they don’t come back.” Matt chuckled as he pulled you closer, placing a kiss to your head and you nodded before reaching over to turn the TV off, not needing to see reruns of the fight.

It was only a few hours later, you and Matt were back on his rooftop, Matt was talking about the people of New York and what they were doing. It was amazing how everybody was able to simply snap back and carry on with their lives like aliens hadn’t invaded this morning. It was truly ridiculous really and you couldn’t help but smile as you cuddled into Matt who was telling you about a business meeting happening right next to the clean up where cars had been tossed around the streets.

“There’s a school field trip, not too far away, a bunch of kids at MOMA still talking about the spaceship whilst their teacher tries to get them to focus on the trip.” Matt told you as he ran his fingers through your hair, yours trailing along his stomach. “He’s not having much luck.”

“Aliens invade the Earth and everything continues on as normal.” You laughed softly and felt more than heard Matt’s chuckle as it rumbled in his chest. “I think I’ll stick to criminals and the occasional ninja.”

“Not ready to take on the aliens yet? Join the Avengers?” Matt asked and you turned to muffle a laugh into his chest causing his smile to widen.

“I think I’ll stick to our little corner of Hell’s Kitchen, leave the aliens to someone else.” You said because as much as you liked fighting at Spider-Man’s side, especially on the few occasions you’d joined in a bigger fight, you couldn’t stomach the thought of going up against aliens, against powers you knew nothing about.

“Yeah,” Matt sighed softly, tilting your head back gently with the hand in your hair. “I like our little corner.”

You smiled into the kiss as Matt leaned down and you met him half way, the kiss wasn’t hurried, there was no urgency in it. It was soft and lazy, both of you taking your time, not in any rush, both content in each other’s arms.

It was only when Matt pulled away with a frown did you feel a sense of urgency, not quite sure why yet but if Matt was making that face then something was definitely wrong. He stayed silent for a few moments, crease apearing in between his eyebrows as he tilted his head, listening for something you couldn’t hear and you hoped it was just him deciding if a situation needed Daredevil’s intervention.

But when Matt shot up into a sitting position, forcing you up with him from your spot on his chest, you panicked. Matt’s face had gone pale, paler than you’d ever seen with the only exception being when he’d lost too much blood. His head tilted further to the side like he was straining to hear something before his mouth fell open with a silent gasp and you could see his eyes widen.

You trusted Matt’s judgement and for him to look this scared, this worried and confused then you knew you should be scared too.

“Matt, what’s happening?” You asked and it seemed to pull Matt’s attention back to you, shaking his head almost in disbelief but he didn’t answer for a long moment. You could tell he wasn’t ignoring your question, could see the way his mouth opened and closed but nothing came out. “Matt please, you’re scaring me.”

“Something’s wrong.” He told you, his head shifting in every direction like he was hearing too much at once. “The city, it’s…”

In all the time you’d known Matt, from first time meeting him when you were both hidden under your masks to the time you’d spent together as Matt and Y/N, you’d never seen him like this before.

It was terrifying.

“Matt, please tell me what’s happening.” It had to be the aliens, it was the only explanation but you couldn’t see any giant spaceships, no aliens ascending from the sky. As you glanced around it just looked like a regular day.

“It’s, I don’t know, it’s like people are disappearing. I can’t hear- Y/N, I can’t hear their heartbeats, they’re just gone, they’re going out.” Matt told you, turning his attention back to you as his voice trailed into a whisper and you stared back at him with wide eyes.

“What do you mean, gone?” You asked as a wave of anxiety flooded through you and Matt shook his head, turning back towards the streets as he listened.

“I don’t know, I just-” Matt began but cut himself off, his head snapping around to face you, wearing an expression you’d only ever seen once on his face.

It was the expression he wore when you had been shot, he could hear everything and he barely got you to Claire before your breaths came few and far between. Claire had barely managed to bring you back to him but you still remembered that haunted look on his face and swore you’d be more careful because you never wanted to see it again.

And now here it was and you didn’t know why.

Not until you looked down anyway, a strange sensation running through your body and you let out a panicked cry as you saw your hand breaking off and separating into tiny specks of dust.

“No, no, no..” Matt’s voice had you snapping your head up to look at him, tears stinging at your eyes and you could see them pooling in his.

“Matt, what’s happening to me?” You asked, the tears slipping down your cheeks and Matt let out a choked sobbed, pulling you into his arms, holding you tightly like he could keep you in one piece. “Matt, I’m scared.”

“No, no, shh, you’re ok, you’re ok.” Matt murmured, his lips finding their way to your forehead, letting them linger there and you could feel his tears wetting your skin.

“Matt, plea…” Your voice trailed off into nothing and Matt was slumping over, you suddenly not in his arms and your breathing, your sobs, your heartbeat was just gone, like it hadn’t been there to begin.

The tears fell past Matt’s eyes, heartbroken sobs leaving him as he stayed hunched over on the roof of his building and as he cried he heard so many in the city doing the exact same thing whilst more and more heartbeats faded into nothing.

The Blip.

That’s what they were calling the damn thing. The thing that took you had a name and Matt despised it.

It had been eight months, eight months since that warm, sunny day in spring, eight months since you had been taken from him. Now it was November, the sky was grey and Matt could still hear the fear in your voice as you pleaded with him. Eight months without you, eight months where he had become nothing but a shell of himself.

Eight months of replaying every memory he had of you because the thought of forgetting you sent an ache through his heart. Eight months of thinking about all the words he should have said to you, words he would never get to say to you.

Matt stood by the window, the weather seemed to match his mood. He could hear the rain smacking against the window and the pavement, could hear the rumble of thunder, could feel the coldness on his skin but he didn’t care.

He’d been numb since that day all those months ago. At first he put on the Daredevil suit every day and found bad guys to take his anger, his pain, out on. Frank’s words had run heavy in his head, letting him know he was only one bad day away from being him and Matt knew he was right, he just didn’t think the bad day that would push him over the edge would be losing you.

It had seemed so unimaginable months ago that it never even crossed his mind. When you put on your mask you were always with him, fighting side by side, he always had your back so he knew you’d be safe.

But now you were gone and Matt was left alone. It had been months since he put the suit on, it didn’t feel right anymore, like it suddenly didn’t fit but he knew it was because you weren’t there with him. Daredevil had worked alone for so long before you showed up but then you had refused to leave and he found he actually liked working with you.

Matt couldn’t even remember why he used to put on the suit, couldn’t remember what he used to fight for. Everything seemed so pointless without you. How was he expected to just go on about his life? How could he pretend that he was ok when he felt like a piece of him had been ripped away?

He couldn’t do it, he couldn’t fake it until it didn’t hurt anymore because it would always hurt, he knew the pain and heartbreak and the rage he felt would be for evermore.

Somehow five years passed, five long painful years. Matt was surprised he was still alive in all honesty because he had completely lost himself. Considering how reluctant he had been to let you into his life at all back in those early days, he had to hand it to you, you really had wormed your way deep into his life, entwining yourself around every part of it and making it impossible for him to move on.

Not that I ever tried to move on, Matt mused to himself as he walked the streets of Hell’s Kitchen. He was practically catching his death, the cold was bitingly chilly and the rain was almost painful but still he hadn’t bothered to grab a coat on his way out of the door. He just needed to be out of the apartment.

What had once been an empty place had been filled with lots of little trinkets and all the things that made it feel like a home. Sometimes Matt thought about moving, there was too much you in the apartment but ultimately he never did, he couldn’t leave behind something that was a part of you.

It had been five years and Matt hated himself for forgetting the sound of your laughter, he hated that he knew your favourite song but couldn’t remember how you sounded as you sung it whilst dancing around his kitchen, he hated that his sheets and his sweaters didn’t smell like you anymore.

It had been five years since you died and five years since Matt Murdock became a ghost, still alive but really he had died that day with you. Some days he thought about doing it, about ending his pain but he could never do it, catholic guilt and all that.

He knew he’d feel this loss until he took his last breath and some days he longed to put the suit back on, to pick a fight and not fight like he used to, to let the other guy get the hits in until Matt felt himself slipping away from the world.

It was tempting but he couldn’t bring himself to do that either. So instead he was doomed to this life, for the pain to last for evermore.

He was so lost in thought that he missed it at first. It wasn’t until he bumped into somebody that definitely hadn’t been there moments before that he took notice, his eyes widening, breath catching as he heard it.

Heartbeat after heartbeat, it was almost overwhelming and Matt couldn’t stop the strangled sob that left him. More and more heartbeats returned, Matt could hear every single one of them, could hear the excited yells and confused murmurs.

It had been five years, five long, lonely, heartbreakingly exhausting years since you died. Five years since Matt Murdock last felt happy but here in the streets of Hell’s Kitchen a grin broke out across his face, tears pouring from his eyes and he didn’t hesitate to turn around.

He ran, he ran like his life depended on it because it did. As he got closer to the apartment he paused, nearly tripping himself up because there, that was a heartbeat Matt Murdock knew, one he had forgotten the sound of but now he heard it again it was hard to remember how he could have ever forgotten.

He kept running, he ran all the way up the stairs and through his apartment before he was on the roof and there you were. It was really you.

“Matt?” You asked and Matt felt his knees buckle beneath him, barely managing to hold himself upright as he forced his feet to move towards you.

He had to know you were real and when he lifted his hand and cupped your cheek he couldn’t stop the heaving sobs that escaped him and he buried his face against your neck, holding you tightly against him.

“Hey, it’s alright, you’re ok.” You murmured, rubbing your hand up and down his back whilst the other wrapped around his waist. “You’re ok, what happened?”

You didn’t know, Matt thought. He had gone through the worst five years of his life and you had no idea what had happened. Matt was going to have to be the one to explain that five years had passed without you, that the world had somehow carried on without you.

But that didn’t matter right now, Matt wasn’t sure he was capable of words at that moment. The tears and sobs weren’t slowing down but he didn’t care, it had been so long, so damn long, he never thought he’d have you back and now that you were here Matt was never letting you go again.

“Matt, baby,” You whispered, kissing his hair and pulling him closer.

You were so painfully confused, mind fuzzy and unable to remember anything. One minute it was sunny and you had been on the roof with Matt, the next it was pouring down and Matt was nowhere to be seen. You’d only been out in the rain for a few moments before Matt had burst onto the roof like a mad man, staring straight at you like you were a ghost.

“Hey baby, can we go inside, I don’t want you to get sick.” You said softly, noticing how pale Matt had been before he hid himself away in your neck. You had seen the dark circles that were practically black eyes and how gaunt his features were, it looked like you weren’t the only ghost on the roof.

Matt didn’t say anything for a long moment but then he nodded into your neck, placing a kiss to your skin causing you to shiver before he pulled away, his hand coming up to cup your cheek again and he brought your foreheads together.

“I’ve missed you so much.” He whispered brokenly and despite having no clue what was going on you felt your heart break for him.

It wasn’t long before the two of you were in dry clothes and Matt had you tucked under the covers on the bed, pulling you against his chest and holding you tightly in his arms, terrified that you’d disappear again.

“Think you can tell me what’s going on now?” You murmured as your fingers drew random shapes into his chest, from where you lay you could feel Matt’s heart hammering against his chest and though he had managed to stop the sobs there were still tears falling down his face.

It wasn’t long before you were in the same position, tears pouring down your cheeks as you held Matt close to you, heart breaking as you listened to him describe what had happened five years ago and all the time in between. Hearing how lost, how broken and lonely he was, hearing that he had been ready to join you years ago, God you were a sobbing mess by the time he was done and the two of you could do nothing but cry and hold each other close.

And yet even with the tears falling down his face Matt felt better than he had in years, somehow you were back from the dead and he would never take a single day for granted again. Matt had thought for sure the rest of his life would be filled with pain and nothing else, yet here you were and Matt knew the pain wouldn’t be for evermore.

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missrosegold · 8 months

Text

and if my body should fade i'll trust you with my soul part II

Part I can be found here

Synopsis: You’ve always been able to see the man with white hair and charred skin around your village, even though it seemed that nobody else could.

Or, you ended up making a deal with death, and now he’s come to collect.

Word count: 30k

Paring: Dabi x Reader (fem reader)

Warnings: Mentions of death, strong language, smut, so Minors or ageless blogs DNI. This is rated 18+ Additional tags listed below. This does take place in a somewhat medieval inspired AU so there are some misogynistic tones in some parts of the story.

Playlist: Sparky Deathcap – September (we got fire) instrumental version, slowed.

Thank you once again to the lovely @candycandy00 for editing this for me, and another massive thank you to miss @kimkaelyn for making the banner for me! (I love it so much!)

You sigh to yourself as you check medical supplies in your village’s apothecary, making a mental note to tell the healer you’re training under that you’re running low on Feverfew and Echinacea.

Fall has arrived in full swing. The dense forest that surrounds your town has changed its leaves from vibrant green to beautiful shades of red and yellow. It’s beautiful, but you’ve never been much of a fall person. You know what comes next. The autumn months mean winter is close behind, and you’ve never liked the cold. For some reason, you can’t shake the feeling that this upcoming winter is going to be a particularly bad one.

You shake your head and return to your task at hand, but you can’t stop your mind from wandering as you continue to take stock of the medical inventory.

After the mysterious disappearance of your betrothed, your parents didn’t try to engage you to anyone else, and you can’t help but feel relieved. Marrying one of the men from your village was never in the cards for you, a fact that you made very clear to them after your formal betrothal’s disappearance. You weren’t interested in marriage or raising a family of your own. Not right now, possibly not ever.

In the end, you decided to train under your village’s healer – a kind old woman named Chiyo, who’s been the town healer for longer than you’ve been alive – as a means of getting out from under your parents.

Despite word of your betrothal’s mysterious disappearance quickly spreading throughout your village, there had been some other potential suitors that had come to you after you had started training at the apothecary. While none of them were rude or malicious, you always turned them down with a gentle smile before sending them on their way.

Besides, none of them held your heart the way a certain pyromancer did.

You haven’t seen Touya for a few months now, not since the disappearance of your betrothed. You’re not completely sure what happened after Touya found him – you’re not sure if you want to know, even though you have a pretty good idea of what happened if the fresh burns he had come back with had anything to say about it. You know better than to ask though, knowing full well that Touya will never tell you the full truth, even if you already know without him having to say it.

You sometimes wonder if there’s anything left of the blacksmith’s son.

You know that you should feel shocked, horrified even, that your pyromancer was capable of doing such an atrocious thing. But all you feel when you think about it, is a strange sense of relief.

You wonder if that makes you a bad person.

Inwardly, you know it probably should, especially when the blacksmith came looking for his son not long after his disappearance. When he had asked you if you knew anything about why his son had seemingly taken off without so much as a word to anyone, you had said no, of course, because what else could you have said to him? It’s not like anyone aside from you could see Touya to begin with, and there no way to explain to the blacksmith the fate that had most likely befallen his son.

Regardless, all you knew was that you’d never see him again. Touya had made sure of that.

There are still search parties that go out every once in a while, looking for him and a part of you wants to tell them that it’s a waste of time, that he’s nowhere to be found, but you won’t. It’s yours and Touya’s dirty secret to share now, and it will stay that way until you take your dying breath.

You suppress a sigh as you take a break from checking inventory, and your thoughts wander back to Touya of their own accord. He had warned you that he wouldn’t be back for some time after he had brought you home – he had serious business to take care of in the eastern part of the country, and he wasn’t sure when he’d be back. You hope he’s doing well, wherever he is.

Your heart clenches when you think of him. You’re not sure what you are anymore. You told him that you loved him, and even though he didn’t say it back to you, you’re certain that he loves you too.

“You know why.” Those words have echoed in your head since he said them to you. You’ve known that the two of you have been bordering on the cusp of something for a while now, and that solidifies it.

You promise yourself that the next time he comes to see you, you’ll ask him what you are to him. What this is.

Eventually, Chiyo dismisses you in the midafternoon, and you find yourself taking the lonely path up towards Dabi’s temple. You’ve started going there a lot more in Touya’s absence. Ever since you kissed the white-haired pyromancer in Dabi’s temple, you had started making a habit of coming back to the derelict temple, in an effort to clean it up a little.

For some reason, Touya seems to have a fondness for the place, and you’re starting to understand why. Despite its outward appearance and dust covered insides, you’ve never once felt unwelcome in the temple itself. It’s calm and quiet, and the more you visit the abandoned shrine, you realize it’s really a shame that it was abandoned by the priests, because it was probably quite beautiful back in the day.

With that thought, you had decided to take it upon yourself to try and restore the temple back to its original glory.

When you had brought up what you wanted to clean Dabi’s shrine to the priests at Hawks’s temple, you had been met with disbelieving looks, as the temple itself had sat vacant for well over a century. But once you had assured them that you weren’t there to cause trouble, and that you only wanted to clean it up a little, they had relented, and even gave you cleaning supplies, telling you that if you needed help, all you needed to do was come and get them.

You had laughed to yourself as you took the cleaning supplies back with you to the temple. The only reason why you had gone to them in the first place was to tell them what you planned to do, regardless of whether they liked it or not. Hawks’s temple was the closest to Dabi’s, and you’d end up walking past it to get to the secluded shrine more often than not. The last thing you needed was them assuming that you were doing something strange, when it was the exact opposite.

You soon found yourself in front of the large double doors once more, but unlike the first time you had entered the temple, you didn’t hesitate to let yourself in this time, shutting them softly behind you. You set your shawl down by the entrance and take off your shoes to avoid tracking any dirt in from the outside. You breathe in deeply as the faint smell of incense hits your nose, looking around the large room with a content smile on your face.

It’s not perfect, but its far better than what it was previously. You’ve washed and cleaned the floors and walls, sweeping out almost a century’s worth of dust and other debris. You’ve scraped the ancient remains of melted candle wax off the alter in front of Dabi’s statue, and replaced the melted down prayer candles with new ones. You brought in some pillows and plush rugs from home that your mother was about to throw out, not wanting them to go to waste, and also wanting to make the temple more homey, in case anyone aside from yourself wanted to visit. You keep incense burning constantly to get rid of the musty smell that has always lingered around the temple, and it finally seems to be working. Lastly, with the help of two priests from Hawks’s temple, you were finally able to fix that damn hole in the ceiling above the statue of the Cremation God.

Now you’re at the temple to do one last thing: clean the giant marble statue of the Death God himself. You didn’t see much of a point cleaning it before the hole got fixed, but thankfully, the sculpture doesn’t seem to be very dirty. Still, you want to go over it, and wash down what you can reach – it’s only polite after all.

Besides, after what you learned about him from Touya, you figure that it’s not a bad idea to stay in the illusive god’s good graces--

“Hello Princess.”

You jump at the sound of a familiar smoky rasp, and whirl around, only to see Touya standing a few feet behind you, a smirk plastered across his dis-coloured lips.

“Touya! When did you get here? I thought you said you didn’t know when you were going to be back! Did you finish with whatever you were doing in the East early?” you gasp delightedly, as the tall man strides towards you. He shakes his head.

“No, the situation there is a bit more… serious then I originally thought. I’m probably going to be there for a while yet, but I had some time, and I wanted to see you.” He stops directly in front of you, and his smirk becomes softer. “How have you been? I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve been… keeping busy.” You tell him, lacing your hands together in front of you. “I’ve started working at the village apothecary. Chiyo runs a tight ship, but I’m learning a lot from her and she’s good to me.”

“What did your parents think about that?”

“Well… they weren’t pleased, but that’s more to do with me telling them that I won’t be courting anyone anytime soon. I told them I wasn’t interested, nor will I ever be. My mother isn’t happy, but at least she hasn’t forced me into any other engagements… not after what happened before you left.” You tell him honestly, and Touya only nods, his expression not giving anything away.

“Glad they’ve finally taken the hint. What else have you gotten up to, pretty girl?”

“Take a look around, you tell me.” You tell him with a tiny smile. You watch his brows furrow together in confusion, and he looks around the room, only for his eyes to widen, like he’s seeing the temple for the first time.

You watch as he investigates the plush rugs and pillows you have scattered around the base of the alter, how he takes in the sight of fresh prayer candles lit at the bottom of the statue – how clean and bright and warm you’ve managed to make it, since you were both here last. He seems overwhelmed, like he’s at a loss for words.

“I did it for you.” You admit softly, feeling your face heat up with your admission.

“You did this… for me?” he asks slowly, not looking at you, as he takes in everything that you’ve done. You smile softly at him even though he can’t see it.

“You seem to be pretty fond of this place, and you know so much about its history, I thought that maybe I could fix it up a little so I could have something to show you when you came back.” That gets his attention, and he fixes his azure eyes on you, locking you in place.

“You did this for me.”

“I… yes… Do you not like it?” you sputter, suddenly worried that you’ve done something wrong.

“No, Gods no. You did this for me.” He says breathlessly. “This is more than I could have ever hoped for.” He closes the remaining space between you, and his obscenely warm hands find your waist, while yours automatically come rest on his chest. “God’s you did this for me.”

“Yes.” You whisper. “Touya? I don’t understand--?”

The words die on your lips as Touya surges forwards and presses his rough lips to yours. You feel the grip he has on your waist turn bruising, as he kisses you hard and deep, bordering on desperate.

“I love you.” He tells you, pulling away momentarily to bring one hand up from your waist to cup the back of your neck. “I love you. You were the first person to see me in so long – I knew you were different, I knew you were for me, and then you did this-“

He smashes his lips back onto yours, and you wrap your hands around his neck. Normally, you’d be mindful of his burns, but you’re so engrossed in his feverish kisses that you squeeze him tightly, and feel him moan into your mouth in response. He pulls back slightly for air, and pants heavily against you.

“Let me have you.” He growls against your lips. “Right here, right now. Gods help me I can’t wait any longer. I need to have you. I need you.”

“Okay, I—okay—yes.” You hear yourself gasping, and suddenly you’re swept off your feet. You feel your back hit something soft. Turning your head slightly to the side, you realize that Touya has placed you down onto a small pile of pillows. The realization of what you’re about to do hits you full force, but you don’t feel scared. You want this, you want him. You’ve wanted him for a long time.

Touya looms over you, caging you in, and runs the back of a heavily scared hand over your cheek. You shiver from the sensation of his feverishly hot skin and the cooler tones of the staples in his hand running over your skin. He gives you a wicked smile, as he sits back on his haunches, and starts to push your skirts up, revealing your bare legs.

You lurch up and grab his hands, forcing him to pause. He chuckles low in his throat at your actions, and pries your hands off of his own, placing a kiss on the back of one as his azure blue eyes meets your flushed face. “Relax my love. Let me take care of you.”

“It’s just- I mean, I’ve never done this before. I’m-“

“I know.” Touya damn near purrs, and you feel heat pool in your belly. “I’ll take care of you. I’ll be so gentle with you, I promise.”

You nod shakily and lower yourself back down onto the pillows, as Touya hikes your skirts up, revealing your legs and bottoms. He groans deeply as he kneads the plush of your thighs. “Fuck Princess, you’re perfect. Just like I knew you would be.”

“You’ve thought about me?” For some reason, his words of endearment strike a chord with you.

“Of course.” Touya murmurs, coming up to kiss you briefly, before taking your hand in one of his own. “Whenever I’m away, or I’m in the middle of a mission – alone and lonely – I think of you.”

He brings your hand down to his crotch, and sure enough, you feel a bulge underneath his pants. “See what you do to me?” he growls as he releases your hand so that he can work on shimmying your panties down your legs. You go to move your hand away, but he fixes you with a stern look. “Keep it there. Don’t move until I tell you to.”

You nod as he hooks his fingers into the band of your panties and leans back slightly to pull them down your legs, almost ripping them off in his haste. As soon as the offending material is gone, Touya gently wraps his hands around you knees and pulls them up so your feet are planted on the ground, before nestling his way back in between them, not taking his eyes off of the junction in between your legs.

“Gods.” He whispers. “Fuck.”

You feel him throb in the thick canvases of his pants as he runs a finger through your folds, causing you to shudder and clench around nothing. “God love, you’re fucking soaked.” Touya hisses, as he pushes your hand away from his hardness and rips his cloak over his head, revealing his bare chest to you.

In all the years that you’ve known him, you’ve never seen him this exposed. His chest is a patchwork of scars and staples just like his arms and face. Most of the skin is dead and badly burnt, but you do see some spots where there are still glimpses of healthy skin amongst the mess of purpled burns. Just like you suspected, his body is lean but ripped with corded muscles that bunch and flex with his every move. He looks like he was built by a god – a god with a twisted sense of humor – but you could care less. You think he’s perfect.

“You’re beautiful.” You tell him honestly – not wanting him to think you were focusing only on his burns – and he looks almost bashful at your words, letting a small chuckle escape him as he gently picks up one of your hands to press a quick kiss on the back of your knuckles.

“Look who’s talking.” He fires back at you, as he uses his thumbs to spread your lower lips apart. It should be embarrassing how wet you are from a little teasing, but Touya looks absolutely enthralled.

“Is all this for me?” he muses to himself softly. Before you can ask him what he’s doing, he bends down and swipes his tongue through your folds, causing you to moan loudly and try to slam your legs closed on impulse, but Touya is faster – forcing them to stay open with a hand on each inner thigh as he continues to lap at your pussy.

You whimper involuntarily from the ministrations, and Touya squeezes your thighs as he comes back up. “I know, I know love. I can’t wait any longer either. Goddamn-“ he almost snarls; his hands immediately going to his belt, as he unfastens it and tosses it to the side somewhere.

“I can’t believe someone as beautiful as you is letting someone like me do this to them.” he mutters as he pushes his pants down to just past mid-thigh, allowing his dick to spring free – and through you’ve never seen a man’s cock until now – you’re certain that it’s the prettiest one that you’ll ever see.

It’s long and thick and curves slightly upwards. It’s as pale as the undamaged parts of his skin and you think it looks quite lovely. You’re a little nervous about the size of it, but Touya doesn’t allow you to look at it for long, before he’s lining himself up to your entrance.

You swallow thickly as you feel how big and hot the head is pressed up against your tight entrance, and Touya must sense your hesitation, because he drapes himself over you, supporting himself on his hands, as he takes both your hands in one of his own, and gently pins them above your head, stooping down to kiss you once more.

“Breathe.” He murmurs, his breath ghosting over your lips hotly. “I’ll make you feel so good. Just lie back and breathe for me, my love.”

And with that, he slowly pushes himself in.

The stretch is delicious and you know that he’s ruined you for any other potential man. But there’s never been anyone else, has there? From the moment you officially met, it’s always been him. It will only ever be him.

Touya is cursing above you, but you can’t hear him – too lost in your own pleasure. It isn’t long before he’s picking up a steady rhythm, his hips hitting against yours with a wet smack. You’re so wet from his earlier teasing that he glides in and out with little resistance, and you feel your legs starting to shake from the waves of pleasure he’s inflicting upon you.

“Gods, how are you so tight?” Touya groans as he leans down to capture your lips with his. You kiss him back eagerly, wishing that your hands were free so you could wrap them around his neck, but he only tightens his grip on them when he feels you start to resist against his hold. He pulls back after a moment to take in your pretty face and glassy eyes, his hips not slowing down, as they continue to rut into yours.

“You’re mine.” He snarls hotly, swooping down to suck a mark onto the junction of your neck and shoulder, causing you to cry out and clench around him.

“You’re mine- fuck it, you’re mine, no one else’s.” He sucks another mark onto the other side of your neck, and you feel your eyes roll to the back of your head, as something in your lower stomach snaps – the wet sounds of your union becoming louder as you cum around his cock. Touya’s hips falter for a fraction of a second as he registers what happened, before he the last shred of restraint he had snaps, and starts pounding into you relentlessly, ignoring your sobs as he stimulates your already oversensitive insides.

“When you told me… that they had engaged you to that bastard-” He hisses lowly in your ear, as you continue to sob. “-I almost burnt your damn village to the ground. How dare they try to take what’s mine?”

A dark look enters his blue irises. “I wanted to fuck you right here in this temple afterwards – send a message to your parents and anyone else who thought they could have you, that you were spoken for.”

“Touya- I’m-“ you barely manage to choke out in between sobs. Your body feels like it’s on fire from his words. You feel the tell-tale signs of another orgasm quickly approaching, and you didn’t think it was possible for you to feel so good with the way he’s now mercilessly drilling into your insides. You had talked with your married friends about sex before, that was a given, but even they didn’t describe it as feeling this good.

“Tell me who you belong to.” He pulls away, his eyes never leaving yours. “Tell me who you belong to, and I’ll give you everything.”

“You!” You manage to scream out, voice cracking as he hits a particularly sensitive spot in you. “It’s you! I’ve always belonged to you—you alone! I’ve only ever loved—Oh GODS!” you wail as you cum around his length again. The glint in Touya’s eyes become frantic and his hips stutter as you spasm violently around him. He finally let’s go of your wrists, in favour of grabbing your hips with both hands to pull you down onto him and meet his powerful thrusts.

“That’s what I wanted to hear.” He breathes. “Fuck love; I’m going to fill you full of me. Let the whole world – the gods – all of them, know you belong to me-“

You keen at his words, and he manages to grind out a breathy, “Shit-“ as he spills himself inside you, swooping down to capture your lips with his rough ones again, as he fucks his cum into you. You’re so blissed out, all you can do is wrap your arms tightly around his leathery neck, until his hips still; still buried deep inside of you.

Eventually you break the kiss, but Touya makes no move to get off of you. He moves his hands up from your hips, so he can take some of his weight off you, and rests his head on your collarbone, as he struggles to calm his palpating heart. You wriggle your hips and Touya grimaces, mouthing over one of the marks he sucked onto your neck.

“Wait.” He mumbles. “Give it a minute. It’s sensitive.” His comment pulls a laugh from you, and you feel him grin against your skin.

You stay joined like that until you feel his dick soften inside you, and Touya gently pulls out of you. You whimper at empty feeling, and close your legs as you feel a rush of fluid that you already know is a combination of both of your releases, leak out from in-between your legs. Touya smiles at your reaction, the staples in his face pulling slightly as he strokes the leg closest to him gently.

He rolls onto his back on the pillows beside you, and pulls you onto your side, so your head is on his chest. You listen to the rapid beating of his heart, and watch as his chest rises and falls with each breath he takes. It almost lulls you to sleep, but Touya suddenly speaks up after a moment, catching your attention.

“I am the only one allowed to see you like this.” He rumbles low in his throat, running a warm hand down your side, feeling the muscles jump underneath his touch. “No man, no one. You belong to me. I’ll take such good care of you.”

“But you’re going to leave me again.” You whisper, hating how you feel tears prick at the corners of your eyes. “You said so yourself: you have unfished business in the East still. Who knows when you’re coming back…Besides… No one can see you aside from me. How can I possibly explain this to anyone?”

“It’ll be different this time, I swear it.” Touya shushes you, smoothing a hand over your hair. “I’m going to be in the East for a while yet, but when I come back, I’m going to stay here with you, for a long time. No more disappearing acts for a while.”

You lift your head off his chest to stare at him in shock, to gage if he’s saying it to make you feel better, but you see nothing but honesty in his eyes. He touches your cheek. “I promise little one. I’ll make it work. I will stay with you. For as long as I can.”

You don’t mean to, but you can’t stop the tears that well up in your eyes and spill past your cheeks at his promise, as you place your head down on his scared chest and cry. You don’t know how long you stay like that, but Touya makes no effort to get up – simply holding you close and murmuring sweet nothings into your hair as you weep.

It’s getting harder and harder to say goodbye to him every time he leaves. You feel like your heart is breaking inside of your ribcage, whenever he has to go. This time is no different, but it will certainly leave you feeling hollower than the other times that came before.

Eventually, once your tears have dried, you separate to get dressed and fix yourselves up. You’re straightening out your skirts as Touya tosses his dark traveling cloak back over his torso, obscuring his muscular chest from view. He must see you blushing, because he tosses you a grin over his shoulder at you, moving to grab your shoes and shawl for you from the front of the temple.

He kisses you as you wrap your shawl around yourself, and rests his forehead against yours. “Thank you.” He tells you, gesturing around the temple. “For doing this. It means more to me than you know.” You nod in response, and he intertwines your hands together as he leads you to the temple entrance and you exit together.

He kisses you deeply once more outside the temple. He has a pained expression on his face when he pulls away, and he looks like he wants to tell you something important, but something is holding him back. He’s quiet for a moment before he squeezes your hand.

“I need you to promise me something while I’m gone.” He tells you seriously, and you nod, signaling for him to continue. He sucks in a sharp intake of breath.

“Promise me that you’ll take care of your health while I’m away. If someone comes to the apothecary with a strange sickness, or any signs of odd infections outside of a normal fever – I want you to go home and stay there.”

You furrow your brows, not understanding what he’s saying, but one look at his face tells you that he’s deadly serious and it’s not open for discussion.

You agree that you’ll be careful, and you’ll keep your eyes open for anything strange, and that seems to put him at ease. He kisses you once more before letting go of your hand, and slowly backs away from you. Once he’s a good distance away from you, he smiles sadly at you, before a raging torrent of blue flames engulf him once more, and he’s gone.

Life in the village goes on as normal for the next two months. The brightly coloured leaves that once decorated the trees surrounding your village have started to fall off the branches with large gusts of wind as winter draws closer.

You throw yourself into work at the apothecary, grateful for how busy it keeps you. You haven’t heard anything from Touya for a while now, and you can’t help but wonder what’s going on in the East that has him so tied up. You haven’t heard any news from the Eastern part of the county in a long time, so if something big is going on, your town will probably be one of the last places to know. You don’t see much sense in worrying about it though, so you divide your time between visiting Dabi’s temple, and Chiyo’s teachings.

You’ve almost forgotten about Touya’s cryptic warning – until the stranger shows up in town one day. (Or rather, stumbled in – since he didn’t even make it three feet from the town’s entrance before collapsing in the streets, leading to several concerned townspeople finding him and bringing him to the apothecary for treatment)

He’s malnourished and sicker than you’ve ever seen anyone in your life. You and Chiyo spend days caring for him, with no results.

He dies one week after arriving in town, and is buried just outside of the village borders. An unfortunate tragedy, but you can’t save everyone. A harsh lesson that your mentor has drilled into you. You never even figured out what was afflicting him, though Chiyo think’s it may have been an advanced case of pneumonia.

At first, it was just him.

Then, another man got sick with symptoms eerily similar to what the stranger had.

Then it was two.

Then three.

Then twelve people in one day.

The number of infected only skyrocket from there.

Before you know it: there is an entire epidemic in your small town. Chiyo eventually figures out what it is, but by that point, eight people are dead and the number of people sick is quickly spiraling out of control.

Plague. The black plague of decay. Death.

Your parents beg you to come home, as they don’t want you around such a deadly sickness, and truthfully, you don’t want to be anywhere near it either – but you can’t leave Chiyo by herself. She’s the town’s only healer and she’s old. You know if something happens to her, the whole town is screwed, so you grit your teeth, mask up, and stay by her side.

For a while, things are going about as well as they can be. People are still dying at an alarming rate, but you and Chiyo somehow manage to stay healthy, and you keep trying to treat those who aren’t as sick the best you can with what you’ve got.

Then one day, you feel light-headed and nauseous out of the blue and you look down, only to notice an alarmingly dark black spot on your arm that you know wasn’t there the day before.

Everything goes downhill from there.

-----

Winter has arrived in your village full force, but you can’t see it. You haven’t seen anything outside of the four walls that make up your room for a while now.

You had caught the plague. The second you had shown Chiyo the black mark on your arm, she had immediately sent you away with some herbs crushed into a tablet for you to take to slow down the spread of the sickness.

Slow down being the key words. There was no cure for the decay plague. Once you had it, it was a death sentence. It was only a matter of time before it took your life.

Your parents had grabbed you and locked you in your room the moment they had seen you stumbling back from the apothecary. You hadn’t seen them face-to-face since. You only saw brief glimpses of them when they opened your door to slide food into your room on a tray, or when they came back to collect your dishes, though these days, you didn’t have much of an appetite.

They didn’t even have to let you back into the house once they saw the mark on your arm. But they still did without any hesitation. Despite knowing how ill you were going to become, they still insisted on taking care of you. You may not have agreed with their choices when it came to your personal life, but it was comforting to know that at the end of the day, your parents still loved you. Even if you went against everything they wanted for you.

A violent fit of coughing racks your frail body, and you automatically lift your arms to cover your mouth. When you pull your arm away, you cringe at the sight of red splattered across your forearm, before dropping it back down beside you on your bed with a muffled thud.

You can’t even look at your arms right now. Your skin, which used to be sun-kissed and clear, is now pale and speckled with ominous looking splotches of black, as the sickness makes its way through your body. You don’t even want to know what the rest of you looks like. You haven’t looked at yourself in a mirror since you were confined to your room. You’re not sure you’ll be able to handle what you see.

The room starts to spin around you and everything hurts. You close your eyes in a weak attempt to stop the jarring movement, but it does little to help you. Opening your eyes doesn’t make things better – your vison has become burry lately, and you can’t focus on anything anymore. Normally this would upset you, but you don’t have any strength left in you to care.

You know that you don’t have much time left. You don’t want to say it out loud, but you know your time is drawing closer. Based on the few times you’ve heard your mother – and on occasion, your normally stoic father – sob outside your door as they collect your untouched dishes, they know it too. You’ve held out longer than most people have, but you know that soon you’ll be making your way to the Underworld, it’s inevitable.

You only pray that all the visits you’ve made to Dabi’s temple over the last few months have paid off, and the Cremation God will be kind to you once he comes to collect you.

Dabi. His temple. Touya.

You feel tears prick at the corners of your eyes at the thought of your white-haired lover, as a single tear falls from your eye, and crashes onto your pillow, humble and silent.

You’re never going to see him again. You don’t want to acknowledge it, but it’s true. As far as you know, he’s still in the East while you’re here, dying in your room. As tempted as you’ve been to use his name to call him to you one last time, you won’t.

Powers or not, you don’t want him to potentially end up with the plague too. Not to mention, you don’t want him to see you like this. You don’t want him to remember you sick and frail as you are now. You’d rather have him remember you fondly: full of life and happy. There’s no need to put him through that kind of anguish.

Still, it doesn’t stop you from wishing you could see him one last time-

Suddenly, your room feels unnaturally warm. It’s been very cold lately, and you don’t know if it’s because you’re dying that it makes your room feel colder than it should, but now your room is borderline sweltering.

You swear that you see a faint blue glow out of your blurry peripherals, followed by the tell-tale smell of something burning, before the glow dissipates into nothing. The intense heat remains and even though you can’t see very well, you know that someone is in the corner of your room.

“Who is it?” you manage to rasp out and you hear the stranger’s breath falter, as if they weren’t expecting you to be awake. The stranger takes three slow, purposeful strides until they are at your bedside, hovering over you. You blink hard, trying to see who the intruder is, but your vision must be getting worse, because all you can make out is a tall, white being above you.

You have no idea who, or what you’re looking at and are about to panic, until the figure bends slightly, and two familiar, warm, rough hands cradle your cheeks like you’re the most delicate thing in the world.

Choked sobs rack your body despite how much the movement hurts you, because you know who’s by your side, even if you can’t make out his finer features. Your suspicions are confirmed the second you hear his low, gravelly voice.

“Beloved… what has happened to you?”

“Touya… is that you?” you whisper, and you feel his fingers tense under you. His thumbs swipe at your cheeks, even though you can’t seem to make any more tears to shed.

“I’m here beloved. I’m here now.” he rumbles quietly. He falls silent for a moment, then you hear him ask “ Why didn’t you call me to you?”

He sounds… sad… heartbroken even.

“I didn’t want you to see me like this…” you trail off, not knowing what else to say. Touya doesn’t seem to know either, but from the way he sighs, you think he’s holding back tears as well.

“Did I not tell you to be careful?” There is no anger behind his words. Just defeat. You don’t think it’s directed at you though.

“I know.” You tell him, wishing desperately that you could lift your arms up enough to touch his face like he is doing yours. “It just happened so suddenly. There was a strange man who got sick, and then the next thing we knew, almost the whole town was plague-ridden. I couldn’t leave Chiyo by herself.”

“I know.” Touya sighs. “Are you… are you comfortable?”

“I can’t see very well anymore… I think I’m dying very soon.” You admit softly. You manage to reach up to cover one of his hands with your cold one. “You shouldn’t be here… as much as I love seeing you one last time, you might catch the plague as well – I don’t want that for you.”

“The plague doesn’t affect me. Don’t worry yourself about it.” Touya murmurs gently, and you swear you faintly see something red and thick, roll down his face. He leans down to press a light kiss to your forehead, and you’re not sure why, but suddenly your vision clears, and you’re able to see the best you have in weeks. You look up at him in wonder, only for your breath to catch in your throat.

Instead of his normal dark clothes that you’re used to seeing him in; Touya is dressed in a flowing, white burial shroud that exposes his chest. It makes him look eirthral, like a ghost that had come back from the grave. What really concerns you though, is the right side of his face – the side closest to you. The burnt flesh on his lower jaw by his mouth is gone, and you swear that you see the bone underneath starting to appear.

“Touya—Touya what happened to you? What have you done to yourself?”

“Don’t worry about me. It looks worse than it is.” Touya grumbles, dismissing your concerns. “The person that you should be worrying about, is you.”

“I think it’s a little late for that, love.” You tell him softly. “I’ve been sick for a while now… I’ve held out longer than a lot of other people have, but I think my luck is running out fast.”

This time you know you’re not seeing things. You watch in shock as a large droplet of blood oozes out from underneath the burnt skin under his eye and slowly rolls down his face, leaving a shiny red trail behind it as it makes its way down his ruined skin. You try to bring a hand up to wipe it away, but Touya beats you to it, releasing your cheeks long enough to turn away from you and compose himself.

“That crusty bastard. He promised me that he would keep it away from here… guess it got past him too-“ you hear Touya mutter under his breath. “It doesn’t matter now, gods… fuck.” He turns to face you again, and you see a red streak running along the side of his face, where he tried to wipe the blood tear away. His hands return to yours, and he wraps them up tightly.

“I tried… I tried so fucking hard to keep it contained. I thought, if I could contain it to the East, then it wouldn’t spread and it wouldn’t come here, to you. Even though I’ve seen it happen, so many times over the years. I thought I could change it.”

“Touya what are you talking about, you’re not making any sense.” You beg him, but he doesn’t seem to hear you, too wrapped up in his own head, as he squeezes your hands in his own.

“It’s not fair. You’re so full of life. I don’t want you to die like this.”

Something in his gaze shifts and the sadness from earlier is gone. Instead, a determined look has appeared in its place. He cradles the back of your head and neck with one of his hands as he gently lifts your head up to him, flinching at your pained whimpers.

“Do you trust me?” he asks you urgently.

“Of course.” You whisper, your vison is starting to darken again, but you try and keep your focus on Touya’s bright blue eyes.

“I can stop this.” He murmurs. “I can stop this and save you and what’s left of your town. But you need to make a deal with me. Do you accept?”

“A deal…? Stop this… I don’t…” you whisper, and Touya squeezes your hand, desperate to keep your attention on him.

“The full extent of my abilities come with a price. I can save you, but at a cost.”

“What’s the price?” you find yourself asking. You’re not sure how he intends to save anyone from something as severe as the plague with no cure; much less yourself, considering that you’re almost certainly on death’s doorstep, but you’re curious. Even if you’re beyond saving, maybe your town still has a chance.

“You.”

“Me.” You echo, still fighting to keep your gaze on him. “Why?”

“I told you already, you’re mine, you’ve always been mine. But this will bind us to each other indefinitely. Your life will become mine in exchange for me removing the sickness from you and your village. Do we have a deal?”

“Am I really worth that much?” you tease hoarsely, as you feel your eyes start to close against your will.

“You mean more to me than anything in this pathetic life.” You hear Touya grind out. “Let me do this for you. Please.”

He squeezes your hand, and his next words sound almost desperate. “I’ve never begged anyone for anything in my lifetime and I’ve lived a long time. Please let me do this for you.”

You know that under different circumstances, you wouldn’t agree to anything like this. Touya’s words are carrying an underlying weight to them, and you know there’s something that he’s not telling you. Normally, before agreeing to anything, you’d make sure everything was out in the open and that there weren’t any catches to your deal… but really, how much time did you have to ask about the finer details?

You were out of time. You knew it, and he knew it too.

Really, how bad would it be being his? Wasn’t that what you always wanted anyways?

“I accept.” You whisper, as your world fades to black, not even sure if Touya heard you or not.

He did.

The next few moments are a whirlwind. You feel Touya stand up above you and his hands go to your left forearm – to the spot where you first noticed the sickness. It’s arguably the worst spot on your body. The darkness has spread underneath your skin and takes up almost your full forearm now.

You feel his warm hands press into the skin of your forearm, and for a moment, nothing happens. Then his hands start to heat up, hotter and hotter, and you can smell something burning. You don’t know whether it’s your flesh or his, but you don’t have the energy to scream out, even though the pain is excruciating.

There’s a bright blue flash and you feel something being seared into your arm – in the same spot where your original plague mark was. Heat spreads through your body like a wildfire, and you feel like you’re being burned from the inside out. Suddenly, as quickly as the pain started it’s gone.

You’re shaking, gasping for air as you try to control your rapidly palpating heart, but you can’t open your eyes. Exhaustion hits you full force, and you feel what little strength you had left in you bleed out. Touya is still there, and you feel him slowly ease you back down onto your pillow, placing your arm down at your side once more.

“Rest now beloved. I’ll see you soon.”

No sooner than he says those words, you feel yourself slip off into slumber, and you allow the darkness to take you.

You wake to the sun streaming across your face

It’s the first time you’ve seen any hint of the sun in months, and at first, you think that you’ve died, but the tell-tale signs of stiffness in your muscles tell you that you’re still very much alive, if not very dehydrated.

The thought draws you up short.

You’re alive. You’re alive when you probably shouldn’t be. That means… Touya… he’d done it.

A burning feeling races through your left forearm and draws you up short. You slowly bring your arm up to look at what’s causing the pain, only for your eyes to widen impossibly.

The dark stain under your skin caused by the plague is gone, as are all of the other signs of sickness that had marked your body. What is on your arm, is nothing short of confusing.

A strange symbol is on your arm, in the spot you remember Touya gripping the hardest. A long, straight line runs horizontally done your forearm with three smaller lines running through it. Another long, straight line along the top of the first line completes the marking, and you stare at it in shock.

It covers the spot where you had your original plague mark, almost as if you’d never had it at all.

You reach out and gingerly touch the mark, only for your door to open suddenly – causing you to yank your nightgown sleeve down in a hurry. You glance over to see both of your parents standing in your doorway. It seems to take them a moment to process that you’re awake, and seemingly plague free, before they rushed to your bedside and have pull you into a tight hug.

“You’re awake! Thank gods you’re awake! We thought that we lost you for sure!” your mother sobs, as she clutches you to herself. You’re shocked, and you ask her what she means, only for her to hold you tighter.

“You’ve been asleep for three days. You wouldn’t wake up! Nothing we did worked.” Your mother cries, and you feel your heart drop.

Three days? What did that mean for everyone else?

“We’ve heard from Chiyo that all of the patients at the apothecary have also recovered. She’s not sure how, but the plague seems to have disappeared.” Your father states gruffly, as he strokes your hair. “It’s some sort of miracle.”

Yes, and his name is Touya. You think to yourself. Just what was he, to be able to have the power to dispel a sickness as deadly as the decay plague from an entire town?

“We do have a visitor downstairs, if you feel up to meeting with him.” Your mother informs you as she passes you a cup of water. “Some of the priests are visiting homes on Chiyo’s orders, to check in on families and see if anyone is still sick. The head priest from the Endeavor temple is here. I’m sure he’d love to check in on you now that you’re awake.”

You don’t particularly want anyone to see you right now, knowing that you must look awful and you would much rather go find Touya, provided that he was still in town somewhere – but you nod anyways. Your mother tells you to take your time getting ready, as she and your father leave your room, saying that she would tell the priest to wait downstairs.

The process to get ready is painfully slow. Your muscles are weak from a lack of use, but you’re able to wash yourself if you move carefully. You slip on a clean dress, making sure that the mark on your forearm is fully covered, and run a brush through your wet locks before deciding that was enough, and gingerly make your way downstairs.

You slowly make your way into the living room where you see the priest from Endeavor’s temple sitting in one of the armchairs, waiting for you. He’s a large man, dressed in Endeavor’s traditional colours: dark blues and fiery oranges and reds. Your parents leave when you enter to give you some privacy and the priest points to the chair across from him.

“Have a seat girl.” He tells you, and you sit without a word. You fidget uncomfortably as he looks you over carefully, before finally speaking. “Chiyo specifically asked me to come check on you and see how you’re doing. She wanted to thank you for all your help at the beginning of this mess. She wanted to come herself, but she has a few things to take care of at the apothecary. She sends her regards.”

“Oh, it was my honor. I couldn’t leave her there all alone.” You tell him, lifting your arm to wave off his praise without thinking about it. You realize your mistake too late, as the sleeve covering your forearm slowly rolls down to your elbow, revealing the mark etched into your skin.

The priest stops dead the second he glances at your forearm, ad his eyes widen impossibly. He points shakily to the mark etched into your arm. “Where did you get that from girl? Who did that to your arm?”

You hesitate. How can you possibly explain Touya to him? No one aside from you could see him. They’d call you mad if you tried to be honest, and would cast you out from your home. What would you do then?

‘I… I don’t know if you’d believe me if I told you.” You mutter, clutching your arm close to you. “Why, what’s so special about this mark?”

“That is Dabi’s seal.” The priest hisses as he snaps his fingers at you, and you feel your heart drop into your stomach. “I haven’t seen a mark like that for decades now, but he is closely connected to my lord Endeavor and I’d recognize it anywhere. It has been rumored that he puts that mark onto people who enter into deals with him. I’m wondering how you ended up with it on your arm.”

Your world crumbles around you at his words, and the illusion that you had unknowingly walked into, shattered.

Dabi, Touya, Dabi, Touya, Dabi, Touya, Dabi, Touya-

Touya is Dabi.

How could you not have seen it sooner? Looking back on it, the signs were obvious: how he knew so much about Dabi – or rather, himself. How he could seamlessly travel across large areas with very little effort. How he had powers that far surpassed any mage or race you’d heard of. How he never seemed to age… How his body had lasted so long despite the burns that were very clearly getting worse as time passed by-

The thought draws you up short. A hazy memory of Touya standing over your deathbed. A chunk of his flesh missing from the side of his mouth… looking more worn down than you could ever remember seeing him… Suddenly, you have to find him.

And you think you know exactly where he is.

“I-I have to go.” You mutter, shakily rising to your feet. The priest tries to get you to sit back down, but you shove him off. You barely have time to throw a light shawl around your shoulders and put your shoes on, before you’re running out the door in the direction of Dabi’s temple, ignoring the surprised shouts of your parents.

You are reminded how weak your body currently is, as you have to stop and catch your breath several times on the way to the temple, ignoring the looks that a few curious townspeople are giving you, as you eventually make your way to the temple.

This time, you don’t need to reach for the doors, since they seem to open on their own for you. You step through the entrance and they close behind you softly, shutting you away from the sunshine outside. You notice the temple is seemingly empty, but the prayer candles are lit at the base of Dabi’s statue, and the flames are blue.

He’s here, somewhere, you know it, you feel it, but for some reason, he hasn’t shown himself to you yet. It makes you worry and prompts you to call out his name softly.

“I’m here, beloved.”

The familiar rasp of his voice echoes from behind the larger-than-life sculpture. You smile in spite of yourself, and move closer to the sound of his voice, where you can just make out a shadowy figure partly concealed behind the base of the stature.

“Don’t come any closer.” The harsh growl makes you pause.

“Why?” you ask the shadow and you see two familiar blue eyes staring back at you from the gloom.

“You’re not going to like what you see.”

You hesitate for a fraction of a second before you shake your head. “I don’t care. You know I don’t care about what you look like.” You swallow before adding on. “I think you and I need to talk about some things… about you.”

“So, you figured it out?” the figure rumbles, and you nod.

“There are some things I need to know. Things that I need to understand. But please, I just want to see you. Come out.” You extend your hand towards the shadow, and hear him sigh deeply, before shuffling closer to you.

A burnt hand takes hold of yours, dwarfing it, and the man—no, the deity, pulls himself into the light provided by the candles. He watches as your face changes from confusion, to shock realization, then to—

He doesn’t think he can do it; he can’t watch as you reject him. He knows that he doesn’t look pretty. He looks like a walking corpse and he knows this. He looks more dead than alive and honestly, he is. He knew he shouldn’t hang around the temple, knowing that you’d eventually come looking for him once you had recovered enough, but he’d wanted to see you one last time before he made the inevitable trip back home to the underworld – even if it meant you seeing him like this—

“Oh, Touya. Did… did you do this to yourself to cure me?” you whisper so softly; he wasn’t sure if he heard you correctly. He risks glancing back at you, only to see that your face hasn’t twisted in disgust upon his reveal. You’re holding his hand so tightly, like you’re afraid that he’ll crumble to ash if you don’t, and maybe he would, he’s not sure anymore.

Your eyes meet his, and he sees unshed tears in them. There is no repulsion or fear in your eyes like he thought there might be, there is only concern and worry for him, and he feels his once dead heart thunder in his burnt chest.

He wishes he could feel the texture of your soft hands on him again, but the burns are deep and have spread everywhere now. All he can feel is pressure on his hand where you’re holding it in your own. Suddenly, he feels more vulnerable than he has in a long time.

You stare back at him, trying your best not to shed the tears you feel forming – knowing that they won’t help anything. What remained of Touya’s once beautiful, pale skin is gone. His entire body is covered in deep russet scaring. The mess of staples that he hadn’t bothered to remove or replace, were scattered across his body where they had once held the damaged and healthy skin together. Parts of his body – where you assume the skin had been thinnest on him – are burned almost completely down to the bone. The skin by one side of his mouth is almost gone, and the flesh near his wrist on his other hand – the one that he didn’t give you – has been burnt down to where you can see the tendons flexing when he moves.

He's still wearing the white robes from before. He looks like a wraith, a sight that would terrify even the bravest of people, but it stirs no such feelings in you.

“Does it hurt?” You whisper, not knowing what else to say. He shakes his head.

“I can’t feel anything anymore.”

“Oh.” You croak, not sure if his answer made you feel any better. It doesn’t, but you try not to let it show on your face.

The deity gently removes his hand from yours and moves several paces back from you, as if he’s trying not to upset you. You feel a lump rise in your throat, but push it down. “Did you do that to yourself to cure me from the plague?” you ask him again and he only nods once.

“You and what’s left of your town. I told you; I make good on my promises. It’s the blowback that gets me. Shigaraki won’t like what I’ve done, but he can’t do anything about it.”

You frown at the mention of the other name. You swear that you’ve heard it before somewhere, but you can’t place where from. Maybe if you remember, you’ll ask him about it later, but right now, you have other things you need him to clarify.

“Can I ask you something, my lord?” Dabi snorts at your formalities, and waves you off.

“Please. None of that from you, Princess. If I wanted you to call me by my titles, I would’ve made you do it when we first met.”

You can’t help the small smile that pulls at your lips. You’d been slightly worried that knowing his identity would change the dynamic of your relationship with him. Thankfully, that didn’t seem to be the case.

“How come I could see you when no one else could?” you question him. Dabi pauses for a moment, seemingly trying to figure out how to explain himself.

“Honestly, I don’t know.” He responds after a moment. “We walk amongst mortals all the time; we’re just hidden in plain sight. Some humans are different than others, and are able to see us for what we really are, but most mortals can’t see through our disguises. I choose to be invisible, it’s much easier to do my job that way. Normally, the only time humans can see me is when I come to collect their soul, or when I let them see me purposefully. But you,” he fixes you with his intense stare that you’ve grown used to.

“you were an abnormity. I’ve only ever met one or two other mortals in my time alive that were able to see me, even when I was invisible to everyone else.”

“What did you do to them?” you don’t know what prompts you to ask. Dabi looks away from you.

“I killed them.”

“Why though?” You’re not sure if you want to know his reasoning, but this may be the only time you get to ask him.

“Because no one is supposed to see me – it’s taboo. The only time I’m supposed to be visible to mortals is when I come to take you to the Underworld with me. I can’t let people wander around telling others that Death himself is coming. Do you know how much chaos that would cause on the surface?” Dabi snickers to himself.

“But I could see you, and you didn’t kill me.” You press. Dabi lets a small smile pull at what remains of the muscles in his cheeks.

“No, I didn’t.” he agrees quietly.

“Were you going to?” you ask, remembering how tense he was the first time you met face to face.

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you?” You’re not mad about the revelation. You’re just curious. What made you so different from the others that came before you?

“I was going to… But something told me not to.” Dabi trails off, seemingly not having the words to describe why he did what he did. “I couldn’t tell you why I hesitated back then… but I’m glad I did.” The hint of a smile ghosts across his face. “You’re so beautiful. I couldn’t predict everything else that came afterwards. But I’m certainly not complaining.”

Your face flushes a brilliant shade of crimson when you realize he’s talking about when you fucked in this temple… his temple.

You can’t bear to bring yourself to meet the smug look in his eyes, so you try to compose yourself best you can, but it’s hard when you feel his oceanic eyes boring into your being.

“I… I just have one final question to ask you.” You stammer out, trying to fight down the colour in your cheeks that you know he can see. The burnt deity nods, signaling for you to continue. You suck in a breath, suddenly nervous for some reason.

“What… what exactly does this mark that you’ve given me mean? To you, that is.” You ask, touching the mark on your arm with your other hand, and you swear that you hear Touya- no, Dabi, bite back a moan.

“It marks you as mine. To humans and other gods alike, it means you are mine and under my protection.” He growls, a possessive edge in his raspy voice.

“Is that all?” you probe softly. Dabi bites back a laugh, and fixes you with a warm expression, blue eyes glowing like a cat in the dimly lit temple.

“What do you think?”

He answers your question with another question, but it’s weighted. The mark definitely has another meaning to it, you’re sure of it, but you want to hear it from him.

“I think it means something more… but I want to be sure. I don’t remember the finer details of our conversation, since I was… well… dying.” You shrug, trying and failing to look nonchalant. You don’t particularly want to be reminded of that time.

Dabi must see it in your expression, because he immediately drops the teasing act and takes a hesitant step towards you, slowly, as if he’s trying not to scare you.

He points at your arm and you lift it up so he can see the symbol burned into your skin. “That is my personal mark. It means that you’re not only under my protection… but it also marks you as my consort.”

Your eyes flick up to meet his, and you can tell that he’s not joking. He’s deadly serious.

“Your consort? You mean, like… like a bride?” you breathe, hardly daring to believe it. Dabi cracks a smile.

“So that’s what you humans are calling it these days. Yes, you are. Unlike some of my kin, I don’t take multiple wives. It’s just you.”

It takes a moment for his words to sink in, but when they do, you have to fight yourself to stay upright.

“Oh gods. I’m the bride of a god.” You mutter, swaying slightly in place. “You’re a god. You’re an actual god.”

The burned deity only chuckles. “I can’t believe that you never figured it out. It’s not like I was trying to hide it from you at the end there.”

“I mean… It’s obvious you weren’t human, but I didn’t think you were a God.” You mutter. “You just… you acted so… casual. Not like what I’d expect a God to act-- not that I’m complaining of course!” you add on as you hear Dabi let out an amused snort.

You point up at the statue of Dabi- or rather, him. “Besides, it’s not like I knew what you looked like. You’re always depicted with a hood over your face.” You frowned. “Why is that exactly? You’re not wearing a hood. You’ve never worn one when you’re with me. The only time I ever saw you with one was when you were traveling. Not as you are now. You never let any of your disciples see you?”

“They depict me like that because it’s easier that way.” Dabi explains smoothly. “My face changes depending on what part of my… cycle I’m in. Sometimes I look like how I did when we first met – other times I look like… well, this.” He gestures to himself after a brief pause. It makes your heart ache.

“My kind are supposed to be divine beings. Perfect. I am not. I don’t need to be depicted looking like a walking corpse to the few people who still worship me and visit my temples.”

His gaze flicks back up to you. “You were never supposed to see me like this.”

You know that you shouldn’t psychoanalyze him, but you can’t help but find him endlessly fascinating. He may be a god – a divine, primordial being – but his emotions were so very human.

He may go by many different names, but Dabi was Touya. Your Touya, the man you fell in love with over the years you spent getting to know him. The man who would willingly burn down your village to keep you by his side, only to save it in its time of need, for you.

What he looked like was irrelevant.

“What you look like doesn’t bother me.” You tell him softly, taking a hesitant step closer to him. “It never has. You know that.” Touya’s muscles flinch, like he’s fighting against moving away from you, but he stays rooted to the spot as you slowly advance, until you’re close enough to place a hand on the exposed part of his chest – right above his heart.

“I will love you no matter what form you take, because no matter what: you’re still Touya. You’re still the man I love. God or not, you always will be.”

You lean forward and press your lips to what is left of the flesh around his mouth, and you feel him release a shuddering breath, as his arms come up to wrap themselves tightly around you. You pull away slightly to tuck your head against his chest, returning his embrace, ignoring the burnt smell that always clings to him; and you feel him rest his chin on your head.

You don’t know how long you stay like that for, but eventually Touya reluctantly removes his chin from his spot on your head, and lowers it so he can speak directly into your ear.

“I have to go.”

You try and pull away so you can look him in the eyes, but his arms keep you tightly pressed up against him, like he’s afraid that if he lets you go, you’ll turn to smoke and disappear.

“But… you said that we’re bound to each other now? You promised me that you wouldn’t leave again-“

“I know, but this will be the last time I leave without you, I promise.” He rasps in your ear. “This cycle is at the end. I’m dying.”

You feel your heart clench painfully at his words, and suddenly, you’re taken back to the spring, where he took you to his temple for the first time, and where he unknowingly to you, explained his history. Where he also revealed that gods themselves could die, however difficult it was.

“You’re… you’re dying? How, why? I thought you said it was almost impossible for you to die?”

You feel Touya shake his head and squeeze you again. “It’s different in my case. I die a lot. But the difference is: I come back. It just takes a while.”

“I don’t understand, please Touya, what do you mean?” you feel frantic, and cling to his robes like small child. “I-I can’t lose you!”

“You won’t.” Touya promises you firmly, pulling back to fix you with an unwavering look. “It’s difficult to explain, but I’m more like a force of nature then a ‘traditional’ god. My power is great, but it destroys my body and I ‘die’. However,” his eyes narrow dangerously as he thumbs over the mark on your arm, “I’m a god of the Underworld, and we play by different rules than those that reside upstairs.” He points a finger mockingly up to the roof of the temple.

“I have what you humans call a ‘cycle’. Whenever I ‘die’ I return home, so that I can rest and regenerate my body. Eventually I come back to how I was before I got all of my scaring, and start again. The cycle repeats itself over and over again on an endless loop.” He sends you a crooked grin.

“That’s the other half of my secret: Cremation and Reincarnation tend to go hand in hand. But nobody needs to know that except for you.”

“How many times have you done this?” you breathe, but Touya only shakes his head, shooting you a forced smile.

“More times than I can count. I’m not the oldest God in the pantheon Sweetheart, not by a long shot, but compared to you, I’m ancient.”

“Oh.” You murmur. trying to fight down the blush at the stark differences in your ages, and Touya’s smile becomes more relaxed. You fist your hands at the front of his robe and try your best to return his smile. “So, you’re going to come back… for me?”

“Yes. I’ll eventually return to my original form. But it’s going to take me a while to regenerate.”

“Oh gods, you mean I’m going to be an old woman by the time you come back to get me.” You joke, trying your best to lighten the somber mood, and Touya barks out a laugh.

“No, no. It won’t take that long, I promise… but, that being said, it won’t be anytime soon either. I’m sorry.”

You nod, and try to relax your grip on his robes. You smooth your hands over the soft fabric, and inwardly you hum in delight, as you feel Touya’s abnormally warm hands run down your waist. He brings one hand up to your chin and gently tilts your face up to meet his.

“I will be back for you. Make no mistake about that.”

You feel his other hand glide up to your left forearm, the one that now bares his mark, and press on it possessively. “This binds us together. I’ll make good on my promise, and when I come back for you: I’m going to take you around the world with me, just like I promised you I would. I’ll give you everything.”

You feel your eyes water with his declaration. The sincerity in his eyes tells you that he’s not bluffing. He will be back for you the next time he comes to your humble village, and he will show you the world if you so choose it.

“…How will I know?” You finally manage to ask him quietly.

“How will you know what?”

“How will I know that you’re coming back to get me?”

Touya lets a deep laugh rumble out of his throat, and pushes his face close to your ear so he can whisper directly into it:

“Oh, don’t worry… you’ll just know.”

-----

Three years have passed since that day.

Spring has come again, symbolizing rebirth and renewal, and yet seemingly nothing has changed in your little village. You still work at the apothecary with Chiyo, but now you spend most of your time at Dabi’s temple, keeping it clean, and trying to educate those who visit it, more about the reclusive Cremation God.

More people have started to visit the temple in the three years since you last saw Touya, and you’d like to think that he’d be pleased if he could see it. You’re headed to the temple now to do your daily cleaning, and make sure that everything is orderly, before you head back home for the night.

You smile as you watch a group of small children run past you, as you think back to the day that Touya had left you one final time.

Word had spread like wildfire after you had returned from the temple that day – about how you had made a deal with the elusive Cremation God himself to cure the town of its plague, and how you now bore his mark on your own skin, binding you to him.

You thought that you’d be ostracized, a pariah in your town – but surprisingly, the majority of people seemed to accept it with very little backlash. You suppose that’s the closest to thanks that you’ll get for playing a part in saving your town from destruction, but you’ll take it.

More people do tend to keep their distance from you now, largely in part due to your lover’s fearsome reputation, but you don’t hold it against them.

They’ve started calling you Shaoha – Death Woman. Normally, it’s a derogatory name for a demon or witch, but you know they don’t mean it in that way, and you can’t help but find it fitting given the circumstances and your ties to the Death God himself.

You smile sadly in spite of yourself as you make your way through the forest trail towards Dabi’s temple, leaving the village behind you.

You dress mostly in black or deep blues these days, mourning the fact that you haven’t seen your god in years now. He promised you that he would eventually be back for you once he had healed, before you were old and gray, but you wished that he would have given you a rough estimation of how long that would take, because with each day that passes, you miss him more and more.

Your friends have started families of their own, and while you never had the urge to have children of your own, seeing them happy with their husbands makes you wish that Touya was here with you. Your friends give you sympathetic smiles, and try and comfort you best they can. While you’re grateful that they try, it’s not the same.

It’s strange: you’re surrounded by people who care for you, and yet; you feel more alone now then you ever did before.

You reach Dabi’s temple and push the doors open, finding a few people milling about, paying their respects inside, and the sight pleases you greatly. Ever since it was revealed that he had been behind the disappearance of the plague, the townspeople had started coming to the temple more frequently to pay homage to him. You’re glad that you had cleaned up the temple beforehand, even if it was just for you and him initially.

Several of the people take notice of you, and they quickly file out to allow you to do your daily inspection. After deeming everything to be orderly, you make your way back to your home, just as the sun is starting to disappear behind the tree-line.

You reach your house just as dusk has fallen, and you talk with your parents over dinner for a while before heading to bed. As grateful as you are for their company and their efforts to keep you occupied, the constant ache in your chest never fully dissipates, even when you aren’t alone.

As you lay in bed, waiting for sleep to take you, you send out a silent goodnight to Touya, hoping that he can hear you, wherever he may be. Just as you have done every night for the last three years.

You hope that wherever he is, he knows how much you miss him.

You don’t remember falling asleep. You open your eyes again and your room is pitch black, letting you know that it’s the dead of night. For a moment, you lay there confused, wondering why you’ve woken up at a seemingly random time, only to realize that you feel different.

You don’t feel physically sick, and the sensation that is coursing through your body like liquid fire in your veins doesn’t feel ominous or wrong, but you suddenly have the intense urge to get up and leave. Like you have to go somewhere urgently.

Your forearm – the one that bears Touya’s mark – feels hot. You trace it absentmindedly, quietly musing that the last time it burned like that was when he gave it to you--

Something clicks in your sleep addled mind, and you slowly sit up and push the covers off of you as you stand. You get dressed in long, dark skirts, and throw a traveling cloak around your shoulders for good measure – knowing deep down that you won’t be coming back.

As you walk through the hallways of your dark home like a ghost, you crack open the door to your parents room to gaze fondly at their sleeping figures. You send them a silent I love you, before closing their door, thanking them for everything. You pad silently through your house until you reach the front door, and pull it open soundlessly, stepping out of it for the final time, before shutting it firmly behind you.

You don’t look back.

You feel like a wraith as you walk through the deserted streets of your town, taking in each and every shop as you pass. The bright, pale moonlight is your only source of light as you walk, and before you know it, you’re standing in front of Dabi’s temple.

The burning in your forearm has lessened considerably and you know this is exactly where you’re supposed to be. You step inside, and slowly make your way to the foot of the hooded god’s statue. You smile slightly and take a seat facing the entrance doors that you didn’t bother closing, allowing moonlight to spill into the dark temple. You sit and you wait. You vow that you’ll wait all night if you have to.

You don’t have to wait for long.

There’s a tell-tale flash of blue outside the temple and a blast of searing heat follows, before everything stills again. The sound of slow, deliberate footsteps approaching the temple makes your heartbeat quicken, and the tall silhouette of a man spills across the floor to where you’re sitting at the altar.

A familiar man dressed in white funeral shrouds enters the temple, and makes his way towards you. You can’t help but smile lovingly as you take him in. Even though he looks incredibly different from the last time you saw him, you’d recognize Touya anywhere.

Gone are the dark scars and staples that wreaked havoc on his skin. The man, the god, that stands before you, has skin as pale as snow, almost blending into the white of his shroud. He looks like he’s bathed in moonlight, with eyes as bright and blue and beautiful as the flames he wields. Upon closer inspection. you still see faint seams in his skin where his burns were previously. A remanent of his past life, and one that you find incredibly endearing.

He is not perfect, but neither are you. You selfishly think that maybe you were made for each other.

He stands before you, seemingly at a loss for words, but his deep turquoise eyes tell you everything you need to know. You, however, have quite a few things you want to say to him. So, you start with the obvious.

“I’ve missed you.” You tell him quietly, and he smiles, cerulean eyes looking sad.

“I know. But I’m here now, so that’s got to count for something right?”

“It means everything.” You confirm breathlessly as he cups your cheek, running his thumb across your soft skin. You shamelessly lean into his touch and watch as he smiles at you.

“Ready to go?”

You nod. “I’ve been ready for a long time. You kept me waiting long enough.”

He laughs, the sound deep and rich in your ears.

“I promise I’ll make it up to you. There are so many things I want to show you.” His free hand sneaks down and intertwines with yours. “I make good on my promises, you know.”

You give his hand a squeeze. “I do.”

His heart – the organ in his chest, that he was sure had stopped working after his fall from grace – thunders into irregularity in his chest. Now he’s sure that it beats for you, and you alone.

You, the first person in a long, long time, who’s made him feel something aside from hatred and scorn. The first person to see past the scars, the first one to see him at his worst and still show him unconditional love where others couldn’t, or wouldn’t.

He loves you, and he always will.

He lifts the hand that’s still laced with his, to his mouth and presses a kiss to the back of your knuckles, sending you a smile that makes you melt.

“Let’s go home.”

FIN

#dabi #touya todoroki #dabi x reader #dabi x female reader #dabi x you #dabi x y/n #dabi x reader smut #tw: death #mha dabi #mha #bnha #rose reblogs #please let me know if i missed any tags!#please let me know if i missed any trigger warnings!

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ellethespaceunicorn · 10 months

Text

Scrapbook: Epilogue

Title: Your Eyes Look Like Coming Home (Epilogue)

Rating: Mature, 18+, Minors - DNI

Pairing: Mike x Black!OFC (Dimples)

Fandom: Hellraiser: Hellworld

Word Count: 1.8K

Summary: A collection of moments with Mike and Daisy (Dimples) and their daughter Aisha (Honey).

Chapter Summary: When Honey turns 2, Mike and Dimples have to make an announcement. When Mike turns 25, Dimples gifts him something special.

Warnings: tooth-rotting fluff

A/N: This is the end of the road, folks. Thank you to everyone who stuck around for this little story. I hope you enjoy! Unbeta’d, we die like people who tried their best.

Dividers by Me

Support/Reblog banner by Me

Cover Art by Me

Spotify Playlist is here.

Series Masterlist

My Masterlist

One Year Later

“Happy Birthday to you!” Everyone is gathered around Honey while she sits in her highchair with a tiny cake all to herself, made by Auntie Erika. She waits until everyone is done singing before she blows out her two candles. She claps along with everyone else when they cheer for her. Digging into the cake with her hands, Mike and Dimples have their cameras out taking photos of their daughter.

After everyone has their cake and Honey opens all her gifts, the party starts to die down a little. Cherie takes Honey inside to play with her toys and the grownups sit outside in the backyard. While Dimples and the ladies are busy getting all the trash together, Mike sits with his grandpa Gus, his father, and his uncle.

“So, when are you two gonna tell us about the baby?” Gus starts, nursing a beer like he hadn’t just put Mike on the spot.

“Tell you about what baby?” Mike asks, unconvincingly.

“Walter, look at that girl. Tell me that isn’t the tell-tale sign of a bump.” Gus nudges Mike’s elbow while Mike looks to his dad for help.

“Gus, leave the boy alone. If they’re not ready to announce it, they’re not ready. Simple as that.” Walter shrugs and pats Mike’s knee.

“It’s gonna be a boy.” Sy offers, and Mike’s eyes widen.

The other three men look at Sy in disbelief, wondering how he could possibly know the sex of a baby that wasn’t even confirmed yet.

“Well, her skin is still clear. And it looks like she’s carrying low. When she was pregnant with Honey, she carried high and had acne. Just like Nettie did with Cherie. I mean, it could be an old wives’ tale. But it still came true twice, so...” Sy trails off and laughs with the older men while Mike nods and laughs to himself.

When he looks up, Dimples is walking over and pulling him away from everyone.

“They know. Nettie and Hope know I’m pregnant and I didn’t have to tell them at all.” Dimples almost shrieks when she tells Mike that their happy announcement is kind of ruined.

“Yeah, Grandpa Gus and Dad and Uncle Sy pointed it out as well. Oh, and Sy says we’ll have a boy which is exciting.” Mike tries to lighten the mood and Dimples chuckles despite herself.

Honey comes running out of the house behind them holding her favorite pink triceratops. She runs into Mike’s legs and raises her arms up. “Daddy up pwease?” Cherie comes out of the house shortly after, going to sit between Sy and Nettie.

“Come here, Honey,” Mike picks her up and gives her a bunch of kisses on her face and Honey bursts into a fit of giggles. Mike holds Honey and grabs Dimples’ hand and walks over to where the other adults are sitting.

“Daddy? When baby coming?” Mike and Dimples look at each other and realize there is no point in hiding it anymore.

“Seems like everybody already knows, but just to make it official, Dimples just made it through her first trimester a couple of days ago with our second baby.” Mike kisses Dimples’ temple and pulls her close.

“I’m very emotional right now. So, please don’t take my crying for being upset. I’m actually really happy, I promise.” Dimples wipes at her eyes and the group of adults laugh and stand up giving hugs all around.

Grandpa Gus watches as his family grows larger by the minute.

Six Months Later

Henry “Bubba” Marshall is born at 9 lbs 10 oz and 21 inches long. Mike is so proud of himself that he didn’t faint at all during this pregnancy. He cut the umbilical cord and is surprised at how big this baby is. When the doctor laid him on Dimples’ chest, it is a miracle she could hold him.

Mike and Dimples name Evan and Hope as godparents for Bubba. Grandpa Gus makes his way past the rest of the family so he can see his great-grandson. When he finally sits down and is handed Bubba, he chokes up. A few silent tears fall, and he laughs a bit to himself.

“Grandpa Gus, you okay?” Mike asks from his perch on the side of Dimples’ hospital bed.

“I just can’t believe how handsome he is. Just like his father, his father before him, and me of course. I guess he had no choice but to be a looker,” Gus chuckles and looks down as Bubba yawns and shifts in his arms, “Also, this boy is big as hell. He is gonna eat you out of house and home. Good luck with that.”

“Gus, don’t scare them,” Walter walks over and pats Mike’s shoulder before leaning in to whisper, “But you know he’s not gonna fit any of that newborn clothing you got for him, right?”

Mike and Dimples look at each other and can’t help but laugh at their little predicament.

Another Six Months Later

At Honey’s 3rd birthday party, Bubba crawls around the party. And boy, is he fast! He keeps not only Mike and Dimples on their toes. But he also keeps his big sister busy trying to keep her toys out of his mouth.

“Bubba, no! Don’t eat Pinky!” Honey takes her pink triceratops out of her brother’s hands and replaces it with one of his Little Peoples toys.

When Mike and Dimples catch up to where the two kids have gotten to, they are out of breath. Honey can only laugh which makes Bubba laugh. And the chain reaction sends their parents into a giggling fit as well.

“Daddy? Can we open presents now?” Honey asks, trying to wrangle her brother into staying in one place.

“I think that is a perfect idea, Honey.” Mike picks up Honey while Dimples picks up Bubba and they make their way over to the oversized present pile.

Bubba tries his best to help open gifts but ends up playing with the wrapping paper and the boxes that Honey’s toys come in. Nothing makes Bubba happier than making his big sister laugh and Honey loves to play with her little brother. She treats him like her own personal baby doll, and he adores her for it.

After the party dies down and the backyard is cleaned up, Mike decides to take a nap on the couch. Honey and Bubba were playing in the living room but when they see Daddy laying down, they decide to crawl on top of him. At first, they try to wake him up but when that doesn’t work, they just get comfy and go to sleep as well.

Dimples comes into the living room when she notices it’s oddly quiet. The sight she happens upon makes her swoon. Mike is sprawled out on the couch; Honey is laying on her back across his chest while Bubba is wrapped around Mike’s thigh. Their soft snores are filling the room and it’s the cutest thing Dimples has ever seen.

She takes out her phone to capture the moment and another idea pops into her head for what to do for Mike’s birthday gift. Putting her phone away, she pries Bubba from around Mike’s thigh and gently wakes Mike so he can put Honey to bed as well. Mike and Dimples go to bed, and they are both so tired that they just cuddle up to one another and are asleep within moments.

A Few Months Later

Getting Mike out of the house for most of the day is the trickiest part of Dimples’ plan. She gets Walter and Sy to take him to lunch and a movie. When he comes back home, the house is too quiet and too dark, so he goes into the backyard to look for his family.

He is genuinely shocked when everyone jumps out and shouts “Happy Birthday!” Dimples runs up to him with the kids following her. He hugs and kisses all of them, so happy to see that they (mostly Dimples) planned a surprise party for him.

Mike makes his way around the guests at the party and thanks them for coming. Looking around the backyard, he notices that photos are lining the fence around the yard. Moving closer to one photo, he smiles to himself and wonders how Dimples got this one.

“I hope you don’t mind I took that one from your phone. It’s one of my favorites,” Dimples is at his side, looking at the photo that Mike took of the day Honey was born and they were still in the hospital room. It was the day they became a family, “If you like that one, you’re gonna love your gift.”

Mike just looks at her and smiles, feeling so lucky to have her as his spouse. Dimples grabs his hand and brings him over to the present pile. She hands him a large box and wishes him a happy birthday once again.

Taking the box, he sits down to open it. Inside the box is a beautiful leather-bound book. Mike opens it and is surprised to see photos of himself. The photos include moments of his childhood, of his and Dimples’ wedding, and over the years with the kids. With every page he turns, he is transported to different moments of his life. The last page that is decorated has a large photo from Honey’s 3rd birthday with Mike asleep on the couch with the kids asleep on him.

“I really hope you like this scrapbook baby. I figure we can keep adding memories to it with photos or paintings from Honey and Bubba. So, do you like it?” Dimples asks, her sweet face showing her hopeful expression.

“I love it, Dimples. I love you so much. This is such a great gift! I can’t believe you got all these memories together. Thank you, baby.” Mike hugs her and kisses her neck.

“You are very welcome, Mikey. I love you too. Now, I suggest we do cake soon, the kids will have their sugar crash then you can see the other gift I got you for your birthday.” Dimples wraps her arms around his neck and waggles her eyebrows.

“Would this gift happen to be on the sexy side of things?” Mike looks around before grabbing a handful of Dimples’ backside.

“Oh, my goodness, Mike! You'll find out later. Now, enjoy your party and be patient and you’ll be rewarded handsomely.” Dimples pecks his lips and walks away to wrangle up everyone for cake.

Mike watches her walk away to get the kids where they are hanging off Grandpa Gus. Looking around, he is surrounded by everyone he loves. He is so lucky to have a wonderful wife, adorable kids, and a loving extended family. He smiles to himself and realizes he won’t have much to wish for when he blows out his candles.

And that’s not a bad problem to have.

A/N: Now, does this make up for Make That Kitty Purr? Can I write other Mike stories now? The song for this chapter is Everything Has Changed by Taylor Swift (feat. Ed Sheeran).

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umbracirrus · 8 months

Text

WIP Wednesday!

Wednesdays seem to come around a lot faster than they used to, I swear.

I was planning on posting the WIP which I posted yesterday today, an excerpt from the beginning of my vampire Balgruuf AU, but I was just so excited about it I had to post it then. Instead, have Elyse and Hrongar preparing to fight over whose sword is better for the next chapter of The Perfect Storm.

Tagging @throughtrialbyfire, @wildhexe, @thequeenofthewinter, @friend-of-giants and anyone else who wishes to say I tagged them, though obviously there is no pressure or obligations to do so :)

“I know what we can do!” Frothar cried out, getting between the two of them before their bickering about swords could intensify to a full-blown argument. “You can have a fight against each other! Hrongar, you can use your greatsword, and Elyse, you can use your magic swords - the winner can claim that they have the better one,” he stated, looking incredibly proud of himself for coming up with that compromise. “That way, I get to see both types in action!”

Elyse had to admit… it was a surprisingly good idea. It hadn’t even crossed her mind that seeing variety in types of swords being used would likely be beneficial in teaching how to use one – she had been all too focussed on defending her own method of fighting. “I see no harm in that, but it depends on whether your uncle could bring himself around to losing to me.”

“Pah! Big talk for someone whose weapons aren’t even real,” he retorted, though the corner of his lips were clearly turning up. “You’re on, Dragonborn. But I want there to be stakes at play. Got to make this interesting so that the lad doesn’t see anything half-assed.”

There had been almost no hesitation when he brought up stakes. That, at least to her, read as him having some sort of motive. Almost as if... he had planned to gatecrash her lesson with Frothar from the beginning. Then again, this was Hrongar - the man was known for being brash and not thinking before speaking. “What do you have in mind?”

“If I win, you join me at the Bannered Mare for drinks tonight.”

Her reaction to what he wanted was one of bafflement, because it sounded very much like he was asking her on a date. Was Hrongar flirting? Was this what Irileth was warning her about when saying to not accept any drinks from him?

“And you have to match me drink for drink – and let me tell you, I don’t get drunk easy.”

It definitely had her feeling uncomfortable because she was the exact opposite to that. The last time that she had ended up drunk was back when she was celebrating defeating Alduin, and Lydia had laughed and called her a lightweight in the morning as she fought off a hangover, and that was well over a year and a half ago. Then again… that was in the nature of stakes, they were meant to make you uncomfortable, meant to make you need to win. “Fine then. And if I win… I get your greatsword. As a trophy, not to use,” she stated, bringing her hand up to her chin. “As for winning conditions… Disarming is no good, because my weapons by their very nature cannot be disarmed – how about drawing first blood to raise the stakes even more?”

“You are talking my language. No holding back either.”

“Are you certain about that? Because if I weren’t to hold back, that means that you will also have to handle my thu’um,” she taunted, stepping closer to him and standing on her toes so that she didn’t have to crane her neck as much to look up at him. “Or would you prefer me just sticking to my swords?” Based on the slight motion of his throat, she took that as agreement with the latter question. “Just swords it is.”

They had almost completely forgotten about Frothar, who was still stood by them, watching as they goaded each other on. Not that it mattered much… the boy was too busy bracing himself in preparation for what was likely going to be one of the most intense fights he had ever witnessed, and it was exciting.

#meg has done some writing #dragonborn oc elyse #skyrim fanfiction #skyrim fic - the perfect storm #I have been doing my best to try and keep things a bit more organised with stuff i post so i'm trying to tag my fics from now on :)

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malex-crack · 8 months

Text

Malex Spooky Monday

Howl To The Moon🌑🐺

Alex groaned walking into school seeing the stupid banners hung up and displayed everywhere along the halls.

It was the second week of October, Roswell's Wolf Mania Week, leading up to Friday 13th. Roswell's yearly Howl To The Moon festival. It was a stupid week dedicated to a stupid day based on a stupid legend from 1947.

-A werewolf sighting on ol Fosters Ranch. Old man Harold sighted it after hearing a bone chilling howl in the full moon.-

It was ridiculous, back then and now. Ever since that one old drunk idiot said something there were none-stop "sightings" of hairy beats through the decades. Now there's a week leading up to the festival dedicated to Roswell's urban legend.

Alex rolled his eyes at the ridiculous decorations set up, pushing past everyone to get to his locker. Opening his locker a bunch of werewolf confetti fell out and all over him.

"Fucking hell." He brushed it off knowing exactly who it was from.

"Boo!"

Alex jumped, ready to throw a punch when he noticed it was Kyle. He groaned, dropping his raised fist, " what the fuck Kyle?! I could've hurt you."

Kyle was laughing, leaning against his locker, " Bullshit." Then he noticed the black and Grey confetti lingering on his shirt and on the floor. He grimaced, "Guerin again?"

"What do you think?" He grumbled, switching books from his bag to his locker. "I fucking hate this week. It's like he gets a werewolf shoved right up his ass. Every year he fucking howls like an idiot for a whole week."

"You know he could be acting like this towards to because he li-"

"Don't you dare start that whole he likes you bullshit. It's such a toxic implementation." Alex said, rolling his eyes seeing the curly haired jock coming down with his band of hooligans following. "It's the toxic masculinity that makes him do this. He's a stereotypical, high school jock that wants to impress everyone by picking at the grunge, emo kid."

Kyle sighed, looking behind him seeing the jock making his way to them.

" Alex Manes! Heyyy buddy." Michael walked up to him with that stupid all white teeth grin. "How's my favorite walking halloween display?"

"Fuck off Guerin" he growled slamming his locker. He shared an irritated look with Kyle before turning around and prepared to walk away but a hand stopped him.

"Hold on now. I'm not finished," Michael stopped him moving right in front of him. "Valenti, you can go. You're late for the nerd lab with Ortecho. " He shooed him away. And just then the final bell did ring.

Kyle gave him an apologetic look before turning and going down the hall to class. Alex muttered fuck, groaning inwardly.

"What do you want Guerin?" Alex said annoyed. Since the beginning of the school year Michael has been messing with him, pulling pranks, annoying the crap out of him. He used to be so attracted to Guerin but now.. he just annoyed him.

"I wanna call a truce."

"A truce?"

"Yea!" Michael said with a grin. " That's what the confetti was for. It's the end of the….war or whatever."

Alex closed his eyes, groaning, "Michael-"

"Come to the Howl To The Moon festival with me Friday, please. It's supposed to be a very special night.. a Friday 13th. Those are extra special." Michael said with soft eyes, almost so different from the usual playful look. His face was softer, almost pleading. " I just.. I really want you there."

Alex was taken back by the sudden change. Well, to be fair he's only ever seen the jock one way. And only seen one side of him. The stereotypical, high school asshole joke. Never anything else. He hesitated, trying to find anything in his face he wasn't being genuine. A sigh left him, " Fine… I'll go. But I swear, you or your brainless jock buddy's do anything this week I back out immediately."

Michael smiled almost genuinely before it switched to a smirk, " they won't I promise. I already swore off the team."

Alex hesitated, eyeing the other teen before shaking his head and turning around, walking down the hall to the class he was hella late for.

For the next week, each day his locker was filled with some werewolf themed gift. A gift basket from Full Moon Sweet and Treat. Then a wolf stuffed animal with a turquoise necklace around it, supposedly the turquoise bonds werewolves together (bullshit). Thursday werewolf themed jewelry popped up in his locked, in the exact style he wears his jewelry.

The same night, he kept feeling like someone was watching him from outside. Each time he checked out his window he never found anything. Finally when he gave up on his obsessive checking, he laid in bed trying to get some sleep. At one point, half a sleep there was a howl outside his window that sent a chill down his spine. Ignoring Alex curled deeper into his blanket like it would protect him somehow.

Now, today was a basket full of Howl To The Moon festival merchandise, a t-shirt, bracelets, hat, candy, etc. Each gift with a small card marked M.G.

Alex sighed, tossing the card into his locker and slammed the door shut storming to chemistry class and finding his target in his usual seat.

Making his way over, he shoved past Jenna Cameron and took her seat instead, " excuse you but I need this seat today."

"What the hell! That's my seat Manes." Jenna cried a little too dramatically.

"Not today."

She whined, turning to the one he sat beside, " Maaax!"

Max looked between them helplessly and confused. Before he could answer though, Mr Benson walked in calling class to sit down. Jenna sent a glare towards him and huffed taking his old empty seat.

Max still was so confused by the sudden seat change, " what's going on?" He whispered after a couple of minutes.

Alex pretended to pay attention to whatever the teacher was rambling as he leaned towards him and hissed, " what the fuck is going on with your brother?"

"What do you mean?" Max asked, brows furrowed confused.

" First off he asked me to go to the festival tonight with him, and then all week he's been giving me gifts! If this is some sick prank. It's not funny and tell him to fuck off."

Max blinked, taken back, " Wait what? What type of gifts?" His voice sounded panicked and worried.

Confused by the tone, Alex shrugged, "Uh… mainly stuff having to do with this week. Werewolf themed gifts and small notes from him."

Instead of answering, Max's eyes went wide looking away from him as muttered something to himself.

Alex stared, questioningly, " what?"

Max blinked, looking back at him. He stuttered trying to find an excuse, " It uh…. It's nothing just. Do not go to that festival tonight."

"Wha-" Alex tried but Max got up, excusing himself from class and rushing out the door leaving Alex completely confused. "What the hell?"

" well.. look how that turned out? Ran him off freak Manes." Jenna said from behind him. Alex flipped her off, deciding to go to tonight anyway just to find out what dumb prank Guerin is up to now.

Later that night Alex waited at the entrance of the festival, watching people go in and out as he waited for Michael to show up. Just as he was giving up, thinking he got stood up Michael and his brother Max walked up in mid conversation.

"Michael seriously you can't do this. Not-" Max cut off seeing him leaning against the gate. His eyes widened, "Alex?!"

Michael smiled big, shrugging his brother's arm off him and came up to him, " I kinda expected you to ditch. But I'm really glad you didn't."

Alex looked between them both. Taking in Max's worried expression and Michael's seemingly happy one. His brows furrowed, it was weird.

" I debated it but… I was intrigued to find out what crawled up your ass all of a sudden." Alex shrugged, stepping away from the gate.

"Alex-" Max tried.

Michael wrapped his arm around his shoulder catching him off guard, " Well let's get some snacks. The deep fried oreos are delicious."

Alex watched him as he walked them into the festival, wondering what the hell this guy was up to.

"Michael let me talk to Alex real quick." Max said but neither of them heard him as they got swept up by the crowd.

"Okay, stop." Alex pulled Michael to a halt halfway through the night. After two hours of rides, games, eating snacks way past their limits. After two hours of having some surprising fun with Guerin he couldn't take it anymore. "What the hell is going on?"

Michael shrugged innocently, " What are you talking about?"

"Cut the shit, Guerin! '' Alex snapped, shocking Michael. "Since the first day of school you've been on my ass annoying the shit outta me. Every week some dumb ass prank and jokey name. Fucking walking halloween display for one!"

Michael flinched with a guilty look.

"Now this! What is going on?!"

The jock across from him bit his lip nervously, looking around with red cheeks.

"Mich-"

"You're right, I'm sorry." He interrupted him. He pulled him to the side as people kept bumping them. " I get these moments where I panic and do stupid shit. Like… prank you or do dumb nicknames that sound insulting. "

" panic about what though. I should be the one panicking."

Michael rocked on his feet, hesitantly, "Everything's since last year, I've liked you.. a lot. Not just in a friendly way but-"

" in a like, like way?" Alex's eyes went wide.

The jock nodded, " I'm sorry. I went about it the wrong way. And I thought tonight would've been the perfect opportunity to… I don't know, fix it."

Alex let out a deep sigh, shaking his head and running his hand through his hair, making it messy. He looked back at Michael, looking for any trick or play. Anything to show the jock wasn't being serious. But he found none of that.

"You really like me?" He asked, hesitantly. " Like really really like me?"

Michael nodded. Alex huffed, grabbing Michael's hand and bringing them back to the main part of the festival, looking around then found what he was looking for. He dragged the jock behind him to one of the booths and ordered two wolf chow burgers and drinks, confusing the other boy further.

Once he was handed their food, he paid but said nothing further. Alex just led him out of the festival gates and to the jocks beat up truck, then he finally spoke, "Drive us outta town and to somewhere quiet so we can talk…get to know each other."

Michael blinked for a moment then finally dug into his pocket and fished out his keys. He unlocked the truck for the both of them, getting inside.

As Alex buckled up Max Evans came running up behind the truck shouting for them to wait. Michael ignored him and pulled out the lot.

Alex looked back out of the window, "What's with Max? It's like he's determined to keep me from you."

Michael shifted, looking out the rear view mirror shrugging, " his usual behavior. Maybe he's worried I'll corrupt you."

Alex snorted, picking at the fries that came with their burgers.

Finding a spot a little bit outside of town, Michael parked and they got out with their food and sat on the tailgate.

Eating for a little bit in the quiet Alex couldn't help but stare at the burnt wolf print stamped into the top of the bun and think about the howl he heard the night before, " do you believe in all this werewolf stuff?"

Michael tensed for a split second that he almost missed it. He then relaxed, wiping his hands off, " Meh, it's fun and shit. Why don't you like any of it?"

Alex looked him over, " It's not that I don't like it or anything.. It's just people acting all crazy with it. The howling, costumes. I don't know. My dad is a downer all the time, hates all of it and refuses to believe in fun. I guess I just never got the opportunity to celebrate and find what was so great about it."

Michael hummed, nodding, seeming lost in thought. He finished his food then put the trash aside on the metal storage box behind them. " I showed you all the fun about it. This whole week."

Alex rolled his eyes, " Well I didn't know that until now, dumbass. I thought you were just trying to annoy me." He put his barely touched food beside Michael's and leaned back on his hands.

" Do I annoy you now?" The jock asked after a few moments.

Alex thought about it for a moment and looked at Michael, "No." He didn't look away this time. His eyes tracing the jocks features shamelessly. Taking in the way his eyes looked in the dark, the way his nose was a bit croaked, the softness of his lips. Maybe his crush on him really hadn't faded.

A small grin formed on Michael's lips as he scooted closer. He hummed, before lifting his hand and using his thumb to wipe off something from the corner of his lips. Alex's breath hitched at the warm touch, heart pounding.

"Ketchup." The jock explained before putting his thumb in his mouth, getting rid of the ketchup. Alex, not sure what to say just stared, heart pounding faster.

Michael looked down at his chest as if he could hear it then back up at his eyes. He leaned in but Alex turned his head at the last second. Lips collided with his reddened cheeks.

The air knocked out of him at the realization what just happened, he closed his eyes in embarrassment. The lips disappeared but were replaced by a hand grabbing his jaw gently and turning his head back towards Michael.

Michael's eyes scattered searching his eyes giving him permission to call the shot. Alex swallowed, hesitantly then took the plunge. Their lips collided harshly and bruising.

Michael's hands clinged to his jacket pulling him closer as Alex's hands slipped in his hair pulling tightly. The groan that escaped the jock made his toes curl and a chill ran through him.

Hands slipped underneath his shirt, connecting with his bare skin. An audible gasp left Alex at the warm touch. It was freezing in the night air but the warmth spread through his body.

Wanting to feel it everywhere Alex wrapped his arms around Michael's shoulders, pulling him closer and leaning back so the jock would follow on top of him.

A loud ring started them both, pulling them away from each other. Alex huffed, leaning his head back against the cold metal of the truck bed. Michael groaned, taking his phone out of his pocket and looking at the caller ID. He clicked ignore and was already stuffing it into his pocket when another call came in.

Groaning, he turned his phone off and opened the back window, throwing it into the truck and shutting it again.

"Who was it?" Alex asked, panting.

His hand already rubbing his chest, Michael answered leaning over him, "Max, we can ignore him though." His lips pressed against his cheek.

Alex brows furrowed, feeling weird in his stomach at Max calling but he shoved it down once Michael connected their lips again. Ignoring every instinct that told him he shouldn't be doing this, he pulled Michael closer, spreading his legs as the jock nudged them open. He sighed and moaned at the weight settling between them.

Michael pulled away causing him to whimper then quickly small moans left him as the other teen slowly kissed along his neck. Running his hands over his back, he tilted his head back letting out a moan.

Hands ran all over his body as teeth nipped and pulled at his skin. Alex shuddered, feeling hot. Michael wrapped his arm around his waist tight, securing him in place, sucking deeply at his neck.

Alex briefly worried about a mark being left until it slipped out of his mind when he felt Michael's hips grounding down on him and a moan was ripped from him.

The next few seconds went by in a complete blur, one second he heard a deep, growl in his ear then steering, hot pain shot through him at his shoulder. It took way too long for him to realize Michael bit him, like actually bit him. His teeth sinking into his shoulder, warm blood spilling out from his open flesh.

Alex screamed loudly until his voice was raw. He tried pushing the man off him but he was too weak and the other too strong. His vision slowly darkened until he was completely out.

"I told you not to do it Michael! Especially not him!"

"Ugh would you shut up already! You've been yelling at me all night. " a voice shouted, making his head ring. "You know I had no choice and I was out of time. I had to."

"You couldn't have picked someone else. Alex didn't deserve this."

"I didn't want anyone else."

He opened his eyes at his name but everything was blurry. Still tired, his eyes slipped shut and he fell back into the darkness.

This time when he woke up he woke up with a blaring headache and his nose filled with different smells. He blinked awake, flinching at the sunlight hitting his eyes. His vision still was adjusting.

A loud scraping noise startled him then it was a bit darker. He finally opened his eyes fully, taking in the room he was in. It was unrecognizable. Alex noticed he was on a bed and slowly sat up looking around.

His eyes fell onto Max who had a grim look on his face as he sat down on a chair by the bed.

"Max?"

A sigh left the teen, shaking his head, " I told you you should go. Alex, why didn't you listen?"

A deep, heavy feeling settled in his stomach as he felt nauseous, " Max, what's going on? Michael he-" he trailed off so confused as he recalled what happened.

Max opened his mouth, ready to tell him but just then Michael walked in with a steaming mug, " I will tell you everything once Max leaves." He fixed his brother with a hard glare which he happily returned.

"Whatever happens next is your fault." Max said as he glared at Michael as he left the room.

Alex looked between them. Once Michael shut the door, Alex's panic set in finally, " What the hell happened? Why did you bite me?!"

Michael put the mug down on the nightstand, and raised his hands in surrender, " I'm sorry about last night but I swear your fine."

"Fine?! You bit me!" Alex shouted, angry and scared.

"I had to, okay!" Michael snapped. " I had to choose someone and I choose you."

"Choose someone for what?!"

"To become a werewolf. To be my mate." Michael said, sitting on the bed. Alex laughed tiredly, what the fuck. This dude as to be joke.

"Your fucking kidding me! I knew this was a fucking prank! God you asshole." He got up from the bed and went to the door. Before he could even get his hand on the doorknob he was pushed up against it, Michael face in his large baring teeth growling at him and his eyes glowing gold.

"You're not going anywhere. " Michael growled, keeping him up against the door. " you can't, not until after your first transition."

Alex swallowed hard, blinking in shock. Oh god that was definitely not something he could fake. He watched slowly as Michael's face went from beast to human and he knew then that none of this was a prank.

"Fuck" he whispered.

Michael let him go finally and backed up, "I'm sorry. Last night.. I turned you like me, a werewolf. And… you belong to me now."

Alex's breath hitched shaking his head, "Fucking hell."

[Wofly]

#roswell new mexico #malex #michael guerin #alex manes #alex guerin #feliciafics #malex fic

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charkyzombicorn · 1 year

Note

About the Marine dad au, what about Roger adopting Luffy?

Like, he never got sick and met some random kid who reminded Roger of himself and decided that Luffy was his now.

OHOHOHOKAY

Roger never gets sick, so he saw the Man Made Horrors Beyond Comprehension when the marines got a whiff of Roger having a child and they killed all those people. He ends up separating from the majority of his crew to go to the east blue with Rouge and try raising Ace where it's quiet and he can learn to walk before he has to run (he maybe takes Buggy and Shanks with him since they won't be noted missing by enemies, and hops over to Somewhere Else every few months so there are still Pirate King Sightings.)

Ace is about five when Luffy is born because he was born within reason, and Luffy spends his first year in [REDACTED] so no one finds him. Roger sees an RD banner in the east blue and since Garp's Boy has only recently come to the Espionage game, he tried pulling a prank by breaking into the ship to steal something Dragon would want back.Because Roger is a goblin At Best.

He finds the Absolute Best thing for this - Luffy, left in a bassinet in an unguarded room by himself (really was this revolutionary brat new?) just minding his own business gumming on a blanket. Roger takes the baby with the plan of returning him as quickly as Dragon can find a pirate king not actively hiding from him. Rouge thinks it's hilarious, Ace just wants to hold the baby, Buggy thinks it's kind of cruel and Shanks isn't sure what's going on.

Except. Roger is just chilling for a while, holding the baby in broad daylight, waiting for some angry emo Garp to swoop in with all the magician skills he learned to spite Garp (Garp HATES magicians - long story) to challenge the pirate king to a fight - or maybe even try to steal the baby from him. But the sun starts to set and he wanders back to the dock because maybe Dragon just wants familiar ground and some allies with him to attack - a smart move, if risky in the unamusing way. And the boat is gone.

He could swear it was right there but it was Gone and there was a baby snoozing against his chest and his father just dipped without a word. He snorts to himself, marching over to the Oro Jackson, and calling up to his dear sweet partner, who just put Ace to bed.

"My love!" He calls, and she pokes her head down to look at him from the large ship. "I think I've scavenged my most interesting treasure yet!"

She accepts it easily, just lowering a ladder. "I found out how to carry Ace up a ladder, your turn." and the second Roger's boots touched the deck of his ship (after many, many minutes of trying to maneuver up a rope ladder with one hand and only partial use of one of his legs while the love of his life laughed at him) Luffy was his son, Rouge's boy, Ace's, Shanks' and Buggy's baby brother all at once.

#one piece #Roger yelling at the horizon: It's just a prank bro!!!!#Dragon from the horizon: No take-backs!!!#Dragon was planning on giving Luffy to Garp but he was iffy and the pirate king is good at hiding fugitive children clearly #Goldie Roger au #Because we all know that's what Luffy would call him

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faulty-writes · 2 years

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You’re such an angeeeellll, can you write for the second idea you mentioned to me? The Yule ball one? I totally loved it and since I’m feeling really emotional (my eyes watered when I read about the reader because I found myself on her soooo muuuchhh) I just got giggly imagining myself with Shoto in that situation (I even have my own OC for bnha but I don’t know how to draw and did t find a way to so I don’t have an image of her) Have a nice day ☺️💜

[ I get to use my cute banner again, why is Shoto so cute? I don't understand, haha. So for those who may not have seen, this request is part of one I had suggested in response to the lovely todoroki-vivian's ask. To summarize, this story is about Shoto comforting the reader during a dance-related celebration of heroes. The reader happens to be a low-ranking hero and is a wallflower at the event until Shoto decides to ask them for a dance. I might have made this slightly longer than my other requests, but once I started writing I couldn't stop. ]

Soft music continued to fill the air and the shadows of dancing silhouettes just barely reached you. A sigh passed your lips as you continued to press your back against the wall, somewhat grateful you were hidden away from everyone else.

You were somewhat "forced" to attend the Hero Throwback Ball which was created to celebrate how far heroes have come over the centuries and honor the individuals who made powerful impacts or movements that paved the way for hero society.

Unfortunately, despite being a graduate of Yuuei. You were a piss poor hero who ranked low on the hero board. Many didn't even know your name or worse, made fun of you despite the fact you really tried doing some good in the world.

But villains always escaped your grasp somehow and recently you found yourself slipping up more than usual, this always seemed to happen during your confrontations with said villains. Of course, you could thank your anxiety for that.

Negative thoughts and doubts would begin to take over your mind as you attempted to fight off whatever villain. Eventually, you'd end up injuring yourself or you'd try to use your quirk, only for it to "backfire" and for the villain to escape.

It was no wonder you were referred to as the "villain helper" rather than an actual hero. Maybe it was just your paranoia, but you swore you only received the event invitation as a form of mockery. So maybe it was better that you were out of sight.

'It's not like anyone would ask the lowest ranking hero to dance...' you thought bitterly, crossing your arms. Yet you couldn't help but wonder if your old classmates would try looking for you. "Mm..." maybe that was hoping for too much.

"Todoroki-kun!" Izuku said cheerfully, "y-you're here too, that's great!" Shoto hummed before turning to face Izuku aka 'Deku' the number one hero. Katsuki was number two, and Shoto took his place as the number three hero in Japan.

He knew that his ranking somewhat disappointed his father and that people expected more from the former number one hero's son. But Shoto could care less about ranking, his main goal was to use his quirks to help others, not to capture all the fame.

"Midoriya..." he replied, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Todoroki!" came Uraraka's voice seconds later and Shoto immediately noticed she was dragging Tenya along with her. "Ah..." he replied, raising one hand to greet the two of them.

"Apologies, Ochako was rather eager to say hello before we departed to the dance floor," Tenya explained in his normal matter-of-fact tone. "Mmhm!" she confirmed with a nod, tightening her grip on his arm. "Heh..." Izuku gave a pity smile and scratched the side of his head.

"I'm n-not much of a dancer so Iida volunteered," he explained half-heartedly. "I'm afraid even if that were not the present circumstance, I could not refuse one's invitation to dance," Tenya added before pushing his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose.

"Are you going to dance too Todoroki-kun?" Uraraka questioned with a smile. "After all," she said tilting her head, "it is a celebration and you can't just hide away like you usually do," she knew Shoto tended to be quiet and reserved in social situations.

"Mm," he replied, not exactly one to start arguments. "I'll be watching you!" she warned with a pointed finger before turning to Tenya. "Let's go!" she said cheerfully. "Ah, yes," he replied before looking back at Shoto.

"I do hope we can speak later," he said as Uraraka guided him to the dance floor. Izuku and Shoto watched as they disappeared, the dance floor itself looked rather crowded but Shoto found an odd comfort in the gentle melody that echoed through the air.

He took an extra moment to observe the way others were dancing, how close they were and how they embraced each other. Keeping their hands together or their arms wrapped around their dance partner. 'I wonder...' he thought before his attention shifted to Izuku.

"Who else is here?" he questioned bluntly, somewhat catching the green-haired man off guard. "Huh, oh well..." he paused, lightly tapping his chin as he thought. "Kacchan, Kirishima, Denki, Jirou, uh...m-most of our old class," he answered, nervously rubbing the back of his head.

Shoto narrowed his eyes. "What about Y/n?" he asked. "Uh..." Izuku looked dumbfounded and took a moment to recall if he had seen you or not. He knew the trouble you had found yourself in lately and frowned as he replied, "I...I don't know if they're here..." before glancing around.

"I...I know they h-haven't had the best ranking lately and...m-maybe they thought it best to...decline the i-invitation?" he suggested despite knowing that the answer wouldn't satisfy Shoto. "I'll find them, thank you...Midoriya," he said leaving a baffled Izuku behind as he walked away.

"I wonder why Todoroki-kun wants to find Y/n..." he muttered to himself. You slumped your shoulders, continuing to stare at the floor with a frown. 'I should have stayed home...' you thought, somewhat feeling sorry for yourself.

Your eyes began to water causing you to furiously wipe them with the back of your hand. The last thing you needed was more negative attention, yet you couldn't help but feel utterly useless. Before you could dive too far into this wave of self-pity, you heard someone speak your name.

It seemed so out of the blue and your head snapped up at attention. Your breath hitched when you saw two different colored eyes staring at you and there was only one person they could possibly belong to. "S-Shoto!?" you exclaimed, feeling your face immediately flush.

However, you quickly came back to your senses and frantically wiped your eyes, hoping he didn't notice that you had almost cried. "W-what are you doing here, or uh...h-how did you see me?" you questioned, moving your hands about nervously.

But this didn't seem to bother Shoto who merely replied with a "Hm?" and continued to keep his eyes locked on yours. He noticed that they looked moist, and though it was possible that there was something in the air, no one else seemed to have irritated eyes.

'I know they h-haven't had the best ranking lately' Izuku's words rang through his head, 'maybe they thought it best to...decline the i-invitation' well at least that part wasn't true, but he wasn't sure if that put him at ease because something was clearly bothering you.

The fact that you tried hiding in the shadows was enough of a red flag, but as Uraraka mentioned, he too had a tendency to isolate himself from others. "Uh..." you blinked, wondering why he hadn't said anything. Luckily the music filled the space of awkward silence.

"Dance?" he suddenly said, making your eyes go wide. "W-what?" you replied with your mouth hanging agape and a confessed expression on your features. "Dance?" he repeated in a robotic-like fashion, not knowing how to properly ask someone such a thing.

Panic washed over you causing your hands to press against your stomach which twisted into knots. Dance?! With Shoto!? Oh no, no, no! Just the thought of how you would mess up cemented your response.

"No!" you exclaimed before clasping your hands over your eyes, feeling your heart begin to race, and the urge to go and find another safe spot grew. "Hm..." Shoto leaned back, pressing his lips into a thin line.

"Is something wrong?" he questioned, he thought you would be happy to dance. Maybe it would make you feel better and forget your troubles, at least that's what he had learned since forming bonds and friendships with those at Yuuei.

"W-why..." you lowered your hands which were trembling furiously, "why do you want to dance with me!?" you squeaked out, feeling yourself growing short of breath due to the anxiety that now riddled your body.

Shoto noticed this but answered your question first. "I'm a wallflower too..." he replied, confusing you all the more. You violently shook your head, balling your shaky hands into fists. "No, no, no!" you replied once again.

"I-I'll only mess up again and...t-trip all over the place and then people will laugh and I m-might hurt you a-and..." you glanced to the side, continuing to breathe rapidly. Your mind was racing with a million more ways you could continue to deny Shoto.

Then a loud sound echoed next to your ear and you turned your head only to notice Shoto had firmly pressed his hand against the wall. "W-wha..." your breathing came to a halt as you turned back only to feel your heart accelerate at how close Shoto's face was to yours now.

You knew Shoto didn't have the best social skills, and neither did you, but didn't he know about personal space? "You won't hurt me," he assured before leaning back and moving the hand that was pressed against the wall to once again hold it out in front of you.

You latched onto your bottom lip noticing that the music almost seemed to be getting louder, like it was taunting you just as the dancing silhouettes did earlier. "Mm..." you looked at Shoto before leaning to the side.

The couples on the dance floor looked so happy, and you felt a sting of jealousy knowing they could so easily engage with others socially and that they had someone to be so physically close with. You frowned and slowly pressed yourself back against the wall.

'Can I really...be as confident as them...being who I am?' you thought before noticing that Shoto had moved his hand closer which caused you to look up at him once more. His facial expression held no judgment, not even the slightest hint of anger that you were taking far too long to accept his dance.

'It's not like anyone would ask the lowest ranking hero to dance...' your own words echoed in your head and your hand slowly began to move. 'But...' you laid your palm in his and watched as his fingers so gently closed over the top of your hand.

'Shoto did,' your stomach was still in knots and you tightened your grip when he guided the two of you onto the dance floor. You wiggled your body this way and that, not exactly thrilled about brushing against anyone else.

When the two of you reached the center, he turned to face you and tried to replicate what he saw earlier. He stepped close, pressing his chest against yours which didn't help your already nervous state. "Eep!" you squeaked out when he guided your free hand to his shoulder.

Your face grew hot when his hand came to press itself against the side of your hip, this was accompanied by a tremble that violently coursed through your body. "Are you cold?" he questioned, feeling the way you dug your fingers into his shoulder.

Your throat felt tight and you were almost certain you'd pass out at any moment. You somehow managed to shake your head in response, but he continued to look at you with a blank expression, the same one you had seen for years.

"This is what I saw others doing earlier," he noted and you couldn't help but question the reality of what was happening. Was this real? Were you really cradled so close to Shoto, the number three hero? "U-uh huh..." you managed to say, focusing your attention on his chest rather than his face.

"Do you like it?" he questioned making you yet again tremble which caused him to ask, "Are you sure you are not cold?" seconds later. You nodded before swallowing hard. "I...I uh...i-it's fine!" you somewhat hoped no one heard the panic in your voice over the music.

"Okay," Shoto replied as he began to sway gently back and forth, but your feet barely moved. In fact, your upper body did most of the work following along with his motions. You squeezed your eyes shut, hearing those doubtful thoughts once again plague your mind.

How did the two of you look to others? Were you making Shoto look silly? After all, he could be dancing with someone who actually knew what they were doing. Someone that would make him look good. Not you, not a hero ranked so low you were considered a waste of space.

Once again your eyes began to water and though you didn't want to, you buried your face into his chest seeing as it was the only place you could hide away from the crowd. He came to a brief pause and looked down, slightly confused about what you were doing before he heard a soft sniffle.

He resumed swaying back and forth, being careful not to bump into the other couples that were around. "Why..." you squeaked out, almost feeling bad that the few tears that ran down your cheeks soaked into the front of Shoto's tux.

"Hm?" he tilted his head, continuing to look at the top of your head. "W-why did you ask me to dance with you?" the words left your mouth in a soft and slightly broken tone. "Because I wanted to," came his immediate response.

You frowned and slowly lifted your head to look at him, bringing your hand from his shoulder to his chest. "Why would you w-want to dance with...a l-low ranking hero? I-I'm not even a hero I'm just..." a sigh escaped you.

"Just a...screw up," it was Shoto's turn to frown. You thought so little of yourself because of your ranking? If that were true, then why did you accept the invitation? He couldn't seem to come up with the answer, but you needed to see how important you truly were.

"Hm?" Uraraka lifted her head from Tenya's shoulder. "Hey is that Shoto and Y/n?" she asked with a pointed finger which caused Tenya to turn his head briefly. "Ah, I believe so," he replied, turning back to look at her.

Uraraka smiled and began to wave her hand, trying to catch Shoto's attention seeing as you had buried your face into his chest for the second time. Shoto immediately noticed the movement from the corner of his eye and tore his attention away from you momentarily.

He returned Uraraka's smile before once again looking at you, furrowing his brow. He then looked back at his friends before gently guiding the two of you over to them. Your face remained buried in his chest the whole while.

He brushed against Tenya before leaning over to whisper something into his ear. "That's quite an extensive request," Tenya replied as Uraraka looked at him with a confused expression, but then her eyes settled on you and a frown came to her face.

It wasn't that hard to tell something was wrong, but she assumed whatever Shoto had whispered to Tenya was going to solve the dilemma you were going through. "Huh?" she looked back when Tenya came to a stop and released his hold on her.

"However, it would be an honor to help you," he said to Shoto. "Iida, what's going on?" she questioned. "Please allow me a moment, I believe what I am about to announce will answer your question," he replied before raising one hand.

"Attention!" he exclaimed, his voice easily being heard over the music and causing your head to snap back up like it had moments prior. "What's going on!?" you questioned, looking at Shoto however his attention was focused on Tenya and you followed his gaze to the man in question.

"Please clear the dance floor, Shoto would like to perform a dance with his fellow hero Y/n!" under normal circumstances everyone would have remained where they were, but considering most of them respected Shoto they followed through with what he wanted.

You watched everyone begin to evacuate the dance floor and trembled yet again. Your face grew hot knowing there were now multiple sets of eyes on you, why would Shoto do this? Part of you was angry and quick to assume he was only doing this for one reason.

So everyone had a front-row seat to watch you screw something else up. However, your assumptions were proved wrong when Shoto leaned down and whispered, "You deserve to be in the spotlight too," into your ear causing your jaw to drop.

He then reached down to grab your hand which was still fisted into the front of his tux. "Follow my lead," he instructed, and though you didn't quite understand what he meant before you could even blink he took off running.

"Ah!" you couldn't help but holler as your feet desperately tried to keep up with him. "Shoto!" you cried out when you suddenly found yourself being twirled multiple times all while continuing to move around the dance floor.

Your vision was spinning by the time he wrapped one arm around your waist and the other around your legs, lifting you just enough to see the crowd and their eyes. The very same ones that were causing you anxiety just moments before.

They looked fascinated, intrigued even at this strange dance Shoto was performing with you. Another cry came when you felt him let go causing you to panic for a few seconds before he once again caught you. His arm still remained around your waist and the one he had used to wrap around your legs was now holding them apart.

It was a tad awkward to be facing sideways, especially as he proceeded to spin around as if he were a figure skater. But despite this and the fact that you were getting a little nauseous, a nervous chuckle left your mouth just seconds before he let go of your legs.

You instantly turned your body, grasping onto his shoulder which slightly cushioned the impact your feet had once they reached the floor again. Then Shoto resumed running, pulling you along with him as the two of you rounded the perimeter of the dance floor.

You found yourself laughing as he guided you into another spin, the two of you interlocking your hands and fingers as the world around you grew blurry. Yet, you could still hear the slightly distorted cheering and music that filled the air.

For a brief moment, you seemed to forget your troubles. Your anxiety was completely pulled from your mind and your stomach seemed to settle though you noticed an odd feeling of warmth growing from deep within. Was this what everyday heroes felt like?

Since becoming a hero, no one really cheered for you. No one ever said 'thanks for saving me' or 'you're my hero' to you. But now, they were cheering and maybe it was partly due to Shoto. Still, the feeling was intoxicating and you wouldn't mind if you got more of it.

You continued to follow Shoto, leaping and twirling around every inch of the empty space laid before you. When you reached the center, the rest of the dance floor was cast in darkness and the only source of light was the circle that illuminated yourself and Shoto.

Of course, you didn't have much time to question who was responsible for working the lights. But you swore you saw a few sparks in the distance beyond the dance floor which illuminated a certain blond headed-boy who was known for his electricity quirk.

Your lips parted, and you briefly wondered how many of your past classmates were in on this. "Whoa!" you cried out when Shoto grasped your hips causing your hands to naturally grab onto his shoulders as you were once again lifted into the air.

You looked at him in shock, though you didn't miss the fact that he was wearing a smile and the way he looked at you was as if he were witnessing a star in the making. But you didn't have much time to appreciate his gaze as you cast in total darkness for a few seconds.

He lowered you back onto your feet and you hissed as the dance floor suddenly lit up again. The crowd's clapping, whistling, and cheering grew louder. "Whoo! Go Shoto and Y/n!" Uraraka screamed as she continued to jump and down.

"That was quite an unusual but impressive dance routine," Tenya commented as he grasped his chin, ignoring the ringing in his ears due to the continued noise around him. You briefly glanced over the fellow heroes who seemed to now be looking at you with amazement.

"Heh..." your heart was still racing and that tinge of nerves still coursed through your body. Yet, despite this, you stepped forward and wrapped your arms around Shoto. Embracing him in a hug, though his body stiffened at the contact.

You ignored this reaction and uttered a quiet, "Thank you," which made him look at you confused. But then a smile came to his face and his body seemed to relax once again. "You're welcome," he replied before returning the hug.

He'd have to remember to thank Tenya and whoever else happened to help him accomplish giving you the confidence you needed to believe in yourself because no matter how low or high the hero board claimed you to be, you would always be an incredible person to him.

#shoto x reader #todoroki x reader #shoto x you #todoroki x y/n #shoto x y/n #bnha x reader #bnha x you #bnha x y/n #faulty writes: shoto todoroki #faulty writes: shoto todoroki: one shot

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rancidpancakebatter · 2 years

Text

Australia by The Shins [P.P.] | The Playlist

Pairing: College!Peter x Cheerleader!College!Female!Reader

Word count: 5.7k

Summary: How do you say hello when you've already said goodbye?

Content: Swearing, Near-death Experiences, Alcohol Consumption (legal age), happy ending

( Chapter List | Playlist )

A/N: A little angst, a little heartbreak, a little healing. Is it really a Peter Parker Angst story without falling from the clock tower?

(Born to) Born to multiply

What a silly thought, that we were only meant to repopulate.

Born to gaze into night skies

Why not, instead, are we made to gaze at the stars? It was in these stars that Peter found himself spiralling down another existential crisis.

All you want's one more Saturday

The monotony of life was beginning to bog him down. Today was Saturday. He only had three more hours of Saturday left. Then it would be Sunday, and then Monday, until he was here again. Laying on his roof staring down Orion. Daring him to come down and slay Peter himself, instead of playing phycological warfare.

Well, look here until then

He continued to stare, to paint the map of the stars in his mind.

They gonna buy your life's time

So keep your wick in the air and your feet in the fetters

Till the day

He would eventually pull himself away. He would crawl back through his window, and slip into bed. Then he would rise in the morning and fight off the persistent thoughts of tedium.

We come in doing cartwheels

The Friday Pep Rally. Peter sat in the front row taking pictures of the Basketball team as they ran in circles, high-fiving and chest bumping. They had run into the gym through a paper banner. The panther surrounded by navy and gold bubbly font is torn to shreds. He felt bad for whoever had made it, knowing the craftsmanship was never truly appreciated.

That was when the cheerleaders came in. Peter was not immune to their charm, as much as he pretend he was above such clichés. What can he say, he likes skirts. They ran in behind the team, doing flips and cartwheels. Your high pony bobbed as you came out of your cartwheel to do a round-off, then a back handspring before throwing up your hands and waving to the crowd.

He understood why you were on the team. You had a natural grace that many had to work at. Your smile was infectious, Peter couldn’t fight off the one he felt tugging at his lips as he hid behind his viewfinder.

You (and the rest of the cheer squad) were twirling and jumping. He felt stupid when his stomach swirled, all because you had waved at him. It was a small wave, your hand not far from your hip, but it was definitely for him. As was the small giggle you let out when he dumbly pointed to his chest, nodding your head.

We all crawl out by ourselves

And your shape on a dance floor

Will have me thinking such filth to gouge my eyes

As the squad fell into formation you began your cheers, straight arms and high kicks. Peter was knelt on the gym floor and almost got a flash of your panties. Well not really, the skirts had a built-in cover but that’s not the point. He ripped his gaze away before standing awkwardly to take more pictures of everything going on.

You'll be damned to be one of us girl

He sat outside on one of the benches for lunch. He had a book propped in one hand and a sandwich in the other. He could no longer focus on the teachings of Nietzsche, your laughter filling the air.

“You’re telling me that you’ve never been bored of your life?” You asked your friends.

They giggled before someone else spoke up, (Peter didn’t care who and he wasn’t about to look up to find out) “I think it’s because you’re smart.”

Peter’s head raised from his book, looking straight ahead as if deep in thought. “Studies show that smarter people are more depressed because like, they understand how fucked up everything is.”

You snorted and Peter thought the small noise was hilarious. “I’m not that smart you guys.”

“Modesty, how nice,” Peter thought.

You gasped and Peter looked up to see a fry hit your face. “Okay Miss valedictorian, straight A’s, AP class load, Harvard Shoo-in.”

You pouted slightly at your friends, “You guys are smart too.” You seemed genuinely upset that they didn’t believe that and Peter’s heart swelled.

“No, not really,” a different girl spoke up, “You'll be damned to be one of us girl. You’re going places.”

Faced with the dodo's conundrum

I felt like I could just fly

But nothing happened every time I try, ooh-ooh!

Peter thought about your friends’ words more as he stared at his book. It was senior year so he had been applying to a lot of places, but he couldn’t bring himself to try for the ivy leagues. He had applied to NYU and Empire State and a few other schools around, but nothing like Harvard. Were they just saying that or had you already gotten in? Or were you so smart that they just knew you would get in? He thought for a moment about applying. What if you both had gotten in? Would you be excited to see another friendly face, or weirded out? No. He wouldn’t, he couldn’t. He imagined the looks on May and Ben’s faces if he didn’t get in. The sorrow they would hold in their eyes for him.

A duotone on the wall

Selfless fool who hoped he'd save us all

Peter had been spider-man for a few weeks now. He was just trying to keep the city safe (and also find Ben’s killer but that’s kinda the same thing). He could handle muggers and car thieves but a giant lizard throwing cars off bridges was a little much. He couldn’t not help though, especially when he felt responsible for the mental deterioration of his scientific mentor.

His chest was bleeding, he was getting woozy. As he swung around the city trying to get home his thoughts carried to you. He knew you lived over here. He had overheard you talking about your creepy doorman before with your friends. Gwen had added her own anecdotes to back up your claim as you had lived in the same building.

He had been to Gwen’s just yesterday. She had not so smoothly invited him over to dinner and he had not so smoothly accepted. Dinner was awkward, to say the least. Peter hadn’t exactly been fond of cops before but he definitely wasn’t now. On that rooftop, Peter almost told her who he was but something stopped him. It wasn’t long until Mrs Stacy came to collect her daughter, saving Peter from the scolding he was receiving. He wasn’t sure why he had come this way. He couldn’t go to Gwen’s, that was a terrible idea.

It all became clear when he saw you. Your bedroom lamp was on, painting your room in a carnelian glow. He watched, mesmerised, as you twirled and jumped, a hairbrush held firmly in your grasp.

Then he was knocking on your window. He didn’t remember swinging to your fire escape, nor raising his hand. You jumped at the sound. Running over to your phone you paused the music and went to check your door, assuming that was the origin of the noise. As you reached for the handle the sound rang through again, you turned your head and gasped. Spiderman was at your window and he was waving.

You rushed over to unlock it and he helped you push it up. He made a move as if to step in before stopping himself.

“Uh…hi” You stared at what you assumed were his eyes.

“Uh...yeah, hi, Spider-Man. Can I- can I help you?” You began to look him over and realised he was wounded.

Your hands pulled to your face to cover a gasp. You ushered him in and he remained silent. Peter was beating himself up. What was he thinking? You didn’t know who he was, even outside of the mask. And now he was bleeding on your carpet in your very nice room. He wondered what your parents did for a living to afford this place. He took in his surrounding trying to ignore the dull ache in his bones. He heard the sound of running water, cabinets opening and closing, and then, finally, your footsteps entering the room.

Never dreamt of such sterile hands

You keep 'em folded in your lap

You sat down beside him opening up the first aid kit you had under your sink. You thumbed through the wraps and sterile wipes before pulling your hands into your lap. Peter watched as you refused to make eye contact with him.

“Hey, I’m sorry. I- I can go if you want.” You blinked a few times before processing what he said. He began to get up, groaning as he did so. You pushed your hands out to him, just shy of grabbing his shoulders.

“No, No, you’re hurt. It’s okay I just…was lost in thought. I’m sorry…” There was a pain in your eyes Peter didn’t quite understand but he sat back down. You looked at his chest and sighed.

“Your chest looks really bad…is there anyway…your suit it’s…it’s kinda in the way.” You looked down at your hands again. Peter’s hands shook as he went to pull his top off. You looked away trying to be respectful. He stopped moving and you couldn’t help but stare when you turned.

Spider-Man had only been around for a few days but had already created quite the frenzy online. Your friends had sent you videos of him and pictures of webbed-up criminals and gushed about the man they believed to be helping clean up the streets. You also watched on the news as he saved all those people on the bridge just last night. He was brave.

You moved forward and began to clean his wounds with alcohol spray and a cotton pad. “This may hurt.” You tentatively mumbled as you began to wipe along the edges. He winced and you pulled back.

“It’s cold.” If you weren’t so anxious you might have laughed. Peter watched as your face twisted, glaring at the blood collecting on the cotton pad as if it had personally offended you. You were aware of his gaze on you while you worked. You wondered what he was thinking.

“What-” You began to ask a question but stopped yourself. Peter quirked his brow but you couldn’t see it.

“What happened?” Peter let out a long sigh at your question, you mistook it for pain, stopping again.

“The lizard, we fought in the sewers. He got me pretty bad.” You nodded your head, grabbing some gauze from your kit.

Or raise them up to beg for scraps

He raised his hand out to you and you looked at him confused. “I’m Spider-Man, by the way.”

You almost laughed. Peter beamed feeling proud of himself when the corners of your mouth tugged up.

“Y/n”, you grasped his hand and shook it. He repeated the name, playing with the feeling of it rolling off his tongue.

You know he's holding you down with the tips of his fingers

Just the same

His grip was firm, his hands warm. Your stomach swirled with butterflies and you jumped around with a net, trying to catch them all.

Will you be pulled from the ocean

A-just a minute too late?

Peter had stopped you in the hall to talk to you about yearbook photos. He showed you the pictures he had taken from the rally and was asking which ones you wanted to be used. Then you heard the screaming, people running. Peter’s eyes grew wide as he told you to run. You took a few steps but stopped when you saw he wasn’t coming. You froze at the sight of the giant lizard in front of you. Swarms of people were pushing past you. Everyone was screaming, it was too loud. You covered your ears as you were pushed behind a doorframe.

You heard the monster groan in pain as it hit the floor. You leaned your head around the corner and saw Peter Parker jump on its back just to be thrown to the ground. The monster ripped off his backpack and pushed him against the lockers before throwing him into a trophy case and through the wall. You froze, hand covering your mouth, holding back silent tears. You watched as the creature walked through the crater it had formed, paralyzed by fear.

You heard its nauseating voice, “There’s nowhere to hide, Peter.” taunting him. You thought you might throw up. Peter couldn’t fight this thing off. He was going to die- if he hadn’t already. Your feet took unsteady steps towards the rubble. You weren’t sure what you were going to do but you had to do something.

You heard a thip and saw Peter’s backpack fly into the room. Your brain barely processed what it had seen before you heard another crash. The monster started mixing things he found on the table before throwing them into what used to be a supply closet. You knew in your gut that Peter was there. You felt your heart in your throat.

“All these souls, lost and alone- I can save them. I can-”

“Hey!” The creature slowly turned its head. It chuckled deeply as it took in your shaking hands and teary eyes.

“Leave- Leave him alone!” You weren’t sure if there was anything else to leave alone. The thought of you being too late smothered any other thought. He gazed at you, his twisted smile sickening and eyes yellowed with decay. You felt more than heard the monster take slow calculated steps toward you.

Your heart was too strong. You felt as its beating cut out the air in your throat. You felt pure fear, unsure if your shaking was from the terror or the chill you felt deep in your bones. He was closer now, if he stepped any closer he would be able to grab you. You thought of how cold his hands would feel, the scales rough against your skin. Then a shoe bounced off his head.

The creature reared his head back and let out an animalistic growl. You watched as Spider-man stuck webs to the overhead lights knocking the creature’s head and distracting it. He climbed to the ceiling and the creature forgot about you completely. He leapt onto his back and began webbing the creature’s hands, “Leave her alone, Doc. You’re not thinking straight.”

They stumbled through the doorway and you finally found the strength to move. Spider-Man was here. Everything would be okay. You ran to the supply closet falling to your knees. You felt concrete cutting the gentle skin of your knees, felt it crumble under your palms.

“Peter?” You whispered hoarsely. You were afraid to be much louder not wanting to alert the creature or risk your voice wavering. You didn’t see any movement, but you pushed your hands forward, sifting through jagged rocks and broken glass.

“Peter!” You tried again. Your breathing was becoming erratic and your cheeks felt itchy from crying. Your hand brushed across some canvas and you clung to it. Peter’s backpack. You pulled it to your chest as a shoe fell out. You looked closer at your surroundings and saw clothes. In a moment of mock, temporary safety your brain was slowly able to piece together all of the signs. Signs that led to the revelation that Peter was Spider-Man. Peter Parker was Spider-Man. And the Lizard knew too. Why else attack the school, attack Peter?

You heard doors slam and a shout. Your brain was still screaming at you to save Peter. You knew rationally that he had this covered but the image of him bleeding out on your rug came to mind and you couldn’t stop yourself. You stuffed his clothes in the bag, being sure to collect his stray shoe as you entered the destroyed hallway. You looked to your left as the monster stomped over to the swinging metal doors and for a brief moment you saw Peter sliding across the floor.

You looked for anything you could pick up, anything with weight. You slung his bag over your back when your eyes locked onto a trophy fallen to the floor. You recognised it as an award from winning state last year. You grimaced slightly picking it up, hoping the team would forgive you. You ran, hiking it over your shoulder. As the doors opened you saw the creature had pinned Peter against, a now, cracked window, who was clawing helplessly against it.

You swung with all of your might, cracking the creature across the back of his head. You went to raise the trophy again frowning as you realised you now only held flimsy plastic in your sweaty palm. The monster turned to you and once again you felt a chill as he locked eyes with you again. You began backing away when his voice called out to you again, “Hello, pet.”

He raised his claws ready to strike, but before you could do anything Peter snagged it with a web, immediately wrapping him in a cocoon. You watched as he crawled around the creature before securing it to the hallway. You felt a web hit your waist pulling you to the vigilante. He picked up the base of the trophy and threw it through the window, you flinched at the sound of it shattering.

“I have your stuff.” You said quickly into his chest. He rubbed your arms in an attempt to comfort you.

“Thank you. I’m going to throw you out the window now.” You gaped at him pulling yourself away.

“What?!” His hands gripped your waist and before you knew it you were flying. Then you were falling. You screamed as the fear of hitting the concrete became very real to you. You felt a web hit you again and you gripped onto it as it jerked you forward. You hung there swinging, your mind racing with the many events that had just unfolded.

Or changed by a potion

To find a handsome young mate for you to love?

Peter had seen you after all the commotion. He said told you he needed to get into Oscorp and your friend Gwen was the only person you could think of. You gave him your number and made your way to Oscorp with her immediately. She agreed to help the vigilante after seeing the creature in front of her, seeing the real danger he was. That wasn’t someone she wanted her dad trying to take on.

Peter called you on your way there to explain who that creature was and how to stop him. You put it on speaker for Gwen to hear knowing she would know better what to do with the information.

You'll be damned to pining through the windowpanes

You know you'd trade your life for any ordinary Joe

Well, do it now or grow old

Peter’s call had scared you, but you felt a certain resolve. You had to get everyone out. You jumped on a desk looking for a fire alarm.

“I need to get everyone out!” Gwen pulled a face before running to a panel on the wall. Soon you heard an alarm go off and you watched as everyone began running in the halls. You rushed her out with them telling her you would be fine. She hugged you tightly before running off. You checked the timer on the machine.

Preparing Reptilian

Time Remaining: 07:43.

You made your way to the windowed wall, looking out to the city. You could leave. You considered it, seeing the cop cars barreling through the streets and helicopters in the air, people running frantically for safety. You could leave now, tell Peter this was too much, become an ordinary Joe, but you couldn’t, you knew you couldn’t.

Your nightmares only need a year or two to unfold

It wasn't long before Peter asked you out. He had nearly lost his mind when he realised how much danger you had put yourself in. You argued that he had put himself in just as much danger if not more. When he refused to listen you began scribbling in your notebook, showing him an equation you had created to measure peril. He couldn't oppose the math.

You and Peter had become inseparable. Something about mutual trauma. You spent many nights together after his patrol. He would come in your window, usually fine, but sometimes pretty wounded. You would patch him up and comfort him. You would learn to let him comfort you too. Your parents told you that he was dangerous, they assumed he picked a lot of fights (which wasn’t entirely untrue). You didn’t care though.

You loved the boy. You knew you always would, even when you felt that all too familiar feeling of falling. Even as cogs and various metal debris fell around you, you knew. Because even then all you could think about was him. The whites of his mask stared dead ahead and you wanted nothing more than for him to rip it off. For you to look into his kind, amber eyes one last time.

Peter felt everything and nothing all at the same time. There was a numbness brought on by disbelief. This couldn’t be happening, it was impossible. But he also felt anger, at harry, and fear, for you. You were always okay. He made sure you were always okay. How did he get to this moment? What could he have done differently to ensure that this never happened? He couldn’t concern himself with those thoughts now. He had to catch you.

Been alone since you were twenty-one

You haven't laughed since January

Peter broke up with you a week later. After everything, he had left. It hurt to look at you, because now when he saw you all he could see that small smile on your face as you fell. You had accepted your fate well before he had a chance to even try to save you. He had done that to you. He had put you in danger. He had made you okay with your mortality. He couldn’t do that again. He had to leave, to keep you safe. He couldn’t lose you. Not like Ben. Not like Harry. Not again.

You try and make like this is so much fun

But we know it to be quite contrary

He became colder. May was frightened for him but only brought it up one time. Peter had exploded, taking out his anger on May. He came back a few days later with flowers begging forgiveness. After that, he tried to put on a front for his adored aunt. Romanticizing his job as the best he could hope for. He told her about how exciting his classes were.

He played it up, anything to relieve her worry. Because if she worried she would pry. And if Peter didn’t answer she would go looking for answers. And then she might find them. And then he would lose her too.

May knew he was lying. She pretended for the sake of Peter, thinking he was trying to convince himself more than her that he was happy. She could tell though. His eyes seemed hollow; the once beautiful golden tones rusted.

Dare to be one of us, girl

Facing the android's conundrum

I felt like I should just cry

But nothing happens every time I take one on the chin

The people of New York noticed a change in their beloved vigilante as well. Sometimes pretty crimes would be very quickly squashed as he now displayed an amount of violence previously believed to be incomprehensible. Sometimes they dragged out and Spider-Man let himself get hit. It took practise fighting his spidey-sense. He would just stand there as his assailant would land blow after blow, taunt after taunt. He just wanted to feel something, anything, other than the void left in his soul.

You Himmler in your coat, you don't know how long I've been

Watching the lantern dim

Starved of oxygen

The bell of the door alerted Delmar to Peter’s arrival. Of course, he didn’t know that it was Peter. He knew him as Spider-Man, the man who found his dear cat and returned it to him. The man who sometimes came in limping or clutching his side. The man who had seen more than anyone in this pitiful city had. He sighed as he rang up the hero’s usual order: Gushers, Chex Mix, Zig-Zags, and a Handle of Vodka.

“You know this is supposed to last a man a month at least. You go through these in half that.” The man warned. Peter just shrugged.

“Yeah, well, a normal man doesn’t have my metabolism. My body heals really fast so…it’s harder to get drunk.” Peter wasn’t interested in explaining the science so he left it there.

The older gentleman seemed to nod, thinking over his answer. He bagged everything and Peter pulled out his wallet knowing the total by heart at this point.

“I won’t pretend to know what you go through.” Peter went rigid at the kind man’s words. “I can’t imagine what you had to go through to even consider putting on that suit. Or what it took for you to keep it on. But I do know I’m worried about you, all of New York is. I do know that trying to forget… it won’t work. Take it from me.”

Peter watched as the man took a gold coin out of his pocket, it read:

To thine own self be true

unity, service, recovery,

VII

Peter gave Delamar a soft ‘thank you’ and a nod before gathering his things and petting Murph on his way out.

As the alcohol swam through his veins he couldn’t get the old man’s words out of his head. This is how he found himself going through the box. The one he swore he’d never touch again. The one he kept buried in the back of his closet.

He sifted through pictures of the two of you smiling. Pictures of you on the field, cheering your heart out. Receipts from pizza dates at the arcade. A Scoops Ahoy rewards card missing only two punches before he could get a free cone. A red and blue friendship bracelet you had made him. Signed cards and notes you had written him.

He sniffled as he let it all wash over him. He’d be lying if he said he had kept his distance. He tried to, at first, but eventually the urge to be near you won. He told himself it was to keep you safe as he watched you walk home from classes, from work. He told himself it was to make sure another Harry didn’t find you, as he watched you lay on your couch for hours, sometimes sobbing into the shirt peter had given you.

He realised he couldn’t breathe. In his mind, you had died that night in the clock tower. You were so ready to. But you didn’t. He died, and he had been living as a husk for 3 years. Going through the motions, looking for trouble. You didn’t seem much better. He had seen the heavy bags under your eyes. He had seen your matted hair when you walked around campus. He had killed you. He had done this, to both of you. He picked himself off the ground. He had broken it, but he could fix it. He could try.

You sat at your desk twirling your pencil trying to make sense of the equation in front of you. Your mind wandered to Peter again. How he would softly coach you through it, gently guide you to the right answer. How he would pepper your face in kisses when you finally got it right.

You hated that after three years nothing had changed. You were less devastated, you showered more regularly, and had gotten better at taking care of yourself, but Peter still ran circles around your subconscious. So deeply ingrained that when he left he took pieces of you with him. Pieces you missed.

You turned on the news to see if there was anything about him on there. Your heart broke at the idea of him losing himself but refused to pity him. He was hurting, but so were you. Only one of you left that day and it wasn’t you. They reran a story of Spider-Man saving tenants from an apartment fire and you turned the tv back off, upset that you got no new insight into his life.

You sat back down, pulling out your textbook, hoping to find more understanding of differential geometry. You were about ready to give up when you heard a knock on your door. You paused for a moment, assuming it was someone knocking on your neighbour’s door.

Peter stood outside your door for thirty minutes, tightly gripping a bouquet of your favourite flowers. He went to four florists to find them in the right colour. He knew this wasn’t enough. Nothing would be enough to make up for what he did. He steeled himself as he finally brought his knuckles to your door. He waited patiently but didn’t hear any shuffling, so he took a deep breath, knocking again.

That was definitely your door. You racked your brain for who it could be. Your only visitor was the pizza delivery guy but you definitely didn’t order any. You tentatively shuffled to the door looking through the peephole to see who it was. You looked three times unsure if your eyes were playing a trick on you, pinching yourself between the second and third time to make sure you weren’t dreaming.

You undid the deadbolt before slowly opening the door. You peeked your head out and sure enough there he was, Peter Parker. The boy who had single-handedly broken your heart, made you reevaluate your entire future, and question your value as a human being. You hated that he had the power to do that.

When he saw your face he lost his breath. You were so beautiful. Photos and long-distance stalking surveying didn’t do you justice. He could only see your eyes really, but that was enough. It was enough to throw him back through time, back to when he was seventeen, back to when he could read every thought crossing your mind through just your gaze.

It pained him when he realised he didn’t have clue as to what you thought now. That these many years apart created such a distance between you two. He wasn't sure if he would be able to cross this cavern.

“What?” it sounded cold, and he winced. You used to bring him a warmth that could challenge the sun but now you spoke to him with such frigidness. He couldn’t be upset though.

“I, um…I wanted to talk.” You examined him and he felt uneasy under your critical gaze. You huffed and slammed the door. Peter stood frozen trying to figure out what to do next. He heard a chain rattling and you opened the door fully, stepping to the side and sweeping your hand across your body, ushering him in.

He stepped in through the threshold, suddenly unsure of what to do with himself. Should he take off his shoes, or sit on the couch? You were not helpful, just standing by the door, eyeing him as if he were a threat. He couldn’t blame you. He shifted on his feet before remembering how much that used to bug you.

“These are for you.” He pushed the flowers out, you took them in your hands before shifting them around, looking for anything suspicious.

“Why did you bring me flowers?” Nothing he was doing was warming you up to him. If anything it made you angerier. How dare he walk in here three years later, like nothing happened.

“I wanted to say I’m sorry.” You scoffed.

“Sorry? You want to say you’re sorry?” Your chest burned with all the stars he promised you. The ones he pointed to that night on his roof and said he hung for you.

“You’re well past ‘sorry’, Peter! You left! You left me and you never explained why, just listing off some bullshit reasons about you being too stressed out, you being too busy for me. And then you were gone.” You threw the flowers at his chest, mildly surprised when he didn’t catch them.

“If you think you just show up with some flowers and call it day you’re sorely mistaken.” Peter sniffled and you froze. Peter had only cried infront of you one time. He sobbed as he held you in his arms, your body still adjusting to leaving free fall.

“I know…I just…It’s so stupid!” He seemed frustrated, but not at you.

“I felt like if I didn’t leave, right then, that you might end up falling from a clock tower again, or worse. What if- What if someone grabbed you and killed you before I could get to you? What if someone broke in and I found you dead? I just…I didn’t want to risk it and the only thing I could think of to do was leave. I know it was stupid. I know it was immuture. I should have just talked to you and we could have made a decision together but instead, I tried to make you hate me so I didn’t have to be strong enough to stay away. Because- because if you hated me you would stay away, you would be safe.”

You soaked in his words, truly dissecting them in your mind, tearing them apart looking for anything to help you cling onto this burning rage within you. You found nothing. You wanted to kick yourself, you swore never again but here you were ready to jump back in. He seemed just as miserable as you were. You huffed, crossing the floor to pick up the now broken flowers.

“It’s not a perfect apology, and I’m not saying that I forgive you.” Peter’s shoulders slumped as he hastily wiped tears from his face, willing them not to fall.

“But…if there’s a chance that you’ll be in my life again. If you promise, and I mean really promise, not to cut me out like that again. Then maybe, just maybe, I might be open to starting a friendship with you.” Before you were able to blink Peter was lifting you in the air, face tucked in the side of your neck, with a string of ‘thank you’s leaving his mouth.

He set you back down and you bit your lip, fighting off the smile threatening to pull at your cheeks. “It’s gonna take time to trust you again.”

Peter nodded his head before walking over to your window. You looked at him confused as he opened it, peeking his head out before bringing it back in. “Can we start now?”

You nodded and then you felt that familiar tug at your waist bringing you to him.

So give me your hand and let's jump out the window

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