#and then CHARM YOU??? AN ACT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST ME PERSONALLY???? | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

theeoriginals · 5 months

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klaus or elijah (your choice) x former flame!reader 👀

all i want | elijah mikaelson

+ Ohhh I loved your cat and mouse one! Could you please make a calm housewife/mom of the friend group type of girl and Elijah falling for her in a kind of best friend to lovers situation? Idk I just think it would fit cause elijah’s very family oriented and I see him falling for a dear old time friend too? Idk so uhm yeah. Feel free to refuse ofc!

elijah mikaelson x vampire!reader (no y/n)

author's notes; combining these requests :) hope that's ok!!

warnings; vague references to past violence but nothing insane. exes to friends to lovers, just plotless fluff, with an extra side of fluff. yes elijah is extremely charming, yes he can't make eye contact with a pretty girl. duality of man.

It’s an unspoken thing, what lingers between them still. Unspoken in the sense that they don’t talk about it, but everyone else does.

It always shocks people to learn that the oldest vampires on Earth are ridiculous, catty gossips. Elijah doesn’t know why it’s such a surprise. Living as long as they all have, you’ve got to keep things interesting, otherwise immortality becomes mind-numbing. He supposes that it just doesn’t measure up to their reputation for being ruthless animals, which isn’t unfounded. It’s just not the only thing they could be classified as.

Ruthless monsters that defend each other to the death at the end of the day, no matter how many times they’ve stabbed each other in the backs, certainly. Childish gossips that like to start rumors and rewrite history when they get a little bored, definitely. The two identifiers can coexist, and very much do.

And this thing, this unspoken thing that is unspoken for a multitude of reasons but none more so than the simple fact that even as long as they’ve known each other it’s still fragile, and something could break it with ease, is only unspoken to Elijah.

His brothers and sisters, however, like to do nothing but talk about it.

“Well, she’s almost here,” Rebekah rolls her eyes, but it’s just for the fact that her older brother is going to be a lovesick idiot the entire time the girl is here, and it really takes away from Rebekah’s own quality time with her. “No wonder Elijah’s been bumbling around like a fool all day.”

Klaus chuckles, and the two of them dutifully ignore the glare their brother sends them. “Do you think she sent him a letter to announce her arrival? Elijah always loves things like that,”

Rebekah’s blue eyes light up. “Oh, yes! I wonder if she sprayed it with her perfume– us ladies used to do that with a suitor back in the day,” She fans a hand towards her face, closing her eyes at the small breeze it creates. “They don’t text or call, of course, it takes all of the personality out of it. And god knows Elijah’s all personality,”

Klaus laughs again, and the two finally glance across the room to where Elijah’s leaning against a wall, glaring at them with his arms crossed over his chest.

“I hate you both,” He says, earning another round of laughter from them. “And stop going through my things, Rebekah. Those letters are none of your business.”

The blonde girl pushes her lips out in a pout. “But I get so bored, Elijah. You can’t be mad at me for entertaining myself,”

“I fear he just hates fun, dear sister,” Klaus says, feigning a wistful tone. “He doesn’t approve of my methods of entertainment either.”

“That’s because your methods of entertainment always end in a bloodbath,” Elijah says accusingly, earning a shrug from the hybrid. “You’re both immature. A thousand years old, still acting like children.”

Their faces twist in offense in unison, and Elijah distantly thinks that even though they’re not even fully related, let alone the same age even in their vampiric years, they were twins put on this Earth to terrorize him and ensure that he never knew peace.

Before they can begin their outcries of dramatized offense, and Elijah can continue to lightheartedly mock them, a voice comes from the hall, echoing fondly.

“Must you two always tease your brother?” The smile is obvious in her voice as she walks into the room, and the three of them snap their gazes towards the woman in surprise. “He’s a delicate soul, you know. His poor heart can’t handle too many jokes,”

Elijah recovers quickly, rolling his eyes, though he can’t (and won’t) stop the smile from growing on his face as she meets Rebekah for a hug. “Oh, wonderful. That’s just what they need. Encouragement.”

She chuckles at his poorly-feigned exasperation, and the sound settles in his ears like a morning dove’s song. She releases Rebekah from the hug and leans down to where Klaus is stretched out in a chair with his feet kicked up on the table, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Glancing around at the vaulted ceilings of the compound, she sighs wistfully. “I can’t believe this place looks the same as when you bought it,” She shakes her head in slight disbelief.

Klaus shrugs, crossing his arms over his chest. “When we first returned, there was some… cleaning up to do, but it’s maintained its shape wonderfully.”

If she catches onto his double entendre, she doesn’t say anything, just nods in understanding. That’s something Elijah has always liked about her– she lets things go unsaid. She’s always had the ability to connect with him and his siblings in a way that most others can’t, and even when Elijah is at his worst, she’s been that olive branch that he can grab onto to bring him back to himself. Always so understanding and level. It’s a wonder that she still associates with any of them, given their penchant for chaos.

Finally, she turns her attention onto him, and in its entirety he feels breathless. Even after decades of knowing one another, it’s never gotten easier to hide his ardor for her. He knows she can still read him as easily as she could thirty years ago, too.

“Elijah,” She says his name better than he’s ever heard it, with a tilt to her head and a fondness in her voice that makes him feel more alive than anything else he’s found in his centuries on this planet.

She crosses the room to where he’s at, because he froze in his spot as soon as he heard her voice, and wraps her arms around him like she’s never been more relieved to see him.

It’s another thing he’s always liked about her. She’s never stopped loving him. He knows that. Lives with it everyday.

Regrets a lot of things, too.

He says her name back as gently as he can, like she’ll break in his arms. He wonders if she thinks of all the times she has broken in his arms, and then he tells himself there’s no way she’s forgotten it, because he hasn’t. And that is something that is theirs and theirs alone.

She pulls away and he misses her touch the moment she goes because it feels rarer and rarer with each day that passes. Every time she leaves, he fears it’s the last time he’ll see her.

He doesn’t want to ruin her visit with these thoughts. Even though he knows she’d offer him endless comfort, he doesn’t want her to worry about him for a second.

She turns to face them, clapping her hands together with a smile. “Well, then. What’s first on the agenda?”

──────

Something that comes with living as long as Elijah has is learning that some things about yourself you’ll just never be able to change. Such things like being a vampire in itself, having a firm hand when it comes to doing business with people. He’s been told he’s somewhat of a snake, and he’s well aware of his silver tongued ways, and it’s something he knows he can’t change, and hasn’t ever wanted to.

One thing that has yet to fall under that category of acceptance is his jealousy.

In his defense, he’s never jealous when he thinks he should be. He’s never been jealous of his siblings, spare for a few embarrassing months spent around the doppelgängers, but Elijah has never had to envy someone for something they had because if he wanted it that bad, he could just take it.

But this. This he knows is jealousy, pure and unbridled, and nauseating, if he’s feeling that correctly.

This is the jealousy that he’s seen destroy entire regimes. This is the jealousy that has driven his family to madness at times.

And of course, she’s at the center of it all. Of course she is. There would be no other way he could feel this so strongly if she was not involved in it somehow.

She’s the source of a lot of jealousy, he knows. He’s jealous of the carefree relationships his siblings get to have with her because they don’t have to be burdened with the feelings of the past that are most definitely still there. They don’t have to worry if they looked at her lips for too long, or if they held her a little too gentle to be considered entirely friendly. They don’t have to worry about saying the wrong thing, stepping past that line they so carefully drew in the sand for everyone’s sake.

These are the consequences of his actions, he knows. It doesn’t make it any easier to deal with, though. It might make it worse.

Watching his siblings drink freely as the band played on was nothing unfamiliar. Patrons had long since joined in on the fun, and he’s sure there’s a crowd outside looking in on the celebration of unknown origins.

At the center of it all, she is there, standing on a table with a crowd of adoring admirers surrounding her as she swayed and moved to the music. He would swear there’s a light shining on her, just for her, projecting her shadow above everyone like some sort of angel. He thinks she has every right to be worshiped.

And the reason he’s so maddeningly, bitingly jealous is because he is the reason that he’s not the one dancing with her. He can’t be the one to dance with her, and he can’t be the one that makes her laugh like she is because he’s the one that said they shouldn’t be together. He is the one who broke her heart, and he doesn’t deserve an ounce of the kindness she still shows.

So all he can do is sip his drink at the bar and watch as she pulls his sister, sweet, dangerous, devastatingly insecure Rebekah, up onto the table with her and shares her spotlight with her. Making his sister light up like she does with no one else. Earning another round of cheers from Klaus and Kol as they watch on, demanding another round of drinks for everyone in an odd show of generosity.

She brings out the best in his siblings. In him.

It makes him burn bright inside. Boiling, hot to the touch. He knows then and there that there’s a reason he’s seen something as trivial as jealousy take down the most powerful of men. Love is such a dangerous thing to get involved in in the first place, but finding someone, finding the woman who makes you feel like you could conquer the world is something else entirely. It bypasses dangerous and heads straight into fatal.

Because she makes you feel like you could conquer the whole world, but the second you lose her, it all means nothing. You’ll tear it all down if it means she won’t be there, too.

And the worst part of it all is the only reason he feels like this is because he is the one that ruined it. Blamed his family, blamed his parents, blamed everything else but his own fears for the reason they couldn’t be together. The distance, the timing. Whatever he could grasp, he pulled it out of his pocket and gave it to her on a silver platter, served with a distant coldness he’d long since perfect, and never wanted to use on her in the first place.

He had so much time under his belt, but he was such a child. So helpless it bordered on criminal, all because he fell in love and he didn’t know what to do with it.

It’s embarrassing more than anything else.

He hasn’t taken his eyes off of her since she started dancing. Hadn’t stopped listening since he heard her first laugh. Didn’t want to miss a single second, just in case.

For the first time all night, he blinked and turned his head away from her and threw the rest of his drink back like it was water.

He could allow himself a bit more wallowing. Just a bit.

──────

“Well, Rebekah’s safe in bed. I even got her in pajamas, believe it or not,” Her voice carries even in its whisper, and he looks up from his lap as she enters the small living space, hands clasped in front of her as she takes a seat in the chair beside him. “Original vampire or not, I doubt she’ll feel very good in the morning.”

Elijah hummed, thinking of his dear sister and how even if she’d healed a thousand times over, she’d still find a way to complain. He adored it.

“What about you?”

He raises a brow, lips twisting confusedly. “What about me?”

She gestures towards his slightly slumped form on the couch pointedly. He follows her direction, looking at his rumpled suit, and the white button up he’d undone the top four buttons off, at least. He feels momentarily embarrassed at his state of disarray but he simply huffs out a laugh, lifting his gaze to meet hers again.

“I’m a mess,” He shrugs, earning a quiet laugh out of her. “But I don’t think that has anything to do with our drinking tonight.”

“I can’t disagree, unfortunately,”

He hides the way his grin threatens to split his face behind his face, rubbing along his scruffy jawline as he looks at her. The longer he lingers, the more she avoids his gaze.

“What?”

He shakes his head.

“Elijah,” She intones, such a familiar adoration in her voice that it nearly makes him sick. He doesn’t deserve it. “You’ve been so quiet tonight. What’s on your mind?”

“You,”

Her eyes widen in shock at his quick, candid answer, and he has to hide his own surprise at how quick the word had shot out of his mouth.

“Me? What about me?”

“Everything,” He sighs, shifting his long legs so he could turn towards her and give her his full attention. “I’ve missed you.”

“Oh,” She breathes out, looking slightly bashful. “Well, I always miss you. I wouldn’t ever leave if I didn’t–”

She stops herself, covering her mouth with her hand as a sheepish look crosses her face. He knows she wants him to move past her slip up, but he doesn’t. Can’t.

“If you didn’t, what?” He leans forward, looking at her imploringly. “Why do you stay away so long?”

She takes a moment to collect herself, picking at the skin around her nails half-heartedly, like it’s not really bothering her, she just doesn’t want to be so open right now. He’d feel worse about pushing her if he didn’t feel like his heart was leaping out of his throat.

“Well, I didn’t think you wanted me around that much,” She says quietly, gesturing towards him.

He rears back like she’s slapped him.

“How could you ever think such a thing?” He whispers her name, a distant veil of horror laced in his tone. Fear, really.

“You said,” She says, face furrowing in confusion. “All those years ago– you said that there was no reason for me to stay here with you in New Orleans. So, I– I left. And I travel all the time until I come back here for as long as you’ll let me.”

Elijah feels something gripping his chest and it feels remarkably like his heart is breaking.

His voice breaks on her name and he leans forward again, reaching into her space to grab her hands in his. Allowing himself this piece of her that he simply doesn’t deserve.

“I never,” He stops, breathing out harshly. “I never wanted you to leave. I just–”

He stops again, squeezes her hands, and then steels himself because this is the least he owes her.

“You deserved more than to be stuck here with my family,” He starts slowly. “I never– I never wanted you to leave. Every time you walk out of those doors, I want to chase you down and make you stay. You have to believe me when I say that I only ever wanted you to be happy, and you wouldn’t have found that stuck here in the mess we had made back then.”

There’s a poignant silence that settles as she processes his words, and he holds the ragged breath that builds in his chest when she begins to drag her thumbs along the backs of his hands, smoothing at the skin there. Ever so gentle.

“All I’ve ever wanted was to be here with you and your family,” She says, shaking her head like she’s scolding him, even though her tone is anything but. “Being here makes me happier than any place I’ve traveled to. And I’m– I’m truly grateful that you had my best interest in mind, Elijah, but you have to understand,”

She trails off and an incredulous laugh leaves her lips as she smiles at him. “I’ve loved you my entire life. And my heart used to break every day knowing that I’d only have a short time with you. When I turned, I was so– I was so happy because I suddenly had the rest of time to be with you. And you… you broke my heart, Elijah. You truly did,”

She presses her thumbs into his skin firmly, just a pressure point to punctuate her words. “But I have never stopped loving you. And every time I walked out of those doors and left you behind, my heart broke again. You wouldn’t have ever had to make me stay. That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”

Elijah’s breath stalls in his chest, and lets it out slowly, shakily. There’s a distant string of hope he lets himself pull on, just this once. Because she let him.

He meets her gaze and smiles softly, just for her. “Will you stay, then? I’m– I’m asking you, truly. Will you stay?”

She nods before he even finishes speaking and laughs quietly, the sound just for him. “Of course I will, Elijah. I’ll stay as long as you want me to,”

“Forever,”

“Forever, then. I’ll stay forever.”

#elijah mikaelson #klaus mikaelson #rebekah mikaelson #the vampire diaries #the vampire diaries fanfiction #kol mikaelson #the originals #fic recs #elijah mikaelson x reader #elijah mikaelson fanfiction #elijah mikaelson imagine #elijah mikaelson fluff #the originals fanfiction

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earthry · 8 months

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Mafia Boss Copia x Reader (Headcanons)

i cant find where i saw it but someone commented on one of my posts several days ago with 'evil copia' or smth and it's been stuck in my head. but also its me so he's evil but also a sweetheart so. here's evil copia and then i make him not-evil.

tw: implied/assumed infidelity, kidnapping (not by copia), violence/murder, copia makes a few oopsies and then does his best to make up for it, gn!reader

He would never raise his voice at you let alone a hand— could never in his life imagine doing such a thing to you. Others however? He almost relishes the way their bodies go slack when he’s had a hand around their throats for just the right amount of time.

He’s not a full on sadist, but he does enjoy causing pain to those he seems deserving. He has a strong (albeit a little twisted) sense of right and wrong and isn’t afraid to put down his believes.

The first time he meets you, he thinks that you’re such an angel that it has to be an act, there has to be something, a catch, anything. Humans are inherently folly, there’s no way someone as sweet and gentle as you exists.

You’re immediately charmed by him and he’s intrigued by you so he gives you a chance. He takes you out on a nice date and steals your heart without remorse, not knowing that you were giving it to him freely.

Things seem happy in paradise, he’s the perfect boyfriend, the most thoughtful partner.

Except he tests you, and each time you surprise him with patience and understanding. So he keeps on testing and testing, begins to go out with others and flirt around. He’s waiting for the jealousy, the rage, the pettiness— your true colors. He’s so sure he has it in the bag when one day he comes back with lipstick smudges on his neck and the look on your face is of pure horror.

Instead of the satisfaction and smugness of finally causing a reaction however, he only feels sudden waves of guilt, especially when your look of horror melts into a heartbroken despair instead of jealousy.

You don’t yell or scream or shout. You don’t accuse him of anything, you don’t ask him about the lipstick. Instead, you sink to your knees with a soft sob, hiding your face in your hands and trying to stifle your cries.

He doesn’t know what to do— not this scenario. This was not what he had expected and each sniffle you try to muffle before standing up and apologizing for making a scene makes him hate himself even more.

—

It hurts. Watching him with others, listening to him talk so sweetly and playfully while you’re only a few feet away. You try to convince yourself that it’s just the way he is, that’s his personality and you can hardly fault him for that, right?

You’re afraid of confrontation, of facing the truth when he’s everything you never thought you could have. When it’s just the two of you, he’s so silly and sweet. He treats you like royalty and holds you so gently. You’re so loved.

It must be you that’s the issue then, right?

The night he comes home with lipstick stains and hickies decorating his neck it’s lIke your world is ending.

He looks smug as all hell and you wonder to yourself— why?

Is it because he wasn’t satisfied with you? Was it your inexperience that he’s either bored or disgusted with? Was it because you weren’t good enough? Weren’t lovable enough?

Or was it that you were blind the entire time, that you ignored all the signs because you were just so desperate to be loved, so desperate to finally have this one good thing?

You’re too busy facing your biggest fears to see the look of regret and guilt on Copia’s face, too busy trying not to drown to see him reel in his own emotions, to watch his expressions flash from smug to uncertainty to guilt and regret, and finally to a resolve. A decision.

He pulls you into his arms and you want to fight him but you also can’t help but cling. Your sobs get louder and his arms tighten around you, beginning to rock you back and forth soothingly.

You eventually collapse against him, and still you don’t ask the unimaginable.

His words feel sugary as he comforts you— you’re not sure what to believe anymore— murmuring reassurances and promises that there’s only you, just you. No one else. He was a fool, he tells you, he was a stupid, stupid fool and it was just a dumb joke and he loves you wholeheartedly, adores you dearly. He’s not going anywhere.

But still. It doesn’t change the fact that those are another’s lipstick staining his neck, his collar. Another’s lips that bit and sucked those hickies into his skin. That marked him as theirs and not yours.

He manages to calm you down, until you’re only soft little sniffles and the occasional hiccup. That night he makes you something light for dinner; a comfort food with your favorite tea. He puts on one of your favorite shows and kisses your forehead before leaving to wash up. To shower and get rid of all the evidence of another’s claim on him.

He stands alone in the bathroom and stares at his reflection in his mirror. He wonders who he is now, if he’d fallen under your spell. But then he thinks about everything that is you— your laugh, your smile, your quirks. Your kindness, your patience, the sound of your voice.

He’s haunted by the look on your face when you realized he’d been marked by another and was unapologetic about it. He certainly is apologetic now. Regretful. Guilty.

He knows he’s a horrible man, a cruel one. He knows he’s done awful things. Learned from his father, his brothers. He decides that this is something he’ll never do again.

Never. Not to you.

When he’s fresh and clean, he dresses himself in comfortable sweats and seeks you out— you’re in the living room with your food that you’ve barely had much of. You’re not paying attention to the TV. You’re curled up on the couch.

Copia clenches jaw. He really is a bastard.

Gingerly, he coaxes you up and pulls you onto his lap so he can feed you. You’re reluctant but he manages to feed you at least half of dinner. Each bite you take is met with praise and words of love.

They don’t sink in, they don’t mean anything to you. Not anymore. You try to hang onto them, though. Try to relish the temporary affection you’re receiving while he’s still here. You’d be naive and foolish for thinking he’d stay, for thinking he’d love you unconditionally.

When you’re fed, he helps you change into comfortable pajamas; not protesting or commenting like he usually does when you pick out one of his oversized shirts for comfort. It’s the one that says ‘VVLGAR’ and you hope maybe when he finally leaves, maybe he’ll at the very least let you keep this one. A consolation prize.

He tucks you into bed and holds you close. Whispers his good night and love for you. You know it’s a lie but it’s nice to hear, to pretend it’s not.

Things change after that. He’s gentle with you, as if you’re spun from glass.

He never looks at another again, never touches or flirts again. Not in front of you, not behind your back either.

He could never do that to you again. He treasures you, loves you. He never wants to hurt you again.

Good things never last however, and you know it’s only a matter of time until he goes out to seek another’s warmth and company again. You spend months steeling yourself, letting yourself get used to the idea. It’s not healthy or good for you, but you’re so desperate to hold onto him that you think to yourself— if letting him sleep around and see others will keep him around longer, then why not?

Sure, the mere thought of it feels like a stab to the heart. Sure, you know that it won’t last forever and anyone you asked would tell you that it’s a bad idea.

But fuck— when he smiles at you and takes your hand in his, raising them to kiss your palm, to nuzzle with his cheek as he tells you how much he missed you while he was out, when he sits you in his lap and plays with your hair and teases you with light laughter and smothers you with kisses while you dissolve into giggles— you don’t want to give that up.

And you don’t have to, but you don’t realize that. Not yet.

Copia can see it in your eyes, when you’re having a good time and then suddenly you’re quiet and there’s a sadness in the way you cuddle close and tell him that you love him dearly. He always makes sure to squeeze you a little extra tight for comfort, telling you that he’s not going anywhere, never again.

It takes a while for you to finally realize that he’s telling the truth— it takes you getting kidnapped as leverage against him to convince you that maybe, just maybe, he’s not going anywhere. Not now, not soon, not ever.

It’s a bloodbath, the amount of carnage he sheds to find you. He takes down several of his competitors in the process— burning them completely to the ground without survivors. It terrifies the remaining rival groups into hiding for years after.

He finds you eventually, and oh the way he holds you, the way he almost collapses with relief to see you alive and breathing. You’re a little worse for wear but you’re okay. You’re going to be okay. He cuts the ropes binding you to the chair and sweeps you off your feet, refusing to let you walk even a single step. He carries you back to his house and calls for Aether, not trusting anyone else to be close to you.

Aether does an excellent job of healing your injuries before he dips, knowing that Copia is a little beyond bordering feral at this point. The entire time he’s been holding you in his lap, clutching you to him as if you’d disappear if he didn’t hold you tight enough.

He promises you that he’ll make sure that this never happens again, that you’ll be safe. He apologies to you, for putting you in danger just by being with him. He’s gentle with you for months and months to come— even more gentler than he usually is.

And throughout all of this, you know that you’re so completely and ardently loved and the next time he tells you, promises you, that he’s not going anywhere, that he loves you so so much— you believe him.

#the band ghost #copia #ghost band #ghost bc #papa emeritus iv #cardinal copia #papa emeritus iv x reader #papa emeritus x reader #cardinal copia x reader #headcanons

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darkestspring · 1 year

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If you don't mind, could you write more Yandere husbands Aegon1 and Maegor? I can't help but say that your articles are really great. I especially love your posts about Aegon1 and Maegor.😍😻I often check if you post something new. Sorry if I'm requesting too much Aegon1 and Maegor.🤭🤗

thank you for your kind words!!! also it’s definitely okay!!! i love writing for aegon i and maegor, they’re so interesting. i hope you like it!

Aegon I “The Conquerer” Targaryen

Aegon often made it a point of gifting you things you hadn’t even known you wanted or needed. It was part of his charm. He wanted you to think of him when you gazed at the objects. Just as you plagued his every thought.

“My heart.” He’d whisper as he pressed kisses to your neck, his hands roaming incessantly, indecisive on where he wants them most. “My lovely wife.”

“Aegon.” You sighed in return, one hand resting at the base on his neck and then other at his back. It was times like these that you adored the most.

He was a charming person, ruthless at time and capable of great violence to defend those he loves but he was so... gentle with you. He never hesitated to show you his adoration.

So, it wasn’t a surprise that you’d soon find yourself pregnant. You had begged the maester to keep it a secret for a little longer, you wished to tell your husband all on your own.

You were lucky they had even agreed, you knew it was a bad idea for this to be kept a secret. Aegon would execute the maester if he knew, but you were also good at keep secrets.

“My love, come sit.” You invited him as he entered your shared chambers. He smelled of dragon, no doubt he had just come from going on a ride. “There is exciting news.” You smiled at him.

“Oh?” He was intrigued as he walked closer to you, his hand touched your cheek briefly as he scanned your face for any sign of what was to come. “Do tell me, my dearest.”

You smiled up at him in elation before grabbing his hand and pressing it against your stomach. “Aegon, I’m with child. Our child.”

His heart swelled, oh how he waited to hear such wonderful news. Proof of your love, a token of it. His baby. “Oh, my love.” He reached down to kiss you with such passion. “I’m so... happy. You make me so happy.”

Maegor “The Cruel” Targaryen

Life seemed to go fast with Maegor after you both married, of course his acts of violence and murder gave you migraines that led you into arguments about whether such acts were truly necessary.

You did not wish for a life filled with enemies, what kind of life would you be giving your baby.

Which is why when the maester told you the news of your pregnancy, you panicked. You barricaded yourself in your room, refusing maids and Maegor’s requests to see you.

How could this be? Of course, you were forbidden from taking moon tea, so it would have happened at some point but now? When Maegor was already hated and feared. You were well loved for your kindness and benevolence. The people adored you but they hated Maegor.

“Oh baby.” You weeped as you placed a hand on your stomach. A part of you was elated but so utterly terrified. You thought of escaping.

Of leaving and going to Essos, or Dorne. But the thought only left you with a pang of guilt. You hated his actions but you didn’t hate Maegor, you could not abandon him as his wife.

So, you finally decided to see him. Would something change when you told him of your state. “My husband.” You called out to him as you saw him.

“Mmm, my wife.” Maegor got up with calculating steps and walked closer to you with strange calmness. “My lovely, recluse wife. Have you stopped hiding finally? Have you come to express your joy over my child that grows within you?” He smiled, almost like he had won.

You were necessarily shocked or surprised that he knew, the maesters could not keep a secret from their cruel king.

“Yes, I am overjoyed.” You admitted, your hand touching your stomach. “But what danger will my child face? Can you promise that no harm will become of them?”

“With my entire heart. Whoever seeks to harm my wife and child will simply burn.” He spoke with nonchalance as he hugged you close.

#yandere house of the dragon #yandere aegon i targaryen #yandere aegon targaryen #yandere maegor targaryen #yandere maegor targaryen x reader #yandere aegon targaryen x reader #yandere hotd #THIS WAS FUN TO WRITE BUT I WILL NOW GO TAKE A BUBBLE BATH

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drunkewok · 8 months

Text

Tiger Inside

Chapter Twelve

Stray Kids Mafia (ongoing)

Masterlist

Likes, reblogs and feedback always greatly appreciated

WC: 2.5k

Pairing: Lee Know x reader

Genre: Series, Enemies to lovers, non-idol AU, Mafia AU

Synopsis: After years spent away from the family, two strangers start frequenting your place of work, only to bring daunting news. Flung back into the world of the mafia, you try to adapt to your new normal and work alongside a team of eight skilled members to uncover a mystery and take down an unknown enemy.

Warnings: 18+, Minors DNI, drinking, swearing, violence, weapons

Disclaimer: Any portrayal of Stray Kids or any other idols in this story is purely fiction and does not at all reflect their own personalities or how I view them as a person, it is purely for the sake of the story.

Please do not copy or repost my work

My back rested against the cool, padded floor of the gym, eyes pressed shut and arms splayed as I attempted to steady my breathing. I had awoken early despite my late night out, the ability to fall back asleep failing me. Everything felt tense from the night prior. The adrenaline that had pumped its way through my veins feeling as though it would never escape, holding my muscles and brain hostage.

How stupid I had been to let my guard down for a single night, the charm of an unknown stranger getting the best of me. My mind continued to replay my moments at the table with him, attempting to recount when he had the ability to discreetly slip something into my drink without my knowledge. I had always been so vigilant of my drinks before, why now, when it is of the utmost importance did I let that skill fade?

In a frustrated huff, I sat up and pulled my headphones back over my ears, standing and facing the punching bag once more. My wrapped hands balled into fists before making contact with the material, a sharp puff of air leaving my lips with each blow. I let myself get carried away in the motions, brain in a fog as I continued my shots, Changbin’s training on stature and form replaying on a mental loop through my ears.

Minho. His rash decision to pull the drink from my hand, his stare down with Seonghwa as he drank it himself, his slow descent into unconsciousness all leading up to his arms slung over Seongho and my shoulders.

“You” Punch. “Stupid.” Punch. “Idiot.” My final punch grew in force, sending the punching bag swinging as I settled my fists on my hips, the sound of my breathing from my heaving chest muffled over the sound of my music. I swung around in shock as my headphones are slowly pulled from my ears, a smirking Minho now standing with them in hand with an arched brow.

“What was that?” His cocky grin plastered his face, a clear look of amusement. I scoffed as I pulled the headphones from his grasp, turning and walking away to grab my water bottle off the bench. Minho’s steps followed me, taking a seat on the bench and leaning back against the wall, eyes following me as I took a drink from the bottle. “What are you doing up so early?”

“Couldn’t I ask you the same thing? Shouldn’t you be resting after your little act last night?” I avoided his gaze as I screwed the lid back on, ignoring his presence as I turned to continue my assault on the punching bag.

“I’m a little groggy, but I’ll be fine. Wasn’t my first run in with it.” Minho gave a soft shrug, brushing off the blunt statement.

“Was that supposed to make me feel better?” My words are choppy through my punches, my sharp breaths giving me an aspirated tone. I could feel his eyes burning holes into my skin as I distracted myself from his direction, landing one last punch before speaking again. “Not really something to brag about.” I flicked the stray strands of hair from my face as I tilted my head back with a deep breath, staring up to the ceiling. “Doesn’t make it any less stupid." I lowered my head to finally look at him, my face contorted in confusion. “Also, are we just gonna breeze by the fact that you just said it wasn’t your first time? Because that’s a little worrisome”

Minho slowly rose from his seat, his stride over to me slow as he rounded behind me, my shoulders immediately tensing as two hands settled on them, his head leaning forward beside my own. Minho’s voice was barely a whisper, sending the same familiar chills down my spine from last night.

“Says the serial run-away.” My face scrunched as I attempted to shake him off of me, pulling myself away to the other side of the bag and continuing my practice. My intentions were to come down here to be by myself, take some anger out on a punching bag for breakfast in lieu of a cup of coffee, but in classic Minho fashion, that wasn’t going to be an option for my choosing.

“What is it you want Minho? I'm busy.“ I tried to ignore his presence, hoping he would eventually just slither away and allow me to practice without his distraction.

Minho let out a breathy chuckle before turning and crossing over to the shelves of equipment against the wall, pulling two padded mitts from a bin and turning back to me. I halted my punches and held the bag in place as he finally gained the first form of eye contact from me, my hands settling at my side as he pulled the flat punching mitts onto his hands.

“What are you doing?” I raised my brow raised in confusion, watching as he adjusted the positioning of the padding, his voice blunt with his response.

“I’m helping.” Minho pulled the straps around his wrists, tightening their hold with his focus pointed away from me.

“I don’t think you’re in any condition to do that right now.” My head tilted as I questioned his decision, unsure if he had the capability to hold himself strong with training.

“I beg to differ.” He glanced up at me through his lashes before closing the distance between us, holding his hands up toward me, the targets pointing directly at me. “Hit me.”

“What? No!” I’m immediately taken aback by even the thought of training with him at the moment, when not even eight hours ago this man was being hauled into the home unconscious, in need of tending to by Seungmin’s hand due to his own rash decisions.

“I said, hit me.” His voice grew firm as he got into stance, feet gluing him to the ground as he commanded. My eyes flicked between him and the mitts, hesitation running through my body and doubt if this was actually a good idea. But his eyes held a fire I had yet to see, challenging me.

I sighed as I rolled my head across my shoulders, placing myself before him and maintaining eye contact for a moment before my first punch. I held my fists up, giving him one last opportunity for his retreat. He wasn’t backing down, still holding strong, anticipating the first blow. Following another sigh, I placed a few punches to his hands, alternating between the two.

“Oh com’on, those are weak. Do better.” Minho challenged me as I glared him down, the heat from my rising anger in my chest now melting in with the heat from the workout. I timed my punches carefully, sometimes pairing the alternating blows in quick succession. “You’re going to have to do a lot better if you want to impress me.”

“Arrogant prick.” My mouth worked faster than my brain, muttering out the statement with heavy breaths before I even had a chance to realize I was speaking. I pulled back with a huff, steadying my heaving chest.

“I’ve earned the right to be arrogant.” Minho pressed the glove into my sternum, eyes burning into mine as he neared closer. I held my shoulders taut, holding my ground as his attempt to intimidate me failed. “I know you have anger in there, now take it out on me.” His last words melted out almost in a growl, at this point I wasn’t sure if he was talking about my anger, or his own. My jaw clenched as I settled myself back into position, waiting for him to prep himself.

My mind ran through everything that had led me up to this point, back to the very moment of watching my home burn to ashes beside my mother. That same fire now setting ablaze in my chest as I threw a punch into the mitt. Every doubt that had been replaying in my mind telling me I didn’t have the potential. The day my father pulled me into his office, informing me of the need for me to pack my things. There’s an apartment for you that we’ve set up in Gangnam. Not even being by my side as him and Jiho watched me crawl into the back of the car, driving off. You’ll be safer this way. Walking into the painfully quiet apartment, alone.

“Keep your chin down.” Minho’s barked command barely registered in my ears, the memories playing through my mind pulling too much focus beyond where I currently stood.

My time spent locked away in a dark apartment, a pathetic rendition of Rapunzel, the story twisted to one of a girl wallowing in fear. A fear I refused to let consume me any longer. I had built my world brick by brick after watching the previous crumble before me, and I’ll be damned if it happened again.

Seonghwa’s stupid beautiful smirk, Yunho’s gaze through the rearview mirror. My careless acts could get me killed now. Reality needed to sink in, I needed to get my head screwed on straight and take my predicament seriously, to process the fact that this was quickly turning into a life or death situation.

“Tuck your elbows”

I quite easily could conveniently miss the targeted hands in front of me. Maybe a swift punch to the face might do him some good.

“Bite me.” I spit back, my gaze stayed pointed at his hands, trying to ignore his eyes digging into me as I continued. The strongest source of my frustrations. The very person standing before me. His cloud of doubt looming over me in everything that I do. His grip when he’s mad at me, his retorts, his cocky nature and that damn smirk that spreads across his face. Oh how I wish I could be the one to forcefully smack it off of him. The very person who is supposed to be bringing me to my strongest, belittling everything I do. Seeing himself as the power player of the house, the team, and over me. My blows began to increase in speed and power, his demeanor being the fuel needed to grant me strength.

“Bend your knees, I could knock you over if I sneezed.” His final words sent me over the edge, a particularly strong punch as I pulled my arm back and flew it into hand with force, sending him staggering backwards as I knocked him off balance. “There it is. Finally.” His proud chuckle only ignites my fire further, scoffing as I make my way to the bench, pulling the wraps from my hands, and trying to settle the anger now coursing through my veins.

“We’re done here.” I grabbed my water bottle, trying to make a b-line for the door as Minho quickly stepped in front of me, raising a hand and stopping me in my tracks. I tried to shuffle around him, but he slips in tow with me, maintaining his wall between me and the door. “Minho, move.” He quietly rose a hand in the air, stopping me in my tracks. I sighed, eyes pointed at the door before slowly gliding to meet his in a glare. My fingers wrapped around his wrist, pulling his hand out of my way and pushing past him. I could hear an exasperated sigh behind me as the door slam shut, as if he had any reason to be irritated at the moment.

The kitchen was softly lit by the growing sunrise, a single light in the corner contributing to the dim glow. Chan stood leaning against the counter, sipping on a cup of coffee and fully engrossed into the happenings on his phone as I came bounding into the kitchen, interrupting his peaceful morning. I flipped the faucet on as I ran my water bottle beneath it, letting the water pour in.

“Nice to see you up early and training.” My exhausted state was clear as I closed my eyes with a sigh, my sweat coated hair sticking to my skin.

“I guess you could say that.” Flipping off the faucet, I stepped back and pulled myself onto the island counter, crossing my ankles and hunching over on my hands, staring out the garden window to the rising sun. I let myself calm as I felt the bubbles boiling in my blood starting to settle, attempting to leave any previous thought locked away in the basement and far away. But still Minho remained, his agitating voice creating permanent residence in the back of my head, poking me anytime I began to feel any sort of hold.

“Going that well, huh?” Chan chuckled as he slipped his phone into his pockets, then bringing his mug to his lips with a smile. It was beginning to feel as though he was receiving enjoyment out of Minho and I’s spats, viewing it as some sort of sick entertainment.

“I just don’t know what he wants from me. We aren’t going to make any progress like this.” I rested my face in my hand, attempting to no avail to rub the frustration out through my eyes. I was getting whiplash from any time spent in the same room as Minho, struggling to comprehend what game he was playing with me.

“But you’re already making progress.” Chan set his mug beside him, crossing his arms as his amused state faded, morphing into one of more seriousness.

“But I don’t feel like I am.” I could feel my shoulders slump, the defeat I was trying so hard to fight off finally catching back up with me. I couldn’t fathom the ability to flourish in my training when the one barking commands at me makes me feel less than.

“You are though, Minho told me so. He said every time he works with you, he’s seeing improvement.” I scoffed with a roll of the eyes, my doubt strongly against his statement taking over.

“I find that hard to believe, the guy still acts like just my existence is an inconvenience to him” The thought of the chances of Minho saying something positively about me felt slim, still being unsure if he even had the ability to do so.

“I can assure you, you’re doing better than you think you are. Now if you buckled down and started taking things seriously and stop making rash decisions, you’d be excelling.” There it is again, that disappointed dad card. I started to wonder if he pulls this on the members too, I can’t imagine it’s very easy to keep this group of guys in line with anything else.

“HYUUUNG!” Almost on cue at the thought of the other members, a distant yell upstairs followed by a door swinging open and bounding footsteps above us catches the two of us by alarm. The frantic steps down the stairs carried both of our eyes to the hallway as Felix swung around the edge of the banister and ran down the hall into the kitchen.

“Hyung…” He leaned forward onto the counter behind me, head hung as his heavy breathing caught up with him, seeming like the poor guy had just run an entire marathon in his panic. His gaze was brought up to Chan, eyes burning with urgency. "I found the warehouse.”

Next Chapter

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lightfeltmemories · 5 months

Text

hxh theory: is feitan a p3d0phile?

tw's: mentions of l0l1c0n, paraphilia, p3d0philia, sadism and torture because its fucking feitan, cp (debatable if you consider l0l1c0n cp), mentions of problematic hxh ships such as feitan x kalluto and hisoka x gon

just a note: before you come at me with your pitchforks leaving hate in my asks and dms, i am not a fan of l0l1c0n nor am i trying to defend it, this post is a simple theory i have gathered by evidence in the manga, no one is saying that you should believe this theory, it's more of a "do with this information what you will" kind of thing.

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

so, you may be reading this title and you're thinking "what the actual fuck?" and you probably believe that i pulled this straight out of the deepest parts of my ass, but what if i told you i had some plausible evidence for this theory?

so, for starters, this thought actually came to me when i was reading a post by a user on here named @/cautionworks (i'm not going to tag them here because i don't know them nor do i want to seem like a bother) who made a post relating to their favorite ships (warning as the post does contain problematic ships such as hisogon and such, not saying in particular im against the ship, im just giving out a warning to anyone who is triggered by minor x adult ships) and there was a ship listed as feitan x kalluto.

in the passage it mentions that they found out that feitan may be into l0l1, which at first thought was a bit strange but once you think about it more, the concept isn't the most absurd for someone like him.

i haven't seen anyone actually talk about feitan possibly being into l0l1c0n, much less being a p3do, probably because of the anti's in the fandom.

so, lets get on with the actual evidence!

in the yorknew city arc, after he was done torturing the owl, he is seen reading a book by an author named trevor brown, and as stated on his hunterpedia page, trevor is a controversial artist who's work involves paraphilia; atypical sexual urges.

according to trevor's wikipedia page, "His work explores paraphilias, such as lolicon, ero guro, BDSM, and other fetish themes. Innocence, violence, misogyny, and Japanese popular culture all collide in Brown's art."

there is also a reddit post relating to this topic as well, and according to said post the topic was popular on tik tok at a certain period in time (not very important but i thought it was kind of interesting since im a tik tok user and content creator kind of)

so, does this make feitan a p3d0phile? i can see why people would think so, and i can also see why people wouldn't.

why i would is simple; trevor brown's art speaks for itself, the usage of fictional little girls in... lets just say, VERY interesting situations would make one assume off rip that feitan may be a p3d0phile, or at least a l0l1con, not to mention, togashi isn't afraid of making a character like this especially since we have hisoka (not saying hisoka is a p3d0, but many do, and im just trying to prove a point and give an example as to why the concept of feitan being a p3d0 isn't something completely out of the ordinary, hxh does get pretty dark after all).

why i wouldn't: i've seen some arguments that feitan may not hold the same views as trevor despite him doing some questionable things, similar to how people may like a certain character or even person in real life but not agree with everything they say or do, not to mention he doesn't seem to act weird or overly charming with kids like hisoka, he certainly isn't afraid to hurt or torture one (gon) but theres no actual implications outside of him reading this book by a controversial artist that he is sexually attracted to them.

but in my personal opinion, unless specified by togashi himself, or given any more details about how he feels about such things i wouldn't go as far as to call feitan a p3d0 just because he's seen reading a book by someone known to create l0l1 art, hell, he might be reading a book that doesn't include anything relating to p3d0philia, since the cover art isn't explicitly shown.

#feitan #feitan portor #hxh theories #hxh analysis #hxh #hunter x hunter #tw pedophila mention

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yanderu-deredere · 8 months

Note

wanted to see some jealousy stuff with the ocs so could you do how they'd react to someone approaching their darling in public and trying to flirt with her?

a/n: jealousy headcanons are my fucking THING LETS GOOOO

i really didn't want to group this together so like i'll write for a few of the yanderes and, if i didn't include the yandere you wanted, feel free to request again

i just really wanted to write cute lil headcanons and a drabble but uhm yeah LETS GOOOO

warning: female reader as requested, mentions of violence, mentions of bone breaking

soren kumar ★ profile

honestly looks like he gets the least jealous but, on the inside, he's infuriated

except he can't be infuriated becos he's a pop-star and he can't bring attention to himself or make himself look like some overly controlling boyfriend

so all he can really do is try his best to calm himself

will succeed and be really chill unless the person approaching you becomes rude or handsy. then he allows himself to act however he wants becos now he has an excuse

"Hello, darling, who's this?" Soren sidles up to you, his arm wrapping around your shoulders and pulling you flush against his side.

From your perspective, he looks like the same charming Soren, bright expression on his face and even brighter notorious smile on his lips. From the stranger's perspective, however, Soren looked like a viper waiting to strike.

"Oh, I don't know." You shrugged, ever the oblivious one, soft smile on your face as you wrapped your arm around Soren's waist "I think he was about to sell me something maybe?"

Soren both praised the Gods and cursed them for how cute you were. He pressed a kiss to your temple, glaring at the guy from the corners of his eyes "How about we just go then? It's not like you'll buy whatever this guy has to offer."

You quickly nodded in agreement and the stranger was left by himself, both shaking in fear of Soren and confused by the entire situation.

gawain byrne ★ profile

is actually the least jealous on this list LOL

he does get insecure at times but, if you're with him, he trusts you more than anything so he knows you wouldn't cheat on him

plus, if you're outside with him, that means either he hasn't kidnapped you or he has and trusts you enough to be outside

so ya know, he implicitly trusts you and that's what allows him to be level headed

he'll only get a bit out of hand if the person approaching you becomes rude

Gawain frowned, both yours and his drinks in his hands. Across the way, on the other side of the cafe, you were talking to some stranger that Gawain had never met.

If Gawain didn't know who he was, for sure you didn't. So, who was he and why was he approaching you?

Just as Gawain was about to walk over, you frowned at the stranger and basically snubbed him, turning to walk away without another word. Gawain would've laughed if it didn't make him look crazy.

As you turned, you spotted Gawain with your drinks! You basically speed walked to him, not exactly pushing other customers aside but definitely weaving through the crowd.

"I missed you." You took your drink from him, bright soft smile on your face.

Gawain pressed a kiss to your forehead "I missed you too."

ryuunosuke yamamoto ★ profile

50/50 he notices LOL

the type to sometimes be really oblivious. like he's a himbo thru and thru and sometimes shit flies over his head

but if he does notice, he honestly joins in. he thinks the world of you so, if someone's out here, calling you beautiful and stuff, he'll 100% agree and chime in

if the guy becomes a bit rowdy, however, ryuu doesn't care about making a scene or not. he only cares about keeping you safe

"Hey, who's this?" Ryuu walked up, annoyed expression on his face.

You just sighed irritatedly "Just some guy saying I'm beautiful or whatever."

Ryuu looked a bit taken aback by that before pulling you into his embrace, strong arms wrapping around your middle "Well, he wouldn't be wrong."

Your face immediately turned hot and you huffed, eyebrows furrowed "Shut up, Ryuu."

"Whaaat, I'm just telling the truth. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever laid my eyes on." He pressed a soft kiss against your cheek, acting as if there wasn't a bystander right in front of the two of you.

"No, Ryuu, he's bothering me." You informed your oblivious boyfriend a bit more firmly "He won't stop calling me beautiful. He won't leave me alone."

At that, Ryuu's arms immediately unwound from around you so he could step up to the guy, that previous dopey smile replaced with one filled with sadistic glee "Oh, I see."

Then, he leaned down to whisper in the guy's ear "If I see you again, I'll fucking castrate you. Stop fucking bothering my girl."

The man looked like he couldn't run away fast enough after that.

mel lowell ★ profile

not to make any dog jokes but mel reacts the same way a dog reacts when somebody trespasses their territory LOL

basically is on guard the minute he senses someone even looking your direction

won't say anything of course because he doesn't want to seem too overprotective or whatever but you definitely have scary dog privilege with mel

he'll just stand behind you, arms crossed, and that's usually enough to scare anyone away

if they try touching you, well, they won't get close enough to LOL he'll snatch their wrist up and break it

Mel liked to think he was great at sharing. After all, he's had two partners for as long as he could remember and then you were added to the mix.

Usually, he found joy in watching his partners shower you in affection. However, he quickly learned, Mel did not like it when strangers did the same thing.

He stood behind you and to the left, arms tightly crossed as if he was flexing, his dark eyes trained on the son of a bitch that was chatting you up.

He could at least give the guy props. After all, he had to have some balls to keep talking to you when your mate was right behind you.

Mel would let it slide. You seemed like you were enjoying yourself. Of course, you were also oblivious to the fact that the guy was trying to chat you up but, hey, he loved that cute part of you.

It was when the guy started reaching over that Mel immediately sprung to action. He grabbed the guy's wrist and squeezed, feeling the bone crackle and pop under his grip.

"I'll let you talk to her." He growled, his other free hand pushing you behind him "But that's it."

As soon as Mel let go of his wrist, the guy turned and ran, tail in between his legs. All Mel could do was let out a triumphant smirk.

#yandere oc x reader #yandere x reader #oc x reader #yandere #male yandere #male oc #drabbles #female reader #melchior #soren #gawain #ryuu

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sanajeh1909 · 10 months

Text

Pairing : Chamber x F!Reader

Word Count : 8213

Warnings: Violence (mentions of guns, stabbing and killing people)

POV : 3rd person

One Shot

A/N : Sorry for my poor English, its not my native language. Chamber can be a bit OOC. I had hard time to express reader and focused on Chamber more than reader itself. Gif doesnt belong to me. I need to improve my writing skills. I hope yall like it.

·͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙·͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧͙·͙⁺˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚⁺‧ Dangerous Desires

You have joined Valorant Protocol by request of your friend : Fade. You have grown up in a place that war almost never ends. The constant exposure to death and bloodshed shaped you into a cold and hardened individual, one who viewed killing as a means of survival rather than an act of malice. After the first light, your life became a warzone. Killing people to survive has become normal to you. But all the killing and murdering didnt fade the playful attitude of yours, especially when it came to death. When your friend offered you to Protocol, you thought its time for your life to calm down a bit. You enter the room of the HQ where all the agents are there chatting with each other.

Looking around, you want to make new friends and find someone who can relax with you in somewhere quiet. You see a man who is well dressed, of course your eyes catches his figure.

He notices you admiring his physique. He is built like a mannequin, with a perfectly fitted suit. He looks over and flashes a smile that is charming, yet slightly sinister.

*”Bonjour, Mademoiselle.”*

*”Bonjour.”* You extend your hand for a handshake. But instead, he takes your hand and kisses it. Its soft against his lips. Then, he releases your hand.

*”Charming and well educated. I like that.”*

You smile at him. There is something behind it, but he doesnt seem to realize the mischief under your smile.

*”Would you like to accompany me to somewhere quiet and relaxing?”* You ask. He doesnt know what is going to happen if he accepts, yet...

*”That sounds delightful.”* He offers you his arm. *”If madame would be willing to accompany a gentleman.”*

You chuckle softly, he is unaware of the scheme you are planning. *”I would gladly accompany a gentleman like you. However, im not married. No need to call me ‘madame’”*

You accept his arm and gesture the way to parking lot. You two began walking.

*”Madame is a figure of speech.”* His French accent makes him more attractive than he already is. You two reach the parking lot and you gesture your car, unlocking the doors. He gets inside the car and admires the interior of the car, admires its luxury.

*”Very nice!”* He turns to you. *”Where are we going?”*

You, on driving seat, turn to him and smile softly* *”I would like to keep it as surprise if you allow me.”*

*”Surprise me, then.”* He says, crossing his arms, smirking. *”Oh, by the way. The way you speak is divine. I love the sound of a French accent.”*

You smile, feeling the pride grow in your chest. *”Merci, although im not fluent in French, i give my best to speak perfectly.”* You start driving inside forest, end of the road is the surprise place. Its dark, nothing can be seen except the road that car lights making bright.

He looks out the window, then gives you a curious glance. Your French is perfect, why does he get the distinct feeling of you are not a native speaker? He leans back in his seat, eyes on you as you drive for several minutes without a wrod spoken. The car is quiet. The surroundings a quiet hum. He waits for you to speak, his eyes are on you.

You feel his gaze on you and you break the silence. *”I get the feeling that you may thinking im French perhaps by the way im talking. No, im not French or native speaker of French.”* You drive, its quiet again. The eeire air is hanging on.

He tilts his head in curiosity. For a woman who isnt a native speaker of French, you are perfect. He is genuinely curious, now. Not only is your accent perfect, but your grasp of the language is incredible. He leans back in his seat again, letting you drive. *”So, i have to ask. Where did you learn to speak such beautiful French? You must’ve had many teachers, i assume.”*

You laugh softly, you cut your laugh short. *”I must admit you are wrong. I have learned French by myself, speaking with natives has improved my accent.”*

He raises an eyebrow, leaning forward in his seat. He is incredulous now, but he doesn’t show it. *”Really? Impressive. Most people i know arent that good, not even native speakers of the language. Did you always have a penchant for languages or just for French in particular?”* He glances at you and flashes another charming smile.

You let out a deep chuckle. *”You have caught me, Monsieur. I have a liking of languages, fourteen, in total.”* You smile in amusement, still driving. Its quiet and dark place to drive at night.

*”Fourteen?”* He repeats. *”I barely know three!”* He chuckles and shakes his head.

Why fourteen? Do you have an academic or professional interest in learning them, or do you just have a personal goal to learn them all?

You feel what he is thinking. You break the silence. *”I see you have doubts in you, you can ask me your questions, Monsieur.”*

He laughs. He knows he is being teased. He looks out the window, eyeing the dark forest around him. Then looks back at you. *”Tell me why you know fourteen languages. Im interested in your motivation, you see.”*

*”I have a strong liking of languages, you may call it fetish.”* You speak with amusement in your tone. Its been 10 minutes of driving.

He tilts his head at your word choice. *”A fetish. Well, now i think i must ask the question, then. Which language is your favorite and why?”*

You smile and sigh before speaking. *”Its hard to choose in between, actually. A lot of languages to choose one.”* You park the car and stop the engines. You turn your head to look at him, you flasha smirk. *”Shall we go out to see the beauty of the world, Monsieur?”*

*”You are not making it easy for me, you know?”* He chuckles. But yes, he gives you a look of excitement in his eyes. Whatever you have planned, he likes it. *”Let’s see where you’ve brought me.”* He gets out of the car.

You smile and get out of the car as well. You walk towards him and you lead the way. When you both reach the sands, you sit on a bench and take off your heels. You put your heels next to bench. *”Do you like beaches?”*

*”Oh, madame, i adore the beach.”* He sits down beside you and takes off his shoes without hesitation. The sand is warm and soft. *”Nothing like the feel of the sand and the sea. This is beautiful.”*

*”Yes it is. Would you like to walk inside the sea, or should we sit here?”* Your tone of voice is soft, almost soothing.

He shrugs. Its entirely up to you. He turns his head to look at you. *”I’ll do whatever madame desires. You are very beautiful, you know that?”*

You chuckle softly at his words. *”You are complimenting me.”* You get up from the bench and you look at him. *”Shall we go?”*

*”I am. Why wouldn’t i?”* He stands up and starts walking towards the sea. He turns around, looking back at you. *”Coming, madame?”*

You follow him and start getting inside the water, enough to feel the soft waves on your ankles. *”Isn’t it soothing?”* You smile and you turn to catch his gaze.

He follows you into the water. The salty water tickles his toes. Its soothing, the calm waves in the shallow water. He looks down, kicking up sand, and back at you. *”It’s soothing, yes”* He smiles, but the expression is disingenuous. His eyes are studying you. That soft gaze that was there has gone, replaced by a look of cold precision. He doesnt look away, either. He is judging you, studying you. His eyes dont move.

You realize his judging eyes. *”May i ask what’s making you uncomfortable, Monsieur?”*

He chuckles, his tone slightly mocking. “*Oh, dont assume anything. Im merely trying to gauge whether or not you are a friendly individual, so far without luck.”* He flashes you another, more genuine smile. *”Or perhaps, you are not comfortable with me, madame. That is why i am here, though. To make you comfortable.”*

His tone when he refers you as madame doesnt sound genuine. *”If i wasnt comfortable, i wouldnt have asked for your companionship. If you are having troubles of trusting me, take your time.”* You smile but it doesnt reach your eyes.

You notice the difference in his voice. That mocking tone in that one phrase alone seems to be a break in chaarcter. He looks down, then back up at you. He tries to match your smile, but he cant do it for long before it drops. He loooks at a nearby sandcastle, then looks away. You are right. He doesnt trust you. He tries to change the subject. *”Tell me about yourself. Why are you on the beach so late?”*

You smile. This time it reaches your eyes even though its small smile. *”I always come to beach at this hour. Today’s honorable guest is you. If you wish to leave, i can give you the keys of my car for you to go back. But im afraid that you might get lost on the road though.”*

His face twists into a confused look. *”Honorable... guest? What do you mean?”* He is standing up in the water, the water just below his knees. He stares down at you, not breaking the eye contact. No matter what you do, he is looking at you with his piercing amber eyes.

A small, genuine smile on your face, your tone of voice is soft. There is something dangerous inside you. *”I dont have any intention of hurting or killing you, unless you ask me to do so.”*

Was this a threat? Were you threatening him? It didnt sound like you do but... the desolate beach, eerie air of the night makes it harder to not be on alert.

His face hardens. He takes a small step closer to you, looking down at you. He doesnt break eye contact. he speaks softly, his voice is low and harsh. There is no emotion in his eyes or his face. *”Would you like to kill me, madame?”*

*”If its your wish, i can. Though my heart doesnt want to point a gun at a gentleman like you.”* Smiling, you catch his eyes on yours. Your gaze is piercing, yet there is something soft in it. Is it because you really mean your words?

His face is blank. It is emotionless. cold and calculating, yet he still holds you in his gaze. He takes a half step clloser to you. His eyes are studying yours, studying your soul. *”You would kill a man without a reason?”*

Your smile remains, your gaze is piercing his soul. But there is something broken in it yet hard to catch it. Were you in this situation before? *”If its their wish to die, i have nothing to object, do i?”*

The coldness in his eyes fade into confusion as you speak. *”What is wrong with you? How could you do that to someone? Do you not have a sense of morality, or do you just have the heart of a murderer?”* He crosses his arms, scowling. *”Tell me: do you want to kill me?”*

Your smile widens coldly. *Arent we all murderer, in Protocol? And no, i have no intention of killing you. Unless you are begging to get killed, Monsieur.”* The way you phrased ‘Monsieur’ was cold, insincere.

He is taken aback for a second. You have a point, but not everyone within the Protocol kills on a whim. he shakes his head, then shrugs it off. He flashes a smile, a bright, charming smile. *”Are you sure that you arent looking to kill me? I would be lying if i said that i was convinced.”*

Your smile gets warmer yet there is still hints of coldness in it. *”Say then, would you kill me, here and now? I know you have a gun on you. Dont you want to point at a woman who is talking about killing someone mercilessly?”* Your smile gets wider and grows colder. You are scheming something dangerous for sure.

His face is serious, deadpan. He pulls his gun from his waist. *”I could.”* He doesnt make a move to point his gun at you. He just holds it loosely behing his back. *”Its something that i am capable of.”* He looks around the beach, scanning it for any potential witnesses. The beach is desolate, no one is there except you and him. *”Are you willing to die here, madame?”*

You slowly reach your thigh and pull your gun from its holster that was there. A ghost you are holding on your hand yet its not pointed at him. *”Are you willing to die here, Monsieur?”* You smile coldly, no emotion in your voice, your tone is sendind shivers down his spine.

That was wrong thing to do. He is standing up in the water, staring at you. His face is deadpan. His hand grips the gun tighter. *”This is your final chance to run, madame. Are you sure you want to do this?”* He is still speaking softly, his tone is cold and emotionless. There is a sense of confidence behind his voice that should scare anyone. He isnt afraid of you. He doesnt even seem fazed by your gun. That is far more concerning.

Your smile gets warm. Maybe because you know you will die there? *”Do, point your gun at me, if you wish to die.”* You speak softly. What are you planning to do?

He smiles at your invitation. He raises his gun to point at you, without any hesitation. His finger rests over the trigger, ready to fire. His tone is cold, emotionless. ***You have three seconds.***

You slowly raise your gun and point at him, there is smile plastered on your face. *”Are you really willing to kill someone innocent?”*

He doesnt move. You could almost see the cogs turning in his mind, processing the morality of what he was about to do. His mind seems to have made up its mind, because his gun is pointed directly at your head. His eyes are cold, emotionless, piercing your soul. His finger is on the trigger. He is about to do it. ***You have two seconds. Make the second count.***

You suddenly click and unlock the magazine of the gun, dropping it on water. Empty gun is staying on your hand pointed at him. Your smile turns into cold smirk. Your intention were not killing him. But why did you plan this? What was your aim with this?

He is caught off guard. He lowers his gun, but not out of fear. More as a gesture of surprise than anything. He looks as though he would like to laugh, but he doesnt. *”So you have given me my life back, madame.”* He lowers his gun, setting it loose behind his back. He is still studying you with those piercing amber eyes. *”Why would you do that? Why give up your only weapon?”*

You lower your gun, the empty gun resting on your hand. You smile at him as you speak. *”My aim was never killing you.”*

He raises his eyebrows, looking down at you. *”Then why bring gun at all?”* For a moment, he looks slightly annoyed, like you had just wasted his time. Then, he shakes it off. *”But, you could have killed me, you know that, right?”*

*”You ask me why i bring my gun, yet you carr on you. Isnt it a bit rude? I could, but it would be pointless to kill you. I have nothing to gain from your death.”* You turn slowly and start taking small steps on water.

He laughs. His laugh comes from deep in his soul, filled with cold amusement. He looks at you, standing up in the water and crossing his arms. He is grinning now. the coldness and calculation has left his eyes. What you see now is a man ***loving*** this situation. He is the happiest he’s been in weeks, maybe months. He turns to face you, smiling widely. *”Oh, you are good.”*

*”I am, indeed. At least i can take it that you are trusting me now. No, Monsieur?”* You say with a smile on my face, your tone of voice is playful yet sincere.

He laughs again. His voice is warm and charismatic, like you would expect. You have certainly earned back the trust. *“I am trusting you, madame.”* He takes a few steps closer to you. He looks down at your feet, then looks back up at you with another wide smile. *”Let’s make a deal. We walk along this beach together, not speaking a word to each other, just looking. We both keep our guns holstered, no killing. How does that sound?”*

You laugh softly. His words amused you, not in negative way. You are intrigued by his actions. Is he always like this? *”Deal, then.”*

He holds out his hand to you, smirking. *”A pleasure doing business with you, madame.”* He looks down at you, staring at your face. There is a soft smile on his face, like that of a smug and satisfied cat. He waits for you to reply.

You accept his hand for handshake. Your smile grows warmer. Maybe he isnt that bad?

He shakes your hand and lets go, then smiles. He turns around and starts walking with you by his side in water, his arms crossed on his chest. He looks out at the dark sea, into the woods, around the beach. The sun has set long time ago, the moon shining above. Beach is deserted long time ago. He slows his pace. *”There is something beautiful about the quiet, dont you think?”* He shrugs. *”You can hear the wind, the waves... its like music.”*

You smile at his words, you chuckle softly. It was good to rest your soul once in a while like this. Away from the war you used to be in. *“Right, its always calming...”* You walk at the same pace as his, walking next to him. Your hands are next to you to balance yourself as you walk in water.

This is a very different version from the one you would just met. His warm smile is inviting, like he could be talking about anything with you. It is not the face of the cold hearted hitman you had just spoken to. He looks around as you are walking, studying the beach. He takes a small step forward, making eye contact with you. There is a mischievious glint in his eye. Does he look like the kind of man who will get the best of you?

He pauses, his brow raises as he looks at you. *”Would you like to play a game? We are both bored out here after all.”* He grins, but the corner of his eyes are dark. This man, who had just wanted to kill you, has sense of glee about him. *”Are you good gambler? Do you trust your luck?”* He sounds sincere, but he looks as though he is planning something. His smirk is slightly sinister.

You raise an eyebrow, confused by his invite but amused. *”Are you inviting me to Russian roulette?”*

He bursts out laughing, covering his mouth and shaking his head. When he speaks again, he sounds like he is holding back his laughter. *”No, im not a murderer... I was thinking of poker?”* He asks, grinning at you. *”Unless, you want to play a game that gives you a chance to kill me...”* He adds jokingly.

You shake your head, not approving what he said but you speak slightly playful even though you mean your words. *”If you really have deathwish by my hands, we can. But i dont have ammo with me now.”* Your lips curls into small smile as you speak. *”Poker, you say? I dont like gambling actually.”* You pause for a second and add jokingly. *”But we can play Russian routlette with your gun.”*

*”How about a bet, then?”* He looks at you, his amber eyes piercing you to your soul. When you dont respond, he takes a step closer to you. He crosses his arms and looks down at you as he speaks. *”You are so lucky, you know that? For some reason, i let you live back there. You should appreciate that. You got away with your life, free of charge.”* He nods at you. *”But i will not be so merciful the next time.”*

You laugh at his words. It seems like you didnt really take his words so serious. Your laugh and your tone of voice is almost teasing. *”Je suis désolé, Monsieur. I will be careful next time.”*

His smile gets even bigger, the corner of his eyes turning a darker shade of amber. He cant control his smirk any longer, and he begins to laugh again, the sound of which rings out into the silent sea. As he laugh, he closes his eyes.

The silence of the beach feels deafening. The waves lap up against the beach hits both of your legs, the wind whistles and sighs. He breaks the eye contact with you, still laughing. *”You have a strange way of showing appreciation, dont you?”*

You give him side eye with smile, not judging but enjoying the conversation with him. *”I would like to say ‘im not like other women’ but the sentence is already corny.”* You wait for his reaction after speaking.

There is still a wide smile on his face. He turns to face full towards you. You both face to each other as both of you stopped walking. His laughter dying down. *”You are unlike any woman i have ever met”* He grins at you. *”You remind me of someone.”* His smirk turns into half grin. He looks at you, studying your face. *”Who, i wonder.”* He mutters.

You turn your face slightly, your gaze doesnt leaves his face. *”I wonder who might it be?”*

His smile gets even wider. Its almost unnerving. His eyes are focused on you, watching your every little reaction to try and understand what you are thinking. His head tilts to the side, a look of intrgue on his face. *”I have a suspicion.”* He says, his tone is serious now. *”There is something very familiar about you... I cant put my finger on it yet.”* He chuckles.

*”Even after not shooting, still suspicious i see”* You raise your hands to shoulder height as if surrendering. *”You can search for any weapon, you wont find anything except an empty gun and butterfly knife.”* You squint your eyes for a brief second.

He smirks again. He takes a few steps towards you, studying you with his piercing eyes. He chuckles, then raises his hands in the air in surrender. *”Very well. You have earned my trust. For now.”* He lowers his arms to his sides, still smiling. *”For now.”*

You lower your hands at his response. Your lips curls into sly smirk. *”For now doesnt sounds convincing.”*

*” What would you like my wording to be?”* He raises an eyebrow. *”Do you want me to bow down before you and pledge my loyalty as your humble servant?”*

You roll your eyes at his words, his behavior is amusing to you. *”No, i will know when to trust you.”* You smirk at him teasingly, your tone is playful. You enjoy the conversation way too much than you expected.

He chuckles darkly, rolling his eyes. *”You are a very tricky woman, you know that?”* He grins, crossing his arms. A voice in his head tells him that there is something suspicious, that you know something. He dismisses it, shaking his head. *”You are also quite entertaining. I like that.”* He steps closer to you. *”Are you always this fun, or only when you almost get yourself shot?”*

You laugh with deep voice. How you have developed yourself to enjoy to be on verge of the death always excited you because of your past. But how he pointed at it was funny. *”If you would like to see if im funny or not, then why dont you try and see? I am always funny. I dont look like i take anything serious though.”*

His grin gets bigger. *”You know, i might just do that.”* He looks aruond the beach. Its dark, pale lights of the beach lighting the sands up. The woods are indistinguishable behind the lights. He turns back at you. He steps clsoe, and he is now only a few steps away from you, close enough to lean down and speak in your ear. *”What would you do if i were to kiss you?”*

You smirk but it shows how displeased are you from his words. *”I dont like the idea. I might stab you and see if you are still funny, maybe, no?”* You tease him with his words.

He smiles a little wider. *”You are not like other women, are you?”* His tone suddenly becomes serious, his amber eyes piercing your soul. *”I would like to get to know you. The real you.”* He looks down at you; there is a hunger in his eyes. His face, once warm and charming has turned cold once more. *”Is there a chance i might earn your trust?”* He steps even closer to you, his lips almost touching now. *”What say?”* He whispers quietly.

You slowly put your hand on his chest and gently push him back. Your face is smiling but you are not pleased this little conversation. *”I will decide when to trust you. It was remarkable that you didnt shoot me when i dropped the magazine of the gun, yet you were ready to shoot any second.”* You squint your eyes slightly and widening it. *”How am i gonna trust someone who did it?”* Your tone of voice sounds slightly playful yet serious. You mean every word on your last sentence.

His grin disappears, and he narrows his eyes. His voice grows stern, and you feel a cold presence coming off of him. *”And how are you going to earn my trust?”* He leans in close to you, staring directly into your eyes. His amber eyes are cold and calculating again. Its obvioux that that question did not sit well with him. His mood seems to have shifted again. *”Your weapon was still pointed at me.”* He takes in deep breath. *”Is there something about you I'd rather not know?”*

You speak calmly with a smile on your face. *”I had a chance to shoot, yet i dropped the ammo. Would you preferred me to shoot you there?”* Your smile widens and you let out a small chuckle. *”I will earn your trust, maybe. Time will show that.”*

He smirks. *”Maybe. Time will tell, wont it?”* He crosses his arms, leaning down as he speaks. His amber eyes narrowed as they gaze into yours. There is a subtle hunger in his eyes, a fire behind them. Like he wants something from you, something he is not telling you he wants. *”You have me intrigued.”* He grins. There is a sly, almost mischievious look about him. *”Tell me more about yourself. You must have plenty to tell... Im listening.”*

You pause for a brief moment. *”Lets make a deal, then. We both tell more about each other. It would be unfair to leave other person illiterate, no?”*

*”Im inclined to agree.”* He smiles, a smirk on his face. He reaches out a hand for you to shake. You can tell he is serious about the deal. *”Lets make a deal, then. A truce, i suppose.”*

You shake his hand firmly. You may gain more of him, maybe? *”Deal.”*

He shakes your hand firmly, too. There is warmth in his eyes and his demeanor. *”Very well. I will tell you everything i can about myself. And you will, in turn, tell me everything you can. Is that satisfactory?”* He crosses his arms, looking at you curiously. There is a sparkle in his eyes. *”Where would you like to start?”*

*”Yes, it will satisfy me. Im starting then. Im 20 years old, and you?”* You smirk. It will be entertaining to learn more about him. You didnt think he would be willing to talk about himself, so you were prepared to get what you want by force.

He smiles. *”I am 28. What are your passions? I like weapons, as you have seen. What do you like?”* Another smile; his lips curls into a smirk.

*”Killing people?*” You speak jokingly and laugh loudly. *”Languages, as i said in the car. My turn then. Im 1.64 meters tall, you?”*

He grins. *”Killing people is one of my passions, but you already knew that.”*

The look in his eyes is cold again, like he couldnt have been the one to jokingly joke with you moments ago. *”We may be of the same passions, however.”* He smirks, his voice deep and cold. He looks up slightly, thinking. *”Im 1.79 meters.”* He smirks. He looks back at you with a charming grin. *”Do you like reading?”*

*”Yes, i do. Horror or thriller novels are my favorite genres. What about you?”* You are showing new side of you to him: playful and charming. And you see new side of him too. It feels like he is more comfortable with you than before.

*”Im more of a non-fiction person”* He pauses. *”I have always been more interested in reality. Learning as much as i can about my foes. Learning their vulnerabilities, their fears, their weaknesses, their pasts, their traumas, their hopes... You know. The things that might make them break and lose.”* He flshes a quick, genuine smile. *”If they break, it makes my job all the easier.”*

*”Breaking mentality is good tactic, but what would you do if it doesnt break?”* You smile. Its quite disturbing smile. *”Someone might not be scared even when you point a gun at their head.”*

He raises his eyebrows and looks at you, a sly smirk on his face. *”I never had a situation like that happen to me yet. But if someone is not afraid of me, then i know one thing: they are either the bravest person i will ever meet, or they have nothing left to lose.”* His tone is serious again. *”Which one are you?”*

*”What if i am...”* You pause for a moment, leaning towards him slightly. *”...both?”*

He leans towards you as well. His voice is calm, his eyes still cold and calculating. *”Are you both?”* He tilts his head, his amber eyes piercing yours. A voice in his head tells him that something doesnt add up. He shakes it away, ignoring it. *”If you are both, it just makes my job all the more entertaining.”*

You smile, your eyes also smiles with your lips. Your eyes sparkles with excitement. *”Since we are allies, we have nothing to hold anything against each other. Dont you agree?”*

His smirk grows slightly. *”Allies, are we? I suppose so, yes. I like your reasoning.”* He smirks again. *“Its a lot more fun this way, is it not?”* He asks, a playful tone in his voice.

*”It is indeed.”* You pause for a moment. *”I have dropped the formal title. It will be better to get used to each other. Unless you want me to call you Monsieur?”*

*”No, no! You may call me by my name, Vincent!”* He flashes a smile. He seems to think again for a moment, then nods. *”I guess we are allies. Lets make a deal; you tell me your weaknesses and I'll do the same. Does that sound like a fair deal?”* He leans in a little closer to you again, his face is a few inches away now. His voice is warm and charming. He looks to you, looking up and down and he seems to be analyzing you.

*”Vincent, a good, charming name. Sanajeh, you can call me by my name too. Lets make everything balanced.”* You give him warm and charming smile. *”Weakness?”* You raise an eyebrow. *”Are you willing to leave yourself vulnerable around me now?*” You smirk teasingly.

He smirks. *”Well, i suppose that is only fair.”* He shrugs. *”If we are to become allies, i suppose we really ought to know everything there is to know about each other, should we not?”* He gives a slight chuckle. *”Im willing to play by your rules. But i expect you to play by mine”* He gestures between the two of you. *”So shall we begin?”* He smiles, tilting his head.

You smile, amused by hiss game. You enjoy his game yet something feels off. You shrug it off. *”Turn is yours.”

*”Very well. I’ll start off with a simple one.”* He laughs. *”Im claustrophobic.”* He chuckles. *”Your turn.”* His eyes sparkle mschieviously as he waits for your response.

You raise an eyebrow, surprised by his answer. *”I have never thought you might be claustrphobic, you seem like you dont have any weaknesses.”*

He leans in again, almost invading your personal space at this point. *”Nobody is flawless, my dear.”* He whispers quietly in your ear. His voice is slightly silky as his eyes bore into yours. His eyes sparkle like they have been sprinkled with little diamonds. *”Does it excite you to know that someone like me has flaws?”* His breath is hot on your neck. You see him almost lean in further, his lips inches away from your neck. His eyes are fixed on yours and his face inches away from yours.

Your hand goes over your thigh, next to your gun where your knife is resting. You are ready to slip your knife out and stab him if he dares to move one more inches. Why arent you doing it now?

He notices your hand. He smirks again, a sly look on his face. He leans closer, his lips almost touching your neck. You feel his breath on your skin. You feel a shiver going down your spine as his breath brushes your skin. Is he going to kiss you? He doesnt make a move. Suddenly, he pulls away and chuckles. *”You think I'd do it again, dont you?”* His smile broadens.

You are annoyed, feeling like he played with you like a toy and left you on the floor. Your hand still rests on your knife. *”Its not nice of you to play around with someone.”*

His warm smile instantly vanishes into thin air. His face turns cold. He looks at you with steely eyes, his face blank, as if he felt no emotion at all. *”I was showing you what happens when you let your guard down. Your weaknesses show. You could have been hurt.”* He mutters, his voice quiet and cold. *”But instead you just got your feelings hurt.”* He seems to be angry about something. His fists are tightly clenched and his face is scowling.

You are annoyed by his words and behavior. *”Im willing to take action to protect myself.”* Your grip on the knife gets tighter yet you still didint pull it off from its place.

He scoffs. *”Yes, you were ready to stab me with your little knife, werent you?”* He looks at the knife that rests on your thigh. *”Would your little knife stop a bullet?”* He gives a laugh and shakes his head. His smirk is gone. The look on his face is furious as he glares at you. *”No. It wouldnt.”*

*”Your gun is still in its holster. I would have stabbed you before you pull it out. *”You turn your face slightly, your gaze is still on him. You scoff, its visible you are irritated.

He looks into your eyes and stares at you. *”Then why didnt you?”* His voice is cold. You dont answer and just stare at him in irritation. He looks away from you for a few seconds, then looks back at you, a smirk on his face again. *”You see, dear, you were not expecting me to make such a move. It caught you off-guard.”* He laughs. *”My gun may be in its holster, but you were not expecting me to do that.”* He smirks, his voice becoming slightly mocking.

You are irritated, a lot. You change the subject. *”Dont you have anything to do in HQ? You came all along with me here.”* You turn your gaze, you start to take small steps inside the water, walking slowly.

He shakes his head. *”Not at all.”* He shrugs. *”I dont mind. I like the company.”* He leans in again. You feel his hot breath on your neck, his lips mere inches away from your skin. His eyes bore into yours. *”Do you have anything to do besides walk around?”* He asks teasingly.

You pull your knife out with swift movement, ready to stab his throat. *”You should learn what ‘personal space’ is.”* Your gaze is piercing, stern. You dont like his game anymore.

You see him freeze, his eyes wide. He doesnt make a move. Then he laughs. A loud, boisterous laugh that goes straight from his heart to his mouth. His voice booms. He steps back, his hands raised. *”Ha! You actually pulled a knife on me!?”* He laughs, a bright grin on his face. He looks at you and you see nothing but amusement and laughter on his face.

You swing your knife on your fingers, then take a step closer to him. Your knife is on his throat. *”If you dont respect my personal space, i might hurt you.”*

*”Lets see if you can hurt me with that.”* He gives a smirk, his voice cold. His arm extends out and he flicks his wrist slightly. His headhunter is aiming directly for your center mass. His tone is cold, as if he was being serious now. You see his finger slowly going to trigger. His eyes stay trained on your center mass as his finger is on the trigger, ready to pull it. *”You wont be able to.”*

His eyes look down the sights of his pistol. He grins. *”Try me.”*

*”Its not fair to point a gun someone who has knife on their hand.”* Your face is stern yet your voice is playful. Your expression and tone doesnt match. *”You are quite unfair guy with fair look.”*

He scoffs. *”So you want me to unchamber the rounds and put on the safety, then pull a knife on me?”* He gives a wry smile. *”My job is fighting. I dont care about things being fair.”* He laughs again. *”Maybe im not as kind as you thought.”* He leans in close to you again and whispers in your ear. *”You dont know me as well as you thought.”*

You growl and raise your chin slightly. You put your knife back where it was resting. You slowly walk past by him and get out of the water. His golden tattoos glows as his headhunter disappears from his hand.

He seems to go back to his normal self, a charming and playful figure. He walks and leans towards you and looks you in the eye. *”You know, despite the fact that you pointed a knife to my throat, im quite attracted to you, my dear~”* He says with a wink. He leans in closer, whispering in your ear again. *”You have quite the aura, you know that?”* His breath is hot on your neck. You two had stopped walking in the sands.

You gently push him back, playful yet annoyed smirk on your lips. *”Enough games for tonight, no?”*

*”I was only getting started, darling~”* He smirks, leaning into you once more. He gives you a look up and down again, his eyes shining like stars in the night. *”If you are going to push me away like that, why did you not do so when i nearly kissed you back there?”* He asks, giving you a sly smile. The look of amusement is back in his face.

You smirk, slightly annoyed. Your tone of voice is playful and low. *”Some questions are meant to be left unanswered.”* You walk past by him, you dont turn back when you speak gaain. You slightly raise your voice. *”I might have piqued an interest in you. You are entertaining, Monsieur.”* You said ‘monsieur’ in mocking, teasing tone.

He laughs. *”You did piqued my interest.”* He says, his voice full of playfulness. He glances at you with a smirk. *”Im flattered you think im entertaining. You are intriguing yourself, and my curiosity is piqued, as you say.”* He tilts his head to the side, a smug look on his face. *”You know, you are quite playful yourself~”* He chuckles, looking away.

You laugh loudly at his words. You stop on your tracks and turn back to look at him. *”If you dont come, i will leave you here and go back HQ alone. Lets go back.”* You raise an eyebrow and smirk playfully.

He raises an eyebrow, but seems to be entertained. *”Fiiine~”* He chuckles. He seems to make a pout face, mockingly, and makes a ‘hmf’ sound. *”I will only follow behind you if you hold my hand.”* He gives you a smizing look, teasing with his eyes. He holds his hand out, offering it to you. He seems to be joking.

You give him a look that is questioning him if he is serious or not. Its visible he is joking, and you hope he is not being serious about it. You roll your eyes and turn back, walking slowly as you talk without looking back. *”You are not 5 year old kid drowning in the sea. 28 year old grown man like you shouldnt be asking for help to walk out of the sea.”*

He rolls his eyes as well, but chuckles. He follows behind you and sighs as he gets on land. *”Im only human, you know.”* He pauses. *”A helping hand never hurt anyone.”* He smirks.

*”The hands that holds gun? Asking for help?”* You laugh from your heart. His words is funny and amusing. *”Dont make me laugh.”*

*”I like you, you know?”* He laughs, as if he meant that. He pauses and you hear his foot shuffle in the sand. *”Let me have your number at least.��* He asks, his words being genuine, though his expression says otherwise. He looks up at you, eyes shining brightly.

You raise an eyebrow. *”Give you what?”* Of course you knew what is he asking for and you heard it clearly. But you want to make him say it again.

*”Your phone number, dummy.”* He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone, opening the dial interface. He holds out his phone and shows that the dial is empty. He raises an eyebrow and looks at you.

You pull your phone out and give him to dial his number too. You get his phone and start dialing your number. You save yourself as ‘your worst nightmare’, then you hand the phone to him.

But you didnt know that he saw what you did and smirks himself. The he dials his number on the phone and enters his name as ‘your worst crush’. Then he looks into your eyes, smirk still on his face as he tosses your phone back at you. You hand his phone back to him. *”You forgot my name, did you not?”* He laughs.

You look at your phone and you see that he saved himself as ‘your worst crush’. You raise your gaze to him and smirk at what he did. *”Vincent Fabron. I cant forget the name of my ‘worst crush’, can i?”* You raise an eyebrow and speak teasingly.

*”You have been warned. Im gonna blow up your phone every day.”* He gives a wry smile. He seems to be entertained again. He raises his eyebrows and looks at you. His wry smile turns into teasing grin.

You chuckle softly. He is entertaining for sure. *”We will be staying in HQ together. You will bear my games everyday. Be prepared for it.”* Your tone is playful, you look at him with wide smirk on your face. *”If you are ready now, lets go back. Its getting late.”* You walk towards your car and get in car. You look at him with wide grin as you wait for him to get in.

He raises an eyebrow, smirking at you. His face shines in amusement. He rolls his eyes and gets into the passenger side of the car, his face glowing. He puts his seatbelt on and looks at you, still with that smirk. *”We are gonna be a real dynamic duo, i feel it.”* He laughs a little, and his face breaks into a huge, amused smile. It might actually be a wholesome smile. *”You are gonna be trouble.”*

You laugh at him. You put your seatbelt on with a grin on your face. *”You are the trouble.”* You start the engine and drive back to HQ.

*”I am trouble~”* He grins, his voice sweet and smirk still shining with happiness. *”But im a good kind of trouble.”* He winks at you. *”Are you a good kind of trouble, too?”* He leans in towards you and the car turns onto the main road. He seems very interested in your answer.

You shake your and head let out a small chuckle. That wide grin is still on your face. *”Bad kind of trouble.”* You point the word ‘bad’ with your tone.

He laughs. *”What are you, some kind of criminal?”* He chuckles. You see him tap his fingers on the armrest, bouncing his knees excitedly. His eyes dance from the road to you. His smile is big. He turns to you and laughs. He raises an eyebrow and leans forward. He lowers his voice to a whisper. *”You are a bad girl, arent you?”* He is grinning ear to ear.

You chuckle. You tap your fingers on the wheel excitedly. *”If i am criminal, then your place is guillotine.”* You chuckle again, longer than before. *”Who knows? Maybe i am, maybe not.”*

He gasps. *”The guillotine!?”* He chuckles. *”You would dare to hurt me, your crush?”* He asks, laughing along. His head bounces up and down with his laughing. *”Now i know im in trouble~”* He leans forward. He is still laughing, with his eyes sparkling. His voice is full of life and joy. He turns his eyes back to the road as you pull into the parking lot.

You park your car and stop the engines. Your lips forms into smirk as you both get out of the car. *”It was nice to kill you-… i mean meet you.”* You smirk playfully, your tone of voice is teasing.

He smirks back. *”Likewise, dear. Likewise.”* He is smiling and a little playful. *”You drive quite well~”* He looks at other parking spots. *”Who else got here?”* He asks you. He pulls out his phone and checks something, then puts it away. *”You can kill me another time.”* He nudges you, chuckling.

You roll your eyes playfully and turn back. You walk towards your room through corridor.

He follows you, grinning like an idiot. His eyes glowing. He seems to be having fun. *”Where to now?”* His voice is cheery, light. He taps his foot lightly. An unspoken question. What does Vincent Fabron even expect? Does he even have a plan? You could be in trouble.

*”To my room.”* You stop in your tracks and turn back to face him. Your tone is slightly playful. *”Where do you expect me to go?”*

*”You are not going to drag me into your room?”* He smirks, his voice a little flirty. He tilts his head and give you a sideways look. *”Whats it you want, my dear?”* He asks, his voice dripping in mocking attitude. The look in his eyes is hard to read. Is it serious? Is he interested? Is he teasing you still? He keeps moving, following your movements closely, a smug expression on his face. He seems happy. He seems like he is up to something.

You raise your chin slightly, looking arrogantly. Your tone is almost commanding. *”You arent coming to my room.”* You turn back and walk away, leaving him there. Without turning back, you raise your hand and wave at him as bye bye. *”See you tomorrow.”* You open the door of your room and get inside, closing the door behind you.

He raises an eyebrow, shocked to be rebuffed. He seems to be genuinely taken aback by the move. He laughs a little. *”So im rejected.”* He chuckles. He leans back on the wall in the hall and chuckles some more, laughing out loud at the situation. *”I think... im falling for her.”* He chuckles. He shakes his head and smirks, looking up on the ceiling. He seems to be thinking about something. *”What a girl...”* He chuckles.

#valorant x reader #valorant chamber x reader #chamber x reader #valorant chamber #vincent fabron #valorant fanfiction #vincent fabron x reader #chamber #chamber valorant

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itookyoudown · 3 months

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Do you think Raylan is more like Arlo or Frances? Obviously we don't know much about Frances, but just from your personal ideas/headcannons about her, and what we know about Arlo, who do you think Raylan takes after more?

thank you for this ask justie! i need you to know i've been noodling it over and trying to gather up all my thoughts and feelings because i have A LOT and this is such a complicated idea. i've tried to be as coherent and thoughtful as possible, but this is mostly just me rambling and slowly piecing my thoughts together.

going to preface this by saying that because we know so little about Frances' character (canon can't even decide her death date jfc) most of my interpretation of who Frances was is fanon and heavily based on chatter with @sublightsleeper

anyways. he's more like Arlo than Frances.

yes i hate it too but it's true (to me) 😩

since the bulk of the story is told from Raylan's POV, we know who Arlo is from the get-go and understand he's a piece of shit despite Helen's excuses and attempts to get Raylan and Arlo to reconcile. but during Arlo's inclusion in the show, we do get a few hints here and there of what Arlo's like when his mask is on: he's a charmer.

i think in his younger years Arlo was a real looker and knew how to weaponize it. he can be friendly and even generous or kindly when/if it suits him but he's just a snake in the grass. i'd say Raylan gets his charm from Arlo as much as he gets that anger. he learned at Arlo's knee how to hide his real emotions in order to get what he wants. and how to use both flattery + intimidation to manipulate people into behaving in a way that benefits him best. Raylan, I feel, is truly Arlo's son even if he chose the lawmen side of the line rather than the outlaw side.

and i think Raylan inherently knows this and that fuels Raylan's anger all the more.

is Raylan a mirror image of Arlo? no, never. but at their cores, i think they're tragically similar even though Raylan consciously makes choices that ensure he's NOT acting like Arlo. mostly because Raylan's put himself into a situation where he avoided becoming exactly like Arlo. AKA he left Harlan. because i do genuinely believe that if Raylan had stayed in Harlan he would have ended up a mirror of Arlo. he would have ended up just as bitter and miserable and angry, there would be no leash on that anger and he'd have lashed out to those nearest and dearest to him.

i think he would have become what Arlo became: an abused person who abuses others.

as for Frances…

we know from canon that Frances was a good cook. she kept a garden. she taught Raylan how to shoot. that she openly shamed a bunch of thugs for having bad manners. we also know that she was disrespected and Arlo escalated things into violence, but she put aside pride and called for peace instead. that she made the arrangements to end the family feud.

i think she was very used to cleaning up Arlo's messes, both at home and in business, and got very good at being the designated peacemaker.

but i don't think Frances was charming. or charismatic. i don't even like to think she was attractive. but i do think she understood what soft power was and knew how to use it alongside old-fashioned gentility to influence the people around her. and tbh considering she was a poor woman in the rural south that might have realistically felt like her only weapon and defense in life. we know she knew how to shoot, but we never hear that she fought back against Arlo or tried to defend Raylan. in fact, we know she left Raylan alone with Arlo when the abuse got real bad. she might have left, but she always returned.

from her relationship with Arlo, i think we can infer that Frances was an exceptionally kind and gracious and empathetic woman…and that's what made her vulnerable, that's why she stayed with Arlo and how he even managed to charm her into marrying him in the first place.

i believe she had a soft core and that's why i don't think Raylan is most like her.

because while Raylan can be tender, he's not soft. he can choose kindness but it's not his first instinct. he'll take a peaceful route but he doesn't feel bad about going to war. he's only empathic when he sees himself in another person (you need to only compare how Raylan treats Loretta VS Roz to see how this plays out). and while he's susceptible to pretty women and wants to be their savior, he's not incapable of saying NO and cutting them off. look at how he emotionally shuts out Ava in the later seasons and early seasons we even see it in his interactions with Helen. Raylan is capable of establishing boundaries and even dividing people into a "good" or "bad" box. and i don't think that's something Frances would have ever done. too much heart to do it.

so, yeah, overall i think Raylan takes more after Arlo when you get right down to it. but i do think some of Frances rubbed off on Raylan.

and even more than that…hm this idea is very difficult to put into words. but i feel like Raylan got some of the worst of Arlo but also some of the best of Frances. and somehow it all evened out in the end.

it made Raylan into a man that will live to make the heroic choice rather than dying the hero's death.

#tooks.txt #thanks again for asking this was such a delicious question i'm very grateful #not calling this meta or an analysis because it's not heavily researched and edited #but it's something fun to think about and consider!#anyways

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true-intha-blu · 10 months

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BIG PROJECT TIME!!!

Introducing!!!!

It is something I have been doing for quite some time now. Way before Tears of the Kingdom came out and playing the game pushed me to now finally work on it. It will be a fanfiction on Ao3 FEATURING!!!

Gerudo Link!!! I have always been fascinated as Link not born as a Hylian and acting as a foil to Ganondorf being a male Gerudo. But Link is not a king in this one. Far from it. Just a small time Scout for the tribe, he feels as though he is an outsider to his own people despite of his best efforts to protect and help others. Then suddenly through events is banished to the forbidden lands by breaching an ancient taboo in an act of selfless heroism. Becoming embroiled in a rebellion again the Hyrule Sovereignty.

The Gerudo people are not the people of the dessert, they had been banished from their homeland for centuries due to the actions of the last King of the Gerudo who brought nothing but pain and suffering. They instead are part of a Land with No Name, hearty nomads who treat their banishment with respect and adherence. While stable, it is no secret that Link's birth is viewed as an ill omen. At least his sister Aryll always has her big brother's back.

I want to go back to some classic roots for Zelda so this includes companions! Meet P.I.N! Personal Interface Navigator. A strange bracelet that transform into a psuedo fairy made of something called Sheikah tech? Apparently it is fairly new and still in development. But Pin is the most advanced thing they have so far and they are following Link because... well....

Link will meet many allies, including Sheik, the hot headed Sheikah warrior. He will be invaluable in aiding Link as he navigates through strange new lands and speaking through P.I.N. for advice or if Link is just lonely. He is a ruthless assassin who is eager to fight back against the oppressive Hyrule Sovereignty.

Along the way Link will meet many foes and friends across the forbidden lands known as Hyrule.

Hyrule is split into several actions and Link will come across the Hyrule Sovereignty that has employed advanced technology to server as their dominating military force that does not tolerate disruptions to their rule.

The royal family itself is a mysterious group, aided by 7 sages of technology. The prince being the face while the mysterious princess Zelda serving as the people's holiest figure.

Not all is at it seems. Beware of false confirmation and previous assumptions. Leave them at the door least you be stabbed in the back. In a world of Steam, Haze, metal and civil war, this is not the Hyrule you know. As I say this, I want to reflect and show my appreciation to the previous entries in Zelda, calling back from previous titles and themes, including musical instruments and stuff. I will be writing this fic as though I am making a game, with mechanics, dungeons, side quests and all the fixins with concept art and scenes drawn. It will take far before the first calamity mentioned in Breath of the Wild but takes place after all the other zelda games. After the somehow timeline merged. This is not going to be a dark fic. This fic will have as much charm and whimsy and weirdness as any other Zelda game if I can help it. There will be violence and rated M. So Stay tune for the first chapter of "The Legend of Zelda, Sanctum of Kings"

if somehow this becomes more popular.... I might consider, making it a comic or somethin.... I dunno. I am doing this mainly for myself really.

#legend of zelda #loz #link #zelda #geurdo #gerudo link #legend of zelda au #legend of zelda sanctum of kings #sanctum of kings #loz sok #hyrule civil war

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cageyworld · 4 months

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A nuanced recommendation for "Unchained Love" (浮图缘 – fútúyuán)

“Nuanced” meaning a lot of disclaimers, probably. First one being: I’m a U.S. American viewer. I’ve been studying Mandarin at my university since 2021 and I watch a lot of Chinese shows, but I am not of the culture of the source material. Inevitably, my perspective of the show is colored by my own Western upbringing. I can’t pick up on the finer details of language, clothing, history, etc. that may rankle other viewers, nor will I be fully conscious of all the ways my cultural viewpoint impacts my perception of the show.

With that said: I’ve been so charmed by “Unchained Love” that I thought others—perhaps especially my fellow Western watchers of these lovely Chinese-made shows—might enjoy it, too. There’s a lot to love.

I will keep spoilers to a minimum.

Some highlights of why I love this show:

Women voicing their rage and grief about patriarchal systems

A romance of respect and clear communication

Badass Dylan Wang (looking incredible in his costumes)

Found family

Cute dog

Angst with a happy ending

Read on to allow me to persuade you even more…

CRITIQUES—A.K.A. “THE JANK.”

THE TONE

I’ve read the criticism that the tone can be uneven, especially if you come to this (like I did) right after watching 苍兰决 “Love Between Fairy and Devil”. I agree. The tone is super uneven throughout the series.

The storyline contains some truly horrific and dramatic elements (see the list of content warnings at the end of this post), and yet tries to maintain an overall soft, romantic dramedy feel. It’s not successful in this and does create some dissonance. This dissonance is only amplified by…

THE MUSIC

The opening theme is a banger, but the scoring choices throughout the show itself are distracting. Sometimes we get plinky, Mickey Mouse comedy music when the dialogue and acting convey drama and high stakes—and occasionally, vice versa. From my experience, this isn’t unique to “Unchained Love,” but oh boy, is it striking in this series. The music seems to work against the narrative at times. I found myself saying, “I don’t feel like laughing right now!” at the screen. There can be emotional whiplash, from the very serious to scenes suddenly meant to be effortlessly light-hearted. It is not effortless.

WHAT GOT CENSORED

This show got chopped for sure. From what I can tell, it was largely the scenes of more overt sexual content between Xiao Duo and Bu Yinlou. This couple becomes respectfully, mutually horny for each other and it’s a bummer that so much of that got trimmed. That said, what remains is still lovely (and quite sexy at times).

The ending is also rushed in a way that feels like aggressive editing. It ends happily for the characters I loved most, and leaves lots of room for fanfiction expansion or extension, but it’s still a little unsatisfying as a viewer.

WHY THESE DIDN’T PUT ME OFF, PERSONALLY

I was able to make peace with the uneven tone mostly because of where the unevenness struck. The most serious elements of the show nearly all revolve around some aspect of violence against women. While this violence was not always treated with the gravity it warrants, it also wasn’t played for laughs. The choice to include each of these incidents is questionable, but I never felt the show was downplaying the seriousness of that violence itself.

Also, I appreciated that the women were in the forefront of those moments. We were expected to empathize with their situation.

For example, the opening episode’s plot of the deceased emperor’s brides being hanged as tribute to him wasn’t shown entirely as the horrific nightmare that is—but it also didn’t make all the women nameless, weeping beauties who existed only as tragic figures. Our heroine comes from within that group, and we see each of the women find their own way to deal. Some (understandably) weep, others negotiate their way out or flaunt their privilege to do so, others accept their fate. And then you have our Yinlou who is always eyeing an escape or a new foothold to a better situation.

We’re invited, tacitly or actively, to identify with the women being murdered. The violence against them isn’t set dressing. It’s very much an implied motivator for everything Yinlou does—she is a woman who fears the “cages” in which society can trap women, so she’s repeatedly calling attention to all those various cages.

There’s a later scene that’s not of much consequence overall where Yinlou comes upon a concubines’ graveyard. There are no markers with their names. She comments upon this and identifies with them, as a woman in their same situation. I deeply valued moments like this in “Unchained Love”—a character acknowledging how men in power are so often surrounded by “nameless” women whose own hopes and lives are forgotten.

One of the show’s major themes is: It is dangerous when powerless women catch the eye of powerful men.

THE GOOD – A.K.A. WHAT MAKES EVERYTHING ELSE WORTH IT

DYLAN WANG as Xiao Duo

I mean, he’s why I’m here, so we gotta start with him. I adored his performance as Dongfang Qingcang in 苍兰决 and he’s even more impressive as Xiao Duo, the head eunuch of the feared Zhaoding Bureau (FYI: in episode 2, we learn he’s not actually a eunuch—he’s pretending). This is an Earth-bound tale, so don’t expect the wild range of body-swapping or high drama of Hellfire power. Instead, he gives a far subtler performance where the harshness of the character blends smoothly with his softer moments.

He makes excellent use of his ability to look cold and cruel, and even the fact that he’s very handsome is relevant to the plot (because he, too, catches the eye of someone dangerous and powerful). For me, he disappeared into Xiao Duo in this performance. His mannerisms, body language, and tightly controlled expressions all felt so consistent with this man’s lived experience. He felt thoroughly three-dimensional and authentic.

Xiao Duo judges him. You. Xiao Duo judges everyone. CHEN YUQI as Bu Yinlou

I left “Ashes of Love” having most enjoyed Chen YuQi’s performance, so I was thrilled to see her in this. I like her energy on screen, and her goofy little smiles. She’s an uncouth mess as Bu Yinlou, and yet can believably play the perfect imperial concubine when she needs to. My fellow Eowyn “I fear a cage” and Beatrice “if I were man, I’d eat his heart in the marketplace” girlies will love Yinlou. Her fear of that patriarchal cage is one of her primary motivations throughout the series, and Xiao Duo is often the Benedick to her Beatrice in a “name the heart and the marketplace, baby” kind of way. Yinlou’s go-to problem-solving strategies are: gamble, lie, or set it on fire (literally).

Yinlou shares her secret fourth method of problem solving. SUPPORTING CHARACTERS

Not a dud in the bunch as far as I’m concerned. Everyone’s acting is strong and all the major characters are given the opportunity to be three-dimensional, to have their own perspectives and hopes. I found one of the side love stories a bit silly and cringey, but even that couple won me over by the end. Yinlou’s closest companion is her servant (played by Nan He – Duo Er La from “Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty.” I was thrilled to see her!). Xiao Duo has his own devoted right-hand man, and even a himbo of a general. There’s manly devotion everywhere, women being friends, bonding with sex workers, and hierarchies dissolving to become “family.”

The four pillars of the found family.

A braincells trio.

XIAO DUO and BU YINLOU TOGETHER

This is very much a “the man falls first” story and it seems likely that some of the early scenes got chopped, which is unfortunate, but I will say, it didn’t bother me. Perhaps it’s my years of writing and reading fanfiction, but I could find the threads easily.

Bu Yinlou catches Xiao Duo’s eye first by being clever. He’s initially wrong about what she’s scheming—but he’s right that she’s a schemer who is smarter than she pretends to be. For her own survival, she tries to stay on his good side and he's used to people praising him (or paying him) to get his favor by flattering his power, his strength, his ambition. Bu Yinlou starts praising his kindness, his mercy, his intelligence. For his own reasons (no spoilers!), he’s deliberately made himself a terror. Bu Yinlou starts talking to the real person he is inside.

Xiao Duo gets the thumbs up from Yinlou.

We do get the delightful Chinese drama tropes like slow-motion gazing with the love theme playing, but I didn’t see it as a normal “oh, she’s so beautiful” sort of moment. She’s being ridiculous, and Xiao Duo is struck that this woman is being ridiculous for him. He’s the scariest man in the Imperial Palace! People literally drop to the ground or run when they see him! And here’s this woman trying to make him smile, or grabbing his sleeves, or heckling him. What a strange creature she is…and you know, she’s rather pretty, too…

Pretty (and drunk at the mo')

After only a few meetings, Xiao Duo and Bu Yinlou instinctively understand one another, even if they don’t fully realize it. They’ve met the other person who plays 4-D chess and who never wanted to be here in the first place. I find it truly a joy to watch them—two people who barely trust anyone—maneuver around one another and learn to believe each other.

The actors seemed very comfortable with one another, so there’s lots of casual intimacy and affection in their body language together. With Xiao Duo, Yinlou feels safe enough to experience attraction and express her own desires for the first time. Her giddiness and girlishness about him are so heartwarming to watch.

Something has been awakened in her...

We also get the fantastic subversion of some classic romantic tropes. I admit: I’m a viewer who is frustrated by major conflicts erupting from simple misunderstandings, characters deliberately withholding information from each other—or worse—not having the five-minute conversation necessary to clear the air. Xiao Duo and Bu Yinlou COMMUNICATE. They truly treat each other as equals.

Avoiding spoilers, there’s one moment where a bad guy captures Bu Yinlou to bait Xiao Duo into a trap. A man in love, Xiao Duo storms out to go rescue her—and then pauses. “This is a trap,” he realizes, and he goes back home. He trusts that Bu Yinlou can get herself out of the scrape—and she does. Bu Yinlou does the same for him a few times. They profoundly trust one another and it shows on screen through their actions, not just their words. I found that unbelievably refreshing, even if it means we don’t get the HIGH DRAMA of so many other romantic dramas.

It made for a subtler experience that is perhaps just for me (but I write this in the hopes that it’s not). All the pain of the later episodes comes from truly understanding that Xiao Duo and Bu Yinlou would be happy together. Not in a soft-focus, dreamy-eyed, picture-perfect way, but in a real and tangible way. They could live together with their friends and their dog, raise some goats, and have wonderful life with one another. But there are powerful, dangerous, unpredictable forces in the way, and that hurts beautifully to watch.

THE PLOT

“Nirvana in Fire” this ain’t. The imperial palace intrigues are broad and only rarely more than 2-dimensional, but I still found myself delighted by some of the unexpected twists. There are characters I loathed in episode 1, and then grieved in episode 36. That’s the good stuff.

Bu Yinlou is the emotional center of the series. She wants to be free. The primary conflict of the show, then, is built around two suitors: One who will help her fulfill her dreams, even if it hurts him, and the other who will make her dreams match his, even if it hurts her.

This is all happening within larger maneuvers of outside forces trying to take down the empire. To them, Yinlou is a pawn in a larger game to control the emperor and Xiao Duo. (And Yinlou does not appreciate being treated like a pawn.)

THE VILLAIN

I have complex feelings about the primary antagonist for the show. I think that’s a good thing. He feels, in many ways, like an Incel given imperial power—he is both a sad, awkward, lonely man, and an entitled, spiteful monster. He’s played so deftly by Peter Ho, it took several episodes for me to realize he was the antagonist. On rewatch, it can be heartbreaking to follow his story, too, because there were moments of intervention where it could have gone differently. That, to me, makes for a richly imagined antagonist—who goes full “scenery chewing” villain toward the end. That, too, is compelling to watch. Peter Ho was clearly having a good time.

A PERSONAL CONCLUSION (and maybe a plea for fanworks)

“Unchained Love” is not perfect, but there’s such clear heart in the performances that it more than makes up for the show’s weaknesses. They explore storylines and themes and especially gives Yinlou some moments that I’ve longed for in a show maybe all my life. I like that Eowyn in the Lord of the Rings movies talked about fearing “a cage.” I wish she’d gotten to talk more. Yinlou gave voice to so much of what I wanted to hear her say.

“Unchained Love” quickly joined the tops of my favorite Chinese media, alongside “The Untamed” and “Yin Yang Master: Dream of Eternity.” I will probably end up writing some fanfiction for it, and I hope others will too. The gifsets on Tumblr have been so excellent that I can only hope for more. More fanworks, I guess that’s what I’m saying. There’s such great fanworks potential in this series. It’s in that sweet spot of having compelling characters, beautiful costumes and settings, and juuuuussst enough left on the cutting-room floor that we fans have all the room in the world to play.

HOW TO WATCH

The first two episodes are up for free on YouTube with English subtitles. It’s also streaming on both Viki and iQiyi. I liked it so much, I bought it on DVD from AustinDVDStore on ebay. The subtitles move too fast sometimes, but hey, I’m practicing my Mandarin anyway…

CONTENT WARNINGS

For the show overall:

The entire show deals with the idea of women as objects—which means there are often people treating women like objects. This is depicted as a bad thing, but it’s still hard to watch.

Some gender essentialist nonsense is spewed in relation to eunuchs and what it means to be “a man.” Later in the series, the villain becomes particularly fixated on this concept.

For specific storylines:

Opening episodes revolve around concubines of the deceased emperor being killed in tribute to him.

Accidental death of a child in episode 4.

A man in charge of the Imperial Mausoleum targets and sexually threatens, harasses, and assaults a woman forced to live there.

Yinlou’s father is verbally abusive to the women in his family.

Yinlou’s sister is forced to marry an enemy prince; this enemy prince is violent and threatening to her. The emperor is also violent and cruel to this character. (Yinlou’s sister is essentially a “what if Yinlou did what she was told” character, so her storyline highlights that going along with these powerful men won’t save you… It’s rough.)

The emperor’s dissent into tyrannical behavior is paired with a physical disability he develops. He also becomes fixated on his inability to bear children.

#unchained love #chinese drama #cdrama #recommendation #wang hedi #dylan wang #please watch with me #I love this show so much

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crazycookiecrumbles · 2 years

Text

How Parker Met Stark (2)

Masterlist

Pairings/Characters: Peter Parker x Stark!Reader (Andrew Garfield’s Peter)

Warnings: Swearing, graphic depictions of violence, end fluff

A/N: COMMENTS/REBLOGS APPRECIATED/ENCOURAGED: Because, honestly, I don’t know if anyone likes it otherwise so I can continue or not.

Summary: Yet another prequel to my Hard Enough one-shot, and the third installation of my Crumble!Verse work:

You just couldn’t get enough of Peter Parker. Once wasn’t enough, and now you were determined to see him once again. Unfortunately, it seems like someone else might get in the way of that.

This is definitely post-college, adult Spider-Man

“Well, if it isn’t Peter Parker.”

Peter’s eyebrows flew up to his hairline. He did not expect to hear that voice again, especially not so soon after hearing it for the first time in-person. He slowly stood up straight, no longer leaning over and into the shelves in the supermarket to get the last tub of cream cheese. He spun around and spotted you standing there with a little smirk on your face as you studied him.

Peter smiled a little nervously, “Ms. Stark! It’s nice to see you again.”

“Please, it’s just Y/N.” You smiled and glanced down to see the cream cheese clutched tightly in his hands before looking back up at his adorable face. “I saw those pictures in the newspaper, Parker. Very nice.”

“Well, you did say to make sure I gave them a good picture. Lucky for me, I had a very photogenic subject. They were all great.”

Your cheeks burned as you saw Peter blush a little upon realizing he was, in fact, actually flirting and seemed to not have blown it so far. You nodded your head and took a step closer to Peter, watching as he stepped backwards, his backpack pressing against the display and brushing into a few containers of butter and knocking over a few. You chuckled at him.

Peter gazed at you, “How did you know where I was?”

“I’m very, very good at getting information, Parker,” you told him. “And I actually was looking for you.”

“What? For me? Why?” Peter balked. “I—I—uh, sorry. I’m just confused here.”

You smiled brightly, “I wanted to see you again.”

“I’m still confused as to why.”

“You’re cute,” you told Peter who turned red and seemed to be absolutely giddy and vibrating with delight. “I’m going to a premiere tonight. Small indie movie, but an old friend of mine wrote it so I want to go support her, get a little tipsy, listen to all these artsy, bullshit snobs act like anything they say matters. Are you interested?”

Peter cringed instantly. It wasn’t that he didn’t feel like going. He absolutely was keen on spending another night in your presence. After all, you were witty, a little dark, but you oozed charm, and he was a complete sucker for it. Unfortunately for him, and perhaps you, he had plans that night. See, the 3rd Avenue Boys were planning a robbery. He’d been staking them out for some time and learned that they were going to hit one of the jewelry stores near the Roxy. As much as he craved more attention from you, he couldn’t put innocent people at risk.

“Ah, that face told me all I needed,” you laughed a little nervously, embarrassed to have gotten such a reaction from him. Before you could turn around and just quietly make your escape, Peter reached out and gently grabbed your wrist, prompting you to stop turning to leave and face him.

“I’m sorry,” he began. “I would love to, truly, but I have work to do tonight. The lab I’m working at is close to a breakthrough, so…”

It was the way that his heart skipped a beat ever so slightly that made you feel like he was lying. You believed him, too. You believed Peter up until he said that they were close to a breakthrough. That was when his heart skipped a beat, and that’s when you could feel that he was lying.

You offered him a tight smile as you pulled your wrist away and shoved your hands into your pockets, “My bad, Parker. I think I misinterpreted some things. Have fun at work.”

You spun on your heel and away from him as fast as you could and ignored the stares from Peter, and two men who had been secretly watching you both from the ice cream section, listening in intently on your conversation without you or Peter ever realizing it. The two men shared a look and nodded before one took out their cell phone as the other grabbed their stuff and started to leave.

Meanwhile, Peter groaned and let his head fall back to hit the top of the shelves, “Stupid, stupid Peter,” he mumbled to himself. “How did I mess that up? Oh, right, because I’m an idiot who forgets she can feel vibrations. Damn it. Way to go, Parker.”

~*~

At your friend’s film premiere, you were giving yourself some time to be pathetic. You really thought you had a spark with Peter. You didn’t think the man was going to lie about his whereabouts and what he was doing just to not have to go out with you. Fuck, I mean, why couldn’t he just say something to you along the lines of him not being interested? A flat-out ‘no’ would’ve been better than the lie that he came up with.

Ugh, men. They were a plague.

You downed the shot and pushed the glass across the bar in a silent indication that you wanted another. Tony offered to go with you to make the event a little more ‘fun’ but you did not want to hang out with your dad that night. You didn’t want a girl’s night with Natasha and Wanda, and you certainly didn’t want two overbearing super soldiers and lovely ol’ Sam to join you and act overprotective of your feelings the entire night.

You really just wanted to disappear into the alcohol and the movie.

Which, at the rate you were drinking, you hoped you were going to be able to remember it. The movie had been delayed an hour so far because one of the ‘stars’ wasn’t there for the Q&A. Your friend was panicking and running around every which way possible. You attempted to offer your services in any way you could, but she wanted to handle it herself.

So, here you were, all dressed up and alone and not even a movie to get lost in.

Meanwhile….

Peter was dressed up in a suit of his own. Of course, his was red and blue and somehow more formfitting than your clinging outfit choice for the night. He swung and landed off the side of a building, his eyes darting down to watch the van he had been tailing for some time now.

“Why are they all the way up here on Sixth Avenue?” Peter muttered to himself as he watched them drive for a bit before leaping off and swinging once again. “This wasn’t the plan.”

It wasn’t! They had gone past every single jewelry store in the area and hadn’t stopped. What were they doing, looking for a good parking spot? There were a few alleyways they could have ducked into. This was so strange.

And, ugh, you were right there. Peter could see the glowing lights of the Roxy. He could see the setup for photographs outside, the small red carpet, the foot traffic in the area for the small premiere that night. You were so close to him, and yet so far away, because he could do absolutely nothing in the moment to get rid of that disappointed look that was burned into his mind when he rejected your offer to go out tonight.

In fact, Peter was so lost thinking about you, he momentarily lost sight of the gang. He floundered for a moment as he was web-swinging around to find their vehicle. Eventually, he did find it. It was parked in an alleyway, as he predicted it should be, right by the back entrance to the Roxy Cinema—oh, oh no…

They must have somehow learned about the premiere and the type of people that were going to be there and decided that live targets were going to be more fruitful than hitting up a jewelry store that probably locked everything away as a precaution anyway.

Peter landed on the roof of the building softly and looked around for the best entrance. He needed to get in quickly, quietly, and without alerting anyone that he was there. The last thing he wanted was for them to take hostages, or, worse, start shooting in fear and risk you being hurt before he could even step into the fight.

Although, you were a pretty god-like Avenger. You should be fine, right?

~*~

You were so not fine. Well, at least not fine enough to be trusted to use your powers without accidentally collapsing a building. You slammed your hand into the container of popcorn, shoved a few kernels in your mouth, and chased it with a cocktail before excusing yourself from the less-than-riveting conversation you were dragged into by a few people who recognized you.

You made your way to the restroom to freshen up and take care of yourself. Looking in the mirror afterwards, you shook your head and sighed. Men. You dumped one at a party, thought you met a new, nice one that very night, only to be lied to in a supermarket. Honestly, what the hell? This was utterly disappointing. Why the hell would your father go through so many women back to back — oh, right, he was a black hole of emotion for awhile.

Well, there’s that.

You left the restroom and could faintly hear shouting and orders being given. Finally, the star must have arrived and the night was going to proceed as promised, right?

However, when you left the hall and entered the main room, you could see several men with guns out. One was walking around with a collection bag, and you could see another one was separating some of the wealthier attendees away from the rest, likely trying to extort them for more money.

But then you saw the zip ties come out for that group, and you knew that this was going to go downhill incredibly fast.

Then there was you, drunk as a skunk standing there wide-eyed and knowing you were in no condition to be fighting. It wasn’t like you had the element of surprise, either. Your heel slammed into the ground when you skidded to a stop and made the most obnoxiously loud clicking noise. You were the new center of attention as everyone turned to you.

“Hey, Checkers was right, Y/N Stark is here,” one of them leered as he aimed a gun at you and started to walk towards you.

“Hey,” you swallowed back the urge to belch loudly. “I’m an Avenger! You don’t want to do this, man.”

“Actually, I think we do,” he placed his finger over the trigger and aimed at you. “Take off that nice jewelry, Ms. Stark, and get over there with the rest of ‘em.”

“I’ve got a better plan,” you hiccuped and clasped your hands together. “Why don’t we let everyone go, and I don’t snap your spine in half.”

He fired a warning shot at you. Your hand flew up to stop the bullet in its path, but in your inebriated state, you were just too slow. The bullet skimmed your shoulder causing you to hiss in pain. The shot, plus your current state, kept you at a disadvantage. Rather than stopping the bullet, you accidentally blew back one of the other victims into a column and knocked them out cold. You cringed at what you accidentally did while the gang roared with laughter.

“God, this really is like taking candy from a baby,” he laughed and switched how he was holding the gun as he marched towards you. He swung it into his hand so he was holding it like a bat. You stepped backwards to make some space and try to figure out just how coordinated you were at the moment and the best way for you to fight back.

Just as he got closer and wound back to take a swing, something jumped in front of you. You jumped backwards in alarm. Your hands were already up to try to catch the gun, but it never came to that. You stumbled backwards as your eyes stared into a back clad in red and blue. Glancing up a little more, you saw the back of Spider-Man’s head as his hand grabbed the gun and squeezed, the gun snapping in two in his hand.

“Well, that’s just no way to treat a lady, right?”

“Sp-sp-Spider-Man’s here!” He shouted.

“I know who I am, no need to yell!” Spider-Man quickly pulled him forward and tossed him far to the left and webbed him to a wall. He looked around at the rest of the gang. “So, do you guys feel like dancing or…? How do we want to do this, fellas?”

They all opened fire immediately. Without even turning, one arm reached back and pulled you into him just before leaping into the air and avoiding the gunfire. He shot a web and used it to pull the two of towards a spiral staircase. When you two landed, he stayed low and kept you law as well as he ran until you were able to hide behind the railing.

“Why don’t you stay here and get your bearings, Ms. Stark. I’ve got this.”

Within a second he was up and jumping over the railing. You listened to gunfire and people screaming. Slowly, with Tony’s inability to listen to anyone pulsing strong within you, you ignored Spider-Man’s suggestion and peaked over the barrier to see what was going on.

The attendees were all running and rushing out the building while Spider-Man was fighting. He was webbing their guns up so they couldn’t fight anymore, and he was taking them out so easily. A punch here, a dropkick there. It was like watching an interpretive dance as he had the entire gang webbed up and incapacitated.

“Didn’t even break a sweat. You guys are getting slow,” he chuckled as he dusted his hands off and quickly glanced up. He could see you peaking over the railing before you had a chance to duck. When you did duck, he smiled to himself and leapt into the air.

By the time you had turned around, back pressed against the railing, Spider-Man was standing in front of you. You looked ahead to see a gloved hand reach down to you. Carefully, you took his hand and let him pull you up to your feet. You exhaled slowly as you backed against the barrier again and slowly examined him.

For as many years as Spider-Man has been around, you two had never actually crossed paths. The types of things you both did for your superhero antics was just too different. He stayed close to the streets, his ear to the ground as he saved the everyday citizens of the city. You, however, did things that were a little more global or had a taste of aliens sneaking around. Your worlds just never really collided until now.

Standing before him, looking up at his mask as he tilted his head to the side and studied you, you could see how scary he was. The deafening silence of Spider-Man just staring at you would send a chill down your spine. He was clearly very strong, and fast, and when he wasn’t running his mouth with little jokes, he was incredibly intimidating.

And yet, this hero seemed to be soft as well as he reached out and carefully grasped your chin. He seemed to do a quick once-over of you for any other injuries before letting go and letting his hand drop to his side. Spider-Man cleared his throat, “Why don’t I take you home, Ms. Stark, so you can get that shoulder cleaned up?”

You exhaled slowly. The sudden jumping around wasn’t sitting well with you, and you couldn’t lie, your shoulder definitely stung, “You know who I am.”

“How could anyone not?” He replied. “The ethereal Y/N Stark, you’re kind of legendary. Can’t say I’ve ever seen you drunk in public, though, I thought that was a Tony Stark thing.”

“Bad day, Spider-Man,” you huffed, not noticing how his shoulders sunk. “I should go —“

“Let me —“

“It’s fine —“

“You want to go out where all those people are waiting to see the drunken avenger who accidentally knocked someone out?” he questioned. “Come on, let me spare you. I think the shoulder’s enough for tonight, isn’t it?”

You thought about it for a moment before nodding reluctantly, “Do you even know where to go?”

“I figured the giant tower that used to have your last name on it was a start.”

“Okay. Fair point,” you mumbled in agreement.

He snuck the two of you outside onto a fire escape. He turned around and glanced at your shoulder first. He webbed the injury to keep anything from getting into it, then he turned around and crouched down as he offered you his back. Before you could even climb on, he suddenly spun around and was scratching the back of his head as he faced you.

“Actually, given your gunshot wound I think you should put less strain on your arm for now.”

“Uh, okay — “

“So, here,” he cleared his throat and put an arm around your waist. He put your undamaged arm around his shoulder. He exhaled deeply, for reasons you were unsure of, before he continued, “you can, um, put your legs around my waist if you want, you know, more support. But you don’t have to, I’ve got you, but, you know, optional. Heights are, uh, big.”

The poor man was screaming at himself internally for sounding like such an absolute moron with you once again.

“I feel that, maybe, I shouldn’t be drunk and risk accidentally flashing someone my vagina while we’re swinging around,” you explained. “I can see the headlines now, bare starkussy on spider-waist.”

He had no idea if this was a sober or a drunk thought, but he thought he could die with the imagery.

“Also, I just didn’t wear underwear with this dress. That’s TMI, sorry, but, yeah, probably unsanitary. Who knows where you’ve been.”

Okay. He was going ot have a heart attack.

“Good to know,” his voice cracked and he mumbled for you to hang on as he jumped off the fire escape and began to swing from Lower Manhattan back up to Midtown to take you home.

You shut your eyes tightly when you were nearly at the tower. He ran across the top of one building and jumped off the side of it. You were free-falling together before he shot a web near the top of the tower and as he was falling, he started to swing and propelled the two of you up to the landing. You didn’t move until he whispered that you were home, his hands resting on your waist to keep you steady as you slowly adjusted to being on solid ground once again.

You opened your eyes and looked up to his masked face. You stared up at him for an uncomfortably long time before shaking out of your daze.

“Sorry,” you apologized, your hand sliding from around his shoulders and neck down to his chest. It was hard as a rock, and when you once again realized you were being kind of weird with him, you quickly retracted your hand and uttered another apology. “Thanks for the save, Spider-Man.”

“My pleasure, Ms. Stark,” he murmured “Maybe I’ll see you around sometime.”

“I hope so,” you replied.

The two of you turned for different reasons. You could feel vibrations rushing towards the deck, and he could hear frantic voices. You both could just start to see Tony and Steve talking, or shouting, at each other as they approached.

“Goodnight, Ms. Stark,” he bowed his head and walked backwards until spinning around and diving off the side of the building.

“Oh, thank god I don’t have to hold this in anymore,” you rushed out quickly before keeling over and vomiting everything you ingested at the party.

By the time you were done vomiting, you were standing upright and wiping your mouth with the back of your hand just as Tony and Steve surrounded you.

“Now, I am so proud of you for pulling a, well, a me,” Tony explained. “But Cap’s a little worried. I’m not, not at all. Is that a gunshot wound?”

“Right. You weren’t worried at all,” Steve rolled his eyes. “Come on. Let’s get you inside. Someone should try to get a way to contact Spider-Man, say thanks —“

“Seems like spawn wants to give her thanks,” Tony remarked under his breath.”

“Shut up, dad,” you groaned. “I need water. And a bed. And a bucket. Also, maybe some food.”

“Ah, that’s my girl,” Tony squeezed your shoulder and kept his arm around you as the three of you got inside.

At least the night went by successfully. You had successfully pushed your troubles behind you. Peter Parker who? Spider-Man was just so much more enticing right now.

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harukaprism · 2 years

Text

It all went wrong

Pairing: Bonten Ran Haitani x F!Reader

Warnings: Where there is no smut in this MDNI, this contains very heavy adult themes. Angst with comfort at the end, injuries inflicted on reader and Ran, blood, much swearing, so many fucks dropped, heavy violence inflicted by Ran, Rindou and Sanzu, many confused feelings, alcohol consumption, some prospective shifts from reader to Ran, emotional abuse, possessive Ran, death threats against reader by Mikey and Sanzu, use of princess and angel as a pet name, ran calls you a bitch, sorry not sorry.

Word Count: 5,732

Dawn's notes: I only thought of one line of dialog for this fic, and this is what happened. Reposting it cause tumblr hates me, third times a fucking charm

Drunkenly you stumbled out of the second club for the night, your friends had dragged you out of your sad state to drink the pain away.

The reason you were drinking? The one person who was blowing up your phone currently. If he wanted to he could track your phone to find you. Not that you cared. You wouldn't see him again.

Ran Haitani could eat shit and die.

What brought you to this decision? It was quite simple. You were a toy to him, someone to use for his pleasure and his pleasure only. You were nothing to him.

You dreaded things like this, Ran calling late at night. ‘A long day at work’ excuse rolling off his tongue, calls for his pleasure, to distract him from what was a bad day. He didn’t care as to what you were doing, he seemed to have stopped caring.

It wasn’t like this at first, going to high school with him he seemed genuinely interested in you, he asked about your day, how you were feeling, he took you out to nice fancy dinners.

But now?

He treated you like a cheap whore, ever since you found out about Bonten and what he did for work it seemed like he wanted to push you away but only wanted you to stop everything. Just like every time, he called you begging for you to come over to take care of him.

“Ran, I don’t think we should be doing this anymore.” You tried to speak with all the courage you could muster.

“Don’t be ridiculous, I’m already outside your apartment complex. Come on.” He was so insistent, and he knew you always had a hard time saying no to him.

But tonight you would say no. Putting on your sandals you made your way down the 5 flights of stairs to his black car, you heard the doors unlock but you didn’t move to the passenger side like always. You knocked on the window gently.

He amused you and rolled it down. “Come on what's the problem?”

“Ran. I can’t keep doing this, I can’t keep having sex with you when you only think of yourself. I’m done with whatever this is.” Stay strong, you have to stay strong.

His lilac eyes met yours, he wasn't happy. “What game are you trying to play here, doll? We have been doing this for long enough now. Get in the car.”

“I’m saying no. I don’t want to keep doing this.” You stared into his eyes, desperately trying to get across how hurt you were.

Ran turned off the car and got out glaring at you. “You don’t say no to me. Get in the fucking car.” His hand came up to grab your face but you smacked it away. “What, you on your period or something? You’re acting weird.”

Okay, that was it. “Excuse me?! Acting weird? Sex has to be consetual! I am not saying yes to this Ran!” Tears threatened to spill out but you kept them at bay. “You’re the one acting weird! You aren’t the Ran I know and you haven’t been since I knew what you did for work!” You knew better than to name drop the biggest crime syndicate in all of Japan. When he didn’t say anything you rolled your eyes which made the tears fall down your face. “Of course you have nothing to say about that. I’m not some fucking cheap 3 A.M booty call Ran!”

With that being said you made your way back to your apartment wiping your tears off of your face. You couldn’t believe that you cried over him, he didn’t care about you, he never did and it was apparent.

Everything he did was just to sleep with you, all the gifts, dates, the gentle nights where you were bare chested against him and he whispered beautiful words in your ear, the days where you had it bad and he came over to just cuddle with you and took care of you. He was just a playboy playing the long game.

And of course, this came up on a Wednesday night so you had to go through two more days of work before you could go on a bender for the weekend to deal with this.

Work had gone by slowly but once you clocked out on Friday you had messaged your friends to go out drinking at some clubs, clubs that of course were managed by Bonten for money laundering and fraud.

You knew what clubs Ran always went to so you knew where to avoid him. After changing into a little black dress and some nice heels you met your friends outside. With a DD set up that was not you, everyone piled into the car and was taken to the clubs.

The first three clubs were good, you had fun with your friends and drank a lot. But when you got to the fourth club is where it all went downhill.

Once you all got out to go into the final club you saw a very familiar car and a certain lavender and black haired man with a pinkett.

Violet eyes met yours and your body betrayed you, you started to walk towards him and it looked like he was doing the same; but your friend grabbed you and dragged you away. You were here to get over Ran Haitani, not fuck him in the VIP booths in front of Sanzu.

The second you hit the bar you regretted coming out. You just wanted to go home, your friends kept trying to get you to the dancefloor but you could feel his gaze on you from the top floors. You knew he was watching every move you made, counted every drink you had, he was always all around you.

With enough liquid courage to make you drunk you finally got on the dancefloor and stayed close to your friends in the crowd trying to hide from his gaze, you even tried to dance with other men but you stopped doing anything when you saw Ran with another woman. Kissing.

Anger welled inside you, not that it was justified but it didn’t matter. “Hey, imma head home. Hate it here.” You mumbled to the sober friend and while they protested you made your way out of the club. Home was 30 minutes away, your feet hurt, and you were drunk. But not drunk enough to not get home and be aware of your surroundings.

As you started walking you heard Ran call your name as he ran after you, unfortunately he was fast. Damn his long ass legs. You didn’t say anything as you kept walking ignoring him, you didn’t need him anymore.

“Stop ignoring me!” Suddenly his hand grabbed you roughly, pulling you back to him. Your head connected with his chest, this was not going to help with your hangover tomorrow. Quickly stomping on his foot you wiggled out of his hold and took off running. “You fucking bitch!”

You knew he would catch up with you but you quickly took off your heels and kept running, even if your feet got hurt and you were bleeding you had to make it home before he could touch you again. He was behind you again and called out your name while you kept running.

"Would you just listen to me dammit!" Ran yelled, he hardly ever yelled around you but you didn't care, you were done with him.

Turning to face him you chucked your heels at his head; you managed to hit his chest. "Fuck you!" You screamed as you started running up the steps to your apartment.

"For fucks sake." You could hear him chasing after you but you couldn't stop, if you stopped he won.

Once you reached your door you started to fumble with your keys, you just had to hurry and get in and lock him out. "Leave me the fuck alone!" You finally managed to get your door open and you were already halfway closing it when his big stupid foot stopped it.

"Open the door." He was angry.

You would not be intimidated in your own home. So with all of the force your body possessed you started to slam the door against his foot, all you had to do was inflict enough pain to get him to move and then he was out of your life.

"Stop it! You're crushing my fucking foot!" Suddenly the door was weightless and it slammed shut, sounding with a click signifying that it was locked and you were safe. Covering your ears you leaned against the wall right by the door; no matter how much you tried to drown out the noise of Ran banging on the door calling out your name it rang in your head. You didn’t know what to do other than cry, he wouldn’t leave until he got what he wanted. That's how it always worked with him.

You didn’t know how long he had stayed demanding for you but eventually your neighbors were fed up with his antics and forced him to leave, though you knew he would be back and you may have a complaint from the manager of course.

Once his voice got out of your head you tumbled your way to your bathroom and drew yourself a hot bath, food, water and Advil will fix the body aches. The emotional damage can be dealt with later.

Removing your makeup as you let the bath fill up you stared at yourself in the mirror. You had let yourself get to this point, used by Ran for everything you were made of, for everything that you were. He took and took and took without giving anything. You knew you would be picking out lilac and black hair out of your clothes for years.

Quickly slipping off your dress you slid into the warm water and held your knees to your chest. You would have to call Rindou to get your stuff from their apartment, and while he handed it over you could give him what Ran had here. That was not a conversation you wanted to have.

After your bath you took a look at your phone, missed calls, unread texts even fucking emails. He was ridiculous.

Making sure you turned it on silent, you put it on the charger and flopped into bed. You could deal with everything tomorrow, this is not how you wanted to spend your Friday night. Soon exhaustion swept over you and dragged you into a restless slumber.

A knock to your front door startled you from your sleep. You silently made your way to the door, looking out of the peephole you saw it was not the Haitani you never wanted to see again. Slowly you unlocked the door and cracked it open. “Is he with you?”

Rindou shook his head holding up a drink holder and a plastic bag full of food. “Nope, it’s just me. Can I come in?” You stepped back and opened the door fully. “I brought bagels, you like them right? I just figured it would be an easy breakfast after last night, Sanzu saw that you were shitfaced.” He yawned walking in and closed the door taking his shoes off. “I also have coffee.”

The two of you sat in your living room staring at the blank T.V in complete silence. After you two had ate he looked at you. “So, he fucked up huh?” You could only nod as you watched the coffee in the cup settle. “Want me to get your stuff from the apartment?”

“If you would be so kind, he only has some cologne and hair shit here so you can take it all home today.” You finally met his eyes. “Does he still have my shoes from last night?”

Rindou nodded as he sat back. “Bro was pissed when he came home last night, I was tryin’ to sleep and he ruined it all. But who gives a fuck about him. How are you holding up?”

Shaking your head you fell into the leather of the couch. “I’ll get over it in time. For now I just have to just live my life right?”

Rindou let out a sigh as his head rolled back and met the back of your couch. “It’s okay to not be okay, you know that right? Ran fucked up, that is on him not you.”

“Rin, could you just reassure MIkey I won’t say anything about Bonten? I don’t want to end up on the opposite side of Sanzu's guns.” You knew better than to snitch on anything with Bonten, it would only end up with you dead and everyone in more trouble.

“Yeah pretty, you got it.” The two of you sat in silence for a while before his phone went off with a call. “What’s up bro? Nah I haven’t seen her. Why would I go looking for her? Oi, don’t yell at me! Just take a breather and I’ll be home in a sec. Yeah yeah yeah.” With that he hung up and stood. “I gotta go, just text me when you want to exchange stuff. I’ll pack it after work.”

You followed him to the door and hugged him. “Thanks Rin, I hope we can still be friends.”

“Of course we can, Ran didn’t fuck up our relationship.” Rindou gave you a big squeeze and walked out of your apartment with his car keys in hand.

At least one tie with your friends wouldn’t be ruined.

It hadn’t even been 24 hours and Ran was stressed. His foot hurt thanks to you, his calls, texts and emails were left unread and unanswered. Did he have to fucking send a carrier pigeon to get you to talk to him?

“You should relax, Ran.” Takeomi spoke as he lit a cigarette. “You should just give her space.”

Ran could only internally roll his eyes, he had no idea what you were like, he didn’t know the relationship the two of you had.

You needed him, you couldn’t live without him. He had to have you in his life.

The door to the office opened and in walked in his younger brother. “Hold up bro, I have to talk to Mikey real quick. Yo Sanzu! Is the boss free right now? Got something important.”

Ran watched as Sanzu let his little brother into Mikey's office, his arm movements were too quick for his liking, he was talking faster than normal; far too much for his liking.

He watched as Mikey nodded slowly and dismissed Rindou, the second he was out of the office Ran grabbed him and dragged him to their own office. “What was that? Did you do something stupid?”

His younger brother glared back at him. “I’m not the one who did something stupid, I am cleaning up your mess.”

Bitch, what? “What the hell are you talking about, I don’t cause messes.”

Rindou rolled his eyes. “The hell you don’t! What about her huh? How were you going to guarantee that she wouldn’t go to the cops and turn you in for being a part of Bonten? How were you going to keep her safe if any word got out about you dating her? What about-”

“We weren’t dating!” Ran interrupted, he obviously would keep you safe from everyone, he would keep enemies away from you, make sure cops didn’t get too close to you.

“Excuse me? You weren’t dating? So what were you, fuck buddies, sugar daddy and sugar baby, or were you just playing around with her feelings? Was she just sex to you?” Why was he getting defensive on your behalf, he had no right to. What you and Ran were was none of his business.

Then it clicked. “You lied to me, you went to see her didn’t you?”

“So what if I did! Someone had to be there for her, you clearly weren’t going to do it. You should have seen what she looked like, I didn’t recognize her!” It was rare for Rindou to get so worked up over you, it happened a few times when the two of you would fight. “You aren’t even listening.” With that his younger brother left the office.

Something was definitely wrong, so why wouldn’t you just talk to him? Maybe he would take Takemoi’s advice and give you space.

…Yeah he wouldn’t do that.

It had only been a week, the emails stopped but you got daily texts and calls.

Ran:

8:30 AM: Good morning, how’d you sleep?

11:12 AM: Missed call

11:15 AM: You have lunch right now right? Wanna go grab somethin?

11:30 AM: Missed call

6:30 PM: Are you off yet? I can drive you home.

6:31 PM: Missed call

8:00 PM: Did you eat dinner yet?

10:00 PM Missed call

Every day it was like this, if you still weren’t so pissed off you would admire the dedication to the schedule he kept but you were still pissed. Every call and text was ignored, everytime your phone would vibrate you dreaded it, knowing on the clock it would be Ran trying to get back into your life. At this point it would just be easier to get a new number then keep dealing with this.

But there was a part of you that was still attached to him, it was so mental but you somewhat liked the idea that he was still around in some way, he may care in his own way. It was like a safety blanket, it was comforting to see he may care about you.

But that night replayed in your mind, it reminded you that you were better off without him. The timeline was the same every day, calls, texts, voicemails. Every impulse in you begged you to talk to him, but you didn’t.

You couldn’t let him back in.

You forced yourself out of bed every day, work drudged on. Every once in a while you heard the news talking about Bonten, unintentionally you always listened to see if possibly Ran had been arrested or caught, maybe even killed.

Of course he never was, he was smart, untouchable. A god among men.

No stop thinking about him! You thought as you grabbed your things from your desk. Even when you tried to force yourself to forget about him, he invaded your brain. “He’s like a parasite.” You whispered as you started your walk home.

It stayed like this for two months. You had seen Rindou here and there, going out for tea, him bringing take out over, a few texts here and there.

But the nights were the worst, your bed was empty and cold. Deep in your heart you yeared for Rans warm chest pressed to your back, he never was the little spoon how rude of him, you wanted him close to you at all times when you were at your loneliest.

Showers and baths were lonely without him calling you or letting himself in to bug you, Ran Haitani had taken over your life and you hated it. You decided to take a you day.

Taking a day off was a rare occasion for you, so when you woke up to pounding on the door early in the morning you rolled over and snuggled further into your covers. That was until you heard a very familiar voice.

"Open up." Sanzu spoke as he knocked again.

Quickly moving out of your room you made your way to the door and opened it. You were met with Sanzu and Mikey looking very upset. "M-Mikey, come in." You swallowed as you stepped aside for the two to enter.

You watched as the two walked into your living room and took a seat. You followed them and smiled gently. "Can I get you some tea?"

Mikey shook his head. "I just wanted to have a little chat. Sit."

Knowing better than to disobey you sat down looking at him, you weren't the type to snitch and you knew you hadn't said anything about Bonten.

"We know all about your little stint with Ran. We knew from the beginning," Mikey started, stating facts you already knew. "That's why I'm here. I know you know what we do to traitors and people who stab us in the back."

Rindou promised he would take care of this, did he not talk to him? "Mikey I wouldn't say anything about Bonten, I barely even knew about it until two months ago."

His bleak eyes met yours. "Yes but that doesn't mean you won't tell the cops about anything. I can't trust you." As he spoke Sanzu moved behind you and something cold met the back of your head. "If anything gets out, I will send Sanzu to clean this up."

"Do you want me to pull the trigger now boss or later?" Sanzu asked as he pressed the gun harder against your head.

Tears immediately filled your eyes, why was this happening to you? You wouldn't say anything, he knew that, yet he was threatening you now. Your throat felt frozen shut, you couldn't say anything. If they were going to kill you at least it would be in the peace of your own home.

Mikey stood up and shoved his hands into the pocket of his sweats. "Later, I think we got the point across." With that the two left your apartment, message received.

You immediately fell to your knees in front of the chair you had been sitting in. Why was this happening to you?

Ran had a bad feeling in his gut the entire day, something happened. Something bad.

Naturally all calls and texts to you went unanswered but he couldn't accept that, not today.

Just as he grabbed the keys to his car the door to the office opened and in walked Mikey and Sanzu, the latter refusing to meet his questioning eyes.

Yeah, that set the mood for today. Sure they didn’t get along but Sanzu would always shoot the shit with him from time to time. “Koko, what’s up Sanzus ass today?”

The raven haired man looked up at him from his laptop. “How the hell would I know that? I am busy getting us money to deal with it. Anyway, there are some loose ends that Mikey wants you brothers and Takeomi to deal with, I just sent the email to you.”

Rude, with a huff he took out his phone and looked over the details of everything, yet another traitor and backstabber. Shouldn't take long.

He apparently lied to himself, it took literally all day. The bastard was fast and quick on his feet, but of course once they caught him it was a bloody end for the man, not his problem. The three were cleaning up at Ran and RIndous' apartment since it happened to be close by.

After Takeomi cleaned up, Ran stood texting you in the doorway, of course to no response back but he could live with it as long as you read it, which you typically did but you hadn’t read any of his messages today.

“You love her and you make it painful to watch.” Takeomi chimed up as he got his spare shirt back on.

“What the hell do you know? You’ve never been in love.” Ran groaned as he unbuttoned his vest, now soaked in blood.

“Don’t need to be when I have someone disgusting like you to show me what I do not want in a partnership.” Dark eyes met his as he glared. “You are letting her affect you and your work, if you don’t figure out that you love her and admit that to her, you are going to lose her.” With that the older man left their apartment, leaving the brothers in silence.

Ran pushed his hair back as he watched Rindou take off his very soaked gloves, hands stained bloodied with their crime.

The younger man paused as his phone went off, he couldn't read the name but shrugged it off as he put on speaker. "Hey, what's-"

A sob that was all too familiar to him, his body went rigid as he listened to your sobs course through the room. "R-r-rin." You choked out.

"I thought you were going to talk to Mikey, h-h-he stopped by a-a-and I'm so scared." You tried breathing out but you still couldn't get any coherent words through.

There were only two thoughts in his mind, he did this to you and he had to see you. Quickly snatching the phone, Ran took it off speaker. "I'll be over immediately." With that he hung up and took off running.

Traffic meant nothing to the man, you were terrified and he did it to you. He had to reach you quickly. The second he reached the apartment complex he started running up all of the stairs, the stairs he missed, the stairs where the two of you shared so many secret kisses, he almost confessed how he felt about you in these stairways.

He should have done it earlier, he should have saved you, he should have realized.

He loved you.

The second he reached your apartment door he went to force it open but once he turned the knob he found it unlocked. Not a good sign. He didn’t bother taking his shoes off, he ran through the opening and into your living room.

Every muscle in his body lurched forward as he saw you curled up on the floor, you looked unhurt physically but that didn’t mean shit. Ran fell to his knees and wrapped his long arms around you holding you in his lap. “Ran…” Your eyes were wide, like you were scared of him, he expected you to push him away, tell him to get out and never come back again.

But you forced your way further into his hold, crying harder in his embrace, your nails digging through the fabric of his jacket and vest biting his skin. He didn’t care, he just wanted you to find comfort in him and care for his embrace.

“Who did this to you?” His words were soft and gentle, he knew it was Mikey, he couldn’t take any actions against him but he sure as hell would take action on who he came with.

“I-it was Sanzu.” You choked out as your sobs shook your body.

Haruchiyo Sanzu huh? He knew exactly what to do. Ran held you close until the sounds of his brother's footsteps came into the room. “Rindou, keep her safe or it’s your ass.” With you in safe hands the tall man stood up and strode out the door loosening his tie ready to deal with this.

The second he got to the hideout Koko tried to talk to him but he pushed past, violet eyes focused on the little head of pink that he could see walking out of the office of their boss.

“Ran, what’s up with you? You look pissed.” Kakucho looked up at him trying to stand in the way, no matter. Ran took off his jacket and started to undo his vest as he pushed past Kakucho. “Ran?”

Throwing his clothing to the side he reached Sanzu, Ran has killed before and he will kill again. Everything seemed to be in slow motion at first, no one had any time to react as Ran made a fist reeling back and struck the man right across the jaw.

Sanzu fell backwards and that was just perfect for Ran Haitani. Quickly, he got on his knees over the pinkett and started to strike him multiple times in the face. Blood flew from his nose and hit Ran in the face but that didn’t stop him, Sanzu posed a threat to the one person he should be able to protect most of all.

“Holy fuck Ran! Stop it man you’re gonna him!” Takeomi ran over with Kakucho grabbing onto Ran pulling him off.

“You really want to fuck around and threaten my girl huh?! Threaten her life? I will make you fucking unrecognizable!” Ran struggled as the two kept him held back. Ran felt the hold on his arms lossen for a split second and he slipped out of their hold and tackled Sanzu again.

Even if he wanted to stop, which he didn’t, he couldn’t. Ran only saw red, it was anger and the blood spewing from the number two's face. It only took two months away from you for people to start messing everything up.

This time Takeomi tackled him to the side pinning his hands down. “That is enough Haitani!” No it wasn’t, Sanzu was still breathing.

Kokonoi helped the other man stand up as everyone stared at Ran. He had finally let his calm facade drop, he couldn’t control himself when it came to anything that put your life in danger. Everyone's eyes went to the door of Mikey’s as it slowly opened. “Ran, I think you should take some time off. Leave.”

Shrugging Takeomi off, Ran grabbed his jacket and vest. “If I ever see you around her again Sanzu, I will make sure no one will find your body.” With that he left the office and went back to your apartment, for now at least he could protect you himself.

Rindou had finally calmed you down, giving you a cup of tea and securing your apartment you sat patiently waiting for Ran to return. You had not expected this outcome, though you should have expected it being that the two lived together and based on the amount of blood that caked Rins hands now it was on speaker.

“You sure you want to see my brother? I get that this was a pretty big thing to happen but you can tell him no.” Rindou sat across from you staring at your shaking hands.

You weren’t going to admit it, especially after all of the things that happened to the two of you but… “Yeah, I love Ran Haitani for all he is, jackass and everything.”

You shook your head. “It’s going to sound so weird, seeing him and being held by him today…it felt like I was feeling better when I was around him. It’s morbid right? After everything I find comfort in him.”

Rindou groaned and laid his head on the back of the chair he was in. “God you really do love him don’t you?”

“Oh that’s real sweet of you princess. Admitting to love after such a harrowing experience, how romantic of you.” Ran cooed, Rindou and yourself turned quickly to look at the taller man.

“Bro what did you do?” Rindou was on his feet first to reach his older brother who was covered in blood. You were on his heels running over.

“Ran what did you do?” Panic ran over your body, did he try to fight Mikey, is he a dead man walking? Was he going to be taken away from you when you just got him back?

Pushing his little brother away his long arms enveloped you in a tight hug. “I took care of Sanzu, no one threatens you like that, no one threatens my girl.”

“Your girl huh? Now you want to say she’s yours?” Rindou questioned, obviously teasing the two of you.

“Why are you still here mullet head? Begone foul beast, I have two months of damage to make up here.” Using his long legs and not letting go of you, Ran started to shove his younger brother out of your apartment.

“Ran that’s rude! Rin isn’t that bad.” You joked, but in all honesty you wanted him gone too, you wanted to spend some alone time together.

“Alright alright! I’m leaving, no fucking you hear me? It ain't healthy.” With that Rindou left your apartment, closing the door gently.

“Ran-” You started but you were quickly interrupted.

“Wait a sec angel, I want to start.” You let Ran lead you to the couch and got comfortable, looking into his eyes you let him hold your hands inside his large ones. “I know a sorry won’t make up for what happened, but I am so deeply sorry for hurting you. That wasn’t ever my intention.” His long fingers intertwined themselves with yours holding them tightly, it didn’t hurt but it was a comforting pressure. “I was confused on what I wanted from you, before you learned that I was a part of Bonten it was great. It was the one thing I had to hide from you, hide

the monster I am. We had fun playing, but then you found out and saw the crack in the foundation.”

Was he a monster? Yeah probably, he killed people for a living and you knew about that one time he killed to save Rindou that landed him in juvie, you knew his life, you knew what he was capable of. Untangling your hands you held his soft cheeks. “Ran, what we did, I enjoyed it. But I was so confused about what you really wanted from me, you kept me so close then threw me away the second I learned about your job.”

This was the hardest part, if he rejected you now you would have to cut it off and be okay with that. “Answer me truthfully. Do you love me Ran?”

Those beautiful lavender eyes met yours for the first time since you sat down, what you didn’t expect were tears to be leaking from them. “Yes, I am so terrified of how much I love you princess. I have never loved like this, I’ve fucked around and messed up a lot. I want you to be mine, forever.” Now that you had your answer you threw yourself at him, wrapping him up in a tight hug. “You have to be a saint if you are even wanting to keep me around after everything I put you through.”

Yeah he was right. “Well every saint needs their sinner right?” Throwing a teary eyed grin at him you relaxed into his tight hold, it was like he was still afraid of you running away from him.

Like that would ever happen.

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