#anyway I woke up and was like huh so my subconscious just went all space jesus?? in MY dystopian sci-fi dream? more likely than you think

[egcdeath]

act natural

pairing: steve rogers x reader

summary: sometimes, you just have to share the bed. 

word count: 2.4k

warnings: fluff, sharing a bed, idiots in love, cheesy

a/n: this is really just an excuse for me to write a lot of self indulgent bants, but it’s also a part of @stargazingfangirl18’s soft!dark challenge, and i decided to write something soft and use the prompt of only having one bed! (p.s. i like did not edit this at all so if a few words are used a lot pls forgive me) 

Dinner at the safehouse was finally wrapping up after a long day of getting your ass beat by an angry android and a few enhanced teenagers. You and everyone else around you seemed to be more than exhausted from the extensive day of revisiting deeply repressed traumas, and petty arguments between teammates over who was truly at fault for every predicament you found yourselves in.

You took a long and final swig from a beer bottle, glancing up to Bruce and Nat as they stood up and pushed in their chairs, retiring for the night. 

“Thanks for hosting us, Laura,” Natasha offered, grabbing her plate from the dinner table, and dropping it off in the dishwasher.

“Of course, guys. Any time,” she gave a half smile to her friend, then looked back at the table, where everyone else had taken the memo, and found themselves somewhere in the process of leaving the table, or grabbing their dishes, “but before you all go, I wanted to warn you that someone else is gonna have to share a room tonight.”

You glanced over at Steve, who was on your left, and Tony, who was sat at the head of the table. You and Steve shared an awkward chuckle at the thought of being in the same bed, not even considering the similarly uncomfortable situation of sharing a bed with Tony. 

“I think I’ll be rooming alone. These two lovebirds can share,” Tony chided before either of you even had a chance to think of a response. You looked back over at Steve, whose cheeks were currently dusted with a light shade of pink, and the bigger man quickly looked away from you.

“Tony, you know we are not- you know what, nevermind,” you huffed, deciding the argument was not worth it. 

Tony shook his head as he dropped his dishes off in the dishwasher. “So no objections?” he asked teasingly, eyeing you both with a smirk on his way back from the kitchen. “Why am I not surprised?” You could’ve sworn you heard Clint and Fury laughing to themselves before excusing themselves from the table, and dispursting though the house.

Besides the slight humiliation of being teased for your situation, you weren’t too concerned about the act of spending the night, or next few nights with Steve. You and Steve were friends, or something like that. Just a few pals with crushes that you refused to admit to each other (or yourselves).

Pushing this thought aside, you grabbed the neck of your empty beer bottle, along with a few pieces of silverware and marched off to the mechanical cleaner yourself. You dropped off the things that needed to be cleaned, tossed your bottle in the recycling bin, then went to turn away when Steve grabbed your arm, automatically catching your attention. 

“Is this okay with you?” He asked, letting his vice grip on your arm go.

“It’s fine. I’ll see you upstairs,” you muttered before speeding off, and heading upstairs where you strolled into the only vacant room, with the door wide open, and both your own and Steve’s duffle bags on the floor. 

You made a mental note to thank whoever brought them in (probably Laura), and dug through your bag to find something even slightly comfortable to sleep in, eventually settling on an oversized shirt and your favorite cotton shorts. 

You had just barely finished changing in the tiny closet when you heard the soft click of the room door, notifying you of Steve’s arrival. You slid open the closet door, and made a beeline for the bed, flopping onto the left side, and reaching for your phone as a distraction. 

“Do you want me to sleep on the floor?” Steve asked, searching through his own bag until he found the only clean comfortable pair of pants he had in there, that just happened to be a jokey Christmas gift donned with a red white and blue color scheme, and graphics of mini shields on it.  

“What the hell, Steve. Of course not,” you set your phone down so that you could get a better look at him. “We probably have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.” You could live with that excuse, especially considering that it would not be very becoming of you to tell your crush that missing an opportunity to sleep in the same bed as him feels like a federal crime. 

He stood up from his squatting position, squeezing into the tight space of the closet so that he could change into the corny pants, and finally get out of his clothes from the day, “I just didn’t want to make things weird.”

“Well, they won’t be as long as you stay on your side, okay?” You said petulantly, setting two pillows across the middle of the queen sized bed and attempting to ignore the excited butterflies in your stomach. 

“I will,” Steve responded, exiting the closet slipping into the right side of the bed cautiously, and looking at the wall that was facing him.

You glanced over at Steve, and when you caught wind of his shirtless torso, you couldn’t help but to look away with a warm face,“this is so awkward now,” you said after a beat. “Why couldn’t you have roomed with Tony?”

“Tony is the worst bed mate ever. Total blanket and pillow hog,” Steve chuckled, attempting to ease up some of the tension.

“You’re no saint either. I’ve heard you’re a cuddler,” you bantered back, allowing yourself one more glance at the man. Steve seemed to be having the same thought as you at the same time as you, as your eyes briefly met. 

It was uncomfortably silent in the room once more, and you reached over to your nightstand to turn off the bedside lamp, “Goodnight, Y/N.”

“Night, Steve,” you turned your back to the border of pillows, fell into a fetal position, and squeezed your eyes shut, hoping that you’d be able to find some sort of peace after such a bizarre day. You tried not to dwell so much on the horrors you’d been forced to face earlier, and instead relied on the rhythmic breathing coming from the man next to you to ground you.

----

You weren’t sure when exactly you fell asleep, but a jolting of your bed, and a bit of a commotion coming from somewhere in your room pulled you away from your unsettling dreams.

Blinking yourself awake, you uncurled your body, and rolled over to look at Steve, whose legs were thrown over the edge of the bed while he panted heavily.

“Steve?” you slurred sleepily, “you ‘kay?”

“’m fine,” he yawned.

“Well you woke me up,” you mumbled, throwing your head back against a pillow.

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. I was having a shitty dream anyway.”

“Really? I was too,” Steve refused to look at you, staring blankly at the wall.

“So tell me about it,” you hummed.

“It’s just… I keep thinking about how I missed out on so many things from the past. I could’ve been happy, living out my days in a semi-peaceful and familiar world. Not anything like this.”

You sat up as you listened, pushing aside a pillow from the border you’d constructed to move closer to Steve and set a reassuring hand on his back.

“I guess I just wish that I was there. With everyone and everything I used to know.”

“But it’s not all bad, right?” you offered, and Steve shrugged before looking down. 

 “I’m sorry. I really am. I know that I’ll never truly understand that, but there’s nothing any of us can do about it now. You’re here now, and you have no other choice but to make the best of it. I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but if you spend all of your time in the present lamenting about what things could’ve been in the past, you’re just gonna be miserable forever,” you rambled sleepily, words slurring occasionally. 

“Your experience is so unique, so I could be getting this all wrong, but there are plenty of good things here in the now. I mean, a world without the internet? I don’t know if that’s a world worth living in,” you chuckled softly, and were joined in your quiet laughter by the man on the other side of your bed.

“Seriously, though. I know you can’t control your dreams, but maybe your subconscious is letting you know that it’s okay to let go. Of like, the past. It might just be time for you to move on and be happy. I’m sure that Peggy and everyone else from your past would’ve wanted that for you too.” In the dark, you saw the silhouette of Steve’s head nodding. 

“You always know what to say, huh?” he asked, kicking his legs back over onto the bed while you scooted back over into your previous space. 

“I’m like half asleep right now, Steve. If you asked me to repeat half of what I just said, I would not know what to say,” you giggled. 

“You wanna talk about your dream?” Steve asked in a concerned tone. 

“Mmm, I actually just wanna go to sleep. As crazy as that may sound,” 

“Is there anything that I can do to help you not have another bad one?”

“Hmmm,” you pondered, becoming a bit more lethargic by the moment. “Spoon me?”

“As you wish,” Steve happily obliged, grabbing one of the pillows from the middle of the bed and adding it to his stash of pillows. 

You threw a pillow from the border between your knees, and received a strange look from Steve. “What? I heard it’s good for your back.” He still didn’t seem convinced. “Stop being so judgy and cuddle me already,” you murmured, turning your body so that you could lay on your side.

Steve scooted closer to you, and you pressed your back to the front of his chest. He tossed an arm over you and somehow managed to pull you even closer to him. You swore you hadn’t been this comfortable since you left the womb, and you nearly purred in response. 

“Can I make a request?” he asked.

You simply nodded.

“Can we just… talk until we fall back asleep?” 

“That’s really cute,” you mumbled into your pillow. 

“You just have a relaxing voice!” he defended playfully.

“You are such a dork,” you giggled. “What do you want to talk about?”

“Just tell me about… I dunno, anything.”

“That was so helpful, Steven.”

“My bad. Tell me about your favorite… mission?”

“Mm, probably that one time you and I had to go undercover for like a month to bust that arms dealer.”

“Which one?”

“Some dude in the Midwest. Can’t remember his name.”

“Oh yeah, yeah I know who you’re talking about.”

“It was fun being your life partner for a month. We were really good at being domestic.”

“Hmm, now that I think about it, we really were. Do you remember that cookout?”

“Of course I do,” you laughed at the memory. “Everyone else was getting so drunk, but you just… couldn’t. They were like Joseph, you’re such a beast, and shit. And who would’ve guessed that you, the old timer would be such a beast on the grill.”

“Well, who would’ve guessed that you were so good at cornhole?”

“Was I really that good? Or were you just really bad? Like really bad, especially for someone whose skill set revolves around having good aim,” you teased.

Steve scoffed and laughed, shaking his head at you. 

“How didn’t those people recognize us? I just don’t get it.”

“You’d be surprised how much a beard and dyed hair can change your look.”

“I guess,” you sighed softly, and set a hand on top of Steve’s. “Does this feel counterproductive to you? We’re just sitting here giggling. We’re probably getting less tired.”

“I guess I am less tired. But I’m also not thinking about the impending robot apocalypse.”

“Well now that you brought it up, I’m thinking about the impending robot apocalypse. You better fix this, Rogers.” Emboldened by what must’ve been the butterflies in your stomach falling asleep, you began to roll a bit in his arms so you were facing each other, kicking away the pillow between your legs in the process. 

“How can I make it up to you?” Steve asked, raising a brow.

“You’re the man with a plan, right? Think of something,” your lip quirked slightly in a smirk.

Steve leaned in just the smallest amount, before a lightbulb seemed to go off in his head. “I got it. We can do one of those one word stories until we fall asleep.”

Well, that’s not exactly how you thought this moment was going to go. 

“Okay, I’ll start then,” you nodded, pressing your head down against a soft pillow, and looking up at Steve, “once.”

“There,” Steve added.

“Was.”

“A.”

“Death-bot,” you giggled. 

“Okay, Y/N. No. No more stories. We can just listen to each other breathe now until we fall asleep like before since you wanna ruin the mood.”

“What mood? And you listened to me breathe?”

“What else was I gonna listen to?” he furrowed his brows, “it’s too late for this anyway. We can talk in the morning.”

“All you had to do was tell me that it’s way past your bedtime, and I would be understanding. But goodnight anyway, Stevie,” you cracked him one last smile, not budging from your position as you closed your eyes. 

It was silent for a few minutes before Steve whispered up out of the blue, “you still awake?”

You slurred something into the pillow, much more asleep than awake. 

“Well, I really like you a lot. Maybe one day I’ll get the guts to tell you that when you’re not completely out of it.”

You grunted as a response, and Steve couldn’t seem to wipe the grin off his face, not while he was falling asleep, and certainly not during his rather pleasant dreams.

——

You just couldn’t seem to catch a break with your wake up calls. While you and Steve seemed to sleep through the rapping against the door, and the door itself opening, you both seemed to become aware after the artificial shutter of an iPhone camera flooded through your ears.

“You guys just looked so cute, I wanted to archive this moment for the rest of time. And I’m sure the team will be glad to see that you got along well last night,” Nat teased as your eyes widened and you shot up. “Breakfast is ready downstairs, by the way.”

Well, you two were going to have a great time explaining this one. 

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x female reader #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x y/n #avengers fanfiction #captain america fanfiction #captain america x reader #chris evans x reader #siris5ksoftdarkchallenge

[redmaneroster]

Our Home Away From Home, Away From Home

[1] [2] [3] [x-x] [6] [7] [8-9] [10]

PART 4 – Coping

Qrow isn't exactly the intimidating uncle so much as he is the nervous older friend. Sure, he comes in with cheek and swagger, but he hesitates sometimes and watches what he says. Things are uncomfortable for a while.

Jaune and Qrow are sitting alone on the sofa, eyes passed the TV and out the window. Jaune breaks the silence and asks him how he knew. Qrow, surprisingly, explains that he turned into a bird and followed them home. He fully intended to leave when they got into the door but then he overheard the bit about Ruby going missing so he sat by the window and waited for updates.

He fell asleep on the windowsill.

Yang's moaning woke him up.

Both men don't even dare look each other in the eye. They both agree not to bring that up with her for as long as they live.

It's minutes later after they've both taken a swig from their flasks that Qrow asks, "So what are you two?"

"I don't know," he answers; almost apologetic. Almost fearful, but not of Qrow. "We're close and trying to… forget things."

"Yeah, I can see that." Qrow takes another swig. "Tell me, is this about Tai and Rae?"

"More than a little, yeah."

"Those two idiots aren't the least bit careful anymore… I'm sorry she's lumping it onto you. If I'd done better, none of this would have happened."

"I don't mind just listening to her."

"I know. It's the fact that she has to go through it at all… She's still in school. Distractions are dangerous when you're still fresh on the hunt."

Jaune laughs. "She's been doing this for years. If anything, I'm the one that's still green."

"You runts don't get to be proper huntsmen unless you've faced a real, proper threat or graduated. To a licensed huntsman, there's a reason why you're all still in-training. All the glory and shit is the stuff you gotta revel in while you're still in the safety of these halls instead of roughing it in the wilds day after day, facing odds stacked against you."

Qrow is amicable, asking only that he doesn't also seduce Ruby. Jaune's confusion is answer enough. He's no Casanova. He isn't Taiyang. Qrow has it that he believes men like him are unprepared as partners and fathers. Jaune disagrees, saying that his own father was like Tai. To him, any man can work their way into being a proper partner.

They talk about it for long enough that Yang stumbles back into the apartment. She hopes Qrow hasn't spilled any embarrassing stories about her.

They're deftly quiet at that.

-0-

Yang doesn't stay long (it isn't like she spends every weekend with him after all), but she lingers at the door. She hears their muffled voices through the gaps but she doesn't strain her ears to decipher them. She isn't here to eavesdrop.

She hears them laugh. Briefly, she wonders if even Qrow knows Jaune more than she does.

Breathing evenly, she calms the fiery doubts and walks off.

-0-

"What are your intentions?" Qrow asks an hour later, once he's sure Yang is long gone because of course he knows when she's there.

"We didn't sleep together."

Qrow winces at the thought of them. Then it's so deeply uncomfortable that his whole body shudders. "Ah, god, fuck! Damn it, kid, I don't want to think about you two naked! How would you feel if I shared my stories with you!"

Jaune, similarly, melts down at the thought.

Yang actually comes back because she forgot Ember Celica. She hears them freaking out through the door and pivots into the other direction. Blake asks about her bracelets. Yang says it isn't important right now.

-0-

Jaune and Qrow sip their flasks at the same time. They joke about it.

When it's quieter, Qrow can see in his eyes that he wants to ask something so he encourages him to.

Jaune, with an uneasy breath, asks what Qrow is always drinking to forget.

Turns out, he doesn't drink to forget. Drinking is when he does the most thinking, actually.

Drinking is a hobby. Less a recreational drug and more a medicinal one. "Confused? Let me explain…" He doesn't recommend it but he's built up such a tolerance for it before he even went to be Beacon as a kid that it's all basically like water to him. Alcohol isn't his coping mechanism, but he confesses that he does technically have one if it can be called that.

He lost an old friend a long time ago and he isn't sure if his semblance is to blame. The thought has haunted him since. Grief mixed so deeply with poisoned guilt has made him obsessed with loneliness.

He enjoys the quiet nights sitting alone at home, eying the moon, dreaming of what ifs. He enjoys sitting in meadows, letting Summer heat hold him like a familiar embrace. He enjoys hunting solo and coming out on top, all in her name. It's proof that, even in death, she's still the best partner he ever had.

Alcohol is normalcy. It's where he thinks the most clearly, acts the most boldly, acts like himself. Being sober unsettles his mind, makes him act irrationally.

Somehow it makes sense. He always did seem the more sober man when he's got a flask in his hand. Even subconsciously, Jaune realizes that he's made that his gospel.

Qrow warns that it certainly isn't the same way with Jaune. (Jaune knows, of course. His tolerance is likely as weak Ruby's might be.) But Qrow confesses to being more worried about what he might do if he drinks too much. He saw all the whiskey in the fridge.

"I'm not going to hurt Yang. I stop myself from going too far."

"I don't mean Yang. She can handle herself around you, I'm sure." Qrow shows him a photo on his scroll. "This is what I'm worried about."

Jaune reels. He feels a few things. Mostly anguish, discomfort. Saphron and Terra are in Vale.

"When was this?"

"This morning. I thought they'd show up today and that I could be your convenient alibi for having an occupied guest room once they dropped in, but it looks they're busy doing whatever it is they're actually supposed to be doing in the city."

"They're going to come by eventually. Even if not today then…"

"I can't stay, kid," Qrow says, cautiously, quietly. "You facing them is just as inevitable as their visit. I'm no good at this stuff but... my advice: Don't run."

-0-

Yang comes back to Jaune sat at the sofa, staring at a movie he isn't watching. Yang turns it off and when the screen buzzes into silence, Jaune finally realizes she's in the room.

He doesn't notice the many bags she brought with her.

When she asks what's going on, he tells her that Terra is in town.

Yang asks if Saphron is with her.

He realizes that he forgot to mention his own sister.

Yang takes his hand and leans into his side. "It's that bad, huh?"

His free hand pulls out the now empty flask. "I might need more than the watered down whiskey."

She sits on his lap and pushes his flask away. "Get drunk on me." Her eyes are half-lidded and pleading, a promise etched into the wetness of her lips and heat rolling off her breath.

He does what she asks.

They press together so closely that he feels another one of inhibitions snap.

That night he decides – without really thinking about why – to steal a kiss while she sleeps. He realizes that the gesture is far too affectionate than it should be but can't bring himself to regret it.

She was awake the whole time.

-0-

PART 5 – Accommodation

Yang fixates on the kiss. Not that it's changed how she feels or how she's going to feel, only that she wonders what's changed for him with her. She finds herself lingering on his silhouette in bed, paying attention to subtleties in his tone, the way he moves around her or if he catches himself saying anything he wants to say but can't.

And all she's found in mapping him out is that he's no different from before.

Blake tells her that it could mean any number of things. Weiss maintains that it has to be burgeoning love. Ruby, much to their surprise, tells them that it was probably a moment of weakness and that he probably still doesn't know what it means.

The girls – Pyrrha included – suggest that Ruby is probably right. But Yang finds herself unwilling to accept it. She isn't one for sitting still. So instead of deferring to their wisdom… she hatches a plan.

It falls apart immediately.

-0-

Lingerie is her first idea, a vibrant red with thin enough material to tear off with ease. Scented candles to fill the spaces, lighting the bed and the nightstands while drowning the rest in dark. A nice ambient drone off the speakers in another room just to fill any silence. And makeup, the kind that layers thick and she feels physically on her face but comes recommended from Coco's article on a magazine.

She calls up Pyrrha to coach her on it, but the girl only blinks at her beyond the digital lense and asks, "Do you want him to sleep with you or fall in love?"

At first, Yang is confused until she takes a good hard look at herself in the mirror and… doesn't recognize who's looking back at her.

"I don't know," she says honestly. She smiles placatively and hangs up. Pyrrha knows she'll figure it out, but Yang has to first get rid of the mess she's made in his bedroom. Everything else will follow after.

She tosses the heels in the bin (they were cheap anyway), rips off her stockings, and covers up the rest in a bath robe. She tries to wash off the makeup but it smears and will take longer than she has time for. She tries too frantically to get the candles out and accidentally sets fire to one of his chairs – she ends up violently launching it into the tiled shower wall and leaves the shower running.

Finally was the music wafting in from the living room, playing off her scroll. She's already halfway into the living room when the front door opens. She freezes in place just as Jaune is letting in his guests, Saphron and Terra.

Yang doesn't know Saphron, not really, but there's a mutual trust between them when the older girl runs over to her, takes her by the wrist, and drags her back into Jaune's room.

Minutes later, Saphron is dabbing some solution on her cheeks. The makeup comes off in clumps – some semblance of relief comes with them.

"I'm Yang," she says suddenly.

Saphron's bemused smile banishes any tension she has left. Yang already embarrassed herself and not much could make it worse at this point when your first impression is half naked in the living room. She'd also spied the lingerie but she'd thankfully neglected to mention the familiar strap peeking off her shoulder.

"Saphron," she says but says no more. She focuses on the task at hand and Yang quiets with her. Then Saphron starts humming. It's familiar, as if carved out of a chapter in her life that she can hardly remember. Suddenly it's clear that this woman is a mother.

"My brother mention me a lot?" Saphron asks.

"He tries not to but can't help it. You always manage to come up in his stories to curb his nonsense. You'd be a punchline if the stories were supposed to be funny."

"Tends to happen." Saphron winks. "Us older sisters have to butt in all the time."

"He told you about me and Ruby?" She wasn't expecting to come up in conversation.

"No… I can just tell." Another smile. More secretly knowing. And she is briefly afraid that all her secrets have already been laid bare. "He told me you were his roommate."

"Ah." A safe descriptor. She'd been expecting a cover story like being his live-in girlfriend. She'd even prepared the lines and a backstory. It's a small a comfort that doesn't have to go through that.

Saphron pouts for a moment before her eyes turn devilish. "He also mentioned that you two share a bed and make out." Yang blinks at her. Her confusion also confuses Saphron. Isn't that supposed to be embarrassing? "Is… was he wrong?"

"Uh… no. That's exactly it. I guess I just wasn't expecting the truth."

"And you really aren't sleeping together?" Saphron peels the gown off her shoulder and tugs at the bra strap. Yang yelps when it snaps back into place. "With an outfit like this?"

"It was a lapse in judgement." She gestures to herself. "I swear this isn't how I normally am. I don't think I'll ever put on something like this ever again."

"Hm… a honeymoon might change your mind, but let's not dwell on that. You've got scented candles in the corner and I can smell…" – she sniffs the air – "burnt wood from the bathroom? What led to all this?"

"I'm… not sure I should say."

Saphron takes Yang's hands in hers. "You don't have to tell me, but it feels like you're struggling with something all on your own."

"I'm not, actually," she admits sheepishly. "I just didn't take anyone's advice. I don't like the idea of waiting for something to happen when I can already do something about it."

"There is value in patience."

"I don't think waiting is my problem. I think I'm just too proactive to do nothing."

"My brother leave you hanging or something?"

"Kind of? … I've said too much already."

"Or not enough." She smiles in that way again. As if knowing. "But I won't pry. I know that sometimes it's better to wait and come to your own conclusions. Right or wrong, a decision you make yourself stays with you and sometimes that's more valuable than being handed the keys to the castle."

"You really think highly of Jaune, don't you?"

"Hm? What makes you say that?"

"I've never heard someone describe the way to someone's heart as 'keys to a castle'."

Saphron gives her a catty cheek. "Oh, so you are in love with him." But she is surprised again when Yang doesn't blush.

She shrugs instead, looking away. Not out of embarrassment but to eye her own fragmentary reflection on the corner of the vanity's mirror. "I wouldn't know. I've never been in love before."

"But… you're so pretty."

"So is Jaune. So is my sister. And all but one of my roommates have never even kissed anyone before coming to Beacon. It isn't like we don't have time to fall in love, it's just not always our biggest concern. They drill it in you early that staying alive out there should be your priority." She eyes the bra strap on her shoulder in the mirror, hates what it represents, what it almost made her do. She pulls up the sleeve again, hiding it away, and she almost looks like herself. "I think that's why I like being around him. He doesn't pass judgement on whether not my problems are big or small. He just knows they're important to me and lets me be heard."

"Is being a good listener what you look for in a partner?"

"It might." She laughs. "It's hardly an extensive list, though, isn't it?"

Saphron huffs, settling herself comfortably beside her and dusting off her skirt. "Lists are overrated. Not that you shouldn't have standards, but if you want to extensively checklist every potential partner, you'll end up with a growing criteria less and less people will be able to fill. And trust me, I've lived a storied life – been dating people since I was fifteen – and I've found that it's easier to talk to people and let things click. Hell, I wasn't even trying to flirt with Terra when we first met. She was the wingwoman to the girl I was actually trying to get with and we just happened to get along better."

"Sounds like quite the story."

"Why don't I tell you over dinner? It'd be a nice little preamble to me and Terra. I suspect we'll be meeting quite often in the near future."

"I guess I will be tagging along with Jaune if you really want me to."

"If I really want you to? You sound a little meek there," Saphron teases. "Jaune described you as the kind of girl with confidence to rival a peacock. Was my brother wrong or are you just starting to sound like him?"

"Hey, I don't…! Oh shit, you're right."

"Fair tradeoff, I suppose. Jaune's got peacock confidence now and I guess you're to blame."

"Ha! No, I can't take credit for that. Pyrrha – his ex – I'm sure she's your culprit."

"We've met. Jaune brought her over last year before they started dating. Wasn't even going to take her to the dance, the little dunce."

"Oh, but they hooked up that night! After they both showed up stag and he tore up the dance floor in a dress."

"A DRESS!?" Saphron screamed, her eyes lighting up with mischief Yang realizes she's just armed her with.

A knock at the door. "Everything alright in there?" Jaune asks, muffled through the mahogany.

"We're fine!" Yang says.

"Peachy, little brother," Saphron adds with a flare of sarcasm, "but you're going to regret keeping secrets from me."

"Yang!" Jaune screeches, panicked. "What did you tell her?"

Yang laughs, hearty and comfortable with Saphron snickering beside her. It almost feels right, like it's something that always should have been, and she wonders why she was ever so afraid. "What you should have told her! You know you can't keep secrets from big sisters!"

"Oh really? I can promise you that there are secrets Ruby hasn't told you."

Yang shot up from her seat. "What!?"

Saphron sits back. "Aren't you two lively…" she whispers.

"I'm no snitch, Xiao Long!" Jaune shouts, snark clear in his voice.

"You'll fess up one way or another!" Yang, in her excitement, marches to the door.

Saphron bolts out of her place and grabs her arm. "You're still underdressed," she says calmly, belying the panic quickened in her chest.

Yang looks down at herself. She's showing a little cleavage too with the loosened bath robe. She takes an extra step back for good measure and clutches the lapels closed.

"C'mon. You're looking a little too comfortable now. Let's find you something modest." Saphron tugs her towards the closet.

"Backing down already?" Jaune said in what – to him – was a moment of silence.

"I'll get you yet, Vomit Boy!" Yang jeers.

Saphron perks up. "Vomit Boy?"

Jaune groans behind the door. "Yang!"

Yang, despite the grin tugging at her cheeks, silently promises to make it up to him later.

-0-

Jaune stands in the center of his living room, staring at his shut door. Saphron has just dragged Yang into it, and his mind has been reeling with what he'd seen. Barely dressed, slow music off her scroll, and with smeared makeup on? He doesn't want to come to any conclusions, not without talking to her first, but the obvious ones come to mind.

He isn't certain he can reckon with the inevitable outcome.

Behind him, Terra sensibly cuts off Yang's music playing off her scroll. Jaune nearly jumps when he's brought out of his stupor and into her beautiful, suffocating presence. Terra is still as captivating as he remembers, tinted with the gloss of a boyhood crush that refuses to die. At least with Saphron around he could suffuse it, but not alone in the heavy quiet of his apartment.

Terra gives him a bemused smile. Ever sympathetic. She pats the seat cushion beside her and Jaune joins her, plopping on the cushion with a held breath he eases out of himself.

"You seem surprised," Terra says. "And here I thought you'd already seen her in less."

"I did say we've only made out… and snuggled." He can't decide which one is more scandalous. Perhaps neither. Or both, given that they aren't even dating.

"Yeah, despite that being unusual enough to be true, I still had my doubts."

"Have any still?"

"No. You definitely don't look like the kind of couple that's seen each other naked."

Jaune's eyes narrow. "We're not a couple."

"I believe you," she says with a smile. She's so dangerously close to him that he can smell her perfume. A glance shows him that she's eying him expectantly. He's tense, uncertain, and it's clear that she can see that. She pulls away, giving him room to breathe. "Guessing you've still got a crush on me then?"

His spine gets stiffer, spotting her at the corner of his eye because he refuses to look directly at her. She's smiling still. Being cheeky. "Terra…" he groans.

She scooches a little closer again (taking a chance that his nerves might not erupt), and lets his heat wash over her and lets him feel hers. The affection is platonic, he knows that. He and his sisters huddle together for comfort often, and Terra has just learned to follow suit. But he can't help but revel in it, letting it sink into his pores till it leaves a familiar tingle.

A small part of him hates it but mostly hates himself for indulging.

"If I asked you why, would you tell me?" Her tone is quiet, almost a whisper. She's trying to ease him.

"Because you cared about me."

She chuckles because it's naïve and honest and oh so very like him that it's almost nostalgic. "Was that really all?"

"When you're young and naïve, that's all it takes."

"I didn't know you were lonely."

It was his turn to chuckle. "I wasn't. I was never some lonely little kid who didn't have any friends. I had enough love from my sisters alone to fill my heart a hundred times over."

"Then why?"

He shrugs. "I don't know. Do I need to have been missing something in my life to want to fall in love?"

Her feet shuffles in place. "I guess I haven't seen it that way. After I was old enough to date, I'd not gone a year without someone I wanted to be with or was already with. I always felt like love completed me, like it does now with Saph… Is that not how you feel?"

"I'm… I'm not saying love doesn't make me happy or anything. It's just that I don't feel like I need it to feel whole. I don't think it'd complete me, just that it might be nice to have too. Is that not how you feel?"

She chuckles again, a nervous uncertainty tinting her quiet, teahouse melody. "I don't know. Never been without it, really. At least not for long."

He looks at her – examines her, really – because her cheek is gone, as is her confidence, and it feels like she's revealing her artifice in a vulnerable moment. She's digging gaps into her own thoughts and he can see her pick apart her own internal logic and she seems more and less somehow. Like she's less the perfect cut gem he thought she was and sees the girl underneath it.

He's less tense all of a sudden.

And for a moment he feels like he can come to grips with everything that she is. Who she was to him, who she wasn't, and who she's become. A boyhood crush, flightful fantasy, and… he can't bring himself to think of the last. Fist clenching and unclenching, a slow motion that tries to hide the trembling in his digits.

He swallows and he worries if she can hear it. She doesn't, but she can see something's troubling him.

"How's Adrian?" he asks.

"Oh, he's –"

"A DRESS!?" Saphron screams from beyond the locked bedroom door.

Jaune jolts up from his seat and nearly bumps into Terra who'd stood along with him. She steps aside and he hurries to the door, asking after them. Terra tries not to pay attention (she can barely hear what they say beyond the door anyhow) but then he mentions Yang's sister, Ruby – the girl Terra thought he actually has a crush on – and Yang audibly shouts, "What!?" passed the door at him.

"Aren't you two lively…" Terra whispers.

-0-

Dinner is a largely pleasant affair until the alcohol gets introduced. The hills of drink they stack onto the table to peruse intimidates Jaune and he cautions that he cannot – will not – drink anything that isn't at least on the rocks. He'll shoulder tomorrow's regret but he doesn't want to sleep through the sun burning through the morning and afternoon.

Saphron and Terra share a glance before pulling something out of Terra's bag. Diadem, a vintage Vacuan drink stronger than everything else on the table. They only ask that he a takes a shot. It'll buzz him through the evening.

It's too strong and he nearly hurls.

Yang half remembers all the stories they tell. Saphron regales them with tales of how she met Terra, the proposal, the wedding, and even the honeymoon off the coast of Menagerie. Jaune spouts on about his team and a misadventure with his twin on an old farm and a horse, and Yang, somehow, talks about a food fight twice. It's funnier the second time around.

There's a gap in her memory of whatever story Terra was telling because she fixates on one part and can't focus on anything else. "…she's little Adrian's babysitter," she mentions briefly but doesn't have the faculties to ask about.

When Saph and Terra leave for their hotel, things wind down and Yang's sitting on the sofa in Jaune's hoodie. Yang returns the shirt and shorts she borrowed but she feels like wearing something that's his might help with tonight.

Jaune joins her, easing down slowly as his head rides the waves of a dying Vacuan storm.

"Who's Adrian?" she asks.

He's quiet for a moment, perhaps from the drink. "He's Terra's son."

Yang can see it. Saphron isn't mentioned deliberately. He doesn't just forget this time. "Oh! From a previous marriage?"

He shakes his head. "No, nothing like that," he says, sobering up.

"A previous partner then?"

Jaune says nothing. He's sitting upright. Rigid and awake. There's something there. Maybe Terra had a previous partner he didn't like, but then things click into place. Realization sets in like headlights through the fog, suddenly and violently.

"Oh my god…" she whispers, "…he's yours."

He doesn't answer. Doesn't need to. She grabs onto his arm and pulls him into a hug. She's hit a nail on the head and panic sets in when she thinks she's opened up an old wound. It's precisely the kind of thing they're supposed to help each other forget. Only, Yang doesn't realize that Jaune is so caught off-guard by her sudden burst of affection that he's at first startled and – when she goes in for a kiss and ends up headbutting him instead – he ends up laughing it off.

His mirth is almost strange until it makes complete sense somehow. She's done her job, kept her end of the bargain, and now she's laughing with him too.

When he's calmed down, he lies back on the sofa when she goes to get a drink. She comes back to find him lying across the sofa and she makes the executive decision to just fall on top of him. She crashes into his stomach with a hefty oof from him and she makes no apologies for retaliating.

"Sofa hog," she jeers from her perch on his chest, chin resting on her arms.

"I bought it," he shoots back playfully, eying her down from the arm rest.

"Still pay half the rent. And I never asked you to pay me back when I foot the bill for refurbishing them."

"Wouldn't have needed to if Zwei didn't tear them up."

"It was a joint decision that we took him in for the week. You're as much to blame."

He sighs. "I guess I am."

It isn't actually an issue. They've basically already had this discussion and Yang had insisted on covering for it at the time. They're only stalling. Even Yang isn't quite sure she wants to go on.

She doesn't know how long it takes her to summon the courage to speak again. All she knows is that he's willing to answer, even if it would be easier for both of them to stay ignorant. To let these problems solve themselves and never to bear your heart until it is absolutely necessary.

But she speaks anyway. "I thought it was the wedding that got to you."

And so does he. "No, it… it just happened at the wedding. Saph had to go talk to an old classmate and so she left Terra with me. I was already holding Adrian and with Joan running off somewhere, we were alone. Just me, Terra… and our son. It hit me then. Slowly, like when you stare at yourself in the mirror at the night of a recital. You think, 'This is it. This is where things fall apart… or meet in the middle.' I knew I had to make peace with it before it got worse."

"And your answer was watered-down whiskey the minute you got back home?"

He shrugs. "Qrow gives good advice."

"Hm… maybe. I still think mine is better."

"Oh? And what's that?"

She pushes herself up over him, arms at either side of his head till her silhouette is against the dim glow of the incandescent bulb, warm light pooling through her hair till it looks like it's on fire. "Get drunk on me," she says, her breath tickling his nose and burning his lips.

But he doesn't kiss her. She sees the way his lips quiver, almost wanting to, but he doesn't even try.

She retreats instead, nestling back onto his chest but his cheeks are still burning and she swears hers are too. The room feels like it's boiling.

"When we kiss, do you think of her?"

"Never," he says honestly, and that seems to be the part that stings the most to him. "That's the most dangerous thing about you. You don't taste, feel, or smell like anyone else." He looks at her and only her, and she shrinks away as she gets up and off of him because she feels like a moon in a sea of stars, and as he straightens up and sits parallel to her, his eyes never leave, like a captive witness.

He leans in, and she doesn't know if it's to kiss her or just her sheer pull on him. She ultimately doesn't decide. Their foreheads meet – her eyes are downward but locked to his lips – and she breathes quietly as she asks, "Jaune? Are you in love with me?"

"Yang, are you even sure you are?"

"I… don't know yet."

He pulls away just an inch as something unsettling furrows his brow.

He gets up. "Gimme a minute," he says, and he's gone for just long enough for her to notice that the familiar heat she had pressed against her is missing.

She doesn't know what to expect when he comes back with his hand clutching a small object, but she would have never guessed a ring. It's nestled in a velvety box that he sits on the coffee table and he leaves it open as he sits down and watches it with her like it's some alien thing. He doesn't speak but he gives her a glance and…

It's then that she realizes that she's afraid. The look on her is uncertain – she can feel it, and she feels it freeze on her features.

"Did you pick this out for me?"

He shakes his head. "It was supposed to be Pyrrha's."

She blinks. "Is… is this what scared Pyrrha off?"

"No… it's what scared me off." He leans back against the sofa and she takes that as an invitation to do the same. They're huddled close, shoulder-to-shoulder. "Our breakup was only supposed to be temporary. Some tournament rival tried to pin her to a scandal when they found out she slept with me."

"What? Why would that be a problem?"

He snorts. "I was too young." Out loud, it sounds absurd.

"You were seventeen," she reasons.

"And Pyrrha was eighteen. As far as the law is concerned, Pyrrha slept with a minor."

Yang can feel herself coil up like a loaded spring. "Well, that's fucked! You're barely three months apart!"

"Didn't matter to them. Tabloids would have pinned it on her for the rest of her career. The context doesn't matter to the public."

"Okay…" she says slowly, stifling her frustrations for later. "So, what changed then? Why did you set her up with Sun?"

"Because I went to the wedding and found myself thinking about Terra again. It gave me some unhealthy doubts. I loved Pyrrha, I really did, but it felt wrong when I danced with Terra that night, holding our son in our arms… It felt like I'd betrayed Pyrrha somehow, even in my own mind, by feeling those things. It didn't matter that I didn't actually do anything about it."

"That's not how feelings work though," she says. "You're supposed to have doubts sometimes because people aren't perfect or consistent. Life isn't fiction, Jaune."

"I know that now." He shrugs, resigned in a way. "I found out a little too late though."

"How did you even get Pyrrha to agree to this?"

"She's not very honest about her feelings. Doesn't have the courage to be. When she heard that I'd pushed Sun to ask her out because Nora can't keep a secret, she thought that I might have given up on her. By the time we got the chance to be honest about it, she'd already gotten to know Sun enough to start taking him seriously."

Yang glances back at the ring. Not quite as alien as it was earlier. It just seems strange now, like it's out of place. There's a small comfort in that. "So where does the ring come in?"

"I got it as a sort of celebration when would get back together, but then people started asking about what it meant and… it felt like I'd stumbled onto some finality between us. Like I'd somehow found 'the one' over a year of friendship, a few dates, and showing up to the dance in a dress."

Yang smiles. Not because he seemed silly at the time, but because he's smiling. Because, in spite of his somber reflections, he can't help but feel like what he'd done turned out to be a triumph.

Her arm loops into his and his head leans on hers in response. "Doesn't sound like a bad set up to me," Yang says, shrugging against his arm. "If anything, it sounds like the stars aligned for you two." She speaks honestly. Forgets herself and sees him as Pyrrha's too-perfect other half to a too-perfect couple. If things hadn't turned out the way they did, she might have cheered them on for the rest of their lives. But that isn't how it turned out.

"That's what everyone was saying. It's like we'd ripped ourselves out of a fairytale, only I was a dense, blind princess and she was some stoic, stubborn prince. But it put a lot of pressure on us, living up to that story, and it felt like I wasn't as ready as I should have been. I came to Beacon unprepared for a lot of things. Might have hurt the people depending on me by not being ready. I was lucky my shield arm was always sturdy, but my heart wasn't. I naively worried that my inexperience would hurt us irreversibly." He rolls a hand over his knuckles. Contemplatively, regretfully. "I thought I was leaving her in good hands, but even if that's true, should I still have stayed instead? Did I have any right to decide if we should have stayed together or not?"

Her fingers slide off his arm and weave into his. She's huddling closer now, feet off the ground and knees tucked up to her chest. "I think, when we fall in love, we have to decide for ourselves if we want to keep going. We don't choose for the other in that. We choose for ourselves cause we are who we're supposed to look out for. You have to protect yourself first." Yang clutches tighter, and somehow Jaune can tell that her mother is involved. "That's the beautiful thing about a love that works. We decide for ourselves and it all just happens to fall into place with someone else. It doesn't always magically align – sometimes you don't agree with what they want or how they take it – but real love compromises just as much as it just… clicks." Like her and her dad. And Ruby. And maybe – if things turn out alright – her mom.

He wants to believe her. Even if he and Pyrrha didn't pan out, they still love each other as friends and things ultimately haven't changed between them. They were always bound to work out their issues and it's clear now that they've compromised without needing to sacrifice the friendship they'd fostered together.

He wants to thank her, but her eyes are away and she's chewing her lip. Yang is thinking of something else. Her sigh cuts through the silence and she's too shy to look at him.

"Jaune, why did you kiss me?"

He blinks. "What?"

"Last night. In bed. While I was sleeping."

His eyes widen. He's been caught. "Is it really so unusual?"

"It is when you aren't thinking of Terra or Adrian. When you do it just because you wanted to."

"How… how could you tell?"

She can hear the panic in his voice. Caught and cornered, it makes her a little happy to know he's unable to hide it. But it's the speed of which he accepts his fate that gets her grinning, because it's as if a part of him is tired of hiding it. "Because you weren't trying to forget something. You weren't trying to tease me and I certainly can't flirt back when I'm asleep…" She shoots him a knowing look and he gulps through a feeble foundation of defiance. "It was none of that. You did it hoping I wouldn't notice. You did it because you were hiding something you wanted."

He crumbles under her teasing. "Y-Yang, I… I can't –"

"Shh, it's okay," she says evenly, defusing his tension and giving him a moment to breathe and look into her eyes. "Don't jump to a conclusion you aren't ready to make." Her tone is slow and deliberate, fingers gliding along the skin of his arm like a soothing, gentle caress. "I get it, Jaune. Like me, you're still trying to figure it out."

He pulls away but fixes her with a stern, serious look. She doesn't realize he's holding her hand till he's squeezing it. He's composed, certain, and so deftly drunk on her that Yang remembers Jaune telling her that drowning in drink gives him clarity. "That's just it, Yang. I know I feel something. I've been feeling a lot of things when I'm with you…" His confidence wanes before he admits that, "It's just that I haven't figured out what I'm supposed to do about it."

Yang blinks twice and tries to speak but can't. And suddenly she can't stop the curl of her cheeks when she feels a growing smile coming.

He's almost afraid. "Yang?"

"Sorry. I'm still… you know you just confessed, right?"

"Ha!" he laughs, heart squeezing his chest. Relief in many ways settling into his skin. "Were you expecting me to say 'I love you'?"

"…"

He chuckles. "Oh my god, Yang."

"Is it weird that I'm a little giddy about that total cliché? Say it again."

He thinks it a little much but the words are easy, flowing freely from his lips. "I love you."

"Agh! You're a serious cheat. Why is it so easy for you to say?'

"Cause I already made peace with it. You stood there in a white dress and I could see you tearing Terra out of that place in my mind and putting yourself there in her stead. I already knew. You've been nothing but a tidal wave to my emotions, just swallowing everything up and leaving little traces of yourself everywhere."

He settles back into the cushions, sinking comfortably into it. "I used to sit on this couch and scream curses at the moon through the window," he says. "Nowadays my eyes are glued to the screen watching a movie with you. I used to be careful about what I threw into the sink because I was afraid I'd have to call in a mechanic to fix the shredder again, and now I don't even give it a second thought."

"And you used to lie in bed thinking about her…" Yang teases.

"Actually, no. I was at peace when I went to bed. Pyrrha trained me to shut down once I got under the sheets. Nowadays it feels like the sandman keeps missing my eyes with the way you move me around in bed."

"I don't think your tongue's been doing much complaining."

"Seems you were willing to use more than just your tongue earlier," he says, teasing her. She shrinks a little, embarrassed. "What were you doing anyway?"

"I was, uh, trying to seduce you."

"Oh… What changed?"

She groans. "I guess my wires got crossed. I thought that if I got you to sleep with me, this" – she gestures between them – "would suddenly clear up. But I'm not that kind of girl. I don't put on lingerie all the time expecting you to see it. Not even sure I'm the kind of girl who wants her clothes ripped off when I get you riled up."

"Yeah, your outfits look expensive. Custom fit and embroidered."

"I wouldn't hit you if you tried, FYI. I'd maybe cry or get upset."

"I'll try not to ravage you through your clothes if that ever happens."

"If? Still don't think we're gonna end up doing the dirty tango after all we've been through? Seems inevitable at this point."

"I think we'll either do it when it makes sense or decide we aren't meant for each other."

"I don't know. I'm pretty snug right where I am." She gives him cheek, brimming with certainty. Confidence. "Still," she says more seriously, "are you really so ready to give up what we have? I don't see it happening, but it looks like you think we're just as likely to stay together as splitting up."

He looks away. Yang is surprised to find him embarrassed, not concerned.

"You don't actually feel that way," Yang says gleefully. "You're as sure as I am."

"I'm not ready to take that risk just yet," he confesses.

She moves to straddle him and loops her arms around his neck. "I can wait."

His hands grip her waist through the thickness of the hoodie. "I can't ask you to do that."

"I'm not asking you. I'm telling you. I told you that love was about deciding for yourself and settling into compromises if our choices don't align. I'm choosing to stay. And – I hope – we agree to compromise."

He takes a moment to look away before locking eyes with her. He leans in and pecks her lips so briefly that she doesn't get the chance to kiss back.

"Wh-what?"

"It's how I'm supposed to say yes, aren't I?"

She laughs and so does he. Yang was expecting to cap off the night with a kiss, pressing bodily into the sheets as their hands roam their bodies, but none of that happens. They clean the dinner the table, take separate baths, and settle into bed together.

She does kiss him on the neck for good measure but he realizes that he can still feel the kiss and it isn't because there's a tingle there. Cracking an eye open, he notices the gloss on her lips. "Are you wearing lipstick?"

"The light kind," she says. "Told myself I'd leave a mark on you during my little lapse earlier. I've decided not to give you a hickey. Consider it an act of mercy."

He shuts his eyes and tries to ignore it but can't. He's painfully aware of it and he just knows he's gonna smudge that on something. It'd be funny if it's Yang's face but he'd hate to get it on his sheets. He sits up. "Yeah, nope. I'm washing this off."

"What? C'mon!" She grabs onto him, anchoring him back into bed.

"Nope. Not doing it," he says defiantly.

"Have it your way, Arc. Hickey it is!"

"Wait, Yang! Yang!"

-0-

Jaune is reminded everyday that he showed up to brunch that following morning with a hickey his scarf couldn't hide. Yang makes it up to him by buying dessert.

The get-togethers go on and Yang is less and less embarrassed about openly teasing Jaune and showing her affections publicly. Jaune retaliates, of course, and they even get hot and bothered in the hallway of a movie theater. They spend the rest of the movie in a stall. Terra finds them and is honestly just surprised they haven't taken each other's clothes off… ever.

Jaune and Yang don't tell them that neither of them and ready to go that far yet. Jaune takes the brunt of the blame and says that if he doesn't hold back, they'll end up doing something stupid. Saphron slips Jaune a condom and he regrets everything for the rest of the night.

Two weeks pass with much the same. Sometimes they introduce Saphron and Terra to some of their other friends, and they even manage a weekend together in a cottage near the coast. They're excited about reuniting with Pyrrha and they even meet Sun on her scroll.

Yang finds out that Saphron is every bit a mother as she is a big sister, and Jaune reminds her that she is practically no different herself.

Jaune learns that Qrow and Terra are old classmates and that they had more in common than they thought.

And after Joan is caught scheming with Nora and getting her and Ren back together, after Blake engorges the shrimp platter on a Schnee-sponsored dinner, after Weiss tames a friendly rivalry between Winter and Saphron about who has the cuter sibling, after Ruby gets her cheeks pinched till they go red cause she lost a bet and showed up in an adorable beowulf costume, and after Penny freaks out and her head pops off at dinner (her severed head still tries to chew on a salad)… their two weeks together are up and they're standing at the train station, ready to see them off.

It's been raining for the last few days and everything is damp and cold. Even the air is still thick with the smell of misty rain water and the sky hasn't seen the sun even peek through the cloud cover. It's almost a somber way to say goodbye.

Saphron is introducing Yang to her babysitter and little Adrian over a video call. Jaune stands aside, unwilling to let the last few weeks burn away at the sight of his biological son gurgling through the screen.

Terra nudges into his side. "Can we talk?"

He nods and she pulls them away beside a pillar. Saphron notices and winks at her wife.

"Is there something wrong?" Jaune asks.

"Nothing, actually. I might even say our impromptu vacation here might as well have been perfect."

"Impromptu?"

"I guess it never came up but… we were only supposed to be here for a few days."

"Why did you stick around then? Wouldn't that have been imposing on your babysitter?"

"Oh, Taffy was plenty happy to be at the house with Adrian. She's an orphan and she takes every excuse to come over." She leans in to whisper. "We might even adopt her once I get a raise at the office so look forward to a niece! And, really, is it such a surprise that we enjoy spending time with you and your friends?"

"After the bonfire? I guess not."

"Good. Now that isn't why I needed to talk."

"Oh…" He glances at Yang a few feet away. He can barely hear her and Saphron through the rancor of the station.

"I know you've been holding back."

"Did Yang tell you that?"

"Call it a big sister's intuition."

"You're an only child."

"Not anymore, I'm not. Now I've got six little sisters and a not-so-little brother." She pats his chest then busies her hands with straightening his collar. "A little brother who is too afraid to take a chance and would much rather play it safe than play at all."

"Terra…"

"I know you're afraid that you aren't ready. I wasn't either. Hell, sometimes I worry I'll mess up and ruin a perfectly good marriage. These are all normal things to be afraid of, and for some people, these fears don't go away. We just learn to live with them."

She slides her hands to his arms and down to fingers till she's holding them softly and looking up at him. There's a quiet concern in her sad little smile that he isn't sure how to respond to.

"I think you've driven yourself to be so careful with your feelings that you've forgotten to just take things as they come," she says. "I know you have to be careful with your heart but the thing isn't made of glass. Even if it hurts, even if it hurts easily, the fact that you're still in one piece should be more than enough proof that you aren't as fragile as you think you are. Maybe take a risk. Maybe love will hurt, but so few of us get better at it without giving it a shot first. Like a lot of things, Jaune, it takes a lot of trial and error."

"I've been down this road before already…"

She squeezes his hands. "And you'll go down it again and again. Sometimes people find love once and that's all it takes. But for the rest of us? For most of us? We gotta keep trying."

With a kiss on the cheek and a whispered 'good luck', Saphron and Terra disappear into accelerating train until even it vanishes into the horizon.

Jaune stares into the middle distance and Yang, much like Terra, nudges into his side. "What did you talk about?" she asks.

He shrugs. "Stuff."

"Oh, well that's lame. Should've had more to say to someone you really care about." It's clear she doesn't buy it.

He knows she doesn't. "Yeah, real shame I wasn't more profound and emotional."

She rolls her eyes because she'll let it be and won't pry for his sake. "C'mon, it's getting chilly out here and it might rain again with the wind picking up." She makes to walk off.

"Hey, Yang?"

She stops. "Yeah?"

For a moment he doesn't speak, his eyes are uncertain and elsewhere but then his fists clench as if he's just convinced himself to do something. "Wanna get dinner?" he asks, reaching out to take her by the hand. "We can put on something nice and there's a real fancy place with the best lobster in town."

Yang isn't sure how to take it. She doesn't resist when his thumb brushes over her knuckles, but she summons a bit of bravery herself, stepping closer and resting a fist against her beating chest. "Is… this a date?"

She yelps when he pulls her in. He kisses her, drowns her tongue and melts their bodies together till she's flush against him and tugging at his hair. There's still fear in his eyes when they pull away, but there's a determination in there she's happy to see. "Is that answer enough?"

She giggles through the haze of her burning cheeks. "Plenty."

Then she's on him this time and tilting him backwards with her lips alone until he's just as hazy. Still, he doesn't expect it when she clambers onto his back and slips into a piggyback ride before she starts laughing uncontrollably.

"Hiya, noble steed! To the bike!" she cheers from her perch atop his head.

He's laughing too, even if he's huffing a little from the jog to Bumblebee. "What's gotten into you?"

"I can't help it…" she whispers into his hair, excitement mixing into a bubbling cocktail with a giddiness she can't stop. "I'm happy."

#Jaune Arc #yang xiao long #jaune x yang #yang x jaune #rwby dragonslayer

[twistedlymad]

Hi there its me again. So I was just wondering since you mostly have a the reader being a girl, why not have another incident from your lovely chaos trio (grim, ace, and deuce) that made the reader turn to the opposite gender. End of story reader changes back, but for some odd reason the whole boy college suddenly became an all female college. 😈😈

Hello again!! I’ve gotta say, that ending twist there made me widen my eyes :’)

Thank you for making a request again! This took a little longer than I expected? I’ve decided to make this into a 2-part story as I didn’t really expect myself to blurt out this many words for this story XD 

I also added a cut so that you don’t have to keep scrolling every time you want to just browse Tumblr and my post keeps getting in the way.

Nevertheless, I hope this story meets your expectations! Thank you for requesting and have a lovely day!!

What if you became a boy? (Ft. Ace, Deuce, Grim, Epel, Jack and Sebek) (Part 1/2)

“Come on! If you don’t complete at least 100 laps around the field, you won’t have big muscles like me!!” A teacher clad in red shouted to the first-years. Students here and there were breathless, taking breaks and leaning onto each other for support. You were breathless as well, considering it was your 59th lap, you’d say you did pretty well! You smiled to yourself and took a rest before continuing your laps.

“Quick!! We’re going to miss out on P.E!!” A certain orange-haired male said to his other 2 friends. You see, due to Ace, Deuce and Grim not really passing their grades in Alchemy, they had the initiative to ask for extra credit from Professor Crewel. With that being said, the three first-years were on their way to the field from the lab to not miss out on their sports time. Could you blame them? Sports to them was like, freedom!

“Grim! You sure you have the potion?!” Deuce asked the creature on his head.

“Yes I do! I’m not as dumb as you think yanno? After all, I am the Great Grim!” The furball replied, holding out a bottle containing a colourless liquid.

“Great! Keep it safe!” Said Deuce as he and Ace navigated through the crowd of people in the hallway, trying to save what little P.E time they had left.

Soon after, they arrived at the field, they placed down their stuff on the bench where you guys would usually sit to take a break. Ace and Deuce placed down their books and Grim placed down the bottle. The three immediately rushed to the field to start their laps.

You just finished your laps and you absolutely tired. You sat down at the bench where the three had just put down their stuff. You looked at them as they were already on their 46th lap. Since they were boys, they had a little bit more stamina compared to you. While you just sat down, they already ran 7 laps. You kept your focus on them, admiring how they managed to run so much and they weren’t even breathless at all.

‘It’s nice to be a boy huh?’ You thought to yourself while subconsciously picking up a bottle. You looked at it and it seemed to be a normal water bottle, nothing out if the ordinary and you were parched, so, you took a sip from it.

The water tasted… funny? You winced at the taste and quickly set the bottle back down.

‘Maybe I shouldn’t have drank that…’ You thought. Ace, Deuce and Grim were taking a break and sat down next to you.

“So, how was your extra credit class?” You asked the trio. They just looked at you, taking a few breaths before answering.

“Professor Crewel had us make a potion. He said the drinker would have something change to the opposite after they took a sip from the potion.” Ace started off.

“Yeah, but he had something to do last minute and he’ll judge our potion tomorrow, so we were dismissed.” Grim continued.

“Of course, we couldn’t leave the potion out in the open, so we scooped it into a bottle and brought it here.” Deuce said and pointed to the bottle. You saw where he pointed to and you realize it’s the exact same bottle that you just took a sip from. Your eyes widen slightly.

“Y-you mean, the potion is in this bottle?” You stuttered.

“Yeah, why?” Ace asked.

“N-Nothing! Nothing at all…” You said with a fake smile.

You were terrified! What did they mean by ‘have something change to the opposite’?! Were they referring to your body parts? Like your hair changing into an opposite color? Your hands would become your legs? Your eyes would be at the back of your head? You didn’t know and you were afraid to ask.

But, so far, nothing’s happened. You didn’t know why either. Did the potion need time to take its effects? Did the potion only work at a certain time? Did the trio brew the wrong potion AGAIN?

You tried to believe that they did brew the wrong potion again what they said next left you speechless.

“I’m glad we brewed the right potion. If anything went wrong, there would be some color in it, but this liquid is completely clear!” Deuce said.

“Right? It almost looks the same as normal water!” Ace replied with a smirk.

“Of course it would be right! I, the Great Grim, brewed it alongside the two of you!” The furball said.

“Yeah, right.” The ADeuce-combo said sarcastically.

You were screaming internally, but your face didn’t show any signs of you freaking out. Your poker face game was on point there! Now that you knew they brewed the right potion, you couldn’t help but think what was going to happen to you and when would it happen. You went so deep into thought, you didn’t notice the trio was calling out to you.

“Hello? Twisted Wonderland to (Y/N)?” Ace waved in front of you, snapping you out of your thoughts. You blinked and looked at him.

“Yeah?”

“P.E. class ended, we can go to our next class now.” Deuce said, packing up his stuff and taking the bottle containing the potion.

“O-Oh, okay.”

“Yanno, (Y/N), are you alright? You’ve been spacing out a lot today.” Grim asked you as he landed on your shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m fine, let’s go back and rest.” You reassured the creature on your shoulder while nuzzling against his head. You took your stuff and walked with your friends to your next class.

You then spent the day going to classes and hanging out with your friends. Like watching Epel train with Jack and Deuce, breaking up Ace and Deuce after Ace insulted Deuce’s pink colored leopard shorts while they trained for track and field, refraining Grim from stealing anyone’s dinner and causing any ruckus resulting in the headmaster punishing the two of you. You know, the usual chaos. And because of this chaos, you forgot that you accidentally drank a bit of the potion.

After dinner, you said your goodnights to your friends as you and Grim head back to Ramshackle Dorm.

“Alright, I’m going to hit the hay…” Grim said as he plumped himself on the bed that you two shared.  You tucked the creature in before crawling in yourself. You fell asleep soon after.

The next morning, sunlight greets your eyes through a window beside your bed. You tossed a little before sitting up, you weren’t fully awake then. However, when you let out a yawn you snapped your eyes open and quickly closed your mouth.

Why did it sound like a boy was yawning in your place?

You got out of bed and rushed to a nearby mirror. You saw that your face was no longer feminine but rather manly, your hair was cut very short instead of (normal length) hair, your hands were a lot rougher instead of elegant. Of course, there were two more changes made to your torso and from the waist down but I’m not allowed to say it.

You kept blinking to check if you’re fully awake to acknowledge this, you even pinched yourself to make sure. Once you did, you were too shocked to say anything. A few seconds later, only you let out a manly shout. That, woke Grim up.

“(Y/N)? What time is it?” The creature asked, rubbing his eyes. You turned to look at him. Once the furball opened his eyes and sees you, he immediately got aggressive.

“Fgnaaaaaa! Who are you?! What’re you doing in our dorm?!” Blue fire began to fly towards you.

“Grim! Wait! It’s me! (Y/N)!” You yelled out while dodging his attacks. The creature let out a ‘hmph’ before continuing blasting magic at you.

“You seriously think I would fall for something like that? (Y/N)’s a girl you dummy! Fgnaaaaaa!” The creature said and it immediately clicked in your mind.

“A potion that changes something to the opposite.” You said to yourself. The opposite of a boy is a girl. The potion you drank changed your gender!

“I am (Y/N)!! I accidentally took a sip of the potion from your extra credit class yesterday!” You blurted out.

“Oh yeah?! Tell me something that only (Y/N) would know.” Grim said and stopped his attacks. You thought about it for a moment.

“If you need to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, you need me to hold your hand and walk you to the bathroom. You also need me to ‘stand guard’ for any potential threats while you did your business. All because you’re afraid of the boogeyman.” You said, looking at him with a smirk plastered onto your face.

“It’s actually you (Y/N)! But don’t let that secret slip past your mouth to anyone!” Grim said and ran into your arms. You hugged the creature back.

“Yeah, I’ll take it to my grave, don’t worry you scardy-cat.” You said, patting his head.

“Why did you drink that potion anyway?!” Grim asked you, you sweatdropped.

“It was during Physical Education, I already completed 100 laps around the field and I was parched. I noticed a bottle on the bench we would usually sit at and the liquid was colorless. I, for one, thought it was water, so I took a sip.” You said as you sat down on the bed, Grim still in your arms.

“Yanno! You’re really careless!” Grim scolded you.

“To think I would be scolded that by you and especially you.” You laughed and sat Grim down on the bed.

#disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland fic #twisted wonderland imagines #twisted wonderland x reader #ace trappola #deuce spade #grim #mc/yuu #male!reader

[domesticblisss]

Näher | Pt.02

Walter x Female Reader (Nicknamed ‘Hase’) Mob AU! Rating: Mature (Minors DNI) Word Count: 2048 Warnings: Smut. Pussy eating, fingering, cum eating, cum play.  Pt.01

“I’ll ask you again, do you want power, little hure?”

“I need to think about it.” My body betrays me, and I let out a little moan when he continues to stuff my pussy with his cum. 

“You need to think... it’s okay. I know it’s a hard decision to make.” he says as he brings me close to his chest, my head laying there. It’s a surprisingly tender moment, he tangles his fingers in my hair as he peppers soft kisses on my forehead. He slowly takes the two fingers from inside me, placing them in front of my lips, a silent offer for me to suck them clean, one I take without thinking twice. He kisses me after I cleaned his fingers and I see the biggest smile I have ever seen him let out.

After this little moment we shared he helped me get dressed again, brushed my hair with a brush he had on one of his drawers and insisted one of his guys had to take me home, even with me telling him I could catch uber. 

“You have Axel’s number, whatever your answer is, make sure to call him to let me know. But just know I look forward to seeing you again.” he finishes with a kiss and let’s me get inside the car. 

I’m thankful this little rendezvous happened on a friday, so I can sleep in and gather my thoughts. 

I woke up to a dream where I’m with Walter again, his lips all over my body, his hands in all the right places... I think my subconscious is trying to tell me something. 

I’m not going to lie, I’m very tempted into accepting his offer. It’s not like I need the money, I have a good post in a nice company that lets me lead a very comfortable life and... and... well, my life is boring. I barely have time for myself, I can’t even go out and have fun anymore because I’m either staying late at work or all my energy is drained. I haven’t had a good fuck in like two years at least and Walter was able to ruin me for everyone else, man or woman, in one night. Imagine it being a constant. 

It’s 10am and I decide to call Junior. I need to know what they do exactly before I turn my life upside down and get into this. He answers after the third ring, his voice all groggy from sleep. 

“Mein Hase, what’s wrong? Are you okay? Do you need any help?”

“Hey dipshit. Were you still sleeping? Dude it’s 10am already!”

“Well, I had a busy night okay.” I could feel the smirk growing on his face. 

“Yeah, the ’hottest chick’ right? Look, I need to talk to you, ask you some stuff and it needs to be in person. Can you come over?”

He sighs before answering me. “Yeah Hase. Give me about forty minutes to get ready and I’ll be there.”

In exact forty-five minutes I heard a knocking on my door and I open to see Axel standing there, a sleepy look on his face. I offer him coffee and breakfast, which he happily accepts. 

We sit by the living room’s centre table and I take my time to start questioning him. 

“Look, I know we haven’t seen each other in ages, but you do understand you have a big space in my heart, right?”

“Mhm, and you have in mine too.”

“Good! So... I’ll ask you a few things and I want you to be honest with me, please tell me the truth. You know I would never rat on you to anyone. And I’ll tell you why I’m asking all of this when this is over, okay?”

“I think I already got an idea why...”

“Okay, Axel? Do you agree with my terms?” I cut him a bit harshly. 

“Yes, Hase. You know I’d anything for you.”

“Okay...” I take a deep breath and start again “That day we met on the market, was our run in casual or did it happen on purpose?”

“On purpose.”

“Why?”

“Well, I’ve missed you and didn’t know how to get in touch with you...”

I look up to him with a ‘what’s wrong with you’ look in my face and move on. 

“How did you know I went to that market? Have you been following me?

“What?! No!”

“Axel, please be honest with me.”

“Hase, look... I live on that building across from you. That window with the Simpsons sticker? That’s mine. I’ve been living there for two years now, you can ask the door man if you want to. I’m not stalking you, I promise.” he answers me a little bit panicked. 

“Hey, hey... I’m sorry I was harsh with you. And I trust you, okay?”

“I know it seems a little suspicious. But I just saw you on the day you moved in, I was getting off the building to run some errands and I saw you unloading your stuff and when I got back I saw we were window neighbours.  As to the market thing, again, I didn’t stalk you, but you have your habits and we’ve almost run into each other a few times before and they were always on the same day of the week, at the same time. You really need to get a life, baby.”

“Wow, thanks for the call out. And why were all the guys there with you?”

“My hype squad.” We both laugh at his answer. “I haven’t seen you in so long, I thought you had forgotten about me and I didn’t want to make a fool out of myself, so they were there to hype me up.”

“Why is that something I can totally picture on doing?” I pause for a moment to gather some guts before getting into the harder topic. 

“What... what is it exactly that you, Walter and the guys do? And don’t tell me you run the club because I know the club is a front.”

“You’re really coming for my throat today, huh?” he laughs and continues “Well, the club is a front for money laundry. We deal with a few different things. Weapons, illegal gambling, illegal fights, races. No drugs or anything with people, you know? Walter is extremely against that. We also offer protection to businesses...”

“Why does your silence makes me feel like this is almost a hitman thing?”

“Sort of?” He scratched his head and gives me a quizzical look. 

“AXEL! What th—“

“Oh, it’s not like we actually kill people, we just rough them up a bit. Like I said, Walter is pretty specific with the business. Hase, why are you asking me these things?”

“Last night, after you guys left, which by the way, I’m sure that was staged too, but I digress, I was alone with Walter and we... well, we fucked. Like, a lot. Anyway, he asked me if I wanted power, that he could give me power.”

“Ugh, gross I don’t need to know who you fuck.”

“Axel, I’m being serious. C’mon.” I begged him. 

“Yeah, I’m sorry. But what did you tell him? Did you accept?”

“No, I told him that I needed to think about it. He agreed to it and said that I should call you to let him know, no matter what I chose. I called you because I needed to know what you guys actually did. Also did Walter ask you to leave me alone with him? He acted like he had it all planned out.”

“You really don’t let shit slide, do you?”

“It’s like you forgot who I am, Axel.”

“Yeah, Ms. Detective. I’ve talked about you to the guys several times before and mentioned that I saw you moving in and that your apartment was directly in front of mine. He came over one day and saw you sitting there, drinking tea, and reading. All he said is that he understood why I talked about you so much.” he finished, a little embarrassed.

“That’s a little –“

“Creepy? Yeah, I get where you come from. Walter is a nice guy, he really is, he just doesn’t know how to connect to people sometimes.” We stayed in silence for a few minutes eating the rest of our breakfast.

“Do you have your answer already?” Axel breaks the silence.

“I had it from the start, I just needed to know how fucked I would be.”

“Could you ask him if we could meet?”

“Is that a yes?”

“Axel!” I groaned.

“Yep, that’s a yes.”

Walter agreed to meet me and had Junior take me to where he lived. His mansion was located on the outskirts of the city, the kind of neighbourhood only millionaires lived on. Not going to lie, I felt like I was in one of the Keeping Up with the Kardashians episodes. A huge white and grey neoclassical hour, tall and imponent like it’s owner. Big green front yard, a garden of white roses, a beautiful Venus di Botticelli water fountain. Axel took me to the backyard saying Walter was waiting for me by the pool.

He indeed was there, all glorious under a sunshade, black rayban’s covering his eyes and black swimming shorts hugging his waist. He sat by a table full of different kinds of breakfast foods and fruits. Axel announced my arrival and before he left, Walter asked “Junior, could you please ask Freida to bring lovely Hase a bathing suit?” Axel nodded and left us alone.

“Come on, sit. Do you want to eat anything?”

I sat by his right side and grabbed a few grapes. “What do I get from this? Will I be exclusive pocket pussy in exchange for money? Someone to sit pretty by your side while you command everyone or what?”

“You think too low of yourself. I offered you power. I have four of the best men in the world as my partners, but I need something better. Women are usually more detail oriented, I need new eyes, new visions.” Freida’s arrival interrupted us.

“Good afternoon, miss.”

“Good morning, darling. I won’t keep you long, I think this will do.” I chose a black one piece with cut outs that I was sure would make my boobs look incredible.

“There’s a restroom room in there, go and change.” Walter said after I chose and Freida left. I did as he said and when I came back, I went straight to pool.

“C’mon Walter, join me, please. We need to finish talking.” He obeyed me, leaving his sunglasses on the table.

He cornered me by the pool’s end, his big hand brushing away the wet hair strands of my face. He continued “As I was saying, I need new eyes, I need someone I can trust. And fucking you whenever I want wouldn’t be so bad either.” His face was so close to mine I could feel his breath on my lips. I smiled at him, looking at his lips and then up to his eyes.

“How do you know I’m so trustworthy? Or if I’m actually that?”

“Axel always gushes about your little business during high school and what you took out of it, I think you’ll do just fine.” His thumb caresses my cheek. “So, what do you say?”

“Yes.” My arms snakes around his neck and I kiss him. He deepens the kiss and lifts me up to the ledge of the pool.

“Lay down a bit.” He commands while he slides the back of his index finger of my clothed slit. I did as he said and he immediately attached his lips on my clit, sucking and fingering me at the same time.

“Walter, fuck… what if someone sees us?” I ask him between moans.

“They know better than to come here.”

He kept his ministrations, increasing the speed of his fingering and never detaching his lips from my clit. It was too much at the same time and I squirted when I came.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry. That never happened before.” I told him, panicking a little bit. He brought my lips to his, kissed me tenderly and said “Oh, we’re going to have so much fun, my little hase.”

→

#walter x reader #walter imagines #wrestling imagines #DB Writes #sorry if there's any mistakes #can't concentrate myself enough to proof read lmao

[perseusjackson-jasongrace]

Dreamers

Do not ask me what this is because i have no idea. It’s like midnight here and i really should be asleep but my blood was boiling to get this out of me. I’m just gonna classify it as fanfiction but its debatable? Anyway i hope you enjoy my lovelies. It was so.......interesting to write. I don’t know my fingers took over and i just let them do their thing.

Masterlist

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

i thought we were made 

of memories

but when i look at you 

the whole world 

blurs

i’m starting to think we are made

of dreams

and you just happen to 

be mine.

-badpoetry

What is a dream?

A 12 year old Percy Jackson asked.

And the little five year old girl he babysat gave him a toothy grin and said, "Mommy told me its where all the people we used to know and all the people we will know meet up,"

He blinked those sea green eyes at her unsure exactly what she meant, what that implied, what those possibilities entailed.

"Why?"

"Well," Her brow furrowed, "I was having a bad dream and I woke mommy up. I was crying you know," She nodded, hanging her head shamefully, "I know that means I'm not a big girl but it was really scary,"

"It's okay to cr—" He started but she was already prattling on.

"So mommy sat with me and she explained that sometimes when we dream bad things it just means our heart is hurted for the people we don't know."

Percy was flawed, he didn't really know how to process this, how she said it with such casualness, as if it was the most sensible thing in the world.

"And what happens if you have good dreams?"

"Well mommy says that means you are happy." She shrugged, "Can we watch Winx Club now?"

And with one click of the TV the conversation was over. For her anyway. Percy sat there, blinking in and out of reality, his thoughts swirling.

Where all the people you used to know and you will know meet.

He crashed into bed that night, tired and escaping the reek of liquor and tobacco. He circled back to the conversation he had with little Stella a frown etching into his forehead.

Our heart is hurting for the people we don't know.

And when grey eyes and streaks of blonde visited his dreams once more his frown deepened; who was this person and why why why did they hurt.

***

Annabeth Chase was having a bad day. She had had a fight with her father, got screamed at by her stepmother and stepped on Lego all in the span of one morning. Now she stormed down the passage and out the gym, gold curls flying and eyes the colour of ash burning holes into the concrete as she waited outside.

It wasn't her fault she had punched him. He shouldn't have told her to "move out the way so the real game could start." She would have thrown that basketball right at his stupid face if someone hadn't grabbed it from her. Now she was standing outside the gym, waiting for class to end so her coach could take her to the principal's office. She was probably going to get suspended again- not that she cared. She was more concerned with what her father would do. Her anger was interrupted by a throat clearing.

She looked up to see black hair, dark skin and green eyes staring at her.

"What do you want?"

"I got sent here. I punched the other two idiots who were still snickering after you got kicked out."

And it's then that she noticed his bruising knuckles and red jaw.

"Oh," Was her eloquent reply, "Why?"

"They were wrong and it was rude." He shrugged as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Well thanks I guess," She tried to set her face into some semblance of a smile, "Guess we're both getting suspended huh?"

"I'll probably get expelled," He rolled his eyes.

"What? Why?"

"This is my third offense. I seem to have a lot of run-ins but usually they don't involve defending pretty girls."

She blushed at that, and then took comfort in his reddening cheeks.

"What's your—"

"Annabeth Chase!" A stern voice started towards them.

"Guess that's my cue. See you on the other side—"

"Percy," He smiled.

She returned it with a dazzling one of her own before being dragged to the dungeons.

Percy Jackson did not dream of stormy eyes and golden curls that night. And for the first time in six months he finally knew that Annabeth Chase was not hurting.

"Percy," She laughed, shoving away.

"Annabeth," He whispered, pulling her to him.

What is a dream?

A sixteen year old Percy Jackson asked.

And the glowing girl tucked into his side turned to him and said, "Subconscious imaginings that happen when you sleep that could involve sound, image and other sensory components."

He smiled at her, at his wise girl who thought of everything with her strategist brain, and he pulled her closer.

"They're just in your head, made up. Your imagination running wild." She shrugged as if that was the sensible explanation, the only explanation.

"I guess they are. Why do you think we have good or bad dreams?"

"Probably to do with stress and our emotions. Maybe throw something about hormones in there." She looked up at him with her knowledgeable eyes, pools that held equal amounts defiance and pride, that held much more of something, something, something.

***

Annabeth Chase was having a good day. She woke up to the smell of pancakes and hushed whispers outside her door. Her boyfriend and her father were waiting for her tell tale sign before they came barging in. With a soft smile she clicked play on her phone and let the opening notes of Last Dance fill her room, her head, her smile.

The door eased open, floppy black hair and ocean eyes peeking at her. With a troublemakers smile he sprinted for the bed and flopped over her.

"Happy birthday Wise Girl,"

"Thank you," She kissed his forehead and then smiled up at the adult walking in.

"Happy Birthday sweetheart," He said softly holding out a plate with a ring of cupcakes and a single candle in the middle.

"Eighteen huh?"

"Don't remind me, I think I can already feel my bones creaking."

"That's not your bones, your machine body just needs some oil." Percy said cheekily.

She shoved his face away but laughed, "If I was a machine I would have my degree by now,"

"How about finishing high school first? Life is just beginning." Her dad sat down beside her.

"I know I know, just sometimes feel like I've been dreaming about living it for so long it's hard to imagine waiting even a second more."

"Well I'll be here to help you past the time," Percy grinned at her before swiping a cupcake and shoving the entire thing into his mouth.

"I know you will." She grabbed his hand.

"Annabeth," He cried, watching as she walked down the steps and out out out.

"Life," She sighed, gripping the handle of her bag and walking towards the gate and into the world beyond.

What is a dream?

A 21 year old Percy Jackson asked.

And the boy in the mirror gave him a broken look and said, "It is the alternative ending."

He closed his eyes, lifted his face to the skies.

"Why do we have bad dreams?"

"Some endings are not so happy,"

That night Percy Jackson went to sleep and watched storm clouds and lightning dance behind his eyes. Who was this person and why did they have no feeling at all?

***

Jason Grace did not expect to see a boy in a blue hoodie and faded jeans strolling through his secret garden but it seemed this bright breezy morning was ripe with surprise.

"Hey," He called

The boy startled and then turned towards him and the breath knocked clean from his lungs. He had never seen someone so full of the world. Ocean eyes and coffee skin. Midnight hair and forest heights.

"Uh hi, sorry I didn't think anyone was here,"

"I didn't either. How did you find this place?"

"By accident mostly," He flushed, "I didn't mean to disturb you I just got lost in thought."

"It's okay, this is a good place to think. To just be." He gave him a reassuring smile.

"Well I guess I should get out of your way,"

"Why don't you stay a little longer, we can get lost in thought together?"

And as he came closer, as he sat down on the cool grass, offering a shy smile the world fell off his shoulders and landed in their palms, holding together, together, together.

"Jason," He grinned.

"Percy," He sighed, hugging him tighter.

 Jason Grace layed down a blanket and intertwined his fingers with his boyfriend’s long supple one’s. Today they celebrate the day they first met in the little garden tucked away in a little park.

”Happy anniversary Percy,”

He smiled that heart-breaker’s smile and kissed him.

“I cannot believe it’s been two years,”

“Time is not real when you don’t have to keep track of it,” He mumbled, kissing golden knuckles.

Even all these years later he still looked like the world. Although maybe it was the world who looked like him. With those clear bright eyes and unbreakable will. With that never-ending steady loyalty and the warmth of a thousand suns.

“Where are you?” He asked Jason.

“I am lost in thought,” He smiled into the closing space between them.

“Can we get lost together?”

“We have been that way since the stars started shining.”

What is a dream?

A 25 year old Percy Jackson asked.

And the boy with lightning eyes gave him a curious smile and said "Us."

He grinned, bright and unrestrained, the answer settling in his bones.

Us.

He had been searching his whole life for that word. Sometimes it takes two people in order for it to be true. Shakespeare did not make a word because he wrote it. He made one because he said it and someone echoed.

"Yes. We are a dream." He nodded, holding his hand to that electric heart.

"Are we a good one?" A whisper floated between them.

"We are the only one, my love."

#percy jackson #percy #jackson #PJO #HOO #percy jackson fanfic #baby fanfic #baby fanfic series #mini fanfic #mini fafiction #PJO fanfic #PJSSG series #PJSSG fanfic #percabeth #jercy #i dont really know what this is yall #but i hope yall enjoyed #mini fanfiction #annabeth chase #jason grace #annabeth #chase #jason #grace #dreamers #dreams #percy dreams #au percy jackson #au PJO #au

[arthurjdrake]

TIMING: Simultaneously with the finale chatzy. LOCATION: Arthur’s House PARTIES: Arthur & @humanmoodring SUMMARY: Nadia and Arthur finally have a heart to heart about the ghost that continues to haunt her memories and discuss the healing possibility that help from others might lend with ZERO interruptions.

TW: Vomit, Descriptions of injury & Blood

With Nadia coming over for a meal and general catch-up Arthur had taken the time to speak to Elena (as best as he could converse with the ghost) about staying upstairs if possible. She hadn’t seemed too happy if the message on his fridge was anything to go by, but judging by the lack of interference he had to his cooking he figured he’d convinced her well enough for the time being. The food was just in the oven - chicken parmigiana wrapped with parma ham, smothered in a homemade tomato sauce and mozzarella with a side of jersey salad and creamy mashed potatoes. He’d also gotten out a bottle of red to share, keenly aware of the fact they had also talked about discussing her mysterious history. Life had taught him one thing, and that was such talks were often helped along with the fortification of a good drink. He was just grabbing the plates out of the cupboard when the doorbell rang, hurrying through the house he pulled the door open with a smile. “Hey there, come in, come in” he ushered stepping back “not too tricky to find me I hope?”

The first thing Nadia noticed when she pulled up to Arthur’s house was that it was really fucking nice. Not in, like, an ostentatious way, but still impressive. She let out a low whistle as she got out of her truck and brushed off the front of her sweater a bit nervously, the material soft and comforting and nice even if the weather was getting pretty warm. Sweaters always seemed like an extra layer of protection to Nadia, and she felt like she needed it. Not because she thought Arthur was going to judge her harshly; she didn’t think that at all. But she’d never had this conversation in person. Not really. However, she wanted to tell Arthur in person. After everything he’d done for her, he deserved it. More than, really. In person was a bit more vulnerable, though, forcing her to deal with emotions, her own emotions, when writing allowed her to kind of distance herself from that. Still, she needed to do this. She smiled at Arthur as he let her in. “Not tricky at all. Nice house, by the way.” She looked around at the open space, relaxing a bit. It suited him, warm and inviting just as he’d been for as long as she’d known him. She shot him a look of concern. “How are you feeling, by the way? All healed up?”

Arthur could understand the use of clothes to help present the appearance and persona you wanted the world to believe and see you for. People, regardless of how good or non-judgemental they claimed to be, all formed first impressions by sight even if it was subconscious. Unlike the more formal appearance he presented at work, typically opting for suits and far more formal attire here in the space of his his home Arthur’s attire was by far more casual. A white tri-blend tee layered under a black and white flannel check shirt with the sleeves folded up above the elbow left intricately monochrome inked (and typically covered) arms free to play host. “Thanks,” he grinned warmly, “not bad isn’t it? Here, take your shoes off… I’ve got food on.” Though the moment of concern softened his grin to a smile, naturally inclined to settle other people’s concerns with words or general physical affection he reached out touching her elbow briefly though the heat of his skin always came as a shock to most people considering his body temperature averaged around 120°F. “All fixed and in working order, promise. Come on, wine and food that I hope you won’t judge too harshly considering your mum’s standards, yeah?”

It was nice to hang out with Arthur in a more laid back setting. Not that working stopped him and Nadia from teasing each other, but there was still always the added factor of them making sure to spend time researching. But the relaxing atmosphere was helping her considerably. It was cool to see Arthur’s tattoos, to see him as a young man and not just a wise, immortal being. This could almost be considered normal, if he wasn’t actually a wise, immortal being and she wasn’t here to tell him about her life. They were just two colleagues, two friends, eating dinner and catching up after a series of hectic weeks. “It’s fantastic, Arthur. And it suits you, too.” She unlaced her boots and sat them neatly near the front door before following him to the kitchen. Arthur’s touch was warm, hot, really, but she didn’t mind. She never felt warm anymore, hadn’t much since she woke up, so the heat was nice. “I’m glad you’re doing better.” Nadia followed him to the kitchen, where the food he’d prepared already smelled wonderful and, she had no doubt, would give her ma a run for her money. “Dude, I’m sure it’s gonna be fantastic. Especially if those cheesecakes were any indication.”

There were certain boundaries that had to be maintained at work, but it was nice to just step back and relax. “A part of me wonders if it’s too big… But in comparison to where I was it’s so much better,” Arthur explained as he wandered through to the kitchen while Nadia unlaced her boots. “It’s not really surprising, I patch up fast even from the worst of states,” there was mild humour in his tone even if the topic wasn’t the most cheery. By the time she joined him he was already pouring a couple of glasses of wine out, setting them on the counter as he went to plate up the salad. “Maybe, can’t say I’ve ever had to compete with someone’s mother when it comes to cooking though.” He grabbed a tea towel, folding it over and pulled open the oven to grab the baking tray out “where did you grow up? What was your life like before… All this supernatural shit? Can’t say I’ve ever asked.” After all, tonight was about getting to know one another.

It was a lot of space, probably too much for Nadia, but that didn’t make it any less homey. Touches of Arthur were all throughout the place as she looked around, eventually wandering to the kitchen. Even though she trusted his words, she looked him over closely. She couldn’t see any noticeable signs of damage. She gave a nod, pleased that he was better. “Those tears really do work wonders, huh?” She took a glass of wine and watched as he dealt with the food, wondering if she should help. “I mean, you stand a fighting chance. It’s been years since I’ve eaten my mom’s cooking.” God, could she even remember what it tasted like? “Do you need any help?” She could probably help him get plates and utensils if he showed her where everything was. As for her past… “I mean, the here and now’s always been more vital, dude.” She felt awkward; after months of giving the bear minimum, she was now having to figure out how to share about her life again. Like she’d ever done it before. Even back before White Crest, before the possession, she’d been shit at this kind of thing. “Uh, I’m from Phoenix, Arizona.” She smiled a bit. “Sometimes it’s kind of funny that I work for an actual phoenix. Can’t really lose my roots, I guess. But, uh, my dad’s Cuban. My mom’s Italian-American, from Chicago. How the fuck they ended up in the fucking desert of all places is anyone’s guess, but…” That was very little about her, about her life. “I mean,” she laughed drily, “my life kind of sucked before I woke up here. I was a lonely kid, a lonely teenager, only one real friend in college. Then, she left, and I went a little wild for awhile and,” and she got possessed, but the words were thick in her mouth. She took a drink. “Yeah. But what about you? What’s this life been like?”

“Bring you back from the brink of death more or less, last I heard they’re one of the rarest commodities on the black market… Not easy to get your hands on them. Phoenixes are rare to come upon and even harder to pick out of a crowd.” Arthur didn’t mind, it wasn’t the most complex meal but it tasted good and that was what mattered. “I think I’m alright here, could you grab the knives and forks out that draw there? Second one down,” he pointed out a drawer not far from where she was. “True, but it’s nice to know where people come from,” he countered lightly not in a prying sense but a simple sharing of opinion from someone that liked to get to know others. “Huh, go figure,” he laughed quietly at the irony but grew quiet as Nadia spoke.

Taking the plates over to the table nearby and setting them down he nodded along, but his expression grew sympathetic as she trailed off and he didn’t press for the time being. He settled in his chair, contemplating the answer “it’s been… I’ve been lucky, Mercy’s always tried her best whenever I’ve had to be rehomed… Always tried to put me with good people” it didn’t always work, but she tried and that’s what counted in his mind. “I was adopted by a couple from London, stayed there most of my life - school, the works. I was an only child which had its perks but I think I would’ve liked a sibling... My parents had… big expectations for me, and it was hard not to cave under the effort of trying to carry and live up to them.”

He took a sip of wine seeming to grow quieter, “I’m thankful for every opportunity they gave me but it was hard - coming to terms and trying to understand what I was without anyone there to help me understand…” he rested his chin on his hand “thought I was losing my mind when I started getting flashes of all these past lifetimes. Doctors couldn’t figure out what was going on. Did every scan under the sun… Eventually I knew better than to mention it… Until it eventually came back what I was.” It hadn’t been the easiest journey but he’d gotten there. “Anyway, how’s the food?”

“You need to keep safe, then.” Hearing that his tears were incredibly rare and valuable did nothing to help soothe Nadia. Worrying about Arthur getting attacked because of what he was added itself to her list of things to look out for when it came to her friends. She grabbed the silverware and helped him set the table before they sat down, a lot on her mind.

She smiled a bit as he mentioned how Mercy made sure he was well taken care of. “She’s a good friend, I can tell.” She remembered the older woman’s request, trying to think about how to best go about asking him what he wanted for his birthday. She’d figure out how to do that later. At the mention of him being an only child, she nodded. “I was an only kid, too. I was enough trouble on my own, and I was the kind of kid that wanted-- well, needed to be alone sometimes. Both my parents came from big families, though. I’m sure they wanted more kids, but I was a handful, I guess.”

She took a bite of food, savoring the flavor of it. She couldn’t remember her mother’s cooking. She couldn’t. It was a bit depressing to think about, but she figured that if Arthur’s cooking wasn’t just as good, it was a close fucking second. There were so many things from her life in Phoenix that she was beginning to realize that she was forgetting. The taste of her ma’s cooking, the type of beer her father drank, the color of Brooke’s eyes. She knew what it was like to get flashes of things that she didn’t understand, even if it was for different reasons that Arthur. “I think you’ve done a good job with getting from where you were to where you are now, for what it’s worth,” she told him. She took another bite of food. After she swallowed, she said, “It’s fucking fantastic.”

“I’m as safe as houses, barely anyone knows about me - besides you, Evelyn and Mercy… That’s it. And it’s how I’d prefer to keep it.” Arthur often got frustrated when people treated him with kid gloves because of his physicality, and it occasionally led to random acts of attempted heroics to try and prove them otherwise - which almost always ended up proving their point that he was extremely breakable. “Plus,” he added as an afterthought, “out of most supernaturals phoenixes are usually the ones that blend in the easiest… Except for the pinfeathers. But other than that we don’t have weird feeding habits, we don’t prey on people… We just… live.”

“She is. A pain in the ass at times, but I wouldn’t trade her for anything,” he admitted fondly. It was nice to be able to relate to someone in a way, “it’s weird, I get flashes of my first life - fragments really, but I had loads of siblings and I hated it… Yet now I hate not having them,” he supposed it just went to show what you took for granted at times. “Ah, yeah I was always too worried to act up as a kid… Felt like every moment had to count for something or else I’d somehow failed…” not the healthiest mentality for a child to have, but looking back he could recognise his faults. “But I get that - wanting to be alone, silence is good when you just need to recharge but sometimes you need people to balance that…”

He ate a few mouthfuls, a comfortable silence settling over the room between the clinks of cutlery and occasional sip of wine. Nadia’s remark broke the silence and he gave her a smile, “you too… You’re a long way from home,” it was an idle remark, made in passing contemplation of the little information she’d given “ life isn’t easy, but we all make the best of what we have don’t we? It’s what we do with it that truly counts for anything.” His smile broadened at the compliment, “if that’s the verdict on the dinner no clue what you’ll say about dessert.”

“That’s good,” Nadia said, glad she’d been cautious when talking to people about Arthur. If anyone guessed anything about him, it was probably that the man might be a spellcaster of some kind. She really had thought he was, like, a wizard or something after the way he’d healed after their first meeting, with his more bookish tendencies, and, as he’d mentioned, his mostly human facade. “You blend in pretty well. I don’t think I’d have guessed what you were if you hadn’t told me. I mean, I knew a bit about phoenixes in mythology, but I don’t know if I’d have figured you out.”

She smiled at the way he fondly talked of Mercy, reminding her of the way the woman referred to him online. They cared about each other, and it was nice to see. Nice to be able to feel, though it was muted and muddled. “I mean, you two have known each other for forever. Literally.” What was it like to know someone for that long? She couldn’t imagine. She also couldn’t imagine siblings. “I think it was for the best that I grew up alone.” Though, who knew? Maybe she’d be better at the emotions thing. Or, possibly, she’d be worse. “I didn’t act up too much. I kept my grades up and was usually quiet, even though I listened to the wrong kinds of music. My father and I got frustrated with each other a lot. He was always mad, and I always wanted to know why. When I couldn’t figure it out, I gave him reasons.” She took a drink, feeling like she was talking too much. She was talking too much, and about the wrong things. This wasn’t why she’d come here.

Nadia was a long way from home. She was as far away from home as she could be while still being in the same country. She missed home sometimes so much that it ached. But she knew she couldn’t go back. The few people that had she’d known and loved didn’t feel the same about her. “We’re both a long way from home,” she said quietly. She raised her glass to him. “You’re right. We’ve just got to make the best of it. Personally, I’m glad to be here. In spite of how I got here.” She grinned. “If deserts better than dinner, you might be stuck with me. Sorry, but you’ve provided me with a job, good conversation, and stellar food. I’d be a fool to leave.”

“That’s how I’d prefer it to be, most people make the mistake… I’m happy to let them believe it.” If not for certain other traits it was vaguely passable and Arthur would happily stick to that story because it meant keeping him off people’s radar for what he truly was.

“Yeah, kind of crazy when you think about it. She’s barely ever missed a birthday or like-- anything. Even though I can’t even remember my original one now.” It was part of what kept them both sane and in touch with the world around them. “Though doesn’t mean she doesn’t drive me mad at times,” he huffed, but regardless the words were spoken fondly. “You think?” who could say what anyone would be, circumstances and situations played a role in affecting how a person turned out. It didn’t do to dwell for long, but it was a curious thing to contemplate occasionally. Hearing Nadia explain her dynamic with her father caused him to cock his head a little, “it’s hard. Parents are just trying their best to stop kids falling into the same traps they did… But often I find in trying to avoid them they often help steer a path directly towards them anyway. Sometimes you just need to know when to be upfront.”

“True…” he raised his own cup marginally, “to finding new homes” and new families. Though that was left unsaid. “Yeah? I’m still not sure I’m sold - like on one hand it’s great to be in a place with so many other supernaturals but the risk of death or serious maiming is a big damper on truly enjoying it. You know?” He finished up his plate, looking humoured by the remark “well, offer’s always there if you need a place to crash and there’s always food to spare in my kitchen.” Gathering the plates up he headed back to the kitchen, dropping them in the dishwasher before returning with a plate of coconut and passion fruit slices. “Come on,” he waved her over from the dining table towards the lounge and the vivarium situated to one side of it where his tortoises roamed. “Get comfy.” Then they could sit down and talk.

“It’s certainly a good way to protect yourself,” Nadia said, still thinking about what Arthur mentioned about his tears being valuable on supernatural black markets. She dreaded to think what would happen to her friend if someone captured him to use just to make a few dollars.

“Birthdays are pretty important,” she said with a grin. “Speaking of birthdays, when’s yours?” She knew the answer thanks to Mercy, but it’d be best to hold off on that information. She still needed to figure out what he might possibly want, both for the valkyrie and for herself. She wanted to get him something nice, too. Even if she went with what she told Mercy and went the more homemade route. Time, effort, those were the kinds of gifts she’d appreciated when she actually gave a damn about that kind of thing. Birthdays hadn’t been a big deal for Nadia in years, though, even before the possession. These days, she’d appreciated being about to not think about it, drink a little by herself, and then not sleep. It’d been an average day of a birthday, and that had been what she wanted. She appreciated Arthur’s approach to talking about parents. It gave her a good out. “Yeah, everybody says they want better for their kids. Sometimes they just, like, go about it the wrong way, I guess.”

That was the kind of toast she could get behind. She took a drink and laughed, thinking about all the shit she’d been through during the last few months. “Oh, White Crest is hell. Like, probably literally? I was getting sent giant pallets of salt by a company run by demons. But I’ve felt more comfortable here than I have anywhere else, even back home. I have a job that I’ve always wanted and more friends than I’ve ever had in my life.” She grinned as they moved to the sitting area. “I might not crash on your couch, but don’t tempt me to come raid your fridge, Arthur.” She got situated, looking around for the tortoises she’d heard so much about. She was putting off the inevitable, really.

“It’s worked this long, though so far as the hunters I’ve met in town… Most don’t really seem all that good at their jobs, which… isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” Arthur remarked thoughtfully. “But yeah, it’s worked so far so… I’ll keep on that track.”

“Mine? Depends, the original - I can’t remember but apparently it was sometime in winter but in this lifetime it’s around the twentieth of June… That’s the day I’ve celebrated though it might be out by a little bit.” Considering there was a period between him coming back and Mercy finding a family to place him with but more or less that was the way it had always been. It worked well enough so no point trying to fix what wasn’t broken. “How about you?” It’d be useful to know for himself, so he could try to arrange something for Nadia when hers did come around. It seemed like the right and good thing to do after all.

“It’s been referred to as a hellmouth in most of the texts I’ve read soooo… take that one how you will” he huffed, this truly was one of the most weird and interesting places he’d ever lived in his life. “By demons? You didn’t sign any contracts right?” He shifted as he settled on the sofa, folding a leg up comfortably. “You’re welcome to it, always spare food. I’ve got four spare rooms going upstairs as well if you ever do feel the need especially to escape those uh, screams…” But that was beside the point, he took a bite of the dessert square looking over at her. “So… You don’t like ghosts?” it was a gentle prod to hopefully lay the path for the true conversation this night was meant to be about.

Snorting a bit, Nadia thought about the hunters that she personally knew. Alain and Kaden were both good guys, even if she didn’t believe in the same things as them. She couldn’t imagine them hunting Arthur down just to sell his tears on the black market. But, then again, she didn’t really know them while they were hunting. Better safe than sorry. “Yeah, that’s smart.”

She nodded. “Twentieth’s pretty soon,” she said with a smile. “You know I’m gonna get you something, right? You could help a gal out, you know, give her a hint, maybe?” She twirled the stem of her wine glass slowly. “I mean, it was back in February. The twenty-third. I didn’t really celebrate.” She shrugged. “Wasn’t that big of a deal.” All things considered, it had been an alright birthday. It had just been a regular Sunday, which is exactly what she’d wanted.

“Hellmouth is fuckng right,” Nadia muttered. “No, no contract. Someone signed me up for a subscription. It’s been, like, cancelled now, though.” She relaxed a little, taking another drink of her wine. “I’ll definitely keep it in mind. My apartment’s mostly scream free… Mostly.” She grimaced a bit, thinking about the essential oils subscription and what a bitch that was going to be. “On second thought, I might be over here, like, once a month. Just when she gets a package delivered.” She picked up a desert square of her own, but, with his question, she wasn’t feeling too hungry. Nadia gave a slight laugh. “Not really ghosts so much as one in particular. But they,” she paused, “scare me.” She ran a hand through her hair. “One of them kind of, like, ruined my life, so.”

“It is,” Arthur agreed to the date being near, but really what did it matter? It was just another year and another birthday. “Honestly, I don’t have much I want. I’d be happy with anything you got me you know? The sentiment is more what matters… Really I’d be happier with like… people coming over, having a meal and just a nice ordinary night you know? Pizza and beers, maybe a barbecue - I haven’t had a good barbecue in ages.”

“Signed you up for a subscription? What are they? Fae? They love their deals, almost as much as spellcasters do” he groaned as he leaned back into the sofa pulling one leg up and tucking it comfortably under the other that still hung off the cushions. “Mostly? She hasn’t done anything recently has she?” he paused gauging Nadia’s reaction to his next question “I’m guessing you know about her… supernatural thing right?”

But talk turned to ghosts, and Arthur tried to be tactful in his line of conversation. Though there was no easy way to let a conversation like this come about. “Right… I got the impression… Do you… I know it’s hard for you,” he started sympathetically, “do you want to walk me through what happened?”

Well, that was absolutely no help to Nadia for Mercy, but it did solidify her thought that he’d probably enjoy something with thought and effort over something expensive. “You know, a barbecue doesn’t sound like a bad idea. I still have leftover fireworks from a thing,” she said. Which, she’d told Erin it’d be for a barbecue. This would certainly make it less of a lie.

She laughed a little bit. “She thought she was doing something nice. It’s the thought that counts. And, like, at least I can look back on it and laugh, now.” Of course, she wasn’t laughing any time Regan’s subscriptions came in and the screaming started, but still. “I mean, she can get a bit… loud sometimes,” she said, wincing a bit. “Yeah, I know about her thing. It���s the worst kept secret ever.” She couldn’t say what Regan’s thing was since she was still bound by Deirdre’s promise, but she figured, if Arthur was mentioning screaming, then he knew. Really, the fact that Arthur knew wasn’t even surprising. At the rate things were going, everyone was going to know about Regan before Regan even knew.

Nadia took a bite of her desert square. It was good, but it still stuck to her throat. She swallowed tightly. “Yeah, yeah, I can walk you-- I mean, there’s really not too much to tell.” She laughed breathlessly, humorlessly. “I was, like, a junior in college. Everything was shitty. We-- me, my parents, my single friend-- we thought I was depressed, which, I mean. But I was getting some bad blackouts, sometimes for days at a time. My friend, she-- I mean, she left. Whatever.” She took a long sip of wine. “It got worse, nothing was helping. I’d wake up and not know where I was, who I was, what I was doing.” She could see herself in a mirror, covered in blood. Whose blood? Whose? “Then, I don’t know. I woke up in White Crest in late December a few months ago,” she said quietly. “Some kids had helped me out. A human soul’s worth thirty thousand dollars, in case you were wondering.”

“A thing?” Arthur inquired curiously, though considering how often fireworks were used for things in America it wasn’t all that surprising of a thing to hear someone say. “Well, if you want to come along you’re more than welcome to.”

“I guess so, though salt seems like an interesting thing to be signed up for…” Useful for ghosts amongst other supernatural things he supposed but he could see how bulk orders could soon stack up to be infuriating. “It is, Kaden accidentally told me but I wasn’t planning on mentioning it to her considering how she gets whenever that sort of stuff comes up in conversation.” It wasn’t surprising how entrenched people could become when the foundations of their very reality of life seemed to be under threat. In a way, Arthur felt bad for her but equally it was important to recognise the danger her denial posed to those that were around her. “The issue is, the longer her denial goes on the more harm she poses to those around her - including you, which unfortunately doesn’t sit very well with me.”

As Nadia spoke, Arthur remained quiet occasionally taking a sip of wine but otherwise he left her to tell her tale not wishing to interrupt her already staccato rhythm. “Do you know anything about the ghost that possessed you?” from the fragments of an overall tale it was clear enough to him that was what had happened. He set his glass aside, sitting forwards and reaching for Nadia’s hand slowly. A quiet show of support and reminder that he would always stand in her corner no matter what. Though he knew in a town like White Crest it wasn’t easy to say she wasn’t at risk again? “Has anything else like that happened while you’ve been here?” he asked, rubbing his thumb in a small soothing arc over her hand.

“I ended up not using them in the way I thought,” Nadia said breezily, not bothering to explain what exactly her “thing” was. Probably best to not mention blowing up the mime restaurant only to end up with the town invaded by mimes for weeks. Especially when those mimes ended up landing him in the hospital.

“Yeah, you ask a neighbor to borrow some salt one time, and you’re stuck with a reputation.” Not an unjustifiable one, though. Nadia kept salt lines up around her house for months, even after the banishment had been put up. She laughed a bit, thinking about just how Arthur bringing up Regan’s banshee-ness would go in a conversation. “Yeah, that’s probably for the best. But she’s really not dangerous. Not intentionally. And as long as I can predict when something might upset her,” she flinched a bit, “which, okay, not the easiest, but she’d only really hurt me in person, and I can-- I’m a-- I feel people’s emotions-- empath, so if she starts getting upset or whatever I can kind of prepare for things.”

This time, when Nadia laughed, it was sharp and insincere. “She was a fucking criminal,and she made me a criminal, and she ruined my life for six fucking years.” She sagged a bit under Arthur’s touch, one knee pulled up to her chest and her head resting on it. She didn’t know why it was both relieving and exhausting to tell him this. Maybe it was because it was in person, and his comfort felt real, and having him be here and listen to her meant so much. She should tell him the truth, that she was scared about getting possessed again, that it’d happened more than once, that she knew her ghost hadn’t given up quite yet. Instead, she gave him a watery smile. “It’s been a bit touch and go for a while, but I should be in the clear, ghost wise, now. Just lingering shit, you know? I’m sure your ghost is great.”

“Well, I love fireworks and anything fire related so you’re welcome to bring them along if you want. We can annoy the neighbours with them.”

Arthur laughed at the sentiment, it was kind of funny to hear her say that out loud and the idea of these ridiculously cursed subscriptions was a little bit funny. “Who else got one? I’m curious to know what hellish gifts people were getting from this company.” Nadia did her best to dissuade his concerns, unfortunately, he was schooled enough to know that glass wasn’t the only thing a sound that loud could damage. “Do you know how sound breaks things?” it was a question of genuine curiosity but he explained anyway slipping easily into his more studious nature “it makes things vibrate. The pitch influences how fast those things vibrate and if it’s high and sustained enough things break because of that….” He paused, Nadia might have faith in Regan’s control but Arthur wasn’t quite so certain on the topic “the control is what concerns me… From the stuff I’ve seen people posting online about damage and stuff she doesn’t have it. And depending on what kind of decibels those screams are hitting… If someone’s stood too close they could be seriously injured and they could potentially die. There’s not much that can prepare you for death - and that’s me speaking from experience.” Perhaps it was a solemn subject to touch on, but he wanted to make sure Nadia was truly prepared for the potential consequences of continuing to associate with Regan. Perhaps it was unfair, Arthur knew it wasn’t her fault but Nadia’s well-being was of more paramount concern to him presently.

As she sagged, Arthur continued to hold her hand rubbing the calming pattern into her skin. “What is it you’re afraid people will judge you for?” she’d mentioned it online before they’d arranged this, but Arthur wanted to try and help her work through some of her concerns regarding the things that ahd happened to her - which in his opinion were far beyond her own control. But admitting that was hard and scary in itself. In the kitchen his phone buzzed, but he ignored it. He’d call whoever was phoning back later. He didn’t prompt her to look up from where she’d rested her head, curling into herself in a protective fashion he’d seen countless times across his lifetimes. “Is that what haunts you at night?” the question was softly spoken, “or is it the fear of what this ghost would do if they did come back?” It could very well be both, despite their similarities they were distinctly separate. One concerned the past, and one the future. Her watery smile earned a sympathetic look, and he shifted to wrap his arms around her pulling her in for a tight embrace of comforting warmth that radiated from him. “I get that, but there’s no need to be ashamed of being scared… Possession is… it’s a violation of your person. Your very rights. Being scared of having your control taken away is one of the most valid fears anyone could ever experience - and I’m sure this is something you already know, but it takes time to adjust to life after experiencing something like that…” He pulled back a fraction looking at her with a steady and intense look, “but-- I want you to know if you ever need me. I’m here and I’ll always have your back, no matter the time or how bad you think things are. I’ll always be in your corner. Hm?”

“You know, I don’t know if it was a subscription, but a woman in town was getting sent mayo and bones.” Nadia shivered just thinking about sticking her hands in that fucking mayo, the demon with the goat eyes’ voice in her head. “And you probably saw that Kaden was getting sent large baguettes. That was fun.” She sighed, knowing that what Arthur said about the vibrations was true. Still, she had faith that Regan would figure it out. “I know that her denial is… concerning. But she doesn’t want to hurt people, and I think that’s almost enough to, if not stop the denial, then to at least put her in the frame of mind to accept help. I’m hoping she’ll talk to someone.” She paused, thinking it over. Hanging out with Regan was high risk, high reward. High risk because it could kill her. High reward because she was Nadia’s best friend, and she was easy to spend time with. Besides. Nadia was beginning to enjoy taking risks. “I know she could kill me, but it’s not going to happen. One because that would be such a shitty thing to do to her. Two because I’m going to be careful, I promise. I don’t have a death wish. I’ve got six years to make up for.”

Six years-- almost seven, really-- that she’d never get back. Her relationship with her parents was gone. Even if she could somehow get all the charges against her dropped, it didn’t matter. There was a stain on her now, one that would never go away. She felt it like a ghost, saw it in the mirror every time she passed by. What was she afraid people would judge her for? She was scared they’d see her the way she did late at night when she could do nothing but think. “I’m afraid they won’t-- I’m afraid they’ll just see a criminal or worse. They’ll just see someone to be pitied.” One day, someone was going to look too close and see that something was missing. Maybe the only reason she saw it was because she knew who she was supposed to be before all of this. “I dream about what I did while-- or what I might’ve done. What I could've done.” Everyone died, usually, in her dreams, and she’s left alone all over again. Arthur’s arms around her was the last strike against her resolve. She gripped him tightly, tears in her eyes. “I don’t know who I am, these days,” she said roughly. “But thank you for trusting me and being in my corner.”

“Bones in mayo? Or both separately?” Arthur questioned in mild concern, “see the bones I wouldn’t mind so much… The mayo, eugh” he contorted his face and stuck his tongue out. Definitely not a fan of condiments. The mention of the baguettes made him laugh, “I saw that… Didn’t realise it was Regan’s doing - that’s even better,” he couldn’t help the laugh it was unfortunate but it was kind of funny as a bystander to watch the torment. Even he wasn’t above a good laugh occasionally especially considering the baguettes really didn’t seem like that bad of a thing to receive.

His mood grew a tad more serious “doesn’t want to, doesn't equate to won’t Nadia.” Ultimately, it wasn’t his job nor his position to lecture her or anyone else, but he would advise caution where he felt it was needed. Not that this wasn’t something she had no doubt considered, but he had to at least give himself the peace of mind of saying it out loud. Making sure she heard him and understood his concern for her well-being. “Fine… But it doesn’t mean I don’t think that this isn’t something she needs to come to terms with. Is there no one that can help her with it?”

“Which is understandable,” he said softly, “but sometimes pity, sympathy, compassion - whatever you want to call it from other people isn’t the worst thing in the world. Sometimes it does us a world of good to let someone else feel sorry, step in and help take care of you…” That wasn’t to say it was easy, “taking down those walls that you’ve built if only for a little while will probably help you find some peace and time to recharge.” He squeezed her hands affectionately, “being vulnerable takes a great deal of strength and mental fortitude… To be open to letting other people listen and help and the fact you’re here, that you’re talking about it is a step in the right direction.”

Arthur kept Nadia hugged tight for a long while, pressing her face to his shoulder as he rubbed his other hand over the curve of her spine. “You will. With time, I’m sure you will,” he assured her quietly holding on for a little while longer before he eventually pulled back his hands resting on her shoulders. “I’m proud of you Nadia.”

“Separately,” Nadia said. She pause. “I think? The bones and the mayo were equally bad because they were apparently human bones and had to be examined.” Honestly, after putting her hands in the shit, she planned to never even look at mayo ever again. Laughing along with him, she said, “It’s funny now, and I know she was just being nice, but damn. It was the fucking worse.”

She sighed. “I know. I know. But I trust her not to hurt me. Not intentionally, and I’d never blame her for an accident.” Nadia pinched the bridge between her nose. She didn’t want to keep talking about this. She appreciated Arthur’s words and the fact that he obviously cared for her. It was touching. Still, she was a big girl, even if she didn’t remember six years’ worth of life experiences. She knew how to be cautious, and she could make her own decisions, even if they were fucking stupid sometimes. “It is, and she will, eventually. She’ll get help. It’ll be alright. I believe that.”

Taking in his words was hard, even if Nadia knew they were true. Because she felt all of it—pity, sympathy, compassion— so vividly from other people, and she knew when they were sincere about it, but that didn’t change the way she was. Part of it was the way she was raised: distant parents that wanted to help her but didn’t know how when time after time nothing they did seemed to help. Part of it was also experience: everyone she’d let into her life before left, sometimes cruelly. Countless arguments and phone calls and conversations that led to heartbreak and disappointment weren’t worth it, in the end. She didn’t see her walls as walls; it was more like a suit of armor, and once someone found the flaws and worked their way in, rust was more likely to set in. At that point, armor’s less of a protection and more of a hindrance. She laughed a bit, even though she was crying. She hated the weakness, though she wouldn’t say so. “Being vulnerable sucks major ass, bird boss, but if this is a step in the right direction, then I’m willing to work on it.” Even if it led to more hurt in the end.

They stayed there for a bit, and Nadia allowed the rust to set in. One day, maybe she’d lay her armor down, wouldn’t need it. Maybe in White Crest was different than Phoenix in that way. She was finding comfort and warmth here that she’d never felt before, and that meant something, despite the shit show the place seemed to be. As Arthur leaned back, she wiped her eyes a bit. “Thank you, Arthur.”

As Nadia chose to insist again Arthur fought against the urge to roll his eyes. “Fine,” but it didn’t mean the worry didn’t linger after the fact. But he didn’t want to push too far into that conversation tonight. It wasn’t worth delving into.

Arthur knew his words probably weren’t new. But the lesson of building walls or plating armour plate on top of plate could keep the world and new experiences from ever coming into your life. They could keep you safe and warm but when you waded into waters too deep armour would only weigh you down until you ended up being swept away by the currents. Not to mention their capacity for keeping people at a distance and protecting yourself from hurt was perhaps one of the oldest things he’d seen people do but in the end they had always been left wanting and lonely. That wasn’t something he wanted to see happen to Nadia and if it meant working to keep her safe, to see her through to those better times then he’d happily put the graft in to help where he could. “I know and it might mean down the line you’re opening yourself up to hurt… But you’re opening yourself up to love as well and if there’s one thing I’ve learnt it’s that love is always worth the pain.”

“Ah, least I could do…” he smiled at her fondly, before moving to take his near empty wine-glass. “I think we’re in need for a refill.” With that he got up and headed back to the kitchen but not before ruffling her hair affectionately.

It was mid-pour in the kitchen that it happened. A heat throbbing from the scar on his left palm, the searing pressure as if some invisible force had taken him by the throat as though intent on collapsing it in on itself. He gagged, choking as he felt his air supply cut off, as if it had suddenly been sucked out of the room. The glass and bottle fell, seemingly in slow-motion but in reality it was mere seconds, the crimson swirl glistening preceding the ringing crash of his glass smashing into hundreds of shards on the stone floor. His hands grasp his throat as he staggered, falling as black spots swam across his vision. There was a brief moment of respite, before the pain caused his body to lurch and the cry of pain was stifled into a weak gurgle.

Arthur could never claim to know what it felt like to drown, he’d never been in water for as long as he’d existed. But the shock of icy brackish liquid was instantly debilitating. Strangely, he supposed it was the nearest thing he could imagine to being set on fire, though this was not the familiar warmth but a blistering heat that felt like every one of his cells was being set alight. He gasped for air, but seemingly swallowed only water. Over and over he gasped and gulped greedily, for any hint of oxygen yet the act only served to allow more and more deadly water to be inhaled and swallowed. Hold your breath! He tried fighting for as long as he could until every cell screamed let me breath; his mouth was forced ajar once more gasping again as the phantom water forced its way into his mouth, up his nose and into his bursting lungs.

Tears burned like vinegar as they ran down his cheeks. It hurts. He thought. Why does it hurt so much? Please, please make it stop. Please, I beg of you.

In his last conscious moments, he tried to open his eyes, to see something familiar, but all he saw was the inky darkness of eternal night and a name upon his lips. “Freyja.”

As Nadia sat waiting for Arthur to come back with their wine, she thought about the night’s events, how they went better than she could have expected. Maybe she needed to stop expecting people to hate her for all of this. No one, not a single person she’d talked about this with, blamed her for what happened. She knew, deep down, that she was the victim in the scenario, as much as she hated it. She’d been the one to be possessed, she’d had her life taken from her. She didn’t remember any of the things she’d done, didn’t know how truly awful they were. Still, there was a part of her that expected to be stronger. She had always thought that she could fight off whatever problems came her way. Metaphorically, of course. She wasn’t a big fighter, otherwise. Obviously, the fight had been taken out of her for six years.

She was startled out of her thoughts by the sounds of glass shattering. Nadia jumped up from the couch and rushed into the kitchen, not sure what to expect. Certainly not Arthur, on the ground, water gurgling from his mouth, the corners of them burning from it. “No no no nonono,” she cried out as she ran to him, sliding on her knees a bit as she got close. She wiped away the water from his mouth, the tears from his cheeks. His pain, his fear and confusion, all of it was loud and awful in her head. She couldn’t imagine how bad it must be for him since she knew she didn’t feel everything. As he called out for Freyja, for Mercy, she pulled him into her lap, trying to make him comfortable. “It’s okay, Arthur, it’s okay.”

Closing her eyes, she begged for it to be okay. Because, truthfully, she didn’t know. For several minutes, she did her best to calm him and herself down. Before he passed out, he was acting like he was drowning, but he didn’t keep showing the symptoms once he was asleep. All she could do was offer him comfort, trying to assure him that he was alright. She moved them away from the spilled wine and waited for him to wake up. “Please, please be okay.”

Arthur wasn’t sure how long he was out for, seconds? Minutes? Hours? Time seemed to crawl to a stop as the darkness clouded his vision and a fatal liquid spilled from his mouth; corrosive like acid turning his mouth into a frothing grey mess and cracked his lips until they blistered and bled. His body contorted before it grew still, eyes unseeing and for a moment there was nothing.

He returned to consciousness with a rasping gurgled gasp, flopping over onto his side as he hacked up inky brackish water streaked with blood and spittal. His mouth burned and blearily he could make out someone else in the room with him. But only one thought was on his mind. “Mo-” he tried to say, but the word was cut off by another hacking cough that splattered beads of blood over the floor leaning over on his hands that crunched into the shards of glass on the floor.

“I-- mobile now” he felt faint, as if the world were about to spin away from him again if he moved too fast. But the world hardly mattered if the hollow ache that radiated from the palm of his hand was anything to go by. The lack of familiar warmth and connection from the person invisibly tethered on the other end. He slipped, tripping and catching himself as he blindly searched on the counter for his phone with a trembling hand.

When his fingers latched on, the device was wrenched off the counter and Arthur sank once more to the ground his back pressed into the cabinets. Hands shaking as he saw the missed calls and set about playing the voicemail she’d left. Fresh tears tracked down his face, stabbing the redial button and holding the phone to his ear. “Pickup pickup pickup. Pleasepleaseplease,” there was a strange desperation in the words.

It went to voicemail.

“Fuck!” he spat, jabbing the button again and waiting. Again, and again, and again.

Eventually, on the seventh try Arthur let the dial go through lines of healed skin contrasting to the gruesome maw of his mouth from the connection to Mercy’s death. “Frey? Frey! FUCK Please pick up, pleasepleaseplease. I need you to pick up right now and tell me you’re okay. I felt– it can’t– You didn’t–” he thumped his hand on the ground, blind to the glinting shards that pricked his skin and bled fresh trails of crimson through his fingers. “PICK UP. DON’T YOU DARE! PICK UP RIGHT NOW!” Did it matter he was screaming into the receiver curling over it to make his voice heard wherever she’d gone? Would she hear him then? He pressed the phone harder to his ear, a sob that shook the very foundations of his person working its way up his throat, voice breaking when he spoke after the extended silence. “Please… We only just found each other. I can’t– I can’t lose you now. Please come back, come home. Just one more time… One more time. For me. We’ll make it work. It’ll be different. I promise this time it’ll be different. I’ll be different.” He exhaled, blinking past the tears “I never got to tell you I lo- No. I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you when you come back. Please come back…”

By the end of the call he was left staring in anguish at the photo ID on the call his breath short and sharp, shaking as he ended the call. Too fast. Too much. It was all too much. A trembling hand pressed to his mouth, trying to stifle the pain that settled in his chest as he shook his head against the overwhelming realisation of what had happened.

Yelping as Arthur started coughing and leaned over, Nadia sat back to give the man some space. The blood was concerning, and she didn’t have any time at all to process what was happening as he scrambled for his phone. Mercy, something was wrong with Mercy. She could tell before he made the call, before he started screaming into his phone. When he leaned against the cabinets, she moved closer to him, hoping to comfort him with her presence. She didn’t know what else to do. She really didn’t. So Nadia did what she could. She sat with him. His pain was like nothing she’d ever really felt before, but so was the love that was causing it. God, it was miserable. It felt so miserable, and she could barely process it.

When Arthur started breathing too fast, his words tapering out, she grabbed his hands. “Hey, no, hey!” She made him look away from his phone and towards her. “Hey. I don’t-- I don’t know what’s happening, okay? But it’s-- Mercy can’t die, right? Not easily. Right? So it’s--” Fuck, she didn’t know how to do this. “It’ll be-- She’s gotta be okay. She’s going to be okay.” Nadia really, really hoped so. Mercy, in the short time that she’d known the woman, was probably one of the toughest people out there, and the only thing that could kill her was having her head cut off. There was a brief moment of fear, the thought of Arthur choking because of some weird connection with Mercy that made it to where he couldn’t breathe, but he had seemed like he was drowning, not just suffering from no air.

The tables had turned, and Nadia found herself wrapping Arthur in a hug instead of the other way around. She couldn’t affect other people’s emotions; only feel them. But she tried to put as much comfort out as she could, hoping that somehow it would help. Hoping that, somehow, Mercy was okay. “It’ll be alright, Arthur. It will. I promise.”

#p: nadia #para #potw #ever leering eye #falling to pieces #// simultaneous thread to the last chatzy #// NOTHING BAD HAPPENS #AT ALL

[astralshipper]

HEY GUYS so I wrote out one of my old sam dreams and it’s one of the ones that messed me UP bc it was super meta so this isn’t like... all of it obviously bc dreams are weird and don’t stay in ur head but this is as much as I remembered...yes it’s cuddly clingy sam and yes it’s way ooc but i didnt do this ok my brain said this had to happen so-

Pairing: Sam x Astra

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

Astra found herself standing off to the side in the slightly cramped elementary school art classroom. Her plans to help her friend with her classes was turning out to be a terrible idea. Her hair was in a mess of a bun atop her head, she knew she had at least two colors of paint on her face, and she hadn’t gotten enough sleep last night. Or… wait, when had she… when had she woken up? She remembered going to sleep but, the waking up part… That was…

“Missing,” a familiar gravelly voice spoke. Her head shot up from her place cleaning paint brushes at the sink. With one look, everything slotted into place. Sam, Dean, and Castiel stood in front of her friend dressed head to toe in their fed threads, though Castiel’s were simply his normal clothes sans the trench coat. The reason she didn’t remember waking up is because she never did. The first Supernatural dream she had ever had only happened a couple weeks prior, and she remembered exactly what happened last time. Sam had proposed last time - on accident, to be fair, but he went for it in the end. She knew the idea of her dreams connecting was a ridiculous idea, and that wouldn’t carry over at all. That’s not usually how dreams work, so she just watched, thinking back and yearning for that same look in Sam’s eyes to meet her again.

Dean held up a photo of a young teenage girl, along the top of the page spelled out in red letters was the word ‘MISSING.’ Tragic, she thought to herself. Shame on her subconscious for hurting that girl, she’d done nothing wrong. 

Something Astra’s friend said clearly affected Sam, as he began rapidly turning his head on a swivel in search of something important. As soon as his eyes locked onto Astra’s a smile bloomed across his face. He bounded towards her like an excited puppy meeting a new friend for the first time, big smile, floppy hair and all. “Astra!” He greeted happily. He took the girl into his arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead as he rocked them both back and forth. Astra took no time to wrap her arms around Sam’s torso. “I’ve missed you, you haven’t been back since… well…” He trailed off as he trailed his hand along her left arm and pulled away to tug her hand in between their bodies. On her ring finger, she realized, sat the same ring from her dream a couple weeks prior. A soft gasp left her lips, and Sam chuckled. He brought her hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “I still can’t believe it,” he murmured.

Astra peered up at him in wonder. “You… That… You remember that too?” She asked in curiosity. Sam gave her a soft, understanding smile.

“Don’t remember again, huh? That’s okay. I’m just glad you’re here. These past couple weeks have been rough without you,” he admitted. His thumb brushed over the back of her hand as he held onto it. His feet shuffled awkwardly on the tile floors and he bit his lip in thought. “Do you… I know you don’t remember what we are, but you… Could I…” He broke off with a sigh and hung his head low.

Astra furrowed her brows in confusion. “What? Sam, what’s wrong? How can I help?” She jumped to action right away, not wanting the sad puppy look to appear in a situation that she could stop.

A smile once again tugged at Sam’s lips, much to the woman’s delight. “I just… God, this is always really hard to ask about on these days… Okay, so we’re… together, I think you’ve gathered by now.” He paused to wait for her nod, and as soon as he got it he continued. “I just… get affectionate sometimes, especially if I haven’t seen you in a while, and I wanted to make sure that was okay…” He shrunk down slightly as though trying to make himself appear smaller. 

Astra beamed at the question, almost bouncing on her heels at the idea of getting to be near him for longer. Even though this was all just a dream, she wanted to soak it all up while she could. Her mind flickered back to the blog she ran back in the real world, all of the posts she’s made about this man and how much she always wanted to talk with him and be with him. Her face was instantly overtaken by a blush.

Sam interlaced their fingers and turned to Cas and Dean, who were still speaking with Astra’s friend a few feet away. His brother and best friend glanced over at the couple and both offered their own smiles and waves in greeting to Astra. “We’ve got this, Sammy. Go be all gross. It’s good to see you, pipsqueak,” Dean called over to them in an exasperated tone, though the grin and wink he flashed to Astra insisted that he was far from annoyed. Cas remained silent, but he made sure to lock eyes with her and give her a soft smile as well as a nod.

Sam tugged Astra away to the other side of the room and sat down up against the wall. Astra took a moment to settle down next to him with a few inches of space between them. This clearly wasn’t what Sam wanted, because he let out a huff and pulled her into his side. He pressed a kiss to her temple and allowed his lips to linger there for a moment before letting out a soft sigh and raising his head back up. Astra felt herself missing the contact and, sucking in a breath for bravery, she settled her head down on Sam’s shoulder. Sam hummed in contentment and allowed his head to rest atop hers. 

Sam slid one of his legs under one of Astra’s bent legs so her limb was slung over his, making them feel even closer than they already were without having to move anywhere. “I’ve missed you,” Sam muttered, so softly that Astra could hardly hear it.

“I hope I remember this when I wake up,” Astra pleaded with her own brain. She felt Sam’s rumbling chuckle.

“Even if you don’t, you know I’m there for you, right?” He asked her. She paused for a minute, and he sighed. His head turned to press a soft kiss in her hair, and the girl curled into his side melts at the contact. “I am, you know. I can’t be with you, and trust me, I know how much it sucks, because I miss you like crazy, but I know you’re out there and you love me. And with that, I know everything will be okay.”

Astra took in a shaky breath and burrowed her face into his neck. “You’re too good…” She muttered. Astra chuckled.

“Says you.” He allows her to drop the subject and grabs her hand closest to him, pulling it up and playing with her fingers for a moment. Astra’s brows furrowed.

“What are you doing?” She asked in curiosity. The hunter splayed her fingers out and held his hand up against her own. His hand dwarfed hers by a long shot, and Sam couldn’t help the chuckle that left his lips. 

“Dean’s right, you are a pipsqueak,” he teased. Astra faked an offended gasp and lightly smacked his arm in retaliation. A fit of laughter left him as she scolded him and he wrapped an arm around her to pull her back into his side. She huffed and took up her previous position with her head against his shoulder. Sam held out his hand again and wiggled his fingers in request.

“No way! You’re just gonna make fun of me again,” Astra pouted. 

“Aww, angel,” Sam cooed teasingly. “I won’t make fun of you, I promise, little bit.” 

Astra groaned in annoyance, much to his delight, but placed her hand in his anyways. He interlaced their fingers together and placed his free hand on her leg slung over his own. They pair sat there for what could have been minutes or hours, it didn’t really seem to matter to either of them. At one point, though, Astra felt the usual pull that precedes waking up from a dream. She let out a whine at the realization that this was all almost over.

“What’s wrong, angel?” Sam asked in worry, pulling away to look at her.

Astra sighed. “I’m about to wake up from all of this,” she muttered in a downtrodden tone. “I don’t wanna leave you… I’m gonna miss you, Sam…” She felt a sob bubbling up in her throat, and the tears would soon follow. She tried her best to swallow it down, but Sam knew her all too well. He frowned and pulled her into his chest in a hug.

“Shh, it’s okay, Astra. It’s okay. You’ll be back soon, alright? I’ll see you again. You’re okay. I love you, alright? No matter how long it takes you to come back, I love you, alright?” He assured her. His thumb stroked her temple as he cradled the side of her head. She nodded furiously and placed a hand over his own, leaning in and pressing her forehead against his.

“I love you too, Sam,” she stated with confidence. His smile was enough to get her to grin, even in this state. 

“Okay, Astra. I’ll see you soon, promise you.” He pressed his lips against hers in a quick kiss, a kiss of which she tried to soak up as much as possible, and pulled away just enough to press a kiss to her nose. “Til next time, little angel.”

And then she woke up. In her own bed, in her own house, in the real world. A moose plushie sat clutched in her arms, and Supernatural merchandise lay about the room where she remembers leaving it. Sam wasn’t real. None of that was real. No matter how real it felt. She took in a deep breath and dropped back onto her pillow. 

Just because it wasn’t real didn’t mean her mind won’t let her see Sam again… right?

#long post #long post tw #astra writes #supernaturally soulmates #dont mind me #being a dumbass #astras dumb shit #just wanted to have this down in words and not just Brain Stuff so i dont lose it forever one day adjfeh

[bluehhj]

listen to me — chapter 32

LISTEN TO ME — 0032

listen to me masterlist;

WORDS: 1.6K

Jinah woke with a knock on the door and decided to ignore it to see if the unoccupied person who disturbed her sleep at about ten in the morning realized this and left. The bright sunlight streamed through the narrow gap between the wall and the heavy curtain covering the window, warning that the day had begun long ago, but in Jinah's subconscious it was too early to open her eyes.

"This is it, I'm coming in." — Woojin's voice was heard just before the bedroom door opened, and Jinah only let out an incomprehensible murmur and covered her head with the blanket. — "Your room smells like a woman."

"I wonder why?" — ironically, the girl grunted with a hoarse intonation from lethargy. — "I thought only boys slept in this room."

"No, dumbass, I'm talking about it here" — Woojin sniffed again at the lost male shirt on the dresser, which made Jinah think of the fabric that 'mysteriously' appeared inside her drawer — her guy best friend had an annoying habit of storing clothes quickly after ironing them and ended up mixing it up by accident. — "I've seen Chan in this shirt. It would be a very strange situation if I didn't know you and Chan so well."

Jinah wrinkled her nose as she vaguely imagined the scene and lowered the blanket, aware that she could no longer continue her sleep thanks to the chattering plague in front of her: — "Not wanting to be unkind, but already being: what are you doing here?"

"Changeun made a beautiful cake and posted on Instagram stories, I came to eat."

"Okay, but the kitchen is on the other side of the apartment" — Jinah saw no need to discuss the miracle that was Jade and Changbin had woken up willing to bake together, would take care of that later.

"I wanted to come see you, huh."

"...For what?"

"Insensitive" — Woojin rolled his eyes and, against all limits of personal space, laid over Jinah's body, who began to complain in the same second. — "I'm offering you my love and you don't want it, it hurts."

"You have to get a boyfriend or girlfriend to offer all this affection, now get out."

"Single I lie down, with no horns I wake up; that's my motto" — Woojin rolled to fall beside the girl on the mattress, but still kept one leg over her. That was how he alerted people. — "And I don't need a girlfriend or boyfriend when I have you to go shopping, either."

"But what?" — sulking, Jinah sat on the bed and ran her hand through the dark, tangled strands of her hair.

"You said we were going to buy Sana's gift together, did you forget?"

"No, but already?"

"Jinah, the party is today."

And as if returning to the slow processing state, Choi frowned slightly and spent about six seconds in silence before answering: — "I wasn't even remembering that today is saturday, dammit."

"Yeah," — Woojin sat down too. — "You're welcome."

"Jinah!" — hurried footsteps in the hallway came along with Chan's call. When he emerged at the bedroom door, he was carrying the phone that Choi had forgotten in the living room, but the call had already ended before he could deliver the phone to its proper owner. — "It was your mom."

She unlocked the screen and saw two missed calls, but she didn't find it odd, as Mrs. Choi always called at least once a week.

"Go eat your cake, Woojin," — she patted her friend's shoulder. — "In the meantime I'll get ready and call my mom back, then we'll leave."

"Send a kiss to auntie" — that said, Kim got to his feet and headed out of the room. That's because he hadn't even spoken a word to the woman.

"My shirt" — Chan took the said whose over the dresser. — "I just realized it was missing. I put it in your drawer by mistake?"

"As always" — Jinah laughed softly and stood up too. Bang just shrugged, as if the need to apologize about something that happened so often was unnecessary, and left his friend alone.

Jinah yawned and went to the bathroom first of all, taking the opportunity to take a warm shower in the middle of the process. She glanced over the social medias as she brushed her teeth, but then set her phone aside and went after a simple outfit, choosing the first long-sleeved red shirt she found in the closet and the black pants that were closest to her field of vision. She could still hear the laughter of the others in the kitchen, so she assumed she had a few minutes left to make a video call instead of a call, as she would rather see her parents' faces than just hear their voices.

A few seconds were enough for Jinah to giggle, her mother's face, Choi Seohyun, appearing funny on the laptop screen until she found a good angle to support her phone. She was a lady in her fifties, but her hair in a bun was always dyed weekly, so that not a little white hair played hide and seek on the surface. She wore round-rimmed glasses and had such a sweet smile that it was impossible to look at her without wanting to smile along.

"Hi, honey" — her eyes started to water, as they always did when they talked like that. She missed her daughter.

"Hi, mom" — Jinah also felt her own waterline produce a little more liquid than needed. — "I didn't answer you before because I was still sleeping, I'm sorry."

"No problem, I called too early" — Seohyun laughed heartily, her laughter was so easy! — "Your dad told me to wait a little longer, but you know how anxious I am."

"By the way, where is he?"

"Here" — at this moment, a man of similar age took a little space on the screen. The urge to cry increased in Jinah, for seeing all those snow-white hairs on her father's head intensified his emotions. — "How are things there?"

"Fine. I'll be on vacation in two months, inclusive."

"And can you come visit us?"

"Of course." — Jinah always visited them every six months, but her parents wanted to make sure she came at all times. — "And things there? Is everything alright?"

"Yes," — Seohyun replied with another smile, but her expression became a little more restless, which made Jinah worried. — "You've been taking good care of yourself, haven't you?"

"Yes, as far as possible. But why do you look worried?"

She shook her head: — "Mother thing. I just want you to promise to be very careful, wherever you have to go."

"Last time you told me that, I fell off my bike and broke an arm." — Jinah remembered the episode from years ago. It was supposed to sound like some kind of joke, but she watched as Seohyun swallowed hard.

"Your mom is too worried" — Mr. Lee Jungjin wrapped an arm around the woman's shoulders, reassuring her, and wisely circumvented the situation. — "Anyway, where is that guy you introduced us to the other day?"

"Working" — that day was epic. Nor was it in Jinah's plans to 'introduce' Jisung to her parents, although she had already spoken to them about the boy, but it was pure coincidence that Han entered the room just when another video call similar to that was taking place. Jisung almost had a heart attack, but disguised it well. — "Today the publishing house is open until noon."

"You both have to start dating at once, honey," — Seohyun scolded. — "In my time, you didn't kiss anyone before a formal request, what you two are doing is wrong."

"But the jurassic era is over, mom. Now you kiss first and date later."

"I think that's wrong. And you respect me, because I'm still young."

"Sorry" — Jinah laughed and her father accompanied her. — "Maybe I'll solve this dating story soon, I don't know yet."

"How don't you know yet? Will you keep the boy waiting until when?"

"Honey, this is something only the two of them have to solve," — Jungjin said. — "Jinah's right, things have changed a lot for a few years here. If it's a tendency to kiss before dating, then let them follow the trend."

Seohyun cast an indignant look at her husband: — "Is this how you raise your daughter?"

"But-..."

"That's why the world is lost these days!"

"And you still have the nerve to say you're not getting old." — Jungjin snapped his tongue on the roof of his mouth and turned his attention back to the screen. — "I have to finish mowing the lawn. I've left the garden gate open and it's likely that neighbor's dog has already come in and made a mess in the backyard. Send a hug to all your friends in the apartment and have sense, get it?"

"Yes, sir. Sense is my second name."

"Take care, my daughter, my pans are also on the stove," — Seohyun said. — "Don't forget to call if you need anything, we love you."

"I love you too" — and amid the farewell that started, Jinah became emotional again and had to take a deep breath when she finally closed the laptop. She missed them so much, but, on the bright side, she didn't even have much time to enjoy the melancholy, as Woojin was soon to resurface and dragged her into a ridiculous shopping session.

Jinah had enough distraction to toast her patience for the rest of the day, but it was the night she really should worry about.

(a/n: hi, guys!!! long time no see huh? 

well, unfortunately i wasn't able to update so fast, this last week was crazy for me and i think the next one is going to be too, especially cause i'm gonna >>>try<<< to write a one-shot of hyunjin and yoorim that i'm wanting to write it's been two weeks and i can never complete it 👺👺 so sorry now and i hope you guys understand me. bye, love u~)

#stray kids #skz #stray kids angst #skz angst #stray kids au #skz au #stray kids fics #skz fics #stray kids fluff #stray kids imagines #skz imagines #stray kids reactions #skz reactions #stray kids smut #skz smut #stray kids scenarios #skz scenarios #multifandom #bang chan #woojin #minho #changbin #hyunjin #handwriting #jisung #seungmin #felix #jeongin #kpop #kpop au

[harperonni]

#9 on the soulmate au prompts with Felipe and Valeria. (And let's try to make this as angsty as possible >:) )

Last words

Prompt: 9. The one where your soulmate’s last words to you are written on your body.Pairing: Felipe X Valeria Rating: Teen and up. Mentions of death, and a few swears. Nothing major though. Mostly a bit of angst

Read on AO3 aaaa I’m not best with angst?? But I gave it a got anyway? Hope this is okay

Valeria remembered when the words began forming on her skin. She had somewhat been anticipating the arrival of the faint lettering, though she’d never say so aloud. It wasn’t even so much to do with the idea of having a soulmate, it was just because so many other had them, and there was a morbid curiosity to the whole thing. Even if you never met the person, you’d know their last words. Ones that would be directed toward you.

The letters could appear anytime, on mostly any part of the body. Maybe never even appear at all.“They just appear one day,” Her mother had told her, her hand subconsciously touching the two words printed on her other palm. “Do you know their significance?”Valeria shook her head, because no. She didn’t really.Her mother lift her chin a touch. “These words are your soulmate’s last words to you.”Ah. Straight to the point, of course. Valeria wasn’t sure why she didn’t expect less, but she still remembers the uncomfortable twist in her gut. “Okay.” She said slowly. “You may never meet your soulmate, bear in mind. Obviously, it’s a slim chance-” Valeria nodded, biting her lip to keep back any quips building in her throat. If it were anyone else trying to talk down to her like this she would’ve had some choice words for them. But mamá wasn’t anyone else, and Valeria could only listen as her mother spoke about how she shouldn’t focus on finding her soulmate based on whatever words she gets across her body, if she got any.She felt irritated, because a part of her knew her mamá was probably right.

“I, ah, got my soulmate’s last word on my ankle.” Leonor told her on a Saturday evening. Valeria was seventeen and Leonor had turned nineteen just a week ago. They were on Leonor’s bed, both had been sat in a comfortable quiet, various fabrics and textbooks spread across the sheets. Valeria scribbling down a few study notes when Leonor spoke, voice quiet, as she pulled her needle through her currant sewing project, fixing up her little sisters hand-me down doll.

“Oh, yeah? What does it say?” Valeria asked, propping herself up on her elbows. Leonor sat up a touch more, bouncing the mattress as she propped herself up further against the headboard. After placing her sewing over to her side she reached down and pushed up her dress to show her left ankle. Valeria shuffled closer and squint at the words.

‘Mi querida’

“Huh.” Valeria hummed. Leonor nod. “Sí.” “I don’t think mine’s come through yet.” “Maybe it’s on your butt and you just don’t know it.” Leonor grinned. Valeria rolled her eyes, exaggerating the movement for Leonor to watch.“Uh, I’ve checked, obviously.” She adopted a fake matter-of-fact tone, raising a brow at her friend.“Look, if I get my soulmate’s words on my ass, you’ll be the first to know.” Leonor’s cheeks flushed, but she nodded.“Gracias. I’m overjoyed to know that.” Valeria scoffed, returning to her notes.“I think they usually appear around the same place as, like, where your parents get them.Leonor nodded. “That seems to be the case, sí. My papá got them on his leg.”

When she was twenty-three, she woke up to find the faint print of letters against her skin. The sight of the unfamiliar pattern around her wrist fully woke her, and she pushed herself up in bed and held her right wrist in her other hand, fingers tracing over the words as she read them. She blinked, frowning down at her words:

'I wish I didn’t have to leave you’

…She stared, re-reading the sentence over and over as if something was missing. Her mind reeled over possible scenarios those words would be used. Words that were to be spoken to her by her soulmate. …A soulmate who was going to leave her at some point, by the looks of it. Would it be because of death? Was she going to have to watch her soulmate, her partner, die in front of her? Would he be leaving to go somewhere and never come back?Her papa had eyed the long sleeve top that was a much rarer clothing choice for her, but he said nothing. She showed Alejandro first, later in the day. Her twin raised his brow at the words and pulled up the sleeve on his left arm, exposing his wrist. Both quietly pressed their wrists together. “I suppose it makes sense we got our words on the same day.” “Yeah, it makes sense.” Alejandro agreed, still looking over the words on her wrist.Valeria frowned at her twin brother’s wrist.

'Te amo’

“It would be more helpful we had the first words your soulmate says to you.” Valeria huffed. “Then you know.”Alejandro shrugged. “But then I guess your looking. At least with these words, you’re just, I don’t know, living?”“But you could be with someone who’s not your soulmate.”“It probably doesn’t matter as long as your happy?” He shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t like thinking about it.”Valeria nodded, and they continued through the rest of the day intending to ignore the conversation and not bring it up again. She was sure Leonor had noticed the words, but she never brought them up unless Valeria mentioned them.Valeria began wearing a wristband to cover the letters. The more she could forget they were there, the more she could just live her life.

In the various relationships she had, she refused to share the words, reclusive even if or when the men she dated shared their own words and sentences. “Look, it’s just not working out.” She remembered Roberto rubbing the back of his neck, as she stood across from him, the sun beating down against her back as she frowned up at him. She nodded, not sure about what to say.“No, that’s fair. This is probably for the best.” She shrugged. He looked her in the eyes, wincing with regret and disappointment. He opened his mouth, and Valeria felt a tight twist in her chest as he spoke.“I wish it hadn’t turned out like this.”Valeria swallowed, trying to push down the choking panic that had begun to build at the first few words. They weren’t the words, it was fine. It was fine. This was fine.Her shoulders loosened, some relief flooding through her as she gave him a melancholic smile.“Me too.”

“Date: May 20th, 2004. Ah, How old are you, senorita?” “Uh, 29. ” Valeria didn’t miss the slight wince on the man’s face opposite her. Well, the skeleton man. On his skull. How the hell did skulls move like that?“My birthday is April 4th, if you need that? 1975.”He nodded. “That’s perfect, thank you.”The sounds of the keys hitting the bulky keyboard filled the room.As Valeria sat, waiting to have the forms for her death written up she thought. Mostly about her death.Her death. She’d really died then, huh? Of course she had to fall from a tree, as well. She couldn’t have gotten something cooler sounding than ‘the branch broke’. Dios, what was she going to do now?She looked over her wrist, her wooden wristband clacking against the bleach white bone, clearly a little too big for her wrist now. She frowned, twisting her arm a touch and pulling the wristband off. Pure white. No words. No letters. Nothing.She blinked.“Final words don’t stay then?” She asked, not sure if she was expecting an answer or not. The clerk in front of her paused. She didn’t look up to see what kind of expression he was fixing her with, but she guessed it was pitying or sympathetic but the tone in his voice.“No, they don’t.”Valeria answered the rest of the questions in a somewhat distracted state. As she sat in a waiting room, her leg bounced. She was about to meet family she had only heard about, and family that had passed when she was just a girl. Alone in the room, her thoughts still occasionally went back to the blank space on her wrist bones. At some point, she slipped the wristband back on, hoping in vain it might banish the thoughts. Lock them away out of sight. She swore the wristband was heavier than it had even been when she were alive.

It took years before the thought of dating really came back to her. Felipe had been an unexpected appearance in her after life, but she was more than happy to welcome it. Maybe they’d been together for a year or two when she asked. When they were sat up on her roof with a few drinks and snacks. She leaned against his shoulder, playfully trying to pinch food out of his hands. “You have your own.” He whined, smiling at her as he held the treat above her arm length. She pout. “Yeah, but this is more fun.” “It’s unnecessary!”“Come oonn.” She drawled, pressing her cheekbones against his. “I’m your girlfriend. Doesn’t that give me some entitlement?” “To my food?”“Yes?”“No!”“Oh, you’re mean.”Felipe shook his head, finally lowering his arm. She eyed his food as he brought it close to his mouth. He paused, glancing at her.“Don’t.” He warned, fighting back a smile.Valeria leaned back, raising her arms defensively. “I’m not doing anything!” She insisted.Felipe stared her down as he ate, watching as Valeria grinned. He coughed, doubling over for a moment. Valeria rubbed his back with a frown.“You okay?”“Ah, sí, sí I’m fine.” As he sat back up with a final cough Valeria grinned. “That wouldn’t of happened if maybe,” She shrugged, “I dunno, you shared some of it with-?”Felipe circled his arms around her waist and pulled her in, pressing his mouth to her cheek and blowing loudly, causing Valeria to squeal and slapped her hand against his chest.“AH NO! Stop that!” She giggled helplessly, wriggling in his grasp. “You- AGH- you know i’m ticklish!” He paused, pulling away to blink at her. She would have believed his innocence if not for the proud smile spread on his skull“I don’t know what your talking about, cariño?”She squint at him, arms folded. She huffed and snuggled herself against him, head pressed to his shoulder again.“You’re lucky your cute.” She muttered. “Too cute. You need to stop. It’s illegal, i’ve decided.”Felipe chuckled, shifting to bury his face in her hair.They stayed there for a moment, the sound of the trolleys and bustling streets around them they only noise really filling the air. Valeria had always found the fake breaths skeletons took odd, but the familiarity of it carrying over from the living worlds was comforting in a way. She figured as she listened to Felipe’s steady breath. She was then thinking about life. Life before death. Felipe had obviously had a life before, well, he died. That much was obvious, but Valeria was only just really thinking about it a bit more at that moment. About a specific aspect.Then she asked.“Felipe?”“Hm?” Both of their voices were quiet.She swallowed (without a throat, but she was well past thinking about the logistics at this point in death.) and asked. “Did you… Ever get your soulmate’s last words?” Felipe shift a little. “I…” He started. “I dated a little but, I never met whoever was meant to say those last words to me.”Valeria nodded. “Ah.” She muttered.He was quiet for a moment. “…Did you ever…? I mean, do you know who…?” He trailed off.“Nah.” Valeria shrugged. “Never heard anyone say them to me.”“Oh.”“Mm-hm.”His fingers mindlessly stroked the back of her spine. She sighed, shifting her head on his shoulder.“It felt like more to worry about.” She admitted. “Being with someone. Dreading that they would say what you’ve got down as someone, maybe their, last words.”Felipe squeezed her gently.“What words did you-?” He began, but Valeria shook her head.“Please, I don’t…” She trailed off. “Oh, no, that’s okay. I didn’t- Lo siento.” She smiled, pulling back and reaching up to touch his cheekbones, watching as he blinked down at her through his large glasses.“It’s alright, don’t worry.” She leaned up and kissed him, a slight flutter of excitement swirling in her empty chest as he pressed back.

She pressed her hand against his, flinching at how white her bones were compared to his.He smiled at her, mouth not curving the whole way as though he didn’t even have the strength to do so. He was leaned up against the sofa, his limbs felt heavier than they ever had, as though he’d scatter if he dared move anymore. The last shudder through his bones had really hit it’s mark, and he could feel his bones trying to come apart.As much of the family was in the Rivera living room without crowding it, a solemn mood hung in the air. Felipe was more than grateful he had the time he had right now, the privilege to be surrounded by family and loved ones.Oscar wasn’t far off, both in space and, well, how forgotten they both were. It made sense to both of them that they’d go around the same time.

Even when they had first been courting, he’s certain part of them both knew this day would come. His bones were always a touch off in colour compared to hers, and even when hers had begun to fade in whiteness, he knew deep down there was a possibility he’d fade before her.His fingers twitched as he tried to close them around her smaller hand. Her other hand rest over his as she curled hers tight against his. “I love you. You know that, right?” He muttered. She smiled, eyes glossy as she nodded.“I know. I love you too, cariño.” His breath hitched a touch and he stared at her.She blinked back tears, wondering if he was hurting. He smiled again, this time wider. He pulled her hand close to mouth, and she leaned her forehead against his as he mumbled, the faintest hint of gold emerging at the edges of his skull patterns.

“I wish I didn’t have to leave you.”

#coco #coco pixar #pixar coco #coco movie #coco au #soulmate au #coco oc #oc #coco oc: valeria #valeria #valeria alviso #leonor #leonor vera #oscar and felipe #felipe x valeria #oscar x leonor #oc x canon #angst #writing #writing prompts #prompts

[starkintrn]

room to breathe

ao3 version 

Tony has a nightmare about losing the kid he thought of as a son and dying alone in space. Thankfully, said kid is there to help him.

TW: major character death! this does not have a happy ending. 

Tony woke up with a strangled scream erupting from his throat.

He stumbled up from his seat, nearly tripping over himself in the process, sweat dripping down his forehead. His heart raced painfully against his chest and he barely registered his surroundings, his mind fully focused on one thing: fear. He had to get out, he had to run, he had to do something; Tony felt like screaming all over again. However, before he could, something stopped him.

“Mr. Stark? Are you okay?” A worried voice behind him caused Tony to whip around, his hand extended with palm pressed forward, as if his gauntlet was around his arm, a snarl curling across his lips. Tony didn’t realize that his armor was nowhere near him. As he took in the sight in front of him, he didn’t expect to come nearly face-to-face with a confused teenager, the same confused teenager Tony had been crying over for what felt like years.

“Whoa, it’s okay, it’s just me. Peter Parker. Spider-Man. Uh, what else do you know me by? Underoos? Kid?” Peter eyed Tony nervously, yet there was no fear in his eyes, simply concern.

“You…you died.” Tony lamely choked out, his breathing quickening at the memory of the teen crumbling to dust in his arms, the only words flowing out of his mouth being pleas for Tony to save him, to help him, to do something.

“Died? But I-”

“You died, you’re dust, I watched you turn to dust, your ashes are on my hands.” Tony spat, frustration bubbling in his chest as hot tears prickled in the corners of his eyes, blurring his vision. He felt himself sinking to the ground, his hands coming to hug himself tightly, his nails digging into his skin. “I was supposed to protect you. I - I don’t know what’s happening, I just lost you, you were begging me not to go but I couldn’t help you – God, I’m so sorry. I’m so, so, sorry."

“Mr. Stark, you had a nightmare. I’m okay, we’re okay.” Peter spoke gently as he knelt down in front of Tony, placing a gentle hand on the mechanic’s trembling shoulder. When Tony didn’t react adversely to the touch, he moved his hand down his arm and took his hand into his, offering him a reassuring squeeze. “See? Not dusty at all.”

The second part of Tony’s dream came rushing back to him. “Where are we?” He asked, fearing the worst. When Peter just simply claimed that they were “home”, Tony’s mind took at as enough of an answer and he squeezed his eyes shut, focusing on the weight of Peter’s hand in his. He had no idea how long they sat there like that but in all honesty, Tony could have sat there forever.

“Are you going to have a panic attack?” Peter asked, keeping his voice soft. “Should we stay down here?”

Tony reluctantly opened his eyes and sucked in a shaky breath, his chest squeezing uncomfortably. However, he forced himself to focus on Peter’s face, which was illuminated through the faint moonlight streaming through the windows. Small strands of curly, messy brown hair were in the kid’s eyes and Tony, without thinking, reached forward and brushed them aside. “No, I’m stable enough.”

Peter’s lips curled into a smile. “Good. ‘Cause the couch is a much better place for a real hug. Not just an ‘I’m grabbing the door for you’ hug.”

He helped Tony up to his feet, helping hold the man up when he stumbled in his steps. Together, they slowly made their way towards the couch and Peter waited until Tony sunk down into the cushions before he sat down next to him. There was no shy hesitance between them as Peter wrapped his arms around the upper half of Tony’s body, gently tugging him closer until the man’s head rested on his chest. Tony responded quickly with curling his arms around Peter’s waist, letting out a small laugh as he felt Peter’s chin rest on the top of his head.

“Stealing my cuddle techniques, huh? Am I really that good?” Tony joked, remembering how whenever Peter was upset or hurt, they would often be in the same position, yet Tony would always be the one to rest his head on Peter’s.

“Oh c’mon, you’re just mad that I’m better at it.” Peter teased.

Tony went silent and relished in how solid Peter felt. Peter was not falling to pieces in his arms, he was not begging him to stay, he was whole and would remain whole. It almost made him feel like bursting into tears all over again. This was his kid. They were not biologically related but Tony still felt a sense of pride, protectiveness, and warmth whenever he looked at Peter and if that wasn't purely parental, then he wasn't sure what else it could be. Tony's shoulders relaxed as he fondly got lost in his own thoughts, none of them terrifying or self-depreciating for once. Peter was here, everything was okay.

“What was the nightmare about?”

The question caught Tony off guard. He tensed, teeth clenching, and his grip on Peter subconsciously tightened. He remembered isolation, despair, impending doom, and how cold it was. It was so, so, cold. Tony sagged more against Peter’s side, taking a moment to ground himself using the warmth from Peter’s arms around him before responding slowly, carefully, “I lost you. I couldn’t stop it from taking you. I thought that if I told you that you were okay, then it would come to fruition. I’m so sorry, Peter. I didn’t know how to help. Then I was all alone.” A pause. “I tried going home after…I just wanted to see if I can bring you back. I ran out of supplies, and I was alone.”

“You’re not alone, Mr. Stark. You have Pepper, Rhodey, and Happy.” Peter firmly listed and before Tony was able to interrupt, he quietly added, “You also have me. I’m here. You don’t have to apologize, Mr. Stark. I’m glad you were there, I would have been a lot more scared if you weren’t. Man, for someone so short, you have a lot of self-blame inside of you, I feel like you need to let some of that go.”

“Thanks, Dr. Parker.” Tony snorted, ignoring the comment Peter made about his height. “When’s my next therapy session with you? Are we going to go over my ego next?”

“No need to, we already know that you’re an ego with legs.”

Tony rolled his eyes, although small bouts of laughter escaped his mouth. His earlier panic was forgotten and for a moment, Tony allowed himself to feel okay. He and Peter were just relaxing on the couch after a long day in the workshop. Peter’s backpack was probably carelessly tossed somewhere around the room, notebooks and various textbooks spilling out of it. Happy was probably going to text Tony soon about him missing a meeting due to the fact that he spent so much time with Peter. Pepper was going to scold them about all of the empty pizza boxes strewn about the room, claiming that it was in no way good for their health, while Tony and Peter would just point at each other accusingly, grins on their faces, and swear that the other ate all that pizza. Pepper would then snitch on him to Aunt May, who would chew him out while Peter would stand in the background, snickering with his hand clasped over his mouth.

Whenever Tony threatened Peter with taking away his suit after situations like those, Peter would always give him a shit-eating grin and claim that he loved him too much to do that. Tony always refused it but, in the end, he would always relent and eventually agree.

“You should get some sleep, Mr. Stark. Geez, how long as it even been? Your eyebags may be Gucci but that doesn’t mean that they look pretty. Anyways, Pepper said you should sleep more, and I agree.” Peter’s voice brought Tony out of his thoughts.

“First of all, rude. Second of all, Armani is a better brand.” Tony felt Peter let out a small laugh at his words, the sound pure music to his ears. Both of them quieted down for a moment, lost in their own thoughts, before Tony murmured so quietly that if they weren’t holding each other so tightly it would have been incredibly difficult to hear, “Will you stay?”

Peter was strangely silent, and Tony looked up at him in question only to be met with a comforting smile, yet there was an unidentifiable cloudiness in Peter’s eyes. “Always.”

Tony mirrored the smile and there was a brief moment of understanding between them, unspoken yet still there. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, listening to the faint thumping of Peter’s heartbeat. A warm feeling spread through his chest, warming his aching limbs. He felt Peter squeeze him against his body tighter and a rare smile crossed his face.

“Thank you, Peter.”

Tony, alone in an empty, cold, and dark spaceship, let go with a smile on his face.

#marvel #tony stark #peter parker #spider son #iron dad #angst #hurt / comfort #unhappy ending #major character death #peter writes #my fic #im adding old writing here just to add some substance #feel free to reblog! #THIS IS NOT STARKER #ill fight any starker shippers with my bare hands

[huntertales]

Part Two: It’s the Right Thing to Do. (Two Minutes to Midnight S05E21)

Episode Summary: Sam, Dean and the reader confront Pestilence, but when he unleashes a deadly virus upon them, a very weak Castiel must intervene on their behalf. When reader has a meeting with Death to discuss Lucifer, an unholy alliance is formed at a very high price for the reader and her chances of saving herself from becoming a demon. Pairing: Dean Winchester x Reader Word Count: 5,456. 

Previous Part | Supernatural Rewrite Masterlist

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You were supposed to be feeling victory when you tossed Pestilence ring to the pile of the two others you've collected over the past several months. The metal ring made a slight clanking noise as it hit the wooden desk that sat in Bobby's library, where you and the boys arrived back to not that long ago. You'd gotten the first ring from War, Sam used his old abilities to snag the one off Famine's bony finger and Cas, weak from his almost human state, managed to slice off Pestilence with ease before taking down a demon. You should have been happy at the progress you were making. But you knew it  was going to be near impossible tracking down Death. And not to mention the haunting words his brother said before vanishing from sight weren’t making you feel so positive about this anymore. You let out a heavy sigh as you fell into Dean's awaiting lap as he and his brother sat in front of the desk that Bobby sat at the opposite side of. You felt yourself at least calm down a little bit as Dean wrapped his arms around your body, giving you the slightest sense of comfort from the littlest thing you and him hadn't done in what felt like a lifetime ago. Cas sat behind the both of you with his elbow perched up on the top of the other desk he sat on top of. Nobody said much of anything. All of you were caught up in your own personal thoughts. You leaned your head against Dean's shoulder to get yourself more comfortable as your eyes wandered over to his little brother. You found yourself staring at him for the longest time. You tried to figure out how to get him from making the biggest mistake of his life. You wanted so desperately to keep this situation from ending where one of your own sacrificed themselves for the greater good of the world.

“Well, it's nice to actually score a homerun for once, ain't it?” Bobby said, trying to be a little bit optimistic when he noticed all the faces staring off into space were full of gloom and occupied minds of other problems that still needed your attention. You looked over at the older hunter and stared at him with a blank expression, wondering why he wasn't worried about this as you were. “What?”

“Last thing Pestilence said. ‘It's too late.’” Sam repeated the haunting words that hadn't left his mind since leaving the nursing home.

"He get specific?" Bobby asked. "No. We're just a little freaked out that he might have left a bomb somewhere." You said with a quiet tone. You rubbed your tired face at the stress that didn't seem to be getting any better. You thought once you got a way to figure out how to get the Devil back where he belonged it would have been smooth sailing from there. But here you were, three rings down, and more on edge than ever before. "So please tell us you have actual good news. My head's about to explode from all this damn stress." "Chicago's about to be wiped off the map. Storm of the millennium." Bobby said. He reached over his desk and gave you a few sheets of paper that appeared to be weather maps of a brewing storm. You skimmed a few pages before looking up at him, knowing that was only the half of his news. "Sets off a daisy chain of natural disasters. Three million people are gonna die." "Huh." You muttered as you clutched the papers until the ends were crumbled. "You know, I can feel my headache getting so much better. This is the best thing that I've heard since Sam proposed him taking the swan dive straight to the pit.”

"I don't understand your definition of good news." Cas said, not seeming to hear the undertones of sarcasm. You looked up at the ceiling and let out a frustrated sigh, wondering how naive he could be after all this time. "Why are you happy to hear this, Y/N?" You were tempted to turn around in your seat and tell the angel off for his question, but Dean managed to calm you down enough as he gently placed his hands around your tense shoulders to give them a squeeze. The man looked over at Bobby, wondering what was good about this. The hunter rolled his eyes from how you jumped to conclusions without letting him finish what he was trying to say. "Well...Death, the horseman—he's gonna be there." Bobby explained ever so slowly, you narrowed your tired eyes and gave him a look from his own sarcasm he was using against you. “And if we can stop him before he kick-starts this storm, get his ring back—”

“Yeah,” You agreed with another pinch of sarcasm. “You make it sound so easy.”

“Hell. I’m just trying to put a spin on it.” Bobby defended himself.

You rolled your eyes and looked away from the man, your gaze falling upon the bed that you wanted to desperately curl up onto and fall into a sleep sleep. When you woke, all of this would have been just some nightmare your mind created for the sake of it. As you shut your eyes for a moment, you knew this was all too much of a reality as you heard the sounds of breathing that wasn't your own and Dean's rough skin sliding down your arm. When you started hunting five years ago, you were expecting to face some nasty things, and discover a few little family secrets along the way. But the more you fell down the apocalypse rabbit hole, the more you regretted ever being born in the first place for the sake of someone's temporary happiness.

Sam decided that it'd be best to focus the conversation on something more protective. He shifted forward in his seat and stared at the research that the man had gathered while the three of you were gone. Sam found himself puzzled at how the man had gotten this sort of information. "Bobby," Sam couldn't help himself but ask out of curiosity to see how he managed to figure out a lead like this. "How'd you put all of this together, anyways?"

"I had, you know..." The hunter went awfully quiet as he tried to answer. You furrowed your brow in suspicion from how he was acting around you all of a sudden at the question. "Help."

The sound of a glass setting itself down on the table in the kitchen made you look over your shoulder to see who was here. None of you had moved, which meant there was a very unwanted guest here. Out of all the people in this world, Crowley stood in the kitchen, taking the liberty to make himself comfortable in Bobby's house as he poured himself a bit of the man's whiskey. "Don't be so modest." The demon said. "I barely helped at all."

"What the hell are you doing here?" You asked the demon.

"Hello, darling. Boys. Pleasure, et cetera." Crowley greeted you and the brothers as he wandered into the library, but stopping at the doorway for a moment. He sniffed the whiskey to inspect if it would be up to his standards before taking a sip. A foul look spread across his face as he settled it down on a nearby table. He looked at the older hunter, a cunning smile began to curl at the ends of his lips, not wanting this conversation to pause just because he decided to drop by unannounced. "Go ahead, Bobby. Tell them. There's no shame in it. You're not the first person I've had the pleasure of doing business with in this room. Been a mighty busy week for me."

The process of elimination was easy. Cas had been preoccupied in the hospital recovering from his stunt that drained him to the point where he was almost human. And it was easy to suspect that angels couldn't sell themselves to a demon. The boys had been chasing their own tails of figuring out how to take down Pestilence. Dean narrowed his eyes on his brother, but Sam was clean. He would rather kill Crowley than make a deal with the demon. You could feel Dean's grip around your body tighten ever so slightly as three pairs of eyes lingered on you, wondering what you had gotten yourself into. But you stared dead on at Bobby, wanting to hear what was so important that he needed to damn himself to hell.

"World's gonna end." Bobby said. "Seems stupid to get all precious over one little...soul."

"You two sold your souls?" Dean asked, sounding a bit out of disbelief for what was going on here.

“Oh, Y/N doesn’t have a soul the dumbest of demon's would want. She swore something much more important to me, I gave her a priceless gift. Remember how I said I could hear all of your marvelous conversations? The two of us had a private conversation of our own to discuss how we can put Y/N back together again. Yours truly pulled a few strings, killed a few fellows to get this.” Crowley said. You could feel your hand subconsciously reaching to touch the chain that had been around your neck, but all you felt was skin. You began to slightly panic as you looked over at the demon. He stood there, the necklace hanging off his fingers. You jumped out of your seat and stormed to him, before you could snatch it out of his grip, but with one simple move, it was gone from your sight. “And I fully intend on giving Bobby’s soul back. He pawned it on me.”

“Well, then give it back!” You commanded at him as you placed your hand out in front of you. “And give me the damn necklace. We had a deal.”

“I will.” Crowley reassured you. You narrowed your eyes as you examined his face, not sure if all of this was some of trick to get something out of this more than just protection. “All will be given back to their rightful owners when you and your boys have the rings. Angel grace, included.”

“Give it back to me,” You warned him for the last time as you took a step closer to him, wanting to make it clear that you weren't playing around anymore. “Now! Bobby’s soul included.”

“Did you two…you know,” You looked over your shoulder when you heard Sam speak, breaking your conversation away from the demon and to see what he was awkwardly, and very slowly, trying to ask you and Bobby. “...kiss Crowley?”

“Sam!” Dean hissed his brother at how personal he was being right now. Sam shrugged his shoulders from his curiosity at wondering what happened between all three of you. The oldest Winchester looked over at you, his facial expression began to slowly change, finding himself wondering the answer was. "Well, did you?"

Your nose wrinkled at the thought of sharing the same mouth as Bobby if he happened to make his deal official. Kissing someone a friend has was like chewing their gum, their own germs and taste would get into your own mouth. Your mother would always say as some life advice not to go and do something stupid. And it never ceased to gross you out every single time you heard it. You looked at the older hunter with a bit of a skeptical look. Both of you stared at one another before shouting, “No!”  

Crowley cleared his throat, wanting to answer this debate with some evidence. You slowly looked over to see the demon was holding out his phone with a close shot up of Bobby and Crowley together with their lips locked together. The demon was staring at the camera, all while the poor hunter had one clue. You could feel yourself letting out a bit of a laugh. But it immediately died down when Crowley swiped to another one. Your eyes widened to see that it was a shot of you and him,  all though it was a bit blurry, it was clear enough to see that it was the two of you sitting at that bar, lips locked. You slowly looked away, not sure if it was because you and Bobby had kissed the same person, or the truth was out there.

“Why’d you take a picture?” Bobby asked.

“Why’d you have to use tongue?” Crowley answered with another question, tucking his phone back into his pocket for safekeeping.

“All right. You know what? I’m sick of this.” Dean muttered underneath his breath. He pushed himself out of his seat and stormed over to the demon and gave him a serious expression to let him know that he wasn’t going to play this little game anymore. “Give Bobby his soul back. And if you know what's good for you, you better hand over that grace to me."

"I'm sorry." Crowley apologized to the oldest Winchester. "I can't."

“Can’t or won’t?” Dean questioned the demon.

“I won’t, all right? It’s insurance.” Crowley said, explaining the terms of how things were going to work for all of you. You furrowed your brow in confusion to why he was suddenly holding something out valuable enough that could stop you from becoming a demon and turning the man into your own personal stress toy. "You kill demons. Gigantor over there has temper issues about it. But you won't kill me...as long as I have that soul in the deposit box. And the only thing keeping you and your little girlfriend from living happily ever after."

You quietly scoffed and crossed your arms over your chest, “You son of a bitch.”

“I’ll return Bobby’s soul. And I’ll give you the angel grace like I promised. Once I see Death’s ring and I know Lucifer can be locked away for good. After all of this is over, and I can walk safely away, I’ll return the property to the rightful owners.” Crowley added one more little clause to your deal that could make or break things. You shook your head and looked away from him, trying your hardest to resist the urge of grabbing the demon knife and stabbing him right here. But you knew it would be no good. Crowley was very much important to you alive, that is, if you wanted Bobby to have his soul back. And you wanted to become human again. “Do we all understand each other?”

You slowly looked away from the wall you had been staring at and to the oldest Winchester that stood next to you. The both of you shared a moment of eye contact together. You didn’t have to say a single world to apologize to him for what you did. Yet again, you made the foolish mistake of trusting a demon. If Crowley didn’t hold up to his end of the bargain, if Lucifer got word of what was going on here, all of you were screwed. Who knows what would happen if the Devil got his hands on you to finish the job of making you a demon...and destroy the only chance of saving the world from his darkest desires, too.

+ + +

You barely slept last night. You spent most of the night staring up at the ceiling, wondering if this was going to be the last time you were ever going to experience something like this again. Something so simple as enjoying the embrace of the man that you loved. Or sharing a cup of coffee with Sam the next morning before the departure to Chicago where you would meet Death himself. Your mind kept wondering when the normality of the life you had grown so accustomed to, so cushioned to the point where the darkest spots in your past seemed more welcoming than this, would be ripped out from underneath your feet to face the harsh reality you had agree to. The reality in which, deep down, you wanted to be apart of again after getting a taste of the feeling over the past few weeks against your will.

It was like being forced down by someone to take a drug, and while you struggled to push the abuser away, the struggle stopped when the substance runs through your veins and the promised euphoric high sets in. All your problems disappeared, your mind felt like it was at pace when you didn't feel anything. And to know that the people around you were inferior to what you were capable of. All your life, especially when you were hunting, you felt less of, just a little fly on the wall waiting to be squished by a giant hand. But when you let your true self come out—the person that Lucifer wanted you to be—you felt like you were on the top of the world. But the high could only last for so long.

You always came crashing back down to reality with the effects on your body as your consequences, mentally and physically. You were left feeling guilty...dirty for what you've done. What happened to the girl who was petrified of becoming this black eyed monster? You clutched the army green duffel bag close to your chest and stared at your reflection in the Impala window to who you had become today. It wasn't that long ago you were wondering if all of this effort was worth it. But you wouldn't let your demons win. She was still in there, clutching to the last bit of humanity, and holding out hope that something good was going to happen.

You pushed the pessimistic thoughts out from your head and made your way to the trunk that was opened by Dean. He spent most of the morning gathering supplies all of you might need for the final journey ahead for all of you. You dropped the bag down and stared at all of the weapons in front of you. You remembered the first time you had seen Dean's secret stash. You had been overwhelmed, and a little bit terrified, at what you saw. Now you knew the setup like the back of your hand and where Dean liked them placed. Your eyes drifted away from the devil's trap painted on the interior as your teeth sank down on your bottom lip, quietly wondering why things had to be like this.

“Precious cargo coming through, sweetheart. And I’m not talking about me.” Dean’s voice broke you out of your thoughts that you were getting lost in again as he warned you from what he was carrying in his arms. You saw him come out from the corner of your eye with armful of rectangular blocks that were far deadlier than they appeared. You stepped out of the way to let him ever so gently place down the bricks. He let out a sigh or relief from what he managed to do and took a moment to catch a breath from all the work he’d been doing. Dean looked over at you to see that you were still awfully quiet since this morning. He reached out his arm to gently move a piece of hair from your face and tucked it behind your ear, you slowly looked over him to stare at him directly in the eye. Dean furrowed his brow in concern to see the bags and dark circles underneath your eyes that seemed to have been more prominent than usual. "You get any sleep last night?"

You slowly shook your head, “I tried. I’ve just been...thinking. About things, and stuff.”

"What kind of 'things and stuff'?" Dean curiously asked, wondering what was going on in that head of yours. You crossed your arms over your chest as you sat yourself down on the bumper of the car. You were tempted to give him an honest answer, but before you could get a single word out, you shut down. Dean had his own problems to worry about. The end of the world was on his shoulders, not to mention, his brother suggesting his stupid plans. Your eyes shifted around to the dirt road, wondering if he would forget about it. But it seemed he had a feeling of what you wanted to talk about. "Y/N, you know, if push comes to shove...crap hits the fan and this world goes down burning. I’ll still love you. I always have, always will."

You looked up at him with a smile starting to form at the ends of your lips from the reassurance that you had gotten from him. Neither one of you had spoken much about what was happening to you, and while you liked to kept it locked up, out of sight and out of your mind--you knew it would only be a matter of time until the levee broke. You could feel the tightening in your stomach as your chest began to feel like it was getting harder to breathe. You quickly tried yourself from crying as your eyes shot up to the sky, hoping that would somehow stop the tears, but you knew it would be a matter of time until they fell.

"I don't want him to die, Dean. Not like this. Not after everything that we did for him. We’re supposed to be a family." You couldn't help yourself anymore when you began admitting everything that had been on your mind since yesterday morning when Sam told you his idea of how to stop the apocalypse. Your voice came out shaky and quiet as tears began to run down your cheeks, faster as you continued on talking, letting everything off your chest. Dean sat himself down right next to you and pulled you into his embrace, letting you get out all of your emotions as you sobbed. “It’s...It’s just not fair!”

"Life's not fair, sweetheart." Dean whispered to you as he rubbed his hand down your arm. You knew he was trying to be helpful, but at the same time, this wasn't some hunt of revenge for a demon. This was the end of the world. There was going to be a bit of sacrifice for the greater good. "But we'll find a way to stop this. We made it this far. None of us are giving up."

"I know. Trust me, I know. It just hurts. I mean, things were getting good..." You said as your noises turned into quiet sniffles for a moment. You wanted to be selfish and keep yourself immersed in this little cocoon of hunting. It was cut and dry. You knew what was good and evil. It was killing the monster and enjoying the moment of victory with the people you loved. Instead it was trusting demons and trying to fight yourself to do the right thing. You fell quiet for a moment, as your mind began to wander, you could feel yourself stiffen at a thought. "What if he comes for me again?"

You heard Dean grow eerily silent, almost as if he had forgotten about what you had done. You made a deal with the Devil, not only to become a demon, but be his vessel if the first option failed. He wondered if making deals with angels had consequences like demons. Lucifer found you once before, and if he had gotten word about your extracurricular activities of chopping off the horsemen's fingers, it might be game over from there. Dean suddenly began to remember the time you and him were sent into the future to see how things would come out if he didn't say yes to Michael. Cas was human, drained of his angel mojo, you and Sam were nowhere in sight and thought to be dead—but quickly learned that you had been turned into a demon and his brother dressed up as the Devil himself. Dean had been there when you had an argument with his future self to get him to try and say yes.

“He made a deal with the Devil. It was you or him, Lucifer wanted his vessel. And he didn’t get that, you were the next best thing that he could play with to get his answer. I tried hiding you for long as I could. You ran off, thinking you could solve this yourself. but…I was too late. Lucifer got the both of you right here wanted.”

"I won't let that happen." Dean whispered as he pulled you even closer and rested his chin on top of your head. He inhaled a deep breath to take in the aroma of your favorite shampoo.

“I wish I was strong enough.” You mumbled underneath your breath. Dean furrowed his brow and asked what you meant by that. “I already said yes, Dean. If I knew I was strong enough to take on Lucifer, I would in a heartbeat. But I don’t think I am. And sometimes...I don’t think I’m even strong enough to control myself.”

"'I’ve survived a lot of things, and I’ll probably survive this.'" Dean whispered to you. It was a quote from 'The Catcher in the Rye,' a book you had been reading after your mother passed away and tried to accommodate the new lifestyle of not only living alone, but realizing there were monsters in the dark. He remembered seeing the book lying face down with the words scribbled down on a sheet of paper and underlined twice, as if you needed to remind yourself of how strong you really were. Dean wondered for a second if his future self had said the exact same thing while you doubted yourself. Everything seemed so confusing at that time, but slowly, he could fill in the blanks and see how he got there. "We'll find a way to fix this. I promise."

Promises are meant to be broken, you thought bitterly to yourself. But you kept the pessimistic burden to yourself as you turned your head to look at Dean. He got a close view of your bloodshot eyes and tear stained cheeks. To him, cheesy as it sounded, you still looked beautiful to him as the first day he laid eyes on you when you were teenagers, having no clue of who either one of you were. He lightly wiped away your tears before cupping your face with his hands. He leaned down and softly pressed his lips against yours, suddenly overcome with the urge to share a moment of normalcy with you. Who knows what would happen in the matter days, or even hours before you embarked on this journey.

The both of you would have loved nothing more than to sit here for a few minutes longer, enjoying one another's presence and forgetting about the world's problems, but you knew there was still so much work to be done. Decisions that still need to be made. You managed to wipe away any sort of sign that you had been crying as Dean got himself back to working on stacking the bricks into an orderly fashion so they would fit in the trunk. You and Dean got yourself lost in the comfortable silence that you didn't seem to realize that someone had watched the scene unfold from a safe distance away.

You leaned yourself against the side of the Impala as you watched Dean work diligently for about a minute longer before you heard another pair of footsteps slowly approach the car. You looked up to see that it was Sam. He didn't make much eye contact as he joined you in your spot. The man let out a quiet sigh as he observed the junkyard. You slowly looked over at Dean, having a sneaky suspicion that your conversation before hadn't been private like you hoped.

“Let me guess.” Dean said, having a sneaky suspicion that this moment wasn’t over. He looked over at his brother as he began walking over to the both of you to see what this was all about. “We’re about to have a family meeting.”

Sam let out a faint chuckle at his brother’s humor before growing silent for a few seconds more.  He pushed himself up from the Impala and faced you and his brother, knowing this conversation was going to be like ripping off a band-aid. It was going to hurt like hell at first. But soon all of you knew it was what had to be done.

“Look, guys, uh…” The younger Winchester found himself growing quiet once more. He cleared his throat and tried again to make the words come out just right. “For the record, I agree with you two. About me. You think I’m too weak to take on Lucifer. Well, so do I. Believe me, I know exactly how screwed up I am. You, Y/N, Bobby, Cas...I’m the least of any of you.”

You furrowed your brow from how he was speaking so low of himself. Sam wasn't the weak link here. He was smart, compassionate, strong and he cared about people, even the ones that he had only met once. Sure, he made mistakes and trusted a few wrong people, but all of you had a colorful history that made you who you were. Just because he made a few mistakes of his own didn't mean he had to throw his whole life away. You spoke his name in a quiet tone as you looked at him with an emphatic expression, but the man cut you off before you could tell him any different.

“No, Y/N. It’s true. It is. But, I’m also all we got. If there was another way…” Sam trailed off for a second as he tried to make a point. You crossed your arms tightly over your chest to keep yourself from speaking some plan that you knew wouldn’t work. It was for the greater good, but you didn’t want to say it. You didn’t want Sam to be right about this. “But I don’t think there is. There’s just me. And if this could help you, Y/N. I gotta take that chance. So I don’t know what else to do. Except to just try to do what’s got to be done.”

"And...scene." You flinched at the sound of Crowley's voice breaking the moment you and the boys were having. You looked over your shoulder to see that the demon was standing not too far from the Impala, having witnessed himself of this touchy scene unfold. But he wasn't here to see the plot thicken with emotional tension. You grabbed the newspaper in his hand when he waved it in your direction. "There's something you need to see."

"Niveus Pharmaceuticals is rushing delivery on its new swine-flu vaccine to quote, 'stem the tide of the unprecedented outbreak.' Uh, shipments leave Wednesday." You skimmed the news article that Crowley pointed out for you and read off the details that seemed important. You quickly looked down again at the name of the company with a bit of curiosity when it struck a bit of familiarity to you. "Wait...where have I heard that name before?”

Crowley waited for the boys to fill in the blanks, but all he had gotten were blank stares as they waited to figure out what was so important about this company. The demon rolled his eyes. “You two are lucky you have your looks. Your demon love, Brady? V.P. of distribution, Niveus.” He said. You could feel your grip around the newspaper tighten as you glanced up at the boys with a bit of surprise. It seemed they were connecting the dots as well. “Ah, yes, that sound of the abacus clacking? We all caught up?”

“So, Pestilence was spreading swine flu.” Sam said, figuring out who was to blame for this outbreak that nobody could medically explain.

“Yeah, but not just for the giggles. That was step one. Step two is the vaccine.” Dean added, filling in the blanks of the horsemen’s master plan that was coming along. You nervously swallowed when all of you looked over at the demon when he asked a very important question that would be the cherry on top. “You think—”

“I know.” Crowley said. “I’ll stake my reputation—that vaccine is chock-full of grade-a, farm fresh croatoan virus.”

"Simultaneous, countrywide distribution." You said. "It's quite a plan."

“They don’t get to be horsemen for nothing. So, you kids better stock up on...well, everything.” Crowley said, giving you a bit of advice for the troubles that you were about to face. “This time next Thursday, we’ll all be living in Zombieland.”

Rewrite Taglist:

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#huntertales update #supernatural #reader insert #supernatural imagine #supernatural fanfic #supernatural reader insert #supernatural x reader #spn #spn imagine #spn fanfic #spn reader insert #spn x reader #dean winchester imagine #dean winchester x reader #dean x reader #sam winchester imagine #sam winchester x reader #sam x reader #two minutes to midnight #two minutes to midnight: part two #(y/n)

[megatraven]

Ok, this is my final @mlsecretsanta gift, I’m sorry for the delay- holiday time is kinda crazy! Anyways, this is my gift for @lunarluna331! I hope you like it!

“Chat Nooooir, where are you?” Ladybug called, a teasing lilt in her voice. “C’mon, kitty, kitty, this game’s no fun if you hide!” From his hiding space, Chat’s ears picked up the sound of her coming closer. And, as she crept closer to him, he heard the unmistakable sound of a snowball being tossed from her hand over and over, being caught each time with practiced ease.

He burrowed deeper into the shadows he used to cover himself, his own snowballs breaking apart under the pressure of his hold. He cursed silently as the snow slipped through his fingers and bent over to make a couple new ones. He packed them tightly and made sure to hold them carefully as he straightened up, once again turning his attention to his lady’s teases and-

And he couldn’t hear her now. She wasn’t calling out, wasn’t tossing her snowball and catching it, wasn’t getting closer or farther away. He strained his ears, both human and cat alike, but he didn’t hear her. Not until it was too late, anyways.

He felt the snow before he saw or heard it. He jumped away and yowled as the cold slid through his hair and down his face and suit. Spluttering, he cast a glare at Ladybug, who was perched above him, large smile on her face. In an attempt to retaliate, he threw his hands forward, only to find that he’d wrecked his snowballs again.

“Point, Ladybug!” she exclaimed, laughing merrily. As it were, her laughter was contagious, and soon the two were fist bumping in a show of good sportsmanship.

“Nice job as always, my lady.” He made a show of bowing to her, smiling pleasantly when he heard her giggle. Straightening up, he stretched a bit and yawned like a cat sitting in the sunlight.

The two sat down next to each other after that, both talking about whatever came to mind. When they ran out of things to talk about, they sat in a comfortable silence, basking in the heat of the other. Chat Noir’s heart was set aflutter when she laid her head on his shoulder. She was watching out over the city, marveling at it’s beauty, but him? He couldn’t help but look at her with a tender gaze.

We may live in the city of lights, he thought, but she’s more beautiful and bright than all of them. Only when she spoke did he look out upon the city as she did.

“Hey, Chat?”

“Yes, my lady?”

“I don’t think I say it enough, but… I really appreciate you. You’re the best partner and friend I could have ever asked for, and-” she said, cutting herself off. She looked at him and met his gaze before quickly looking elsewhere. With a sigh, she snuggled just a tiny bit closer to him and finished her sentence. “And you’re really important to me.”

Chat was almost certain that wasn’t what she’d wanted to say, but he knew she meant it nonetheless. He reached over and grabbed one of her hands in her own, getting her to look at him again as he did so. He gave it a gentle squeeze, which she returned immediately, and smiled.

“Thank you. That means more than I could ever say, especially coming from you. I may joke around a lot, but I’ve meant everything I’ve said in regards to how important you are to me. You’ve really, honestly improved my life so much, I can’t imagine not having you around. You’re always here for me, and you make sure I know that, and you’re so, so wonderful. You’re simply miraculous, Marinette.”

“Oh, Chaton, thank you s- wait what’d you call me?” she asked. She sat up, removing her head from his shoulder. Her eyes were wide from shock, but she hadn’t yet removed her hand from his.

He took it as a good sign.

“I- I called you Marinette. That’s your name, isn’t it, Princess?”

“Well, yeah, but… how’d you find out?” In addition to her hand still resting in his, she also didn’t sound mad at all. Confused was more like it. Curious.

He didn’t answer her right away, but instead looked back out to the city. He subconsciously rubbed small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb as he thought about the ways he could phrase his answer. Finally, he said, “It didn’t happen by mistake. I didn’t see you detransform or transform. I didn’t see your kwami flit around when you thought no one was watching, and I didn’t try finding out, it just… happened. I know you. As Ladybug and Marinette. I know how brave both personas are, how stubborn and silly and bright. You share the same laugh. You both get this twinkle in your eyes that just can’t belong to more than one person. Gradually, the image of you both kind of… merged together? It wasn’t a ‘wow I can’t believe it’ moment. It’s like I woke up one day and went, ‘Huh. Marinette is Ladybug. That makes a lot of sense.’ And it does! I just, um… I hope this is okay?” He sounded uncertain, but a quick squeeze made him look at his lady and-

She was smiling at him with every ounce of brilliance he knew she possessed. Her eyes were bright and shining, her cheeks painted a beautiful pink. He didn’t even realize she was crying until she wiped the tears from her eyes. His heart did a flip, and he could swear that she just changed his life forever, with a single look.

“It’s more than okay, Chat. I… was never the one that didn’t want you to know. Tikki said we shouldn’t, so I went along with it. You don’t know how much I wanted to hang around, how much I wanted to open the doors that blocked me from view all those times. I’m glad you know now,” she said, laughing with glee. She moved to wipe tears away once more, but his free hand reached out and grabbed her wrist. She gave him a confused look, but realization dawned on her when he released her wrist and, as gentle as ever, brushed the tears away.

A long time ago, she might have held some hidden fear of his claws and the power that could course through them. But they’d been partners for so long, and any fear that existing in the back of her mind withered away through the time spent together. Even when he was under an akuma’s control, he never hurt her with them. Even when he had the chance to actually harm her, he chose to stall until she could defend herself. Feeling them barely glide across her skin now, she knew, with absolute certainty, that he would never harm her with them.

He was too gentle and warm for that.

Ladybug sighed and leaned into his touch, releasing her transformation as she did. She could hear his breath hitch as he did so, just as she could feel his gaze locked on her. Unable to help himself, he caressed her cheek with his thumb. Something passed over his face as he did so, almost too quickly for Marinette to see.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, cocking her head slightly.

“I… It’s kind of stupid, but I guess… I really wish I weren’t in this suit right now,” he said, a bit bashful and awkward.

Marinette understood what he meant, though. It was the reason she’d let her own transformation drop. She wanted to feel. And he did too.

Taking the hand that cupped her face in her own, she leaned closer to him. In a soft voice, she said, “Mon minou, no wish of yours could ever be stupid. I know how you feel, and I may have a solution.” He quirked an eyebrow. “Would it be alright if I touched your face?”

At that, he snorted a bit, but he nodded anyways. She reached up, a small thrill going through her at what she was doing. She’d never been able to touch him like this before, she’d been too nervous to ever ask. But here she was, feeling the warmth and softness that was Chat Noir beneath her fingertips. Her bare fingertips.

She brushed across his cheekbones, swept the hair from his forehead, and tipped his head down. She grew closer to him, watching to make sure she didn’t overstep her boundaries. He showed no sign of discomfort or uneasiness, so she placed a kiss on his cheek and pulled away.

“Y-you know,” he started, growing pink, “you could have done that last part with the costume on.”

“But it wouldn’t have been the same without the other bits, would it?” He shook his head, and she barely even noticed when she brushed the hair from his face again. As she did so, she saw some sort of reluctance pass over his face. “What’s wrong?”

“I, um… don’t you want to know my identity? To make us even?” he asked, unable to mask the nervousness in his voice.

“There’s nothing to make even, Chat. You don’t need to tell me until you’re ready to do so, I promise. You never pressured me into it, and I’ll never pressure you.”

“You really mean it, Purrincess?”

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly at the nickname. “Of course, Chaton. Would I ever lie to you?”

“Probably not; you hate lies.”

“Exactly!” she said with a laugh.

He joined her merriment until she surprised him with another glob of snow in the face. She squealed when he narrowed his eyes and retaliated, starting their snowball fight anew. With a quick shout, Ladybug appeared once more, and the two chased one another across Paris, only stopping every now and again to tease and taunt. Eventually, they landed on the roof of Marinette’s home, and as Chat took her hand to leave a kiss upon, she giggled and pulled him inside with her.

“Warm up before you go home, Chat. It’s selfish, but I don’t want our day to be over just yet.”

“Funny, I was thinking the same thing, my lady.”

“Great minds think alike, they say,” she said with a grin. He gave her one in return as he settled into her blankets. He snuggled into her side when she finally detransformed and laid down beside him, and once he began to purr, it wasn’t long before she fell asleep. He sighed, content and at peace.

The day had gone better than he would have ever hoped. They were closer than ever, and he liked to think that continue to be the case from there on out. As he drifted to sleep himself, he grasped her hand in his, and breathed out, “Sleep well, mon coeur.”

#mlsecretsanta 2k16 #miraculous ladybug #ladybug #chat noir #marinette dupain-cheng #ladynoir #marichat #my fic #ignore the lack of tikki B^)

[sarahburness]

7 Reasons to Abandon Your Comfort Zone and Why You’ll Never Regret It

“Everything you want is on the other side of fear.” ~Jack Canfield

Imagine with me for a second. You wake up, roll over, and blindly reach to hit your alarm to start the routine of the day. Make the same thing for breakfast. Maybe go to a new coffee place…nah. Same place. Go to work on the same route to the same job you’ve been at for years.

After a long day of struggling through your daily responsibilities, you come home tired and slink back into the comfort of your TV and couch. Watch the same shows. Pass out. Repeat. At long last, the respite of the weekend finally comes. You go to the same bars, and hang out with the same friends, and before you know it, it’s Sunday night. Time to repeat the whole process over again.

Somehow down the road, you begin to feel like everything turned into too much of a routine. Nothing new happens anymore, and you can’t even remember the last time you really grew or progressed at something new—the last time you felt that burning sensation in your heart, that incomparable feeling of venturing into something new and scary.

That was me.

When I was a kid, I remember having this recurring nightmare. I was in prison, and my prison job was making license plates. That was my job for the rest of my life.

I had to find every combination of letters and numbers, and if I ever made a mistake, I would have to start over. There was no goal. There was no challenge. Just repetition and routine. (There were a lot more intricate details, but I’ll probably just give myself anxiety trying to recall them).

Anyway, I would wake up in a pool of sweat every night, wake my mom up, and tell her I was having the license plate dream again. She would just look at me like I was crazy; I don’t think I was very good at explaining why it freaked me out so much.

I don’t think I knew why it freaked me out so much.

Fast-forward a couple decades. I fell into a rut after a long period of falling into the same routines, day after day. Same jobs, long commute, long days, same weekends. It wasn’t even that I disliked my jobs—I worked in the music events and festivals industry. But my life had turned into such a routine, without challenges, without fear—just the same jobs, the same bars, the same everything, day after day.

I woke up one day with a thought that scared the hello out of me—when did it all end? I didn’t even know what goal I was working toward. The license plate nightmare had manifested itself into real life.

Dear God.

That day, I quit both of my jobs and bought a one-way ticket to Southeast Asia. On this trip, I went through just as many cliché life realizations as the next traveler, but one stuck out far more than any other.

The safety of my comfort zone was what was holding my growth and happiness back.

I realized how crazy comfort—one of the biggest roadblocks to our growth—is something our bodies crave the most. However uncomfortable and unnatural it may feel to jump out of our safe zone, the benefits outweigh the initial discomfort drastically. It’s just hard to see the other side sometimes.

Although the individual acts of leaving that safe space might vary from person to person—whether it’s quitting your dead-end job, traveling to a foreign place, finally talking to that person you’ve been too shy to engage, or simply diversifying your daily routine—I’m going to tell you some concrete reasons why leaving your comfort zone is so important for every person, and why you won’t regret it once you do.

1. All development comes from outside your comfort zone, especially from failure.

“We are all failures – at least the best of us are.” ~J.M. Barrie

Let’s start with the basics. People tend to forget that struggle and discomfort are where all growth happens. Remember when you were a kid, and every single day was a challenge at something new? Your parents forced you to try scary new things you didn’t want to do, and either you succeeded or failed—and either way you were growing the entire time.

Somewhere along the line, your parents stopped forcing you to do things, and your responsibilities added another layer of chaos into your life, forcing you to retreat into a comfortable routine to achieve a form of stability. In that process, many people start daring less to take a step outside of their comfort zone.

Subconsciously, we attribute “learning” as a phase that only happens when we’re kids. That’s ridiculous. The learning process never ends, and there is always opportunity to grow, no matter what age you are or situation you’re in.

We don’t like to try new things because we fear failure, but we need to understand that failure isn’t the end of the road, it’s the beginning. We learn and gain more from failure than we do from succeeding—and way more than if we never took the chance in the first place.

Whether you succeed or fail at whatever you’re doing, it’ll be a hundred times more valuable to your growth than if you never took the chance in the first place.

Whether it’s the soreness of your muscles after a long workout, the exhaustion of staying up all night chasing a goal, the fear of venturing into the unknown, or the feeling of failure, one old cliché always remains true: no pain no gain.

Either you succeed and you grow or you fail and you grow, but trying anything is better than doing nothing.

2. You’ll discover passions you never knew existed before.

People often look for new hobbies that’ll fill their life with passion, but many are not only afraid to try new things, they don’t know where to look. They trudge through their daily routine, hoping something new will pop out of nowhere and save them from the repetition.

Hey, sorry to break it to you, but it’s not going to happen. Nothing’s going to fall in your lap. You have to go find it.

Not only will leaving your comfort zone help you take a crack at the things you’ve always wanted to do, but you’ll discover other things you never even knew you might’ve liked before.

When I decided to quit my jobs and go on this trip to Southeast Asia, at one of my darker and lonelier moments (don’t ask), I found myself needing to write something, just to get some emotions off my chest. Little did I know I had just discovered my passion for writing.

I started writing article after article, and decided to design a website to share them on. I started taking more and more pictures to combine with these articles, which even led to editing travel videos together.

That’s four things, if you didn’t count. Four things I had never knew I had interest in before. All these newfound hobbies were borne from one thing that I discovered just moments after I left the comfort of my home.

No matter how much you want to believe it, waiting around for something won’t get you anywhere, but the second you leave your comfort zone, you’d be surprised at how things just start falling into place.

3. You’ll become more open-minded and understanding, making you appear wiser and more intelligent.

Life is full of completely different and unique people, but when we get stuck in the same routine, we tend to gravitate toward people that are similar to us. When this is the only interaction in our lives, it leads us to become close-minded and cuts us off from the reality of the differences that exist between people.

When you’re surrounded by the same people, who share the same opinions about everything, you gain a confirmation bias, and you start to think that a certain way of thinking is how all people think, or how all people should think. (Need an example? Go look at any political party ever.)

Leaving the comfort of being surrounded by the people you are accustomed to will introduce you to different ways of thinking, which will not only lead to a better understanding of our differences, but an appreciation for them.

This can be a whole different kind of uncomfortable, but the next time someone that has an opinion you disagree with, instead of immediately trying to convince them your side of the argument, try to understand why they came about that thinking in the first place.

We all gather our opinions from a rich web of experiences and thousands of variables, yet sometimes we tend to think of other people’s opinions in black and white. Everyone has a reason for why they think the way they do, many of which are a lot deeper under the surface than you might be able to initially see.

Opening your mind to other people’s cultural views and understanding what their ideologies are based out of (as opposed to just trying to confirm your already established beliefs) is the first step to gaining wisdom that applies to all people, rather than just the social group you’ve become accustomed to.

4. You’ll gain clarity once you ditch mindless comfort-zone distractions.

When we continue our routines and watch the same shows, go to the same places, or look at the same apps, we tend to turn our brains off and just follow muscle memory without even noticing. These routines make us feel comfortable and often put our minds to sleep.

You’d be surprised at how much clearer your mind works once you simply turn your phone and TV off and go explore something new. Your brain will actually start going to work without you even trying.

Something easy you can do today: Turn your phone off.

Something harder you can aim for in the future: Turn your phone off for longer.

5. You’ll become a more confident and sociable person.

Talking to strangers is often an anxiety-provoking activity for people. We’re constantly fearing we’ll get judged or that we’ll say the wrong thing to the wrong person. First off, let me tell you, everyone feels the same way. That thought alone helped me become a more sociable person without worrying about the consequences of a “failed conversation” (sounds stupid when I put it like that, huh?).

Interacting in situations with people you usually wouldn’t interact with is a great way to get out of your comfort zone. Go compliment someone you don’t know. What’s the worst that can happen?

In a more non-direct approach, forget about other people for a second. When you spend your time trying new activities and experiencing things you haven’t done before, through the power of leaving your comfort zone, confidence eventually comes whether you were looking for it or not.

The very act of being bold enough to try something you haven’t done before will raise your confidence on its own, and that in turn naturally minimizes the fear of interacting with people you don’t know.

Confidence and social skills will be a byproduct of your breaking of the ordinary. Which leads to the next point…

6. You’ll become a better storyteller without even trying.

“No human ever became interesting by not failing. The more you fail and recover and improve, the better you are as a person. Ever meet someone who’s always had everything work out for them with zero struggle? They usually have the depth of a puddle. Or they don’t exist.” !Chris Hardwick

Just as confidence and social skills come naturally when outside of your comfort zone, so will the stories. When you make a conscious attempt to leave your comfort zone, you’ll be surprised at how weird, crazy, and awesome things tend to happen more to you more.

You’ll start amassing an inventory of interesting stories without even trying. All of your failures and successes somehow start to become more of a narrative, rather than a repetitive list of chores.

Make your life a story that people would want to watch a movie about.

7. You’ll discover entire worlds you never knew existed before and the communities that go along with them.

Lastly, you’ll discover tons of different groups and cultures that will amaze you.

Think about one thing you like to do. For instance, we’ll say you enjoy golf. Think about all the tiny intricacies, tactics, and elements of golf that make you love it so much, whether it’s the careful studying of equipment, the complexity of your body motion, the perfecting of a craft, or just the peace of enjoying a beautiful day. On top of that, think of the entire golfing community that you connect with because of a shared love of an activity.

Now think about the fact that these passions and communities exist for an infinite amount of activities out there. Foodies for every kind of food. Music lovers of every genre. Fans of every sport. Professionals of every craft. Thousands of different cultures and communities that you have never experienced exist out there—all filled with people that possess as much love and passion for their craft as you do.

Discovering and sharing new passions with people is one of the greatest joys in this world.

The possibilities are endless. Go find some new worlds today.

—

Feeling like there is no end in sight can be one of the most suffocating feelings in the world. I know from experience that deep, sinking feeling you get in your chest when you realize your life has become too predictable—when nothing new happens, when you feel like you’ve stopped growing as a person.

The good news is it’s completely in your power to take control of your life and experience what’s out there, and turn that suffocation into freedom, curiosity, and excitement.

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.” ~Chauncey Depew

Taking the first step is always the hardest, but I can guarantee you that once you do it, the only thought you’ll have in your head is “Why didn’t I do this earlier?” Every second you spend in this world is precious, and you shouldn’t waste a single second of it wondering if you should have done something. Life is waiting for you to take the reigns.

Imagine with me again. You wake up five minutes before your alarm, with a head buzzing full of ideas, ready to conquer the day. You go to work with a clear mind, with new goals formulating in your head at what seems like every minute of the day.

Before you know it, the workday has gone by in a snap, and you race home to start progressing to your next goal, or to write your next idea down, or to plan your next big getaway. Life has become exciting and full of wonder once again.

No more license plates.

About Elliott Pak

Elliott Pak is a musician, writer, and traveler who enjoys helping motivate people see life through new perspectives with a raw and unfiltered writing style. Subscribe to his blog, Dirty Maps and Mirrors, to gain honest and unique insights on improving your life in a relatable way, with a healthy dose of humor and sarcasm.

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from Tiny Buddha https://tinybuddha.com/blog/7-reasons-abandon-comfort-zone-why-you-wont-regret-it/

[jake-tsukimono-blog]

Chapter 2: The Half-Breed’s Power Unleashed

It’s been a few days since Jake found out the truth about his parents.  Despite the shock, it didn’t change the undying love he had for Eva and the late Koji. Jake went about his life just like it was before he found out the truth. Unfortunately, peace doesn’t ever last long.

Within his subconscious, Jake was alone in a seemingly endless space surrounded by darkness. Dark and cold like the most bitter of a being’s evil heart. Surrounding the darkness, Jake could hear a sinister laugh that sent chills down his spine. “Who’s there? Show yourself!” He exclaimed. Suddenly, a mini-swirl of the very darkness surrounding Jake appeared in front of him, manifesting an evil-looking silhouette with piercing crimson red eyes. Jake started taking slow steps backward as the dark figure brought itself closer to him. “Who are you?! What do you want from me?!” The dark figure then let out an evil, deep and raspy voice. “Jake Tsukimono… You have been found…”

All of a sudden, Jake woke up sitting up and gasping for air. His face all red and sweaty and his heart racing like a drum being rapidly beaten. Jake placed his cold and clammy hand over his racing heart as it started to calm itself. He breathed heavily as if he had just run a marathon. “What was that about…” He whispered softly to himself.

Later that day, it was raining outside. Quite heavy, to be precise. Jake and Mikey stayed inside playing video games. Eva came bursting through the doorway. “Jake! Mikey! Turn on the news! You need to see what’s happening!” Jake quickly paused the game and grabbed the TV remote, switching the input to the cable channels and turned on the local news. A newswoman was out in the pouring rain with Jake and Mikey’s school burning behind her. Jake and Mikey gasped in shock at what they saw. “I’m Nikki Honero reporting to you live from the Cherry Blossom High School! It’s currently unknown how the fire started but eyewitnesses are reporting that an explosion went off in the building and there are now people, presumably school staff and summer school students, trapped inside!” Jake clenched his fist tightly. “Mmph! Minako is in there… Her parents made her attend summer school to improve her grades… I gotta help her!” Mikey just sat there sighing. “Dude, no girl is worth saving…” Jake glared at Mikey upon hearing his comment. “I’m sorry but I can’t just sit here and do nothing. Besides, I like her. I just…never told her.” Eva smiled knowing that same determination to save a loved one that Jake’s parents had. “Jake? If you really want to save your girlfriend. Then please…be careful.” She held Jake tightly. “I love you…” Jake blushed bright red. “Yeah, I love you too, Mom. Plus, Minako’s just a friend…” Mikey then placed his hand on Jake’s shoulder smirking. “Hey man… I might as well go too. Can’t have you doing all the hero work, I guess.” Jake nodded smiling. “Okay, let’s go!”

Jake and Mikey dashed their way to the burning school in the pouring rain and wore clear ponchos to keep themselves dry. Once at the school, they’re out of breath leaning on the wall outside the school. “Finally… we… made it…” Jake said breathing heavy. “Now… let’s go save Minako!” Jake ran towards the fire as Mikey stayed behind with the local news crew. “Be careful in there, buddy… Don’t get yourself killed!” Jake jumped in through a solid window tumbling onto his hands and feet inside the burning school. He perused the room he dropped in. Nothing but flames, smoke and broken furniture everywhere. Jake covered his mouth and nose with his poncho and began his search for any survivors. “Anyone in here?! Minako?!” He dashed through the hallway continuously calling out hoping for an answer.

Eventually, Jake heard a faint whimper coming from a nearby classroom. He charged at the locked door and busted it down. Searching within the room, he saw Minako barricaded behind burning debris, too frightened to move. Jake yelled to her. “Minako! Hang tight! I’m gonna get you outta here!” Minako gasped and coughed hard hearing the familiar voice. “J… J-Jake…?” Jake started kicking away at the debris but the flames started to burn at his poncho. “Aah! Dammit!” He quickly threw off his poncho and stepped on it to extinguish the fire. After many kicks to the fallen debris, Jake made an opening for Minako to get out. He extended his hand out to her. “Minako, give me your hand!” Minako slowly but frighteningly reached her hand towards Jake’s. At that moment, Jake heard crackling noises coming from the ceiling. He quickly pulled Minako out with all his strength and they rolled onto the floor as more burning debris fell to the very spot Minako had left behind.

Jake and Minako held each other unintentionally and looked each other in the eyes for a moment. Their faces both blushed bright red. “So umm… We better get out of here…” Jake said softly to Minako. Minako, however, was speechless. Jake held Minako tight as he proceeded to carry her out of the school. Unfortunately, a dark monstrous figure was in the distance down the hallway. “What the hell is that?” Jake said rhetorically. All of a sudden, a blazing fireball came at Jake and Minako. “Savage Blaze!” The dark figured cried out. Jake widened his eyes then turned around running as fast as he could. Minako held Jake tight and closed her eyes as he jumped out yet another window with the fireball exploding out it as Jake and Minako hit the ground covered in ashes and soot. They got up on their hands and knees coughing trying to breath in the fresh air as the rain ran down their bodies soaking their clothes.

It was at that moment, that same dark figure that shot the fireball came bursting through the wall roaring loudly. Jake gazed up at the figure to see the creature looked devilish in nature. It was seven feet tall with red skin, had flames emitting from it’s back and forearms with separate flames for hair. The creature looked human from the head to the waist but below the belt were donkey-like legs and hooves. Jake breathed heavily clenching his fist and glared at the demon. “So you’re the one who caused this fire, huh?! What the hell are you?!” The creature chuckled evilly staring down at the downed half-breed. “I’m a loyal servant of Mephiles. The king of all demons. You can call me Efreet. I made this all happen to see if I’d draw you out of hiding. And it seems it worked.” Jake got up on his feet glaring up fiercely at the fire demon. “Minako… Get out of here while you can!” Minako nodded. “Please be careful, Jake…” Efreet smirked evilly. “You really think you can stop me? You don’t have a chance! I’m over a 1,000 years old! I’ve lived ten times what you humans are capable of!” Jake chuckled. “You don’t look a day over 10,000, asshole!” Efreet angrily roared at the half-breed and smacked him aside. “Ooomph!” Jake exclaimed as he hit the ground all the way over near the entrance to the school in front of Mikey and Minako. Efreet laughed evilly slowly making his way to Jake to deliver the final blow.

Out of nowhere, Eva ran to Jake’s side holding what looks like a katana inside a crimson red sheath. “Stay away from my boy!” Eva cried out. “Mom… Ugh… What are you doing here…?” Jake said weakly. “There’s no time to explain. Here… Take this.” Eva handed the blade to Jake. He reached out for it but as soon as he gripped the hilt, a bright crimson light shone from the blade covering Jake’s entire body. The light was so bright, Efreet flailed his arms blinded by the light and fell on his back.

Jake was once again inside his subconscious, but this time, he was hovering and surrounded by the same crimson light he just saw. In front of him, a crimson red dragon manifested before him. The creature slithered in mid-air and smiled looking down at the child. “Hello, Jake. It’s been awhile.” He said in a deep sentient voice like the voice of a God. Jake looked up at the dragon confused. “Who…who are you?” The dragon extended his hand onto the top of Jake’s head rubbing it softly. “Hmm-hmm-hmm… I’m your dragon guardian, Ryujin. I guess you could say I’ve been overseeing Eva taking care of you all these years. I’m sorry about Koji though. Anyway, my job is to unlock your demonic powers, per request from your father Deimos, and to help you control your powers. Are you ready to fight and protect the people you love, Jake?” Jake nodded with determination and looked down at his fist. “More than anything… I want nothing more than to protect the people I care about!” Ryujin smiled then placed his hand over Jake’s chest as his body glowed.

Back in the human world, Jake was on his feet glowing crimson red and holding his unsheathed katana in his right hand with Eva, Mikey, Minako and the entire news crew knocked out on the ground. He looked over at Eva clenching his blade tightly. “Thank you, Mom… I swear I’ll protect you…” Jake then looked at the fire demon as it stood up rubbing it’s blinded eyes. “And everyone else from this retched demon!” Jake’s body became surrounded by a crimson red demonic aura as he pointed his sword at Efreet. The fire demon growled angrily staring at the half-breed. “I don’t care what you are! You can’t kill me!” Jake glared at Efreet. “No matter what you think, demon… Your time in this world is up!”

Thus, the fight between a half-breed and a fire demon begins!

#oc oc rp oc character oc anime chapter 2 jake tsukimono