#as soon as i heard its maid day i blacked out and woke a couple hours later with this

[lokiprompts]

Appropriate - Chapter 5

"The Grocery Store"

Summary: Loki x Female reader; Loki is banished to Midgard and he has to live an average life as penance...and you, a social worker, is there to help him along the way. Rom Com vibes. Pinning; emotional edging until we can't take it anymore.

Chapter Summary: You take Loki to the grocery store, but he has to face some new, unwanted feelings.

Words. 6k Other chapters on my tag list.

Warnings: Mentions of injuries, Sad Loki, some angst. Pining. Anxiety and panic attack.

Song to listen to while reading: Kayak for One

AN: I don't offer taglists anymore. Remember to reblog if you like a writer's work! Comments make my heart go pitter patter.

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            It has been almost a week since Loki had seen you last, and the prince was starting to wonder if you had forgotten about him. A couple of days after your shopping trip, you called him on his cell phone and he all but leapt out of his chair to grab the device and hear your voice once again. You had called to inform him that his microwave was going to be replaced later that day and its replacement came just in time. If Loki had to eat one more bite of cold, canned food he was going to lose it.

            Much to his dismay, the conversation on the phone was hardly a conversation at all. It lasted all of two minutes and when he tried to ask about your day, you apologized and told him you had a meeting. Still, he got dressed in the hope that he would see you. He put on the slim line, black dress pants he tried on for you at the store and a dark blue button up shirt. When he picked it out and tried it on, you commented how the color brought out his eyes. Emerald is his signature color, but he found himself picking out more blue items just for you. As soon as he heard a knock at the door, he whipped it open with a wide smile, only to be met with another terrified worker holding a large box. Loki sighed, stepping to the side, and letting the worker install his microwave, while keeping his eyes trained on the door. You never came.

Another four days had passed since then and with nothing to do besides sit and think. Think and stare at the photo of you on his cell phone. Granted, he always had the option to wander around the common areas of the Tower, but it was clear that the team did not want him there, and the staff and guests that frequented the building were terrified of him. It was better for him to stay in his room, Loki thought. Every once and awhile Thor would stop by his room and try and convince him to ‘socialize’, but his older brother’s attempts were never successful.

            And in the quiet of his room, his mind wandered back to you. It always wandered back to you. The sweet sound of your laugh, the brightness of your eyes, and how you so tenderly cared for him. Every little detail of your interactions, he would think about and analyze to the point of obsession. To the point of wondering why you were the object of his mind. Never had he thought about someone to this degree before. Well, except for one person.

            A crush he had when he was a young boy – a young maid named Ingrid. From the moment he woke until he fell asleep, he would think of her. It didn’t matter that this maid was older than him, still he pictured a life with her. Sweeping her off her feet and stealing her away to live a life of finery and royalty. Loki would find reasons to be around her, even though she wasn’t assigned his chambers or even the same wing of the palace and it went on like this for several years, until she no longer worked for the royal family. The young prince never found out why she left, but he always believed his ‘father’, Odin, had a hand in it.

            The memory made him grumble with resentment, but also gave him pause – did he have romantic feelings for you? Everything he felt reminded him of how he felt with Ingrid, but was that just an obsession out of boredom? It was a question that plagued Loki to no end. He couldn’t deny how his heart fluttered every time he saw you and how he delighted in your laugh. Every new thing he learned about you, he adored. Your obscene number of plants? Heartwarming. Your overly sweet coffee order? Precious. The way you mouth words to song in the car, thrumming your fingers on the steering wheel? Adorable.  

            “But a mortal…” Loki grumbled to himself from his perch on his beige chair. He thought back to all his conversations with Thor and his love for the mortal woman, Jane. How it would inevitably fail.

            “A mere heartbeat…” The thought of your death brought a feeling of profound sadness that was unsettling and foreign. The god was no stranger to grief, his heart still hasn’t mended from the death of his mother, and it is unlikely it ever will, but why would he be sad about your death? Objectively, he barely knew you and you would be gone in under a century. But he thought of your skin becoming wrinkled and paper thin, your hair gray and the brightness of your eyes faded and tired. It made his whole-body shudder.

            He couldn’t deny that he felt protective over you. The smallness of your body, especially compared to his, ignited a flame – no, an unbridled need - to shelter you, care for you, and to keep you from all harm. The very first day he met you and you were frantically writing your notes, he saw how little your hands were. Lifting his own large, calloused hand to examine, he wondered how your palm would fit in his. How his fingers would engulf yours, anchor you and keep you grounded during times of uncertainty. Those dainty hands would grip onto his shirt as he held you trembling body close. Tears would be forbidden to grace your skin, and Loki knew he would make quick work of wiping them away from your face. Would you recoil from him? Never, Loki thought. No, you would bury yourself closer to him, and he would hold you close, impossibly close, as if his touch could ward of your sadness.

            Who could hurt a precious soul like you? The thought simultaneously enraged Loki and brought tears to the corner of his eyes. The god’s mind delved deep into a fantasy of a faceless person towering over you. The look of terror that would be painted on your face made Loki’s heart race. His magic would thrum through his body, all his muscles flexing with power and the desire to protect you. How dare anyone harm his beloved, he thought, harm what is mine.

            A knock on the door ripped Loki from his thoughts. He stared at the door, his brows furrowed in confusion since he wasn’t expecting anyone, and it is unlike Thor to be bothering him this early in the morning. Slowly, he stood and made his way over to the door. There was another knock, and finally Loki opened the door to see your smiling face.

            “Hi, Loki!” Your smile faded, “What’s wrong?”

            Loki hadn’t noticed that a tear had escaped while his imagination ran wild with thoughts of saving you. Quickly, he brushed it away with the back of his sleeve.

            “I’m wonderful, Dar – Lady Y/N,” Now that you are here, he thought, “To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?”

            “I am making a quick trip to the grocery store, and I thought I could invite you – get you out of the tower a bit and maybe show you how it’s done.” You shifted your bag over your shoulder and Loki noted you looked a bit uneasy, "I have a tight schedule today, so it won’t be very long.”

            “What is the point of me learning how to shop, when I cannot even leave the tower?” The question, though valid, left his mouth before he could even truly think about it. Why was he questioning the opportunity to leave and spend time with you? You’re an idiot.

            You pursed your lips, trying to mask your annoyance and your expression makes Loki switch his gaze from you to his feet, “Well, the goal is for you to be able to not have your dampeners on and to be a part of the Tower and this world. But, if you don’t want to learn, that is fine. You don’t have to come.”

            He sighs, “I will go with you. May I change before we leave?” You simply nodded and Loki was quick to turn on his heels. The way you were acting was so odd. Never once have you been short with him, and it brought on a pang of guilt. He never wanted to be the source of your discomfort.

            Loki made quick work of getting dressed, putting on tight, slim black jeans and a light blue sweater. He emerged from his apartment, greeting you with a tight-lipped smile and you were off.

            “I am sorry for upsetting you, Lady Y/N.” Loki sincerely apologized as you both made your way down to the lobby.

            You stopped in your tracks, turning to face him, “No, you have no reason to apologize, Loki. I am the one who should be sorry. You asked a very valid question, and I shouldn’t have been short with you like that.” During your apology, Loki was able to give you a proper look. Frankly, you looked exhausted. The dark circles under your eyes were a clear indicator of that and your spark, your usual lightness seemed forced. It was a stark difference from the woman who was so sweet and playful on their last shopping trip.

            He accepted your apology immediately, “Is everything alright?” Loki knew he may be crossing a line with you and what you considered ‘appropriate’, but he sincerely wanted to know. The more he looked at you, the more worried for you he became.

            You sighed, offering your hands to him in a silent signal for him to present his dampeners. He did so without question, and you brought up the hologram to adjust his restrictions.

            “It’s been a stressful few days. My work schedule is kind of crazy right now, and I shouldn’t let it affect my interactions with you,” You shook your head after you finalized your adjustments, releasing his wrists, “If it is okay with you, would you mind terribly if I make a call or two on our way to the store? I won’t let it take up too much of our time I promise…and I am sorry, our visit will be a bit shorter-”.

            “Lady Y/N”, Loki lifted a hand, halting your rambling, “It’s quite alright. I understand your importance and I don’t mind sharing my time.” It was a lie. Loki hated sharing his time with you, but he would do anything to get that sad look off your face. The soft smile you rewarded him with was enough.

            Wordlessly, he followed you out to your car again that looked like it somehow accumulated even more empty coffee cups. Loki didn’t say anything, but it made him wonder how much you have been sleeping and eating these past few days. You cared so much for the wellbeing of others, but who cared for you?

            After buckling in and pulling out on the road, you tapped a few buttons on the screen connected to the dashboard. Loki tried to get a look of who you were trying to connect with, but all the names on the list on the screen were just initials. He had no idea.

            “Hi! How are you?” You chirped into your earpiece, easily masking your exhaustion. “Oh, that’s wonderful! I was planning on seeing you tomorrow if that’s okay? How about nine in the morning?” There was a pause on your end and Loki strained to hear the voice on the other end. Usually, his godly hearing would make this an easy task, but these damn dampeners affected him more than he thought. Even though he knew you were working, and he had agreed to it, Loki couldn’t ignore the bite of jealous that had started to take hold in his chest.

            “Oh! That is great! I am so proud of you!” Loki slumped further down in his seat; his arms crossed against his chest. He felt like a petulant child not getting enough attention, but he couldn’t help the downward spiral of thoughts that seemed to plague him whenever he was around you. Would you ever tell him that you were proud of him? He laid his head against the cold glass of the passenger window, rolling his eyes at his own thoughts. What has he done to earn your praise and pride? He scoffed. You were someone sweet, kind, and thoughtful, and he was a criminal who couldn’t even go shopping on his own. There was nothing about him to be proud of, only shame.

            “Have you been around the Tower at all?” Your voice pulled Loki from his thoughts. He hadn’t realized you were off your communication device, “I am sure it can be quite boring in that room of yours.”

            Your laugh made his lips twitch upwards in a small smile. It was a welcome reprieve from his self-deprecating thoughts. “No, I haven’t left the room much, actually.”

            You frowned, keeping your eyes trained on the road, “Why is that?”

            Loki wrapped his arms tighter around himself, “I am not exactly welcome.”

            You hummed thoughtfully as your fingers thrummed on the steering wheel, “Well, you know,” You peeked at him out of your peripheral and your slight smile caught the god’s attention, “You do have access to the library at the Tower. From what I recall, it’s pretty quiet there. Not many people go there.”

            Loki tilted his head and saw the grin that graced your face, and soon he found a smirk matching your own, “Thank you. I will have to visit.” He was beyond thankful for this information. Maybe if he had something to occupy his mind, he would think about you less. Did he want to think about you less?

            Before he knew it, you were pulling into a large parking lot, and you were exciting the vehicle. Loki followed after you and it reminded him of a Midgardian dog, so he made quick work to catch up, so he was next to you. Without a word, you grabbed a large cart, and you offered a piece of paper which he took from you. He tried to ignore the way his heart sped up from just the light brush of your fingers against his.

            Finally walking inside of the building, Loki took a closer look at the list. His dark brows were furrowed in concentration and soft lips were moving with each murmur of a listed item: eggs, flour, cereal, milk…

            Loki hadn’t noticed that you had stopped, until he looked back over his shoulder and saw you with a smile on your face that almost looked…fond? “I’m sorry,” For what you were apologizing for, he didn’t know, “I didn’t want to disturb your thinking. You looked so focused.”

            Quickly, the prince looked away from you in a pathetic attempt to hide the rosy flush that spread across his cheeks, “I just want to be thorough,” To please you, he thought. “Since I understand you are busy today.” Brilliant deflection, Loki.

            You stepped up to Loki with your cart and explained to him how important it is to have a list, otherwise you will be shopping with your stomach which is typically a recipe for disaster. He loved the smirk that spread across your face; clear evidence of mischief brewing underneath your professional demeanor. He grinned back at you while letting his mind indulge in a daydream of you filling up your cart with sweets.

            The prince followed you around the ordinary Midgardian grocery store, utterly fascinated by everything you did.  The god trailed just behind you as you pushed your cart, catching your lingering stare on luscious display of green, indoor plants.

            “You should buy one,” Loki suddenly said, making you turn to him with a quirk in your brow, “For your office.”

            A laugh bubbled up out of your chest and Loki bit his lip to hold back a bold confession of how much he loved the sound of your happiness.

            “The last thing I need is another plant.”

            Loki shrugged, “One more couldn’t hurt. You deserve it.” If he could, he would buy you a plant just to make you smile. He pictured surprising you with the little green plant, making your face split in joy at his thoughtfulness. He would buy you whatever you wanted. The once posh prince stuck his hands in his pant pockets, reminding him of how empty they were, and he frowned.

            “First, the dress, now the plants! You will be the end to my bank account, Loki.” The tips of your fingers lingered on the leaf of a gorgeous calathea, subtly showing your want. He wondered why you wouldn’t indulge yourself with such a little thing. If you were back on Asgard with him, you would want for nothing. The palace gardens would be yours. Cascades of flowers planted and bloomed in the name of your beauty. But you moved on before Loki could lose himself in that fantasy.

            Conversation flowed easily between the two of you and he was able to ask questions without fear of judgement or teasing. He helped you find things on your list, offering to reach and get things on the highest shelves after he saw you practically scale the cereal shelves like you were climbing Mt. Everest. Though, he did steal some pleasure in watching your small body struggle as you stretched for the sweet breakfast treat, giving him a delicious view of your ample backside. But what he loved the most was the feeling of his large hands splayed across the small of your back to steady you.

            “Th-Thank you…” You stammered, looking a bit flustered at his touch. Loki wished he could have followed it with a smooth purr of ‘my pleasure’, but instead he flashed you a lopsided grin that was equally as awkward. What was that? He chastised himself. Clearing his throat, he went back to the comfortable and easy conversation of Midgardian food.

Thankfully, he found some fruits and vegetables that reminded him of foods on Asgard. He huffed about the quality of foods he was given from the grocery drop and you promised him you would show him how to cook a real meal soon. The thought about spending more time with you making Loki’s stomach flip with excitement. And when you paired your promise with a squeeze of his bicep, he swore you could hear the hammering of his heart within his chest.

Despite the quick nature of the trip, Loki was greedily sucking up his time with you. Surprisingly, he found joy in the mundane task, but what he didn’t enjoy were the other customers.

He absolutely loathed them.

And he figured you did too, with each little annoyed huff when someone blocked the whole aisle with their cart, seemingly unaware of the fact that someone other than them was trying to shop too.

“Excuse me.” You would sweetly say through gritted teeth. Sometimes you would have to repeat yourself when you were blatantly ignored. You seemed to have endless patience, something that warmed Loki from the inside out, you precious thing. But Loki was starting to get annoyed and downright irritated with each disrespectful interaction towards you. By the time he went down a few more aisles with you, his knuckles were white from his clenched fists, and he had a low growl threatened to explode from deep inside his chest.

Loki had walked ahead of you with your list in hand, carefully examining the baking aisle for the foods you desired. You were doing the same, plucking some vanilla extract off the shelf when another customer unceremoniously crashed his cart into your ankle, making you cry out in pain.

Your anguished shriek was Loki’s final tipping point.

He was by your side in an instant, a bag of flour discarded and long forgotten in the grocery aisle. The tall god kneeled by your side, peeling off your shoe to evaluate your injury. You tried to complain about him touching you without permission, but you were too busy sucking in air from the sting that traveled up your calf to even protest. Blood trickled down from the back of your foot and with a quick glance, Loki saw how your eyes watered in pain and it broke a piece inside of him. Tears had no place on your beautiful, sweet face. Without even thinking about it, his muscle memory kicked in and he hovered a hand over the wound.

Nothing happened. Loki’s frown deepened as the feeling of powerlessness washed over him. Healing was never his forte, but his seidr could help with simple wounds like this. Now, here in this hellscape of a Midgardian store, he couldn’t even help you. His glassy, crystal blue eyes stared at the redness that stained your precious skin while his thoughts tormented him.

You are worthless. You have nothing to offer. You can’t care for yourself. You imagine a life where you care for her, this princess of Midgard, and you can’t even protect her. All you can do is follow a stupid list and reach for things, and even the oaf can do that.

“I am so sorry Miss!” The frantic and apologetic voice of the random man who hit you with his shopping cart jerked Loki out of his downward spiral and right onto a war path. If he can’t heal you or protect you, he can at least put this pathetic meat bag of a mortal in his place.

“Watch where you are going, you pitiful brainless worm!” Loki spat, his words dripping with venom and anger for you. His large hands gripped the neck of the man who dared to injure you, and even though his strength was weakened from the dampeners, his iron grip still picked the parasite off the ground. Loki’s lips twisted up in sadistic satisfaction at the garbled choking sound coming from the mortal in his grip.

“How dare you injure her!” Each word masked his shame and feelings of powerlessness, but his anger had taken over. There was no forgiveness for this mortal, but still he yelled, “Apologize! Apologize right no-“

“Loki!” Your scream stopped his tirade and the beating of his heart. The god’s wild eyes turned to you, and he saw something new on your fac. Something he never thought he would see from you.

Fear.

Immediately, Loki dropped the man in his grasp who then tumbled to the ground, wheezing, and clawing at his throat as sweet oxygen filled his lungs.

“What is wrong with you?!” The man yelled at the stunned god who towered above him still, “It was an accident, you monster!”

Loki lifted his eyes from the crumpled man at his feet to see your wide eyes and the terrified look of all the grocery store customers. Every bit of remaining anger was sucked out of him and replaced with shame and disgust at himself. He took a step back from the man he assaulted who was still crumpled on the floor until his back hit the stack of shelves of the grocery aisle. Loki’s body began to tremble as the weight of what he did began to set in. The god’s breath quickened, and he thought he heard your voice, but everything sounded so far away yet everything felt too close. The feeling of being trapped overwhelmed him and his anxiety riddled body all but ran to the front of the store and hiding himself away in a private, family style bathroom.

Loki’s back hit the cold wall of the public bathroom, sliding down until he was slumped on the floor with his head between his knees. His breathing became erratic as the word ‘monster’ replayed in his mind like a sadistic record player. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks and all he could hear was his hyperventilating breathing, totally missing the soft click of the bathroom door.

“Loki?” Hearing your soft, sweet voice made him recoil further into himself. He didn’t deserve to be near you.

You crouched down in front of him, a slight frown on your face as you took in the god who looked so small. Carefully, you reached forward and placed a tentative hand on his knee. Loki flinched, initially, but he didn’t pull away.

Your touch felt comforting, yet it burned with the reminder of how undeserving he was of that comfort.

I’m a monster…

“Loki, you are not a monster,” He hadn’t realized he had spoken those words out loud, “Look at me.”

First, he shook his head, the stubborn god he is, but the soft touch of your hand on his made him finally lay his watery gaze on you. Everything was blurry and he struggled to catch his breath. He felt you move his hand to rest on your chest, the firmness of your collarbones running under his fingers.

“Feel my breath, Loki. Breathe like me. You can do this. In and out.” You spoke with such calmness, that he felt a growing sense of peace with each word you spoke. Loki’s chest fought against the tightness that ran rampant there as he tried desperately to copy your movements. In and out. His eyes were trained on yours, examining the different lengths of your eyelashes and the unique flecks of color that were embedded in your iris. The look of care and concern broke him.

“I am so sorry… I- I – I don’t know what came over me.” His hand still rested on your chest, above your heart, but he looked at his other hand like it was covered in blood. To him, it might as well have been, “I tried to fix you. To heal you. And it didn’t work! I couldn’t do anything because of these damn dampeners!”

Each word pressed out of Loki’s mouth earnestly, begging you to listen and each time Loki stole a glance at you, he saw that you were, “I felt weak. Powerless.” The confession slipped out before he even realized what he was saying.

“That is an awful feeling. I am so sorry, Loki.” The gentle touch of your thumb rubbing against the rough skin of his hand felt soothing, yet he turned his eyes away from you. You came to him without malice, without judgement. Each word and each action you took came with an aura of calm that he didn’t deserve. He deserved your wrath.  Your hatred.

“You are too kind,” Loki whispered, still avoiding your penetrative stare, “Too good. I couldn’t let someone hurt you like that.”

“You wanted to protect me? That is kind of you, to look after me.” Loki closed his eyes at the sound of your soft, sweet voice, more tears spilling from his eyes. He still didn’t open them when he felt your free hand wiping the salty wetness from his face, but he found himself leaning greedily into your touch.

“I am hardly kind.” He scoffed at himself, the memories of his actions replaying in his mind, “I almost killed someone today. Like how I killed all the Midgardians in New York. I am a monster, YN!” Each word got louder as he spoke, desperately wanting you to see him as the vile, unworthy creature he is. But you weren’t looking at him like that. You never have.

You cupped his cheek, still keeping a tight hold on his hand, “You are not a monster, Loki. I may not know everything, but I know you were under the influence of a tyrant. You weren’t in control of yourself. It wasn’t your fault.”

“And you are going to tell me what I just did wasn’t my fault?”  He snapped suddenly, his eyes shooting open and looking at you. Instantly, guilt washed over him, but maybe you would finally stop looking at him like that. Like he mattered.

“No, I am not going to say that Loki.” The pads of your thumb rubbed against the sharp edges of his cheek bones, “But I will say that I think this is a result of all the stress and trauma you have been through, but that is something we can work on. You have been through so much Loki, so many unfair and cruel things and I am so sorry this happened to you.”

Loki choked out a sob, his cold heart unable to process your kindness, but you continued, “I am here for you, Loki. Everything will be okay.” He felt you pull away, and he whined at the loss of contact, but then he saw your opened arms. A silent invitation. It was more than he needed to launch himself into your awaiting embrace.  

Loki nuzzled his nose into the crook of your neck, inhaling the floral perfumed scent that seemed to follow you everywhere. The god clung to you like a frightened child, as if you would vanish if he let go too soon. Sobs continued to wrack his body and you tightened your hold on him, like you could transfer your calmness into his body. And after a while, it seemed to work.

His breathing slowed and his heart rate returned to normal, but he didn’t want to leave the warmth of your embrace and the comforting touches of your hand stroking his back. It felt safe. It felt like home.

“How are you feeling?” You whispered in his ear, making him shiver. You must have assumed he was cold because you wrapped your arms impossibly tighter around him.

“Better….” He paused, swallowing thickly and still not removing himself from his place within your arms, “What – what happened to the man?”

You moved your hand from his back to the base of his skull, lightly stroking his black tresses. Nothing about the movement felt appropriate as you would say. It felt more…intimate.

“I don’t think he will be pressing any charges. The connection to Stark helps, but I am afraid it may affect our ability to leave the tower. It’s hard to say.”

He hummed thoughtfully, trying to not let the shame and guilt of the situation send him into another downward spiral. Regrettably, Loki pulled himself from your arms and stood up. You joined him and watched as he examined himself in the bathroom mirror. The once proud prince took in his red puffy eyes and the unruliness of his hair. The weight of everything kept his arms at his side, too weak in his heart to care about his appearance.

“Here, let me.” Gently, you turned him to face you and you quickly got to work. With a tenderness that brough a fresh wave of emotion to his eyes, you brushed his hair away from his face with your hands. Your fingers combed through his locks and took out the tangles before tucking the strands behind his ears. Next, you grabbed a piece of paper toweling from the dispenser and still, very gingerly, dabbed the corners of his eyes and dried the remaining tears from his pale skin. Finally, you fixed the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt before brushing off specks of lint and dust his chest and shoulders.

“Good as new.” You beamed, your radiant smile breathing in the possibility that you saw something in him. Something worthy. “Are you ready?” You asked him, but he had a feeling that you would wait for hours in this public bathroom with him if he needed it.

Loki reached for your hands, but ultimately decided against it. Even with the intimacy and closeness he felt, there was still a wall between the two of you. A professional barrier that he knew you would not cross.

“What about, uh,” Loki started, shifting uneasily on his feet, “What about the food? The purchases you needed to make?”

“I arranged for it to be delivered. It’s okay, really.”

He nodded his head and extended his arm, “Then let us go home.”

The thought of the Tower being home brought a foul taste in his mouth, but if there was one place, he decided he hated more – it was the grocery store.

Wordlessly, he followed you out of the bathroom and out of the store. The entire time he kept his eyes trained on the floor and on your back. He couldn’t face the stares and judgement. Every once and awhile, you would look over your back at him to check on him. The little gesture wasn’t lost on Loki and each time he gave you a tight-lipped smile.

Soon, you were back in your car and pulling out of the grocery parking lot. The silence between the two of you lingeried like thick, heavy smoke. It was suffocating and Loki was thankful for your reprieve.

“You know what always cheers me up? Music!” You chirped, making Loki turn his gaze from the passing landscape to your smiling face. Turning the dial on the car, you turned up the music and started to bop along to the lighthearted song. Your fingers drummed along the steering wheel and at first, your mouth moved silently to the lyrics until finally the joy and melody of the song had you singing aloud with a smile on your face. Loki found himself watching you with a smile of his own, noting how you weren’t an amazing singer but every note that left your perfect lips sounded so sweet to his ears. The darkness from the day started to lift and even though he didn’t know the words, the god started to bob his head to the beat right along with you.

“Oh my god!” You cried out suddenly, jerking the steering wheel and maneuvering your car to just barely miss an oblivious driver that crossed into your lane. Your reflexes took over without a second thought and you reached over and slapped your hand across Loki’s chest in a vain attempt to keep a god safe. The tires screeched when you stomped on your brake as soon as you crossed into the safety of the shoulder on the road.

Loki could hear the hammering of your heart, and he was sure you could feel his beating just as wildly under the palm of your hand that still rested on his chest.

“Oh my god!” You repeated, adrenaline barreling through your veins, “Are you okay?!”

Loki’s hand automatically covered yours, his own reflexes taking over, and he noticed your body was shaking terribly, “Ye-Yes, I’m fine. Are you okay?” He squeezed your hand.

“Oh God,” You cried, totally ignoring Loki’s question, “We almost got into an accident! You could have been injured! I’ve been too tired. I wasn’t paying attention. Oh my God!” The thought that you too, harbored guilt made him frown.

“Darling, take a breath. In and out.” Loki parroted your words from earlier when he saw your erratic breathing. You shot him an incredulous look.

“What? I am supposed to be taking care of you! Not the other way around!”

Loki flashed a toothy grin, looking down at your small hand that was still splayed across his chest, “It looks like you did a fine enough job keeping me safe, My Lady.”

“Oh my God!” You ripped your hand from his body like it burned you, making Loki’s grin vanish. Immediately, you flung yourself against your steering wheel in embarrassment, your car letting out a soft beep when your forehead connected with the horn.

“It’s a habit! I am so sorry, Loki!” The skin of his chest still burned hot from your touch, but the god found your embarrassment endearing. She’s cute, he thought. His large palms patted your back, the act of comforting someone else still foreign to him. But he wanted to. He wanted to help you, more than anything.

“It’s quite alright. You saved my life!” He teased, defaulting to the safety of his humor, and knowing full well that if his body was going through the windshield, your tiny hand would not be stopping it, “I would have flown right through that glass if it weren’t for you! You are my hero, Lady Y/N, truly.”

You turned your head, letting your cheek rest against the cool leather of the steering wheel. For a moment, Loki questioned if his teasing was the right move as he stared into your narrowed eyes. But then you burst into a fit of giggles, finally leaning against the head rest of your seat.

“Yeah, there is no way I could have kept you from flying through that windshield, Loki” You wheezes in between laughs, “Thank goodness for seatbelts. But I guess it’s the thought that counts.”

Loki huffed out a breathless laugh right along with you, until the hilarity of the situation died down and gave way to a more serious tone, “It does count. Your first thought was to keep me safe…” He turned away from you for just a split second to gather his nerves before his eyes connected you with earnest intent, “I appreciate it.”

Then you surprised Loki, seemingly throwing away your professional demeanor for one sweet moment. You reached across the car and squeezed his hand.

“Anytime, Loki.”

#loki fanfic #loki x reader #loki x you #loki #loki odinson #loki x female reader #loki fluff #loki fic #loki laufeyson x reader #loki of asgard #loki fanfiction #loki angst #loki laufeyson #loki laufeyson x y/n #loki laufeyson x you #loki x reader angst #loki x reader fluff #loki odison x reader #loki x female!reader

[sopxhiea]

Enthrall

Alfie Solomons X Reader

| Prompt

“No.”  “Yes.”  “No.”  “Yes.”  “Fine. I’ll marry you.”

There was a slow jazz record playing from the corner of the room, it was familiar yet, still hard to point a finger at. The room smelled of daisies, a comforting smell in the middle of the sunny day as the afternoon sun made its way inside the glass windows. There were books all around the room, some of them were put on top of each other on the floor while some acted as support for the many vases around, countless flowers decorating the muzzled room.

She sat in the middle in front of a wooden table, it was an old one she had bought from an antique store downtown. There were many papers scattered around, some with some scribbling on them while the others were cleanly written with no ink stains. Her golden glasses rested on top of her head, their existence long forgotten. She sighed, wetting her lips with her tongue while the room stayed quiet except for the record.

Her assistant, Joseph, was gone for lunch for the day while the man around kept working, noises of barrels and sacks being thrown around filling the space. Alfie got out of his car, his usual black and white attire on show as he moved with his cane towards her. The noises his rings made along with his shoes matched each other in rhythm while Ollie looked for Joseph, soon realising he was long gone while his boss made his way upstairs to greet her.

This had been the routine for quite some time. Alfie would be the one to visit her as she was usually drowning in work and even of she wasn’t, she had her ways to keep herself busy. They had been together for two years, on and off due to their angry nature but the last time they got together, she had sworn on Alfie’s life that she’d leave him for good and he had no intentions of losing her. She touched her earrings, feeling the sensitive skin move with the touch of her fingers as she stared at the page before her.

Being a successful businesswoman in London had proven difficult before as well but lately, she was finding it exceptionally hard to keep up with just how thick some of these man were. She leaned back on her chair, looking up to gain some clearance of her head while she heard the heavy footsteps right behind her door. She wasn’t expecting anyone but there was a blade on her right upper thigh that she wasn’t afraid to throw anytime soon.

The calm expression on her face changed into a beaming one when she saw Alfie with a handful of lilies. She gave him a smile and got up quickly, murmuring a breathy hello while Alfie put the flowers on her desk, walking around the wooden table to hug her while she waited for his embrace. She giggled, almost like a child, while she waited for his touch impatiently.

“’t’s been a long time, dove.” he said lowly, kissing the top of her head while he engulfed her body in a tight hug. She took in his smell of rum and cologne, a warmth spreading through her cheeks as she giggled at his words.

“It’s been a day.” she whispered, the words barely audible as they got muffled in the hug she was giving him, not letting go just yet.

Alfie had missed her terribly even thought it hadn’t been all that long and his need of being around her all time had become terribly unbearable in the last couple of months. They had spent weeks apart when they were on business trips or holidays but Alfie found it hard to not be around her anymore. After some point, his body had started to crave her and his heart would only be at ease when he could hear her small hums as she sang along to a song in her head. He’d dream and vision of her when she wasn’t around to a point where everything, almost everything became about her in his eyes.

She finally let go, looking up at his handsome face as he put down his hat and picked up the flowers instead. Her eyes hung low this time, a hint of disapproval evident on her face while Alfie offered her the flowers with a charming smile. She took them gently from his hands, feeling the cold from his gold rings while she smiled at him, kind but scolding in some sense and took a sniff of the flowers.

She was the real flower in his eyes.

“I told you not to get me anymore flowers, Alf.” she whispered, she loved that he always came with something in his hand like a proper gentlemen but there was no air or space in her working space anymore and her house was flooded with roses.

“You said no to chocolate as well, luv. What the fuck was I supposed to do, right?” he said, chuckles leaving his plump lips by the end of the last line while her hand found his, intertwining her fingers in his much rougher ones while he let her explore the touch.

“That’s because I ended up eating them all too fast..” she said, smiling at the gentlemen before her while eyeing his cane.  “..ended up gaining a couple extra pounds.” she shook her head, giggles escaping her lips while she realised why he had the cane today.

They had been extremely active in the last couple of months, finding time and space whenever the occasion occurred. Y/N didn’t mind since her drive was as high as his most of the time but he had gotten notably touchy and desperate for her which she didn’t mind at all. She was visibly younger but Alfie had more energy than anyone she’d ever met when it came to any activity involving them in bed together. They had done it in a party hall, a restaurant and even in an alley once, simply because he was too impatient and hungry for her which had caused him to feel a little more stiff than usual, although the sciatica had seemed to disappear whenever the occasion for sex appeared.

“Aye, I didn’t mind, did I?” he spoke softly, giving her a short lived yet passionate kiss on her lips while the flowers stayed in between them. “You look fucking gorgeous either way.”  he whispered against her lips before she leaned in to kiss him one last time, flowers on one hand while the other caressed his cheek softly. His hands rested on her hips and bottom, giving her a couple encouraging squeezes while she felt herself get carried away way too quickly. She wasn’t going to have sex in her own office again.

She quickly broke the kiss, feeling herself linger as he held her close. She mumbled away, an excuse about having to put the flowers in a vase so that they wouldn’t die as fast but Alfie just smiled at her rosy cheeks, loving how stunned she was by her sudden arousal. He sat on one of the sofas in the corner of the room to observe the place and see her clearly when she came in, he wanted to memorise and record every memory in his head so that he could play them in his head that night when he was going to sleep.

Strangely, they didn’t live together. Y/N lived in a big house with many doors and rooms around the suburbs, just enough to keep her away if she was being too lazy for a day. She had maids and assistants to keep things in place. There was a farm and a garden where she lived, she had worked had to earn the place and had every intention of keeping it. Alfie, on the other hand, also lived in a big house but it was located in more of a central place, close to his work and good distance from her house as well but sometimes, it became too lonely.

She usually spent the night at his house although sometimes, the routine changed and it was the other way around. Alfie hadn’t asked her to move in with him and neither did she, the question never rose in between the long conversations they had under the candle light with too much wine in their systems. He watched her come in, with much grace and light as she gave him a soft smile after seeing where he was sitting, putting the vase full of flowers on the floor next to a pile of books, she had no space for anything else.

But the room remained beautiful. Many books and flowers decorated the space, the books were hers and the flowers were his touch to the place. The dusty colors of the pages came alive with the smell, creating a nostalgic place around until someday, her house maid Adah would come and go fussy about how messy she was but that day wasn’t here yet and she made the best of the place while she could.

“How’ve you been, Alfie?” she spoke, her words soft as he enjoyed the sound of her and the sight before him while she cleaned around her room, trying to make space for a new contract document Joseph was bringing around that day.

“Fucking lovely, now.” he said as she sat down next to him, snuggling closer while the warmth radiating off of her body matched his.

“You’re a hopeless romantic, Alf.” she spoke, giggling in between words while Alfie took her smell in. He wished she could be around all the time.

“That hopeless romantic is yours, aye?” he spoke, amused at his own words while she sat up on the sofa, locking eyes with his glistening ones as she chuckled.

“True, that is.” she spoke, shaking her head and walking around again, opening some windows to let air in while Alfie’s eyes never left her figure.

He had somehow won the lottery with her when she agreed to be his one night they were fooling around. Even though it had been a long time coming with stolen glances and needy kisses behind closed doors, he still found it hard to believe that she’d agreed. He’d been way too happy since then, finding many moments of happiness just because she simply was there, with him at a given moment. She’d been his happiness and joy.

“Alfie...” she spoke in a low tone, just enough for him to hear while sorting out the books on the shelves, there were too many of them and she knew Alfie would help her carry them into the car.

“Yes, love.” he spoke this time, with a low smile on his lips while she didn’t glance at him, too busy with the dusty books around.

“You wanna stay at mine today?” she said, starting to hum the melody playing in the background while Alfie’s eyes gained a depth, he was considering something.

It had been a struggle to go back and forth a lot of the time as she lived far away, he woke up one too many nights where he’d want to go see her but it was a little far, he would sleep in the car on the ride there sometimes and it just didn’t work well. He thought, if she would be around all the time, it wouldn’t be such a problem when he needed her, when he needed to see her and just to feel her presence. He had thought about moving in together but the conversation had been discarded.

“I...” he breathed out, a little frustrated because of how impossible she was being about this. “Love, come sit, yeah.” he spoke up, patting the empty space next to where he was sitting on the sofa.

She nodded, leaving the books in a split second and moving to sit next to Alfie. His hands found hers on her lap, caressing as he spoke lowly, careful and with care. “I thought, right, maybe we could just live together at this fucking point.” he spoke, watching her reaction carefully. He watched her blink and cast an impatient look as to say that he should explain furthermore, she needed to hear all of the words before reacting.

“Okay..” she said, looking down where their hands met, his fingers caressing hers slowly.

“This going back and forth thing, yeah, isn’t working much.” he spoke, trying not to swear too much at her as she was already ablaze.

He knew how much she worked, how much she had to work to get the house she did. She cherished the place, the people in it and the memories she’d created. He knew she had spent many days and nights working to be where she was now, he was proud of her for it but he was also fucking tired of moving around so much.

She got up, looking at him in a confused expression before speaking up, she didn’t like what she’d heard. “I...” she said, tables had turned now and she was the one being tongue tied. She took a breath and said what she wanted to say, loud and clear. “Move in with me, then.” she said, offering him half a smile as to say she wasn’t fully convinced by his attitude.

He offered her a hearty chuckle.

“There’s no way, right, I’m fucking moving in with you, doll.” he spoke, getting up so that he was towering above her, she was so much smaller than he was but her gaze was much heavier. ”It’s too fucking far.” he said, raising his voice just a little like she had done when speaking her last words.

She nodded, getting his point but there was no way she was leaving that house. Alfie’s house was beautiful too but it was too central and she loved her house, every part of it. Moving meant that she’d have to deal with so much and she loved him, of course she did, but there was no point in moving somewhere she wasn’t going to feel happy at. She had spent entirely too much when she was trying to make the space look a little more like her ‘home’.

She stood stern, looking up at him. “I’m not moving from my house, Alfie.” she spoke up, feeling his eyes burn hers as they stared at each other. She was a little angry that he had asked, even more so because he was simply pushing it.

They stood like that for a while before Alfie’s eyes glistened. She knew exactly what he was gonna say. He had asked it before but in a very casual manner each time. They weren’t even living together and he wanted to take an even bigger step. She knew she would marry him someday but she also knew that the day was still a little far from where they were standing. She needed to secure herself, reach out to her family and get a list of other things done before she could agree and not because she didn’t love him but because she was scared of all the ways it could go wrong.

She inhaled from her nose before speaking up. “No.”  she said, simple and clear while Alfie’s eyes glistened, he was a child.

“Yes.” he said, pushing it even more. He wanted to call her his bride for the longest time and this would also solve the moving problem which worked both ways.

“No.” she said, shaking her head violently, would it be so bad?

“Yes.” he said, nodding with a smile as she stopped shaking her head when Alfie’s hands found their way on the sides of her face, gently caressing her cheeks.

“Fine...” she sighed, realising that it was bound to happen.

“I’ll marry you.”

#alf #alfie imagine #alfie #tom hardy alfie #alfie solomons scenario #Alfie Solomons #alfie solomons x reader #alfie solomons fluff #alfie solomons angst #alfie solomons smut #alfie peaky blinders #Peaky Blinders #peaky blinder fanfic #peaky blinders alfie #peaky blinder imagine #Tom Hardy #tom hardy fanfiction #tom hardy imagine #tom hardy fluff

[sterys]

Behind the Beskar

Genre: Romance, Angst

Pairing: Din Djarin/Reader

Cross-posted on AO3

Behind the Beskar

You’d just joined the Guild and this was your first job.

You were living on borrowed money in a seedy little flat in the one of the worst neighbourhood of Nevarro. You had to pay the rent (not cheap), the electricity (cheaper), the running water (hot water was included, thank hot lava planet), the speeder repairs, the monthly salary to your elderly parents’ maid who helped them through old age, a system away from you.

You used to lend your accountancy skills to Governors from outer regions, help them manage their bases and finances. Now, with the Empire fallen, you struggled to make ends meet. The Rebel alliance had centralized every financial operation, scattered the old consolidation team and you were made redundant at the young age of twenty-seven.

Every accountant and financial controller working under the Empire had been found guilty of financial fraud and theft by the Rebels right after the Battle of Endor, so you had hastily embarked on a ship to leave the Core Worlds and never return.

In Nevarro, nobody cared about where you came from, or what you did for a living, as long as you had credits, and the wits to keep them with you at all times when on trips to the cantina. You were able to sustain the lifestyle for a month, but one day you woke up feeling so cold that you thought your toes would fall off your feet, stomach rumbling loudly, and you decided that enough was enough.

You went straight back to the cantina, barely paying attention to your surroundings. You were intent on paying off this debt. Everything went smoothly enough, considering that it was obvious that the man from the Guild expected you to die on your first mission, and you could only agree with him, but fuck, this was a ride-or-die situation. Nobody wanted to hire a former Empire accountant. Things would have been different, were you a trooper or a starfighter pilot, because people always needed those skills. But you had spent the last five years forgetting both honesty and the Full Disclosure principle, so that did not go well in your CV. Fuck the Empire and their margin-reducing Death Stars.

You chose the best-paying job, not out of talent, but out of necessity. You returned home, burying yourself under the woollen covers, puck in one hand and the city’s last year financial records printed out on yellowed paper in the other. You stifled a yawn, looking lazily at the pages.

Something was wrong here with the numbers, and you bet it had everything to do with your new bounty.

The Guild guy had explained that somebody stole something from somewhere in the city, which was not great intel, but this somebody had a contact inside the townhall, which was intel. As soon as the theft had been discovered, the contact had disappeared from the surface of the planet, but rumour had it that he was just low-profile for the moment. He was said to carry three blasters with him at all time and use two akimbo.

Sure, you didn’t have the weapons or the military background other people in the Guild had; but you had your wits and an eye for spotting anomalies in figures. Years of camouflaging fraud had taught you how to spot one very quickly – and yes! Here it was, the gap between income and cash flow. Somebody here was getting some hidden cash from the city’s council as there was no way they could still buy Empire stock with simple credit coins or chips after the fall of the Empire.

Financial records were a mine of information if you knew what to look for. You compared the statements – yes, a new building had also been bought at the beginning of the standard year, roughly at the same time as the strange disappearance of Mr. Bounty. And you happened to know where this building was. You lived in it. No wonder the rent was so high!

You emerged from the covers satisfied with your studies. But you had yet to devise a plan to eject the tenant under your feet while not crashing your own little flat. Maybe you could try from the sewers under? You could pretend to take out the bin tonight and –

Crack!

The bedroom door flew out of its hinges in a cloud of black smoke. Coughing loudly, eyes closed, you plunged to the floor, cursing your bad luck. How could your neighbour possibly know that you’d chosen his puck? You crawled under the bed while the smoke dissipated, hugging the puck and the soundproof bag containing the fob. The fob! – it was pulsing red, but no more than before. How odd, you thought, that someone would give me a faulty fob that doesn’t work even though the bounty’s boots are three inches from my face.

Heavy brown boots did in fact stood just before your eyes. You pressed a hand to your mouth, feeling sweat running down your back.

The boots shuffled on the dusty floor. You held your breath. Suddenly the bed above you disappeared, then came crashing down on the window. The room became dark, the mattress hiding the morning sunlight.

You lifted your face, head buzzing with panic. And then you saw him. You couldn’t miss him, really. The tall Mandalorian in a battered armour and shiny helmet. He towered over you, and despite you lying on the floor and having a very distorted perspective, you could tell that he was huge.

Fob glowing an angry red in one hand, and a blaster pointed at you in the other, he was a dangerous man. Before your eyes, around his calves, were enormous bullets that could only fit the rifle strapped in his back. You could tell he was a true fighter by the state of his chest plate: old, the paint wearing off, bullet cavities marring the surface. Something was not right, you decided, observing his strong shoulders. You read in his stance that he was an adept at hand combat. Hand, mid-range blaster and heavy sniper rifle. He looked down at you. One gloved hand was stained with blaster residue. The other glove was clean – or at least as clean as orange could be on a rocky planet.

“I can bring you in warm –“

“Wait!” you cried out. “You are not the bounty I’m looking for.”

This man obviously used only one blaster, not two. You could almost see the cogs turn in his brain when you saw his T-shaped visor gazing at the general direction of your own fob.

“Who are you?” His voice was raspy.

“I’m a bounty hunter,” you replied, your voice shaking a little. Admittedly, you hadn’t done a lot of bounty hunting yet but it did sound better than accountant.

He didn’t answer but you heard a small huff of static.

“I believe the bounty is the tenant living one floor under me,” you said hesitantly.

Immediately, he turned on his heels and ran out the room, leaving you aghast. You heard his surprisingly soft footsteps going down the stairs and the sound of a door being blasted off.

You sat down, heart pounding in your chest. Wow. Chances were that you’d never be able to live here again. Better flee now than miss the chance of escaping the kriffin building. You grabbed your ID, clean underwear, a big brown cloak, a bottle of water and the implant. You put on the combat boots one deputy statutory auditor had gifted to you before being murdered by the one and only Lord Vader, and set off to the stairs.

You put your foot on the first step timidly. Bang. The unmistakeable sound of blaster fire. Smoke rose in the air as it became acrid and hard to breathe.

That’s when you panicked. You turned around and ran towards the window, pushing aside the lumpy mattress and curling your fingers into a punch. Then you hit the glass as hard as you could. It came down crashing down, shards falling everywhere. You held your breath. You jumped.

You landed. You landed bad, and it hurt. Oh, kriff. You’d fortunately landed on your feet but lost your balance and your right ankle ached a little. It would probably swell up in the next couple of minutes but for the moment you needed to get out of here pretty fast.

Your stuff had fallen off your bag when you’d landed in the dirt-filled back alley. You quickly gathered your clothes, put the dust bag over your shoulder and half walked, half ran to the freeport, wincing at every step you took.

The buildings were blurry, and you could only see the shadows of the people you passed by. Was it a concussion? You ran a hand through your hair, half expecting to see blood, but you only gathered dust on your fingers. The pain in your ankle had risen during your walk, and by the time you were on the main road you were limping pitifully.

You reached the cantina for the second time in one day. This was both the point of no-return and the place where everything had begun. There were tears in your eyes, tears for this city that you’d have to leave so suddenly after grinding so hard. You were never happy here, you never made it and you struggled till the very end. On your left you saw the stand where an old man sold coarse fabrics; you’d purchased a few to repair your own clothes in the direst times. You recognized the woman brushing her hair through the top window of that one dirty, dusty building: she’d helped you find a place to sleep on your first day here.

You felt a hand on your shoulder. Shivering, you turned around. The Mandalorian was standing just behind you. You looked at him through your tears, understanding the hurry in his stance. He didn’t say anything, but you grabbed your bag and followed his long strides in the darker alleys to the space port.

Your ankle hurt but you kept running. You kept your head low, not wanting to be recognized by another Guild member. This was your first bounty, and you’d already colluded with a fellow hunter. You weren’t so sure if this was legal or not, and you were not eager to find out.

In any case, the closer to the space port you were, the better it was for your skin. You needed to lie low for a while; people here noticed blaster shots easily and you didn’t want your name to be linked with a bounty.

Your throat was burning from volcanic dust and pain flared in your ankle at every step, but you carried on. Everything was still blurry but you could see the Mandalorian keeping a steady pace a few steps before you. He never turned away to make sure you were still following, but you guessed he could hear your laboured breathing from where he was.

Now the next steps were: finding a ship that left soon, not do anything for a moment, then… Now was not the time to think about a potential “then”.

His ship was a military cargo ship, made to carry soldiers in remote outposts during the war. It was battered from battle and dusty from whatever planet it had been to before. You hesitated for a second.

“Is this where we part ways?” you asked, your voice wavering.

“Do you need transport out of here?” The Mandalorian asked gruffly.

When it became clear to him that you did, he ushered you inside and rushed to close the ramp.

You stopped to look around. That was when you realized that the Mandalorian was carrying a big black body bag on his shoulder, and he was heaving a little from the weight.

He threw the body on the ground then retrieved a pair of handcuffs from somewhere inside the metal wall. Intrigued, you looked closer. There was a strange system of metal chains suspended from the top of the wall that ended in two hooks. You understood their purpose when Mando attached the hooks to the handcuffs and pulled a lever, raising the body to eye level.

The bounty was a middle-aged human man, black haired, smartly dressed for Nevarro. His head was hanging, lip split open, and a nasty bruise was spreading on his right eyelid.

“Dead?” You murmured, a little frightened.

“No,” the Mandalorian answered. “Get back.”

You scrambled back to the end of the ship, clutching your tightly. Sharp lighting reflecting on the beskar helmet, the Mandalorian looked very in the small hull of this ship.

His movements precise, he clicked a few buttons on the control panel and suddenly the body was frozen in carbonite.

You let out the breath you just realized you had been holding. You shivered a little.

“Better get used to it,” the Mandalorian said, making his way to the cockpit.

You followed him quietly, strapping yourself in the passenger seat when he told you to. You closed your eyes as you felt the engines roar and the ship soar into the grey sky, the heavy clouds, then the blackness of the galaxy. You were afraid, but there was also a strange feeling of excitement coursing through your veins. The Nevarro days were behind you.

 You woke up, feeling blindly around you. Judging by the absence of light in the ship, it was still the middle of the night on Scarif. Also judging by the soreness of your muscles, you’d only managed to sleep for a couple of hours before the clamp soup you’d swallowed with abandon the evening before had reached your bladder.

Leaving the (relative) comfort of your covers, you got up, reaching towards the nearest wall to support yourself. Tiptoeing around, you tried to make as little sound as possible. You stifled a yawn, almost lost your balance, and cursed loudly. So much for quietness.

After half a dozen more yawns, another string of curses and a bruised toe (you’d unfortunately collided with what felt like an enormous durasteel wall plate) you found your way to the ‘fresher. You relieved yourself and washed your hands – they looked so thin; you really could use some more food – then stepped out of the unit.

That was when you heard it.

A very male groan followed by heaving breathing that did nothing to cover the distinctive sound of flesh on flesh.

You stopped dead in your tracks.

You’d forgotten to shut off the ‘fresher light. It was a flickering old light that made your face look like it had been out of the sun for two decades, but it was enough to show you that the enormous durasteel wall plate you’d stumbled into was in fact a thigh guard. And said thigh guard was still attached to its wearer but was not protecting anything except Mando’s ankles.

He was holding himself in one hand, helmet still on. You stuttered:

“Wow. Errm, I mean – I’m sorry.”

Not waiting for an answer, you took a step backward, closed your eyes and made a hasty retreat.

You lay in the cot, waiting to fall back asleep. You’d felt so tired just seconds before and now sleep was eluding you. The image was seared in your brain.

It had been long since you’d had a good fuck. You’d been building up so much financial stress that you hadn’t even found your release by yourself in months. You guessed it was all backfiring now. Remembering the sinful sounds Mando had made, you felt a heat coiling deep inside you.

You risked a hand between your legs. Okay, you had a problem there. You were wet. Not just damp. You were soaking through your underwear. You brought your fingers to you nose; they had the definite smell of sex.

Would you be able to finally pleasure yourself on a stranger’s ship far away from Nevarro?

You wanted it so badly. You were burning up, pressing your thighs together to relieve the pressure. But the thing was, the owner of this spaceship had lent you his cot. People did not get off in other people’s bed, that was your implicit rule of hospitality. Especially not when you knew you’d make a mess with how wet you were.

Just a touch, you decided. A quick rub of your lady parts would not do wrong, right? You leaned backwards until your back was pressed against the metal wall and you slid a hand under your sleep pants, circling the tender area with the tip of your fingers.

You still saw Mando under your closed eyes. You tried to focus on your past adventures but Mando’s helmet kept coming back until it was him you imagined riding on your small bed back in Nevarro, making the erotic sounds you’d heard tonight. You let out an unvoluntary moan. You couldn’t stop now, you felt your whole body tingling and burning, you began to see stars, white stars, everything was brighter –

Your eyes flew open at the brightly lit torch brandished towards your face from the end of the cot. Fuck fuck fuck. In your haste to flee, you’d forgotten to close down the hatch and now Mando himself was standing still, looking directly at you, the torch in his left hand.

He was not moving but you swore he looked amused. You wanted to crawl in a hole and die, and at the same time you felt incredibly wanton and powerful with your legs spread apart and the glow you knew was on your face.

“I heard my name,” Mando whispered.

His voice was hoarse and heavy, and you felt your insides clench at the sound.

“I’m sorry,” you murmured. The air between you was thick.

“Don’t be,” he replied. Then he looked at you, looking like he was debating something internally. “May I?”

The pronounced static of his breathing, the expectant posture – you felt your head buzzing at the implication. It meant one thing.

“Yes.” Your voice was breathy, but you didn’t care.

The two of you were too big for the bunk, especially since Mando still had his full armour on, but you didn’t mind the way his body pressed against yours in all pleasant ways.

“Let me,” he groaned, once he was fully inside the bunk, …

You stilled, feeling a blush creep up your cheeks. Slowly, so slowly, he placed his right hand in your inner thigh, fingers hovering over the soft skin. Every place he touched you, you burned.

You reached to grasp the helmet but he caught your hand, staring hard into your eyes. You resolved to closing your eyes and slide your hand under the fabric of his shirt, smiling when you caressed the warmth underneath.

So there were taut muscles and soft skin behind the shiny beskar.

You’d lost your way in the numbers and figures, it seemed, in the cold facts of mathematics and the harsh reality of financial fraud. All those years alone had not been easy and you’d forgotten what it was like to be held by a soulful touch. You could almost cry. The night was tender and warm and you felt like melting into Mando while he melted into you, two lives meeting in the corner of the universe, on a planet graced by tragedies and hope alike.

There was no undressing for him. He’d made it clear that the helmet would stay on, and neither of you bothered to remove the rest of his clothes. He sighed deeply when you bit the fingers of his gloves and removed them with your teeth, revealing two hands that looked and felt sun-kissed.

You lazily removed your sleep clothes, keeping your eyes fixed on the helmet, and it felt like your gaze was locked with his even though you couldn’t see behind the black visor. You threw your underwear in a bundle, the fire in your body urging you to feel him ever closer. The plates of metal poked into your skin, cold and unforgiving but you couldn’t care less. If this was the price to pay to keep him close, then you’d willingly pay it.

The rush of the cocktail of hormones felt like drugs in your foggy brain. You were in the middle of draping your left leg over his waist when all movement slowed and stopped. Time was suspended; only the heavy static behind the beskar helmet and your own wrecked breath cut the silence and the electricity buzz of the landed spaceship.

He looked like he wanted to kiss you. You knew you wanted to press your mouth against his and taste his lips. But you knew it couldn’t happen. He knew it too. There was a shimmer of hope, then it died down as your leg finished its graceful arch in the air and you settled yourself over him, hot and heavy under your hips.

You felt the desire in your veins, and there was raw longing in the way he murmured your name over and over again while he buried himself inside you.

Maybe the last few years had been harsh and loveless for you, but it seemed that Mando had decided to make it all up on his own. Why you would at last find true passion in the hands of a seasoned bounty hunter, you didn’t know. You couldn’t contain your wanton moaning, lost in the haze of the moment. If he was as fierce in battle as he was in his love - and it looked like he was -, then you would not be able to fight back if he demanded your heart. You would gladly surrender right there, right now…

You felt the sweat gathering on your face. There was urgency in your movements, and you felt your own muscles tightening deliciously.

Cyar’ika, cyar’ika, cyar’ika…

Mando whispered the words into your shoulders as you felt his body tense under yours.

You couldn’t understand them, yet you couldn’t miss the depth of their meaning. You pressed a thousand kisses on his helmet, cradling him in your arms, rocking quicker as you readied yourself for him to shatter and explode into your embrace. Cyar’ika, cyar’ika…

 You couldn’t understand these words, but I could.

You and I were chatting amiably in the cantina of some random planet he happened to have a bounty on. I could tell that the flush on your face was caused by both the cocktail swirling in your glass and the feelings you so obviously had towards the beskar-clad warrior.

Maybe it was the need for female company. Maybe it was the alcohol in your system. Maybe you thought you found a friend in me. But you poured your heart out to me, maybe hoping I would somehow understand your feelings and encourage you to act on them.

I didn’t tell you that I last travelled with the Mandalorian of your story a little more than six months ago. I couldn’t bring myself to it.

You didn’t understand the pet names he gave you, but I did, because he’d called me this way too.

I’d done everything you did.

I’d met the Mandalorian a different way, him looking for a doctor for a festered wound that did not heal. His desperate sighs when I applied bacta patches beneath the armour had compelled me to stay on his ship.

I’d laughed and cried and moaned on the Crest just like you. I’d been under crossfire more than once, I’d tended to his wounds, I’d made the calculations to jump to hyperspace while he was asleep, tired from a day of bounty-hunting and a night of love-making.

We’d spent hours discovering each other’s bodies while the Crest floated somewhere between the stars. I’d seen the heavens, shuddering beneath him, breathy sighs saturating the air. I’d waited for him to come back every day, touching myself on the pilot’s seat and wishing for the comfort of his strong arms.

But life on the Razor Crest was too lonely for me. After a while, I couldn’t stand it anymore, and I needed company, friends to share a meal with. I missed evenings with my family, cooking together our trademark roast chicken recipe inherited from my maternal grandmother. I missed the silly games we played with my little cousins; our faces distorted in grimaces as we imitated HoloNet celebrities. I also missed my friends’ laughs, my first crush’s hazel eyes, my best friend’s freckled face. My home planet was only a short hyperspace drive from here, yet it felt like I was worlds and worlds away.

Behind the shiny beskar and the hard muscles, I could only see a lifetime of worry and loneliness. How in the galaxy could I ever belong there, in that tin can in the middle of nothingness? I needed the warmth of the sun, the smell of the earth and the promise of a happy life.

So I’d left before I could fall in love and get hurt. I gave him back the pendant you now wore between your breasts. I’d tried to ignore the way his shoulders hunched as I packed my bag. I left without looking back, my chin held high, half hoping he’d notice the tears on my face and beg me to come back.

You looked happy; he deserved you. You picked up your watch and I read the surprise on your face. “Already? I have to go, he’s picking me up here and we leave in a half-hour.”  You packed your bags hurriedly, the flush lingering on your cheeks and I smiled at your apologies for leaving so soon. You thanked me profusely for my quiet companionship.

  Then I heard it clearly. The velvety voice from my memories, the deep “Let’s go”, the clanking of the armour. It seemed that my body had not forgotten either and I felt myself uncomfortably pressing my thighs together. The memories started to flood my mind because I remembered everything and now I realized how much I missed –

How happy I –

How passionate he –

  But this was a path I’d chosen not to take.

#the mandalorian #mando #din djarin #fanfiction #romance #angst #star wars #read and review #read and enjoy #din djarin x oc #x reader

[katymacsupernatural]

The Knight of Your Dreams Chapter 4

Knight Dean x Reader

Story Summary: Y/N is magically transported through time, falling into the arms of Dean, a knight in the Medieval Ages. Can she make it back home, or will Dean have caught her heart?

Catch Up Here: Masterpost

After you spent the next twenty minutes untangling yourself from all the blasted clothing, you stood at the window in nothing more than your chemise. The window was nothing more than a slit in the stone wall, barely big enough for you to see through. No glass covered it, a tapestry pulled to the side would be sufficient if the weather grew bad.

People still milled about at this late hour. Soldiers, knights moved about, checking on the status of their horses, or finding a place to bed down for the night. A couple of the maids stood in the shadows, waiting until a man caught their eye before scurrying off to heaven knows where. 

You could see past the gate, to where Dean had rescued you in the first place. Wondering if you went back there if you would be able to head home. 

Tears continued to slip down your cheeks. You had finally stopped crying on Dean’s shoulder long enough to run awkwardly past him and up the stairs to your room. But now that you were alone they had started up once again. You felt so out of place. So alone. No one would believe your story, and you had no idea what to do next. 

There were no phones, no computers, nothing to help you figure out your next move. It was just you, your knowledge of this era, and your wits. You were going to have to rely on Dean, along with Lady Elsbeth and her husband Lord Danvers. 

Sniffling, you froze when your bedroom door opened, but it was only a maid who glanced curiously your way before stoking the fire, making sure it would last for the night. “Is there anything else you need Ma’am?” She asked, curtseying in front of you. 

You shook your head, and she left, leaving you alone once again. You had two choices. You could sit there and cry, feeling sorry for yourself. Or you could go to bed, planning on making the most of tomorrow, with a promise to find your way home.

You chose the latter, slipping under the heavy fur blanket, the bed surprisingly soft. The travels and tribulations quickly caught up with you, and you fell asleep, never knowing that Dean was spending a sleepless knight in his room thinking about you. 

You woke well-rested as the sun began to shine into your room. The fire was still going strong, and you wondered if someone had been in during the night to make sure. Your clothes were freshly cleaned and laid out on the chair. 

“You’re awake!” Mildred exclaimed, startling you. She was just walking in the door, a tray in her hands. “I was worried you would sleep through the whole day.” 

“What time is it?” You asked, and she cocked her head.

“Why it’s barely mid-morning,” she announced. “But there’s news!” 

You could see how excited she was, and it piqued your interest as well. She placed the tray on your lap, almost spilling the warm wine in her haste. You glanced at it distastefully, wishing for a glass of cold water. But you knew water wasn’t consumed as much during the medieval times. There was a wooden bowl full of porridge along with a crust of bread. Nourishing, without much fanfare. 

You took a bite, amazed at the spices that were mixed in. It actually wasn’t that bad. Taking another bite, you watched Mildred as she paced around the room. “Mildred,” you spoke up. “Tell me about this news please.” 

“Pardon, Ma’am,” she stopped curtseying in front of you. “But we have a visitor! Lord Cartwright is here!” 

“Lord Cartwright?” You repeated, knowing you had heard of the name before. 

She nodded, her excitement turning to fear. “He’s the most feared Lord in the Eastern lands. It has been said he has killed his last five wives, along with every daughter than has been born. His people starve while he sits on a pile of gold. I should not be saying these things,” she ended on a whisper. “What if he heard?” 

“Mildred, it’s okay,” you assured her, and that’s when it came to you. You had found one of his many crowns during one of your digs. It had been handcrafted of gold, inlaid with the diamonds and rubies money could have bought during this age. You had looked him up, finding out exactly how evil he had been. And now he was here, in person. 

You wondered what had brought him this far west. Wishing you could stay in your room, you could only watch as Mildred took your half finished breakfast away. “M’lord and M’lady want everyone in the Great Hall as soon as possible,” Mildred whispered. “We do not want to be late.” 

You stood up, letting Mildred dress you in a rust-colored dress that complimented your skin tone perfectly. 

Within a half an hour you were carefully taking the stairs down to the great hall. You could the men talking and laughing boisterously. Taking a deep breath, you stepped into the Great Hall. New soldiers lined the far wall, drinking from pitchers, eyeing the serving girls, enjoying the fresh food on the tables. The main table, high on a pedestal, held the Lord and Lady, along with Dean and a Man you could only assume was Lord Cartwright. He was not what you had expected at all.

Truth be told, you had expected an older man with a portly belly and a balding head. But this man was almost as tall Dean with hair so dark a brown it was almost black. His shoulders were wide, barely fitting inside his deep purple tunic. His eyes were a dark grey, instantly landing on you as you stood in the doorway.

“And who is this fine maiden?” He asked, sweeping his arm towards you, his voice deep and smooth, like whiskey over ice. 

Lady Elsbeth smiled your way, but it didn’t reach to her eyes. You could see how uncomfortable she felt, with the way she held her cup of tea. “That is our new friend, Gentlewoman Y/N. She is visiting from a far off land.”

“Why don’t you come sit beside me?” Lord Cartwright suggested, moving one of the chairs out. You had no choice but to accept, noticing the tight clench of Dean’s jaw. You sat down next to the new Lord, your stomach churning as hsi eyes searched your face, his smile menacing. “I think we’re going to get on perfectly.” 

Dean/Jensen Tags: @acortez82 @acreativelydifferentlove @adoptdontshoppets @a-girl-who-loves-disney @akshi8278  @bebravekeeponfighting  @brindz30 @cap-just-said-language @colette2537   @deansgirl215   @its-not-a-tulpa @jerkbitchidjitassbutt @just-another-winchester @karouwinchester @keikoraventeller  @krys198478 @librarygeekery @misspygmypie @mlovesstories @mrsambroserollinsacklesmgk  @mrspeacem1nusone @nothinbuttrouble2 @ria132love @ruprecht0420     @sortaathief @superseejay721517 @squirrelnotsam @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @torn-and-frayed @tricksterdean @wonderfulworldofwinchester @woodworthti666

Knight of Your Dreams Tags: @maddiepants @deans-baby-momma @justkending @henrymorganme @flamencodiva @crazysocklovingfangirl @tftumblin @waywardrose13

Forever Tags: @aditimukul @alexwinchester23 @algud @amanda-teaches @andreaaalove   @artisticpoet @atc74 @be-amaziing @camelotandastronauts @caswinchester2000 @chelsea072498  @closetspngirl   @docharleythegeekqueen @emoryhemsworth @ericaprice2008  @esoltis280   @gh0stgurl @girl-with-a-fandom-fettish @goldenolaf25 @growningupgeek  @heyitscam99 @hobby27 @horsegirly99 @internationalmusicteacher @iwriteaboutdean  @jayankles @jensen-gal @just-another-busyfangirl @karlee-fay-my-wayward-son @lifelovelaughangell123 @li-ssu @linki-locks11 @littleblue5mcdork  @lowlyapprentice   @maui137 @mogaruke @monkeymcpoopoo @musiclovinchic93  @nanie5   @percussiongirl2017 @plaid-lover-bay25   @roonyxx @ronja-uebrick @roxyspearing @samanthaharper2018 @samanddeanmyheroes @sandlee44 @shamelesslydean @simonsbluee @sillesworldofwriting @sgarrett49 @spnbaby-67 @spn-dean-and-sam-winchester @spnwoman   @superbadassnatural @thatcrazybookwormgeek   @thewinchesterchronicles @vvinch3st3r @wecantgiggleitsafandom @whimsicalrobots @winchester-writes @zombiewerewolfqueen

#the knight of your dreams #dean winchester x reader #supernatural x reader #supernatural reader insert #katy writes #supernatural fanfiction #spn fanfic #fanfic #dean fanfic #dean x y/n

[peanutbutter-and-thumbtacks]

Maid Malevolent

This is a screenplay project I’ve been working on for the last couple of months. I don’t have any long term plans with it, but I wanted to let more people read it. The story does get graphic so if you don’t like blood, violence and themes of domestic violence and sex, this is not for you. 

Please enjoy and if you have any thoughts on the storyline, feel free to share them.

EPISODE I

EXT. FOREST – NIGHT

A thick fog rolls over the old forest floor. Unknown creatures hiss and chirp in the distance as an unseen specter glides through the the underbrush towards something in the distance. It speeds forward, knocking branches and trees out of its way. The ambience has grown now, louder, more demonic in tone. A small cabin emerges out of the darkness, red light pours out from the windows. The specter is growing faster and faster, the cabin growing closer and closer. The ambience has crescendoed and transformed into the blaring scream of an electric guitar. The specter comes up onto the porch and the door flies open to reveal a small rock concert in progress. A mosh pit surrounds the stage as the band stands centerfold. AMY ROSE, a young poet and singer, stands before the audience with her arms outstretched. LORNE, a tall bearded man, stands to Amy's right on bass. To her left, RUTH MARLOWE, a quiet but troubled soul shredding it on the guitar. NED, the drummer, pounds out a hard steady beat as doom metal pounds on.

AMY

(Singing)

Maid Malevolent, spare my soul, I'm not the one that wronged you. They took your girl and your mortal life. Bring the demons their needed hell! Maid Malevolent, you've traveled far, to the future where the wasteland waits. Time and space can't stop you now, burn the wizards army to the ground! Maid Malevolent, the end is nigh, with the coming of Asmodeus. You may be damned or you might just fly. So cross your heart, and hope to die! Legend! Legend! Legend!

Amy takes a step away from the spotlight as Ruth comes in with a earsplitting riff. She seems to be possessed by something greater than herself as she plays. The trauma of an unspoken past echoes through each chord, and the crowd eats it up.

Cut to

A stream of satanic images speed across the screen suddenly. Pentagrams, ritual sacrifices, nuclear annihilation, all culminating in one final image of a glowing red tesseract hovering in space.

Cut Back

RUTH strums the final chord and the crowd is ecstatic. Their cheers imitate the satisfied roars of wild beasts and dinosaurs. The show has been a success. Ruth and Amy look at each other and exchange smiles of approval.

INT. CABIN – LATER

The audience has departed now, and the band is nearly done packing up all their equipment. MARCUS, the band manager, talks with the OWNER of the cabin as he collects the bands earnings for the night. They seem to be quietly arguing over something. Lorne helps Ned pick up the drum set.

OWNER

I made myself perfectly clear. 100 bucks for an hour, that was the deal we agreed on.

MARCUS

Look I feel like I'm not asking for much here.

OWNER

I'm not renegotiating. If you wanted an extra 25 dollars, you should've played an extra 15 minutes.

MARCUS

Look, this band is black magic incarnate, my friend. Last week I witnessed a skinhead convert to Judaism over this fucking music. We're top notch shit. And we've got a whole day of driving ahead of us; gas money is everything. Now imagine in a couple years when these guys hit it big. Do you wanna be known as the guy who made it so we couldn't reach the next gig?

Amy exits from a nearby bathroom and lights a cigarette.

NED

Hey, Amy, do you have the keys to the van?

AMY

Why would I have them? Ruth's the one driving.

NED

Well I don't know where Ruth is. Can you find her so we can put our shit away?

AMY

Fine. You know it's not that hard to go look for her yourself.

LORNE

How are we supposed to find someone that constantly avoids human contact.

NED

You know she hides from us after every show.

AMY

She's not hiding, jackoffs. She likes her space. She's probably outside having a smoke.

(Heads for the front door before looking over at Marcus)

Don't give him too hard of a time, Marc.

MARCUS

Don't criticize me for being a good manager for you people. How about this, 15 dollars and I'll let you keep some merch?

EXT. CABIN – Night

Amy walks out into the fall air. She takes another pull of her cigarette. Above the main doorway she notices a silhouette perched at the entrance. A ladder is conveniently placed to climb up.

Ruth sits performing some form of meditation. She plays with a red rubber band on her wrist. Amy carefully edges her way up next to Ruth.

AMY

Whatcha thinking about?

RUTH

Nothing really. It's kind of the whole point of meditation.

AMY

(Pulls out a cigarette for Ruth)

You'll have to teach me about it sometime. Damn, have you seen the moon?

RUTH

(Lights cigarette with Amy's)

What about it?

AMY

It's crazy looking.

RUTH

(Looks at moon)

Reminds me of a dream I had.

AMY

(Stare at Ruth)

Tell me about it.

The two stare at a glowing red moon. Cigarette smoke floats across the clear autumn sky as the stars shine down on the two.

RUTH

I'm floating through space on some giant rock. And I can see all the planets in the sky. And then there's this bright light hovering over me, looked like the moon. I can feel everything around me moving. Gravity was pulling everything in every direction except for me. I'm... bleeding, but I'm not in pain. And you were there.

AMY

(Slides closer to Ruth)

Really? What was I doing?

RUTH

You were just staring at me. You looked sad, like I did something wrong.

AMY

Why do think you did something?

RUTH

I don't think I did. It was like I just made a difficult decision, and whatever it was I did it for you.

AMY

(Closing in for a kiss)

What happened next?

RUTH

(Puts out her cigarette and places her hand on Amy's cheek)

I think I was going to kiss you, but I woke up before I saw anything else.

AMY

Well that was a dream. This is real.

Amy and Ruth's lips meet at last, but are unfortunately cut short by the guys.

NED

So... how's finding the keys coming along?

AMY

(Takes her time to stop kissing Ruth)

As a matter of fact–

(Holds out Ruths keys)

I just found them.

LORNE

Can we go now? We've got two hours of driving before we're near the next motel.

MARCUS

Actually, that will not be necessary.

INT. VAN – Night – Moving

The band's van rattles down a dirt path on a lonesome forest road. Ruth and Amy sit in the front while Marcus, Lorne, and Ned sit in the back.

NED

So when were you going to tell us that you rented a house?

MARCUS

Well I was–

LORNE

How much did it cost?

MARCUS

It wasn't–

AMY

How much money do we have now?

MARCUS

If you would all please shut up for a moment. It didn't cost anything. I happen to know a guy who lives out here. He was leaving for a fishing trip, and I told him I'd watch the house for a couple days. I was gonna tell you all after the show, but I got stuck arguing with the owner.

RUTH

You were trying to weasel 15 dollars out of him.

MARCUS

I earned that 15 for you all! Don't judge me for trying to help out. And how the hell do you even know what we were talking about? You were on the fucking roof.

AMY

You know the howl of a weasel can be heard up to 5 miles away.

MARCUS

Glad to know I'm appreciated by you all.

RUTH

Just tell us where we're going, Marcus.

MARCUS

(Points out the window)

Take a left here, and follow the road.

A sign up sticks off the road reading:

RISING MOON ROAD

Ruth drives off the main road and into the fog. The road grows narrower as they continue driving.

AMY

Are you sure we're driving in the right direction?

MARCUS

It should be coming up pretty soon.

RUTH

Are we even on a road anymore? If this is the wrong spot, I don't know how I'm gonna get out of here.

NED

Anyone wanna pull up a map?

LORNE

(Looking at his phone)

No luck, we've got no cell signal up here.

MARCUS

I know what my friend, said. It's the first left past the cabin, and... and then he said...

AMY

Have you even been to this place, Marcus?

Marcus says nothing.

NED

You've got to be kidding me.

LORNE

So we're completely lost, great. We should've just headed for the mot–

AMY

LOOK OUT!

Ruth slams the brakes right before plowing into a man standing in the middle of the road. He stares at them, bug-eyed, mumbling something under his breath.

MARCUS

Get out of the road asshole!

He stumbles out of the way of the van and continues walking. As he walks past her window, Ruth notes the mans strange appearance. Tattoos cover his entire body, and his beard is long and gray. He vanishes into the fog behind them.

LORNE

Where the hell did he come from?

NED

Who gives a shit? I just wanna get the fuck out of here.

AMY

(Points ahead)

Look.

The group makes out the dim porch lights of a cabin.

MARCUS

Told you I knew where we were going. Now come on, before more tweakers show up.

AMY

Ruth, are you alright?

RUTH

What?

Amy is staring down at Ruth's side. Her hand is gripped around a small knife hanging off of her belt. Ruth quickly lets go.

RUTH

Yeah... I'm ok.

AMY

Are you sur–

RUTH

Let's keep moving.

The group drives towards the cabin without another word. The strange man watches from a distance.

INT. FRIENDS CABIN

Marcus unlocks the front door and the band enters with their gear. The house is quaint and generally inviting.

MARCUS

The lights should be around somewhere.

Marcus flips a switch, and the room is illuminated. A number of animal heads are mounted on the wall. Lorne notes the double barreled shotgun hanging over the mantle piece by a large hearth.

NED

(Approaching the heath)

If anyone can find me some matches I can get a fire going.

LORNE

First we get everything out of the van. I'm not leaving anything outside. Not with crazy old men wandering around.

Lorne and Ned head back outside to grab the rest of the gear. Ruth walks over to a couch in the lounge area of the room. It folds out into a bed.

MARCUS

There should be two more bedrooms upstairs. You and Ruth can have the main one, and I'll take the guest bedroom.

AMY

Sounds like a plan. How about you head up there now and make sure.

Marcus is about to protest, but stays quiet after Amy gives him a look. He ascends the staircase and leaves Amy and Ruth alone downstairs. Ruth wraps her arms around Amy and tries to kiss her. Amy doesn't reciprocate the feeling, but instead holds out her hand.

AMY

First things first.

RUTH

What?

AMY

You don't need it. We're safe here.

RUTH

I'm not... I'm fine. I'm in control.

AMY

If you're in control, give it to me.

Hesitant, Ruth slowly pulls out her knife and hands it to Amy.

AMY

You don't always need to be protecting me.

RUTH

I'm sorry.

AMY

It's alright. I feel safe enough just being with you.

RUTH

Thank you.

INT. CABIN – Later

A fire is finally going in the hearth, and the band sits around the dining room table. Lorne opens a bottle of Whiskey and pours and the group revel in the drinking. Lorne starts telling a drunken story.

LORNE

So I'm drunk out of my mind right now and we haven't even gotten to the party yet. But I'm an idiot and I feel like a million bucks. And we walk past this store, with one of those big window displays in it. I walk past, and out of nowhere this guy starts talking shit to me. We get into an argument, and then I'm just start screaming at this dude in the middle of the night downtown. Finally I'm like, fuck this guy, and I punch him in the face. Glass shatters in front of me and my hand is bleeding. I punched the window to the store. I'd been arguing with my reflection the whole time. I needed 10 stiches for that cut on my hand. Still stings when it gets cold outside.

NED

I can safely say I've never been that drunk.

AMY

Oh, and you don't have any horror stories you'd like to share?

NED

None like that. But I will say this–

(Rolls up his sleeves to reveal the tattoos on his arms)

–That used to be a girls name, and that also used to be a girls name. And I don't remember either of them in the slightest.

MARCUS

Well that's all well and good. What I wanna know, Ned, is who's Enrique and why is his name tramp stamped on you?

RUTH

Wait what?

NED

You said you wouldn't tell anybody!

MARCUS

You expect me to remember that in my current state?

NED

Fuck you.

AMY

I think we can all agree that Ned is free to love whoever he chooses to love. And I bet Enrique is a wonderful guy.

LORNE

What about you Ruth?

RUTH

What about me?

LORNE

We're all sharing stories. You gotta contribute something to the discussion.

RUTH

I don't really have any stories like that.

MARCUS

Oh come on darling, we've all made poor decisions. That's a part of being in a rock band. You do stupid shit sometimes. So fess up.

RUTH

Honestly, I don't have any good ones.

NED

Doesn't have to be good. I'm gonna be pissed off if we end this on my stupid decisions.

AMY

Guys, don't pressure her to–

RUTH

I've got one. I don't remember it very well, but here goes.

LORNE

We're all ears.

RUTH

So my dad used to keep all his guns in this tool shed next to our garage. He never let me go in there because he didn't trust me. But one day, I noticed where he hid the key for the shed. Bottom drawer by his bed. So I snuck into his room when he went to bed, got the key, and opened up the shed. And there was a ton of shit in there. Rifles, Shotguns, a fucking chainsaw– He was logger. And I notice this clear bottle lying on the floor. I pick it up and it's vodka. My dad liked to drink while he cleaned his guns. So, being a curious little kid, I took a sip, and then another. And another. Eventually I'm holding a shotgun in my hand. I'm 9 and I'm wasted. Then, I hear this scream come from behind me. I whip around just in time to see a raccoon right before I pulled the trigger.

NED

Holy fuck!

RUTH

And I don't remember looking at the raccoon as I did it. I just remember this red mist in the air when I opened my eyes. I'm also covered in raccoon guts. The whole neighborhood is awake now. Dogs are barking, Nina Parker, the old widow across the street, is wandering out on the lawn. And the icing on the cake was that the fucking cops showed up. It was a shit show.

MARCUS

Now that's a story right there. What the hell did your dad do when he found out?

RUTH

My dad? Um... he came outside, saw me holding the gun and–

Cut to

A young Ruth is seen cowering before the figure of her father. She's screaming but no sound is heard. Her father holds up his belt, lunges at Ruth and–

Cut Back

RUTH

He grounded me for two weeks... and decided to make chili with the racoon.

AMY

That's disgusting.

LORNE

Nah, that's just a Sunday in an RV camp.

RUTH

(Finishes her drink and stands)

Well, I think I'm gonna call it a night.

MARCUS

Oh come on, you can't call it quits now. This was just starting to get get fun.

RUTH

Unless someone else wants to drive tomorrow, which I doubt because you're all gonna be shit faced, I'm gonna need all the sleep I can get.

(Grabs her guitar, heads upstairs)

You know where to find me if you need me.

Ruth heads upstairs without another word. Amy follows close behind. She doesn't say another word to the rest of the group. The three men are left alone to their own devices.

MARCUS

(Pours another round of whiskey for the group)

Well, here's to another successful show.

LORNE

Cheers. So... what are we supposed to now?

Without a word, Ned reaches under the table and pulls up a small carved jewelry box. He smiles to himself for a moment, and then reveals.

LORNE

Whatcha got there, Dope Fiend?

NED

Half a pound of Electric Wizard.

LORNE

Nice.

MARCUS

And that?

NED

And what?

MARCUS

That.

Everyone looks in to see something else in the box. A small vial seems to glow an electric pink.

NED

Oh no, we're not doing that.

MARCUS

Oh come on, don't tease us like that.

LORNE

Is it dangerous?

NED

Potentially.

LORNE

What the hell is it?

NED

It's... a hallucinogen. Little bit of this, little bit of that.

MARCUS

Does it have penicillin in it?

NED

Uh... no.

MARCUS

Good. I'm allergic to penicillin.

NED

That should be the least of your worries with this.

LORNE

Ned, where the hell did you get something like this? Who did you even buy it from?

NED

Where doesn't matter, but they do live under a bridge.

MARCUS

Ned, I'm here to make stupid decisions tonight. So let me make stupid decisions.

NED

Marcus, I’m not joking, this shit will melt your face off.

LORNE

Then why do you even have it?

MARCUS

Yeah, you know what I think? I think you know that this is next level shit, and you want it all for yourself. Well as your manager, I am demanding you let us try this. If I'm gonna get fucked, I want it to be memorable.

The trio falls silent as each tries to read the others mind. The message conveyed, Ned opens the vial and takes out a dropper.

NED

Trust me, no one is gonna want to remember tonight.

INT. BEDROOM – Night

The room is dark except for a couple candles and the moonlight pouring in. Ruth lays on the bed with her guitar, quietly strumming a tune. Amy enters and starts to undress. She crawls into bed with Ruth and snuggles up next to her.

RUTH

I've been working on a new riff for when we get back in a studio.

AMY

Sounds metal. I mean everything you come up with is metal.

RUTH

Thanks.

AMY

I wish I had someone to teach me how to play growing up.

RUTH

It was the closest thing to therapy growing up. Whenever I felt bad, I just picked up the guitar and started playing. Only good my blood did for me.

AMY

You don't really talk about your family.

RUTH

Not much to say. We were all fucked up, and no one wanted to help us.

AMY

Why did you lie to them?

RUTH

(Sigh)

They didn't need to know, I guess.

AMY

You don't have to go easy on anyone. That's why you're here. These are the kind of people you can open up to. I know they feel like a lot, but they're not gonna judge you. I'm not gonna judge you. Everyone can be human here.

RUTH

Sometimes I just don't wanna be human.

(Brushes a scar across Amy's neck)

What good have humans done for you?

Amy takes hold of Ruth's hand. She kisses Ruth's callused and blisters fingers, and then places it against her breast. Ruth sets the guitar down on the floor.

AMY

I'd say this one has done a lot.

Ruth blows out the candles, and embraces her lover.

EXT. FOREST – Night

The wind has begun to pick up, and the trees moan and rock with the breeze. FOGERT, the crazy old man from earlier, is still wandering down the road. Through chattering teeth he mumbles a song to himself.

FOGERT

(Incoherent)

I see a bad moon a-rising. I see trouble on the way.

Fogert stops walking and stairs up into a tree. A single Raven looks down upon him from its perch. It doesn't make a sound. Fogert continues on with a quickened stride.

FOGERT

I hear hurricanes a-blowing, I know the end is coming soon. I fear rivers overflowing.

Fogert trails off as an extra strong gust of wind pushes against him. He shields his face from the cold. Fogert feels a strange sensation rush over him. Not the cold, it's something far more sinister.

FOGERT

I hear... the voice of rage and ruin.

An ambient red glow appears down the road ahead. A low rumble follows with it. Fogerts hands begin to tremble, and he grasps at a necklace around his neck. He mutters a jumble of words that don't make any sense. It sounds Latin. An incantation. The light grows brighter, as does the noise. A single thought runs through Fogert's head, hide.

He ducks into the thicket and behind a tree. His body is overtaken by fear, as a jet black car with red headlights rounds the bend. Fogert doesn't make a sound. His heartbeat pounds inside his head. The car slowly comes to stop in front of the tree. The drivers window lowers a crack. Bright red light pours out along with thick black smoke. Fogert hears a low growl like a tiger from within.

Tears roll down Fogert's face. Death has never been closer to him than it has right now. Suddenly, the window rolls back up, and the car drives off. Fogert doesn't leave his hiding spot until the sound of the engine is gone. As Fogert comes out of hiding, he hears the spreading of wings. The Raven leaps from it's perch and sails over Fogert's head, following after the car.

Fogert breaks into a sprint in the opposite direction. He follows the road until suddenly running off into the woods. He trips and stumbles his way to a small hut hidden away.

INT. FOGERTS HUT

He runs inside, locks the door behind him, and closes all the blinds. One by one he lights all the candles scattered about the hut.

FOGERT

I hope you got your things together, I hope you are quite prepared to die.

Old books, artifacts and empty bottles of booze are scattered about. He clears a space in the middle of the hut and draws a circle with salt.

FOGERT

Looks like we're in for nasty weather. One eye is taken for an eye.

He sits in the middle of the circle and clings to the necklace around his neck. He bows his head to worship a mural etched on one of the walls. A six armed man with a goat for a head meditates, the mark of the beast is etched across his chest.

FOGERT

Don't go round tonight, it's bound to take your life. There's a bad moon on the rise.

INT. CABIN – The Witching Hour

Ruth and Amy lay asleep in bed, naked. Music is faintly heard echoing throughout the house. A record plays downstairs: The End by The Doors. Lorne, Marcus, and Ned lie in a circle on the floor. They stair wide eyed at the ceiling. The fire still burns strong. Marcus takes a drag from a joint and passes it to Ned. He starts to cough, and crawls towards the kitchen sink. He pours himself a glass of water. He stares into the glass. Sparkling light and flickers of color dance through the water. When Ned pulls the glass away, Imps and goblins dance around his feet.

NED

I think I might– I'm about to– Yep... I'm freaking out right now. There's demons in the house.

MARCUS

Calm down. They probably work for the Feds. We should smoke the rest of the weed so there's no evidence.

LORNE

(Takes a hit from the joint)

Way ahead of you man.

Ned wanders back towards the guys, but stops and stairs out the window. A black car with red headlights has parked in front of the cabin.

NED

You guys see what I'm seeing?

MARCUS

See what?

NED

...Nothing.

Ned opens the door and stands in the doorway of the cabin. He stares at the car. The bright red lights are hypnotic.

NED

Damn, this shit is crazier than I thought.

The driver door flies open. More red light radiates from within. Smoke pours out from within the car. It crawls across the ground like a low hanging mist. The driver steps out onto the grass. Ned doesn't move, he's frozen in place as he stairs at the horror before him.

A mesh of leather, latex and metal is illuminated by the blood red light. It's face is concealed beneath a jet black motorcycle helmet decorated with spikes. Immense in stature, and utterly depraved. There is no face to look at, no eyes to humanize it.

And yet, as Ned stares into the black void of it's visor, he can sense... lust. Is it real, or just an illusion? Has his mind merely imagined this avatar of sadomasochism? This Gimp from Hell?

Ned gets an answer, just not the one he wanted. The Gimp pulls out a massive pistol.

NED

Oh...

A gunshot cuts through the night like thunder. Hot shrapnel rips through Ned's stomach–– In and out. He is thrown backwards onto the ground.

Ruth lurches up in bed, awoken by the gunfire.

AMY

What's going on?

RUTH

(Quickly putting on her clothes)

Something's wrong. Something's very wrong.

Lorne and Marcus lurch upright to see Ned, riving in pain.

MARCUS

What the fuck!

Lorne sees the Gimp approach the cabin. He scrambles to his feet and grabs the shot gun off the mantle. Luckily, it's already loaded. The Gimp walks through the door, it's shoulders are so broad that they rip the door frame off the wall. The Gimp aims it's gun at Lorne and Marcus.

LORNE

GET DOWN!

Marcus and Lorne dive behind the couch as a barrage of bullets rip through the furniture. Marcus bolts for the upstairs, and catches a bullet in the ankle. He collapses onto the stairs in agony. The Gimp approaches Marcus with a low primal growl. Another victim to abuse.

RUTH

(Upstairs)

Where's my knife? Amy, what did you do with my knife?

AMY

You're not going down there!

Lorne pops up behind the Gimp and fires into the back of it's head. The buckshot bounces off like rubber and back into Lorne's face. Lorne staggers away unable to see. He trips over a coffee table and falls right in front of the fire.

The Gimp stands over Lorne, and pushes him into the fire with one of it's giant boots. Lorne bursts into flames, screaming and riving in pain. The Gimp doesn't move, he holds Lorne to the fire until it's done.

The Gimp turns it's gaze back to Ned, crawling into the kitchen. The Gimp enters the kitchen and takes a kitchen knife. He grabs Ned's hair and exposes his neck. The Gimp proceeds to cut through his throat and decapitates him. The Gimp admires it's new toy as Lorne's burning corpse sets fire to the carpet and begins to spread.

Marcus has managed to crawl upstairs and Ruth and Amy pull him into their bedroom.

AMY

Oh my god, Marcus! What's going on? Are we being robbed?

RUTH

Where's Ned and Lorne?

MARCUS

T-that... that thing. It... it fucking killed them!

The Gimps heavy footsteps are heard ascending the staircase. The whole house seems to shake. The bedroom door is knocked off it's hinges as The Gimp enters the room. Ned's severed head is pressed into the Gimps crotch.

AMY

Oh my god!

Ruth grabs her knife off the nightstand and gets in front of Amy and Marcus.

RUTH

Get downstairs and start the van.

MARCUS

The whole downstairs is on fire. Don't you see the smoke?

They're trapped. The Gimp inches towards them, growling. There's nowhere to go. Ruth locks eyes with Amy. If this is it, she wants to look at her one last time.

The Gimp presses forward. Ruth charges at it, knife raised. With a swipe from one of it's massive arms, The Gimp sends Ruth flying across the room and smashes into the wall. She lies on the ground motionless. The Gimp goes to finish the job.

AMY

Ruth!

The Gimp suddenly turns its gaze on Amy. It tilts it's head as if to admire her beauty. Marcus steps between them.

MARCUS

Fuck you, you fucking freak!

The Gimp roars at Marcus. He has stepped between an alpha and it's mate. The Gimp picks up Marcus and slams him on the ground. It picks him back up and proceeds to smash his head into the wall over and over and over and over again until there's nothing left.

There's only Amy now. She tries to run but The Gimp pushes her into a corner of the room. It towers over her, the spikes protruding from it's jacket piercing into her skin. The Gimp strokes Amy's cheek with one of it's massive hands, spreading blood and bits of Marcus's brain across her face. Violated doesn't begin to describe what Amy is feeling.

Before the harassment can go on, a knife is driven into The Gimps back, crying out in pain. Ruth has reentered the fight. She's bloody and bruised, but alive.

RUTH

Get the fuck away from her!

The Gimp whirls around, and grabs Ruth by the wrist. Her bones can be heard breaking under the pressure. Then, in one swift motion, The Gimp sends Ruth flying through the window. She rolls off the roof, cutting herself on the glass, bounces off the roof of the van, and unto the cold wet ground.

The Gimp grabs Amy, and drags her towards the stairs. She screams and cries for help, but no one is there to save her. The fire has spread to most of downstairs as The Gimp leaves the way it came. It's work has been done. A monument to agony and suffering. Amy pulls and punches at The Gimps arm, but it's useless.

The Gimp takes Amy to the back of it's car and pops the trunk. It forces her into the boot. Right as it's about to lock Amy inside–

RUTH

Let... her... go.

Ruth, bleeding, crippled, and barely able to stand, limps towards The Gimp. It doesn't matter if she can't win, she's not letting this thing take the one thing she cares about. The Gimp watches Ruth's valiant attempt at walking, seemingly amused. It pulls out it's pistol and unloads the clip into Ruth. The bullets don't stop until Ruth hits the ground.

AMY

NO!

Amy bursts into tears as The Gimp slams the trunk closed, plunging her into darkness. Her muffled cries are heard as The Gimp gets back into his car, and drives away. The house is consumed by fire, and the bodies inside are reduced to ash. Only the corpse of Ruth remains. Lifeless, bloodied, the victim of a force greater than herself. All witnessed by the watchful eye of a lone raven.

#horror #doommetal #screenwriting

[dabi-daily]

"I’m Sorry.” Dabi One-Shot

Hello! This will be based off the Dabi and Shoto being related head cannon that the fandom brewed up over the last couple of months! This is also the first time I’ve written anything since 2016, so please don’t be harsh! lol.

Word Count: 2478! 

(This is X Reader btw!)

Once Touya woke up, he felt the cold bed beside him. He chuckled, knowing y/n left before the maid, Suki, barged in to wake him up. The cool air hit his chest, his hand rubbing his chest to feel a cloth material on his hands, "shit," he muttered, taking the gloves off his hands. The gloves aren't ordinary gloves, they canceled out his flames when it's time to do.. you know.. the dirty. He didn't understand, he could control his quirk until he got too angry, or aroused. He hated that part of it, he tried to control it ever since he started to get active, but he's always had trouble doing so. He hated hurting you during intimate moments, so he had his friend make the gloves for him. He turned to see a note on your pillow, which made a smile appear on his face, you always left notes.

Dear Touya,

Good morning! I took your uniform out and hung it on the back of the door, and I checked over your English work, you're doing better. I'm so proud of you, and I love you. xoxo

From, Y/N.

Touya couldn't help but laugh, she's such a thoughtful person, he thought. At that moment, the door to his bedroom swung opened,

"WAKE UP! GO TO SCHOOL!"

The sound of a metal spoon hitting a metal pot echoed throughout his room, but stopped once she noticed he was wide awake, looking at her as if she lost her mind. "Oh, good morning. Breakfast is ready!" she smiled, shutting the door once again. Touya blinked a few times, is it really that hard to wake me up?

~~

To Y/N: good morning angel

To Y/N: I'll meet you at the train.

But once Touya got there, Y/N wasn't there. He had to admit that he was a bit worried, she was acting a little different the night before, but he thought nothing of it since she had a test the next day.

~~

To Y/N: Are you okay angel? You weren't in school today.

When she didn't reply, Touya knew he needed to go to her house. He quickly pushed his way on the train, getting dirty looks from oncoming passengers, but he didn't care. Something was wrong with Y/N.

Once Touya made it to your apartments, he buzzed your number. There was no answer.

"Y/N!"

"Mrs. L/N!" he screamed, but got no response from the family.

He started to buzz the next door neighbors bell, thankfully getting a response from them.

"Y-Yes?"

"Mrs. Midoriya, where's Y/N?"

It was silent for a few minutes, then her door opened. "Oh, Todoroki," she half smiled, her hand was behind her back, but Touya could see her hand on top of green hair, holding him back in the house. "Did they not.. tell you?" she said softly. Her voice changed from relaxed to sad, "They moved to America, first thing this morning."

"W-What?" he whispered, he knees giving in to his weight, he fell to the floor.

"She l-left me?"

~~

3 years later.

The fresh air hit you face as you got out exited the store, it would've been refreshing if you didn't get bad news from the owner. He quit his job, not too long after you left for America. The thought of what you did to him made your stomach flip, a sour taste coming to the back of your throat. I'm so sorry Touya. You thought as you made your way towards the Todoroki's house, your stomach was starting to flip again, hoping you wouldn't get anymore bad news.

The way to the Todoroki's home was filled with a lot of, "should I be doing this?" "Yes, I have to." "No, he wouldn't want to see me."

By the time you got out of your own head, you were already at the front door. Your hands got clammy, raising them to the door, you knocked three times. You nearly puked at the sight of the doorknob turning,  then opening. There stood a boy, his hair was half white and half red, a red scar over his eye. "um.. hello?" he said in more of a question,

"S-Shoto?" you could feel tears coming to your eyes, he's gotten so big. He's gotta be in high school now, right? You hugged him tightly, "Oh my god, Shoto, I've missed you so much." He hugged you back awkwardly,

"Who are you?"

That's when you realized you looked completely different. Especially with you wearing the American style clothing. You let go of him, taking a few steps back. "Oh. I'm sorry. My name is L/N, Y/N, I was your tutor a few years ago and-"

"Touya's girlfriend." he finished, looking at you with a bit of starstruck. "I should've known," he replied, looking at your wrist that had burn scars int eh shape of Touya's hands on them. Your face flushed, pulling your sleeves down to cover them.

"Y-Yeah. Where is he?" You whispered, suddenly feeling small. As if Shoto, and the whole world towered over you.

"You might want to come inside,"

You both sat at the table, Shoto set strawberry milk in front of you, "You still like this, right?" you nodded, grasping the milk in your hands.

"After you left.. Touya changed." he started out, "He locked himself in his room for days, our mother tried to get him to come out but he only screamed, using his quirk to get her out of the room. Then one day, he broke-down."

Shoto stood behind his mother, his hand lightly grasping her long shirt. "Mommy, is Touya sick?" he asked, watching her as she picked his lock, "Mommy are you supposed to do that?"

"Shoto, honey, please. Please go play with your brother and sister." She smiled at him, setting her hand on his head and ruffling his hair. Shoto nodded, running around the corner, but didn't go to his siblings, he watched her from a distance. His mother finally got into the room, slowly opening the door,

"Touya.. honey?" she said softly, "Please come eat.. I made your favorite."

"Leave me alone."

"Touya you haven't ate in a week. Can I bring it to you?"

"Leave me alone."

"T-Touya.."

"I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!"

A flame shot through the opened door, Shoto heard his mother scream, "Touya, stop! Please!" She screamed, the horror filled her voice. Soon, Fuyumi ran into the room, grabbing their mother and dragging her out of the room.

"Shoto, get out the house!" She yelled, but he didn't listen. He stood there in shock, watching as the house slowly started catching fire. When she seen that he wasn't listening, she screamed, "Natsuo!" She dragged her mother towards Shoto, once she got close enough she looked Shoto in the eyes. "Get out the fucking house you brat!"

The horror of the situation hit him, his eyes started to water as he ran towards the front door, a few minutes later, Natsuo and Fuyumi drug their mother out of the burning house. Touya was right behind them, the flames engulfing his body as he let out a blood curdling scream. He dropped to his knees,

"WHY?!" then he passed out. His body falling on the cement, the flames still burning his chest.

His mother sat up from the ground, using her quirk to put her son out, but wasn't able to save the house. Shoto looked at her, her hair was fringed from the fire, but it looked like he almost completely missed her. The sound of sirens filled the once empty air, pro heros started to show up on the scene and aid everyone until the ambulance got there.

Then, Endeavor showed up. The look of anger in his eyes as he watched his home burn to the ground. Shoto couldn't stop crying as he watched his father walk up to Touya.

-

"I-I don't know what happened to Touya after that.." Shoto whispered, "He was admitted into the hospital, he was in intensive care for so long, but one day he just disappeared. Our father didn't even send out a search party." He gripped the milk a little too tightly, sending it out of the straw and all over his white shirt.

"Shit," he mumbled, getting up to get a rag. "Um, Fuyumi should be here soon if you want to talk to her, she was the only one allowed to visit him, if you want to talk to her."

"C-Can you just give her my number?" you whispered, Shoto nodded.

By the time you got to your new apartment, it was dark out. You wrapped your sweater around yourself tighter, the recent events of Villains getting your nerves up, you did have a quirk, but it wasn't anything worth wile, You could touch someone and see all their memories, and even take parts of their personalities, pain, and fears. It was actually quite dangerous, for yourself, so you never used it. But it could also be dangerous for other, for you could bring their deep fears out and terrorize them. You hated your quirk. It was the definition of evil.

There was an alley up ahead, the sound of men talking made your skin crawl. Men in Japan were douche-bags, especially the older men.  You kept your head up high, you refuse to show fear towards any man hiding in alleys for defenseless victims.

But once you got to the front of the alley, you couldn't help but turn your hear once you seen a blue flame brighten up the dark alley. You could see a tall man, his hair was black he wore a long black jacket that barely touched the ground. In front of him was a group of men, fear in their eyes as they looked at him. You felt your heart skip a beat, your throat went dry.

"T-Touya?" you nearly croaked out.

The man froze, slowly turning his head to face you. A gasp left your lips as you seen scars cover half of his face, staples in his face.

"Y/N" he whispered, the flame disappearing all together. The men that were behind him took off running, pushing past him and scattering once they got out the alley.  

"W-What happened to you?" you whispered, stupidly. You already knew the answer. It was your fault, all your fault.

Touya stood frozen in place, watching you as you slowly walked towards him, "I'm so sorry Touya," you whispered, embracing him tightly. It took him what felt like forever to hug you back, arms holding onto you tightly, as if he never wanted to let you go.

"W-Why.." he whispered, his face tucked its way into your neck, "Why did you leave?"

"it would be easier to show you then to tell you,"  

Touya didn't budge at the comment though, "C-can we wait a moment?" he asked softly, "I just want to hold you."

"Of course," you replied, tears started to slip from your eyes as you felt his pain emerge your body. You couldn't help but use your quirk on him, you never wanted to hurt him. You wanted to save him, any way you could.

"Stop." Touya muttered, "Don't hurt yourself," he knew all about your quirk, knowing you could take emotions away. "I don't hurt anymore now that you're here,"

"I'm so sorry."

~~

"Are you thirsty? The store down the street has your favorite," Touya, I mean, Dabi, explained. After he left the hospital, he decided not to go by Touya anymore. You knew it probably brought back unwanted memories, which was understandable.

"Yeah, I am thirsty," you replied, remembering how you only had the strawberry milk that Shoto gave you. "Have you visited your family?" You asked, the thought of seeing Shoto bringing the question up. Dabi tensed, his grip on his hand tightening slightly around yours, "No. I don't deserve them." he replied, casually, but you could feel the pain in him.

"Shoto misses you Touya," you whispered, "He's worried about you, they all are."

"Can we stop talking about this? Please?" he looked at you, tears brimming his eyes. "I've been waiting to see you ever since I woke up that morning you left, without even telling me. You didn't leave an explanation or anything. Just please, Y/N, let's just focus on us."

You nodded slowly, not realizing how selfish you were being. "Well, do you want to come to my apartment after this?" you asked him, "My mom is there, she's making dinner."

"How is she doing?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

"She's doing good, she's retired now and helping me out."

"With what?"

You didn't answer, the store light shown on your face, "I'm so thirsty!" you ignored his question, running into the store you went to find the drinks. It took you no time to find your favorite drink, mango soda, as well as Dabi's, strawberry milk just like Shoto. He found you looking at the snacks, chuckling, "Are you hungry?" he asked, "Get whatever you like, I'll pay."

Once you were done with the store, you both made your way to your apartment. You stopped him once you got to the front door,

"Dabi.. Please don't be mad at me." You looked at him with a serious expression, but the only thing you were feeling was fear. "This is going to be a lot to take in, so I understand if you don't want to say.. but please be nice."

Dabi raised his eyebrow, "What are you talking about?" You smiled at him, getting the key to the house and unlocking the door.

"It might be a little messy, so please ignore it."

"You never were very organized,"

"ha. ha." you gave him a playful glare, slowly opening the door. "I'm home!" you said loudly, entering the home and closing the door once Dabi was fully in. The sound of feet patting against the tile floor, you looked at Dabi as he looked at you. The red headed child ran around the corner, not thinking twice as he ran up to you, wrapping his arms around your legs.

"mama!" he yelled, trying to climb his way up and into your arms. You scooped him up, you looked at Dabi who's eyes were wide.

"Dabi.. this is Hisao; Hisao Todoroki."

Dabi didn't say anything, he engulfed both of you in the tightest hug he could, without suffocating you both. "This.. he is why you.. why?"

"Dabi you were about to graduate.. I didn't want him to stop you from becoming something great. It was selfish of me to leave.. I know but-"

"It's okay. I forgive you." he muttered, kissing your forehead.

#Dabi #Todoroki #my hero academia #my hero academia oneshot #one shot #anime oneshot #dabi oneshot #villain one shot #scarface #todoroki shoto #Dabi x reader #mha dabi #dabi touya #dabi todoroki

[legion1993]

Thunderstorm Wedding

AN: this is for @until-theend-oftheline for Kari’s Summer challenge. Girl, hope you enjoy this cause this is all on the fly work! enjoy the rolleroaster ride! there is another AN in the story to explain how i came up with a certain part of the story. hope you like it!

Pairing: Chris Evans x Reader

Prompt: Thunderstorm

Summery: there isnt one!

this was it, your wedding day was TOMORROW. everything prepared and ready, bows and decorations laid out for everyone to see, people from all over arriving too witness your wedding. 

oh yeah, your marrying the guy who made you fall in love with the MCU even more than you already were. you were marrying Chris Evans. 

of course this wedding was gonna be avenger themed. obviously considering who your marrying. there was gonna be an entire skit and everything. you were completely hopeful that you would have the perfect-ish wedding. 

you were at the hall with Chris going through the dress rehersal, and making sure all the decorations were in place along with props and that everyone knew what to say, when to say it, and what to do and when.

then you and Chris were dropped off at the same hotel but each of you taken to seperate rooms. Scarlet stayed with you playing cards, she knew you a little too well, this was what you had always dreamed off, to get married, to start a journey of love and passion with someone kind, sweet and amazing.

Scarlet: “what is it YN, you have that look in your eye?”

YN: “i dont know Scar, its just some nerves i guess. but weird thing is i don’t actually feel nervous.”

Scarlet: “well did you get some mojo recently?”

YN: “i did open a fortune cookie a couple days ago, it said ‘when the hammer is lifted, thunder rolls, words of affirmation finished, while the truth realized.’ i guess thats what is freaking my body out right now. and i believe i win.”

Scarlet and you both looked down at your hands. playing blackjack is fun, especially when you happen to always have an especially lucky hand. Scarlet laughed as she chugged the rest of her wine. 

Scarlet: “we should get some sleep… it will be a long busy day tomorrow.”

you and Scarlet had always shared a bed, even when she and you were roommates, it didnt matter, and no it was never anything freaky like that. it was just that she was your Best Friend and there wasnt anything neither of you wouldnt do for the other. 

so removing your house coat, you crawled into bed getting comfy while Scarlet finished turning off the lights, she crawled in beside you. cuddling together you both drifted into unconsciousness.

——————————————–

Chris however had been taken to his room by Robert. now normally this would have been something to behold for the theatrics. but it was a different situation. 

Rob: “YN seemed really stoked about the wedding.”

Chris: “i know, the only other time ive seen her like that was when i proposed. its like a massive reality spikes her adrenaline. but oh well. i guess if this goes well, the wedding of the year award will go to me & YN.”

Rob: “i suppose it will, but did you ever think about what kind of mark your wedding will leave on the community…”

Chris got up and started pacing…

Chris: “dont start an argument with me Rob, please man im getting married to an amazing girl, with you as the best man. come on bro, please just dont question this decision.

Chris and Rob after about 5 minutes each took 2 shots and went to bed knowing that it was gonna be a long and busy day.

———————————————–

Scarlet woke up shortly before you, like always she tried to give you as much sleep as possible. she checked the weather and happened to see the 79% chance of a thunderstorm starting right around the middle of the ceremony. 

Scarlet woke you up, gently and calmly. you opened your eyes fluttering them a bit before they stayed open, you sat up as Scarlet handed you your cold caffeinated cola. 

there was nothing that you imagined would ever ruin this day. it was YOUR WEDDING DAY! of course nothing could ruin the day. Scarlet started pulling out the straightener and the wedding lingerie, setting up everything and calling room service to bring you ladies some breakfast.

Scarlet: “breakfast is being made, and will be delivered soon. lets have you sit up and ill brush your hair out and place in the extensions before you go shower.”

you sat up in the middle of the bed and pulled out your laptop firing it up and making sure you have all the correct papers and such. 

YN: “Scar, what kind of day do you think this is gonna be?”

Scarlet was unsure of how to answer that question…

Scarlet: “i think this day will turn into the perfect of awesome weddings.”

you kept going through and making sure all the documents you needed to have filled out, were filled out and making sure there were backups of all the documents in case one of the things needed replacing.

Scarlet: “will you give the documents a rest? nothing is gonna go wrong. trust me. now you continue to hold still and throw on some music while i finish these extensions.”

Scarlet waited for the music to start before she started the extensions. once the music started she started to attach the extensions. there was nothing which made you happier than listening to the soundtrack of yours Chris’ love. 

this was the start of a very very long half an hour.

—————————————-

Chris woke up with Robert a few hours after you and Scarlet. this was the start of a lot of paranoia.

Robert: “how do you feel about today Chris?”

Chris: “i feel good, but if all goes well this storm will hold off till after the ceremony.”

Robert and Chris just sat in the room also ordering room service as they sat there toasting and cheering and praising each of their individual acomplishments.

—————————————–

Scarlet was finally done your hair, you went to the bathroom with your robe, lingerie and a towel. you started the shower and undressed yourself, you made your way into the tub and let the hot water maul over you for several minutes before washing your hair. 

you washed your hair, you werent used to how long it was. but that would soon be obsolete, for your mind now came to the thought of being MRS. EVENS LATER. you were now at peace in your mind. 

you finished in the shower about 15 minutes later. you got out and heard the sound of Scarlet singing out side, but you also heard your phone ringing. Scarlet of course answered it. 

Scarlet: “YN’s phone…”

Chris: “hey Scar, what would you say to me wanting to speak with my girl!”

Scarlet: “you can just give me a moment.”

Scarlet said as she saw you exiting the washroom. she handed you the phone after you sat on the bed so Scarlet could make your hair wedding worthy. the convo between you and Chris went a little like this:

—————————–

YN: “hey Chris!”

Chris: “babe, im so lucky to get to marry you.”

YN: “im lucky too, at first i wasnt sure a guy like you would ever fall in love with a girl like me but now i know this is destiny.”

Chris: “i know but this is real, and your gonna be beautiful… hows the getting ready going?”

Scarlet: “im just doing her hair now Chris… don’t worry she will be recognizable when im through with her.”

YN: “just braid my hair Scar…”

Scarlet started putting in the french braid, she also intently listened in on yours and chris’ conversation. the braid was gonna be long but thats what you wanted. 

Chris: “i missed sleeping next to you last night!”

YN: “the bed felt not the same without you… but after today we wont ever have to sleep apart again. ill see you in 2 hours babe.”

Chris: “i love you…”

YN: “i love you too..”

—————————————-

with that the call disconnected and Scarlet had just finished the braid with its own twist and accessories. a little bit of hair bling. this was it, this now was the time. it was time for the rest of your outfit. this included now fully putting on your lingerie, and your shoes while Scarlet went to pull out your Dress. 

ah yes the dress that you had picked to specifically go with the superhero theme. the one dress to rule all dresses. 

you slipped into it and smiled as the fabric slid over your skin. 

you twirled several times loving how the dress felt and looked. now you and Scarlet had to walk to the ceremony location to make it there before the guys did. 

walking down the roads the photographer followed you ladies, photographing alot of really great shots. simple ones but still capturing your beauty and elegance. 

this was how you knew today would be perfect. Scarlets dress showed her black widow side very well. which was what u both wanted, especially for the skit. the avengers may not have been real but their counters are very much like their avenger counter parts.

this was the moment when the final approach to the venue was in effect. your day was now looking up. your only goal was not tripping over anything, that was the last thing you needed. 

photographer: “how bout it ladies we get some shots in the park? like on the path and mock shots?”

you and Scarlet knew exactly what kind of shots the photographer meant. 

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

Shot 1: the best friend proposal!

Shot 2: the maid of honor carries the bride!

Shot 3: the double cheek kiss. 

Shot 4: the forehead mash in sunlight!

Shot 5: maid of honor releasing her best friend into the light!

Shot 6: the ‘im never letting go of my girl’!

Shot 7: out of every walk we’ve taken this one will be the most important!

Shot 8: get into position its time!

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

this was it, the moment that was forever to change your life, you were lining up at the end of the path behind the trees. your only worry was there were clouds in the sky, seeming like they were gonna roll on top of ya’ll and pour it all down!

Scarlet: “i see the look in your eyes don’t worry girl! your wedding will go off without a hitch. now Robert is coming back here to walk you down that isle unless you want someone else to do it.”

Robert had come round the corner just as Scarlet had finished speaking...

Robert: “you know that im the best man technically im supposed to be up there with Chris! Scarlet why dont you walk YN down that isle!”

Scarlet could only stare at you as you took a peak behind the tree at the crowd of people, the press, and the one person who made this day yours. Chris, standing at the alter, where you of course would be walking to in the next 5 minutes but first you have to make the choice of your life.

Scarlet: “what do you say girl? ready to take the most important walk of our lives... together?”

You turned to face her and Robert as you exhaled the breath you took in.

YN: “get out there Rob before you mess up the plan and be ready to switch positions when we fully get up there!”

Scarlet: “and make sure the director is ready to marry his favorite avenger and his lady!”

Robert made a salute and walked back up the isle. you got into position and waited for Scarlet to join you behind the camoflauge. you both waited for the words of the Director to begin.

Samuel: “ladies and gentlemen, fellow agents, and of course the avengers! welcome to the wedding of the century! welcome to the wedding of Chris Evens & YN! also known to the public eye as Captain America & his Lady! please rise to honor the bride as she walks her way down the isle!”

the crowd rose you locked hands with Scarlet, the camoflauge opened up, you and Scarlet made it per-tenant to step into the light! the photographer who was behind you guys captured the first look of Chris and the Crowd at you and Scarlet!

Chris’ face was totally priceless! it was like he was looking at you for the first time all over again! Samuel just smiled knowing that you and Chris were truly gonna be the wedding of the century never mind that forever....

Samuel: “i say a round of applause is in order for the beautiful Bride!”

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

you walked beside Scarlet knowing that all eyes were on you, but you didnt care cause your eyes were on Chris. you were smiling all while Scarlet did everything in her power to keep you from falling flat on your face.

you and Scarlet got to your point of stopping, now it was time for the skit to begin.

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

Samuel: “whats wrong. are you gonna finish your journey forward?”

YN: “after i say one small thing... i discovered this a while ago but thought nothing of it. i have Stark blood flowing through my veins.”

the entirety of the avengers line-up were playing out their respected roles. 

Robert: “Steve did you know anything about this?”

Chris: “i had no idea... YN how much stark blood are we talking?”

(*Authors Note: i am writing this part as if the actors are using their roles for the speaking during the ceremony but the actors names will be the ones leading their lines... just so no one gets confused... any questions at all feel free to ask*)

YN: “im Tony’s long lost cousin on his dads side...”

the crowd went berserk sort of they started mumbling but silenced when you guys started talking again...

Hemsworth: “dont worry young one, for i Thor God of Thunder still support this union...”

Samuel: “i Nick Fury Director of SHIELD still support this union.”

Scarlet: “i Natasha Romanov still support this union.”

Mark: “i am Bruce Banner and i still whole heartedly support this union.”

Jeremy: “i Clint Barton still wholly support this union.”

the avengers gave 3 cheers and then it came down to your fiance and Robert. both of whom now approached you.

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

Robert: “after all this time, how long have you known?”

YN: “about 2 weeks, i was too scared to say anything about it. i didnt know how you would react. so i used my own skill of keeping things from people to avoid any angry situations before the wedding. im so sorry guys, ive lied to all of you... especially you Steve im so sorry, i wanted to tell you guys so badly but i knew if i did there was a chance that you guys wouldnt accept me after that.”

Robert: “i Tony Stark, humbly still support this union Cuz!”

Chris comes up to you and smiles!

Chris: “what do you say YN ready to finish the walk of our lives and make it to that alter?”

Chris of course held his hand to you and smiled when you took it, both of you now making it to the alter, Samuel now cleared his throat to continue his duties as the minister.

Samuel: “Marriage means alot of things to alot of people, but to the Avengers and to SHIELD it only means our family is growing, its expanding in more ways than one. Marriage is what unites the Hearts of Steve & YN and Marriage is what brings us all here today! now i already know how the avengers and SHIELD agents respond to this but now i have to ask everyone else, is there anyone in attendance to this wedding that objects to this marriage?”

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

a loud snap against the stone pathway echoed through the corridor... everyone turned to see Tom in Loki form. Chris held you while everyone else got into defensive around you guys. 

Tom: “i object to this disgusting union... ugh weddings make me sick... ah brother you need to work on your touch... that cell you all left me in was easy to escape from... now if you all would excuse me id like to get the girl and leave... so i can take all the knowledge she has inside her tiny little brain and build myself a portal back to somewhere that isnt here.”

Rob: “your not taking her anywhere, Loki! Avengers Assemble!”

Samuel: “SHIELD agents on the mark!”

Chris: “Thor can’t you do something!”

Hemsworth: “i can but if this works he will be sent to a stronger prison this time...”

Hemsworth shot his hand straight into the air and within moments a blast of thunder bolts came down from the sky... the thunder continued to rumble as the Avengers and SHIELD agents all stood guard while Samuel continued the wedding.

Samuel: “Steve & YN say your Vows we will make sure he doesnt approach any closer...”

Chris: “YN you have changed my life. you have changed my world. that day all those years ago made me realize that i had been missing out on. i love you YN i always have and i always will. i vow to on this love, honor, cherish, respect, and train with you every single day for as long as we both shall live in Sickness, in Health, for Richer, for Poorer, to Comfort you in Times of need, to Be there for you in all things, Always & Forever!”

YN: “Steve your my entire world, i wouldnt even be who i am today if it hadnt have been you id ended up falling for. i love you Steve i always have and i always will. i vow on this day to Love, Honor, Cherish, Respect & Train with you every single day for as long as we both shall live... In Sickness, in Health, for Richer, for Poorer, to Comfort you in Times of need, to Be there for you in All things, Always & Forever!”

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

Samuel pulled the rings out of his jacket pocket opening the box and holding it to you & Chris he said his next bit...

Samuel: “please repeat after me... one at a time of course... YN your gonna go first... please take Steve’s ring and repeat after me!”

you took the ring out of the box and held it to Chris’ finger... 

Samuel: “i YN...”

YN: “i YN...”

Samuel: “Take you Steve!”

YN: “take you steve!”

Samuel: “to be my husband!”

YN: “to be my husband!”

Samuel: “in life and death!”

YN: “in life and death!”

Samuel: “as an official Avenger for as long as we both shall live!”

YN: “as an official Avenger for as long as we both shall live!”

you slide the ring on Chris’ hand as Chris now takes your ring and mimics your actions...

Samuel: “now its your turn Steve. Please repeat after me! I Steve...”

Chris: “i Steve.”

Samuel: “take you YN”

Chris: “take you YN!”

Samuel: “to be my wife!”

Chris: “to be my wife!”

Samuel: “in life and death!”

Chris: “in life and death!”

Samuel: “as the most amazing avenger couple in the world!”

Chris: “as the most amazing Avenger couple in the world!”

Samuel: “for as long as we both shall live!”

Chris: for as long as we both shall live!”

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

Loki: “dont you dare finish that ceremony, or i swear i will reign hell down on the earth for as long as i shall live!”

Samuel: “it is my esteemed honor to present you both as Husband and Wife! Steve you may now Kiss your Bride!”

this of course was when Chris pulled you close and kissed you passionately! earning applause from the whole crowd! including the avengers and SHIELD agents which were not looking at you guys fully. 

then you and Chris turned your attention to Tom who was still really deep into his role.

Chris: “give it up Loki, you dont win today!” 

Loki: “thats what you think... isnt that right brother?”

Tom rose his staff to the sky, earning a loud thunder clap from above, which then turned into a lightning strike... you dove with Chris into the chairs of people who scattered, along with everyone who didnt know that something was definately fishy...

you coughed a bit after sitting up as Chris got up helping you... both of you being approached immediately by the rest of your team! Chris helped you dust off as you did him.

Chris: “are you alright?”

YN: “im fne but whoever did this is paying the dry cleaning... does anyone have any thoughts! Hemsworth, Hiddleston... what happened?”

Hemsworth: “no idea but to my knowledge id guess that it was a freak bolt of lightning...”

Tom: “id guess either what hemsworth said or our gifts and talents from our acting has suddenly become reality...”

you took one look around and then saw something out of the corner of your eye, you left Chris’ grasp and ran to the sight of the crash and dropped to your knees as it started to storm thunder, lightning, the whole entirety. 

the others of course followed you and found the symbol of the asgardian gateway on the ground where you all were once standing. 

Samuel: “i dont know what the explanation is for this but we need to re group and figure this all out and see if anything is different. lets get someplace safe first though...”

Chris: “Me and Robert will go with YN we all probably need to talk anyway... cause if im not mistaken YN when you said your first thing you were telling the truth... weren’t you?”

you couldnt form words, but was able to nod yes! 

Samuel: “we will meet at the set of the Avengers and figure all this out...”

Samuel and the others except for you, Chris and Robert left. you finally spoke after several minutes! 

YN: “my fortune cookie fortune came true... this is all my fault...”

Chris: “what did it say...”

YN: “when the hammer is lifted, thunder rolls, words of affirmation finished, while the truth realized.”

that of course is when Chris and Robert also spoke...

Chris: “for its within the thunder, disaster strikes...”

Robert: “for the world you know, is not it at all...”

You got up off the ground once more and turned to face Robert & Chris!

YN: “robert yes your my cousin, im sorry i didnt say anything to either of you... Chris i am happy we are married, but im kinda pissed that our plans got ruined. our fortunes all line up with eachother... who would seperate a prophecy into 3 seperate fortune cookies?”

Chris: “dont worry we will get answers but for now Rob do you want to say it or shall i?”

Robert: “lets not have this argument and just let YN say it!”

you faced the 2 guys most important in your life and held your hand in front of them... they placed theirs on top of yours as you smiled slightly...

YN: “Avengers Assemble!”

#kari's summer writing challenge

[aardvark-123]

Gensokyo Festival day 5: Fantasy

~Author’s Note~

We’ve all heard at least one fairy tale about Three Brothers. You know the drill: three brothers take turns to go on some sort of quest, but the eldest is a bit of a wanker, the middle brother loves the sound of his own voice and the quiet, unassuming younger brother turns out to be the one who actually succeeds. Well, this is not one of those stories. It’s a Touhou fanfic. Any more questions?

I thought not. On with the fable!

~The Three Little Vampires and the Wicked Witch~

Last Tuesday in a distant land, there lived two little vampires and one medium-sized vampire who had come for a sleepover. They lived happily in their big red house with a caring maid, a sleepy gardener and a librarian who wore only purple, knowing neither hunger nor fear.

On a morning like any other, the two little vampires and the one medium-sized vampire woke up to find the house quiet and empty. They didn't want to wake the gardener, so they crept downstairs and slinked into the dining room, but there was no breakfast waiting for them. There were no steaming bowls of miso soup, no scones dripping with cream and jam and no steamed rice piled high in its bowl.

The vampires were distraught. How would they ever survive when their tummies were empty? Flandre cried and Kurumi ran around in a blind panic, but Remilia came up with an amazing idea. They would make their own breakfasts.

Kurumi found a sack of flour and eggs in the pantry, so she set to work mixing up a batch of pancake batter. Flandre sawed up a loaf of brown bread and slathered it in butter, then she dusted the slices with sugar and drizzled them in lemon juice. Remilia roasted a chicken and seasoned it with pepper. After a couple of hours, the girls were all messy with honey and sugar and very satisfied indeed.

Once she was able to move again, Remilia decided to go and look for Sakuya. To her amazement, the silver-haired domestic servant was still in bed. Remilia climbed on top of the sleepy maid and gave her a vigorous shake.

Sakuya awoke with a tortured groan. "I don't think I can make you breakfast today, Milady..." she whispered.

"It's almost lunchtime, but go off I guess," said Remilia sympathetically.

"I'm afraid I do not feel so good," said Sakuya weakly. "I think it's the Black Death. Oh, Remilia, whatever will become of me?!"

Remilia was horrified. She ran downstairs and told her sisters the terrible news. They knew they could not let Sakuya pass away, but how would they cure her?

It was eventually decided that Remilia would set out to look for a cure. She packed a loaf of bread, some cheese, a flask of tea, some spare clothes, a bottle of sun cream, a diving suit, her parasol, a football, an alarm clock, her beloved teddy bear and some candyfloss in a rusty old wheelbarrow, which she gave to Meiling, and the two of them set off.

Remilia and Meiling trekked through the Forest of Magic. They hiked for an hour beneath the trees, over streams and past frolicking fairies, until they came to a mysterious house in a clearing.

Remilia knocked timidly on the door. After a few moments, an unexpectedly young and pretty witch opened it.

"Ooh! Hello there, dearie!" said the witch, trying and failing to sound venerable. "It's not often I get any visitors around these parts. Come in, come in! I'll have you for- I mean, um, I'll make you some tea!"

Remilia and Meiling followed the witch into her dining room, shoved some piles of books off the chairs and sat down. The wheelbarrow they left in the front garden, trusting that nobody would come and steal it. Marisa brought them piping-hot bowls of tea and sat down for a chat.

Remilia explained what had happened to her maid and begged Marisa for some help. Marisa thought about it for a few moments and decided to offer Remilia a deal.

"The truth is, these old bones aren't quite as strong as they once were," sighed Marisa, who had won the village arm-wrestling tournament on her twenty-second birthday last week. "I need a strong young lass like yourself to help out around the place. If you can weed the back garden and alphabetise my book collection, I'll give you an antidote for the Plague. If you should fail, I shall eat you and become immortal! Deal?"

Remilia was confident in her abilities, so she agreed without hesitation. She changed into her work-boots and dungarees, rolled up her sleeves and had a nap. Meiling sighed heavily and got to work.

An hour saw every last weed in Marisa's garden piled up on the compost heap. Remilia awoke to a tired, filthy, sweaty, fairly miffed Meiling shaking her out of her doze.

"The garden's done," declared Meiling. "Now I believe it's time for the books!"

"Of course! Just leave them to me!" said Remilia confidently.

"Help," whimpered Remilia, inspecting the four thousand books piled haphazardly in the spare bedroom.

They struggled valiantly, but Remilia and her companion managed only to line up two volumes of a trilogy in the proper order. As the sky grew dark, Marisa summoned Remilia to the kitchen, where she'd prepared a woman-sized pizza base dripping with tomato sauce and cheese.

"I hate to do this, dearie, but a bet's a bet." Marisa shoved an apple inside Remilia's mouth. "How should I cook you? Until golden-brown?"

Remilia desperately wracked her brains for a way out. She spat out the apple. "I'm, um, best served with tartare sauce? You should go out and buy some!"

Marisa shook her head. "Thank you, but I already have a jar. Now, if you'd care to lie down on the pizza base, I'll see if I've got a carving knife-"

Meiling hit Marisa over the head with a shovel, grabbed Remilia by the shoulders and carted her back home.

The following morning, Kurumi set out with a backpack full of food and survival gear, which she gave to Patchouli. After twenty agonisingly slow steps they came to the front gate, at which point Kurumi decided to carry Patchouli. It was slow going with Kurumi so encumbered, but she soon came to the ramshackle house in the clearing. Marisa met her with a face full of green make-up and a bandage on her head.

Marisa invited the travellers in for tea. Patchouli rather conveniently woke up in time to drink hers. Kurumi told the witch about their dilemma and how her elder sister had already tried and failed to find the cure, at which point Marisa smiled slyly.

"I'm sorry to hear about your sister, dearie," she declared. "I might be able to help you, however! If you alphabetise all my books and knit me a new pair of socks by sunset, I'll give you the cure for the plague. On the other hand, if you don't succeed..." Marisa licked her lips, smearing the green lipstick.

Kurumi got the message, but what other choice did she have? She accepted the witch's bargain.

Patchouli had been listening eagerly since she heard the word "books". She took Kurumi firmly by the hand and all but dragged her upstairs.

"Right," said Patchouli, her eyes shining, "we'll start by stacking up the books according to the first letter of the author's name! You take A and B, I'll do the rest. Move! Move! Move!"

Kurumi frantically rifled through the piles of books. Occasionally an A or a B would show up and she'd deposit it on the appropriate stack. Patchouli was a blur, moving thousands of books a second with only the occasional pause for breath. Kurumi had never seen her like that before. The cure was as good as theirs.

The next morning, Marisa found Kurumi and Patchouli curled up under a blanket in the spare room. Walls upon walls of books stretched out around them, all in perfect alphabetical order. It was an awe-inspiring sight.

Out of gratitude, Marisa made the travelers some bacon and eggs for breakfast. Still exhausted from the previous night's exertions they wolfed their meals down. Once she judged that enough time had passed to avoid seeming presumptuous, Kurumi broached the subject of her payment.

"Oh, of course, the cure! I daresay you've earned it," smiled Marisa. "Just one thing, though. Where's my pair of socks?"

Kurumi turned to Patchouli. "Go on, give her the socks!"

"Socks?" said Patchouli nervously. "But Kurumi, the socks were your job!"

"Oh, dear." Marisa sighed with unconvincing regret. She grabbed a box of sage and onion stuffing from under the table and took a handful. "Would you mind taking your bloomers off?"

"Wh-what?! No!" yelped Kurumi. "You can't eat me! Patchouli, do something!"

Patchouli thought for a moment and set the house on fire.

Meiling and Patchouli had their work cut out nursing the severely burned Kurumi back to health, so Flandre was on her own when she began her journey the following morning. It would be her first trip outdoors without Remilia or Sakuya by her side, but she was determined to do her very best. She packed an apple, some shears and a yo-yo in a small bag and headed out through the forest.

After an hour's walk, Flandre came upon a clearing full of charred, smouldering wreckage. A woman was crying on the blackened stone doorstep, her head in her hands.

Flandre sat down beside the witch and put an arm around her shoulders. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"Hm?" Marisa looked up. Her eyes would have been red and puffy if they weren't a faded greyish-green instead. "Oh, hello... Some good-for-nothing librarian burned my house down, as you can see. Now I've got nothing. Won't you please help me build another house from stuff that doesn't burn?"

Flandre thought about it. "I wish I could help you, but there's something I really have to do. My maid is dying of the Bubonic Plague and I'm the youngest sister, so if I don't find the cure, nobody will!"

Marisa's face lit up. "I know how to cure the plague! If you help me build a house I'll give you the cure within the hour!"

"Really...?" Flandre was suspicious. "You won't try to eat me if the house doesn't turn out that good, will you?"

"No, of course not! Cross my heart and hope to die!" said Marisa earnestly.

"All right, then! It's a deal!" Flandre stood up and stretched. "To start with, we need to clear up the wreckage." She focused her power on the burned corpse of the previous house. It vanished in a puff of red smoke. "There we go!"

Marisa stared at the empty flat area where her house had been, then at Flandre.

Flandre just smiled. "Right, then, I'll go and quarry some stone. Can you take care of the cement?"

#Touhou #gensokyofestival #Remilia Scarlet #Flandre Scarlet #Kurumi (Touhou) #Patchouli Knowledge #Hong Meiling #Sakuya Izayoi #Marisa Kirisame #fantasy #adventure #comedy #parody #fairy tale

[blog-in-a-corner]

TSOTBL - The More Than Unprepared Plan

Yeah that’s right two pages in one day babes

“C'mon Zane it'll be fun!” words Aphmau would soon regret.

It was a beautifully sunny day on Lovers Lane, it was a shame so many of its residents weren’t there to see it. The houses there were gorgeous, anyone would be envious of the people who actually lived there. One of the many residents, Zane, was heading towards a neighbor's house just now. Zane rung the doorbell.

“Kawaii~Chan!” Zane shouted as he pounded the door.

“Hold your horses!” She shouted from inside her house.

Kawaii~Chan finally came and opened the door for Zane.

“Finally.” Zane muttered.

“Sorry Kawaii~Chan took so long to get the door, Kawaii~Chan was getting some cookies out of the oven.”

Zane looked around the house, every inch of it was pink, from the floor to the ceiling. Almost all of the furniture was kawaii-themed. If Zane could, he would’ve thrown up by now.

“Doesn’t all of this pink ever give you a headache?”

“Nope!”

“Well, here are the ingredients you asked for.” Zane said, as he put a couple of grocery bags on the counter.

“Thank you Zane~Kun! Now Kawaii~Chan has everything she needs to make more desserts.” Kawaii~Chan said in glee.

“Why do you need so to make so many desserts anyway?”

“Well you see Zane~Kun,” Kawaii~Chan said, putting the piping hot cookies into the fridge. “Kawaii~Chan makes all sorts of pastries for the Knight Club, at least until Kawaii~Chan can find a new job.”

“Ah that’s right. I had forgotten you sold the maid cafe to Gene, Sasha and Zenix.”

“Yeah. After Aphmau~senpai sold me her half of the maid cafe, it became too much stress and work for Kawaii~Chan.” “Right, Aphmau sold her half after….well you know, her and Aaron’s break-up.”

“Yeah...I hope Aphmau~senpai feels better soon.”

“So do I…”

“So is Zane~Kun going back home?” “Ugh no. After Garroth left Dante moved in. Something about giving Travis more time with Katelyn.” “Oh yeah Kawaii~Chan almost forgot Travis~Kun and Katelyn~Sama started dating! Isn’t that wonderful?”

“I couldn’t care less about it. I’m going to go give Aphmau a visit.”

“Okay. Take care Zane~Kun!”

Zane left Kawaii~Chan’s house and headed towards Aphmau’s house.

“Hey Aphmau!” the coal-black haired male shouted,repeatedly knocking on the door. “Open up, it’s me, Zane!”

Aphmau’s running footsteps could be heard from outside the door.

“Give me a sec!” Aphmau yelled,hastily unlocking and opening the door. She was still in her pajamas.

“Took you long enough” Zane grumbled as he entered her house.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever” Aphmau said,closing the door behind him. “So, what brings you here?”

“Thought I’d pay you a visit.” Zane said “I’ve had just about enough of Dante for one morning.”

“Pshh, you need to be more patient.” the jet-black haired woman said.

“And he needs to learn to how to shut his mouth.”

Inside the house was decorated with purple and red furniture, however, things were in need of a good dusting. There were a couple of dying potted plants in the living room, leaves as dry as a bone, anyone who knew the first thing about plants would know they desperately needed water. An ice cream carton and a couple of smashed soda cans were lying just around a trash can that had seemingly been moved to the living room beside the couch. Zane noticed a few boxes lying around, quite a few of the picture frames that had been on the walls were neatly tucked into them.

Aphmau walked over to the couch, sat down and grabbed a fist full of chips from a family-sized bag, she seemed to have already been eating them earlier.

“So is this what you’ve been doing all morning? Just watching tv and eating junk food?”

“Yeah pretty much. Wanna join me?”

“Aphmau, listen, I know the break-up was hard but you can’t just-”

“We aren’t broken up. We’re just taking time apart.” Aphmau said bluntly.

“Right, sorry.” Zane apologized.

“It’s fine.” Aphmau said. “Besides, we should be talking about the REAL reason why you’re here.”

“What?” Zane said in confusion.

“You’re here because you miss Garroth!” Aphmau teased.

“Wh-No I don’t!” Zane yelled.

“Yes you do!”

“No I don’t! If anything, I’m glad he’s gone!” Zane retorted, crossing his arms. “One whole month without Garroth? I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”

“You’re just saying that because you don’t want to admit it!”

“Hmph.”

“Listen, why don’t we go up to the lodge some time this week so you can pay Garroth a visit?” Aphmau said.

“You just want to see Aaron.” Zane scoffed.

“No I don’t. We promised to give each other space and I’m not going to disrespect that.” Aphmau said. “I’m taking you because you miss Garroth, you just don’t want to admit it.”

“Well good luck because I’m not going.” Zane scowled.

“C’mon Zane it’ll be fun!” Aphmau pleaded.

“NO.”

“C’mon! I’ll make you cupcakes for a whole month.“

“Ughhhhhhh FINE, but we’re only staying there ONE day.” Zane pouted.

“Yay! It’s a trip then. I knew you missed your ol’ big bro!”

“Whatever, I’m just in it for the cupcakes.”

“Alright then. We leave in two days!” Aphmau cheered, blissfully unaware of the danger she and Zane were about to step into.

______________________________________________________________________________

Zane was walking around in a run-down library. Its walls,broken and filled with disgusting mold. The floor, littered with rotted books, torn out pages and cockroaches and beetles. There was a static feeling in the air. A bone-chilling breeze passed Zane, something wasn’t right. Zane noticed the more he walked through the library, the darker it became. He soon realized he was trapped in a maze. Walking turned into running. In a last desperate struggle, as the walls began to close in on him, he called for his brother.

“Garroth!” He screamed,hearing his own voice bouncing off the walls,quieter than at first.

“Zane?” His brother’s voice responded.

For a moment Zane had felt a spark of hope,his brother was there, Zane wasn’t alone.

“Garroth! Where are you?!” Zane yelled.

“Over here!” His brother shouted.

Zane turned around and saw his brother from across the room. He was so relieved. He bolted right towards him almost immediately.

…..but something wasn’t right.

Zane ran, with each step coming closer to the brother who loved him so much.

But something isn’t right.

“I’m right here for you little brother” His older brother shouted to him, arms spread wide, preparing to hug him.

Something is wrong. Very, very wrong.

But Zane seemed to notice a moment too late.

Once in the loving embrace of his brother,he realized.

It wasn’t a loving embrace. It was a trap.

And he….wasn’t his older brother. It was someone…or something else entirely.

“L-Let go of me!” Zane screamed,struggling to get out of it’s grip, but his efforts were in vain.

“Don’t worry, I'm doing you a favor.” The odd distortion said gleefully. “No one's going to miss you”

The distortion dropped Zane into a deep, black abyss, its words echoing in Zane’s mind until-

Zane woke up in a cold sweat. He sprung from his bed and looked around his room. He grabbed his inhaler from his dresser. He hadn’t used or needed his inhaler since he was thirteen,but there was something comforting about having it with him anyway. It was astonishing Zane had managed to keep it for so long.

“What a fucking nightmare” Zane muttered.”Maybe...maybe I do miss Garroth after all...”

Zane was awake for an hour before he was finally able to go back to sleep. He had become more comfortable with the idea of visiting his brother, after all, maybe he did miss Garroth. That’s what the dream meant, right?

//tHEY STILL GET LONGER I PROMISE!!! two page upload because yeehaw. Thanks for reading!//

#aphmau #TSOTBL #mystreet #writeblr #fanfiction #zane ro'meave #kawaii~chan

[lviolett]

Keeper - Chen Mafia AU

Keeper

Type: A Chen Fanfiction / Exo fanfiction

Genre: Mafia AU/ Angst/ Action/Romance

Pairing: Chen x OC | Jongdae x OC

OC - Kwang Minhee

Warning: Violence, Possible NSFW content

A/N: Since posts with links don’t appear on search (wth tumblr?) I have tagged each chapter with #chen keeper, so to find previous or next chapters, click on the tag to read them, thank you :)

-

Sypnosis: Taken by one of the biggest Korean mafias, Kwang Minhee tries her hardest to adapt to her new life. Under the watchful gaze of her capturer Chen, there is no way out. Soon enough, however, she becomes a target of a series of attacks before Chen takes it upon himself to protect her. With enemies and allies all around her and shocking revelations of her past, Minhee struggles to keep herself sane and not fall for her keeper..

-

Chapter 2

When Minhee woke to, she was in what seemed to be an infirmary somewhere, single white beds that one would expect to find in hospitals surrounded her, yet the dingy ceiling and windows bolted with metal boards let her know it wasn't a hospital.

She looked down to find herself in a long, loose-fitting t-shirt, acting as a hospital gown. Parts of her arms and legs were bandaged and her legs were restrained against the foot of the bed. She sat up with a jolt, panic washing over her as memories of what had happened presented themselves in her mind.

Thoughts such as 'Where am I?' What have they done to me?' and 'What are they gonna do to me?' ran through her head along with deep sadness but there was no one around to ask the questions and she sat there for what seemed like forever before someone walked through the door. She saw a man in a white coat enter and carefully close the door behind him, a clipboard in hand.

Seeing her awake, he smiled at her and she noticed the deep dimples of his cheeks. They really made him look innocent but she didn't think it would be the case considering he works with the kind of people who brought her here. But she also didn't understand the idea of a bunch of loan-sharks having an infirmary and doctors.

"How are you feeling?" asked the man, his voice soft as he proceeded to switch on a flashlight and hover over her.

"I'm..okay I guess," Minhee replied as he pulled out a tiny flashlight at her eyes and blinded her with the intense light.

He smiled as he informed her he was just checking her vitals before going back to his clipboard and writing something down.

Minhee decided it was the best time to ask him about her whereabouts.

Her voice felt a bit hoarse and she coughed which seemed to grab his attention.

"So..where am I? Who are you? And how long have I been here? Why are my legs tied to the bed?" she asked.

"Ah, well you're at the base of the Korean mafia. I'm Lay, the doctor here and you have been here for about 36 hours. Turns out, you were severely malnourished and starved and your body was pretty injured so it took you much longer to come to than a normal person who passed out from shock. Oh, and I was instructed to tie your legs in case you thought about escaping."

She gulped at the information. Korean mafia. Oh NO. there was no telling if they were ever gonna let her go now.

Her face might have shown her incredulous expression because the next thing Lay does is laugh slightly and says, "Yeah, you're most likely not getting out of here."

Her heart plummeted. His laughter had given her some form of hope but his words dashed them all down.

Just then, the door to the room opened and she saw the same man who brought her here enter. Now that she was not feeling like death, she only started to notice the features of his body.

Clad in all black yet again, he was of medium height and built, and she could see his muscles from under his shirt sleeve as he crossed his arms against his chest, walking towards Lay. He didn't look as dangerous as the day before but just the aura he exuded sent a red alarm through her mind and she started to concentrate on breathing steadily. Though as soon as he stepped in front of her beside Lay, her breath hitched. A shining piece of metal, that she guessed was a gun, gleamed at her from its place on the holster of his belt.

Terror seized her but before she could think of escaping, she heard him ask Lay, "She's awake huh? Fina-fucking-ly." she gulped and heard Lay say with a warning tone, "Chen, please." Then she heard the man, now she knows as Chen, huff before he directed a question towards her.

"What's your age?" Something about the tone of his voice rattled her and she felt anxiety growing in the pit of her stomach. Trying to control her anxiety, she must have taken too long to answer before he said with a harsh tone, "I asked you something!"

"I'm-I'm 19" she managed to answer, trying to not look directly at him.

He tilted her head up towards his face and she looked in his eyes as a smile formed on his face, a smile that made him look completely harmless.

"Then you're old enough," he said and she felt her blood run cold, realizing what he could have meant. Her eyes widened and her breath started coming out in short gasps as he let go of her face and he grinned happily before Lay grabbed him by his arm and took him to the far end of the room.

"What exactly are you doing Chen?" she heard Lay ask him, their attempt at whispering was turning out to be a failure since the room was completely quiet and she could hear everything.

"I'm doing my work. This is the mafia, what do you expect to do with girls like her?"

"Okay listen, the type of work you're planning to set her off to? She won't be able to handle it. That's years of malnourishment, she's not gonna survive it." Lay was explaining, and Minhee felt thankful to him, he was really trying to save her.

She saw Chen look her way and she immediately dropped her head, concentrating on the fabric of the bedsheet and she heard him sigh.

"Okay fine, but what do I do with her then, apart from killing her? She clearly can't fight, I don't trust her with information, doesn't have the loyalty to be a spy for us and, " he turned towards her, "Do you know how to hack or use computers at all?" he asked and she nodded a no, replying meekly, "I was never allowed any devices.."

He looked at Lay as if to say, 'See?' and Lay sighed and looked away.

"But.." Minhee began as she tried gripping at any last chance of a life, "I can clean. I'm-I'm very good at household work. I can clean every speckle of dirt and..and blood, anything really. And I can cook and wash too, just please.." she trailed off, unsure of what they were gonna say.

Lay then said, "She could become a maid here, but I think it's too dangerous for her over here." Chen nodded and said, "And she could mess up a lot over here."

"Why don't you make her as your maid?" Lay asked and Chen raised an eyebrow critically at him.

"What? You're barely ever there and it's more like a junkyard than a house. Plus, the place needs some seriously good cleaning after that group of guys you tortured over there," said Lay as he flinched at the memory of it.

Minhee was horrified, thinking about the kind of place she'd have to clean but it was better than whatever Chen was sending her off to do or die so she figured she'd take it. She held her breath as Chen pondered over the idea.

"Ugh, fine," he said with a groan and she felt hopeful about the tragedy that was her life.

"But," he warned as he walked to her bed, "any hint or thought of escaping, any step out of line, then you're dead meat. Do exactly you're told to do."

Minhee frantically nodded her head. She wouldn't dare.

"How long does she have to stay here?" Chen asked Lay and Lay looked at the clipboard in hand before saying, "Just give me a couple of hours for some rest and food and she'll be ready to go."

Chen nodded and looked her over one last time before he left.

As soon as the door closed behind him, She breathed a huge sigh of relief; that man was so unnerving, but she was glad he was giving her a chance. She turned to Lay and thanked him, he really helped her after all. Lay just shook his as he smiled, and then told her to get some rest before he left the room to arrange food for her, she assumed.

However, gloominess and anxiety surrounded her thoughts and she made a small prayer, thinking of her parents, her real ones, before she felt sleep take over her, hoping it would be better than what her life was so far.

A/N: I know the chapters are short but I’m in the middle of my exams so I’m not able to write as much as I want to. Still wanted to get this up! Chapters will be longer after next week. 

#chen keeper #exo #exo chen #exo jongdae #kim jongdae #jongdae #chen #exo fanfiction #exo fanfic #exo angst #chen angst #chen x oc #jongdae x oc #jongdae x you #exo mafia au #chen mafia au #kpop fanfic #kpop #kpop idols #kpop mafia au #sehun #suho #lay #lay fanfic #jongin #kai #kyungsoo #kpop fanfiction #d.o #exo fanfictions

[lovelycheollie]

Equally, Just Like Him (Jun)

“It was only a sunny smile, and little it cost in the giving, but like morning light it scattered the night and made the day worth living.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald

Words: 2545

SEJUN=JUN’S CHILD

Hello everyone! This a requested made by an anon, and I personally had fun writing it. Somehow I was motivated and stuff and I imagined how adorable it might be. Anyway! Please be reminded that Sejun is the name of Jun's child for this one idk I wanted to use Jun's name for the child's name as well

I hope you like it!

"Jun," you mumbled under your breath, eyes still closed and dozing within the covers. Your body shifted to the side as Jun stepped out of the bathroom with only a towel covering his lower torso. He rested his sight on your slumbering state. His hair was damp from the morning shower, droplets sliding on his nape one at a time and his skin smelling like jasmine with a musky touch in it. A warm smile grew on him as he walked closer to the bed and palmed your face.

"Hey, Y/N wake up," he whispered to your ear, making your shoulders jerk a little from the tickling sensation. But you didn't budge, instead you continued to dance with him in wonderland.

"Wake up sweetie."

"Ssh, it's too early to get out of bed," you replied with a falling tone on the end and covered your face with another pillow. Jun was sure you weren't in your usual self yet, and he was very fascinated by it.

"Too early? It's 8:25 Y/N."

Shocked upon hearing the time, you rose, sitting straight with bed-ridden hair and grabbed the alarm clock on the night stand. 8:25, he was right, and it was the horrible truth.

You heard him chuckle as you rushed to fix your bed and lock yourself in the bathroom. You had no time to scold him and ask about his laughing fit. "What's the rush for sweetie?"

"I have to drive our son to your mom's house by 9:00!" You grabbed the knob, opened the medicine cabinet and eyed its contents. You took out the tube of minty toothpaste and toothbrush and busied yourself with thoughts. One minute to brush, thirty second to rinse, then two minutes to wash your face, it'll be fine.

Jun calmly opened the closet door and strolled inside to see what he could wear on the fanmeet today. He was humming with rhythm on his feet, and the grin on his cheeks never faded as he took out a dark blue turtleneck shirt and black oversized coat. He knew you'd swoon on your toes at the sight of him wearing such, just like how you did when he kneeled in front of you.

"Is Sejun awake? Please, at least tell me you woke him up," you cried as you rinsed the foam off on your face. Your silk shirt became heavy as water seeped into it, and some of your hair got wet as well. You cursed in a very soft manner, grabbed the hair blower in the drawer and styled your hair into natural waves.

"He's awake, I served him a bowl of cereal and milk, toast on the side. He's probably watching some cartoons downstairs," a snicker echoed outside the bathroom once more. "But seriously, how can you oversleep on the day you'll visit mom?"

The door opened to the side, exposing a somehow fresher version of you in curls and in wet silk. You dashed forward to him, and Jun prepared himself for the worst. Your sight was away from him though, you were scanning the closet for decent clothes. Luckily for you, the white long sleeves and black pair of slacks were still available for today.

As you were to step outside the walk-in closet, Jun blocked the doorway, extending his arms right to the other side. "You shall not pass!"

"Good reference, but I'm in a hurry, so move aside."

"Nope, nuh-uh. You're not passing Y/N."

"Jun, come on! I have to leave before 9."

His fingers pointed at his right cheek as his face went closer to you. He winked, and like the fangirl you were, your heart took a leap and your cheeks were blossoming with a bright shade of red. "Give me a kiss first. You're my wife after all. Care to give a farewell kiss before I hit the road."

"What? Oh, right. You're having a fanmeet today. What time is it again?"

"What's up with you and the time? It's 10:30 a.m. but I have to meet up with the others by 9:30, so I should go, but I can't."

"And why is that?"

He pointed to his cheek once more, putting emphasis with the look on his eyes and the pout on his lips. Jun was clever. Charming. Cleverly charming, and all you could do was roll your eyes and plant your lips on him. As soon as you did, he was beaming with joy, his smile was a virus and it lightened up your mood.

Remembering the state you were in, your dearest husband moved to the side to make way for his beloved wife. The two of you were a couple of smiling idiots, him helping you out with your accessories and leaning for a kiss as he bid his goodbye.

So you went downstairs, your attention in a sweet trance as your heels clicked on the wooden floor. The red handbag dangled on your arms while you strolled to the living room. Your son Sejun was sitting in the middle of the sofa, in his striped shirt and pants, together with the stuffed panda his father gave him last night. He was the spitting image of Jun, and you loved them both equally.

His ears perked up as you went nearer to his side. His small head turned, and the straight, curious look turned into the warmest smile you've ever seen. The kid bounced up and down, showing you that he was ready for today's adventure.

"Mama, mama! We're going to grandma's house today right?" He said between breaths as you turned the TV off and sat across him. You settled the empty glass and bowl on the tray and walked towards the kitchen. Your child trailed from behind, still holding on the stuffed toy.

"Yes Sejun. I see you finished your breakfast. I'm proud of you."

He then showered you with his loving grin, the smile glittering with the rows of his pearly whites. "You should eat too mama."

"Oh I ate already Sejun, now hold mama's hand. We're leaving now,"you told him and he obeyed. His little hand rested on your own, walking to the garage as the maid opened the gates for you. Sejun climbed to the back, his 6 year-old self wearing the seatbelt on his own while staring at your reflection.

You turned to your wristwatch, 8:45 a.m., you still had 15 minutes to spare. You thanked the heavens for giving you some time, and your husband as well for waking you up that early. The car's engine hummed in the hushed state of the morning, and soon the two of you were driving on the main road.

Seventeen's music was showcased in the morning radio as your child listened attentively and looked at the passing scenery outside. Sejun's gaze fell on the empty passenger's seat in front, then to you. "Mama, where is papa?"

"Oh, well, he has to be with your uncles for today. They're meeting their fans."

"Fans? The one that papa calls carats?"

"Yes Sejun, and he has to spend a day with them since they are his friends."

"Oh, can we go too? I want to see papa and the carats!" You took a glimpse of your child on the mirror and back to the road again.

"Sejun, papa is going to be busy today. Plus grandma is waiting for us-" a ringtone excused itself within the talk and you figured that your mother-in-law was trying to reach you. Your thumb pressed answer and turned it to speaker mode.

"Hello?"

"Yes mom, it's me Y/N. I'm with Sejun now, we're on our way."

"Oh my, where are you?"

"In the main road, why mom?"

You heard some sighs on the end of the line. "I have to cancel today's plans. I have to go to the mall and buy some furniture because this dog of mine tore some leather again. I'm so sorry dear."

"It's okay mom," you looked at your son once more. He wore a sad pout on his lips, eyes a little bit teary and all. You knew that look very well from a certain man, and he just had to pass it on to his son. "Sejun wanted to go and visit someone today anyway."

"I see, then we'll just see each other around some other time. Goodbye Y/N, take care."

"Yes mom, see you soon," as you pressed the red button on the screen, you drove to the nearest u-turn and turned to your son's delight. The sparkle on his eyes appeared again, the kid turning into a whirligig of energy.

"Mama, are we going to see papa?"

"Yes Sejun, but first we have to make a short stopover."

The thirteen men sat on the edge of their seats, smiles plastered on them and giggles were heard here and there. They were dancing and singing together at the center hours ago, showing off their talent, laughing together with the fans and making them giddy and excited. The hall was filled with melody and stunning visuals as the relationship between Seventeen and carats bloomed.

They took a breather from the fun-filled chaos for an hour and filled their stomachs, giving them enough energy to last for the whole afternoon. Soon, they were back to the front again, sitting in one line and holding on to their markers to greet their loyal fans.

Jun was the first in line since it was his job to properly thank the carats, or he believed that it was his task. His grip on the marker was firm, grinning and pleasing every carat with his soothing yet sexy voice. The glitter in his eyes never wavered as he wrote his messages and posed for the cameras. He was a professional at these kinds of things. He'd send them off to the next member beside him, aiding them while holding their hands like how a prince would. But he figured that if you were there, he'd never let you off with the others.

As he thanked and guided the fan to Wonwoo who sat beside him, a little boy wearing a Jun headband presented their album and gave him a box of his favorite doughnut. What made Jun's heart flutter more was when he learned that the kid was no other than his own little Sejun. His eyes became watery as he looked lovingly to his son. The kid was on the tip of his toes, offering the album with a grin, just like his father's. "Hello papa!"

"Sejun! Is this for me?"

"Yes it is. Please sign this album for mama!"

"What are you doing here?"

"Well," he shifted his foot to the back of his other leg and fiddled with his stuffed toy. "Grandma had to go somewhere today, so I asked mama if we could come and visit you!"

"Where is mama?" He motioned his hands in a way to tell his son to come to him. Sejun followed his father, and was awarded by letting him sit on his lap as he signed the album. Fans were head-over-heels with the duo, squealing and taking pictures of the two. The fansite noonas focused their lenses to the young boy and his father who took their sweet time.

The kid then pointed at the far back of the crowd, directly to you who smiled along with the managers. "Mama is over there. Hi mama, I'm with papa!"

"Oh, it's little Sejun!" Wonwoo exclaimed and took the attention of the other members. They waved their hands to him, fascinated by Jun's carbon copy. Jun settled the child on the floor to greet his uncles and pose with them. And as you watched the others having fun onstage, you heard a ring and checked your phone to see Jun's text for you.

The managers beside you hooted and cheered, saying that your family was perfect and such, enough to make you flustered as you accepted their compliments. You saw Jun in the middle of the stage and carried his son with the microphone on. "This is my son Wen Sejun, isn't he handsome like me? My wife is over there! Y/N! I love you, thank you for visiting!"

Everyone's eyes were on you, grinning and applauding as you turned into a blushing mess. Carats knew that the man was married, and even before you introduced yourself as his wife to the public, they knew Jun was in good hands, and that he was going to be happy. In fact, he was lucky to be married to you and to be called as your husband.

After the fanmeeting, Jun quickly ran to you, together with Sejun and the other twelve. You were still taken aback from earlier, and being the center of attention was still new to you and made you nervous. The kid ran to you and hugged your knees while hiding from his father who carried the stuffed toy and the signed album.

"You know you could've just asked me to let the others sign this album right? Did you really have to make Sejun fall in line?" Jun asked as he pinched your reddened cheeks.

"Sejun wanted to surprise you, plus he wanted to experience the feeling of waiting and falling in line."

"Did we surprise you papa?" Your child asked, and all that Jun could do was carry him once more and press his cheeks to his own.

"Yes, you and mama did. Thank you for visiting Sejun, papa loves you and mama too," he looked at you and winked, the members whistled as he locked his hand with yours. "Now let's go and eat! Uncle Woozi said he'll treat us today!"

And so, the fifteen of you celebrated the success of the event in a private karaoke room, chomping and eating to your heart's content together with the child you called your treasure. Sejun was charming and talented, attracting the hearts of all especially his parents'. As he sang his father's favorite song with his grown uncles, you and Jun shared a quick peck, hiding from Sejun's wandering eyes.

"You took me by surprise earlier Y/N. Really, you always keep on making me love you more."

"Oh geez, it's all Sejun's idea. But if he's happy with it, then I'm happy as well."

"You're too good to be true, Mrs. Wen. I'm lucky to have you as my wife."

You looked and stared at his brown orbs as you felt the same. You sneaked another kiss on his lips once more before making a satisfied sigh. Oh how lucky you were to have this man as your child's son and your husband.

"The feeling's mutual Jun. And I'm thankful to have you as well. You're not a bad father after all."

"You have to be kidding me-."

"And I love you."

He chuckled and rested his head on you. Another afternoon was perfect because you and Sejun were right beside him. And within his thoughts, he wished that the day didn't have to end. But if it was to end, he wanted to see the hues and the setting sun with the two people he loved the most.

"I love you too, and Sejun too. And I'll never stop loving the two of you."

#seventeen #seventeen scenarios #svt #sebeuntin #sebeuntin scenarios #seventeen imagines #wen junhui #jun #junhui #seventeen jun #seventeen junhui #jun fluff #jun scenarios #jun imagines #junhui fluff #junhui scenarios #junhui imagines #svt imagines #svt fluff #seventeen fluff #wen junhui scenario #wen junhui fluff

[otakugirlkrod]

Three years have passed

A/N: I’m sorry for the delayed but here I leave more Gajevy drama for all of you. Special thanks to @ranunculus-fox for helping me. BTW. I think I should change the genres of this fanfic XD Which ones would you think it will suit more the fic? Also, Sorry if I make Makarov a little out of character.   Anime: Fairy Tail

Couple: Gajevy Rated: T Status: On going Summary : Tired of being “the damsel in distress”, Levy left the guild without telling anyone except Master Makarov. She spent three years far away from Magnolia learning new spells to improve her skills. But finally, is time to return home. What’s that strange magic she learned? 

Chapter One:https://otakugirlkrod.tumblr.com/post/158442724445/three-years-have-passed

Chapter Two: https://otakugirlkrod.tumblr.com/post/159584893235/three-years-have-passed

Chapter Three: https://otakugirlkrod.tumblr.com/post/159780767225/three-years-have-passed

Chapter Four: https://otakugirlkrod.tumblr.com/post/160171984995/three-years-have-passed

Chapter Five: https://otakugirlkrod.tumblr.com/post/162149897065/three-years-have-passed

Chapter Six: Some pieces of the puzzle

The kiss was delicate, but brought warm feelings to both of them. Levy’s soft and warm lips responded to Gajeel’s actions. He didn’t know what exactly happened and why he acted that way but he was sure that he tasted a salty tear in her lips. This new feeling made Gajeel feel different. Why are we doin’ this? Gajeel thought as he opened partially his eyes and saw every little detail in her face. Her eyes were shut and some trails of tears were visible in her delicate skin. He admired every detailed and closed his eyes again. Gajeel held Levy by the shoulder and deepened the kiss.

Levy groaned and pulled apart abruptly. “I-I’m so sorry. I-We shouldn’t...” She got up of the couch but stopped in her tracks. She looked down and noticed that Gajeel was holding her left arm.

“Where ya’ think you’re going?” He looked at her intensely.

Levy looked away and said. “It’s not your obligation to help me Gajeel…” She sighed. “You don’t have to feel sorry for me.”

Gajeel tilt his head to the right and looked at her confused. “What the hell are ya’ babblin’ about?”

Levy looked directly to his crimson red eyes. “You don’t have to do any of this.”

“What exactly?”

“I know what are you doing, Gajeel.” She released her arm from his grip. “You don’t have to pretend you have feelings for me.”

His eyes widened. Feelings? ... For Levy? He thought as he got up of the couch.  “Oi! Stop acting like a stubborn child.” Gajeel held her again but this time by the shoulders.

Why…Levy thought. Her hazel eyes filled with sadness.  “Just stop it already!” She shouted. The black and purple mist started emerging once again and her eyes color disappeared.

Gajeel noticed this in a blink of an eye and shook her. “GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!”  Levy placed a hand in his abdomen gently. “What the-” Gajeel looked down at the touch but didn’t expect what happened next.

Levy’s hand turned to an iron sword and pierced him. “AAGHH!” Gajeel screamed and coughed some blood.

Pantherlily heard the disturbing noise and went downstairs. What he saw made him stay still. He couldn’t believe it.“GAJEEL!”  The exceed shouted.

Gajeel looked at Lily transforming in his battle mode. “We have to stop her.” Gajeel heard him say as Lily drew his sword out and activated his aera, going towards Levy.

“NO! LILY! DON’T!” Gajeel shouted to the exceed but Pantherlily throw himself at Levy. Holding her down on the ground with his sword in her neck, Lily looked directly to her white eyes.

Gajeel could finally breathe since the sword was out of his body but he still coughed blood to the floor. He placed a hand in the injury and placed pressure to stop the bleeding.

A furious Pantherlily, yelled at Levy: “STOP THIS AT ONCE! THIS IS NOT WHO YOU ARE!” Levy’s eyes returned to normal.

“I’m so sorry, Lily” She looked at the exceed and placed both hands on the sword trying to break free. “I didn’t mean to.” She stopped talking when she saw her hand covered in blood.

“Are you alright?” Lily asked as he got off of her. She nodded.

The events ran in a matter of seconds in her memory. Gajeel…She whispered. She looked at him “Gajeel!” She rushed to his side.

The exceed flew to them. “Let me help you.” He held Gajeel and went upstairs.

“Please, place him on the bed.” Levy ordered Lily and he did what he was told.

Levy held a cloth and a recipient with water in it. She soaked the cloth and squeezed it to remove the excess water. She lifted Gajeel’s shirt and placed the cloth in the bleeding wound.

“Don’t worry too much about this, Shorty. It was just a pinch.” Gajeel tried to erase the look of guiltiness in her eyes.

“The magic felt threatened. That’s why I attacked you.” Levy said to him as she kept cleaning the wound. Gajeel was feeling a little tired so he closed his eyes. “This may require a few stitches.” Levy looked at him but was surprised at how peaceful and relaxed his face looked when he sleeps.  

She was able to work with the stitches and heard Gajeel groaned. “I’m sorry for that.” She murmured, knowing he couldn’t hear it because he was already asleep. For the final treatment she placed a gauze pad over the wound and some bandages around his abdomen. That’s it. She sighed. That’s the least I can do.

Lily was at Gajeel’s feet curled and already snoring. She looked at them and smiled. I guess I should be doing the same. She placed her arms on the edge of his bed and rested her head in them, falling to sleep slowly.

The next day, Lily woke up and looked around the room. He noticed that Levy was working on some runes in the bedroom.

“May I ask, what are you doing?” Lily asked vaguely, still a little sleepy.

“Oh,” She jumped. “Good morning Lily. I already make some coffee downstairs if you want.” She smiled at the small exceed.

Pantherlily got close to the runes. “What are they for?”

“I’m taking some precautions. When I finished I won’t be able to use any kind of magic in here or in the house at all. That would control both types of magic I possessed.” She explained to Lily. “I don’t want to hurt any of you.”

“Will that affect Gajeel’s and mines too?” Lily asked.

“Oh no, it’s just me. In case you need to unlock the runes, this will tell you what to do.” She bent down and gave Lily a paper with instructions.

“I’ll lend you my pen as soon as I finished.” She looked at Gajeel. “I hope he gets well soon.”

“I thought you knew him fairly well to know that he’ll be just fine.” Pantherlily activated his aera. “He will have a special recovery since you were the one treating him.” He mocked her and left the room.

“LILY!” Screamed a flushed Levy. She finished her masterpiece and just like that her pen fell to the floor and she stopped sensing her magic. She picked up the pen and placed it in Gajeel’s drawer. Am I supposed to feel this dizzy?

Meanwhile in Oak Town, a dark guild was hidden in the deepest and darkest part of the forest. The Master is a cruel and despicable human being. He was wearing black shirt and pants with a dark green cape. His long black hair was tied in a low side pony tail. The hoodie covered his face but his sharp teeths didn’t go unnoticed.  

“Well, Katsumi, I gotta admit you did an excellent job with those Fairy Tail mages. Now tell me, it was her. Right?” The guild master ask to the black haired woman that fought against Team Gajeel in their mission in Onibus Town.

The woman nodded and continued. “Indeed. Even though the maid told me her characteristics, it was obvious to figure it out since the magic power was overwhelming.”

“What about the book?” He grinned.

“Here it is Master.” Katsumi walked towards him and gave him the “Solid Script Magic Book”.

He turned his gaze to the red-headed women on his left. “Tell me more about her, Sachiko.”

“It seems Miss Levy is having a hard time trying to control the magic. And for what I heard, she already did a number with her teammates in one of the jobs she took when she got back to Magnolia.” The woman answered.

He smiled. Perfect. “According to what are you saying it seems the ancient magic is already taken over her. That’s great. We need to keep targeting her. That’s the only way we can have her and obtain the magic power Hana locked in that cave. If only she knew her stupid little granddaughter increased its strength.” The master laughed.

Katsumi turned to the Sachiko and asked. “Did Yasu notice something suspicious?”

“That’s actually a good question. Did he notice his beloved and loyal maid helped the enemy?”

The read-headed woman answered. “No Sir. I told him I was going to meet my family.” She looked to the ground. I’m sorry I betrayed you Master Toshiro, but this is the only way to get revenge on the McGarden family. I won’t forget that Hana took my parents life’s in the battle with the town.

“That fool didn’t even noticed that you were a spy these whole time. Hahahahaha!” He laughed maniacally. “Well, then I think is time you teach me “Instans Mortem”, Sachiko.”

“Ok Sir” She nodded.

“Now then, let’s get to the second part of the plan.” The Master said, taking off the hoodie revealing his piercing red eyes.

“You must remember that little McGarden is with Gajeel, and he is a tough opponent. I had a rough time dealing with him.” Said Katsumi.

“The former mage of Phantom Lord?” The guild master asked. Katsumi and Sachiko nodded. “If that’s the case,” He intertwined his fingers in front of his face. “Then we should eliminate him first.” An evil laugh was heard in the whole dark forest.

Gajeel woke up and looked to his side. He saw Levy sleeping at his side. “Lev’”

Levy heard his raspy voice and woke up instantly. “What happened? Are you alright?” She asked worriedly.

Gajeel chuckled. “Ya!  I’m fine.” He smiled. “ Come ‘ere.” He told her blatantly. Levy’s face turned red. “Relax, I’m not gonna eat ya.” Gajeel mocked her. “Unless you want me to.”

Levy wasn’t expecting such request. “Gajeel!” Her face turned redder. “Ummm…I-I know but-” She stuttered.

“It’s not like we haven’t sleep on the same bed.” He teased her.

Flashback

Gajeel felt her hand on his firm chest, applying a little pressure to it to push him down gently. He held his breath. Leaving her hand there, she snuggled her head to his shoulder to hide her blush and said: “I want to rest a little.” In a low, embarrassed voice she asked: “Would you stay here for a few moments?” Letting out the air in his lungs, drops of sweat appeared on his forehead as his heart quickened. “Umm…okay…” 

End of Flashback

“It’s not the same.” Levy said looking away. “Do you need help getting up?” She changed the topic quickly.

He smiled. “I can do it on my own, Shorty.” He sat on the edge of the bed.

“Come on Gajeel. Don’t be rude.” She stretched out her hand, offering him some help.

He took her hand and smirked. “Huh?” Levy asked.

Gajeel pulled her to him. “Wait” She said as she rested her free arm on his thigh and opened her eyes.

Levy noticed that Gajeel was looking at her lips. “Why the red face?” He teased.

Their faces were so closed. “Gajeel…” She remembered the kiss they shared at the couch and closed her eyes nervously, but what he did next made her stay still.  Gajeel moved forward and kissed her forehead.

Pantherlily walked in. “Ahem. I didn’t meant to interrupt such intimate moment, but I thought that maybe you may need my help.”

They separated quickly. Gajeel rubbed the back of his neck. “Nah, don’t worry Lil’.”

Pantherlily looked at Levy. “Master is downstairs.” Levy’s eyes widened. “He wants to talk to you.”

Would I be able to face him? Levy thought

“You should go.” Gajeel ordered her. He knew Levy needed Makarov, but she was afraid of being rejected.

As soon as Levy’s footsteps were heard downstairs, Makarov looked at her and asked. “Anti-magic runes?”  Levy didn’t dare to look at her father figure. She kneeled before him.

“My child, get up.” He said to her quietly as he took her hand.  “There is no need for you to do this. I’m not afraid of you, none of your friends are. You should know by now that Fairy Tail is not only a guild. It’s a family.”

“But, Lucy, Wendy-” Levy started.

Makarov interrupted her. “They are alright. They want to help you and we are all waiting for you to come back.”

Levy hugged him and started crying. “I’m so tired. I don’t want to keep crying. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I don’t want to be alone again.”

Makarov hugged her back and tried to console her. “You are not alone, my child. Fairy Tail will always love you and will always be with you wherever you are. I know Hana would be proud of the beautiful woman you have become.”

Levy’s eyes opened and broke the hugged. “You knew her?”  She asked Makarov as she wiped away the tears with her hand.

“Of course I did. Before naming me master of the guild I went on a job in which was to protect the people in those towns nearby during the war. I met her and I was able to know your family secret. It was unfortunate that she didn’t warned your parents when she could. Also, her bravery was known all around Fiore. It’s not easy to challenge and defeat the soldiers that attacked the nation during that war.”

Levy listened carefully to every word he said. “Your parents thought the magic you possessed now was good and pure. That’s why they encouraged you to unlock it to protect your friends when the time came, but when they noticed that it was the cause of Hana and your ancestor’s death, they regret telling you that. They knew your curiosity won’t stop on the bedtime stories they told you.”   

His word took Levy by surprised. “Why didn’t they tell me the truth?” Her hands clenched tightly to her chest.

Makarov looked away. “That’s when the tragedy happened, my dear. A despicable dark guild which beliefs are to wipe out any order in this world, was searching for the ancient magic, but your parents didn’t want such powerful magic to be in such evil hands. They refused to tell them where the cave was and the dark spells the solid script magic had. Not long after the massacre, I found you. ”

Levy realized something. Wait a minute. I heard that phrase before.

Flashback

Yasu looked at Levy. "This Solid Script Magic book is not an ordinary one. It contains the most powerful spells of this type of magic. Including the dark and forbidden ones." He leaned forward putting his arms on the edge of the table. "I'm pretty sure a skilled mage will try to sneak in tonight during the celebration to get this book in her hands. The small dark guild she belongs to are after every type of spell that eradicates one's life force. Their beliefs and motto is to 'cleanse' this world of the people who try to maintain any semblance of order. In this book is a simple yet powerful spell called 'Instans Mortem'."

"…Instant death…" Levy murmured a little terrified.

"Correct." Yasu confirmed, looking directly into Levy's hazel eyes. "From what I've heard, two members of that guild have already mastered it, which is why we have to be very careful."

End of Flashback

Instans Mortem…Levy murmured.

“What was that?” Makarov asked.

“Nothing.” Levy answered calmly. The same guild who stole the book was the one who killed my parents. Why they want to have this magic? She shook the thought out of her head. “Thank you so much, Master.” She gave Makarov a smile.

TBC

#ftfanfics #fairy tail fanfiction #gajevy #gajevy fanfiction #gajevy fanfic #gajevy fic #tyhp #Levy McGarden #Gajeel Redfox #phantom lord #oak town #fiore #guild #Makarov Dreyar #Solid Script Magic #iron dragon slayer #Dragonslayer #gazille #levi #gazlevy #gale #otakugirlkrod #pantherlily #exceed

[edenfindley-blog]

Year 1: Chapter 1

“Now remember, never grab your weapon by the blade. The hilt is there for a reason, understand?”

The little girl nodded, shifting her grey eyed gaze from the Coven of Eternity soldier to the dagger on the table, her long burgundy hair moving with the ocean breeze. The five year old reached out her pale hand and picked up the dagger by the hilt, holding it up steadily as not to cut herself. There were scratches on her arms and hands from the first few tries without warning.

The girl had been training with this guard in secret. This wasn’t exactly legal as people did not want to influence her decision on which coven to join once she was old enough. But without a Nester to take care of her and no powers developed, the guard felt that she needed to know how to protect herself. The Nester who gave birth to the girl died in the process. The girl made it out just fine, raising herself around her village at the edge of the Zumka forests.

“Have your powers shown up yet?” the guard, Stephen, asked, positioning her hands into a blocking position.

She silently shook her head, her little boots digging into the sand.

“You know, some day there is going to be a place where you will be taught combat. And not illegally. Tons of kids will learn how to defend themselves so they don’t have to be scared, even if they do have magick!”

She smiled, looking up from the jagged blade for just a split second. “You think so?” she wondered hopefully.

“More than that. I know it will happen. It’s too great of an idea to pass up!” He smiled at her through his black helmet as her eyes widened with excitement.

“I want to go there. I want to be just as good as you!” She exclaimed, swinging the weapon out and back in.

“Oh you will be. You’ll be even better than me. Now let’s perfect that swing before-”

Screams sounded from across the water. A blue flare flew up into the sky, coming from the Eternity Coven’s location.

“N-”

A man flew into Stephen, knocking him to the ground. A few more appeared, surrounding the two witches. The little girl’s hand shook as she clutched the dagger. A man approached her and she swung, cutting into his ankle, just enough for him to pause. Stephen conjured seaweed up and out of the water, grabbing a few men, and pulling them under. But many more came. It was difficult for the guard to protect the girl, let alone himself.

Stephen looked into the petrified girl’s eyes, and realised who he had to save. “Take the dagger and go, Kenna! Run as far and fast as you can go! Run, Kenna! Now!”

Kenna did as she was told, only looking back to see the men circle around Stephen, seeming to swallow him.

“Kenna!!!”

---

“Kenna! Kenna, wake up this instant!”

The fifteen-year-old gasped awake, drenched in sweat. She looked up from her quilt to see the caretaker, staring down at her with green, aged eyes.

“I’m sorry, Lady Caterina,” Kenna apologized,

The woman smacked the girl. “What is wrong with you?! You woke up the other girls with your insufferable sobbing!”

Kenna looked around the bedroom, the floor and walls beige and the windows had white cotton curtains. Each bed was rickety and old, either a swamp green or brown. Her roommates, girls thirteen-years or older, stood quietly in the doorway, dressed in their robes and ready for the day, with circles under their eyes.

“I apologize, Lady Caterina. I had a nightmare.”

“Oh, you had a nightmare?” she teased.

“Ghost Girl is scared? Poor baby!” said the other girls, joining the caretaker.

Lady Caterina slapped Kenna again. “Get downstairs! Wash the dishes and eat the scraps! You missed breakfast and I am not making you a new meal!”

“Yeah, Ghost Girl.”

“Have fun!”

“You deserve those scraps!”

The girls were merciless with their teasing. Most of them were even younger than Kenna but their words still hurt. You would think after ten years Kenna would be used to this. But with no one to comfort her, every word coming out of the girls’ mouths felt like another needle, sinking into her skin until it was buried deep into her mind. Tears glistened at the corners of her eyes. She quickly wiped them away upon entry of the kitchen just in case the scullery maid was present. Of course she was not, being that she drank herself to sleep after every meal behind the large building.

The kitchen was dark and damp, the only light seeping through the small windows from outside. The cobblestone walls and floor were cold, freezing even. The dark oak shelves were covered in several layers of dust, riddled with moldy breadcrumbs. The counters next to the oven were littered with food and dirty dishes. A cauldron sat in the middle of the small kitchen, filled to the brim with water ready to be boiled. In the back corner there was a bucket of dirty water and a rag on the floor next to it.

Kenna gathered up the dishes off the counter, took them over to the bucket one pile after another, and began washing. Each image from her dream replayed in her head as she scrubbed at the plates and cups, every moment still clear in her mind, haunting her. She remembered that guard very distinctly, even if she didn’t see him in the spirit world.

As a hedge witch, Kenna could travel over the hedge (the boundary between her world and the spirit world) to the spirits. She did this quite often which is how she got the name Ghost Girl from her peers.

Once every dish was scrubbed and dried, Kenna placed them back on the counter and the left the kitchen. She climbed back up the stairs and into her shared bedroom. Kenna grabbed the robes which were long and black with a silver trim. Once dressed, she turned to a dusty old mirror.

Kenna was very tall and skinny. Her hands were thin and covered in a layer of pale skin. She had large grey eyes, plump lips, and a small nose covered in freckles. Her once long burgundy hair was cut short as ordered by the orphanage, only reaching the base of her chin.

Kenna laced up her grey boots and trudged down the stairs.Children could be heard running through the halls, giggling and shouting. Two girls, about ten years old, had their ears pressed up against Lady Caterina’s office door, perhaps waiting for an adoption. The scullery maid was back in the kitchen, seeming to be a bit tipsy and she knocked over several pots and pans that were sitting on the counter. It was too loud and rambunctious. Kenna swiped her right arm across her chest and disappeared in a cloud of blue smoke.

---

Kenna walked across the wooden floor which was almost invisible in the spirit world’s darkness. The people from her world were still visible, silver lights swimming through the black, their features only identifiable through a spirit’s gaze. Among the silver were white lights; the spirits, each wrinkle and freckle visible. Many of them were children, dying of sickness that would have been treated if Lady Caterina didn't have to pay. Others ended it themselves thinking they would never get adopted or go to the school.

Other spirits were adults; past scullery maids, parents who tried to adopt a child but somehow insulted Lady Caterina, parents watching over their children. Kenna recognized some of them, the ones who came around often and the ones who died here. If someone were to die in a building, they would never be able to leave, doomed to haunt the building for the rest of its being. Only when the building was destroyed would they be set free.

One spirit, a very old witch with wrinkles covering her body, long curly hair, and a large dress, floated toward Kenna who glowed blue.

“Hello, Kenna!” the spirit greeted with her warm smile which always made Kenna feel safe.

“Hello Mrs. Warren. How have you been?” Oh how Kenna wished to hug her.

“Now, we both know that’s not what you’ve travelled over the Hedge for. I’m sorry Kenna, no has seen them.”

“None of the three?” Kenna said, her eyes agleam with hope. She was shaking, barely enough to notice.

“I’m sorry, Kenna.” And she was. Every time Mrs. Warren turned up empty handed, she was sorry for the girl.

“I…” she sighed, her words shaking as she spoke. “I know. I should probably leave now.”

Kenna struggled to hold back tears as she lifted her right arm.

“When will you be back?”

She looked over her shoulder at the old woman. “In a couple days. To give you more time.”

Mrs. Warren winced, feeling the sting of her words, but nodded and Kenna was gone

---

The other children of the orphanage were outside, Lady Caterina keeping watch. As soon as Kenna walked out the door, Lady Caterina had her wrist.

“Where have you been?!” She shouted, nostrils flaring.

The went deathly quiet as the witchlings stood and gawked at the two of them, only the birds, bugs, and toads still whispering among the dew ridden grass.

“I… I was-” “She was probably playing with her ghost friends,” a boy teased, causing a wave of laughter to flow over the children.

“Silence!” Lady Caterina shrieked. “Kenna! Go get the post and when you return, scrub the toiletries until they are spotless! Understand?!”

Kenna gave a small nod and attempted to pull away from the wretched woman’s grip which only grew tighter.

“Understand?!”

“Yes, Lady Caterina,” Kenna squeaked.

The woman thrust her away, muttering, “I should have hexed you as soon as you entered my building.”

Kenna ran down the path which travelled through the woods and to the road where a post basket sat. She quickly picked up the contents and scanned to see if anything was addressed to her. Nothing. It was the same thing every week. Kenna ran back down the path and through the doors of the large stone building, dropping the papers at Lady Caterina’s office door, and rushing down the hall to the washroom.

---

Lady Caterina was the only one awake in the orphanage, sitting alone in her office with a plate of lamb, writing to witches looking to adopt. She had just finished writing her second letter when she remembered the stack of parchments from the post.

The ancient woman put her giant purple quill down and slid the stack across her desk with a bony hand. Lady Caterina flicked through the papers in her dimly lit office, dishing food into her math with her right hand. She froze as she came across an unusual letter, her bright green eyes widening. Folded tightly between two papers was a letter addressed to Kenna. As Lady Caterina read the letter, a sinister grin spread across her wrinkled face.

#Witches of Iverness #witches #booklr #book #writing #writeblr #chapter 1 #new chapter