#because if they’d wanted an actual scary pirate they would have gone with someone else

[4pondsinabox]

Someone on the production of Galavant definitely saw Hugh Bonneville in the Doctor Who episode where he played one of the least intimidating pirates in television history and said “I want that but gayer and in musical style”

#nothing against CotBS but casting him was definitely a story choice #because if they’d wanted an actual scary pirate they would have gone with someone else #galavant #doctor who #hugh bonneville #em rambles

[rosiehunterwolf]

wait

(storm section inspired by @ambrosial-tea)

Prompts: Home and Memories

Word Count: 5,901 (hey i think i'm actually starting to get these back to a more reasonable number XD)

Characters: Lloyd and Garmadon

Timeline: Between episodes 13 (Day of the Great Devourer) and 18 (Child’s Play) with some flashback scenes

Trigger Warnings: Abandonment

Summary: Lloyd’s not so great at being patient. It’s not his fault though- maybe he would be better at it if waiting didn’t always end up being so disappointing- if people actually kept their promises. But this time’s going to be different, he knows it. His father will come back for him. And Lloyd’s going to wait.

As long as it takes.

Since I already got two bingos on the sparks board, I decided to switch it up and change to the warm board!

Read on FFN.net

Read on Ao3

Tumblr work under the cut

In the aftermath of the battle, Lloyd only had one thought on his mind.

Cheers and whoops from the citizens of Ninjago City- and the ninja themselves- rang through the air as the realization that the Great Devourer was dead hit them. Lloyd hardly noticed, though. Gripping the handrail at the edge of the building, he peered out over the city. He was around here somewhere. He had to be.

“We did it!” Kai cried, grabbing Lloyd’s hand and raising it high in the air. “We saved the city! The Great Devourer is dead!” We? Lloyd glared at him, although the fire ninja didn’t even seem to notice. My dad was the one who seemed to do all the saving.

“Ultra!” Cole cried as the dragon landed on the street near the foot of the building. Racing towards the fire escape, the ninja hurried down the stairs and over to the dragon. Cole threw his arms around Rocky’s snout, the others not far behind. “You’re safe, bud!”

As the ninja and Nya laughed and caressed the dragon, Lloyd hung back, feeling lost. This wasn’t right. They couldn’t go on celebrating when someone was still missing.

“Where’s my dad?” he burst out, his voice sounding a lot shakier than what he had hoped for. “I don’t see him anywhere.”

The others exchanged glances. Lloyd hated the way they looked at each other, trying to decide what to tell him, because he obviously wasn’t good enough to know what they were really thinking.

Nya walked over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder and bending over slightly to put herself more at his level. Her eyes sparkled with regret. “Lloyd-”

“Sensei Wu?”

Jaws dropped at Cole’s exclamation, and they jerked their gazes towards where he was pointing. Sure enough, Uncle Wu was sitting in the middle of the street, in a pile of green Devourer goo, looking lost as he pushed himself to his feet. Lloyd closed his eyes, letting his breath out slowly. So at least one of his mistakes had been fixed.

“He’s alive?” Jay gaped. “He’s alive!”

Kai grabbed Lloyd by the wrist, half-dragging him over towards their sensei as the ninja tackled him into a hug. Lloyd reached out to put a hand on his uncle’s back, but paused. He had no place here. Don’t get me wrong, I love the ninja, but… I was never supposed to be part of this. I’m only here because my uncle is their sensei, because I’m their beloved green ninja.

Wu pulled back from his students, grinning- only for his smile to falter as his dark eyes met Lloyd’s red ones. He tilted his head in that odd, knowing way of his. Lloyd wanted to break the contact, but couldn’t.

“Your father is gone, isn’t he.” Not a question, but a statement.

Lloyd let his gaze drop to the ground, remaining silent. His uncle reached a hand out for his shoulder but stopped short when Lloyd flinched away.

“Yeah, and with him, our golden weapons,” Kai growled. Nya elbowed him, hard, and he yelped, rubbing his side and scowling at her.

“Weapons or not, we will see him again,” Wu told him, “of that I am certain.”

“Yeah, only because your dumb prophecy says so.”

Wu flinched. “Lloyd-”

“Do I really have to fight my father someday, Uncle Wu?”

He sighed. “One day, nephew, that time will come. But I can hope that it is not for many, many years to come, when you are much older and stronger and wiser. Until then, we must not linger on the future. You ninja have done well today. You should be proud of yourselves, celebrate your victory for a little while.”

“Don’t worry, bigshot.” Kai ruffled his hair. “You’re the chosen one. And we’re the best teachers there are! You’ll be more than ready by the time the final battle rolls around.”

Lloyd clenched his teeth. Why couldn’t any of them see? He didn’t want to fight his father. He couldn’t. His father had come back for him when the Serpentine had trapped him, even when everyone else had lost hope. His father had been the one to comfort him about their futures, the one to protect him, the one to fix his mistakes with the Serpentine. So what if he had taken the golden weapons? If it weren’t for him, they’d all be inside the stomach of a giant snake right now. Were the ninja really so quick to forget that?

They didn’t know him like Lloyd did. Even his uncle had never seen the side of him Lloyd had seen. His father was a good man who had made bad choices. Couldn’t the same be said for Lloyd? If he had changed, why couldn’t his father?

Don’t worry, dad, he vowed silently. I won’t fight you. I’ll find a way to fix this. To make this right.

You see if I don’t.

---

Lightning illuminated the small room, dazzling Garmadon’s tired face as he carried the blanket over to the couch. Sitting down, he gazed out the window, the pattering sound of rain against the glass both comforting and incredibly lonely at the same time.

He sighed, turning towards the hallway. “I know you’re there, Lloyd.”

A small boy slipped into view, a stuffed dragon hugged tightly against his chest and his wispy, whitish-blond hair a mess as he blinked shyly up at him. “I’m scared of the storm, Daddy.”

Garmadon shook his head, scooting over on the couch and patting the space beside him. Lloyd needed no further encouragement, running up to him and hauling himself up to sit beside him. Lloyd burrowed himself against Garmadon’s side, and he made sure to pull the edge of his blanket a little tighter around his son.

Thunder rumbled loudly, and Lloyd whimpered, gripping tighter onto Garmadon. He waited a moment for the boy to relax before speaking.

“So. Mind telling me what it is you find so scary about storms?” Lloyd fidgeted. “They’re so loud! And the lightning- I don’t want it to get me, Daddy.”

Garmadon chuckled. “So you’re scared of a little noise and lights, eh? Somehow, I didn’t quite expect that from you.”

Lloyd yelped as another rumble echoed through the air, this one seeming to shake the house with its ferocity. Lloyd’s dragon slipped out of his grip and he quickly snatched it back up.

“It’s just a process of nature, son. There’s no need to fear it. We are safe here.”

Lloyd glanced up at him with wide eyes, and Garmadon sighed.

“It’s like a dragon, Lloyd. The storm is a big, restless dragon who’s bored and wants to play. The thunder is his roar, and the lightning is his fire breath.”

Lloyd’s eyes glowed, and he shuffled anxiously against Garmadon’s side. “Well, maybe it’s not that scary anymore…”

Garmadon huffed a laugh. “Dragons. That’s all it ever takes with you, isn’t it?”

Lloyd murmured something inaudible, nestling his head in Garmadon’s lap. They sat there together in the silence of the room, and long after Garmadon had thought his son had fallen asleep, he suddenly spoke.

“Daddy?”

“Hm?”

“Why did you and Mommy fight?”

Garmadon breathed out slowly. “Lloyd, you know it’s not nice to listen to people when they don’t know you’re there.”

“Sorry.”

“Look, son. There are some things in this world that are more complicated than you will ever know.” Seeing the confused look on the boy’s face, he elaborated. “Sometimes, people say things they don’t mean. Sometimes, mommies and daddies need to take a little break from each other.”

“Is that why you’re sleeping on the couch?”

“I suppose so. But it’s only for one night, Lloyd. We’ll sort things out tomorrow.”

“Oh.”

Garmadon gazed out the window again, running a hand through his thick hair. He tried not to think about the dark roots he had spotted there earlier, staining his deep chestnut hair the color of darkest night.

That was something no one needed to know about yet. The red eyes had already been hard enough on Misako, especially when their son had inherited them. He tried not to think about what that meant, either. The venom wasn’t hereditary, was it? Lloyd showed no signs of the snappishness he had felt as a youth. On the contrary, the child was pure of heart and bright of soul, one of the sweetest people he had ever met. Garmadon couldn’t understand how he had gotten so lucky.

“Did I do something to make you and Mommy fight?”

“What?” Garmadon started suddenly. “Heavens, child, no.” Taking Lloyd’s chin in his hand, he titled it towards him so that they were looking each other in the eye. “Honey, none of this is your fault. This is Daddy’s mistake, not yours. We both love you very much, you know that, right?”

Lloyd nodded, sniffling as he wrapped his arms tighter around him. “Can I stay with you tonight?”

Garmadon rested a hand on his head. “Whatever you need, my son. I will always be here for you.”

---

“Lloyd Montgomery Garmadon, what were you thinking?” Kai ripped the sword off of his back, sending it to the ground with a clatter. “We told you to stay on the bus, and what did you do? Go after a bunch of pirates?”

“Yeah, kid.” Cole crossed his arms over his chest. “You could’ve been seriously hurt.”

Lloyd glared at them. “I was only trying to help! You never let me do anything!” “Because you’re not ready!” Kai put his hands in his hair, yanking on it in frustration. “Augh, can’t you see? We’re only trying to protect you! What good is all this training if you don’t even make it to the final battle?”

“Lloyd,” Zane said more gently. “You need to take things one step at a time. One day, you will be ready to fight beside us. One day, but not today.”

Lloyd looked away, pushing down the bubbling anger inside of him. This didn’t matter. None of this mattered. If the ninja wanted to treat him like a baby, fine. It didn’t matter what they thought.

All he cared about was his father. He needed to impress him. Make him proud.

“Lloyd? Do you understand?”

“Yes, Zane,” he muttered, avoiding the nindroid’s gaze and instead choosing to kick at a rock. The ninja exchanged hesitant glances, but they didn’t press him further.

Nya sighed. “It’s been a long day. What do you say we get back to the Bounty, and-”

“Sorry! You snooze, you lose!”

The group whipped around towards the Bounty, where the thrusters were powering up as several Serpentine peered at them over the guardrails- as well as a familiar dark figure.

“Dad,” Lloyd breathed, lunging forward- only to be stopped by Nya’s strong arms. He squirmed against her, but she wouldn’t relent.

“Lord Garmadon!” Kai cried. “He stole our ship! I can’t believe he stole our ship!”

“Come on,” Jay groaned. “We just got it back! Can’t it go five minutes without being taken?”

“The Bounty belongs to us,” Cole warned. “We fought for it, fair and square. Give it back, Garmadon.”

The Dark Lord gave a dry laugh. “Like I’d give anything to you.”

Lord Garmadon’s head turned- freezing as he made eye contact with Lloyd. The same eerie red of his own eyes reflected back at him. He longed to say something, anything- but his mouth was dry and words refused to come. He hoped his father could tell what he was thinking, anyway.

Please don’t leave. Stay here. We can work something out. We’ll fix everything between us.

Please don’t leave me again.

For a moment, something that looked like doubt flashed in his father’s eyes, and Lloyd felt hope soar in his chest. My dad might actually- he could-

“You’re getting stronger, son,” Garmadon said, “but never strong enough to defeat me. Give up and turn back now, before it is too late.”

No. Lloyd felt himself fumble as the Bounty rose into the air and flew away, taking his father further and further from him. No, he couldn’t be leaving him again, this had been his one chance to get his father back, to earn his love, but Lloyd had blown it.

I’m sorry, dad. I wasn’t good enough. I let you down.

It won’t happen again. Next time, I’ll try harder.

Next time, I’ll make you proud.

---

Their apartment was quiet that night. As Kai and Nya washed dishes in the kitchen- it was their night for clean-up duty- the others crowded around the TV in their tiny living room, playing video games with the volume low. Their usual yelling was diminished to nothing more than hushed whispers.

Behind them, Lloyd was curled up on the couch, already out like a light even though it was only seven pm. The boy was undoubtedly exhausted from the fight with the pirates earlier in the day, Kai thought crossly.

It took him a moment to realize Nya was staring at Lloyd, too. “Kai,” she asked slowly, working her jaw. “Is Lloyd okay?”

“Why,” he asked quickly. “Is he hurt? Did something happen? Man, I told him not to-”

“No. I mean… do you think he’s been acting a little… odd, lately?”

Kai frowned, turning to look at the boy. His brow furrowed as he slept, the corners of his mouth twitching downward slightly. “I guess. He’s probably just tired from all the training. We’ve been working him pretty hard, as of late.”

“Yeah,” Nya nodded, although she didn’t look like the answer truly satisfied her.

If Kai was being honest, it didn’t feel right to him, either.

---

Misako stormed into the room, dropping Lloyd into his lap with a huff. “That’s it, he’s your problem now.”

Garmadon looked up at her questioningly. “What happened?”

“What do you think happened? He bit me again! So, get him to stop.”

“What makes you think I would be able to make him stop?”

“I don’t know, but the fangs come from your side of the family, so it’s your responsibility now.”

“What do you want me to do?”

“I don’t know, you’re a smart man, you’ll figure it out! I’m going to go make some tea. Good luck.”

Garmadon stared after her but was pulled out of his thoughts as something sharp chomped down on his hand. He glanced down at Lloyd. “Oh, mister. What are we going to do with you?”

---

When Garmadon returned home the next day, there was a plump green dragon plush stuffed beneath his arm. He handed it to Lloyd, who was sitting on the floor, playing with his wooden blocks as he sucked on his pacifier. “Here. Next time you feel the impulse to bite someone, bite this instead.”

Lloyd eyed the plush with interest, reaching out for it with grabby hands and clutching it around its middle, pulling it close. Spitting out his pacifier, he began to babble to the dragon, blocks forgotten. Garmadon picked up the pacifier, eyeing it closely and sighing as he caught sight of the puncture holes.

When he glanced at Lloyd, the boy was chomping down on the wing of the dragon. Garmadon rolled his eyes, crouching down next to him. “Hey, what is it with you and biting things you like? C’mon, bud.” He gently pried the wing out of his mouth. “You’re going to hurt him- uh, it- hey, don’t you think your little dragon friend needs a name?”

Lloyd stared thoughtfully at the stuffed animal. “Buhbuh.”

“No, no, no, he needs a noble, dragon-ly name! Like Blaze, or Windracer, or-”

“Buhbuh,” Lloyd said firmly.

“..Buffy?”

“Buhbuh.”

Garmadon sighed. “The fierce and mighty Buhbuh? That’s what you want?”

Lloyd cheered, hugging the plush tight. “Buhbuh!”

The name wasn’t the only thing that stuck. Over the following weeks, Lloyd fell in love with that dragon. Everywhere the toddler went, Buhbuh wasn’t far behind. In his playroom, in the crib, in the car, at meals, even in the bathroom. Misako had spent twenty minutes one night trying to wrestle the toy away from him before he took his bath.

It had solved the biting issue, at least, although Misako often muttered that he had just traded one problem out for another. He dismissed her worries, telling her that Lloyd would grow out of his dragon phase eventually.

Although, that certainly wasn’t happening anytime soon. As Lloyd got older, he only got more and more intrigued by the creatures. Suddenly, everything had to have dragons- his pajamas, the shows on TV, his pull-ups, and his many, many toys. While his biting habits faded, as soon as he learned to walk, he was tottering around the house, roaring and flapping his arms like wings. Even as his collection of dragon toys and figurines grew, however, Buhbuh was always his favorite.

Garmadon should’ve known better than to think the carefree times would last forever, though. Ever since Lloyd had been born, he had been so much happier- and he was certain that the presence of his son was slowing the spread of the venom. But it wasn’t gone. It was a curse that the damned snake had forced him to bear forever.

He wanted to put it off as long as possible, though. He was happier here than he had ever been in his life, and he didn’t want to lose all this.

He knew if anyone could help him, it was his brother. Wu understood how much he loved his wife and child. He knew how badly he wanted this. He would do whatever he could to help. His teas and meditations had always been helpful in the past, and he hoped this time wouldn’t be any different.

“Do you have everything, dear?” Misako asked, helping him slip on his coat.

He lifted the duffel bag in his hand. “All in here. I’m ready.”

A sharp tug on his pant leg distracted him. He glanced down to see Lloyd, sniffing miserably. “Daddy, why do you have to go?”

Garmadon crouched down next to him. “It’s only for a few days, pumpkin. I’ll be back before you know it.”

“Why?”

Garmadon sighed. “Daddy’s been feeling…” he glanced at Misako, at a loss, but she only shrugged. “… A bit under the weather lately. I’m going to pay a visit to your Uncle Wu so he can help me with my… impulse control.”

Lloyd blinked at him, and Garmadon smirked, realizing that every word he had just said had gone straight over his son’s head. He ruffled his hair, standing again. “Don’t worry about it too much. You’ll be fine. Your mother will take good care of you.”

As he turned towards the door, he stopped at the sound of sniffling. Turning back to Lloyd, he wiped the tears from his eyes with his sleeve. “Hey. It’ll be alright, okay? Daddy will be back soon. You can even call me tonight.” Glancing around, he spotted Buhbuh sitting on the end table and grabbed him, pressing him into Lloyd’s arms. “Buhbuh will take care of you when I’m gone, okay?”

Lloyd hugged Buhbuh tighter. “Okay.”

“Don’t worry, Lloyd. Buhbuh is the best protector there is. And remember, I’m the one who bought him for you. Whenever you see him, you’ll know that I’ll always come back.”

---

“Lloyd, steady!” Jay cried. “We’re wobbling too much!”

Kai yelped, gripping onto Cole’s leg, where he was struggling to balance on Zane’s shoulder. On the nindriod’s other side was Jay, and on top of Cole, Sensei Wu balanced, unfazed. Below them all, Lloyd stood, trembling under all their weight.

“Uh, guys, are you sure this is a good idea-”

“Ahhh! Watch out, we’re going to fall!”

The ninja screamed as they fell to the ground, landing in a tangled pile of limbs. Lloyd quickly wriggled his way out from underneath them, and the others extracted themselves more slowly, groaning.

“You gotta find your balance, Lloyd,” Cole said, rubbing his shoulder where Kai had landed on it. “You have the strength to lift us, but you’re not focusing enough.”

“Well, maybe I’m trying!” Lloyd snapped. “I don’t see you down here lifting all that weight!”

Kai frowned. “Lloyd, Cole is only trying to help.”

“Well, maybe I don’t need help. You’re putting too much pressure on me! I could do way better on my own!”

Sensei Wu put a hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “Perhaps it is time for a break. Let’s get you a drink of water and rest for a bit, then we can try again.”

Lloyd begrudgingly shuffled after his uncle, grumbling under his breath. Kai watched him go with a furrowed brow.

“What’s got the kid acting so irritable lately?”

Jay shook his head. “I don’t know. But he’s starting to get on my nerves. It feels like he’s just being stubborn for the sake of it.”

Zane frowned. “Maybe he’s right. Maybe we are putting too much pressure on him. Supporting the weight of all of us is probably asking too much for a nine-year-old boy, green ninja or not.”

Cole shook his head. “This is the same kid who put a crack through Dareth’s floor. If he can do that, he can lift us. I know he can do it. But he just seems… distant.”

“We’ll keep an eye on it.” Kai waved his hand, turning back towards the training space. “But we don’t have time for his moodiness now. Lord Garmadon is out there somewhere, and he’s not going to wait around for us to sort out our issues.”

---

“Uh, come on boy, we gotta catch up with the ninja, I’m not gonna fall behind again- woah!”

Ultra let out a mighty roar, careening forward with a mighty flap of his wings and sending the reins shooting out of Lloyd’s hands. He only just managed to snag them before they hurtled over Ultra’s heads.

“Easy boy, easy! Look,” he sighed, letting a hand rest gently on the dragon’s off-white scales. “We’re never gonna win this race and save the dojo if you and me don’t learn to work together. Besides, I’m the green ninja. I’m meant to ride you, anyway. Imagine how impressed the others will be if we come back and I’m riding you like a pro! We can rub it in their faces what a natural I am with dragons, heh. What do you say?”

Flame’s head snorted, letting out a puff of smoke, which wasn’t the most reassuring answer.

“Hey, wait a minute.” Lloyd squinted, staring at the vehicles racing through the canyon below them. There was the familiar shape of the Ultra Sonic Raider, but above it-

The ship appeared to have undergone some design changes, but there was still no mistaking the vast, furling sails or the dragon figurehead. The Bounty was in the race.

His father was here.

Lloyd’s heart skipped a beat. His father was here- he could see the black figure now, helping some of the Serpentine to point a cannon at the Ultra Sonic Raider.

Ultra tensed beneath him, but Lloyd hesitated, holding the mighty dragon back.

His dad was trying to hurt his friends. Lloyd didn’t want to get in his father’s way, but…

He couldn’t let him do this.

Lloyd gritted his teeth, digging his hands into the reins. “Okay, Ultra. Let’s put a stop to this.”

Ultra roared, diving towards the Bounty so sharply that Lloyd had to grip onto the saddle for dear life to keep himself from flying off. “Get out of the way!” he yelled at his father. Garmadon lurched back from the cannon, eyes widening, but it was too late. Ultra was already slamming into the ship, sending both himself and the Bounty spiraling.

Snapping up the reins, Lloyd pulled back, steering Ultra up, narrowly avoiding crashing into the ground.

“Woooo! Nice going, Lloyd!”

Kai’s cry sent a flare of warmth through his chest, but it quickly dissipated as his gaze fell on his father, who was barking at the Serpentine as they hurried to get the ship going straight again. He had made the right choice- the only choice- but at his father’s expense.

A wave of panic suddenly hit him. He couldn’t mess this up. He had been given another chance to make his father proud of him, and he couldn’t let this one slip between his fingers.

“C’mon, Ultra, let’s show ‘em what we got!” With a jerk of the reins, the dragon was shooting through the air like a bullet. Lloyd steered him up, and Ultra did a graceful loop through the air, followed by a swift corkscrew.

Lloyd blinked, surprised at how easily his dragon was listening to him. Usually, Ultra was as stubborn as possible, but apparently he enjoyed putting on a show as much as Lloyd did.

“Quit fooling around, Lloyd!” Cole cried from the Raider. “We gotta win this race, and we need your help!”

Lloyd glanced back at the Bounty, but his father wasn’t even looking at him, just waving the Mega Weapon around as he yelled at the Serpentine. Lloyd sighed, guiding Ultra towards the guys. This obviously wasn’t working.

As the Raider sped over the rocky ground below them, it slowly shifted into a softer, lusher landscape- and then came the snow. Lloyd stuck his tongue out, letting a flake land on his tongue.

“Birchwood Forest!” Kai cried. “Oh, we’ll never get through all these trees to catch up!”

There was a roaring of an engine behind him, and Lloyd glanced back to see his father coming in the Bounty, not too far off. I still have a chance! I can still impress him!

“Let me find a shortcut,” he called to the ninja. “Ultra! Up, boy!”

Scanning the woods below, he quickly eyed out a path, then swooped down with Ultra, racing through the trees. “Follow me!”

The turns were sharp, and Lloyd barely avoided crashing into the trees on more than a couple of occasions. But he didn’t, Ultra’s movements swift and precise below him. Lloyd let out a whoop of exhilaration. He was finally getting the hang of this! Ultra was listening to him! Taming a dragon was no easy feat, his father would have to be proud of him now-

Suddenly, Ultra let out a pained cry, and before Lloyd could process anything, the dragon was being yanked backward and plummeting towards the ground. Lloyd screamed, clutching onto the saddle, and Ultra threw his wings around him, sheltering him as they hit the ground with an almighty crash.

---

Lloyd groaned, blinking stars from his eyes as something bumped against his cheek. When it finally came into focus, he saw Wisp’s head staring at him, grunting in concern.

“I- I’m fine, boy,” Lloyd huffed, grabbing at the dragon’s muzzle for support as he pushed himself to his feet. “What in Ninjago just happened? We were doing so well, now we’re going to lose the race!”

Ultra groaned, raising his left foot and shaking it, where chains clanked loudly.

“No, no, no-” Lloyd raced over, examining the cuff and finding long, curved bones secured tightly around Ultra’s ankle. “The Skulkin! They sabotaged us! Those scheming, no good boneheads!” Lloyd yanked desperately at the chains, trying to get them to budge. “Augh, now we’re never going to win the race, and my father will never-” Lloyd cried out as his hand scraped against the sharp edge of the bone. Immediately, Flame’s head was at his side, nosing him away from the cuff and whining softly as he gently licked Lloyd’s scratched hand.

“I… I just wanted to make him proud,” Lloyd sniffed, burying his face against Flame’s scales. The fire dragon felt comfortingly warm in the cold of the snowdrift.

Rocky’s head butted him softly, before carefully taking the edge of the cuff between his teeth and crunching down on it, shattering it into a dozen pieces. Lloyd sucked in his breath, giving Rocky’s muzzle a quick hug before clambering back onto Ultra’s back.

“If we hurry, we can still catch them now! C’mon, boy, we have a lot of ground to make up for!”

---

Lloyd didn’t win the race, but by the time the finish line came into view, he could see the ninja crowding around the golden winner’s cup, cheering. In front of them, Garmadon was yelling at the referee, insisting that he had won and that the ref had made a faulty call.

Lloyd’s breath caught in his throat. His father was right here. Closer than he had been since the defeat of the Great Devourer. Part of Lloyd wanted to run up and hug him, but he knew he couldn’t. That wouldn’t last. He needed something more permanent.

His eyes strayed to the Bounty, resting a little way behind the Dark Lord. With his father out yelling at the ninja and the race staff and all the Serpentine left behind in the Glacier Barrens, the ship was empty.

If Lloyd took it back- his father wouldn’t be able to fly away again. He’d have to stay. They could talk, work things out. As soon as he could get his father to stop running and just listen, he knew he could get through to him.

Lloyd eyed his father warily, but Garmadon was too distracted to notice the giant dragon behind him, as were the ninja. Quietly, Lloyd instructed Ultra forward, and the dragon padded across the ground, climbing up onto the deck of the Bounty.

“That’s not even street legal!” Garmadon was yelling. “My ship was clearly-”

“Your ship?”

His father whipped around, and Lloyd froze as they stared at each other for a long moment.

Please. Please, please, please. Lloyd reached a hand out. “Dad-”

Police sirens sounded behind them, and suddenly two officers hopped out of the car. “Alright, Garmadon, you’re coming with us.”

“Wait!” Lloyd cried, slipping off of Ultra and landing on the ground mere feet from his father. “Dad, it doesn’t have to be like this. You can-”

A screeching of tires, and suddenly Skales was pulling up in his bus. “Look who needs who now!”

Garmadon scowled, turning to go. Lloyd’s brain screamed at him. This was his one chance to stop him. If he did nothing, who knew how long it would be until he got to see him again?

Lloyd lunged forward, grabbing Garmadon’s wrist. The man looked back in surprise. “What are you-”

“Dad. Please. Don’t go.”

Garmadon fell silent, staring at him for a moment. Time seemed to stand still.

Then Garmadon was yanking away, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, son. We both know I can’t do that.” In two steps, he was aboard the Serpentine bus and speeding away.

No. Lloyd felt tears well in his eyes. There were others here, and Lloyd hadn’t cried in front of anyone in a long time, but he couldn’t bring himself to care anymore. His father had been right here. He had touched him.

“Way to go, bud!” Kai whooped, running over to him, the other ninja close behind. “You got the Bounty back- hey, woah, what’s wrong?”

Lloyd quickly tried to cover his eyes, but Kai was already crouched down next to him, pulling his arms away and gently wiping at his tears with the sleeve of his gi.

Jay put a hand on his back. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

Lloyd shook his head, sniffling. “I just… I thought… my father, I thought he would… I thought if I could make him proud, he would stop leaving…” Lloyd choked on a sob, burying his face in Kai’s gi. “Why does he keep leaving? Why does everyone leave? What did I do wrong?”

“Oh, bud,” Kai whispered, running hands through Lloyd’s hair gently. “This is what’s been upsetting you, hasn’t it?”

Lloyd whimpered miserably, and Kai hugged him tighter- his grip so firm, so protective, that it made Lloyd think maybe everything could be okay again, eventually.

“You look at me,” Kai demanded, tilting his chin up. “None of this is your fault. You hear me? None of it. All the people that left you were jerks who didn’t appreciate how amazing you were. They don’t deserve you. We don’t deserve you. But you’re our true family, Lloyd. We will never, ever do what they did.”

“You hear that?” Cole punched him lightly in the chest, his voice sounding suspiciously choked up. “You’re one of us, now, green bean. You can’t escape us, whether you like it or not.”

“Your father will never understand this, Lloyd.” Jay gestured at the group with his hands. “I wish it didn’t have to be this way. You deserve a father who will be there for you, one whose love is not clouded by dreams of vengeance. But that’s how things are. So you’re stuck with us, instead.”

“I’m sorry he couldn’t be here, Lloyd,” Zane murmured. “But we are. And we love you. So if there’s ever something bothering you, talk to us about it. We want to do everything we can to make you feel wanted.”

Nya crouched down next to Kai. “You and me against the world, bud. Remember that? We’re not giving up on you. Ever. So your father can stuff it-”

Zane elbowed her, and she grinned sheepishly. “Sorry. Now’s not the best time for that. But you get my point. I’ll fight stupid destiny for you, Lloyd Garmadon. We all will.”

Lloyd’s eyes welled up again, but this time the tears were happy as he collapsed against them. Five pairs of arms hugged him back, warm and strong and safe.

His father had left again. But that wasn’t what was important right now. His true home was here, with the ninja.

And he had hope it always would be.

---

Garmadon gazed down at the bundle in his arms. His posture was stiff and unnatural, his rough hands as gentle as possible as they supported the weight.

This was easily the most precious thing he had ever carried.

Lloyd stared up at him with wide, curious eyes. Every curve and inch of him was perfect- and he was his. Garmadon could see himself in the curve of his son’s nose or the outline of his jaw, Misako in the shape of his eyes or the hue of his skin.

He still couldn’t believe it.

It had taken Misako hours to convince him he wasn’t going to hurt Lloyd, and now, here he was, carrying his son for the first time.

His son. He loved the way that sounded.

Garmadon shifted his grip slightly, and suddenly Lloyd began to fuss. Garmadon glanced to Misako for help, but she simply shook her head, smiling.

At a loss, Garmadon cradled Lloyd closer to his chest. “Shh, shh, Lloyd, it’s okay. Daddy’s got you.”

Lloyd stopped almost immediately at the sound of his voice, cooing in wonder as he reached a chubby little hand out. Garmadon bowed his head, closing his eyes and letting Lloyd trace his fingers gently across his face.

Garmadon felt the tension ease from his shoulders. This was a person. A living, breathing being, and he and Misako had created him.

Nothing in the world could’ve ever prepared him for the wonderful gift of fatherhood. This was one thing in his life he vowed not to mess up.

“You’re safe, little one,” he murmured. “I will always be here for you.”

#ninjago #ninbingo #my fic #rosie writes #ninjago lloyd #ninjago garmadon #and... there goes my fluff streak #XD #im sorry for those of you who like garmadad because i keep running him into the ground don't i #i do like him i swear #it's just... the angst is too tempting #maybe i'll write something fluffy for him one day #i actually cried writing this one oops #thanks for reading! #reblogs and comments greatly appreciated!

[mollymauk-teafleak]

just as much as all those years ago

Please consider reblogging and leaving a comment over on Ao3!

This is for my ever wonderful girlfriend @spiky-lesbian who is just the Best and will always be the absolute Best and I love her very much. Returning to my favourite comfort AU and of course it’s angst I write.

Trigger warnings: descriptions of an injury, specifically a burn

--------

Memories were funny things for Juno Steel.

They came when he didn’t call them and hadn’t asked for them. When he needed them, he couldn’t find them, only the ragged edged gaps where they’d once been. And they were never whole either. They came as sounds, one random lyric from a song his brother used to warm up to or the sound of his mother’s footsteps in the hall or the way the coffee maker in the HCPD had always sputtered close to the end of its cycle. They came as smells, Buddy’s hairspray or the way the hallways had reeked in his old high school, the milky smell of when his babies had been brand new or Rita’s goddamn salmon things. They were fractured and jumbled and awkward to hold.

And they were so hard to tell from reality. One moment Juno was up to his elbows in soapy water, taking advantage of the boys actually going to bed at a reasonable time to get the dinner dishes done. He was whistling a song that had been on the radio as he’d driven back from the office, tapping the hell of his bare foot against the tiles in time with the beat that existed only in his head. He was tired, he had a few new aches to catalogue and he was perfectly happy.

And the next moment his nose was full of burning ozone, scorched fabric, heat and blood.

Juno froze, hands stilling and letting the plate he’d been soaping drop back into the water. Suddenly he was pulled into a handful of times and places at once. He was at the practise range at the academy, he was trying not to be sick the first time a perp had shot at him, he was pounding on his brother’s bedroom door and begging him to answer, he was lying on the floor of the Carte Blanche and seeing Sasha shake, he was a cop, he was a kid, he was a pirate, he was a twin without a brother. All because of a smell in the air.

And he might have shook himself, pushed it all away and told himself not to be an idiot if he hadn’t heard the voice and realised it wasn’t a memory.

“Mama? I...I’m sorry…”

It wasn’t a memory. Juno whirled, eye wide, heart no closer to restarting in his chest. His oldest daughter stood just behind him, holding her arm tightly with a hand that trembled, with skin that was ashen and a face wet with tears. His old coat was black from elbow to shoulder, one stripe of it completely gone and giving a glimpse of raw, red skin. A laser burn from a distance, it had just glanced off her but it was enough.

She looked so scared.

“Bianca?” he breathed, not really wanting to believe this was actually happening. His daughter was off on a job, of course she could never tell them much about it but she was meant to be off being young and reckless and having fun and swinging on starlight, just like her daddy did.

“I...I thought I got away but I missed one of the guards,” Bianca’s voice was tight, adrenaline clearly the only thing holding back the pain, “Mama…”

Juno swallowed hard, putting a firm, hard foot on his panic and shoving down hard. His baby girl needed him and when it was over he could go and find a quiet corner to scream and cry and rage about it. But for now he needed to get a goddamn grip.

“Bathroom,” he moved forward, sliding an arm to take her weight, just in time as her knees buckled.

Suddenly her free hand was bunched in his shirt tight enough to pinch his skin, his arms holding her as easily as if she was two instead of twenty two. As if she was as small and delicate as she had been then, when he’d first met her and realised just how much he’d be willing to give to keep her safe…

No. Not now.

He went to call for Nureyev, he was doing yoga in their bedroom, but Bianca’s hand tightened and she gave a strained, pained whine through her teeth.

“No,” she begged, breathing coming hard and shallow, the pain of her wound coming in through the cracks as she realised she was safe and didn’t need to run on sheer adrenaline, “Please don’t, not until...not until it’s covered up, I don’t want him to see…”

Juno went to protest but stopped himself, they didn’t have time and he couldn’t say she was wrong. Nureyev didn’t need to see this part, his husband’s field medicine skills weren’t as practised and when he saw the state their daughter was in, it wouldn’t even have mattered. He would freeze and he would break. Juno didn’t blame him in the slightest, he’d nearly gone himself, but he couldn’t hold both of them together.

So he kept quiet and carried his daughter to the poky bathroom of their apartment, moving quickly and quietly as he could past the twin’s bedroom.

“You need to keep talking for me, kiddo,” he said through gritted teeth, as soon as the door was shut behind them, “Tell me how you got in without any of us hearing you. Give me all the details.”

Bee Bee managed a weak chuckle as he sat her down against the edge of the bath, “I’m not giving you all my secrets, mama…”

Juno could dredge a smile for her, if she was going to make the effort, throwing it over his shoulder as he wrenched open the medicine cabinet and pulled out one of the many emergency first aid kits stowed around the apartment.

“Then give me all the moons of Jupiter in size order, biggest to smallest. I know your daddy made you memorise them.”

Bee Bee swallowed hard, shifting as she started to slump, “Um...Ganymede. Callisto…”

“Good, good girl,” Juno was more focused on pulling out the scissors and cutting away the ruins of the coat sleeve so he could start cleaning and dressing it, but as long as he could hear her talking he knew she was conscious.

“Io…oh mama, no, your coat…” Bianca tried to lean away from the blades.

“Bee Bee, I don’t know if you noticed but I care about you a little more than I care about some ratty old coat,” Juno sighed, ignoring her weak protests.

He couldn’t help but wince as he saw her arm, fully exposed. The bolt had only grazed her but clearly it had been set to kill, it had scorched a clean edged, diagonal path along the top of her arm. If she hadn’t been running away, if the person had fired a second before…

Juno shook himself and focused, it was clean and wouldn’t need more than a gentle dousing with cold water which he quickly set to. Don’t think about what could have happened, focus on what’s in front of you.

It broke his heart when she hissed in pain, the second where she clearly wanted to pull away from him, however much he could rationalise it. But he’d been doing some version of this for a long time, from the first time Bee had caught her tiny fingers in the door on the Carte Blanche.

“Hey,” he gently reached over and turned her face to him, “Just look at me, okay? You’re doing so well.”

His brave Bianca took a shaky breath and nodded, ‘Himalia is next. In the size order.”

Juno smiled with a soft, tired pride, motioning for her to go on as he applied a thin layer of salve and started to bind it with the smart tech bandages that wrapped tightly around her arm with no effort from him. They’d hold it fast and safe, healing the torn and blistering skin underneath until barely a trace remained.

But Bianca wouldn’t forget this. This would be another one of her memories, the ones that would come up when least welcome and stop her in her tracks when she thought she was safe.

Juno contented himself with doing what he could for her now. He helped her up, though her legs were still shaky, helping her take shuffling steps to her bedroom, the one they still kept exactly as she’d left it the last time she visited. Neither he nor his husband could ever bring themselves to move anything around, happy to admit to themselves that they were just waiting until their daughter came home again. So the old stuffed animals were still lining the bottom of the bed, the books were still piled on the nightstand, there were still soft blankets ready for her to sink down onto.

“Right,” Juno brushed a hand over her curls, “Now water, painkillers and lots of rest. Got it, kiddo?”

“Yes mama,” she sighed, leaning into his touch, “Um...I think I want to see daddy now.”

He saw the guilt flicker through her dark eyes and he softened it with a kiss to her forehead. He understood the instinct to protect people you cared about, feeling like you couldn’t let them see you cry or fall or hurt because you’d see just how much they cared about you and it could be so scary. Knowing so much of someone else’s happiness rested with you.

He left her to get settled, needing to take a few deep breaths as soon as the door closed. Just a little longer.

Nureyev was just stepping out of their room, his long hair pushed back from his face with a band that had probably once been Bianca’s. He looked calm, content, and his whole face lit up when he saw his wife walking towards him. Having to watch all that unravel, that would hurt Juno as much as any of it.

He tried to speak clearly, concisely, only repeating again and again that she was fine, that there would be no lasting damage or even a mark. But he wasn’t sure any of it actually got through after he finally said the words ‘Bianca’s been shot’. Because that was when he pushed past him and started running down the hall. Cursing under his breath, Juno took off but couldn’t hope to catch his husband on those legs, only getting there when the bedroom door was already open.

He was braced for tears, he was braced for the anger that sometimes came when Nureyev was feeling too much to hold within himself and had to lash out to try and grasp some control. He was braced to have to pull his husband out of there.

What he found was his husband and his daughter embracing as tightly as her wound would allow.

“I’m sorry, daddy,” Bianca was sniffling, har face pressed to his shoulder, where it had always fit so perfectly ever since she was small, “I know you said to check, you said and I thought I did but…”

Nureyev shook his head, his own voice thick but steady, “No, no, it’s okay. You did nothing wrong, as long as you’re okay.”

“Promise?” Bianca mumbled, still sounding a little like a child wondering what her punishment would be.

“Oh my treasure,” Nureyev drew back to hold her face in his hands, “I promise. All I care about is that you’re whole and well and...and next time, you will see it. You’ll get better and better every time, just like I did. I just couldn’t be more thankful it was no worse but...next time will be better.”

Bianca’s face flooded with obvious relief, she’d clearly been worried her daddy’s first response would have been to ground her. Juno had to admit, he’d expected it too.

Nureyev only touched her bandages lightly, checking everything was in place, “But...if you wanted to stay here for just a few days just while you healed? We could make room for you?”

Bianca gave a tired smile, rolling her eyes, “Only if you could make the room, of course.”

Juno leaned against the doorframe, giving them a few more moments together before joining them, giving Bianca some time before having to endure both of her parents fussing over her. As he watched Nureyev draw Bee Bee back in to hug her tightly and let her rest against him, he felt other times overlapping it, other times he’d seen that light in Nureyev’s eyes, the smile he saved only for their babies, the way they clung to him and looked to him for safety. He felt the years they’d spent together as parents, the memories sending warmth running through his chest, soothing the anxiety still gnawing there, giving him a few more hours before he’d need to release it. Hopefully Nureyev would be in his arms by then.

Memories were funny things for Juno Steel. But some were everything.

#jupeter #juno steel #Peter nureyev #Bianca nureyev #jupeter dads au #hurt/comfort #tpp #the penumbra podcast

[catboymingi]

wish

navi/masterlist

pairing: hongjoong x reader

genre: some angst if you try really hard, fluff

word count: 4k

warnings: mingi being bad at halloween (this is FLUFF and fluff ONLY)

a/n: would you believe this, something that’s not mingi... who would’ve thought this day would ever come

six years and three months have passed since you last talked to hongjoong. five years and ten months have passed since you moved in with mingi. five years and seven months have passed since you gave birth to your daughter. not even a day has passed since you last missed the man that had once been your everything.

this was your first halloween with your daughter, and it had been neither your nor her idea to celebrate, actually. instead, ‘the best uncle on earth’ (as mingi commonly called himself) had insisted that she now was big enough and that she deserved the candy. you knew, though, that he wanted to dress up more than her, and that he’d most definitely steal your candy, at least. he had a massive sweet spot for your child, so her candy might be safe. might. or you might just have to lock it away. 

you couldn’t be mad at him, though - he was the only one that had been there for you when you got pregnant, that had been there when you’d given birth, that had made it possible, through rigid scheduling and his parents’ money, for you to finish your degree even though you had a daughter at home. it was weird because you hadn’t even really been close before your world came crashing down, but he proved himself to be the biggest help you could ever have asked for. so maybe, he was actually the best uncle on earth.

“are you ready?” of course it was mingi screaming, not your daughter. you’d insisted that she wouldn’t get to go trick-or-treating until she was five, because you knew not everyone was sensible enough to remember that there were small children outside that would get deadly scared at the kind of decoration some people found to be appropriate, and you wanted to prevent her from getting traumatised by random severed hands. but that had also meant that mingi had had to wait for five years to get to have a good excuse for why he got dressed up and excited like this.

“you look ridiculous”, you laughed at the tall man who had proudly told you he’d be a werewolf but looked more like a werepuppy.

“i don’t need your approval when i have toive’s!”, he told you, sticking his tongue out at you despite being 27 years of age. “and she said i look very scary and that she trusts me to protect her from all the bad and evil vampires! now get ready, we want to go!”

you smiled contentedly as you put on your black lipstick, the last little touch needed for your witch costume. you really were glad to have mingi, to have someone that could at least somewhat fill in the role of toive’s father. he made sure that your daughter never lacked anything and, admittedly, spoiled her a little much sometimes, but it was okay because it was done with love.

“done. let’s go?” both the werepuppy and the little piratess that barely reached up to mingi’s waist nodded enthusiastically, and you grabbed the big plastic bags that you’d spent the day painting to look more halloween-y and less grocery store-y.

going trick-or-treating was more fun than you’d expected it to be, your daughter scoring more candy than mingi and you combined by threatening every single person on whose doorbell you rang with having them go on the plank if they didn’t hand over all their candy.

“it’s unfair”, your best friend whined out when toive had once more scored twice the amount of candy as him and you combined, “when she threatens people it’s cute but if i threaten people i bet they’d call the police!”

“that’s because you’re a giant that could break my arm without effort”, you explained to him, laughing at his exasperation. it was just candy, but you knew he had a sweet tooth - she’d probably gotten it from him, even though they weren’t even related. bad influence. but it was cute, too, how happy and excited they both were, the excitement carrying over to you even though you’d insisted you weren’t a fan of halloween at all. but how could you not get excited when both of them were near vibrating with joy? your two favourite people were having so much fun and seeing them happy was all you needed to be happy yourself.

that happiness didn’t last long, however, when you rang on another doorbell, not thinking much of the surname ‘kim’ - near half of south korea’s population was called kim, so it didn’t even occur to you that it might be a very specific kim, a kim whose condom had ripped six years ago and had subsequently caused you not only the hardest time in your life but also more happiness than you’d ever thought possible once your little darling was born. a kim whom you’d never even told, because he’d had to move away before you even found out you were pregnant, and whom you didn’t want to hold back from his dream, so you just broke things off with him instead, claiming you were going back to finland. but it was this very specific kim, it was kim hong joong who opened the door for you and sent your heart into a frenzy.

“shit!”, you cursed out as soon as you saw his face, recognised him even behind his eye patch and fake beard, momentarily forgetting that your daughter very much should not be hearing curses yet, but luckily mingi got your back.

“shiny lights!”, he chimed in as soon as he heard the first few letters of the inappropriate word leaving your lips, successfully distracting toive from the fact that you were incredibly out of it, pointing to all the little lanterns in hongjoong’s garden. her eyes lit up, admiring the pumpkins he’d carved, and you were grateful that he’d put so much effort into decorating his lawn because it distracted her enough for you to have a few moments to collect yourself.

“y/n?” of course he’d recognised you, too, it would’ve been too good to be true if he hadn’t. and then his eyes went to mingi and toive, and you started panicking. he couldn’t accurately guess how old she was, but your reaction and the way you’d broken things off without ever even having hinted at you wanting to go back to europe back then made him suspect that she was his.

“your daughter?”, he asked, and you thanked the heavens that he had enough common sense to be silent so she’d not hear. you just nodded, not trusting your voice right now, and his next question sent even more panic jolting through your body.

“mine?”

now you had to talk, because she was here and mingi wouldn’t be able to distract her forever, and you couldn’t sort all this now. you couldn’t.

“not now. i’ll give you my number and you can text me, and we’ll meet tomorrow or something, but please, for her, not now.” and because he was still as kind and understanding as he’d always been he nodded, getting out his phone and saving your contact before getting your darling’s attention, pretending he didn’t have any kind of connection to you or her.

“hey, little pirate! have you found a treasure yet?” she turned around with so much energy that she’d have landed on her butt if mingi hadn’t caught her, then she came back to where you were still standing at the door.

“you’re a pirate, too!” she admired his big hat and the plastic sword dangling from his side, and he nodded.

“the scariest pirate in all of the seven seas. i have so many treasures i don’t even know what to do with them all. would you do me a favour and take a little gold from me, mate?” and he leaned down with a smile, holding the bowl filled with chocolate gold coins out to her.

“can i?” she looked up at you with the biggest puppy eyes and you couldn’t help the smile spreading on your face. and hongjoong noticed it, too, noticed the fond expression and his heart hurt a little at the thought that this precious little gem might be his daughter, and at the memory of the heartbreak he’d gone through back then.

“but you need to ask the captain how much you can take”, you told her and her little head bobbed up and down as she nodded enthusiastically.

“captain, sir, how much gold may i take?” and she was so precious that he was about to just hand her the entire bowl. but the last little bit of reason left in him told him that then he’d not have anything for the other kids that would inevitably come, so he had to restrain himself.

“how about you two swordfight and the winner decides?”, mingi suggested, mainly just wanting to buy you some time to check up on you. he knew that hongjoong was the father, of course he knew, and he knew that the man didn’t know. so this situation had to be really hard on you.

he didn’t know if it was because hongjoong sensed what he wanted to do or if he really just wanted to play more with toive, but he immediately agreed, getting out his sword to fight the little piratess, ‘arg’s and ‘urg’s to be heard from them while mingi put his hand on your shoulder before pulling you into a hug.

“you okay?”, he asked quietly, and you nodded, even though you weren’t sure if you actually were.

“he didn’t make me talk it out now, so that’s all i could ask for. i’ll probably have to tell him tomorrow”, you all but whispered into his shoulder, holding his biceps tightly to ground yourself a little as you felt the panic hit you again.

“you know he’s nice. and if he isn’t, i’ll beat his ass.” and had it been anyone else you’d thought this threat was just to make you feel better, but because you’d lived with this man for so long now you knew that he absolutely would.

“thanks”, you said before disattaching yourself, walking back to where the two pirates were still fighting. but when hongjoong saw you come back he took the final blow, sinking to the ground as if he’d received a deadly hit.

“you were a worthy opponent, little pirate. now it is up to you how much gold you will take from me.” and toive’s eyes shone brighter than the lamps surrounding you and the fake gold in his bowl as she put both her little hands in and grabbed as much as she could take - which, admittedly, wasn’t much, so mingi decided to help out because his hands were about as big as your head.

“you won, you deserve the reward”, he told your daughter as he scooped an entire handfull into her bag. he glared at hongjoong as he did so, a warning to not fuck up, and suddenly he did look like a werewolf rather than an adorable werepuppy. but his expression softened as soon as he looked at your darling that was his darling just as much, and the other man could tell that he cared. so at least the girl hadn’t had to miss out on anything.

you left for the next house soon after, your daughter and her costume twin ‘arrr mate’ing at each other, and again the tall man proved to be your hero as he pointed at another decoration to get her attention away from you and your ex-love for a little so you could decently say goodbye, because he could tell you needed that.

“i’ll text you soon”, hongjoong told you, and you nodded.

“thank you.” he knew for what. for not causing a scene even though he had all right to, technically, because your daughter didn’t have to see that. shouldn’t have to see that. and then you left, again, and he felt his heart break just a little as your form disappeared.

it was thanks to the werewolf that the night continued to go smoothly until it was time to head home, and he tucked toive into bed while you took a moment to yourself in the bathroom, wiping off your makeup as you tried to calm your rapid heartbeat. then you joined the two of them in her room, pressing a little kiss onto her forehead and promising that you’d hexed all the bad dreams so they couldn’t haunt her, and mingi promised her that he’d bite any vampire that tried to come close.

once she’d fallen asleep you left for the living room, him staying by your side as you grabbed your phone, knuckles white from the force you used as you gripped it. he put a hand on your leg in comfort as you unlocked it, and of course hongjoong had already messaged.

[unknown]: this is hongjoong

[unknown]: tomorrow, 10am, playground?

[unknown]: /location/

you sighed, then replied.

[y/n]: you know im not bringing toive

and his message appeared almost immediately after, as if he’d been staring at his phone ever since he first texted you.

[unknown]: yeah

[unknown]: but i remember you liked them. said they were calm

he was right. even before your daughter had lit up the playground with her bright smile you’d loved spending time there, sitting on the swings and staring up at the sky whenever you had something to talk about. that feeling had never left, even though you now had yet another reason to love playgrounds.

[y/n]: ill be there

and even though hongjoong wanted nothing more in that moment than to tell you that he missed you he knew he shouldn’t, so he left you on read instead, though both his thoughts and his heart were racing.

while he hadn’t been able to await the next day it came all too soon for you, and mingi once more promised that if hongjoong pulled any shit he’d beat his ass into next week. he was babysitting toive today, had promised her a movie and candy day so she wouldn’t miss you, and you couldn’t be more grateful to have him. maybe she didn’t have a father, and you didn’t have a partner, but the two of you had him, and he more than made up for it, even though it had cost him several dates. you were his priority, and you loved him for that.

the man was already waiting at the playground when you arrived, early as always and beautiful as always. he wasn’t wearing the pirate costume today, but neither were you dressed up as a witch, both of you looking casual but differently so. he looked purposefully casual, while you looked like you’d rolled out of bed and just put on whatever, dressed just to not be naked. and that was a pretty good representation of your emotional state - you just came here completely unprepared, you came because you had to. and you were scared.

“hey”, he greeted you quietly, but instead of greeting back you just burst out: “she’s yours.”

there was a moment of tense silence before he replied.

“i already guessed so. from the way you were acting.” you nodded; there wasn’t really anything to say to that, anyway.

“you’re doing alright? mingi’s taking care of you?” of course he remembered mingi, the goofy tall guy that you’d spent quite some time with, but he knew you hadn’t been as close to him back then as you obviously were now. he got an explanation though when you began talking.

“yeah, he’s been there ever since i found out. big scary guy, threatening aura, keeping me from the worst when i couldn’t really hide it anymore. he let me move in right away and he’s basically like a dad for toive now.”

it was a lot of information to take in at once, so he tried to find something small to focus on.

“her name’s toive?”

“it means ‘wish’”, you elaborated. “i was horrified as shit the entire pregnancy, so i hadn’t even come up with a name yet when i delivered. but as soon as i saw her i knew she was a wish come true. so i just called her that.”

“it’s a beautiful name.” you knew it was. it reminded you of the home you’d left behind to build yourself a new one, and it reminded you that sometimes the most unexpected things could be what your heart wished for. it reminded you to keep going, because you wanted to make her every wish come true. it was a very fitting name.

“she’s a beautiful girl.”

you saw him smile at that, smile at the memory of the little piratess he’d fought with the night before. but then he asked the question you’d dreaded most.

“why didn’t you ever tell me? you know i would’ve been there for you.”

a sigh left your lips, because of course you knew. and that was exactly why you hadn’t told him.

“when i found out you’d already moved. you were thriving and i couldn’t bring myself to hold you back like this. you deserved to live your life as you wanted to without having to worry about a family you never asked for.”

“did you ask for it?”, he asked you, and you shook your head. as much as you loved the little family you’d built with mingi, you hadn’t asked for this to happen.

“and would you want to go back to change this?” you shook your head again, and he grabbed your hand.

“so why do you think i would’ve regretted it? would’ve not wanted to know?”

you had no answer to that. maybe because back then you’d still been convinced the pregnancy would ruin your life, so it didn’t occur to you that he might not feel the same way. that he genuinely might want to be there.

“can i be there now?”

“you can get to know her, if you want to. but she doesn’t know you, doesn’t know who you are, and i’ll have to figure out how to tell her. so you can’t be there as her dad, not yet and maybe never, if she doesn’t want you in her life. if you can’t accept that, if you can’t put her first, i don’t want you there.”

he took in your words and nodded. he’d last seen you six years ago, so obviously she’d spent quite some time without knowing about him at all, and he knew he couldn’t just barge in and act like he’d been there all her life. he was a stranger, even though that hurt a little.

“does she have a dad?” and even though his phrasing was a little weird you understood what he meant. he wanted to know if mingi was her father, if not legally or physically then emotionally.

“she has an uncle that would lay down the world for her. and that won’t hesitate to break a few bones if she gets hurt, just so you know.” but you were smiling, finally starting to relax a little.

“i don’t doubt it for a second”, he chuckled, “he seemed about ready to kill me at the door. he really cares about you two, doesn’t he?”

you nodded, smile growing bigger at the mention of the taller man, and hongjoong felt a small sting when you told him how you’d never want to miss him, how mingi was as much a part of your life as toive was, how it was so clear that you belonged together.

“do you love him?” he didn’t know why he asked. he didn’t know why he hoped you’d say no. he didn’t know why he cared and he didn’t know why the thought of you being with mingi made his chest feel tight. he hadn’t seen or talked to you in years, so why did he hope that he still held a place in your heart? why did you still hold a place in his?

“i do, of course i do”, you told him, at least as surprised at his question as he was. “he’s like a brother, he’s been there all this time and it’s only thanks to him that i’m where i am today. but i don’t love him the way i loved you, if that’s what you meant.”

“you loved me?”

you didn’t understand why he sounded so startled about that. the two of you had gotten together pretty much right after you started university, and you’d been together for more than a year when he moved, planning to stay together for many more until life decided that it had other plans. of course you’d loved him. part of you still did.

“you were the first person i ever wanted a future with like that. of course i loved you. you meant everything to me.”

“i wish you’d never left.” his voice was very quiet, pained, made you want to hold him and apologise, but you didn’t know if that’d be okay with him.

“i missed you everyday. even yesterday, i still missed you. it’s dumb, but even though it’s been six years i still hoped you’d somehow come back into my life. and here you are, so maybe it’s not that dumb.”

now there was no stopping your arms from going around his waist, your face pressed to that one spot between his neck and his shoulder that had always felt like it was made for this purpose only, as you quietly told him you’d missed him too.

“it was so hard to watch toive grow up to be more and more like you but not having you there to see it, too. when she’d start asking about her dad and i could only tell her stories even though i knew she wanted a real dad, like all the other kids. and all the stories i told, they kept me from ever getting over you, but i knew it wouldn’t be fair to keep even that from her just because i was hurting.”

hongjoong was holding you tightly, a hand in your hair and the other pressing you against his chest because he didn’t want you to go again.

“let me be a dad. and let me be there for you too.”

his words made you look up at him in surprise, because they sounded so soft and gentle and full of an emotion you didn’t think you’d ever get from him again, not directed towards you, at least.

“for me?”

and he was looking at you, eyes wandering from your forehead to your chin, not leaving out a single detail. you’d matured, but you were still just as beautiful.

“i didn’t stop loving you. still haven’t.”

his words surprised you, even though you hadn’t stopped loving him either. you didn’t know what to make of them, what he wanted you to do now. what he’d expected to happen now that he’d said this.

“can i kiss you?” of course he asked. he was still the same hongjoong, the same gentleman, the same man that always made sure whatever he was doing was okay with you before he tried, and he still caused the same butterflies to fly around in your stomach. but now you had someone else to put first, you couldn’t risk falling back in love with him, hopelessly so, only for it to end badly. you couldn’t risk that when you had a child.

“only if you mean it. and not just now, but every single day. only if you can promise that you won’t hurt me and, most importantly, that whatever happens between us won’t ever hurt my daughter. our daughter. can you promise that?”

“i promise.” and he’d never been more sure of anything.

“then kiss me.”

he did. he kissed you like you were the most precious thing in the world and he kissed you as if he wanted to prove that he meant it, that he loved you and had already fallen in love with his daughter and that he’d even learn to love mingi as part of his family. he kissed you as if to make up for the past six years when he couldn’t, and you kissed him back as if to make up for every moment you’d kept his daughter from him. you kissed each other like you were in love, and you were.

and finally, you got the happy ending you’d been wishing for ever since you first saw the positive pregnancy test. finally, you got a family with the love of your life. and finally, he got to stay with you.

#ateez #ateez x reader #hongjoong #kim hongjoong #hongjoong x reader #kim hongjoong x reader #ateez x atiny #ateez au #ateez fluff #ateez angst #ateez fanfiction #ateez imagines #ateez reactions #ateez crack #ateez timestamps #ateez content #hongjoong au #hongjoong fluff #hongjoong angst #hongjoong fanfiction #hongjoong imagines #hongjoong crack #hongjoong timestamps #seonghwa #yunho #yeosang #san #mingi #wooyoung #jongho

[softjeon]

Drown in me | Pt. 3

• Pairing: Pirate!Yoongi x Siren!Jungkook • Genre: Angst, Fluff | Pirate!AU / Siren!AU ( → Gifset Trailer) • Words: 9,5k • Disclaimer: mentioning of blood, alcohol, abuse, nsfw content

written with @cassiavioletblue

↳  “When I sing…people do weird things. Strange things happen.” Yoongi laughed awkwardly but stopped right away when he realized that Jungkook was serious about what he had said. This wasn’t a scared little boy trying to make use of some fairytale to scare the captain of the ship he’s been brought on into submission. He believed what he said.

« previous chapter | masterlist | next chapter »

Since Yoongi had found the map on Jungkook’s back a lot of things had changed. He looked at it first thing every morning, right after waking up. Jungkook had made a little habit of his own as he tended to sleep in his bed now. Of course Yoongi would never say it out loud but he actually loved this, getting to bed and finding that Jungkook had already warmed it for him with his body or spending the sleepless hours he sometimes had and usually spent staring holes into the planks of his ship and questioning his existence with different distractions like tracing the star spots on Jungkook’s back or just watching him sleep. He just seemed to become more and more beautiful the longer he looked at him.

Namjoon had joked that apparently Jungkook had bewitched him after all because he looked at him the same way he had looked at treasures before. Needless to say, that Yoongi had just completely ignored him. No one bewitched the black captain. He just was a man with needs and having someone like Jungkook close to him all the time brought up certain thoughts of course.

That was all.

While the crew was getting the ship ready, some men were loading sufficient provision, some saying goodbye to their families as they were ready to take on a new adventure and Hoseok leaned over the map that had been transferred from Jungkook.

“And you are sure that this is the only way to get there?“ Hoseok hummed, eyeing the map and studying it carefully. As the main navigator he had to make sure they all got to their destination safely and the route that the captain chose this time wouldn't make it easier. “We're sailing close to Nightmare's territory and this isn't calm water. And this right here, there's a reef, we could run aground if we’re not working together. We have to be careful and slow. You sure you want to do this?“

“Ah, no, now that you told me this I think we should all just retire, give up the ship and live calm, riskless lives till we die.” Yoongi laughed at Hoseok’s face, “Come on, we are pirates. Since when are we afraid of reefs or riffs or other pirates?“ He had to admit that those kind of pirates were pretty scary, and the ‘Nightmare’ was a ship that lived up to its name but he definitely wouldn‘t say that out loud in front of his crew. To them he was their fearless captain!

“Just wanted to make sure. You have been acting awfully soft lately,” Hoseok nodded nonetheless with a proud smirk. “Let’s get some magical treasure then.”

...

Jungkook leaned over the edge of the ship, enjoying the salty breeze. It was still weird sometimes to be able to roam around freely - well, as freely as he could. Yoongi was always close, his eyes on him as if he still didn't believe Jungkook would stay. But the siren wanted to see the mirror, too. He had an aim now. And staying with the pirates hadn’t turned out to be so bad.

“Oh, this one is pretty!” Jungkook had wanted to go back into the cabin, when he saw the shell collection that a pirate was sorting out, taking in new ones, carefully cleaning them and making sure they would glisten perfectly under the sun. He got onto his knees, reaching for one of the closed oysters that were still alive “Can I?“

Jungkook motioned for the young pirate to be quiet, to not make a big fuss about it and held his palm on top of the oyster careful not to hurt it. “I can't promise that there will be a pearl,“ Jungkook whispered, when the oyster began to tremble and open up, “This way you don't have to hurt them.“

The young siren smiled, seeing Yoongi out of the corner of his eyes, observing them carefully as if someone could jump and try to attack him again. He came up to them, watching how delicately Jungkook handled the oyster. They would die on land and for a horrible second he wondered if keeping Jungkook on his ship would kill him too. Not for the lack of water but because of the risks Hoseok had just reminded him of. His crew was used to this kind of life - but Jungkook was gentle and caring and if they got in a fight Jungkook would be the first to fall if he couldn’t defend himself. He couldn’t just start to sing or else all of them would feel the effects. “Hey fishboy. Are you trying to get yourself a pet here?” He smiled as if he wasn’t just thinking about how he wouldn’t be able to take it if Jungkook died. Just because of the treasure of course.

Jungkook shook his head, “I don't know what you call it, but I wanted to make a friend. Not a pet.“ He looked at Taehyung who was just as cluelessly looking back at his captain, thinking Yoongi had talked about Tae and not the oyster. His expression only changed when he saw that there was really a pearl inside of the oyster. Jungkook smiled at him, “If you take him back into the ocean, I'll promise every oyster will open for you in the future.“ He winked at the pirate and got up.

“So, you are friends with oysters?” Yoongi smirked. “What else are you friends with? Just so I know what not to serve you.” He wasn’t entirely joking because since Jungkook had taken him swimming and that oyster had given him a pearl he hadn’t asked for oysters in the kitchen again. Seeing Jungkook so happy about their interaction had ruined his appetite for them. Hopefully Jungkook wasn’t friends with every fish in the ocean or else they’d run out of food.

Jungkook sighed, thinking about answering Yoongi for a second before he just walked ahead and back under deck. He had enough of his teasing, and he couldn't count the times that he told Yoongi that he wasn't a fish and couldn’t communicate with them.

With the Siren gone Yoongi could talk freely to Tae who was tossing the oysters and other clams that were still alive back into the water. “Hey.” The pirate looked up at the careful tone of his captains voice. “You know that we’re going to sail some dangerous waters right? I’ll be a lot on deck and Namjoon and Hobi will be as well. I figured you’re not scared of Jungkook like most of the others? So, it would be really nice if you could have an eye on him in case anything... happens.” He didn’t have to elaborate, something ‘happening’ on a pirate ship usually meant the same things: shallow banks, navy ships or other pirates. He would feel better knowing that Taehyung was looking out for Jungkook because even though Taehyung seemed just as soft as Jungkook at first glance he could become a ruthless, merciless pirate in case someone threatened to hurt crewmembers - and hopefully he would think of Jungkook as a crewmember as well.

Taehyung simply nodded at the order, returning his attention to his collection. Maybe the siren could help him find more rare shells in return.

Down in the captain's cabin, Jungkook watched Jin set the table for two. But when Yoongi still wasn't showing up Jungkook just ate by himself, shuffling over to the bed right after. The salty air had made him tired. Even though it had become almost a routine to eat dinner together, Jungkook knew that Yoongi still had to lead his crew and his ship. He yawned tiredly, getting rid of his clothes, before he slipped under the blanket.

…

Yoongi returned to his cabin late with the sky already dark and the stars glistening. Every time he looked up at them it made him think of Jungkook now. He sighed deeply as he stretched out his muscles from a long day of ‘pirating’ as Jungkook had called it once. Speaking of which the younger had stolen his bed again, lying so outstretched that he would have to gently nudge him aside to find room. He got out of his clothes and then tried to make Jungkook roll over without waking him - which he failed because the siren sniffled a little and then opened his eyes. “Don’t mind me, I’m just trying to find some room in my bed, pretty.” Finally, he could get into bed with Jungkook and the warmed up covers felt perfect against his cold skin.

Jungkook only mumbled something that he couldn't understand as an answer, before he noticed how cold Yoongi's body was. He shivered, turning around to pull the captain closer and the blanket tighter around their bodies. “You're ice cold,“ Jungkook whispered sleepily, placing his warm hand onto Yoongi's cold and naked chest. The pirate captain chuckled at that, liking the feel of Jungkook’s hands against his body way too much. “Well why don’t you warm me up then?” He leaned in to brush a lost strand back behind Jungkook’s face and let his hand linger there a little before he let it trail a tingling path all the way over his shoulder to the small of Jungkook’s back. “Have you decided on a proper location yet?” The amusement was sparkling in his eyes.

“Whenever you aren't afraid of me anymore.” Jungkook answered boldly but the younger’s heart skipped a few beats nonetheless as heat was rushing up into his cheeks. “You're still afraid to be bewitched by my kiss? To drown?” He smirked, nuzzling his face back into the cushion and closed his eyes again. “I always thought pirates aren't afraid of anything.“

The surprise rendered him speechless but just for a second. He had thought that Jungkook would blush again and get flustered, maybe shyly admit that he wasn’t sure yet. That the siren practically gave him a pass right now came as a pleasant revelation.

He lowered his voice, whispering dark and promising into Jungkook’s ear, “Oh pretty, I’m not scared of you. I just tried to be polite and give you time to wrap your head around what it’s going to be like for you to be my companion in bed. Though if thinking I’m scared of you was the only thing holding you back then now that it’s out of the way…” He finished his sentence by shifting his weight and leaning over Jungkook. The younger looked up at him, so beautiful, so tempting and Yoongi just surrender to his desire. He closed the sirens mouth with his, hungry and demanding while his hand was finding a way to Jungkook’s chest, touching, feeling, teasing his naked skin. He was kissing the surprised gasp right from Jungkook’s lips. The kiss was effectively shutting down every worry or doubt in the siren’s mind. It had been a long time since someone had kissed him like that and Yoongi’s hands on his skin just felt too good to push away again. He had wanted this, he wanted Yoongi. He would have lied if he told otherwise. Wherever he went, Jungkook felt the longing stare on his back and when he turned around he saw Yoongi and his heart ached blissfully, a feeling he was chasing without even noticing. He had gotten used to sleeping next to him way too quickly and whenever Jungkook woke up without Yoongi by his side it felt like something was missing. He barely knew him and still, here he was, lying underneath the handsome pirate, kissing him back just as eagerly. Before he had wanted nothing but his freedom and when Yoongi gave the choice back to him, Jungkook fought the urge to just stay in the other’s arms. And although he was scared that Yoongi would not care anymore as soon as he got the treasure and that he only wanted him because of the part that was seductively siren in Jungkook, he couldn’t stop.

Jungkook moaned quietly, pulling Yoongi in closer by his waist. Yoongi felt relief wash over him as Jungkook kissed him back just as heatedly, obviously on the same page as him. He hadn't been entirely sure if it was just the siren’s nature to react to flirting and tease right back, but this reaction felt real. He quickly pushed down Jungkook's underpants that the younger wore for sleeping because everything between him and Jungkook's body felt like a personal affront. He couldn't wait to touch all of him, explore every part of his body, every inch of his skin…

The need started burning in his gut, his body reacting to the mental stimulation it got. Jungkook could feel the need rush through his body, making him impatient and feeling way too hot. Nonetheless he couldn’t help but blush, when Yoongi pulled down his underwear so eagerly. Jungkook just kept on kissing Yoongi, nibbling at his lips, his jawline and only let go off him when the pirate got rid of his own pants.

He had seen Yoongi naked before, it was nothing new, but still it felt like he saw him for the first time like this. He gulped, a rosy blush on his cheeks when Yoongi hovered back over him, kissing his neck. Jungkook instinctively spread his thighs a little further so he could feel Yoongi even closer on him, while his hands were exploring Yoongi’s body, tracing softly over a few scars from what he assumed must be from fights, before he pushed his lips back onto his. Yoongi comfortably lied back down in between Jungkook’s thighs. Feeling how willingly the younger spread them for him had him stifling a moan. He couldn’t wait to be inside him.

He inwardly groaned - not the nice kind of groan this time - when he remembered that he needed to use something on the siren to make it easier for them and that he didn’t keep stuff like that next to his bed. Though when he needed to get up from the bed anyways he could also lock the door to prevent a drunken visit from Namjoon again. If it was going well then his crew members would hear what was happening anyways as he doubted that Jungkook wouldn’t be vocal.

Jungkook propped himself up on his elbows, watching Yoongi with a fast beating heart. The sound of the door locking made him jerk a little, as he felt so on edge and sensitive already, while his eyes stayed glued on Yoongi’s back. He tried to see what the other was doing, for a second thinking that Yoongi might have changed his mind. The doubts came just as fast as they were gone again, when the pirate turned around. Jungkook relaxed visibly when he saw that it wasn’t a cloth or anything alike to stuff his mouth with.

At the wide eyed look Jungkook gave him Yoongi startled a little. Getting up from the bed without a word after making out probably hadn’t been his best idea. “Don’t worry I just got some coconut oil from the shelf. It should work. I’ve used that kind of stuff before.” He got back on the bed, sitting back on his heels and then ordering, “Turn around for me, please.”

Jungkook couldn’t decipher the feeling inside of him, anything of it really: The aching to let Yoongi have him, the fear in him, the anxiety that he would let go off him as soon as he got his treasure and that he was just someone to spend the nights with. And still he wanted him. Jungkook tried to wave it off that he was just having his ‘needs’ too. He just couldn’t keep his hands to himself. Jungkook did as Yoongi ordered and turned around to look at him over his shoulder, biting his lip in excitement. Yoongi gave the younger a once over, from his long neck down over his shoulder blades that still stuck out a little too much even though Jungkook ate more regularly now since they had established their new rules of him being not-quite a prisoner. His small waist gave his body a slight curve that Yoongi found incredibly attractive. His eyes were glued on the siren as he opened the jar with the oil. He generously coated his erection with it, jerking himself a few times until it became too slippery to be enjoyable. However, it would be different with Jungkook‘s body so he added a bit more just to be sure and then wiped his hands clean on the sheets. He needed a good grip on Jungkook‘s hips.

Jungkook’s heart was only beating faster when he watched Yoongi jerking himself, soft, low groans leaving his lips and the need to lean in and kiss him again overwhelmed him completely. He felt a little left out, that was until Yoongi gripped him tight around his hips, pulling him closer and tearing a squeal from him. Jungkook instinctively spread his thighs a little more to give Yoongi better access. Yoongi positioned himself at Jungkook’s entrance and started to push in, only going slower when he felt how much Jungkook’s body resisted. He’s had a lot of sex so far, seeking distraction on every island they landed on, but he had always chosen the easy, no-strings-attached way; which meant male prostitutes, rent boys, the men he found on the side of the street or in certain bars. He’s never had to prepare them before. Jungkook was different though and Yoongi was a little out of his depth when he realized he might be going too fast for him.

“You... you’re not a virgin, are you? You’ve done this before…with humans?” He stuttered, trying to keep himself from pushing further in because the tightness felt heavenly - even though he knew it must be a little too much for Kook.

Jungkook nodded his head, his hands gripping the bed sheets tightly. “Y-yes, but you know…the kidnapping and…all,” He was panting, chuckling low, “The last one sold me to those sailors.” Reaching behind him, Jungkook held onto Yoongi’s waist keeping him steady, “Just go slow, okay? I can take some pain.” He looked over his shoulder for a moment, his gaze turning sultry, “I really want you, Yoongi.” Slowly, Jungkook moved his hips, gasping when the feel of being stretched out hit him hard – but he didn’t stop.

“You mean..?” Jungkook didn’t seem the type to look for one night stands so if Yoongi wasn’t wrong then the Siren had just told him that the last person he had trusted or been in love with had sold him into being a prisoner on a ship. Which only very few managed to survive. Ships had their own laws. Even for a human being sold like this promised a nightmare to come - and all the more if you were a creature of the sea supposed to show the crew a way to magical treasures you didn’t know much about. It must have broken Jungkook’s heart.

Yoongi leaned over him, suddenly feeling protective and started kissing his neck,  soothing over his shoulder to relax him. The only thing he was grateful for was that if Jungkook’s last time had been with that dishonorable prick it meant that the sailors at least hadn’t touched him. Going slow together with his caresses seemed to make it a little easier for the younger as he slowly opened up to him, inch by inch. Yoongi’s thighs trembled from the tension of holding himself back. It felt so good, better than he had ever felt before. “Fuck, you’re... incredible!” His suppressed moans sounded desperate already even though they hadn’t really started yet.

Jungkook couldn’t keep from smiling, feeling proud that he was the one making Yoongi so desperate, his fingertips digging deeper into his waist. The younger felt totally breathless when Yoongi completely bottomed out and he was sweating already. Jungkook moved his hips slowly, circling them to get used to the feeling of being filled, pushing back onto Yoongi with a little pressure, then a little more. Soft moans were spilling from Jungkook’s lips, “Please, Yoongi!”

Yoongi cursed filthily in best pirate manner when his hips met Jungkook’s ass. The younger felt better than he could have ever imagined or dreamed of; he was pure tightness and velvety heat, perfect muscles and peachy skin under his touch. “You good?” His breath didn’t last for more and he was actually quite proud that he waited for Jungkook’s affirmation before moving although everything in him ached to thrust forward and indulge himself in the younger’s sweet body. He wanted to take as much as he could before he would lose Jungkook to the water or another ship again. “Mh’ yeah, would be better if you started fucking me, or is this it?” Jungkook answered cheekily, although he knew better by now not to tease the pirate. He smirked, pushing his ass back onto him sensually.

”Did you just..?” Yoongi’s mouth hung open before his expression turned dangerous. “Whatever you want, baby. Just don’t come crying to me if you can’t walk tomorrow. I’ll make you remember who had that sweet ass of yours.” He rubbed his palm over the firm flesh before roughly pulling the boy back against him. He could feel himself slide in deeper and from the way Jungkook shuddered helplessly he wasn’t the only one who felt like he was losing his mind from pleasure. With his hands on Jungkook’s ass and his weight on top of the younger he controlled him completely, setting a deep and dirty pace that had the bed shaking. Jungkook was trying to hold onto the headboard to keep himself steady, the thrusts making him jerk forward with each push. “Ah, it feels so good,” He moaned and laid his head back down onto the cushion, his ass up as he reached for Yoongi’s hand. He placed his own on top, just to feel him even closer. Jungkook couldn’t withstand Yoongi, not physically nor emotionally. The thrusts were hitting deep, making him shake and tremble so quickly like he never had before. Jungkook closed his eyes, dwelling in the pleasure, sweet, melodic moans the only thing that mixed with his heavy pants.

The moment Jungkook started to moan for real was when Yoongi felt it; it was like being hit with something hot, like a wave that pulled him under. He didn’t stand a chance from the onslaught of pleasure that filled him, so suddenly that he almost lost balance.

“Oh.. oh fuck!” He held onto the younger for dear life as his harsh, deep trusts only teased more sounds from Jungkook’s throat. The more he used his voice the more unbearable the desire became, ebbing and flowing through his body like the ocean, filling his senses, his mind until he couldn’t think about anything else but Jungkook and that he was inside of him. He wanted to become one with Jungkook so desperately, to come inside of him and make the siren fall apart because of him that it became a need more important than oxygen. He needed to feel Jungkook closer, to fill him out, make him his, etch himself into Jungkook’s heart and body as deeply as he could.

Jungkook could feel his thighs shaking with the way Yoongi was going for it. He sat up a little more, leaning back and letting the pirate wrap his arms around him to keep him seated on his cock while he turned to kiss him sloppily. Jungkook loved the feel of Yoongi’s sweaty chest against his back, his warmth and secure hold and the force with which he fucked him. He stole one more kiss, before the siren let himself fall onto his hands again, spreading his thighs a little more and starting to jerk himself off. Jungkook moaned Yoongi’s name loudly, his hole tightening deliciously around the pirate’s cock with each stroke.

Yoongi held onto the siren as if he was everything that kept him from losing his mind and right now it felt like exactly that. He whispered praises into Jungkook’s ear, telling him how beautiful he was, how kind, how much he loved to see his smile first thing in the morning when it was still a little sleepy and only meant for him. He told him breathlessly how much he loved to watch Jungkook by the sea and how he had wanted to drag him into his cabin and just take him whenever Jungkook had gone skinny dipping, presenting that well rounded ass to the pirate as if he was teasing him with a delicacy he wasn’t allowed to taste. The words just kept coming as if something had loosened his tongue and made his heart spill over, so that he was confessing all his feelings in a rush, a fresh haze of heat burning him from the inside out whenever Jungkook so much as gasped or moaned or melodically whimpered his name while he touched himself.

Jungkook’s jerks were getting more desperate, his pants and moans louder so that he was sure his magic was reaching further than the captain’s cabin by now – but he didn’t care. Nothing of it was harmful anyways. A smile played on his lips, when he trembled and Jungkook pushed his ass back a little more, “M’ so close, please.”

Yoongi was close as well - but he couldn’t speak or tell him otherwise, his voice had been lost in what he was feeling. He was too far gone to realize that it was the siren’s magic that had infected him, heightening his pleasure because that’s what Jungkook was feeling. He was at the mercy of his own desires, his own lust and the closer Jungkook got to finishing off the more intense it got and the more overwhelmed he felt.

His grip around Jungkook’s waist tightened as if he never wanted to let go of the boy, his thrusts becoming more sharp and reckless as he chased his own pleasure. He fucked Jungkook so hard that the boy gasped for breath each time the pirate snapped his hips forward, right into his sweet spot that made him see stars flashing in front of his eyes. It didn’t take long for Jungkook to fall apart right on his cock. His thighs were trembling, his whole body shaking from the pleasure as he cried out. Jungkook fell forward, a quivering mess, his muscles clenching tightly from the waves of his orgasm, feeling blissfully gone in pure ecstasy. Each stroke inside of him, made him shiver even more, intensifying the feeling and when Yoongi began to tremble, his thrusts faltering, Jungkook was still clenching around him in aftershocks, trying to catch his breath. Yoongi came hard and with a hoarse cry, harder than he could ever remember coming before. He kept Jungkook close to him, riding out his orgasm buried deeply inside the younger’s sensitive body until the siren started twitching and jerking every time Yoongi’s shallow thrusts send him further into overstimulation. Yoongi tried to find his voice or get his breath back but failed miserably, still lost in the waves of pleasure when Jungkook's body stopped shaking and his own muscles stopped trembling as well.

When Yoongi finally pulled out, Jungkook just let go and let himself fall into the bed. The wet, hot cum inside of him had him feeling so utterly dirty but Jungkook couldn’t get himself to get up right now. He sighed softly, feeling Yoongi’s body slump down next to him.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about the…the moans,” Jungkook whispered and turned to look at him, “But you looked so beautiful when you were gone, and it doesn’t harm you. I didn’t want you to be scared.” A faint smile appeared on his lips and Jungkook shifted a little closer to Yoongi, holding onto him tightly. “Oh,” It made a lot more sense now, how incredible Jungkook had felt and how he had lost himself so quickly. He couldn’t find it in him to care though. He felt amazing. Sated and boneless, limbs heavy and mind blissed out. “Were you trying to bewitch me, or does it come naturally to you?” He lowered his voice to whisper into Kook’s ear, “Do you get everyone hot and bothered every time you jerk off too? Maybe that’s why I wanted you so much. How often did you make yourself come next to me at night, moaning your siren song into my ear?” He didn’t mind the sweat or cum on Jungkook, so he pulled him back in, nipping at the juncture of his neck. When it didn’t have enough of an effect he rubbed over Jungkook’s nipples, knowing that the other must be hyper aware of his oversensitivity right now.

The siren shivered, “No, it comes naturally.“ Gasping lightly, Jungkook felt too weak to hold Yoongi back, letting him nibble and kiss him everywhere he could reach. “What?“ He placed a hand on Yoongi's chest, “I would never, not when you're sleeping next to me. Did you?“ Jungkook's eyes grew wider at the sudden imagery in his head.

Yoongi smirked, kissing Jungkook's cheek half smug, half apologetically. "Yeah, I did. After we went into the sea together and I saw you naked and wet, and so so fucking beautiful and then you let me touch you - and practically told me that I could fuck you some time...you didn't think that would leave me cold, did you?" At Jungkook's shy reaction he added, "Don't worry, I didn't touch you, I just waited till you were asleep and then imagined how it would feel to sink into your tight heat and take you right on that beach. Nothing I imagined came even close to what it actually feels like to fuck you though. I hope you enjoyed it because I definitely want to do this again. And next time I know I need to go slow first. You're not hurting, are you?”

The younger’s cheeks were blushing, and he mindlessly drew pattern into Yoongi’s chest in his embarrassment, “N-no. I’m okay. I’ll just go and wash up really quick.” Jungkook leaned in and placed a kiss on the pirates cheek, one that let his own heart jump, because he’d never been the one to initiate things like that. Jungkook carefully got up and around the bed, giving Yoongi the perfect view of the bruises forming around his waist where he had gripped him tightly. Looking over his shoulder, he smiled, before he vanished into the small bathroom to wash himself. The bowl filled with water was ice cold, but Jungkook didn’t mind right now. He could hear Yoongi shift around in the room and when he came back, he noticed the changed sheets. “Thank you.” Jungkook whispered and laid back down next to him, not even bothering to put clothes back on. He put his arm around Yoongi’s waist, pulling himself in. Tiredly, he nuzzled his face closer, blending out every doubt and thought about how Yoongi was just using him and would drop him soon after he got what he wanted: the treasure. Jungkook was just a beautiful siren that passed his way and the more he thought about it, the more he realized his own fears had changed. Jungkook shuddered.

"Are you cold?" Yoongi had misinterpreted Jungkook's shudder and held him a little tighter to his chest, rubbing over his arms to warm him up. "I can get you another blanket if you want?" Suggesting that Jungkook put his clothes back on wasn't an option as he liked it too much to have the younger naked in his arms. Seeing the bruises on Kook made him feel satisfied as it would mean Kook would remember him - it was something he thought about sometimes. As a pirate he went in and out of people's life whenever they visited an Island and except for his crew no one really knew him. He couldn't change that - and also shouldn't for safety reasons. But at least he could imprint his presence in someone’s body, hoping he would live in their thoughts a little longer.

“I’m fine,” Jungkook closed his eyes and leaned his head on Yoongi’s chest, seeking the warmth of his body heat, which made it so easy to fall asleep, feeling safe in the pirates embrace.

He only woke, when the sun was shining through the bullseye again and there was no way he could sleep any longer.

Jungkook groaned, turning when he felt Yoongi leave the bed. Pursing his lips into a pout, the younger blinked his eyes open. With a sigh, he pushed the blanket away from his body and got up as well. He walked past the pirate and towards the drawer where Yoongi stored his clothes to try and find something that fit him. Unfortunately for the pirate, he could see now that the bruises were all gone and where his handprints had been the night before, there was only soft, milky skin now.

Yoongi, stopped short. He had to make a double take before he could believe it: All of the marks he had so proudly and possessively left on Jungkook‘s skin were gone. Of course, when the siren‘s ability to heal himself was able to handle cuts then a few superficial bruises were gone in no time. He hadn‘t thought about this yesterday so today came as a surprise. Yoongi huffed, feeling personally offended by Jungkook‘s healing abilities even though he knew that it was childish, that Jungkook couldn‘t control that - and that it would just give him a reason to bruise Jungkook up anew. In bed. Maybe even tonight.

“You okay?” Jungkook turned to look at the pirate when he huffed, walking over to him to brush his hand through his hair. He let his hand wander down to Yoongi’s cheek, lingering there for a little while as his gaze locked with his. Jungkook leaned in, wanting to kiss Yoongi again, but a knock on the cabin’s door made him jerk away and leave his embrace. He quickly put a shirt on, before Namjoon peeked through the door once more interrupting them. Yoongi wished he hadn’t unlocked the door already.

“You slept pretty long. How about you skip breakfast and come on deck? Hoseok needs you to help and guide through the shallow sea.” Jungkook sighed softly, folding his hands together. If Yoongi would skip breakfast, then he would need to, too. No matter where Yoongi went, and although he didn’t call him a prisoner anymore, the captain never let him out of sight.

“Great.” Yoongi’s voice was saturated with sarcasm. “You really know how to ruin my mood, Namjoon,” He took Jungkook’s chin and turned the boy’s head around to kiss him deeply and possessively, completely ignoring Namjoon’s presence. Then he leaned in, whispering a few words into Jungkook’s ear, “Why don’t you have breakfast without me and then we met back at lunch. You shouldn’t skip a meal because you’ll need your strength. Apparently your body is adamant on making it seem like I never touched you which means I’ll have to make you remember me every night.” He smirked, half promising half annoyed from how they needed to part and then quickly followed Namjoon back on deck.

Jungkook stood frozen on the spot and when Yoongi was gone and the door closed, he was completely and utterly confused. Turning around, he didn’t quite know what to do with himself now, when usually he’d follow the captain around. And only after a couple of minutes of calming his fast beating heart, did Jungkook get out of the cabin, carefully tip toeing into the kitchen to search for breakfast. Whenever a crew member passed him, Jungkook almost pressed himself to the wall, averting his gaze, not wanting to get any attention on why he was walking around alone – but luckily, no one seemed to mind.

…

“Yoongi god fucking damn it,” Hoseok yelled, “Tell your dumb ass crew to look out larboard as well. If we run aground because they thought they only need to observe one side then I’ll fucking jump off this ship and let you all sail with ten knots against a cliff.”

The captain’s answer was an angry growl. Not only was Hoseok  talking to him in a way that he shouldn’t but he was also right with what he was saying which made it even worse.

“You are part of that dumbass crew!” He reminded him roughly, “And if you don't stop running your mouth like that then you’ll go overboard either way.” He normally just overlooked Hoseok’s way of talking to him as the other did an amazing job, but he was agitated already so angering him further wouldn’t be a healthy choice for anyone today.

Jungkook was munching on an apple that Jin had given him, saying that he looked as if he was lacking vitamins, and got back on deck. He regretted it the minute he stepped out into the sun. There were crew members running around, he could hear the navigator and Yoongi screaming orders, yelling over of each other.

“If you fucking get just one scratch into my beautiful ship…”

Jungkook turned to look over his shoulder at the angry growl and up to the steering wheel, chuckling quietly. He walked ahead, his eyes only on Yoongi, when someone bumped into him roughly making him stumble. The crew member just disregarded him quickly, running off to the other side of the ship. Jungkook huffed in annoyance. “Here, Jin made you some tea and this bread is for you.” He held the metal can and the food out for the captain with a smile. “He says you shouldn’t drink whisky this early and you’ll only get it at lunch.” Jungkook quickly stepped aside again when another pirate was almost running him over.

“I can’t eat right now!” Yoongi disregarded his nice gesture with an annoyed glance. It was cute that Jungkook had thought of him but right now he didn’t have any capacities left for pleasantries, he was busy trying to stay afloat and keep them on the water instead of under it. “You eat it - you need it anyway.” He ran over to another pirate, yelling at him for taking the wrong rope and messing up the knots.

For the second time today, Jungkook stood completely confused, looking down at the bread and tea. He bit his lip. The younger could clearly see that Yoongi had his hands full, but still the way Yoongi had talked to him left a bitter taste in his mouth. Jungkook smiled faintly at Hoseok, who looked at him pitiful and he quickly began to place the food and can down where Yoongi could still take it if he wanted to. It was too chaotic on deck for him, a perfect mirror for the turmoil of feelings inside of himself. Jungkook barely had managed to get up when a wave hit the ship. The tea sloshed out of the can first and then the rest of what was left hit the planks together with the high sound of porcelain shattering. Yoongi cursed before he even saw where it had come from or what had happened. “Which of you fuckwads was stupid enough to leave dishes on deck? If anyone gets cut and bleeds out I’ll make the idiot who’s responsible for that share that fate! Clean it…” He broke off, when it hit a little too late that Jungkook’s had dishes with him when he had come on deck to bring him tea and bread. He turned and there he was, standing close to the white, sharp shards that were scattered all across the planks and tumbled even further every time the ship moved a little too roughly.

Jungkook’s eyes were wide and he looked back at Yoongi for a second, eyes fearful and then he quickly got onto his knees and began collecting the shards. He pulled his shirt out of his pants to form a little hollow to put the shards in, mumbling a few apologies. He didn’t really notice when he cut himself on a shard, trying to catch it before it flew further away from him as they sailed through the tides. The younger tried not to show how embarrassed he felt, but the laughing and pointing of the crew members around him made him feel awful. “It was your little siren, captain.” One of them said, holding their stomach as if they couldn’t contain their laughter. “Not as graceful as we thought.”

Jungkook quickly grabbed the can, mumbling something about how he would get something to clean it up further, as he balanced the shards and everything else, trying not to stumble. He was so concentrated on not letting any of the pieces fall from his grip that he didn’t notice when one of the Pirates tripped him up. Yoongi didn’t see that from his point of view, however he saw Jungkook lose his balance and fall forward, effectively throwing everything he had collected all over the place. More laughing from the pirates and curses from Yoongi washed over the siren who looked as if he had fallen into a few of the sharp, broken pieces himself.

Jungkook cried out in sudden pain, carefully bringing his palms back up to see the damage. He was shaking with the anger, blood dripping down his hands. Jungkook hated this day already and the crew was adamant on making it worse. In his vibrating anger, the siren didn’t notice how the waves were starting to tremble too, as if the ocean was mimicking his emotions. He snapped around, his eyes narrowed as his gaze bored through the laughing crew members when a wave hit overboard and drowned the pirates with it. Jungkook’s eyes widened in shock when all three of them tumbled over, now soaking wet, coughing for air. Jungkook gasped, when the tension fell off him, just like the wave ebbed back into the ocean. He had never done such a thing before and for a second he was completely stunned.

Yoongi had tried to get to Jungkook to check up on him but he wasn’t in time to stop him from working his water magic or spell or whatever it was that he was doing. It definitely helped with the laughing because there was dead silence the second they all realized that the sudden wave came from Jungkook, then there was murmuring, like an angry swarm of hornets. Out of the corner of his eyes Yoongi could see one of the pirates draw his blade and instead of carefully helping Jungkook up like he had wanted he gripped him painfully on his arm to pull him up right away. “Get up!” He hissed, dragging the younger along with him under deck.

“I didn’t mean to! I swear!” Jungkook was trying to explain right away, his heart beating into overdrive out of sheer panic that Yoongi would imprison him again, “I’ve never done such a thing before. I was angry…they hurt me, they made me fall into the shards on purpose.” Jungkook whined quietly, stumbling after Yoongi whose grip only turned more painful. “I swear, please…please don’t hurt me,” Jungkook shivered, feeling light-headed and when Yoongi stopped, he tried to turn his head, closing his eyes, waiting for the blow to hit. Yoongi held him tightly on both his arms now, turning him around so that the younger’s back hit the wall behind him, “Do you have any idea what you just did?” His voice was icy and his eyes just as cold as he stared him down.

“I’m trying to protect you! And the first time I let you be on your own, thinking that you might handle this you fucking ruin it! You’re risking not just your life but mine as well! What do you think they’ll do when they come for you and I’m trying to protect you, hm? That their captain is a reasonable human being and so they should listen to him even though he’s keeping an “evil sea creature” from them? Or that said creature bewitched him and so both of them have to die? Do you really want to drag me down with you so badly Jungkook? Is that it? Do you want to die?”

“I’m not evil! You know I’m not,” Tears stung in Jungkook’s eyes as he shook his head, “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t know I could do that…and I didn’t hurt them…they hurt me! You’re hurting me, Yoongi!” Jungkook tried to pull his arms away, his palms still bleeding. “I don’t want to die.” He shook his head, tears running down his cheeks as he sobbed, “Please…Yoongi, please don’t.”

Watching Jungkook cry in front of him made his anger vanish so that only the worry and fear were left, and his own words left a bitter taste in his mouth. He didn’t let go of him, but he loosened his grip a little. He was no longer yelling at him, but he still couldn’t look at him without the emotions washing over him, so he simply didn’t. Instead he just took him back to the cabin and sat him down. “Show me your hands.” There was still blood all over and Yoongi wasn’t sure if he might make it worse trying to clean it because that would definitely hurt. “You’ll heal, right?”

Jungkook’s eyes widened at that, pulling his hands back in fear, scared that Yoongi would punish him now. It wasn’t the first time someone would, because he hadn’t been able to control his abilities. People always feared the unknown and as soon as they found out that he healed quickly it had turned into a wicked game. Jungkook felt defeated, his heart aching painfully. “Just get it over with, please.” He looked up at the cabin with tear-filled eyes, his hands shaking, whole body shivering in fear.

The pirate nodded; his expression grim as he misread Jungkook’s reaction as a request to care for the wound despite the possible pain. “It’s going to hurt,” He warned him before getting a clean piece of cloth and the bottle of alcohol that he had used to disinfect the cut on his leg as well. Carefully he took Jungkook’s hand in his before wetting the cloth with booze and then dabbing the blood and dirt away from the younger’s wounds. A gasp fell from his lips when Yoongi didn’t hit him, but instead went for his hands. His gaze was unsure as he watched the pirate care for him. “Y-you’re not beating me up?” Jungkook asked carefully, regretting that he had asked right away. Maybe the captain would still do it.

Yoongi furrowed his brows. “I will next time you risk your life like that!” He dropped his gaze again, voice becoming softer. His crew members knew when to take his threats seriously and when to dismiss them. Jungkook however, didn’t. And considering what he had just expected him to do he would probably believe him now as well so he should better make it right before Jungkook would go back to being frightened and scared of him. “No. I won’t. The reason I’m that harsh to you is that I don’t want you to get hurt. I need you. For… for the treasure I mean. I can’t let anything happen to you. You just got me really, really scared up there. Because each time you remind them that you’re not human I feel like I need to prepare against a mutiny and…honestly I’m not sure if I’d stand a chance to protect any of us.” He gently caressed the back of the siren’s hand, the only part of it that wasn’t injured. “So please, do me a favor and lay low with your powers, okay? I’m sorry I yelled at you up there. It’s... complicated. We’re in dangerous waters and there’s a million ways thing could go wrong so I have to think about a million and one things, if you know what I mean.”

“O-okay,” Jungkook blinked a few tears away, wiping over his cheek. “I really didn’t mean to. Believe me, I didn’t know I could do this. I don’t know what happened…I was just so angry.” He took a deep shuddery breath, “I…I…won’t do anything anymore. I promise. I’ll be human!” Jungkook smiled at Yoongi faintly and obviously exhausted from the breakdown, “Just human. I am sorry I made such a fuss.”

Jungkook would have promised Yoongi anything right now, visibly relieved that he hadn’t hurt him. When Yoongi still locked the door behind him, Jungkook didn’t even jerk. He knew that in a way it was just to protect him, from keeping anyone from barging in. Tiredly the young siren let himself fall back into the mattress. He stayed like this for the rest of the day, too exhausted, not even touching the food Yoongi brought him throughout the day.

Jungkook had never been good at deciphering his feelings. As a siren, his empathic nature had always caused him trouble and finding out what he truly wanted was a struggle. When he laid on the bed alone, staring off into the distance, memories kept haunting him. It took a while until the exhaustion pulled him under and into a light sleep, only jerking awake again when Yoongi came back. The thoughts had been keeping him conscious that night, listening to the soft snores right next to him, while his eyes were wide open. He felt alone, awfully alone, holding onto himself a little tighter. Jungkook was shivering, feeling cold and exhausted and still he couldn’t sleep. Not like this. He needed to clear his head, maybe get back to bed then or wait to see the sun set outside. The crew had anchored the ship after they made it through the dangerous tides, everyone visibly exhausted and needing the night to fuel their energy levels back up. Jungkook made it out of bed quietly, closing the cabin door behind him without a creak. He grabbed one of the lanterns and a small blanket on his way up. When he was up on deck though, the young siren came to a halt, standing in complete awe. Jungkook couldn’t see a thing - because there was fog everywhere. He could barely make out his own hand. The vapor devoured it all and it seemed as though the ship was the only thing left in the world. He couldn’t even make out the ocean. All was quiet apart from the soft sound of the waves, the silence magnifying the noise of the sea lapping against the sides. But there was something different about the fog. Something that made his stomach churn. It was like the ocean was telling him to be careful.

Jungkook held on tightly to his lamp, walking ahead, narrowing his eyes to see through the fog. Something had caught his eye. He shook his head, rubbing his eyes again, thinking that they were playing tricks on him. Putting his lantern down, Jungkook leaned over the rail of the ship so he could see better.

There was another ship.

A bit further away from theirs. He could see it now. A chill ran through his body and a weird feeling inside his stomach made him want to run but the curiosity kept him still. A sudden loud crashing noise next to him had Jungkook jerking around, his heart beating fast. His lantern had fallen, the glass splintering into a million pieces, the candle extinct – he hadn’t touched it. Jungkook’s eyes were searching in the dark, trying to keep his breathing under control. Something felt awfully wrong.

“Y-Yoongi?” Jungkook stumbled ahead and through the fog, the urge to be back under deck and slip under the blanket was overwhelming now while he was internally pleading for the morning sun to rise quickly. When he neared the door, Jungkook stopped abruptly. His eyes flickered back and forth. There was a women blocking his way. Her dirty smirk only enhancing her haunting aura.

“Well, well.. aren’t you quite the catch..” She sounded excited but completely relaxed as if her being on the ship was completely normal. Before Jungkook could react she gripped him at the shoulder and turned him around until his back was pressed against her chest and she could wrap her arms around him completely, one hand closing over his mouth to keep him from making a sound, the other one reaching for her weapon to threaten the siren with. “Be smart, little boy. No sound or else you’ll have a few more holes than you need.” She whispered, still sounding more amused than threatening as she casually spoke about killing him.

Jungkook was panting against the hand over his mouth, his eyes searching through the fog as more and more women stepped out until he was circled by six of them. “He isn’t one of them,” One of them said, brushing through her short dark hair.

“But then why is he here, Dami? Black never takes strangers on his ship - especially not ones that can roam around freely like this?” A woman with long blonde hair answered and came closer, eyeing Jungkook dangerously, before she pulled off a piece of cloth from her belt and they quickly exchanged it for the hand, so Jungkook kept quiet, stuffing it into his mouth, “Black hasn’t visited us in a long time… how nice of him to bring us a gift….well, then we’re allowed to do whatever with you, right?” She leaned in so close that Jungkook shivered.  

“Absolutely!” The one who held him chuckled, brushing back Jungkook’s hair as if she was caring for him or assessing his worth. “I could think of a thing or two to do with him. Look at him, he’s so pretty! Either Black developed taste all of a sudden or there’s more behind those big brown eyes than we see. He’d look amazing in the captain's cabin on her silk sheets, don’t you think?”

“Oh yes, he would,” The leader walked up to Jungkook and his eyes widened in panic, trying to get away from her but the women were strong, keeping him in place firmly. Her bright red hair flowing in the wind. “Bring him onto my ship and then…rob this awful place. Take everything you can get and try not to wake the sleepy boys. But make sure he knows we’ve been there,” Jiu laughed. She walked a few steps, pushing her heel onto a seemingly lifeless body, that Jungkook only registered now, and lifting the poor pirates chin, who apparently has had the night shift and had to take a hit on the head, blood oozing down over his brows. Jungkook tried to scream, panicking, writhing to get out of their grip.

He wouldn’t survive another kidnapping.

They carried him easily, tying his hands up with one of the ship’s ropes until he was practically a package, one carrying his feet and another one his upper body. They hoisted him over the railing and then let him fall and for a second Jungkook was falling downwards, thinking that he was about to be dropped in the ocean to drown - before his body hit the ship’s tender boat with a dull thump. There was another woman waiting there, flinching when he landed hard on the place next to her and keeping him from falling off the side out of reflex. “Oh, hello you. I see our pilferage was worth it already. You’ll come with us?” She looked at the way he was gagged, chuckling to herself, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to answer anytime soon. “I guess so. Welcome on board then little one.”

Jungkook couldn’t help but cry out of frustration and fear. He couldn’t believe this what happening. Not now, not like this. He was begging and pleading inwardly, praying to whatever god there was to get him out of his misery. Jungkook had wanted to apologize to Yoongi again, promise him to be good and not use any of his powers anymore. He just wanted to stay with him. Everything in him just screamed to be back on the ship. Jungkook’s eyes widened in sudden realization, his heart skipping a few beats as the ship went further out of his reach.

He wanted to stay with Yoongi, be by his side, be liked by the crew members. He wanted to be seen as someone who could be at the captain’s side and not just the clumsy, frightened siren. Gulping against the lump in his throat, Jungkook began to struggle against his restraints.

He liked Yoongi.

And no matter how mean the pirate could be and although it didn’t make much sense to his own heart, the young siren wanted to be with him. Tears filled his eyes and the sounds of the women robbing the ship carelessly and the crashing of the ocean waves against the boat was the only thing he could hear.

A/N: I posted this a day earlier than usual as I am going on a small vacation the next three days. So instead of a break you’ll get the new chapter now! Thank you so much for the lovely support we have gotten for this story so far!!! It really means a lot to Cat and I! And yes, surprise ;) It’s Dreamcatcher coming to kidnap Jungkook <3 (I mean who wouldnt want to get kidnapped by those beautiful women). If you don’t know who Dreamcatcher is...what have you been doing?

Subscribed: @gguksbam @bngtnsnyndn-ily @whatarelarryfeels @jeonsdear @starlightstae @p-ixelite @lissachan504 @wise-bts-collector @nochuukookie @h-e-l-p-m-e-p-l-e-a-s-e00 @hisheartsmile @lxnehxre @violetrose120 @fusselkuchen @gelsavitichi @minsugasnerd @yoonqiful @thenameoftherain @jjkscnery @tobi-love @banaani-mins @writeasifwordsarepaintbrushes @it-is-dana @nomimits7 @laur-zipan @mytokyos @ksjinandtonic@eenabannana  @mintynicotine@vannilacake @persephonelovesbts @maryana-san @ultmay @the-magic-shoppe  @shineenimus @triviajeongin @cabaasch @vannilacake @cecechiro

↳ If you want to be tagged in new updates you can now sign up in my subscription list here

#networkbangtan #bangtanarmynet #kwritersworldnet #mygsnet #btssmutclub #ggukienet #jungkook #yoongi #yoonkook #bts #bangtan #bts pirate au #pirate yoongi #siren jungkook #bts siren au #bts fluff #bts angst #jimin #namjoon #hoseok #taehyung #jin #bts fanfic #bangtan fanfic #/mywriting #mine

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #258

“as above, so below, what you reap is what you sow. what you give comes back threefold, as above, so below.”

Who was your favorite cartoon character when you were a kid? Pikachu! Have you ever asked a guy out on a date? No. Who do you consider your best friend in your workplace? N/A Do you have to have your bed or anything else in your room a specific way before you go to sleep? I think I almost always have to be facing the left, but I can't really say with total certainty considering you don't really like... *realize* when you fall asleep. Have you changed your mind about anything lately? I've been on the fence about things. What do you dream about most? What is the general tone or mood of your dreams? They're either uncomfortable, melancholic run-ins with Jason or horrible nightmares about being attacked in some way and being incapable of fighting back. Do you mind going grocery shopping or is it something you enjoy? Does ANYBODY enjoy it?? If you could have a physical feature like wings, horns, a tail, ect., what would you have? GIVE ME RAM HORNS. What is something you wish more people understood about who you are as a person? A lot of my struggling goes on in my head. Like I think I'm relatively open about when I'm having a hard time, but it's come to my attention recently that there's a lot of battles people don't see and leads to the belief I give up easily. Have you ever gone through a time when you had no friends? How did you deal with it? No friends I ever hung out with or anything, yes. I just had to start reaching out and opening up a bit more, and that's when Colleen came in. What is your favorite food to have as a snack? It depends on what flavor I'm craving. Usually though, something sour and gummy. What time do you usually eat dinner? That can vary from as early as 5:30 to as late as like, 8:00. When was the last time you felt extremely happy? Like about a week ago, the second night Mom slept on the pull-out bed a family friend got us versus that damn couch she's slept on for years. Her doing it a second time was like, verification that she was more comfortable and would keep doing it, which she has. Has any food ever made you sick to the point where you’d be afraid to try it again? No, thankfully. What is something you wish you had the opportunity to do more often? Get out of the house. Do you have any interests or hobbies you thought you would outgrow, but haven’t? I wasn't sure if I would ever "outgrow" RP. Apparently I won't. Is there an outfit that you wear much more frequently than any other? There are a few shirts, yeah. How old is your television? We got it when my parents were still together, so it's old. Do you have a laptop or desktop? A laptop. Do you own any television series box sets? Just Meerkat Manor. Have you ever been in a fight with your best friend? Yeah. Was the last movie you watched a horror film? No. Where is your favorite place to go when you’re depressed? On a car ride where I can blast my music. In high school, were you in trouble a lot? No. I only ever got in trouble for too many tardies in the morning. Do you enjoy your hairstyle? Yeah. Do you have weak upper body strength? Yikes yes. Do you think hugs are awkward? Not if they're friends or similar. People I don't like and/or know well but am expected to hug anyway, yes, it's uncomfortable. Story of my life with my sister's in-laws. Do you think facial hair is gross? ... No...? I mean sure, if it's not groomed it can be, but it's very natural and normal? Would you ever dye your hair an unnatural color? UGH I want to. My hair has such a hard time holding color... Has anyone ever been weirdly obsessed with you? No. What is your favorite band of all time? Ozzy Osbourne. Always. Would you consider getting a tattoo any time soon? Literally ASAP. I was supposed to get my Mark one tidied up big big time for my birthday by a really professional artist with both holiday and birthday money, but Mom literally had to use it to keep this house and the car. It was admittedly frustrating, but I could tell she was far from happy about it and I can't *rightfully* be pissy about it. Then the cancer came along and threw a massive wrench in the plan, so now idk when that's happening now. What movie did you last watch with someone? I THINK it was the live action The Lion King with Dad. It's been a long time. Are you afraid of airplane rides? Not very actively, no. I acknowledge the risk, but it's not something I deeply worry about. If you’re reading a book, what page are you currently on? Don't have a book to read currently; I just finished the second Wings of Fire book, now I'm moving onto The Testaments by Margaret Atwood when we can order it over Amazon. Do you have a job you like? I don't have a job period. Have you ever lived with a roommate before? Yeah. How many scarves do you own, if any at all? Maybe one? If even that. Did you tell your last girlfriend/boyfriend that you love them? Yeah. What was the last thing your parents got mad at you for? Idk about Dad, but Mom... probably something I said? But I'm not sure. Do your pets have favorites? I'm the only one who handles Venus, and I'm Roman's favorite. How many people could sleep comfortably in the room you’re in? Just two if we share the bed. Would you like to have a treadmill in your house? I DESPERATELY want one. My legs are getting bad again now that I haven't physically been in school for what, a month? What’s the longest you’ve ever liked someone without telling them? Well, that would be Girt, but I went on-and-off with like-liking him for years... Since freshman year, really. It's hard to say because of my mind constantly changing. When is the last time you were on a swingset? Wow, no clue. At sleepovers, do you usually sleep on a bed, couch or floor? I haven't had one of those in too long of a time to really tell you. It would depend on the relationship, too. What’s the sweetest thing a gf/bf can do to get you to forgive them? Changed behavior. How hot does the temperature get in the summer where you live? High 90s/lower 100s. Was the last hoodie you wore too big for you? No. Did it belong to someone else? No. Have you ever taken Ambien to fall asleep? I was given it at the hospital, but it never did much for me. Did your last ex try to get back together with you after the break-up? No. Do you know someone who has 6 or more siblings? Possibly, but I don't think so. Do you rent movies frequently? Nope. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Take pictures. Will we ultimately end up destroying our own race? Yup. How do you think the world will end? Human life, climate change. Earth itself, probably like a meteor or black hole or something. I believe the universe itself will always exist. An alien ship lands at your house, and they want you. Do you go with them? Errrr no. If I even had the option. What’s your favorite meal to cook? I don't cook. Homework: Do you actually READ the chapters, or just skim through them? I read. I'd be too nervous about missing vital info to skim. If you were in a horror flick, would you be one of the first ones to die? Probably, but it depends on the predicament, I guess? What movie has been taken WAY too far, as far as sequels go? I don't know. I'm not a film buff. Do you refuse to eat certain foods because of what they look like? Yep. Green olives, for example, look so fuckin gross to me. Would you ever become a fan of a team you hate to please your spouse? No? Can you handle scary movies? I love scary movies. I enjoy the adrenaline of 'em. How often do you get a new purse…and for guys a new wallet? Not often at all. What is the most money that you have ever spent on getting your nails done? Never done that. Do you have a fake I.D.? Nope. Would you date someone 5 years older than you? Yeah. Have you ever been fingered? Yes. What is your favorite horror movie? Hmmm. I've got a bias towards Silent Hill, of course, but I also really enjoy both The Blair Witch Project movies, as well as The Crazies. Has a little kid ever fallen asleep on your lap before? Yeah. What’s your favorite kind of float? (coke, root beer) I can't remember the last time I had one of those. If you heard your best friend’s significant other was cheating on them, would you tell them? Even if you couldn’t prove it? UM yes. I mean it kinda depends on who told me this, like it could be total bullshit, but, they'd deserve to know that there was a possibility. If you discovered you were pregnant at this point in time, would you keep it or abort it? Why? If I got pregnant now, it'd have to be a case of rape, in which case I would probably abort, considering I'd be fucking traumatized worse than I already was. What is the last thing you googled? Uhhh shit. I think the definition for a word to ensure I was using it correctly? Have you ever jumped off a high dive into a pool? Nooo. I always wanted to as a kid, but I was ultimately too scared. Do you like hot, cold, or lukewarm showers? Hot, usually. Do you plan on having both your parents at your wedding? Yes. Where did your mother and father meet for the first time? I think work. Have you ever stayed in a cheap motel? No. I'm too much of a germaphobe for that. Have you been to Mount Rushmore? No. Do you sleep with the door open, kinda open, or completely closed? Open or kinda open, depending on if the cat moves it or not. How old were you when you got chicken pox? Never got it. What’s your sexual orientation? Bisexual. Do you have full or thinner lips? Uh idk, they look pretty normal to me. Which of the Pirates of the Caribbean's was your favorite? Never watched 'em. Do you press the delete key or the backspace key to get rid of a mistake? Backspace. How far do you live from your parents? I live with one. How many family photos do you have in your home? Like, on display/the walls? A pretty decent amount. Are you happy with how much money you make? I make none, so like... guess. Are you the type of person that will parallel park? Fuck that. To you, what is “the best thing since sliced bread”? Probably the Internet. Do you read and believe your horoscope? No. Do you have rules for naming your future children? I'm not having kids, but if I was to, no. Which actor, in your opinion, played the best Batman? I haven't seen them all. Have you ever TURNED DOWN an invite to a wedding? Why? No. Do you believe people should get married in a church? lol get married wherever the fuck you want. Name a movie everyone else thought was funny, but you couldn’t stand: *shrugs* Does the mall you go to have an arcade? Do you go in there? No. What is your favorite Little Debbie snack? This is ACTUALLY impossible. Don't ask me this question lmao. Got any interesting wigs? I don't have any wigs. What Mario game was your least favorite, and why? I've literally only ever played Mario Kart. I'm not that interested in the games. Have you ever been snowed in? Not to where like, we couldn't go outside. Does playing games in 2-D bother you because you now play mostly 3-D games? Oh no. Graphics absolutely do not make a game. Sure, they're more desirable considering it greatly improves immersion, but still. Sometimes 2D fits the "vibe" of the game. Tell the weirdest name of a town/city you’ve ever heard: Conetoe. You're pronouncing it wrong. Do you know anyone who DOESN’T have a cell phone? I don't think so. Do you like pineapple? Oh yeah. Do you get a flu jab each year? No, but I should start. Did you ever dream about being an animal? Maybe? Idk. What's your favourite colour on a dog? Orange/red. Do you have an electric or gas cooker? Gas. What do you like to drink at a restaurant? I usually get a soda. If we're at some fancy place for once, I'll usually get some light, fruity alcohol. What was the last book you read that also is a film? I don't have a clue. Have you always known what you've wanted to do with your life, career-wise? It's changed many, many times now. Would you stay at a haunted hotel? Hell yeah. What is the best HAND-MADE present you've ever received? It was this long, extremely sweet letter my mom wrote for my b-day two years back. It meant a lot to me. Have you ever gotten pizza delivered to your house that you didn't order? I don't believe so. Do you follow a 5-second rule after dropping food on the floor? NOOOOOOOOO sir. Did you take Flintstone vitamins or any others as a child? EW, no. We were lucky enough to have fruity chewy ones, not chalky crap. What types of things do you think the government is hiding from us? Oh my fucking god, a universe of information. Aliens probably being one of the least scary things. How do you like your soda: I think it tastes best cold from a can. Have you learned anything valuable today? No. What's your favorite kind of Doritos? Cool Ranch. Do your parents have MySpace pages? Mom has a Facebook. Be honest...ever peed in the pool? Noooo. When I was a kid, you went behind the pool and handled that. Have you ever pulled a fire alarm? Nope. Have you had your tonsils removed? No. Isn't Chef Boyardee awesome? Not a fan. What reality show has been taken WAY too far? I don't watch enough TV for this. Must you grab a souvenir from almost everywhere you go? Nah, not always. Did you enjoy making things out of Play-Doh as a child? I did. What do you put on hot dogs? Mustard and ketchup. Can you swim? Yeah. Hot dogs or cheeseburgers? Cheeseburgers. Your favorite hobby? Taking pictures, particularly of animals. Do you wear glasses? Yes. Do you have a phobia? Plenty. Can you drive a stick? Never tried. How many TVs are in your house? Two. Do you like to sing? Not very long. Favorite car? Idc. Is there anything (out of the obvious) that makes you feel really ill? Perhaps, but I'm not certain. Maybe some smell. WELL WAIT, gasoline can give me a real headache, but I don't feel like, REALLY sick. Do you know both of your biological parents? Which one do you prefer? Yes, and I don't want to choose between them. When was the last time you wrote so much your finger ached? My final exam for Writing last semester. What is something you think about yourself that nobody agrees with? Quite honestly, I wouldn't put extreme emphasis on my loyalty, but only because if you prove to me that you're undeserving of my friendship, trust, or anything like that, peace. I'm out. Family, friend, whatever; I don't care. Yet most people who know me have pointed out I'm extremely loyal, but really in all cases I can think of, I remained loyal because the person was worthy of it. What about something people think of you that you don’t agree with? This depends on the person and situation of course, but mostly, that I put on a damn good front of not being a socially anxious mess. Teachers and friends have pointed that out quite a bit, but I could NOT disagree more. I think I do awfully. What design is on your calendar this year? I don't have a current one. What is your favorite type of video game? Horror. What’s the weather like where you live? (All year round, not today) The baseline is IT'S HOT. Even our winters are - usually - very mild. Summer usually soaks the shit out of us; afternoon storms are literally an almost daily occurrence, so as you can imagine, the humidity could kill a man. The weather in general is very unpredictable year-round. When was the last time you climbed a tree? I've never actually properly done so. I grew up with almost exclusively pine trees, which only have branches much too high to climb.

#survey #quiz #questions

[ernmark]

Does Rita actively try to help Juno through his depression and intrusive thoughts? If so could you please show us some instances where she does?

She definitely tries to make an effort at it.

We don’t see it much in Season 1, in part because we don’t see all that much of Rita in general, and in part because Juno’s depression isn’t quite as major of a theme, and partly because Juno’s got something that he’s actively working toward during the entire season that keeps him too busy to get too preoccupied inside his own head.

In Season 2, though, he’s so much worse than he was before. 

RITA: Boss, you been different since your eye blew up, realdifferent— You’re cranky all the time now! I mean, you were always cranky, but thisis different! (Kitty-Cat Caper)

And right away there’s evidence that she’s tried to help him through it, spinning a pretty horrific physical mutilation into something more lighthearted and at least somewhat positive:

RITA: ...you justshowed up with an eyepatch one day and after I was so worried about you cuz youdisappeared but you said it was okay so I thought okay maybe we can dress upand buy a little beakmonkey like all the pirates get in the movies— 

Rita’s been giving him his time and space for six months without pushing him for an explanation or even to act beyond his capabilities. And that’s her trying to help him with his depression.

And this scene itself? When he gets physically violent and smashes her stuff, she doesn’t cower-- she calls him on his bullshit and holds him accountable, and that also is her helping him through it. 

And she is holding him accountable, not rubbing his face in it. She’s calling him out because she’s hurt, but also because she cares. And she’s not blaming him for not trying hard enough or whatever. She understands that there are extenuating circumstances. She’s not taking it personally, which is... just so very nice, I gotta say. 

JUNO: Rita…It’sjust a dry spell. That’s all.

RITA: That’s theproblem, Boss. You always get like this when you don’t have a case.

And once he concedes, she forgives him and immediately suggests that he get some sleep, and offers to help him get back on his feet.

JUNO: I…yeah, sure. I guess.

RITA: Well, I’m gladyou seen the error of your ways. Now go take a little nap in your office andI’ll call you just as soon as the next case comes through the door.

When he’s anxious about his abilities, she builds him up and encourages him:

RITA: Boss, you can do it! I know you can do it! You’re Juno Steel, remember? The winner of the HCPD’s Sharpshootin’ contest three years in a row!

When he’s caught in a spiral, she tries to help him logic his way out of it:

JUNO: Hey, Rita?Cancel that order for a new case. I’m feeling under the weather today.

RITA: What! But MistaSteel, you can’t! You gotta take a new case! You gotta helppeople!

JUNO: They don’twant the kind of help they’d get from me, Rita. I haven’t done anything goodfor anyone in months.

RITA: Of course youhave! You got Mick outta all that trouble with that shark!

JUNO: Thatwas a loan shark, Rita. I paid him.

RITA: Well,you got Cassandra Kanagawa off Mars, didn’t you?

JUNO: Thatwas you.

RITA: Well, it wasyour idea! And… and… hey, because of you, Billie Navarro is dead!

JUNO: That’ssupposed to make me feel better?

RITA: She was a realmean lady, Mista Steel. I’m sure it makes… someone feel better?

And again at the end of the episode:

RITA: Hey…what’s the matter, Boss?

JUNO: Nothingyou can fix.

RITA: But… we won!It was just the case you were waitin’ for, exciting and life-threatening, andit even ended with some real nice fireworks! It’s everything you coulda askedfor, and Ms. King is safe now, ain’t she?

JUNO: I’llsee you tomorrow, Rita.

RITA: Well… alright,Mista Steel. You’ll feel better after you sleep a little. You gotta. I know youwill.

Notice how it just doesn’t get any footholds?

We keep seeing her do this stuff throughout the season, but it never really takes, does it?

She’s not the only one who does this stuff, either. Mick and Peter are also pretty awesome at being supportive of their depressed little lady, but more often than not it doesn’t land. When they offer him space, when they offer him positivity, when they offer him solidarity, when they offer him reality-- sometimes they can derail his spirals, but there’s only so much that they can really do to help him.

And that comes back to a sad reality that’s talked about at the end of the season:

But it never worked -- none of the people he'd ever helped had stayed helped -- because you can't force someone else into it. Because getting better's always on you. It has to be. And that doesn't mean you're alone, doesn't mean you can't lean on others when you get tired or ask for directions when you get lost, but... Getting better's a long road. And if you want to go down it, you have to start walking. (Man of the Future)

Juno has to make that decision over and over again: in the FreeDomer’s compound, in the desert, in the Cerberus Province, and inside his own head. 

And after he’s made that decision, Rita keeps doing the exact same stuff she’s been doing, but for the very first time he’s actually responding to it.

When she calls him out (via the THEIA bot) for leaving her behind, he realizes and acknowledges his wrongdoing and apologizes. 

THEIA: Cuz maybe then she should disappear for weeks instead. Not say anything. Cuz that would definitely make you less worried. And not way more worried. Ain't that right. Boss?JUNO: Oh. I… What did I do? Rita, I’m… sorry. I’m so, so sorry. (Long Way Home)

And just like before, after she’s aired her grievances, she hugs him and forgives him. 

JUNO: I... Uh... I'm sorry, Rita. I'm just... So sorry. It won't happen again... Rita?

SOUND: RITA TACKLE-HUGS HIM.

RITA: I missed you, Boss. I was real worried.

JUNO: I know. I hear you. For once. And I missed you too, Rita. Really.

And when he does misstep, she reassures him that she’s still on his side, even after he’s been called out.

RITA: And besides, Boss...(SHE HUGS HIM)JUNO: (GETS HUGGED)RITA:I ain't goin' nowhere. (Man of the Future)

And she keeps calling him out. 

RITA: Mista Steel, how come you're bein' so mean to your second-best friend!JUNO: Because he's a chump, Rita. I always knew he was a chump but it's still disappointing to find out just how true that is.RITA: Oh, come on, Boss--JUNO: You "oh come on!" Sorry. I'm just... disappointed. I really thought that he'd have the answer, or at least that... Ramses wouldn't sucker him, too. Like he did me.RITA: Aw, Boss...JUNO: Either way, I don't think Mercury's gonna help us with this one. And we only have... Twenty-one hours left. We've gotta keep moving.RITA: But first...?JUNO: "But first" nothing! All of Oldtown, hell, probably all of Hyperion's on the line, and you want to "but first" about my loser friend? No! Hell no! ...Yeah, wow, that sounded pretty bad, huh?RITA: Mmmhmm.JUNO: I should probably just... apologize. 

I’d like to point out here that she’s not being mean or nitpicky here-- she’s helping him not be an asshole and push his loved ones away. She’s recognizing that this is a behavior pattern that he falls into when he’s scared and self-loathing, but it doesn’t excuse him being cruel to the people around him. 

And because Juno’s in a place where he wants to get better, he’s accepting this as constructive criticism, rather than a personal attack or evidence that he’s a terrible person. 

Rita also acts as a point of calm to ground Juno through his own panic/depression spirals:

JUNO: This is a nightmare… A billion to one chance... oh god damn it, this is a nightmare…!RITA: I can do CPR, Mista Steel. You just tell me when he’s breathin’, okay?

And again:

JUNO: A bad spot! Me? After all the times I've scraped you off the sidewalk, Mercury, you're really gonna stand there and tell me that you were worried I was gonna put you in a bad spot?!RITA: Mista Steel.JUNO: What?RITA: I'm almost there. Okay? It's almost done.JUNO: Right. Right, almost... done. Thanks, Rita.RITA: No problem, Boss.

And again, when he’s starting to voice some intrusive thoughts:

JUNO: I told you I'd change. Hell of a lot that was worth. Maybe the Theia was onto something. One bad choice and all your progress is gone. Maybe the reason it was so terrifying was because it was right.RITA: No, Mista Steel, I think it was probably scary because it brainwashed your best friend and then threw him through a door at you.

Notably, she also helps Mick calm down from a panic spiral:

MICK: Me and...?! What, did I already do something wrong? Ohhhhhh I knew I shouldn’ta switched those two chairs when I moved in! They said this place was gonna be fit to my specifications exactly, and then I came in and saw the chairs and I went, “hey, maybe they’ll look better this way,” and they didn’t! And now they’re gonna kick me out of Newtown, aren’t they?!RITA: No, Mista Mercury. We ain’t gonna kick you out. An’ we can help you move the chairs back if you really want. (Man of the Future)

Also notably, even now, she’s powerless to help Juno if he’s not in a headspace where he is willing to be helped. Which is why she’s ineffective when THEIA Mick gets under Juno’s skin:

MICK: One weak day. That's all I'm saying, Jay. Your punishment for one weak day could be to lose fifteen years of progress. You could go back to feeling how you did after you were booted out of the HCPD. You might feel fine now, but...

RITA: He wouldn't! You don't have to listen to him, Mista Steel, you're better'n that now in a million ways, and I wouldn't letcha anyway, and--

And again here:

MICK: Puck Falco, that's right. Where are they now?

JUNO: I don't know. We... fell out of touch.

MICK: Heard that one before, am I right?

RITA: Mista Steel, this is all wrong! Diamond was gone before you left the HCPD and Detective Falco just transferred to another planet and--

I’ve gotta say, she’s really good at handling him when he lets her. I suspect that she’s developed a lot of these skills over the course of fifteen years being his friend, and this latest dark period is largely her exercising every skill she’s got in her arsenal to try and help him. 

#the penumbra podcast #penumbra meta #depression #thesquidydude

[orange-in-the-overcast]

OTP for my Moonbeam

My NOTP for them

Probably Reyelle and Roman tbh. Not only is Rey a huge lesbian, but Roman is Big and Scary and any romantic interaction there at all would probably just be Weird and Bad.

My BROTP for them

Honestly, I can see Cordelia and Rey being really great friends once they get to know each other more. Rey thinks she’s a bit odd right now, but she likes that about her, and they’re both pretty happy people.

My OTP for them

REYELLE LOVES HER PIRATE WIFE OKAY. LET THEM BE HAPPY AND GAY AND IN LOVE. REY WOULD WANT TALIA TO SAIL HER SEVEN SEAS IF SHE KNEW WHAT BEING HORNY EVEN MEANT.

My second choice pairing for them

If she didn’t have her pirate wife, Rey would’ve probably ended up with her first and for a long time only friend tbh. They were very close, and could have easily gone from friends to lovers.

My fluffy pairing for them

She and Talia have their adorable fluffy moments. They can be soft, affectionate girlfriends when they get the chance to.

My angsty pairing for them

Naturally, Rey and Talia are also a super angsty pairing. Goes hand in hand with their mutual tragic backstories.

My favorite poly ship for them

Trying to imagine someone else with Rey and Talia is hard, but maybe Rey’s old bff can get in on the action, too. Talia would get to cuddle up with two sofs then.

My weirdest pairing for them

You know it has to be Rey and Gorb. This needs no further explanation.

In terms of a pairing that might actually work though, Rey and Cordelia could be a thing. It’s just odd to think about because Cordelia seems like such a young kid, but Rey is about her age by elf standards. I think they both like researching things enough that they’d bond easily.

#reyelle liadon #my characters #eyes of eutaria #dungeons and dragons #eternalflamebabee