#bro i need to sit down *rubs hand down face all distressed like*

[marcspectrr]

When I say I've been thinking about this every day since I first saw it a few months ago, I wish I was joking.

First of all, the sheer depth of the implications behind 'and she met his mother and father' ... that's Layla meeting Elias and getting a look into something Marc has turned away from, something he's lost touch with, this person holding faith that Marc instead buries deep, deep down. That's Layla meeting Wendy and instantly knowing there's something wrong, unable to place it exactly but noticing the way Marc just...locks up. That's Marc having seen his father years earlier than it was made out to be, it's him having seen his father after he left home and not just because of the Shiva. That's Marc having seen his mother after he left home, actually being in the same room as her after he literally ran away from her. That's...it changes so much in my head you guys ahdkfkfl

#moon knight #layla el faouly #marc spector #marclayla #marc spector x layla el faouly #moonlayl #this is coming from a pretty sound source too #its just...it changes so much as far as laylas understanding of marc and the way he ticks #ive seen (pretty much everyone) say she never met his parents which...is completely fair #but it is /so/ interesting to think about if she had bc that ALSO means marc has seen them after he left home #theres the impression that he never went back and the emotional impact of That scene in ep5 is so much heavier bc of it #but if layla met them then he wouldve HAD to see them too and that-- #bro i need to sit down *rubs hand down face all distressed like* #moon knight meta #mk meta #also im not necessarily saying i see or dont see it as canon #rn i just find it as pure brain food

[colourstreakgryffin]

Sorry if this is spoiler-ish!! ;-; But can I request a scenario where the reader, who’s married to Alastor, is having a nightmare where she loses Alastor? This can be after the battle where she almost witnessed Alastor get killed and it haunts her still. Of course with some comfort from the Radio Demon himself at the end :’3

Not spoilerish! I’ve watched the Adam V Alastor fight in full detail and I ABSOLUTELY LOVVEEE this idea! You’re a legit genius, my dear! Thank you so much! Have a wonderful day! First we had big bro Al, then Dad Al, then BF Al, then best friend Al and now, we have best one: husband Al!

Alastor- Staying Here

It’s been happening nonstop for days… days. Weeks. You can’t sleep like this. Every night, the same nightmare but formatted differently like being tortured over and over again but with a different method. It’s almost like that awful angel has re-manifested and is getting back revenge on Alastor by submitting you to night terrors that have been destroying your sleep schedule

Waking up with a nasty shrill of fear and a cold layer of sweat, your body flung upwards with your eyes shooting open after such a terrible dream, tears welling up in them… your beloved husband, Alastor, slept right next to you with his tall deer-like ears twitching. Knowing that he’s still here and not erased by the head exterminator, Adam is such a relief. Especially since that same Angel, Adam himself, is the reason you’ve been having daily nightmares about a violent and gorey erasure scenario of Alastor with Adam. Adam laughing manically, killing off your husband in the most bloody and ruthless way, wounds all over his body, the radio effects dying out…

It’s awful. You can barely sleep and it’s making you deprived of just a single good night

Sobbing under your breath, right next to your seven year husband. Alastor’s ears twitch once more but this time, as a sign to wake up as well for his peacefully unconscious brain. Yawning and stretching out with a long drawn-out radio glitch in literally no time, his broad body sitting up with you leant over and sobbing into your hands. His crimson eyes looked over to you after a bit longer of waking himself up and just like that, he went from wondering what happened to immediately concerned

“Darling… what’s wrong?”

Alastor asks soft and sweet, his radio voice overtone has completely disappeared so his own organic voice is the only thing remaining. He didn’t even get a chance to speak again since you immediately clung onto him and buried your face into his chest, sobbing and crying for him to never leave you. Alastor doesn’t know what’s wrong but he won’t just let his beloved wife suffer

You legit have to sob and hiccup through your words, telling him about every detail of your repetitive nightmares and Alastor’s body tenses up in pure disgust and malice, mainly towards the idea of being erased by Adam, the now long dead head exterminator. He wouldn’t let him put his hands on himself or you, he loves you way too much. Alastor rubs his hands through your hair, letting you cry into his chest until you finally get over it

You need to cry out your fear and feelings until you can be rational and logical to think. Get the emotions out first

Alastor silently waits for you to come back to him, gently pressing your body together with his, one hand on your back to trace through soft shapes and the other stroking gentle brushes through your hair until you can finally just melt in his embrace, calm down and feel safer with your still very alive husband. Yeah, he was quite close to being erased but he escaped and he has recovered from his injury

“My dear, my love. How long has this been going on?” The guilt to lying and not telling Alastor sooner is already eating your heart apart. You just felt too shy to even drop him a hint about your midnight distress since you always assumed he is already too busy with the Hazbin Hotel to be able to prioritise your minor problems. Your nightmare issue isn’t actually a minor problem at all, that’s what you think but Alastor can see, clear as crystal, that this constant nightmare over him thing is breaking your psyche

“S-since it happened…” Alastor’s eyes widen in shock. You’ve been dealing with nightmares on the daily for two weeks?! How did he not even notice?! God, he is so pissed off at himself and just keeps rocking you, gently laying you down and cuddling you, continuing to massaging rubs of your big menacing hands. The wedding band over his left ring finger rubs on the silky thin fabric of your pyjamas and he can feel the wedding band on your own left ring finger clinging onto him like your hands clinging on his waist

Alastor continues to speak, not remaining silent since it may end up making you believe you’re mad at him for staying silent. He isn’t as mad as his body may seem, he is just worried sick for your health and your mental health over these constant nightmares that are driving a wedge inbetween your sleep schedule. His lips drop down and kisses your forehead, keeping up the sweet, caring and loving tone

His husband tone

“Darling, dearest. I am not mad at you, just embrace me and recover. I’ll make those night terrors go away” Alastor continues to comfort you, soft, quiet and sweet. His soft peppery kisses all over your silky-skinned face, your rosy cheeks. Anything to make those streaming tears halt and your now red puffy demonic eyes. He loves you and he has been neglecting this very serious issue. It’s now his job, as your loyal longtime husband, to take care of you

How grateful you are that Alastor is always right next to you and the nightmares you deal with will never be reality. He’s safe, you’re safe and he is going to be holding your hand through your recovery process

“Would you like to go out and get some fresh air with me?”

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel imagines #hazbin hotel love #hazbin hotel headcanons #hazbin hotel characters #vivziepop hazbin hotel #vivziepop #hazbin alastor #hazbin hotel alastor #romantic alastor #romantic alastor x reader #alastor headcanons #alastor x reader #alastor #radio demon x reader #hazbin radio demon #the radio demon #radio demon #romantic headcanons #romantic #hazbin hotel radio demon #married au #good husband #Alastor is good husband #I love Alastor as a hubby

[mamamittens]

How Our Seeds Grow (Pt. 2)

Platonic Yandere Whitebeard Pirates & young!GN!Reader

Main|First|Next

Warnings: Emotional distress, a very naked snail, and minor blood.

Ah! Almost forgot, for those that asked to be tagged: @iggy5055 @badluckinfrench (idk why it won't let me tag you bro, sorry, the minute I got to the 'f' it said no)

Word Count: 2,248

You’d never really considered what you’d do if you did ever run afoul of pirates. The other marines were usually quite good at keeping any real threat far from you, often by bodily tossing you to someone else. And you didn’t know if this was the usual fate of a marine caught by pirates either. It sure didn’t seem like it, but none of the pirates thought it was weird, so what did you know?

You were seated in a medical bay on board their ship clutching the hem of your shirt anxiously. You weren’t injured anymore but dried blood was still smeared over your face and collar. Nose a little stuffed up.

A man with a blue mask over half his face and a kind smile gently wiped your face off with a wet rag as he asked questions. Pheonix taking notes on a clipboard with a pleasant but vaguely fake smile. It didn’t even hurt, the damp, warm fabric just removing any leftover blood from your broken nose. When he was done, he pulled out a few tissues.

“Have you had any shots? Blow your nose into this and we’re done with that—” Deuce ordered softly, holding the tissues over your nose firmly as you followed his instructions.

“Nnn—I don’t know? I think so?” You whined, ears popping as your nose itched, now free of any leftover blood. Deuce winced and tossed the tissues away, wiping your face clean one last time. You rubbed your nose, wrinkling it with a grimace as the sensation faded. “…thanks.” You mumbled, still unsure about what you’re supposed to do.

You certainly couldn’t run. Where would you go? The ship had left port a few minutes ago and until that point you'd been carried or had a hand on your shoulder. You couldn’t call for help, the fight with Fire Fist was loud enough that anyone who could hear would have already shown up. And you definitely couldn’t fight.

Deuce smiled softly, patting your head.

“That’s alright, kid. We can figure out the rest later.” He reassured you. “What do you like to do? We’ve got a lot of stuff on the Moby Dick for all sorts of hobbies. And plenty of people willing to teach you if you don’t know how to do them.” He kneeled down so he was looking up at you, no longer towering over you despite sitting on an exam table.

You swallowed hard, wringing your shirt in uncertainty.

“I-I’m a marine? I don’t got time for hobbies. I clean or I train or I go on patrols.” You explained lamely. You’d seen some marines do things in their downtime. Like knit or read. Some gambled. But you’d always been kept busy and unable to really get to know the others on any base you were stationed at.

Deuce’s expression fell, Pheonix keeping his gaze fixed on the clipboard in his hands—but he gripped it hard enough you could hear the whine of the board under stress. Deuce cleared his throat, smile returning.

“Well! I guess that just means you get to try everything! You’re too young for any serious training.” Deuce explained cheerfully, tapping your nose.

“Bring-ring. Bring-ring. Bring-clack!” your snail called out as you scrambled to answer quickly, pulling him free from your pocket.

“H-Hello! E—”

“Where are you?! Ensign Williams was found passed out in the marketplace! It was supposed to be a simple patrol—you can’t just go running off because you feel like it!” Someone you think you recognized as the base captain’s assistant shrieked, tears pricking your eyes as you cleared your throat.

“U-Uhm… we were on patrol when my partner and I got orders to confront Fire Fist and to run if he was accompanied by another Whitebeard Pirate. W-Williams was beaten and… the Pheonix took me?” You mumbled, face red as you refused to look up.

“What?! Who the fuck gave that order—Never mind! You need to return to base immediately for punitive assignment, ensign!” You sniffed, tears falling as you impulsively choked out a strained cry,

“How?!” you sobbed anxiously as the snail was plucked from your hands. Through foggy glasses, you saw it was Pheonix but his expression was blurred.

“No.” Pheonix stated simply, his voice hard as you rubbed your eyes. “They won’t be returning, period. So, consider this their resignation.” Your chest tightened while Deuce rubbed your back, whispering into your ear.

“Easy, kid. You’re not in trouble—we won’t let them have you back, I promise.”

“But I gotta!” You whined, Deuce tutting as he pulled down your hands to wipe your face with the rag.

“No, no, no, you really don’t. It’s not your fault, alright?”

“ON WHO’S ORDERS?!” the vaguely familiar voice screeched.

“Ours.” There was a crunch of metal and a hand gently opened your palm. The snail’s firm weight notably lighter. You pulled back from Deuce’s attempt to clean your face, clumsily putting your glasses back to look.

The snail, a pleasant crème color, was missing his standard issue shell. Visibly shaking from either fright or a chill.

“O-Oh no, Cream, you’re naked!” You cried in despair, Deuce choking out a laugh. You jerked, remembering suddenly that you weren’t allowed to name the snails or get attached.

Pheonix kneeled down and stroked your cheek fondly. That familiar sensation of bated breath and birdsong in your chest almost reassuring in it’s intensity.

“Don’t worry, we’ve got some spare shells in storage. None that let you make calls though.” He reassured you as you placed your hand over Cream’s naked back. He looked a little relieved, ducking his head as much as he could in the small space you provided. “Think you can clean up the rest on your own? Ace should have found spare clothes by now.”

You sniffled.

“I-I have to wear a uniform though…” You objected. “It’s mine.”

Just about the only thing you did own, actually, besides pet treats. Even Cream was actually the base’s snail.

Pheonix’s expression twisted again into something sad and deeply troubled as he glanced over your uniform.

“Well… I doubt we can take off the letters, so the hat has to go… but you can keep this. How does that sound? We’ll get you new clothes soon.” Pheonix reassured you while gently tugging the blue fabric free from your shirt collar. He moved your hand and placed it over Cream with a soft smile.

You ducked your head shyly.

“…alright.”

Fire Fist trampled into the room with a bundle of clothes in his arms.

“Found it! A little big but these should fit just fine!” Fire Fist declared as he handed you the bundle, wrinkling his nose at the very naked Cream. “Uh, why’s the snail naked?”

Cream ducked under the blue fabric, skin turning a soft pink hue.

“Hey! Don’t be mean, he’s shy!” you protested before thinking better of it, though rather than take offense, Fire Fist held up his hands and laughed.

“Sorry, sorry! I just never see these guys without a shell—what happened?”

“Run along now, baby bird. Deuce will show you where to clean up while we help fit… Cream with a new shell.” Pheonix helped you off the table and picked up Cream with a slightly embarrassed look. Fire Fist almost asked again, it was clear on his face, but Pheonix glared and it was dropped. Deuce gently pushing you out of the room and towards a private bathroom.

“Take your time, alright kiddo?” Deuce told you softly as he closed the door, letting you have privacy. It was a modest bathroom and you took full advantage. Having the chance to take your time not something you’ve been afforded for a while since the bases have shared bathing areas and your partners were rarely patient enough to wait for long.

It felt weird not getting dressed in a clean uniform. The old one ripped up and dirtied from the marketplace. Your alternative a baggy white shirt with Whitebeard’s jolly roger and shorts that tied at the waist. You looked at the blue neckerchief that Pheonix was allowing you to keep, considering where to where it. The shirt didn’t have a collar to tie it around. Your wrists were too thin unless you wrapped your forearm. It was thankfully clean despite your bloodied nose.

After a long moment, you looked at the mirror.

You looked tired. Eyes red from crying behind your broken glasses but otherwise clean.

It felt wrong to wear this anywhere but your neck.

Decisively, you tied it around your neck like a bandana, pleased to find that you could pull it up over your chin easily. It wasn’t too tight or loose, the weight reassuring in the absence of the layered uniform collar.

Sadly, you folded up your old uniform and held it to your chest. Standing before the door as your heart raced. You weren’t sure why they decided to take you with them and the sudden change in routine was frightening—something you reluctantly admitted to yourself as you stared at the bathroom door.

They were nice but… if you could, you’d go back to the base right that minute. Even if it meant being given chores as punishment for ‘running away’. At least you knew what to expect on base. This pirate ship was a whole new situation though.

There was a yip from the other side of the door and nails scratching the wood.

“Hey! Don’t rush them, Stefan! Let the poor kid take their time.” Fire Fist chastised Stefan softly, a low whine echoing with a few, last petulant drags of nails on wood.

Taking a deep breath, you opened the door, still clinging to your old uniform with your eyes fixed to the floor.

“…hi.”

There was a shift of fabric and boots as suddenly Fire Fist squatted down low with a soft smile.

“Hey, kiddo. You alright? Nice bandana, it looks good on you.” He remarked, an almost understanding look in his eyes. Your chest ached and you shook your head before thinking better of it.

“I-I wanna go back. I-I’m going to be in so much trouble…” You whimpered thickly, tears quick to flood your cheeks. There was a flash of a grimace on Fire Fist’s face as he scooped you up, Stefan managing a single lick to your shin.

Fire Fist felt warm and bubbly. A soothing heat like a sun bathed rock on a beach that hugged you close. Hand brushing over your back.

“No, you’re not, c’mon now, no more tears. You can’t be crying into your food—the chef didn’t put teary stew on the menu! It’s not Thatch’s cooking but it’s still pretty good.” Fire Fist soothed you with a soft bounce to his step. “If this is about that uniform, I promise we’ll get you something way better soon! Haven’t you ever wanted to wear something else? Anything else? Whatever you want, you can have, I promise! Cheer up!”

Even through your tears you could smell the thick scent of dinner as a soft voice piped up behind you.

“They’re going to need some time to adjust, Ace. I know it’s hard to see them like this, but you have to let them let it all out. It’s like when you first came on board. Eventually you tired out from it… eventually.” Fire Fist’s grimace was clear despite the haze on your broken lenses. Cheeks pink as he blushed, holding you closer with a sheepish expression. “Think I can take those old clothes now, baby bird?” Pheonix asked softly, tapping the folded pile in your arms.

You felt your lips wobble as you held it tighter to your chest. A sob startled from you as Fire Fist bounced you to get your attention.

“Hey, looks like he wants to trade.” Fire Fist pointed out, jerking his chin towards Pheonix’s other hand. Cream sat in his curled palm, a sea green shell settled on his back. He looked far more comfortable now than he did before, his small arms wiggling towards you as he considered you with some worry.

After a long moment, you relaxed your grip, allowing Pheonix to take your old uniform and trade for Cream.

“…thank you. His new shell looks nice.” You whispered, holding Cream close as he tried to brush away your tears with a soft hum. You curled into Fire Fist’s arm, head tucked under his chin as you couldn’t help a weak sniffle.

“You’re welcome. Now let’s get you two something to eat. We’ll be arriving at the main flagship pretty late.” Pheonix advised as you glanced up at him. He smiled, cupping your face to swipe away a tear with more success than Cream had.

You wanted to reiterate how deeply in trouble you already were but all that you could say was a meek response.

“…okay.”

Pheonix handed off the clothes to Deuce and walked with Fire Fist towards the eating area.

“You’ll like it here with us eventually. Everyone loves it when we get a new baby on board.”

“Oi!” Fire Fist protested sharply. Pheonix grinned sharply, eyes narrowing at Fire Fist.

“Don’t get jealous~ you’re still a baby in Oyaji’s eyes.”

“That’s not what I meant!”

Small nubby arms tapped your chin as Cream tucked himself close to your neck with a reassuring murmur.

Maybe… maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all. If everyone is like them. Even if they’re pirates.

#one piece #platonic yandere #oh sweet child of mine #how our seeds grow #marco the pheonix #fire fist ace #child reader #gender neutral reader

[mamawasatesttube]

timkon "we'll figure this out" ?

"So... that coulda gone better, huh?"

Tim turns from the window overlooking the planet far below with an incredibly deadpan expression. The red star far off to the left lights up half of his body in its fiery glow; the spaceship's lights, by contrast, are dim and paltry, barely even reaching the corners of the room.

Cell. May as well call it like it is—if it walks like a holding cell and quacks like a holding cell...

"Yeah, maybe a little," Tim says. "But—and I can't believe I'm the one saying this—it could've been worse. At least they didn't blow us up?"

Kon huffs out a breathy laugh. He slumps to sit on the stiff bed shoved up against the window, letting his head fall back against the glass with a thump. "Ow."

"Oh, brother," Tim mutters, settling onto the bed next to him (stupid alien kidnappers didn't even give them two beds). "No invulnerability under red suns, remember? Don't be stupid."

"Rob." Kon clasps a dramatic hand to his chest, turning soulful eyes to his bro. "I am stupid. You're telling me to deny my true nature."

Tim flicks him on the forehead.

"Ow!"

"Oh, stop being a big baby." Even with the mask on, Kon can easily tell Tim isn't just smiling; he's smirking at him, the smug bastard. "Or are you determined to be the damsel in distress here instead of helping me figure out how we're gonna call backup?"

"Uh, bad news on that front," Kon says, growing a bit more serious. "Preeetty sure that last explosion earlier probably took out the comms transceiver on our ship."

The smirk drops from Tim's face. "You're fucking with me." He sighs, rubs his temples, and flops back against the incredibly uncomfortable pillows their captors have so thoughtfully provided them with. "Oof."

Kon lies down at a more sedate pace, patting Tim's entire face both to reassure him and simply to be annoying. "Hey, it's not all bad. They didn't clock us as enough of a threat to bother separating us. And we've been in hotter water than this and made it out, right? ...I'm pretty sure we have, anyway. So! We'll figure this out. And then we'll kick some Denebian ass."

"Thanks for the pep talk," Tim says wryly, his voice a bit muffled. "Get your hand off my mouth before I lick it."

Kon seriously considers leaving his hand there just to see what Tim does if licking it doesn't make him pull back, but decides that that brand of stupidity is probably better saved for when they're, like, at least in their own solar system, and also not in any sort of fucked up space jail.

Relenting, he sighs and moves his arm down, throwing it over Tim's waist instead. "Man. They really didn't even try to get comfortable beds in here, did they?"

"Not in the slightest." Tim pats his head. "Hmm... we should try and get some rest anyway, though. The next guard rotation's probably in two hours, I bet, and when they come by..."

He's wearing a mask, sure, but Kon doesn't need to see his face in full to know just how his eyes must be glinting brilliantly in the red light.

"When they come by," Tim continues, his lips curving into a slight smile. "I think I have an idea."

"Oh, fuck yeah. So, what's the plan, boss? Lay it on me." Kon grins at him. "You know I love your ideas."

"Well," Tim says. "Here's what I'm thinking..."

♥ angst/fluff prompts ♥

#two idiots in space jail. what will they do #blenderfullasarcasm #timkon #rimi writes #tim #kon

[my-brothers-corrupted]

My Brothers, Corrupted

Book Five: Intro

After Anti's death, the first trip in time is towards the UK, to try and make a new home. It doesn't go well. Things are difficult and the price of freedom has been high: but they are free. Masterlist

Tws for distress and grief, hypnosis, violence, abduction, ableism, xenophobia, psychosis, and discussion of medication withdrawal. Tws may not be completely exhaustive - keep in mind the heaviness of the fic and look out for yourself.

Thank you to @lehhoh7822 for taking the time to compile this book!

Chapter Intro

The landscape rushes past the window like waves past the stomach of a ship, rising and falling with hills, rising and falling with sheep and trees and grass for miles.

It’s green this time of year. Summertime. It’ll be Jackie’s birthday soon enough. He wonders if his brother even remembers.

“I’m going to get it,” says Chase beside him, gripping your camera a little too tight. “I am. I can do this.”

The instructions Jackie left him flutter to the floor. Dapper turns to the red light of the camera, but he doesn’t have the energy to tell Chase he’s already turned the camera back on.

The train rattles soft. Everything is quiet. Henrik’s staring at nothing on the floor, his gaze glazed, his glasses crooked. Dapper’s fingers itch to push them back to place. He turns away.

Chase notices your red light. He pauses, turns you, blinks down at the camera.

“Oh,” he says, and there’s a faint relief there, but not much else.

They all glance at the lens.

For the first time in a long time, not one of them has the faintest smile for you as you come back.

“Hi,” says Chase softly.

And the green fields rush away beside them.

Hi.

darkiplurrr asked: How’s everything going with the Septic bros? You guys okay?

“Oh, it is working,” says Chase, shifting in his seat, a little color flushing back to his face. “Okay. Hi. Sorry… are you mad at us? Ro didn’t think it was safe to turn the cameras on in America. Cause Dark was maybe going to come grab Dapper. And we, um, killed Anti, and I think some of you liked him. I’m sorry. It’s been a couple weeks, I’m sorry. We’re - ”

Someone moves past the alley of the train and Chase jolts, ducking his head and pulling Henrik close to his body. He turns his gaze away and hides. They pass. He breathes out.

Dapper watches the stranger go, rubbing at his eyes.

“We’re okay,” says Chase, still pulling his hood down low over his eyes. “It’s been kind of hard. We’re trying to get settled. It’s been pretty scary I guess. It’s been kind of hard.”

nikkilbook asked: Y’all look so tired. How’s things going? No need for a big recap if you haven’t got the energy. I’m happy to accept grammatically incomplete and/or one-word answers.

“No, I’m awake,” says Chase hurriedly, sitting up. “I got this, I’m good. I told Blue and Red I’d look after everybody til we meet up again and I will. I can handle it. Um, so. Yeah, well. When was the last time we saw you?”

Chase closes his eyes and thinks.

“Ro burned Anti’s body. JJ got so sick that night. His nose bled til he passed out in the old bed. We got scared Dark was coming to get him or avenge Anti or something, so we ran away. We got everything out of the house and pawned as much shit as we could. Red and Blue got us food for a couple days and I didn’t ask where from.”

He glances down at his hands. “We’ve been scraping enough together to survive but we need doctors and things like that. Cause Dok’s… still not talking. And Dap needs a shrink and some other things. And Blue hides it, but I think he’s going to snap in half. He scares me lately when he’s upset. He hits things now like Red. Not us, but he just… rages. And burns. Blue does, he burns. I know it doesn’t hurt him but it looks like it does. The way he grits his teeth and tears at himself like that.”

Chase is gnawing on his bottom lip, already torn from his stress-chewing. He licks up a little blood, distracted.

“Red, though, you should see Red. Cause honestly I thought he’d get overwhelmed. But he’s so calm. He’s just had his mind on getting us out of America and making sure everyone’s okay and it’s like nothing else will distract him. He hasn’t broken down once. And even when he said we should take two separate trips to get here, he didn’t cry when we split up. Sometimes he gets scared when he can’t be around us but he said he knew I could do it.”

Chase looks over at Dapper like he’s waiting for something, but Dapper is scrawling in his sketchbook now, filling up pages already coated with chalk in more chalk, squishing pictures into the margins and spaces between.

“I have nightmares that Anti comes back to life,” says Chase. “And then the next night I cry because he’s gone. It’s shitty. Are you mad at us? We didn’t know if we should turn you on again. Dapper says Anti can still see us in the eye of the camera.”

Dapper’s tongue flicks out for a moment, licking his mouth. He doesn’t look up from his papers. His face twitches.

“Are you sad?” asks Chase. “Is this… do you still want to be here? He’s gone. It’s just us. And I thought maybe it would be more fun if things were less scary. But it’s not fun. I’m sorry. We’re pretty hungry and Blue thinks we might have mites in our feet. That’s all that’s going on. We’re going to get a place to stay, though. I promise. Things are going to be okay. Ro said I can do this.”

Chase closes his eyes tightly. “It’s just been kind of hard… it’s just been kind of hard.”

crystalninjaphoenix asked: Well it's a big change in what was, and is, a complicated situation with a lot of complicated feelings. And things were... scary for a while there. It's okay if it's hard.

There it is - Chase’s smile. Well, it’s Trick’s smile. Small and nervous. But they’re closer each day.

“Yeah,” he says. “Thanks. It’s okay. Yeah, we’re okay, aren’t we? Dap. Hey. You don’t gotta draw shit like that. Dude, stop.”

Chase takes Dapper’s hand, trying to stop him from drawing eyes over and over and over again, each one circled by the gaze of a camera lens.

“Dap. He’s not watching you. He’s not coming back. Nobody’s there but the people who have always been there. Dap? Look at me, man. I can’t keep you and Dok both from drifting away.”

The chalk snaps in half in Dapper’s hand. He shudders and jerks his head back, blinking as he turns to Chase.

“I’m here, my man, I’m here,” says Chase, squeezing his palm. “We’re going to get you some help soon. Jameson.”

Dapper flinches, pushing at his hair. He’s all dressed up to the nines again. Tight white shirt. Black shoes. Everything’s dirty and wrinkled, but it grips at him.

“Don’t tear your bangs,” says Chase softly. “We’re okay.”

aether-mae asked: Dap dap..JJ..I’m truely so sorry that you lost your brother. I know that despite everything you really did love him, and at times he loved you back, as much as his twisted heart could. I’m far from an expert on abuse and grief, so all I can say is your feelings are valid and true, and I hope you can heal and see this all from a new perspective when times are brighter and calm. I wish you nothing but the best

Dapper stares at you for a long second. There’s a flicker of something silver in his eyes, just for a moment, and then gone again. He makes a small movement with his hand, not even a sign, just a movement. Like he doesn’t know what to say.

“I was being a baby,” he says finally. “Forget about it. When he comes get me next time I’ll tell him I think Blue should kill him again. I hate him.”

“Dap,” begins Chase, helplessly. Even Dok has glanced over at him skeptically. Dapper flushes and shakes his head, flipping the page of his notebook.

“He knows Anti’s dead most of the time,” says Chase after a moment, mumbling. “He acts delusional about it cause he’s in denial.”

Dapper shoves him with a sudden vitriol, biting his teeth. Dok jumps, blanching, and turns away. Chase shoves their little brother back, alarmed. “Hey! Don’t scare Dok!”

“I hate all of you,” snarls Dapper. “You killed my brother.”

“You wanted him dead too and you fucking know it. You just can’t admit it now cause it hurts.”

Dapper grabs his fringe again, shoving himself against the window of the train, hiding his face.

“You just need your medication - ”

“I’m dead now that he’s dead,” signs Dapper, shaking. “You killed me too!”

“And therapy, a fuckload of therapy. You’re totally all over the place. Dap, the cameras are on, can you breathe for a second?”

Dapper’s expression changes so fast it’s almost like he was hit, though he still doesn’t look over you. He wraps his arms around himself for a moment and rocks, face scrunching up in pain. “Trick, Trick, don’t let him look at me, I don’t want to go back to my room, I can’t breathe, it’s so small in here!”

Chase doesn’t know what to do anymore. He stares at Dapper with this dark fear in his eyes. Eventually he just reaches out and pulls him to his shoulder, closing his eyes and letting Dapper rant in the silence, shaking against his heart.

“I’m sorry too, Dapper,” says Chase, wrapping his arms around him. “I’m really sorry too. We need… we need time. Red says it won’t be so bad with time.”

Henrik stares at them, eyes blank. After a moment, he puts a hand on Chase’s shoulder, slumping back against the seat of the train and letting them rock.

“We’re in England now,” says Chase. “Blue and Red said they think you’re British. So you can remember yourself again. So you can be home.”

They thought about going to Ireland, or heading back to Peru, or finding somewhere new to live, away from all ghostly fragments of memories both bitter and sweet.

But Red said England. At the time, he was holding Dapper down so he did not hurt himself.

nikkilbook asked: If there’s one thing I can promise, it’s that I was never here for him.

“Yeah,” says Chase, trying to summon some fervor. “Fuck that guy.”

He looks down at the burn mark on his hand. Then he turns away from you, because he is ashamed to be in mourning.

darkiplurrr asked: Hey it’s okay, no need to apologize, guys. I’m sorry things have been tough. Where are you planning on going? And . . . Don’t worry, we’re just glad to be here with you. Is there anything we can do?

Chase takes a deep breath and does his best to grin at you. “Thank you. So, we’re meeting Blue and Red soon. And that’s why we’ve got you! Well, and cause we wanted to talk to you again. But Blue and Red will turn their cameras back on once they get off their train and find some wifi - turns out, without a professional glitch for a brother, you actually need an internet connection to talk to people - and then we’ll find each other again if you guys will help us.

“We would rather go all together, but it’s, uh, the criminal stuff that gets in the way. We all got about the same face. If any of us get recognized by someone, it’s a problem. And places like airports and train stations, they’re really dangerous. Cameras and security… so we flew in to London and we’re taking a train to Brighton. And Blue and Red flew in to - shit, I forgot. But we’ll meet in the middle. We just have to keep trying to throw anybody off our trail. We have no idea half the shit we might be wanted for, especially Red and Dap. Going to prison would be really bad. As you can imagine.”

Chase looks at his nails, suddenly dejected. “We’ve been running and hiding for three weeks. Turns out it’s pretty hard without, um. Well, it’s been hard. But Ro is working his ass off to make sure we all have fake documents and that we’re okay and that sort of thing. I just want to find somewhere we can sleep and feel safe. I want to stop running. All I remember is running.”

He’s tired of being in danger. At the time, he thought he was scared of cops, magicians, gangs, Jack - anyone Anti told him to be scared of. But he was really just scared of Anti. That was always the cause of his adrenaline and his nightmares. He rubs his face. How many times did anyone come after them? Cops once, back in Italy, magicians in Peru, and then Dark in America. But in retrospect, he knows Anti coaxed them all to their doorstep and smiled when the blood started to flow.

He can’t start getting in his head like this. He has to stop thinking of it.

“Anyway,” he says, nodding his head, again and again. “Anyway. Anyway.”

It’s now that you see landscape turning into buildings. Not much longer.

scunneredzombie asked: We're not angry at you, Trick. I understand everything must be scary and confusing, especially for the less stable of you. There's no right or wrong way to grieve. Grief can involve a lot of extreme emotions and reactions, different in everyone. Be present for each other and talk compassionately. Ask each other about how you're feeling and show acceptance for those feelings. Assist each other w/ practical things if they're having a down day. Most of all, learn to accept that he's gone. For good.

Chase’s mouth flickers into a smile - a grimace - a smile - a frown. He glances at his brothers, and if the shock of everything that’s happened has affected each of them differently, they still share the same exhaustion. It’s sort of touching to him. His tired fighting family.

“Aw, you’re making me soft,” he grumbles at you, laughing as the train begins to slow. “Right… yeah, we can do that. We can do all that. We’re going to be okay. Someday. I hope so, anyway. Shit, do I ever hope so. I could really use some… some… I don’t know. Some peace, I guess. Some sleep and some peace. We just need… ah, someone’s getting on the train.”

They’ve stopped, but no one gets up to start ushering people off. The doors do not open.

Chase glances at his brothers. Henrik looks like he’s trying to fall asleep, laid back against the seat, content to wait or maybe not having noticed they’ve stopped. Dapper stares out at the aisle of the train with dark eyes, his face twitching a little.

“We’re fine,” Chase assures him. “I’m sure we just have to wait a minute. You good?”

Dapper winces slightly, closing his eyes. “Feel like I’m losing my mind. Are we.. where are we?”

“You’re okay,” Chase soothes. He’ll say it as many times as he needs to. “We’re going to find home, Dap.”

He guesses they just have to wait for the train doors to open.

But it’s fine. Probably they’re just getting off one section at a time. Probably.

“Glad you guys are here,” he adds after a moment, relaxing to wait. “Nice to talk to someone who’s not stressed to the fucking max for once. Well, maybe some of you are. If so, same, dude. Same.” nikkilbook asked: You know, I think sometimes we act like we’re all-knowing when in reality we’re just a bunch of dweebs with internet access, and we repeat things to you boys just because it sounds like something a Smart Person would say and we’re trying to be helpful. I caught myself about to say some generically wise thing about mourning an abuser, but I honestly don’t think that would help, because generic is useless and I’m not an expert.

So I’ll just make an observation.

All you boys, every one of you, love. Chase, you’re the protector. Henrik, you heal. Marvin is strength, and Jackie is truth. Jameson, you see. Everyone of you is made of love and you give it to everyone.

He didn’t love you. We’ve established.

But I’m not sure that meant you didn’t love him, because that’s who you are.

And who is anyone to say that isn’t worth mourning?

Chase looks down at the floor. Dapper’s gaze clears slightly, eyes shifting over to you. Henrik is asleep. He doesn’t look to be in pain when he’s in sleep. Even though he’s still covered in bandages and scars. Dapper looks down at his brother’s gauze-wrapped fingers. There’s something worth mourning. The fact that he let someone do this to his brother. That he let Anti do this to his family again and again and still didn’t have the fucking stomach to watch him die like he deserved.

“I guess it’s worth mourning,” says Chase softly. “Hurts that I was blind as long as I was, but doesn’t mean I didn’t… maybe… love him. I’m grieving the loss of someone who never existed, really. Not Anti. And that’s…”

Chase keeps going, because he’s a talker and always has been, but it’s just drivel to Dapper. He rubs at his face, exhausted with himself. At least Chase loved someone who didn’t exist. Dapper loved the monster.

He doesn’t know how he’s supposed to forgive himself for it. He looks at you, pupils slightly blown. Doesn’t know if he’s allowed to forgive himself for it.

He looks up and at the doors of the train. What’s standing there is enough to make him shift again, sudden and disorienting, shoving him back into his terror and his delusions.

“No, no, no,” he begs, tugging at Chase’s shirt. “No, no, don’t let them take me away, I’ll be good, I will!”

Chase looks over and shrinks in on himself slightly, once again pulling Henrik close to his body. There’s cops outside the train, talking to someone. He tugs his hood down low like Red always does.

“They’re not here for us,” he promises Dapper, because how could they be? “We’re okay. We’re okay. We’re okay.”

Again and again and again. He’s said it for weeks.

“Red said I can do this,” he tells himself, nodding. “And those assholes are not here for us. We’re going to get off this train and find somewhere where we can be okay.”

He looks back at the officers.

Dark eyes meet his own, and flicker with a terrible gold light.

“Oh, shit.”

Anonymous asked: "Take care of everyone" includes yourself Chase. Make sure you're allowing for your own mourning as well. There's no shame in mourning.

“Don’t panic, don’t panic, don’t panic,” Chase begs himself, letting his eyes slide shut. “Just a coincidence. Not here for us.”

He has to stay calm. Has to stay distracted. Like two nights ago, when Blue started screaming about how he should have torn Anti’s ribs out one by one and made Henrik so scared he threw up, and Red just sat and talked to him about Spider-man until it was over.

“Okay, alright, I am mourning Anti,” admits Chase, letting out a slow breath. “And I hate it because… the more time I spend away from him, the more my head clears. Fuck, guys, I’m starting to remember things. Not from before Anti reset me, but just from when I was… I was hypnotized. He made me lose so much of myself and I didn’t even fucking notice. I let him take so much of me. Wasn’t strong enough to fight back. And I know maybe that’s not my fault either, but I hate that I was the weakest damn link. That I broke like that while my twin was fighting so hard. He fought until - look at him, he fought until it broke him in half. And I was lying in Anti’s bed. I hate that. But I loved him too. He was like - like a god to me. I worshiped him. I’m ashamed. Of all the parts of myself you saw me give to him. I’m ashamed.”

Anonymous asked: Do I spy a tiger?

“A tiger?”

“Max,” signs Dapper faintly.

“Is that who that is?” asks Chase frantically. “Please?”

“No,” answers Dapper. “Max doesn’t look like that man. Max is Indian and he always looks nice and he’s older than that man. And Max is not looking for us anymore. I didn’t even try to go with him… I was on the cliff edge…”

Chase looks back at the officer. Their eyes are a clear deep brown again, no hint of gold. Like it was never there. The same way Blue’s eyes flare and Dapper’s flicker silver.

It was magic he saw, not the light in the eyes of someone who loves you. It was a flash of magic.

And he remembers Peru - and magicians grabbing his twin by the waist while he screamed - irises full of glowing, vicious light -

He is squeezing Henrik’s hand too tightly. His brother does not flinch.

“If there’s magicians here,” he whispers. “What are the chances they’re here for someone other than us?”

Anonymous asked: Ah, twas not a tiger but a stray magician! I doubt he's here for you guys though. From what I recall, magicians are extremely common in the British Isles. If he is here for you, I have no idea what it could be for. Perhaps he recognizes the remnants of Anti's magic on you?

Chase pauses, glancing at Dapper. “Do you think?”

Dapper shrugs.

“You’re a British magician, right, Dap?”

“I’m not anything,” answers Dapper dryly.

“Come on, don’t sulk.”

Dapper pouts a little, pressing into Chase’s side and fluttering his long eyelashes.

“Hey, and don’t play baby either, dude, Blue’s talked to you about this. You don’t have to be anybody’s puppy for us to keep you safe. I’m not going to give you to the cops. Help me figure this out.”

Dapper’s tired and confused by his own brain, but he’s trying. He sighs and glances over at the cops. “If they’re magicians, they’re not cops too, that’s all I know. Magicians run their own law enforcement. And I don’t know anything about British magicians. I’ve never met hardly anyone. Just you guys, mostly. Maybe Anti does still linger on us… he’s always watching, he - ”

“Stop, stop,” Chase cuts him off, reaching out to squeeze his hands. “He’s not watching us. He’s gone. He’s not going to get us again. I hope they didn’t sense Anti… they might think we’re… like him.”

“Please make them go away, Trick, please.”

“Don’t beg, Dap, okay? No puppy eyes. Let’s not let Dok know we’re nervous.”

“What do we do if they are here for us? Do I have to kill them? Blue took Anti’s knives from me but I have my hands.”

“No. No, I mean - maybe? No, they’re not here for us. It’s fine. Hey, have Red and Blue turned their cameras on? Will you ask Red what we should do? He always knows best. I can do this, I can do this.”

Anonymous asked: Ello ello, patching in to Red and Blue? Jackie is your camera working? The other boys have some issues with cops (""cops""?) and Chase asked your advice on how to handle this.

“Jackie, we need to fucking move!”

His fingers are digging into the camera. You see a flash of his pale face and hunted eyes. Something strikes the wall beside him - the shitty wifi connection cuts out for a second -

Swinging back and forth as he runs. For a moment, Blue is beside him, racing across the pavement and darting down alleyways at Red’s side.

“They could be tracing the cameras!”

“They’re not, it’s your - I need to tell - how do we? - just got a connection, can’t keep a connection - tell them to - ”

He cuts in. Cuts out. There’s blood on his face now, welling up like ink. Tracing down his cheek and hitting his mouth, tracing the curve of his lips. He licks it up and spits it away, coughing. Someone shouts.

Chase is right about Jackie. His eyes are still calm. Even now.

“Tell them to - ”

You lose him again. The connection returns. A cold, thin figure with a blood-red scarf dripping down their chest is standing in the alley behind them as they run. Jackie’s face. Marvin racing along beside him. A flare of red light in unfamiliar eyes.

“Tell them to - tell them - ”

They were waiting for them at the train station. They were waiting.

“Tell them I’m sorry,” croaks Jackie. “I’ll find - ”

Darkness. Silence. If you close your eyes, you can still see the color of his blood drizzling down his cheek.

Connection lost.

And in that silence - in that moment when, for the first time in weeks, the cameras are on, but the connection is gone -

Someone speaks to you.

Well, well, well.

Aren’t you all clever?

They live and I die. Guess you got what you wanted. The threats were just threats. They live. All of them. I came close, hope you know. Could have killed the little brat or that knock-off Spider-man easily. Easily.

You got lucky, little eyes.

Well, it’s what you wanted. They’re all alive. Congratulations. Happy ending.

Right?

Let’s see if keeping them alive is all you hoped it would be. Let’s see if the struggle’s even worth it.

Fools.

You should have let them die when I did. Dapper you may as well have killed. You will see the hatred I taught him soon enough. The marks I left on Dok were not meant to fade either. All you will do is watch them fade and fade and fade. I am Antithesis, Antiseptic, Antagonist - with me gone, the story will not be worth telling.

T҉hȩr͖̗e̟̮͙'͓̦̦͝s ͍̗̩no̤͞ s̨̳͓u͘c͉͎͡h͘ th̷̹i̼ng as͈̰ ̙̳a ̗h͘a̷̻p̖̦̠p͉̞̬y ḙ̭͍nd͚̬in͡g.̼̝

nikkilbook asked: Screw you, you literary incompetent. There are plenty of stories without antagonists, far stronger and more powerful than some with. Read a frackin book for once in your pathetic life. You are the villain because you wanted to be, not because the story ever needed you.

This is man vs self, man vs the maladaptive coping mechanisms and survival strategies that are primed to face a danger that is no longer there, man vs nature as they try to find some place to call home, man vs all the magicians and law enforcement that you turned against them. This is a story of healing now, and of catharsis. You are no longer invited to this party.

Do not quote the old magic to me, glitch. I was there when it was written.

Anti’s message flickers and dies in green and blue flutters. It leaves the screen dark. Even the thought of his own death, it turns out, was enough to make him angry at you.

But you’re right. This is just a remnant. He’s gone.

darkiplurrr asked: Guys- Guys, come in- Anti just spoke to us, somehow! And Jackie . . . Jackie says he’s sorry. I think he’s going to try to find you. He seemed to be having some difficulty at the moment.

Fear flashes through Chase’s face, but after a moment you see that old hardness slide over his eyes - Trick’s soldier stare, his eyes trained on the window, his gun in his hands.

He doesn’t have any weapons now - airport security - but you watch him pull his own determination around him.

“Okay,” he mumbles. “It’s just the three of us but we’re okay. Blue and Ro can handle themselves. I hope.”

Anonymous asked: Chase I think something seriously wrong is happening with Jackie and Marvin. They seem to be being targeted by magicians as well. Tread carefully, be safe, trust no one but each other for now.

Chase nods, glancing at his little brother. “So what do we do?”

Dapper just looks back at him, blinking with big earnest puppy dog eyes. You see Chase purse his mouth with a unique blend of fatigue and resignation.

“You know, I don’t remember JJ well,” he says, and Dapper turns bitterly away, “but sometimes when I look at you I’m just so fucking aware of how much you’re… not him. Like a gap where I know something used to be. I think, for a second, when we were in that bedroom together and you told me to keep fighting, I saw him, but then he goes away again.”

Dapper stares at the floor. Chase turns back to the camera. A twinge of guilt in his mouth and then he’s focused again.

“We could run for it,” he mutters, glancing at the emergency exit at the back of the train. “Or we could let these guys come to us and… go from there, I guess.”

scunneredzombie asked: You can do this Chase. Just remain as unassuming as possible and don't let your brothers out of your sight.

Chase bites his lip and slinks down in his seat, glancing over at Henrik. His brother looks back at him, but if Dapper is an emptiness where JJ used to be, Henrik’s body seems to just be this… tether for something that’s far away from him.

Henrik hasn’t spoken since the day Chase pulled him off that porch, bleeding and bruised. Blue thinks it’s a head injury. Red thinks it’s trauma. Chase, for his part, tries not to think of it as a big deal. Henrik does this, sometimes. Dok does this. The memory of that day back in Norway so long ago when Dok wrapped his hands around Trick’s throat has become a bizarre comfort to him. Dok does this sometimes and he’ll snap out of it. Someday. He will.

It’s just never lasted this long before.

Henrik looks at him and he sees him, but there’s no more recognition. He used to look at him like he could see through to his heart.

But Chase refuses to be hurt by it. His twin just needs a break. In the meantime, he’ll protect him.

“Just follow my lead if something goes wrong, Dok-Dok,” he says, squeezing his hand. “I got you.”

scunneredzombie asked: Henrik, can you sign to us? Just "Hello" or some fingerspelling? Show us you're there, buddy.

Henrik’s eyes slide over you. For a second, he looks at Dapper, but Dapper shrinks away from him, avoiding his gaze. Henrik still has bandages on his cheek from some of the deeper cuts. He scratches absent-mindedly at the latex.

Anonymous asked: If I were you guys I would sit tight and try to be unassuming and quiet, but the second you think there's danger to your lives, run for it, Chase.

“Would you be able to run?” asks Chase, patting Dok’s thigh. “Still kind of hurt. We couldn’t get him to a doctor in America so I did most of the taking care of him. I can’t tell if he’s in pain or not. Right, but, yeah, you’re right - we’ll be ready to run if we need to.”

crystalninjaphoenix asked: If you think you can do it, then I suggest you run. We don't know what these guys want or their capabilities, and if you ask me, it's better to avoid confrontation until necessary. Be careful, though.

Chase gets to his feet to scope it out, looking out at the faux cops now starting onto the train. He pulls nervously at his t-shirt, eyes narrow.

Anonymous asked: The last thing we need from these magical cops or whatever is a chase, the one thing you're brothers need is YOU, Chase.

(Yes pun intended, no better time for a pun, I don't care how lame and awful, loosen up, damnit!)

“Hey, Chase is a good name!” he protests. “I’ve decided I like it. It’s… okay. I’m adjusting. I want to try it. But Dok, you can call me Trick if you want, I don’t mind. I’m just not his Trick, that’s all. Okay, but yes - we’ll try to avoid a chase. If we can.” Anonymous asked: Chase, Anti got an electronic remnant of himself through to us and mentioned he "left a mark" on Henrik. I think something more on the magical side might be blocking him inside himself.

Chase blinks and turns around, looking at his brothers. “Is that possible? Dapper?”

“I think Anti died about as thoroughly as he could,” answers Dapper coldly. “There’s nothing of him left but stupid messages and ghosts standing over me.”

“I think it could be worth looking into.”

“Talk to Blue, then, I don’t know. I told you I’m not a magician.”

“What are you, then?”

“You know I’m just a remnant of something dead. Sit down, Chase, they’re looking at you.”

There are eyes on him from the front of the train. He slips back into his seat, tense.

“Can we just get this over with?” asks Dapper, rubbing at his face.

“You’re more fucking cynical now that your torturer’s gone than when you were locked in that room,” snaps Chase.

“Anti cut the self-awareness out of me and made me into a dazed little pet,” answers Dapper. “Now I keep waiting for him to come and make me feel content again, at least for a moment, at least for a moment when I let him hold me against him and it makes me forget, no matter how humiliating it is. But nothing comes and nothing changes. Chase, you were an addict for years, don’t you understand any of this?”

But there’s footsteps coming towards them before he can even open his mouth to speak.

Anonymous asked: Don't get too bitter Dapper. I understand what Chase means. Sometimes we get to see JJ and the man we know and love, but sometimes you lose yourself in the storm behind those eyes, and it's so hard to get you back. Try to stay with us right now, Jay?

Dapper covers his face with his hands, letting out a shuddering breath. He sees Anti crumple in front of him, screaming for him as blood slithers out of his glitching flesh.

“I hate JJ,” he signs. “I hate being him. Just let him die with his twin.”

Chase is standing in front of Dapper and Henrik. A pair of men in cop uniforms fill the doorway of the train car. Brown and green eyes size him up like a fighter on the other side of a ring.

“What the hell do you want?” hisses Chase. “Leave us alone. None of us have done anything to anyone. We just want to be safe somewhere.”

The younger of the two men purses his pale mouth, and those dark eyes flare with venomous gold.

“Move,” he says. “Give me the younger one. And stop pretending you don’t know what’s happening - your magical signature is so powerful I bet even the mortals can smell blood in the air when you cast. There’s no record of you anywhere in our system. At your age, that means one thing - you’ve been hiding from us.”

He leans forward. His form flickers and for a second, he is wearing a bright red scarf.

“That wasn’t very wise, changeling.”

“Back off him,” says Chase, very quiet. “Back off.”

Anonymous asked: Tell them about Anti maybe? That a demon was hiding you and you're trying to escape? If they're magicians it might make them go easier on you?

“My brother’s a magician,” says Chase, chest heaving slightly, keeping himself standing straight, the way Jackie does. “We weren’t trying to hide from anybody. It was our monster. He could hide signals. He hid Dapper for years, and then he took Blue’s magic so he could hide that too, so the Ravens didn’t find us.”

“What?” snaps the magician, looking genuinely taken aback. “What the fuck? Just move. If you’re mortal you don’t have to be involved.”

“He’s my little brother, don’t touch him.”

“That is not anything’s little brother. He’s barely human. Does he age?”

“Leave him alone.”

nikkilbook asked: Okay, I have an idea, but I don’t know how well it can work. JJ, you said that magicians have their own police. To what extent to they follow things like due process?

“My brother’s a - a - what are they - a magician from Ireland, he has a tattoo - ”

“Lapwing,” signs Dapper uncertainly.

“A lapwing, Marvin’s a lapwing - ”

“What? The lapwings are fucking gone, everyone knows that. Now shut the fuck up before I make you shut the fuck up.” He shoves himself into Chase’s space and Chase tries not to breathe, refusing to back up.

“Maybe we shouldn’t bank on due process,” signs Dapper.

nikkilbook asked: Point of grammatical clarification, my dude, but it’s that they’ve been hidden from you. Also hypnotized. By a sapient glitch that was capable of erasing people from records. Maybe sit down and have a conversation with them all before getting your Harry Potter-themed panties in a bunch.

“Okay, fuck Harry Potter, first of all,” snaps the not-cop.

“I’d be in Gryffindor,” offers the other magician.

“Mateo, keep your damn mouth shut.”

nikkilbook asked: Hi Mateo, nice to meet you. I’m talking to you now. Grumpy McGiilacutty doesn’t get to be recognized as a person until he chills the flip down.

You said the lapwings were destroyed. When was that? And do you have record of who some of the magicians were? Or if any of them were living in or frequently visited the Brighton area?

Mateo shrugs. “We were not exactly on good terms with the Lapwings before they just… stopped answering, one day. Who knows?”

“Don’t talk to that,” warns the grumpy one. “Stop it. Mateo, step back.”

And Mateo obeys.

Anonymous asked: "That?" Excuse you, grumpus, we are a highly technological communication device designed and set up by the demon they're talking about! Do we reek of magic as well, hm?

“No, you don’t,” answers the magician flatly. “You’re a camera.”

nikkilbook asked: Hey Grumpface. Did you hear what happened to the Sunbirds?

Chase’s face darkens slightly. The magician looks at him, eyes cold.

“Maybe you don’t want to be connected with what happened with the Sunbirds.”

And Chase knows he should say something about how it was Anti, about how the monster that killed the Sunbirds was the same one that has hurt him again and again, but all he can hear is Caleb howling.

Anonymous asked: Dap-- JJ-- I'm not sure who you prefer to be right now, and I'm still happy to recognize both if need be... You'll help, won't you?

Dapper closes his eyes.

“Don’t want to go with them,” he signs faintly. “But I don’t… want…”

Blood and unseeing eyes. He is just Anti’s killer. He hides himself in his hands again. For a second, Henrik touches his hand.

nikkilbook asked: Henrik, are you reading me? If you’re okay with it, could you show them what Anti did to you?

The magician’s eyes drift over to Henrik, who stares impassively back at him, sat beside Dapper.

“Did he do that?” he asks, pointing at JJ.

JJ’s expression crumples with a sudden anguish. He squeezes his eyes shut, beginning to shake, his leg bouncing rapidly against the cold metal floor of the train. His hands raise to cover his ears. Shut up shut up shut up.

“He’s off his medicine,” snarls Chase, the vitriol rising in him again. “Leave him alone.”

“You have ten seconds to move before I make you.”

“You think carefully about what you do next, asshole, because you’re goddamn right about one thing - my family can be a fucking threat when we need to be.”

Anonymous asked: What do they plan to even do with JJ if they do take him? Defend your brothers Chase, you can be okay, just don't let them out of your sight unless you know exactly what's happening to them.

“Ten,” warns the magician, his cold voice dripping with some dark anticipation Dapper recognizes all too well. Oh, fuck, what will they do to him if they get him? He can’t go back in his room. He can’t go back in his room. Anti is laughing at him. Shut up, shut up.

Anonymous asked: These guys were in South America a while ago, with the magicians there! They can vouch for their story. Chase, what was the group name again? Ravens?

“We did meet the Ravens, we did, they helped my brother. They can tell you we’re not a threat - ”

“Nine.”

“Go on,” coos Anti in his ear. Dapper feels a hand wrap around the meat of his thigh. “Show them what I taught you.”

“No,” he mouths. “No more.”

“Eight.”

Anonymous asked: Leave these guys alone. Jameson is a human, and he does age. They truly are just a group of brothers trying to escape captivity. You don't need to hurt them in any way.

Mateo steps up to the plate a little now, putting a soothing hand on the smaller man’s shoulder.

“Look, mate,” he says, and despite everything Chase wants to laugh because they’re in England and this is exactly the accent he was hoping for. “We have an investigation, that’s all. We can’t know if your friend here is a risk until we get this sorted out. For now, we have to assume he’s dangerous.”

Chase wavers.

The truth is, Dapper is dangerous. He’s always known that about his brother. It’s why Anti kept him up in that room - keeping him for himself, yes, but also to try and make sure no one ever made him snap. He’s heard Dapper ramble about it, sometimes - changing realities, broken timelines, and creators who forget they made you. Not to mention that he’s seen Dapper kill with his bare hands and Anti’s fanged grin mimicked on his mouth.

But he can’t be someone’s prisoner again.

“Seven,” continues the rude one.

He can’t. Chase doesn’t know what it would do to him. Here he is, so fucking deep in his agony he can barely get out of bed most days, teetering between Dapper and JJ, and someone wants to take him away from the world again?

No.

“Six,” sings the magician with the gold magic.

Chase turns to look at Dapper. It can’t be normal for him to be shaking that hard, can it? He’s rocking himself. He doesn’t usually rock himself. He’s pressing his hands too hard into his ears.

Anonymous asked: Magicians, stop this! You don't need to hurt any of them, they are all human and mean no harm to anyone at all. You need to back off, seriously, you could die here. Jameson is a very, very powerful magician, but he won't hurt anyone. Can you not just *put* him on your registry? Why do you have to hurt anybody?

The magicians exchange glances. The cold one stops for a second, glancing away from you.

“What do you really want with him?” asks Chase, reaching back to pull Dapper to his stomach, feeling him shake like he’ll fly apart against his side. “He’s not dangerous, I swear, I swear. Just let me take care of him. I thought that Anti hid him because he wanted him for himself, not because other people would hurt him.”

“No one’s here to hurt him,” says Mateo. “But, shit, man, don’t you know your brother’s a packed explosive?”

Dapper strikes his head, once, twice.

“Don’t, don’t,” begs Chase, grabbing his hands, but Dapper’s already losing it, panting hard. He needs to move move move. It’s buzzing through him it’s buzzing it hurts. He has to get up he has to move.

“Don’t tear at yourself - you’re okay - Dapper, JJ, please - ”

He needs to run. He has to move, he has to. There’s strings on his wrist and his bones are made of wood. He’s going to be sick.

“You’re having an episode, just breathe, I’ll - ”

The younger magician grabs Chase by the shoulder and his eyes turn gold.

“I’ll make him stop,” says the magician, and he reaches for Dapper as Chase rag-dolls, gaze blank, against the seat of the train.

Henrik draws slightly away, pulling Dapper with him, eyes faintly uncertain.

nikkilbook asked: Mateo, ever dealt with someone who has schizophrenia, PTSD, and reality-bending timeline magic? You guys seriously need to back off for a second and let him breathe. Yes, JJ is dangerous. But there are a thousand different ways to be dangerous. JJ’s a fighter, and he’s good at it. He’s also struggling with his own brain right now, and reality takes a back seat to that. His magic is very volatile like this. Please explain what kind of dangerous you are concerned about and why you suspect him of it. These boys have had a very, very hard time lately, and their survival coping mechanisms are cranked up past 27 right now. They will fight to protect each other, because even if they don’t share the same blood, they are brothers.

“Okay, I’m actually a little freaked out by that, and we’re kind of on a public train, Cedar,” Mateo cuts in, grimacing at the sight of Chase limp on the seat. “The people behind us can probably hear.”

“I can control it,” answers Cedar mildly. He moves his hand from Chase’s shoulder to his head, tugging on his hair. “Look how fucking easy he went under my compulsion. I’ve never seen anyone just crumple like that. They’re right, he’s been hypnotized before. He’s like… a Ken doll.”

Chase has tears in his eyes. He can’t move his body. His expression is as dead as Henrik’s.

His twin is looking at him, eyebrows drawn slightly together. He doesn’t move until Cedar reaches for Dapper. Henrik flinches, pushing Dapper back against the window.

“Cedar, seriously,” warns Mateo. “Stop it, okay? I think these guys are kind of fucked up. Something bad’s going to happen.”

“We’ll get them back home and they can deal with them there.”

crystalninjaphoenix asked: If he's *really* as powerful as you say he is, WHY are you antagonizing him?!? Even if you don't believe us saying he wouldn't hurt you, why would you take that risk?? That just seems *incredibly* unsafe anyway!

Cedar shrugs. “I’ve never met anybody who could hurt me,” he says, reaching for Dapper. “Not when I could get my hands on him. Everybody’s dangerous until I’m in their head.”

“No,” screeches Chase with a sudden gasp for air, hands grappling slightly at the chair. “No, he’s had enough of that for his whole life.”

“Don’t fight,” answers Cedar mildly, petting his hair. “This isn’t about you.”

But Chase is panting now, determined, his eyes roving wildly. “Don’t, don’t, don’t. He’s had enough. They both have.”

“Be quiet, Trickshot.”

He drags the name out of his head and uses it to burn Chase like a branding iron.

nikkilbook asked: JJ. Cross your hands across your chest with your palms flat against the meat of each shoulder joint. Tap one hand at a time, slowly. You’re here, and your body is yours. Doesn’t matter what else you’re hearing or seeing, you are here, and your body is under your control.

He’s bent over himself, shaking his head frantically. For a second, Cedar draws back in the fear that Dapper is actually having a seizure. Drool drips out of his mouth. He can’t breathe.

Henrik curls Dapper’s fingers slightly, like he might push them to his shoulders.

“Well, what does he need?” asks Cedar, flustered. Mateo’s right. They’re in public and they can’t cause a scene. “Fuck’s sake. Don’t you think it would be better for me to reign him in just a little?”

Dapper croaks out a noise you’ve never heard him make before. Yes, yes, please. He needs someone in his head to make it stop. Anti is whispering reassurances to him. He cries for relief. Please, please.

“If you put a hand on my brother,” chokes out Chase, still fighting the power over his brain. “He’s going to kill you and it’s going to be your fault.”

Anonymous asked: Dont touch him someone will definitely get hurt!!! Sure, assume hes dangerous, hes also having a mental health crisis and he needs help! Can you call someone else whos equipped to help or at least deescalate? Do you really think this is the safest way for everyone to proceed?

“What, like, call humans? Like non-magic humans? This fucker’s got a doctor’s coat on. Why don’t you do something? Are all three of you messed up?”

Henrik is just looking at Chase writhing, his mouth slightly parted. Chase meets his gaze and throws his head like he can get Cedar’s power off him. He tries to tell him with his eyes: I’m here, man, I’m here.

I’m fighting this, I am.

Anonymous asked: Chase, no matter what you've been told, you weren't the weakest link then and you're not the weakest link now. You've always been a fighter and we've always seen it in you, even if you've needed some reminding from time to time.

I've quoted Winnie the Pooh to Jackie before, and I think you may need it too: "You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think"

I know witticisms and children's quotes can't instantly improve your self worth or get you out of a sticky situation, but words are all we have, Chase. We only have our voices, the rest is up to you. We believe you can carry yourself and your brothers.

“I’m not, I’m not,” pants Chase, shaking his head. “I fought Anti and I will - I will get you off me, I will not - I am done being anybody’s pet. I am done. You hurt my brothers. You’re hurting him.”

nikkilbook asked: Okay, Jackhole McGee, you need to step. off.

You need to go grow yourself a set of freaking human compassion and look around at what you are doing to them. Are you seriously the kind of guy that would push a wheelchair user out of their chair and proceed to kick them while they were down? Because that is what you are doing right now, my dude. You are not god-king of humanity, and I don’t CARE what rules you magicians play by, this is a frackin human rights violation and you need to back the frick off.

“All we want is to have somewhere safe to stay,” coughs Chase. He gets to his feet and Cedar shoves him back down. People are beginning to get up in the cars of the train around them, murmuring at the commotion. “We just got out of the fire and you’re going to put us right back into the frying pan. No. No.”

He gets back to his feet again. Cedar looks unimpressed, squeezing his arm, and Chase braces against the wave of it -

My Trick. Forget about everything else. Look at me. You’ll get those necklaces off of him or I’ll kill him in his sleep and leave the corpse in the bed beside you. My Trickshot. Be good, Trick, be good.

“No!”

He strikes Cedar in the face.

There’s this yelp of shock from Cedar and Henrik jerks beside him, alarmed. Chase grabs Dapper and hauls him to his feet, shoving him out of the train car and throwing himself at Mateo, fists cocked.

“JJ, run! Henrik, go, go, get the fuck out! Someone help, this cop assaulted me!”

“You little fucker,” snarls Mateo, his facade snapping, and his eyes light up green.

Anonymous asked: Jameson needs to be medicated, badly. He's been without his medication for a while and he's possibly having a psychotic episode. Let his brothers comfort him and hold him for now. And to our boys, talk in soft, short sentances until he can fully understand you, validate his experiences and delusions without lending truth to them, put pressure on him unless he pushes you off, don't let anyone threaten him, and keep him from hurting himself.

And shit, you’re right, he needs his medicine and some mercy.

But no one’s going to give him that right now, and Chase doesn’t even have a chance to think ‘this might be a bad idea’ before he realizes that Dapper is gone like a fucking shot.

It stopped being about escaping a few minutes ago for Jameson. Now it’s just this fire he has to get out, this fire fire fire in his blood, this need to move, to move, to move! He shoves past people, races through hollering and confused shouts, and he’s tearing out through that emergency door like a feral cat, racing, racing, running so hard he stumbles as he sprints, chaotic, overwhelmed, mindlessly focused on the fire, the fire, the fire -

He did not mean to leave the others behind. His body didn’t give him any other choice.

And he did not bring a camera with him.

Anonymous asked: I don't know what you were expecting to happen, Tree Sap. You may be proficient in magic but your people skills are pretty trash. Did you really expect our dangerous, unstable friend to comply with you and go quietly? After all the shit they've gone through? Maybe you should have assessed things first and not ran in blindly approaching them like animals instead of people.

“Yeah, fuck you, Cedar,” snaps Mateo, throwing Chase onto the ground with a grunt and grabbing his wrists, trying to pin him. Mateo has a hundred pounds extra on Chase, but you can see him fighting the way Anti taught him to, dirty and furious, his eyes fixed on Henrik pushed into the corner of the train car, too absent from himself to be able to run away. “I thought you said you could handle this.”

Cedar shakes blood from his face, coughing. He recovers herself and you see his dark eyes thin with hatred as they fix on Chase. Since he was five years old, only four times has anybody thrown off the thrall of his power. Yes, he thought he could bring them in quietly. He has never failed to do so before.

scunneredzombie asked: Cedar, seriously, you need to back off. Jameson's magic is so powerful that he's literally broken timelines in two when he got this upset. Mateo is right, he's a packed bomb. You need to tread lightly here and think rationally. For lords' sake have some crisis management skills, lads.

“Bomb’s already gone off thanks to you,” spits Mateo, glaring at his companion. “Grab that little dead-eyed one and put some pressure on his neck.”

“What?”

Mateo grabs a phone from his coat pocket and throws it to Cedar. As it spins through the air, just for a second, you see what it really is - a wicked little pocketknife. Cedar catches it with a slight yelp.

“Now stop squirming or you’re going to watch that knife drive into your friend’s stomach,” snarls Mateo.

Chase shakes his head wildly, stuttering around the words of protest he’s trying to get out. Cedar grabs Henrik and puts that “phone” much too close to his chest. Henrik glances uncomfortably between the knife and his brother, head slightly tilted and mouth parted in confusion.

“Okay, okay,” Chase chokes out. “I’ll be quiet, just don’t hurt him, please.”

Anonymous asked: So are you guys like... an evil British scarf-wearing magician gang? What avian name are you guys under? And does it matter to you at all that 2 among them are magical and all of them have been to help and back with a glitch demon? Can you really dismiss information for a situation like this?

“Let’s talk about information when we get back to our place,” says Mateo all-too-coolly. His eyes flare green again as he pins Chase down and suddenly you see both Henrik and Chase’s forms shift, an illusion settling over them the same as the uniforms Mateo and Cedar are wearing. Two completely different people appear to be pressed into the back of the train car or pinned under Mateo’s hands, hiding them from any watching eyes.

Anonymous asked: Out of all the magicians Anti (the guy who kidnapped and abused and hid the people you two are currently treating like criminals, btw) has killed, why couldn't he have added you two pigs to the list? You've got an asshole with a control fetish and his shitty little wingman who's perfectly content to let him run amok. Well, now that Dapper's escaped I'm sure you'll reap what you've sown soon enough.

“Yeah,” spits Chase as Mateo drags him to his feet. “I hope you get in so much fucking trouble for letting my ‘time bomb’ brother get away. I hope he makes you never have existed.”

“You and Cedar are kind of alike,” answers Mateo mildly, handling him towards the front of the train. “You both actually think you’re scary. Shut the hell up and let’s go.”

“My big brothers are going to kick your ass.”

Anonymous asked: Is it so hard to believe that these bedraggled, clearly-traumatized guys could be, you know, victims? Instead of perpetrators? And maybe the disappearance of the Lapwings is connected to the monster that tried to hide them? Use your heads, guys. Cops was an apt disguise choice, y'all seem just as eager to shoot first and ask questions never.

“You know what,” says Mateo. “Who gives a fuck? At his age he knows he isn’t allowed into a country unregistered. He was probably identified within two days of his presentation with magic that powerful. And he should especially know not to be sneaking around with all this going on - the Lapwings disappearing overnight, the Sunbird Prince coming home to his order in bloody remains on the floor. Magicians dead in Peru, Italy, Japan, apparently just for the fun of some sadist. And then what do you know… today, months later, not one but two matching magical signatures appear on our radar, entering our country and apparently converging on Brighton. Now, it’s pretty clear what’s happening - a pair of magical terrorists has suddenly lost their ability to hide from the rest of the magical world. Because you know something? Things like that don’t happen.

“Magicians know how to hide from the things that would hurt them. Orders know how to recognize and destroy threats. When one of us dies, everybody hears about it, and we all know that a week later, we’re supposed to get a report saying that the perpetrator has been caught and contained. Then the Peruvians start warning about a technimagic possessor with a multitude of powers and no recognizable species? Fuck off. That’s crazy. And we know you’re all wrapped up in it.”

He pushes Chase towards a car waiting in the crowded streets.

“But even if you weren’t, I’m so sick of foreign magicians sneaking into my country. So you can choke on your complaints. Get in the car.”

“You’re scaring Henrik - ”

“Get in the car. Cedar, stop sulking and tell Creighton the other one’s on the loose. We don’t have much time in. If we can’t contain him we’ll deal with it the easy way.”

Anonymous asked: Helping them live and heal will always, always be worth it. Fuck you, Antisepticeye. Their survival will be a final fuck you.

That’s what this is supposed to be. They’re supposed to be surviving. Moving on. Healing.

“We can’t do this again,” chokes Chase, feeling tears well in his eyes. “We’re not doing this again. We can’t. We can’t. You’re scaring him, please, please.”

“Stop talking.”

Henrik is stuck beside the door of the car, his teeth drawn back in alarm, a faint panic beginning in his eyes. Cedar grabs the back of his neck and Henrik shudders, his arms wrapping around himself protectively.

“He’s been through enough, please.”

“Give him a moment,” says Mateo levelly. “Go slower and he’ll stay more calm.”

Anonymous asked: Chase, I'm sorry about this, but I suggest you go with it for now. We don't want to see you or Henrik get hurt. We can figure something out.

“Let me help him,” pleads Chase. Mateo’s eyes fixate on him for a moment before he gives a nod of his head. Chase reaches back towards Henrik and takes his hand.

“I’ve got you,” he whispers. “I’m sorry. Last time I know we weren’t on the same side until the end, when I was able to see what was happening to you. But I’ve got you this time. I’m here. I’m on your side.”

Henrik shakes his head at him. Chase sees the fear in his face. He can’t stand it. Not this.

He closes his eyes.

“Not this,” he prays, and then someone answers, and you see the flash of m

Dapper sits straight up in Anti’s bed, blood weeping from his nose. You clatter off the side of the bed, giving you a full view of the California forest outside the great window, where a pyre is smoking in the trees. You can hear Dapper retching and choking, stumbling out of bed. If you were there, you would smell blood and old books.

“Dapper!” someone shouts from downstairs. “Hey!”

He crashes to his hands and feet beside you, blood raining onto the floor.

Anonymous asked: Oh there it is! The godamm xenophobia and intolerance. Wouldn't be britain otherwise, uh? You guys are seriously the worst, I hope you miserably fail and get what you deserve.

“Hey, I’m British,” protests Dapper sluggishly, trying to draw himself to his feet. “Sorry he was mean. I - ”

He crashes back onto his hands and knees, tears running down his face. You can still see his catatonia in the way he is shaking out his hands between words, trying to get that fire out, trying to move enough to cool the flames.

“Dapper!”

Jackie is there a moment later, grabbing his shoulders and holding him.

“Dap, here I am. What the hell did you do? You shouldn’t be time-traveling without magic. What happened? Did Dark come to get you? You’re safe, Dap. It’s okay. I’ll fix whatever I need to to make sure that whatever happened that scared you enough to time travel - I won’t let it happen again.”

It is the past again, weeks back. Anti has been dead one day.

Chase was right about him. Jackie looks like himself again. Jackie feels like himself again.

“I’ll fix it,” Jackie promises. “I will.”

His voice does not know fear.

nikkilbook asked: Wow, you are incompetent. Henrik is a heart surgeon, you absolute paperclip. On top of that, he’s family, and family can’t treat family. Pretty sure that’s a form of medical malpractice. Third, exactly how many times have we told you in this conversation that all three of them have been through the ringer? The thing that killed the Sunbirds and lit a swath of the Peruvian jungle on fire has been keeping them captive for months. Torture, hypnotism, conditioning. They are a mess right now, and they’re just looking for somewhere safe to rebuild themselves. Just freaking listen to them and keep your hands to your freaking self.

Jackie blinks over at the beeping camera.

His hands reach out to take you from the floor.

“You turned this back on?” he asks. “The signals could lead Dark to us.”

Dapper is just shaking, trying to come back to himself. Jackie sits back with him against the side of Anti’s bed, mouth pursed, and he

reads the message over.

“Well, shit,” he sighs, and he kind of lets you fall to the floor beside him, sinking back against the bed. “Nothing’s ever easy, is it?”

Anonymous asked: Jackie? Marvin? Are you guys reconnected yet? Tell me you're safe. Chase, Henrik, and Dap got a surprise visit from some magician guys, Chase and Henrik have been taken and are otherwise okay, but Dap ran off during an episode and we have no idea where he is and we don't have any way to contact him.

“Are you having an episode now?” asks Jackie, trying to get first things first.

Dapper shakes his head.

“Are you telling me the truth?”

Dapper shrugs, his head falling down against Jackie’s shoulder. Jackie nods slowly and wraps an arm around him, gaze distant as he thinks, and waits, and guards him til he can tell him what it is he needs.

“He doesn’t leave me be, Jackie,” signs Dapper. “He’s dead for the rest of you but he’s still here beside me.”

“Give it time,” murmurs Jackie.

“What will that change?” answers Dapper. “My own head is the home of his ghost.”

“Once I get you out of America, I can make sure you have medication again. It will make things easier.”

“There’s just more people to hurt us wherever we go.”

“We don’t have to go to England, Dap.”

But it only seems to deepen the misery in Dapper’s face.

Anonymous asked: Aagghh! The one time I go to bed early on a Friday you guys come back online. Didn't get to speak with you last night but I'm glad to see you're starting to find yourselves again. We're all still here for you.

Jackie smiles at you.

“Well, I don’t want anyone tracking these cameras, but you guys are still cool,” he says. “Yeah, we’re… we’re doing our best.”

His gaze drifts back out to the pyre in the forest.

“It’s been just a day but it feels… longer. I don’t know. Like everything has changed. I guess it has.”

Even in a day, he looks different. He seems different.

“I feel different,” he says. “Like some part of me got free of something it didn’t even know it was stuck in. I’ve been thinking all this time about how I have to get them out of this, have to get them out of this, have to get them out. And now I realize I was trying to get out too. And I can breathe again. Does that make sense? I can breathe.”

He looks back at you, blinking.

“So hi is what I’m trying to say,” he grins.

nikkilbook asked: There’s my brilliant boy. There you are, Astrifer.

Jackie laughs, letting his head fall back. “Ah, it’s nothing. Just glad I’m not freaking out. Thought I would be. Kind of proud of myself. Maybe it’ll hit me later but right now I’m good. Um, but it’s not… it’s not easy for everyone.”

tristarlolly asked: Okay, so no answers for anyone then. Great talk, assholes. And in case you're wondering if we'll shut up too, the answer is fuck you. And in case you've caught some other wayward magical persons, fuck you again

“What the hell did you guys get into?” asks Jackie, unable to fight a small smile on his face. “Well, you know you’ve always got someone watching your back, right, Dapper?”

Dapper turns away, eyes exhausted. Everybody else is always having to fight for him because he can’t do it himself. He covers his face with his hands.

“Hey… you’re okay. You’re okay.”

“What’s going on?” murmurs a familiar voice, and Blue is moving over towards them, his hand falling down on Dapper’s shoulder. “Darling, what did you do?”

“He got into some trouble and turned back… I think something happened with…”

He lets them tune out. Anti is sitting in front of him, legs crossed, head tilted.

“Come on.” His monster rolls his eyes, flipping a knife in his hands. “You were the one all determined to fight. ‘Oh, Trick, I can’t see you hurting anymore!’ So sad and so strong. Just to cry over me at the last minute, hahaha. Look at you now. Shaking like a bird. Little brother all alone… no one will make this better, Dapper. It only gets worse from here.”

Voices hissing at him and laughing. In his mind, Henrik is still lying on the porch, screaming.

nikkilbook asked: Hey JJ, do you remember Poe? Do you want to play a game with us?

Dapper slumps, shrugging. Anti always gets rid of his pets.

Anonymous asked: You are not dead Jameson. We've had this conversation before, back in Columbia. You are not dead and never have been, love. Just pushed into a sleeping state of being. You can wake yourself and be more than what he tried to make you in to.

Dapper wipes at his face wearily. Blue goes to the bathroom and gets him a washcloth. He starts wiping up the blood around his nose and mouth, purring reassurances at him, and Dapper just stares up into the face of the person who killed his twin, and wishes he knew what he was feeling.

Helplessness? Disappointment? Relief? Anger?

Blue strokes his hair and it feels nice. He just wishes that he could stop imagining Anti’s hands in his hair - but then again, wouldn’t that be a comfort to him?

I’m so fucked up, he thinks to himself, and you see the way the exhaustion slides through his face.

To be alive - to be himself again -

Would he want that? Does he want to want that? What would it be like? And how?

“Poor thing, making yourself sick,” says Blue, scratching his beard for a second. “Come on. I’ll make you some breakfast.”

Well. Better than nothing.

“Choke on it,” spits his image of Anti, watching over him from the bed. “Little traitor. I’ll still be dead when your stomach is full.”

nikkilbook asked: Henrik, Chase—I know this is freaky, but you’re doing great. You’ve both done so good. These guys are self-righteous jackholes, but I don’t think they’re sadists and they definitely aren’t on Anti’s level. Pushing back hasn’t really worked so far, so let’s try another approach. Try being compliant, but not submissive. Listen to what they say, and walk there under your own power. Stay together, and keep your heads high.

“So,” says Jackie, sitting at the table and flipping through messages as he shovels bites of muffin into his mouth, ignoring the golden cat mewling for a snack by his feet, “it looks like some fucking asshole magicians tried to scoop my little brothers off the street and kidnap them. Well, we’ll see those fuckers again because there’s no way they’re getting away with hypothetically doing that to them. Shit, but we’re not flying out of America for a while. Did Dapper turn time back this far?”

He glances worriedly over at his younger brother. Blue is fussing over him in the kitchen, making him hot cocoa and snacks. For a second, Jackie’s eyes slide to Blue instead of Dapper, puzzled. He can mother-hen, definitely, but why is it almost frantic now? Blue won’t stop touching Dapper, petting his hair or squeezing his hand or turning around to touch his shoulder. He paces. There’s an edge to him that Jackie does not recognize. He puts his chin in his hand and sighs out, taking another bite of muffin. Noodle leaps up on the table and shoves his determined face into Jackie’s plate. Jackie pushes him off the table again and turns to you.

“Well,” he says. “We’re in for some wild times, I think. The next few weeks would be nuts even if we weren’t moving and broke and, like, wanted by the FBI or whatever. It’s going to be quite the fucking journey.”

He hears Chase begin chattering to Henrik in the other room, talking to him to distract him as he rebandages his injuries and looks after him. Blue is trying to help Dapper ground himself in the kitchen, brushing at his hair. And out in the forest, the pyre is still smoking. Hours and hours later, it is still smoking, and the cloud of it hangs in the sky like an omen.

But Jackie can see the sun beyond it. The summer’s coming.

“You’re welcome to join us if you want,” he says softly, and when he turns, he gives you a smile like he used to, years ago, before he forgot and relearned what it was to hope for something.

nikkilbook asked: Jackie, do you have a way to reach out to the magicians? Like, make it happen on your terms? Heck, America is so heterogenous that it seems like it would make sense for, where there are Irish Americans, there would be—what, Lapwing-Eagles? No one’s ever accused us of being good at names. Maybe find someone who had a connection with Marvin’s order before they went poof, or reach out to the Peruvians or somebody who can help you get like the magicians’ version of a visa or something. There’s gotta be a way to run this so that nobody ends up hurt and you guys don’t have to hide anymore.

“Reach out to magicians? I don’t like magicians.”

Jackie glances back at the other room, where Blue and Dapper are pulling linens from a closet and shoving them into garbage bags.

“Except one, I suppose.”

“Want to come help?” asks Blue a little chidingly, turning to his twin with hands on his hip.

“I’m trying to figure out where to go,” mumbles Jackie, scrawling notes in a torn up copy of Pride and Prejudice. “If we can’t go to England… but maybe we could. We’d just have to know how to deal with the magicians who came after my little brothers.”

He pauses, rereading the message.

“Shit, maybe I do need to try and get some more info,” he sighs. “Don’t know who I could trust, though. Or even how to contact them. Don’t have the cash to fly to Peru. All I’ve got are a couple tickets Anti left for himself, Trick, and Dap, and the rest we’ll have to buy with whatever we can pawn.”

Blue has moved to the kitchen, pulling silver from the drawers to load up into backpacks. They’re stripping the place and moving on before Dark starts coming around to ask questions.

Jackie closes his eyes for a second, mouth pursed.

“I would really like to go to England,” he admits quietly.

In the other room, Chase is sharing a roll with his twin, talking to Dok. He isn’t as settled as you saw him a couple weeks in the future and you can tell he hasn’t slept. You can hear him trying to coax Dok to talk to him, but his brother will not answer.

nikkilbook asked: We saw. Schneep’s still kinda catatonic, Chase is having nightmares, JJ’s grieving, hallucinating, and withdrawing all at the same time, and Marvin’s a lit fuse. You’re all processing, and not a one of you has a professional to help you through it. All you’ve got is a bunch of voices in a camera.

“You’re not catatonic,” protests Chase hastily, pushing the camera slightly away from Henrik. “You’re fine, man, don’t worry. Come on, have something to eat.”

His leg is bouncing a thousand miles a minute. He feeds Henrik another piece of roll.

“Maybe he does need some professional help,” suggests Blue, wandering up beside them to drape himself over Chase’s shoulders like a heavy-weight scarf. “He - ”

“No, I can pull him out of it!” insists Chase. “He’s okay, Blue’s Clues.”

“Let’s just get used to the idea a little, yeah? Trick, yeah?”

Chase glances up at him, blinking. “Actually… I want to be Chase now.”

Blue blinks back at him before a faint discontent falls into his eyes. “Alright,” he says. “You and Ro both. Jackie… fine. You’re my amata however.”

“Amata,” repeats Chase, a blush rising on his cheeks. “Hey, you’re teasing me.”

“Nah, just love you,” insists Blue. “Both of you. Come help me pack up the house, babe.”

“No, I want to stay with Henrik.”

“Jackie’s right there, hun.”

Chase shakes his head and forks another piece of roll.

nikkilbook asked: Didn’t the Ravens have a tech guy? Someone who was able to shield Schneep’s camera from Anti? They have tech, you’ve got you. Is there a way to use your super sneaky hacking skills to reach out to them? Or maybe reach out to Gigi and see if he can help you get through? Lean into what you’re good at, Jackie. You don’t have to play this Anti’s way anymore.

“Gigi,” mutters Jackie, chewing on his nails. “Well… or Host, fuck. Was he a magician? Kind of? But they live with Dark. I’m scared he’ll take JJ. Do you think? Maybe one of them would know.”

“Or we could go to Ireland,” calls Blue from Chase’s side. “Where I might actually know other magicians.”

“Dapper’s British. We should take him home so he can get some of his identity back.”

Blue flashes him a skeptical look. “Is that why you want to go to England?”

Jackie shrugs and purses his mouth, picking at his hangnails til the blood comes, eyes drifting away. Dapper tries to sneak past him on quiet feet a moment later, but blue eyes fix on him before he can get up the stairs.

“No, Dap! Enough time lying in that bed. You’re starting to creep me out up there. Come on, I’ll help you empty all the valuables out and then we can get out of this fucking house.”

“We’re really leaving? My brother is here.”

“He’s ashes, Dap. Ashes. Fuck him. Let’s go.”

crystalninjaphoenix asked: Hey Jackie, if there's another reason you want to go to England, you should be honest. With us, at least. Besides, I think I have a good idea about who you want to see, anyway.

Jackie sighs through his nose. “Right now I just gotta focus on them. Once everybody’s feeling better… well, right now I gotta be big brother. But seriously, I think it would be good for Dap to be home. And I think that might be where all of us have some connections. I think that’s where we were living before Anti got us. I want to find… people I don’t even remember. People they don’t even remember. The ghosts, you know? I think there are ghosts in the UK.”

Anonymous asked: There's no shame in missing or grieving Anti, JJ. It's in fact common to miss your abuser, to miss someone who manipulated you into loving them and instilled a sense of comfort into you. He gave you no one else to hold on to, gave you no allowance to love anyone else. It's perfectly normal to have loved him with how intense his manipulation on you was. You may have loved the monster, but it was never your choice to make. You don't need to feel shame.

“Yeah, he’s just in your head a little,” says Blue, taking Dapper’s arm and pulling him upstairs before he can even raise his hands to respond to you. “Give it a couple weeks and his power will fade. You’ll be yourself again. Just bear with us a while, starling. I saw you fight for yourself out there on the grass. I know you’re there. I’m going to help you get some weight back on your bones and we’ll take you to a shrink and you’re going to feel so much better, love. Trust me, okay? Now go get the jewelry out of the bathroom, there’s a good boy.”

nikkilbook asked: I’ve officially decided that the Robins are ridiculous in both name and temperament. I have no patience for you or your order.

Blue snorts, picking at Anti’s stash and shoving the good things into a backpack.

“Are British magicians really called Robins?”

“I don’t know, honestly. Hey, hey, wait, Blue!”

“Don’t clap at me, I’m looking.”

“That’s mine, give, please?”

“Don’t sign like a baby, Dap, I’m not going to smack you for asking for something.”

Blue has Dapper’s golden Christmas knife in his hands.

“You don’t need to carry this anymore. And you’re off your medication. You don’t need weapons. Besides, how will we get it on the plane? Ask your big brother for a new knife when we get to a new country and you’re not so sick.”

“Anti gave it to me,” protests Dapper shakily, climbing to his feet. “Please can I have it, Blue?”

“Dapper, go get the jewelry. You don’t need to keep presents from your fucking abuser.”

Dapper’s face goes through an alarmingly rapid cycle of different colors. You don’t know if he’s about to cry, collapse, or throw himself at Blue like a rabid cat, but he isn’t looking very stable.

Blue looks up at him, eyes cool.

“Go sit with Red,” he tells him. Evidently aware of the change in him, Blue gets up and finds Dapper’s stuffed bear somewhere on the bed, holding it out for him. “You’ll calm down.”

Dapper stares at him, mouth twitching.

“Don’t be a brat,” says Blue. “You’re fine. Everything is fine now.”

Dapper seems to sink in on himself, his gaze evening out and his eyes widening in a sweet look of apology. He takes the bear and turns to slink back to Red’s side, wrapping his arms around himself and sitting down beside Jackie, who absent-mindedly reaches out to rub his back.

Blue gets the jewelry himself, shoving it into his backpack beside a wrapped golden knife.

Anonymous asked: It's okay to feel ashamed for giving so much of yourself to Anti, Trick. That type of abuse is so humiliating and dehumanizing, and you were faced with hypnotism and magic to add on top of it. You'll start to get yourself back, man. Give it time, & don't blame yourself so much for what happened. Focus on your present actions and how you all can heal now, rather than being stuck in the shame. I've been through similar abuse and I know these feelings effing suck. Try to grieve and heal healthily.

Chase sits with Henrik, the pair of them lounging with a book between them. Henrik looks down at it intently and Chase is hopeful that he’s actually reading it. He sets his head on his brother’s shoulder and gives you a small smile, though his eyes are ringed in tired circles.

“He really did humiliate me, didn’t he?” murmurs Chase, glancing out the window, where the birds are flicking through the trees. “I don’t… don’t know how to get over what I let him turn me into. But I hope you’re right. Cause I do want myself back. I can’t take back that I didn’t come to help Dok or Blue or Red faster, but I fought in the end. So… I guess I can work on taking care of them now. And, um.”

He looks down at his burned hand and shakes his head, eyes burning for a second.

“Wish I didn’t miss him,” he whispers. “But, uh, I guess that’s just part of it. I’ll keep moving. It’s… okay to miss him. Even if he did do those things to me. It’s okay.”

Leaning over the railway of the stairs above them, Blue looks down at them with something dark in his flickering eyes.

nikkilbook asked: Once again, not an expert, but I feel like that kind of behavior is an excellent way to reinforce trauma, Marvin. Ripping away the things that he associates positive memories with instead of him choosing when and where and if to let them go doesn’t feel like it’s going to help anything. Do I need to warn Chase that you’re going to make him leave his cat behind in a ditch somewhere?

“I know for a fact that Anti’s cut him with this knife,” snarls Blue, throwing his backpack to the ground for a second to tear it out. And for a second, Blue makes this weird motion - circling the blade at his neck like he’s imagining someone cutting into him - before he throws it back down again. “He’s just clinging to shit that hurts him. Same way he couldn’t kill Anti. I was the one who did it. I’m the one who has to clean up the mess for everyone. Who has to suck the poison out. He’ll feel better once it’s done.”

Anonymous asked: Blue, what's wrong? Why are you being an ass to JJ? You need to take things slow, you can't just immediately expect everything to be perfect. Your brothers need time to mourn and so do you.

“Mourn?” Blue barks out a laugh. “Did you miss the part where I killed him? I’m not mourning… everything’s good, like I said it would be. Dapper’s still a little hypnotized and Trick’s just scared for Dok. But it’s fine. Hell, Red and I are fucking fantastic. Once we all get settled and get some help, yeah, then you’ll see. Nobody’s mourning. He was a monster. Let him rot.”

His hands shake for a second. His eyes burn with that same frantic fire you saw the last time you talked with them, when he would not stop petting at Dapper. He grabs the railing of the stairs and wraps his arm around his stomach, looking a little more green than blue.

Anonymous asked: Blue, it's okay to be grieving you know. Don't let this anger and sadness change you. In the future we were just in, you shouted so much, scared Henrik so much, that he threw up. You hit things and screamed at people. Best to nip this in the bud now than let it consume you, yeah?

“Did I?” asks Blue weakly, sinking to the ground as though the information has taken his knees out from under him. “I was probably just… probably did it for a reason? I - I protected them! I did… on my own, I was the one who did it. He was screaming for me to stop, but I didn’t.”

tristarlolly asked: Hey Blue? Not for nothing, not everyone has taken Antis death the same as you. And I don't mean that as an attack or a chastisement, you did the right thing. You managed to do what needed to be done even when everyone else hesitated. Just remember that there's a lot of hurt and confusion behind that hesitation. I just don't want things to brew into resentment and a big part of avoiding that is going to involve patience with one another.

Blue runs a hand through his hair, shaking his head.

“They were all just standing there,” he whispers. “Why didn’t anybody help me?”

nikkilbook asked: Jackie. You can be more than one thing at once. You’re allowed to want things. You’re allowed to be someone independent of your brothers needs. You need a support system, too. You’re not just the big brother. You’re a person, too. You’re you.

Jackie flips idly through his notes, breathing out a sigh. “I don’t know… maybe later. I like being big brother.”

And if he pulls his gaze away from the camera a little too fast, well, he isn’t volunteering any more info.

“And you are little brother,” he adds teasingly, grinning down at Dapper.

Dapper’s mouth is slightly parted. His eyes are glazed.

“Dapper?” asks Jackie, reaching for him.

Dapper glances up at him after a moment. His hands rise, fall, rise. “Am I a brat?”

“Uh,” says Jackie. “I don’t know. I don’t really even know what that means. You’re a little spoiled, I guess, but not… actually spoiled. Like babied, I guess. You really whine sometimes.”

“Oh.”

“But you can be whoever now,” adds Jackie cheerfully.

Dapper stares up at him for a moment before curling in over his bear and sticking the curve of his thumb in his mouth, digging his teeth into it. It strikes Jackie as slightly odd, but he isn’t one to judge, especially with the way he’s been chewing his hoodie strings to bits.

Anonymous asked: They didn't help because they had been under his control and gaslighting for much longer than you. You were also very much in a moment of rage. They should have helped, you're right. It's like Chase said to you. You never should've had to carry this burden alone. Talk to them about it. Communicate and tell them how it made you feel. Don't let feelings sit and fester, and it might help the anger in the future.

Blue sighs, rubbing at his face. He can feel the bags beneath his eyes, the pockmarks of acne, the scratches his brother left behind. His short hair feels oily beneath his fingers.

“No,” he protests. “No… everything’s okay. I’m just a little overwhelmed. But I’m good. You’re right, I was angry. I still am. But that anger kept us safe. Burns the same way my magic does.”

Anonymous asked: Blue, we were JUST in the future, weeks from now, before JJ decided to rewind. Nothing much had changed in the mourning department. And you were not "fantastic," and you aren't right now. At the very least, don't lie to yourself.

“Well, but I will be,” he says, almost whimpering now. “This is going to ease out. Just give me a day or two. It’s fine. It’s - it’s trauma, really, from all the shit Anti did to me. I was having bad days before I killed him too. This is just more of the same. I don’t care about killing him. He deserved it. Yeah.”

He seems to have convinced himself a little, nodding his head.

“I just want to keep taking care of the others. Okay - maybe I was a little abrasive with Dap. I have to keep control of myself.”

nikkilbook asked: Maybe focus on sucking the poison out of yourself, Marvin. Cuz that was like. Twelve red flags all at once.

“No, it wasn’t, I’m fine, I told you,” mumbles Blue, burying his face in his arms. “That’s not my name, anyway. Anti killed him, weren’t you there? Marvin couldn’t handle it. I’m the one who fought. Blue. Blue fought. Blue killed him, nobody else. I’m myself and I’m fine. I’m just… just…”

He hugs his stomach. Green again. Digging his nails into his skin.

“Blue, I’m Blue, I’m…”

crystalninjaphoenix asked: Hey Marvin, Blue? I get that youre trying to be helpful, and you want everything to move on now that Antis gone, but I think you could have handled that better. Dappers going through a rough time right now, he was WAY more attached to Anti than you were, and hes having trouble letting go. Its not his fault, its that Anti was such a big part of his life that he cant help but be upset. I dont see the problem with letting him keep the knife for now. It might ease the process and help him feel safe.

Blue licks his mouth, breathing picking up a little as he thinks, sulking there at the top of the stairs.

Dapper upset. Dapper upset. Huh.

His arms curl tighter around himself. Tighter, tighter.

And then he jerks forward, gritting his teeth. He picks that knife off the ground and squeezes it between his hands until the blood comes from his palms.

With it, fire.

Pure heat pours from him.

You watch Blue melt that knife into liquid, leaving it searing into the carpet and gnawing black the floorboards beneath.

He drops what remains of the handle, hearing it clatter to the floor.

Molten steel drips off his fingers.

#book five intro

[justiisms]

*taka has decided to spend the day with yuta~! for the first hour he's been content as he silently reads beside him, however a worried and uncomfortable looks slowly begins to appear on his face, the boy getting more and more antsy as he desperately tries not to bother him before he simply just can't take it anymore! he turns towards him and bows his head low, tears already beginning to well up in his eyes*

"I am sorry Yuta, but I think something must be wrong with me today. I-I am not sure why, but something just feels... off. I know it is a silly thing to admit, but I cannot shake the feeling that something isn't quite right. Like something is watching me..." *of course this is all a certain spirit's doing, shinigami having been s t a r i n g at the poor boy for quite a while before flying into his chest and popping out of his back! and then doing it again! and again!! and then once more before he finally cracked, shinigami now laughing as she 'sits' on taka's head!!*

Yuta has been enjoying today with Kiyotaka just as much! Aside from maybe the occasional small exchange of words here and there, he's been reading in content silent with him~ At first, he didn't notice the look of increasing distress on his bro's face, until turning his head to face him when he sees him bow his head his head low. "Taka...?" Confusion and concern instantly appears on Yuta's face at this suddenly change in his mood, as he sets his book down on his lap, so he can rest a hand on his back and rub it. "H-Hey, what's wrong? Are you okay...?"

He nods in understanding as Taka tells him what's unnerving him... and the moment he says that he feels as if something is watching him, Yuta didn't have to question it: he already knew who was responsible for that, before even needing to look at said mischievous spirit!!! ("Shinigami.") As he continues rubbing the poor boy's back, he is squinting hard at her as he sees her pop in and out from his chest!!! ("Shinigami!!! C-Cut that out! You're scaring him...!")

And then he sees the poor boy start to cry! And the cackling spirit just sitting on his head!! Now giving a slight glare, Yuta wraps both arms around Kiyotaka and pulls him in for a tight hug.... while then using one of those hands to slightly reach up and furiously start bapping at her!!! ("S-Stop laughing! You made him cry! And we were just having such a nice afternoon, too... I think you know what punishment you're getting later for this!")

He'd scold her some more, but right now, he wants to try calming his poor studious bro down, as he softly mutters: "Th...There, there... it's okay, Taka, you're safe. You're okay... I'm sure that feeling will go away, soon. Just take some deep breaths, and tell yourself that nothing is really there... In fact, how about we relocate to the kitchen and have some tea? That might help. Either way, I'm right here by your side. Don't worry..."

#SHINIGAMI!!! BAD KITTY!!! BUWWYING TAKA AND MAKING HIM A SCARED AND BAWLING MEEESSSSS!!!! #FJDNFDJ Yuta is absolutely gonna plop 👻👻👻stickers on the console!!!! #nooo buwwying his bro to tears!!!!!!! #Yuta answers;; #essenceofjustice

[obeymeluv]

The Baby Assignment [Lucifer]

I have a list of actual headcanons for demon baby behaviors, but this is not that post.

You and the boys have a baby! (sort of). 

You should’ve never told Diavolo about how high schools used to have practice baby classes.

Note: most of the genders and children come from “The Bros as Dads” post.

Cut me some slack on the names. I didn’t really have them planned, haha.

Lucifer:

Extremely skeptical. This whole assignment depends on you two standing in a summoning circle and--in a flash of light there’s a KID in the middle of the floor.

It’s a GIRL! 

This triggers his demon form on reflex because he’s startled and can’t help but have flashbacks of Lilith. You’re cooing to the little girl and Lucifer feels breathless as he takes in her hair (it’s his) and those big eyes (they’re yours)

His wings flap a few times before pressing close to his body. This has caught the baby’s attention and she’s staring at him with more intelligence than a child should have.

The professor says the child will grow exponentially over the next week or so and she should be able to deliver a report on how competent you are as parents. Their developmental age will be assessed and factored in as part of the grade.

You walk carefully over to Lucifer, eyes shining and a tiny fist in your hand and oh Diavolo, he wants this child to be real right then and there!

The naming doesn’t happen until you’re back at the House of Lamentation with a massive magical trunk that will spawn child necessities. You sit in his study as the baby looks around and points to things. You name them off.

You’re in the middle of walking her over to look at his records and watching her slap things on the shelf, trying to feel them with her fingers, when he gets the idea to name her after one of the human composers he knows (”Marianna.”)

You honestly thought the addition of a literal child would throw Lucifer off but he’s prepared. It’s only then you realize he’s been alive for thousands of years and helped raise the other six people in the house

Enjoy your view of Lucifer wearing a baby sling for the first three days because unless you have a real kid together, this is the only time you’ll see it

The two of you work on a schedule and carve out time to teach the child on top of your other duties. Sometimes you’re hooked up to the sling, sometimes it’s him. He gets a kick out of seeing you tote the kid around and usually catches you tickling her feet.

Diavolo graciously lightens up on Lucifer’s paperwork load (BY A LOT!) in exchange for seeing the child and playing with them

Most of her facial expressions take after Lucifer’s and Diavolo is BEYOND amused

After day 3, Marianna gets distressed seeing Lucifer sit so long, so she’ll toddle you to Lucifer and just points until you do something about it

100% a daddy’s girl and Lucifer has a hard time keeping his pride in check. It’s coming off of him in waves

She says her first words between day 4 and day 5 and Lucifer wants to cry (he does) because the first one is “daddy”

From day 5 on it’s a constant fight to keep her close because the bros want to smother her for being so cute and are bugging her to say their names

Marianna is partial to Satan and Lucifer is secretly glad. Satan acts all smug about it.

She has Lucifer’s insistency for perfection. Mammon was messing with her tea party set up and she bit him for moving her plate in the wrong spot. That was day 6 and she had her pointy baby demon teeth. Marianna got a little whisper scolding that Mammon would’ve died for BECAUSE SHE GETS KISSES WHILE SHE’S GETTING SCOLDED? FOR REAL?! HE GETS STRUNG UPSIDE DOWN!

Marianna hates being fussed over and likes to dress herself. Whatever you or Lucifer fix, she undoes when your back is turned.

One of her favorite hobbies is sitting on Lucifer’s lap and practicing her handwriting. She also likes to brush his feathers. Marianna asks to sleep in them and will try to hide from you in them. The giggles give her away.

By day 7 she has the intelligence of (at least) a 6 year old and has velvety nubs for horns. You learned that demons like to rub their horns against hard surfaces (or loved ones) as scenting and for their growth.

She accidentally scratches you up, not quite understanding you’re human, and goes into an absolute meltdown. She didn’t mean to hurt you.

Goes into a freaking rage when anyone tries to fix you up. Wants to do it herself. This kid is a literal puddle of apologies, please hold her.

She cuddles you for the rest of that day and officially gets her own little desk beside Lucifer on day 8. Marianna pretends to write her own letters but mostly draws. Bugs Lucifer with the random stuff Satan and Levi teaches her but he doesn’t mind.

You’d bring them snacks every now and then and sometimes you’d hear them singing together (ever so quietly). You didn’t know Lucifer could sing. 

Lucifer has woken up with a fist in his face, accidentally been punched in the eye, and has been kicked away at least once since she was big enough to sleep in the bed. She takes after Lucifer in the way that she needs you behind closed doors. Marianna doesn’t sleep unless she can feel both of you next to her. 

Lucifer officially has bragging rights about sleeping with you (even if he won’t pull that). Secretly gets the best sleep of his life. Really starting to feel the parent thing. A kid with you would be nice.

Marianna gets little fluffs for wings on day 9 and they “air box” when she’s angry. She demands back scratches for how dry and itchy the feel and you figure out she purrs like Lucifer.

She doesn’t always prank Lucifer but when she does, she hides his pens and makes him play hide and seek with her to get them back

Marianna likes to help out in the kitchen and loves setting the table. She gets mad if anyone messes with the napkin folds you guys practice. She makes a tiny Lucifer screech when Asmo gets obnoxious with taking pictures for Devilgram and Mammon nearly breaks his chair trying to run out of it. She laughs like you.

Around day 10 she insists on a family day and Lucifer has this sinking feeling in his gut that she knows she won’t be around much longer. Maybe it’s a side effect of the spell. The two of you spend the day running around the Devildom taking lots of pictures. Diavolo crashes a few of those pictures.

She spends day 11 burning the midnight oil with Lucifer. Around 9 PM he’s trying to send her to bed. Marianna just drags a blanket back into his study and snuggles down. He notices all her old pictures and some new ones she’s drawn. “It’s my book,” she tells him.

“Your book?”

“Yep.” she colors in the lines carefully, the finished pages pushed away and much better than her older ones. “It’s for you guys, for when I go away. And for your school.”

On day 12 you bring her back into the class, she’s dressed in similar colors to Lucifer. She wanted to look good for her presentation and she said ‘dad always looks nice’.

Marianna talks through her book, calling back memories of building blocks and playing hide and seek. She’s very proud of the pictures from two days ago. They’re her favorite. She shows off her horns and the “dad roar”.

You and Lucifer walk her to the circle. She stands in it as the spell determines her final age. She’s about 10, pushing the limits for growth as determined by the spell.

“I wasn’t here a long time, but I had fun.” she hands him the book and gives you a much longer hug than Lucifer. You wonder if it’s her way of apologizing for having a favorite even though she was good to both of you. “Maybe I’ll see you again sometime.” she looks up at Lucifer as she hugs him, her chin pressed into his stomach.

“Perhaps.” Lucifer takes on his demon form as the circle starts to glow, flapping one wing at her. She “air boxes” back before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

It’s a quiet, lonely silence. Very cold. There’s a subtle warmth in Lucifer’s embrace as he guides you back to your desk. It was brief, but you see why she likes his hugs. 

#Obey me! #Obey me! x Reader #Lucifer x Reader

[xoxo-teddybear]

Besties - Bakugou Katsuki

Bakugou x f!reader ft. Kirishima

Warnings: Fluff, Crack, Good Times, BESTIE VIBES ONLY

BAKUGOU’S MASTERLIST

Summary: Being Bakugou’s girlfriend, you had to get used to his jealousy. Even though you got used to it, you still chose to not deal with it and so you became close friends with the one guy he could trust. Eijirou Kirishima. Here’s how it worked out.

A/N: For the sake of the fic, Jirou and Kaminari are dating

So we all know how Bakugou and Kirishima’s friendship works but I headcanon Y/N (or this story’s version of Y/N) and Kirishima to have a friendship very VERY similar to André Harris and Tori Vega from the show, Victorious. Bakugou liked the fact that his best friend and girlfriend got along so well ESPECIALLY since he wouldn’t have to worry about other guys that Y/N would become friends with. He could trust Eijirou to stay just friends with Y/N and the friendship became ridiculously hilarious.

—

[Y /N] *Ripped Kirishima’s Red Riot poster* Oh Shit! *Runs to common rooms and hides in the crowd, casually talking to other friends*

[Kirishima] *Walks in* You!

[Y/N] *high pitch scream* Katsuki!

[Kirishima and Y/N] *Arguing*

[Katsuki] *Runs in* Woah, woah, woah! What the fuck is happening?!

[Kirishima] Can I talk to Y/N for a sec bro?!

[Y/N] I don’t have to talk to you about anything!

[Kirishima] Oh I think you do! *Picks Y/N up over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes*

[Y/N] Let me go! *swinging arms and legs around*

[Kirishima] Don’t make a scene, Don’t make a scene

[Y/N] Suki! Help me!

[Katsuki] *Laughing his ass off*

—

[Y/N] *Walking up towards Katsuki and Kirishima moving shoulders and smiling* Heyyyy~

[Katsuki] *Pulling in Y/N with one arm and pecking her temple* Hey babe

[Kirishima] What’s the big news?

[Y/N] How’d you know I had big news?

[Kirishima] ‘Cuz whenever you got big news, this is how you approach someone. *Backs up a little and re-enacts Y/N’s walk* “Heyyyy~”

[Y/N] I don’t do that when I have big news

[Katsuki] Do you have big news?

[Y/N] .....yes

[Katsuki and Kirishima] *Laughs*

[Sero] Yo Bakugou! We got extra training with Aizawa! Let’s go!

[Katsuki] Okay! Later Shitty Hair, See ya babe *pecks your lips and runs off*

[Kirishima] So what’s the big news?

[Y/N] *explains*

[Kirishima] Oh my chiz!

[Y/N] I know right! Ouu let’s go tell those guys over there! *points towards group of kids and begins to walk*

[Kirishima] Wait wait wait *pulls Y/N back* We gotta do this the right way *smiles*

[Y/N] *Smiles and Nods head*

[Kirishima and Y/N] *Walks up to group moving shoulders and smiling* Heyyyy~

—

[Kirishima and Y/N] *Chilling at the Kitchen Island*

[Kirishima] *frustrated with something*

[Y/N] Hey...Hey look at me

[Kirishima] Noooooo

[Y/N] Look at me

[Kirishima] *Sighs* What is it cuz I’m not in the greatest moo- *looks up at Y/N*

[Y/N] *Shoots Kirishima with Nerf Gun as he’s talking and hits him right in the middle of his forehead for the 6th time in a row* WooHooo!! Oh yeaaahhh six fa sixxxxx *does a little dance in her chair*

[Katsuki] *laying on the common room couch* BABBYYYYYYYYY

[Y/N] *Walks to Bakugou* You finally awake babe? What do you need?

[Katsuki] Can you get me some water? *baby pouts at her*

[Y/N] Heh, sure. *gets water and gives it to Katsuki*

[Katsuki] *Drinks water and goes to sleep again*

[Y/N] *Walks back to seat infront of Kirishima and gets hit with Nerf Bullet*

[Kirishima] WOMP! *puts two fist in the air in victory and then does a little dance*

[Y/N] *Softly laughs*

[Kirishima] Like that?

[Y/N] *Laughs and claps hands softly* Moreee

[Kirishima] *Laughs and stops dancing*

—

[Kirishima] *Busts into Common Rooms during Y/N and Bakugou’s movie night* GUYS I NEED HELP!

[Katsuki] *Pauses movie* Aren’t you supposed to be at Kiyoko’s Birthday Party?

[Kirishima] Yes! I’m supposed to be at her birthday party! I’m supposed to be her date for that party! And I’m supposed to like her! But I don’t like that spoiled girl at all! Not even a little *picks up pillow and hits the couch with it at every upcoming word* And I *hit* don’t know what *hit* to do! *hit*

[Y/N] *Offers out bowl* .....Want some Mashed Potatoes?

[Kirishima] No I don’t want any- .....Gimme da bowl *takes bowl and walks to other side*

[Y/N] Okay, why are you with this girl if you don’t even like her?!

[Kirishima] Because of her daddy *eats*

[Katsuki] Who’s her daddy?

[Kirishima] *Speaks with stuffed mouth* Hawks

[Katsuki and Y/N] What?!?!! Hawks?!?

[Kirishima] Mhm!

[Y/N] Oh my god, he’s the number 2 hero!

[Kirishima] I know that! You don’t think I know that? If that man likes me and thinks I’m good enough he could hook me up with a spot in his agency as an intern. Why else do you think I’m dating his grumped up, crazy faced daughter?!

[Y/N] *stares in shock* that is terrible!

[Kirishima] I know! That’s why I’m upset! *takes spoonful bite of mashed potatoes* ‘Cuz I know, what I’m doing is wrong! 😭 .....are these potatoes hand mashed?

[Y/N] Yeah, why?

[Kirishima] They’re lumpy

[Y/N] *stares in offense*

[Kirishima] If you gon hand mash em, you gotta get up in there! Get out them lumps! *sadly uses fork to mash up potatoes even more*

—

[Kirishima] *Banging on Y/N’s dorm room door at 4 in the morning*

[Y/N] *Tiredly getting out of Bakugou’s arms and opening the door* Kiri?

[Kirishima] Did you get my texts?!

[Y/N] Yes, why do you think I’m standing here at 4 in the morning?

[Kirishima] I’m tripping out Y/N! I’m tripping out!!😭

[Y/N] *sighs* Alright, just come in

[Katsuki] *Wakes up* Ugh shitty hair, whats your deal?

[Kirishima] *frantically walks through the door* Go make coco!

[Y/N] I’m not making coco! *shuts door*

[Kirishima] ARGHHH-OWWW *rubs his temples as he flops onto Y/N’s bed at Katsuki’s feet*

[Katsuki] Geez man *tiredly rubs face*

[Y/N] What is wrong with you?

[Kirishima] *hesitates* I-...I think I’m in love with Jirou

[Katsuki and Y/N] *Eyes go wide and jaws drop*

[Y/N] *slowly shaking head up and down*...I’ll go make the coco... *stares as Kirishima in shock as she backs up to the door slowly*

[Kirishima] *Mouthing “I don’t know” with distressed look and shrugged shoulders*

[Y/N] *slowly but quickly leaves dorm room*

*Timeskip - Bakugou, Y/N, and Kirishima are all sitting on Y/N’s bed with their backs against the wall holding cups of coco*

[Y/N] You think you’re in love?....With Jirou?

[Kirishima] ....I think so..

[Katsuki] Okay, what happened tonight?

[Kirishima] I don’t know..we were just in gym gamma, working together, all night, and then we took a break and she played music and started singing and I sang with her. Then she showed me a song she’s been working on and I offered to help and then she started singing again and she just looked so...pretty and sweet

[Y/N] Okay but dude, you can’t love Jirou!

[Kirishima] You think I don’t know that?! Kaminari is one of my best friends and I would never try and move in on a friend’s girl. Uh-Uh, I don’t play that way.

[Katsuki] Good! So just..forget about this-

[Kirishima] I CANT! ARGH-OW *distressfully rubs temples*

[Y/N] Well why can’t you?

[Kirishima] Alright, you see. Ever since I was little I could never hold my emotions in. I could never keep my feelings inside, even if I want to, I just can’t. I always had to be honest with myself and let it out. Or else I get wonky in the head! *Rubs temples*

[Y/N] Okay-

[Kirishima] I- *broken sobs*

[Y/N] Okay-

[Kirishima] Argh- *broken sobs*

[Y/N] *Rubbing Kiri’s shoulder* Shhh-

[Kirishima] I don’t even- *broken sobs and shaking head*

[Y/N] Shhh. Listen. I don’t think you’re in love with Jirou.

[Kirishima] You don’t?

[Y/N] No. You guys were just there..together..alone, late. And you were tired.

[Kirishima] Yeah..tired, we were tired. That’s true.

[Y/N] And you guys were listening to music and singing songs..and so you felt emotional.

[Kirishima] Yeah! I did!

[Y/N] But by tomorrow, you’ll be fine again!

[Kirishima] Yeah! I bet I will!

[Katsuki, Y/N, and Kirishima] *Slowly raises coco cups to their mouths to take a sip simultaneously*

[Kirishima] This coco is good!

[Y/N] *Nodding her head* It’s from Belgium.

[Kirishima] Must be why

[Y/N] *Nodding her head* Mhm

[Katsuki, Y/N, and Kirishima] *All simultaneously taking another sip*

[Katsuki] .....Shitty hair..

[Kirishima] ...Yeah bro?

[Katsuki] ....Get out so I can cuddle my girlfriend and go to sleep

[Kirishima] .....Okay bro

#bakugou blurb #bakugou x you #bakugou scenarios #bakugou thirst #bakugou oneshot #bakugou imagine #bakugou katsuki x reader #bakugo x reader #bakugou x reader #katsuki bakugou x reader #katsuki x reader #bakugou katsuki #katsuki bakugou #mha bakugo katsuki #mha bakugo x reader #mha bakugou #mha #mha katsuki #bnha bakugo x reader #bnha bakugo katsuki #bnha bakugou #bnha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia bakugou #my hero academia #mha kirishima #bnha kirishima #kirishima eijirou #eijirou kirishima #my hero academia kirishima

[sleepdeprivedsloth]

Wrong Answer

[MHA - Bakugou, Kirishima]

summary: Kirishima is struggling with math and asks Bakugou to help him study for an upcoming test. Unique tutoring methods are introduced, leading to some interesting discoveries between the two friends. (platonic KiriBaku tickle fic)

potential warnings: swearing, tickling

words: 1.7 k

a/n: here’s another mha fic because i’m obsessed :D if you couldn’t already tell i freaking love bakugou lmfao i promise my next fic will be for a different fandom but anyways please enjoy!

--

“How did I allow myself to be associated with an absolute idiot?” Bakugou asked aloud, fondly shaking his head.

Kirishima gave out an awkward laugh, embarrassedly rubbing his hand against the nape of his neck. “Sorry man, I seriously thought math was supposed to be about numbers. I genuinely don’t understand where all these letters are coming from.”

The two boys were seated on top of Kirishima’s bed, facing towards one another, with their notes and homework assignments scattered across the blankets. It had been the redhead’s idea to work on their homework together, knowing that he would be needing Bakugou’s help.

“This is just a review on the Pythagorean Theorem, Shitty Hair. You should’ve learned it three weeks ago instead of waiting until two days before the test!” Bakugou exasperatedly exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air to further emphasize his half-hearted frustration.

The blonde watched as Kirishima’s sheepish expression quickly turned into a look of distress, cringing slightly as he asked, “Wait… we’re having a test on the Python Theory?”

Bakugou facepalmed, dragging his hand slowly down the length of his face. “Oh fucking well. I’ve done all I could. At this point, you’re a lost cause.”

“C’mon Bakubro, I don’t need you to make me feel any more dumb than I already am! A little crash course is all I need, just please tutor me!” Kirishima pleaded, looking desperately into his friend’s eyes.

“You know what…” Bakugou started, an almost-evil smirk growing across his face. “I do have this one study method that I’ve been meaning to try out on someone.”

Kirishima beamed, oblivious to the suspiciously eager look on Bakugou’s face. “Oh that’s perfect, bro! You get to test out your new method and I can study for our math test, a manly win-win situation! So how does the method work?”

Repressing most of his excitement as to not reveal his true intentions, Bakugou explained, “It’s pretty simple really. I just have to ask you questions and then you gotta answer them. Here’s the twist though: instead of being praised or rewarded when you get the answers right, you get a little punishment if you answer them wrong.”

“Wait wait wait, hold on a second,” Kirishima butt in. “What do you mean ‘punishment?’ Are we talking like giving me a thumbs down, o-or like torture, or-”

“I wouldn’t hurt you, Shitty Hair, no matter how much of an idiot you are,” Bakugou quickly reassured.

Kirishima let out a sigh of relief. “Whew, thank god! You had me a little worried for a second there, man.”

“Don’t stress out over this, it’s just studying,” Bakugou said with a grin that implied that the pair were going to do more than just study. “All you have to do is answer correctly. Ready, dumbass?”

Kirishima gave the blonde two thumbs up, smiling warmly. “Ready as I’ll ever be! Hit me with it!”

“Good,” Bakugou smirked. “First question: what’s the formula of the Pythagorean Theorem? You’ve got five seconds, Shitty Hair.” 

“Five seconds?! Dude that’s not enough- WOAH!” Kirishima had started to object when suddenly Bakugou lunged at him, knocking the redhead down onto his back. Before he could fully process what was happening, Kirishima was being straddled just below the waist and his hands were pinned underneath Bakugou’s knees. The brief struggle made a complete mess of their papers and pencils, some even falling down to the floor. “Uhh.. Bakubro? I mean this in the friendliest way possible, but what the actual hell, man??"

Bakugou rested his hands on Kirishima’s sides, causing his friend to stiffen slightly. “What’s the formula of the Pythagorean Theorem? If your dumbass answers incorrectly, or doesn’t answer at all within the next five goddamn seconds, you’re gonna get punished,” he repeated, giving a small squeeze to emphasize his intentions.

Kirishima’s eyes widened in realization, a shaky smile coming across his face as he attempted to backtrack. “O-oh, I was actually just thinking that we should definitely try another method? Maybe we could- AAHahaha nohohoho!!”

“Wrong answer, Kiri,” Bakugou replied bluntly, starting to lightly wiggle his fingers along Kirishima’s sides, just enough to keep him squirming and giggling. “Why try another method when this one is working so well? Answer.”

Kirishima couldn’t help but tug on his hands, writhe from side to side, squeeze his eyes shut tight, anything that could possibly alleviate the soft, tickly sensations. Unfortunately, his attempts were only in vain. “Ihihihihi dohohon’t knohohohow! Thihihihis is wh-hihi-y Ihihihi need tuhuhutoring!”

“Alright dumbass, I’ll help you out a little. Just repeat after me…” Bakugou offered, showing a small bit of mercy towards his clueless friend. It wasn’t exactly a fair fight if Kirishima had no idea how to answer the questions; that’s why Bakugou was helping him in the first place after all. Without pausing his fluttering fingers, the blonde recited, “A squared plus B squared equals C squared.”

“Ihihi cahahan’t- EEHEHEHAHA” Bakugou dug his fingers into Kirishima’s sides in warning. “OKAHAHAhay okahay! A-hahahaha squahared pluhuhus B-hehe squahahared ehequals C-hihihi squahahared!”

“Nice job, Shitty Hair,” Bakugou momentarily ceased his tickling, giving Kirishima a chance to catch his breath. “Second question: can the Pythagorean Theorem be used on all types of triangles?”

Lucky for Kirishima, he had actually paid attention to that part of the lesson in class. With small, residue giggles getting mixed in with his words, he proudly answered, “Nohope, only rihight triahangles!”

“Correct. About time you started getting some of these shitty answers right,” Bakugou mocked playfully before a predatory glint filled his eyes. “Third question: where’s your worst spot?”

Kirishima’s head shot up and he immediately locked eyes with his friend, shaking his head pleadingly. “No noho no, I cahan’t!” Anxious titters slipped out of his mouth as he tried to bargain. “I-I’ll tell yohou my second wohorst spot, it’s rihight below my behehelly button!”

Bakugou wasted no time in slipping both hands underneath Kirishima’s shirt and moving them to his lower stomach. Forming miniature claws, he started vibrating his fingers deep into the sensitive flesh. Uncontrollable laughter spilled out between Kirishima’s pointed teeth, but Bakugou wasn’t satisfied yet. “I don’t want your second worst spot. Fucking answer the damn question, or I won’t ever stop~”

His head fell back to look up at the ceiling instead of Bakugou’s piercing gaze. Kirishima put as much strength as he could into trying to buck the hands off of his torso, but the redhead quickly came to the realization that there was no way out. If he didn’t answer, there was no doubt that Bakugou would keep tickling him until he died of laughter. Blushing at the thought, Kirishima surrendered, “RIHIHIHIHIHIHIBS! IHIHIHIT’S MY RIHIHIHIBS!!”

“Perfect.” Bakugou instantly slithered his hands further up until they reached the dreaded spot. He gently massaged his thumbs into Kirishima’s ribs, not hard enough to hurt, but with just the right amount of pressure that got his friend squirming hopelessly from left to right. “Damn, these guys are pretty sensitive, aren’t they?” Bakugou teased fondly.

“YEHEHEHEHES! IHIHIHIHIT TIHIHIHICKLEHES!!” Kirishima confessed, screams of laughters flowing out of him before he could even think about resisting them. But then again, he didn’t really want to resist. Kirishima had to admit that it did feel good to let loose from the stress of school and just laugh freely. Those thoughts were immediately pushed to the back of his mind the instant Bakugou’s fingers scribbled against his second lowest ribs, a particularly weak spot on his ribcage. “NO NO NOHOHOHOHAHAHAHA! BAHAHAKUG-AAHAHA! NAHAHAHAT THEHEHEHERE!”

Bakugou’s eyes practically gleamed with excitement as he honed in on the newfound spot. “Ohoho, what is this wonderful little spot I’ve found, Shitty Hair?” 

Kirishima was hysterically howling and shrieking, losing his mind to the sensations and barely able to form complete sentences. “PLEHEHEHEHEASE NOHOHO! IHIHI CAHAHAHAHAN’T!!”

The blonde slowed his fingers down, but drummed them against the second lowest rib to keep Kirishima wiggling and giggling. “Alright Kiri, final question: who’s the best tutor in all of UA? I’ll even give you a small hint: your dumbass better say that it’s me.”

Having more control over his mouth, Kirishima bravely teased, “Wohohow, suhuhuper suhubtle, Bahakubroho.” This earned his ribs a few ticklish pinches, causing the redhead to jolt and squeal before returning to his steady stream of chuckles.

“That loudass mouth of your’s is gonna get you into some serious trouble,” Bakugou lightly taunted. “Now spit out your fucking answer already!”

Through his giggle high, Kirishima quickly responded, “Yohohohou! Ihihihit’s youhuhuhu! Yohohou’re the behehest tuhutor to ehehever exihihihist!!”

Bakugou climbed off of Kirishima and helped him sit up before crawling back to his end of the bed. “Hell yeah I am, and don’t you ever forget it!”

Kirishima rubbed his hands along his ribs to get rid of the funny, tingling feeling that was left behind from the attack. “Geheez dude, I seriously dihidn’t take you ahahas the type to initiate a tihihickle fihight like that.”

Rolling his eyes as he started to pick back up their school work that was previously disregarded on the blankets, Bakugou retorted, “Oh please, this was just payback for what you and the other idiots did to me on my birthday. Karma’s a bitch like that.”

“Oh c’mon, man, there’s no need to lie. You and I both know that you loved it!”

Bakugou’s head quickly whipped around to look at Kirishima incredulously, eyes widened slightly. “No I didn’t, you ass! It was absolute torture and you’re honoestly lucky that I don’t hate you dumbasses for doing it.”

Keeping eye contact with his friend, Kirishima effortlessly came back with, “Dude, if you seriously thought it was torture, there is no doubt that you would have found a way to make us stop. Or, at the very least, you would’ve asked us to stop.”

Realization flashed across Bakugou’s face for a brief moment, accompanied by a light blush that Kirishima easily noticed. But in the blink of an eye, Bakugou’s defenses were put back up, as if they had never gone down in the first place. “Oh yeah? Then how come you didn’t ask me to stop the whole time I was tickling you just now? Explain that, Shitty Hair.”

A challenging smile spread across Kirishima’s lips. “I never said that I didn’t like it.”

--

a/n: ngl i had some troubles starting this fic, but let me tell you that when i finally got into it, everything just started coming together and now i love it! thanks for reading everyone <3

#bnha #bnha tickle #mha #mha tickle #bakugou #katsuki bakugou #kirishima #eijiro kirishima #ler!bakugou #lee!kirishima #ticklish!kirishima #kiribaku #platonic #tickling #tickle fic

[laskyy]

Hey guys! I'm back from my little break! Sorry for talking so long, but now I'm back and that's all that matters! So now let's get to the imagine!

(Btw this is gender neutral)

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

You're all that I want

Tw: mentions of food and drinking water, kissing, mentions of making out (let me know if I missed something)

Genre: Fluff

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

It was currently 10 p.m. and you were with the boys of P1h on their practice room. You were Theo's best friend and he invited you to come see him practice, because he knew how much you liked to watch him perform.

"Hey guys, what if we played something?" Jiung suggested as he took the final bite out of his food.

The members had already finished practice and you guys were all just talking, eating and goofing around as usual.

"Sure, but what should we play?" Intak asked as he too finished eating.

"Well we could play truth or dare!" Keeho said excitedly as he picked up his water bottle to take a sip.

"Okay, sounds good! What do you think Y/n?" Theo asked while he softly looked at you.

"I'm down!" You said as you becme shy due to Theo's gaze.

"Me too!" Said Jongseob as he smiled.

"Yeah, let's play!" Soul said as he clung onto Keeho.

"Okay I'll start!" Jiung said. "Uhmm... Jongseob, truth or dare?"

"I'm going with truth!"

"Is it true that you think you're better than Eminem?"

"WHAT? OF COURSE I AM!" Jongseob said as we all started laughing out loud at the youngest's confession.

"Okay Jeminem it's your turn!" Jiung said as he wiped a tear that he shed because of laughing.

The game went on for a while and everyone was getting kind of tired and besides that you still had to clean up the place before going home! So you agreed to play one more time and then everyone would clean up, but things didn't really work like that.

"Okay, Theo truth or dare?" Intak asked like an excited puppy.

"I want to go with... Dare!" Theo answered while smiling. God his smile was beautiful.

"Well..." Intak started but stopped when Keeho whispered something that made the puppy like male smirk. "I dare you to stay here with Y/n and clean up!" He said and everyone besides you and Theo started cheering.

"You can't do that! We all agreed to clean up together!" Theo said trying to sound mad, but he sounded quite excited... Did he want to be alone with you?

"A dare is a dare my dear friend! So have fun cleaning up!" Keeho said while smiling.

"Do I not get a say in this?" You asked kind if shocked by the while situation.

"Well... No! Bye bye!" Intak said as he waved goodbye left the room with the other members following suit.

"Jeez! Sorry that this happened!" Theo said while looking at you with an apologetic look.

"It's fine Taeyang! It isn't your fault! And at least we have each other's company while we clean up!" You said as you smiled at him.

"Yeah you're right let's clean up so we can go rest! I'm sure you're tired!" He said as he patted your head softly.

"But definitly not as tired as you are! You killed it during practice!" You said smiling att the blush forming on his cheeks.

"Thanks Y/n, that means a lot coming from you!" He said as you guys started cleaning up.

Your little cleaning session was made up of you guys talking about random events that had been happening and laughing with each other while cleaning the mess on the floor. Once you were finished you went to the door to open it in order to walk home.

"No no no no no no!" Theo said as he pulled the doorknob as hard as he could.

"What's wrong Tae? Why isn't it opening?" You asked as you watched the boy in front of you struggle.

"It's locked! The boys must have locked it out of habit! Oh my god and they're probably already at the dorm!" He said as he put his hands through his hair.

"Okay let's calm down! You can just call one of the boys or something and they can come unlock it!"

"You're right, you're right!" Theo said as he picked up his phone to call Jiung since he was the last one to exit the practice room.

"Hello?" Jiung said.

"Hey Ji, uhm did you lock the practice room door?" Theo asked trying to sound as calm and collected as he could.

"Uhm no I didn't! I even left the key next to your bag so you wouldn't forget to lock it when you're done."

"WHAT? THEN WHY DOESN'T THE DOOR OPEN???" Theo said very distressed and because of that you put your hands on his shoulders in order to calm him down.

"Bro I don't think anyone is is the company at this time! You'll probably have to wait until tomorrow but I'll see what I can do!

"Alright thanks, I guess." Theo said.

"Bye!"

"Bye." Theo ended the call with a stressed look on his face. It's not that he didn't want to be with you, it's the fact that he feels bad that you had to be dragged into this situation.

"Calm down Theo, we'll figure something out! But now while you seem stressed we should distract ourselves alright? Now come here, I can tell you need a good hug right now." You said in a soft tone while you opened your arms for Theo and he gladly wrapped his arms around your body in hopes to relax and feel some warmth. You really loved being hugged by him.

Some time passed and you guys finally let go of the hug while making eye contact with each other, but you broke it off for being too shy to look at him for any longer.

"Uhm.. How about we talk about our first times doing things! Like your first time riding a bike and stuff like that!" Theo said as he still had his hands rubbing up and down on your arms.

"Sure! That sounds fun. Who's going first?" You asked as you both took a sit on the now clean ground.

"I can start and ask you something if you don't mind!" Theo said gently.

"Of course! Go ahead!" You answered while showing a small smile to Theo.

"Okay then, your first time having a partner, like romantically. How was it?" He asked with a teasing smile on his cute face.

"Oh my god! Well it was in middle school I think! The most we ever did was hold hands and then he broke up with me because my hands were too sweaty!"

"Really?!? Oh wow!" He said as he started laughing at your story.

"Yeah, oh well. It's my turn now! Let me think... How about your first kiss?" You asked innocently, waiting for his answer.

"Oh uhm this is embarassing actually, but I've never kissed anyone before." Theo said as he scratched his neck and laughed awkwardly.

"Oh it's okay Taeyang! You don't need to have had your first kiss at a certain age! If you didn't find the one yet, then just wait! It's better to wait to have it with the right person than to just have it to get it over with, you know?" You said reassuringly as you grabbed his hand and rubbed soft circles on it.

"Yeah I guess, but I think I already found someone." He said still not looking in your eyes.

Even though you were his best friend, you had strong feelings for him and the fact that he said this kind of hurt your feelings, but you couldn't just ruin what you had with him. You'd much rather have him as your best friend than not having him close to you at all.

"Oh, that's great Theo! You should tell them!" You said with a heavy heart.

"Well, I think I already made it obvious to who I like, but I don't know if they got the memo." He said as he finally looked at you blushing.

"Do you think the person likes you back?"

"I mean, everytime I display affection, they blush and they always hug me longer, but they might just not want to appear cold, so they reciprocate the affection."

"Maybe you should tell them clearly that you like them!" You said while looking down at your feet.

"But the thing is I'm awful with words!" Theo said while running one of his hands through his pink hair (I know his hair is not pink right now, but I pictured Theo from the image above for this imagine).

"Then maybe a certain gesture, like gift them something, like a letter or whatever." You said hoping he'd let this topic go.

"You're right! I can do a gesture, but maybe I could do something that would show my love to the person through affection... I COULD KISS THEM! Oh wait but I don't know how to do that... YOU COULD TEACH ME!"

"CHOI TAEYANG ARE YOU OFFICIALLY OUT OF YOUR DAMN MIND?" You yelled as you were shocked he would ask you such a thing.

I mean, sure, you always wanted to kiss Theo, but not just as a one time thing... You wanted him to be yours only.

"C'mon! I trust you with my life and I promise you that things won't stay awkward afterwards! Please! For me!" Theo said as he kneeled in front of you with both of his hands clasped together as he gave you puppy eyes.

You weren't going to accept, but then you thought this might be your only chance to kiss him, and as selfish as it sounds you wanted him just for yourself and for a moment you could have that.

"Fine, but just this once!"

"THANK YOU! YOU'RE THE BEST! I LOVE YOU!!" Theo said as he hugged you so hard you both fell down.

"Y-you're welcome." You said shyly, because of the proximity between you two.

"Can we stand up for this? I think I'm tired of sitting down!" Theo said as he stood up and straightened his back.

"Sure, it's fine! Wow! I never thought I'd be in this position with you!" You said as you both giggled softly.

"Well, but you are! Better make the most of it!" If only he knew.

"Okay now, for this you should be holding the person you're going to kiss in a way that's comfortable with them."

"Okay, since I'm kissing you, what do you prefer?"

"Well you can put your hands around my waist if that's okay with you!" And as you said this, his hands were around your waist and he was smiling sweetly in your direction.

"Right, what's next!" He asked enthusiastically.

"Well now you need to get closer and just do it. You need to move your lips against your partner's in a way that you enjoy, this doesn't have some sort of formula or something, you just have to go with the flow. And you might wanna picture that I'm the person you like so it's more enjoyable for you!"

He got closer to you as your lips were barely touching as he said "I don't need to imagine anything, when you're standing right in front of me. You're all that I want."

You barely had time to process what he said because he looked in your eyes and closed the gap between your lips softly and you felt as if you were on cloud 9.

You guys were lost in each other's lips. For someone who never kissed someone in his life, Theo was amazing. Your lips fit against each other's perfectly.

He moved his lips against yours in a very slow motion, almost as if he was calculating what his next move would be. You mentally gasped when he took one of his hands that was on your waist and put it in your hair as he deepened the kiss. You didn't feel fireworks like they all mentions in the movies and books, but instead you felt warmth, you felt loved, you felt high on his lips, and you never felt this way with anyone ever.

You and Taeyang kept making out. It seemed like you just couldn't get enough of each other. As if the moment you let go, the world would end. But much to your dismay, Theo pulled away from the kiss to breathe and you couldn't get enough of the sight in front of you. Your favourite boy was standing in front of you with his hair disheveled, lips slightly red and a boyish smile on his face.

"Are you sure you never kissed before? Because my god!" You said as he giggled and pecked your cheek softly, a gesture that made you blush.

"And also, what you said before you kissed me... Did you mean it? Do you like me?" You asked as your voice only got smaller. But by the look on Taeyang's face he still heard you.

"I do mean it, I always did! And I should have confessed first and then I should have courted you and only then kissed you. But I just saw an opportubity and took it. But I truly had never kissed anyone before, you were my first!!" Theo said as he smiled at you.

You didn't have words to answer so you just put your arms around his neck and kissed him as passionately as you could. Theo reciprocated the kiss and this time he went all out and even dared to lick your bottom lip, a gesture that surprised you to say the least but you granted him entrance anyway. Your tongues moved in sync as you held on tighter if that was even possible.

You didn't realise how long you guys were making out until you heard the door open.

"Guys we made I-OH MY GOD MY VIRGIN EYES!" Intak yelled as he appeared shocked by the scene before his eyes.

You guys quickly pulled away and soon the members entered the practice room and they rapidly caught on what happened as your guys' lips were slightly swollen and your hair was a mess.

"Theo! I didn't know you had that in you man!" Jiung said as he put his arm around Taeyang's shoulder. "And Y/n, I'm glad you like our Theo back! He never shuts up about you! It's always Y/n this, Y/n tha-"

"Alright! They get it Jiung! Now let's go to the dorm, me and Y/n are tired" Theo said as he interwined your fingers.

"I wonder why you're tir-OW! WHAT DID YOU HIT ME FOR?" Keeho yelped as Theo smacked the back of his head.

You all went out to the dorm and while in the van you and Theo couldn't help but share small kisses to express how happy you were. Not only you got to kiss Theo as he is now your lovely boyfriend!

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

Hope you liked this imagine guys! I decided to post it sooner to be able to finish Intak's imagine in time for his birthday! By the way this wasn't proofread so if there are any mistakes I'm sorry! Let me know what you thought of this and please do request something if you want to! Love you guys 💖💖

#p1harmony #p1harmony fluff #p1h imagines #p1h scenarios #theo fluff #choi taeyang #theo p1h #Theo

[lynnpaper]

Omg I love your work so much!! Could you do “you want me to rub your back ’til you fall asleep?” with hurt or sick Ahsoka and big bro Anakin? 🥺

HI ANON THANK YOU SO MUCH!! 💕💕

heads up this is the softest little thing i've ever written and i hope you like it. :)

(from these prompts)

He sees her eyes first.

They glow in the darkness of his quarters, her irises almost luminescent, bright only because of the little pinpricks of Coruscant’s night traffic reflected off them. Miniature suns shining on miniature moons. So much light to be found, even in such darkness.

“Come in, Ahsoka,” Anakin says softly.

He gave her the code to his quarters a while ago. She still knocks when she comes, but she didn’t knock tonight. Anakin had barely heard the quiet beeping of the keypad, and he’d pulled himself together mere seconds before the door whirred open. He knew it was Ahsoka even before he spotted the silhouette of her montrals in the dimly-lit hallway—two little mountains and a valley between them.

He’d almost been asleep before this. The sheets are rumpled from when he was lying on them, the mismatched mechanical parts on his work table pushed to one corner for the night.

Anakin shuffles across the room. Ahsoka doesn’t step past the doorway.

“Can’t sleep?” he asks.

She nods.

This happens sometimes. Less frequently as the war went on, but no less heartbreaking each time it did.

Anakin knows what to do.

“Come here,” he says, holding out his arms. She walks right into them.

Her hands are cold, and she curls them into little fists against his chest. Anakin holds her tight for a while, his flesh hand over her back lek, his gloved prosthetic rubbing her back gently. He’s learned to keep the glove on—she still flinches when cold metal touches her skin, memories of Zygerrian slavers and shock collars lingering longer than they should.

This is where he realises she’s trembling. It’s no surprise, but it stabs at his chest all the same.

“What was it this time?” he asks softly.

She buries her face in his tunic. “Felucia.” Her voice is so small. He barely hears her say the word.

Oh, Ahsoka.

Anakin presses his lips to the little dip between her montrals, lingering for a moment longer than he needs to. Ahsoka wraps her arms around his waist. He’d be content to stay here forever, and he knows she would as well, but he can sense her exhaustion through the Force, and he needs to sleep too.

“Bed, okay?” he says.

Ahsoka nods. She’s not going to be saying much tonight, he can tell.

That’s okay.

Anakin takes her hand and leads her along. Her feet make no sound at all. She stumbles a little at one point, losing focus, and it’s almost unnoticeable, but the loose tunic she’s wearing slips past her collarbone.

Anakin gently tugs it back up, pausing to smooth his hand over her shoulder. Ahsoka looks at him gratefully.

“Up,” he says.

She climbs onto his bed. He sits on the edge of the mattress, waiting for her to make herself comfortable so she can tuck herself in. So he can tuck her in.

“C’mon. Time to sleep,” he says gently.

Ahsoka pulls the blanket back and slides her legs under. She must be cold—her leggings and socks are thick. Anakin wonders if the blanket in her room is warm enough.

She lays her head on the pillow. She doesn’t look like she wants to sleep. Anakin runs a hand over her montrals. Ahsoka shivers, and he pulls the blanket tighter over her shoulders.

Then a single tear slips from her eye, glistening as a shard of light catches it as it streaks down her cheek.

And he remembers, suddenly, that she’s so young.

“You want me to rub your back ‘til you fall asleep?” Anakin asks softly. He knows she won’t refuse.

Ahsoka nods. It’s one of those nights, where words are too difficult to form and thoughts are too difficult to express.

That’s okay too.

So he shifts around a little, finding a comfortable spot, and finally decides to settle down beside her, his back to the wall. He presses his hand to her back, gently at first, and feels her sigh. Slowly, slowly, he traces his palm along her spine, runs his fingers over her shoulder blades with the littlest touch of pressure, and watches her for any sign of distress or discomfort.

There is none.

Ahsoka lies still for a long while. It feels like a long while. She looks so peaceful at rest, the furrow of her forehead gone, the tightness of her lips gone.

Anakin thinks she’s asleep. He wants her to be asleep, not for the selfish desire to close his own eyes, but for the selfless reassurance that she’s finally getting the rest she so desperately needs and deserves.

But then she frowns, and the beautiful silence is broken by the rustle of her leggings on the sheets; and Anakin snaps back to reality, ignoring the stupid voice in his head telling him to close his eyes and let it be.

Ahsoka blinks once, twice. She looks up at him and rolls onto her back, shrugging his hand off her lekku.

Anakin pulls back. “No?” he inquires.

Ahsoka shakes her head. She reaches for him again, tapping his thigh.

Oh.

Oh.

“You wanna lay on my lap?” he asks softly.

Ahsoka nods.

His heart melts. How can he say no?

Anakin slips a hand under her head and she obliges, lifting her head to lie on his thigh instead. Like this, it’s easy to run a hand down her montrals, rest the flat of his palm between her shoulder blades. Her back is tense. Anakin gently, gently kneads at the knots on her back, tightly wound muscles all stiff.

These don’t come from sparring or fighting or overworking herself in training sessions. These come from months and months of fear and anxiety, coiled tight for weeks on end, never giving her body a chance to relax. Never giving herself a chance to relax.

Her tunic is so big it covers half of her thigh. As he pulls the blanket over her waist, she snuggles closer, resting her hand on his knee. She runs her fingers along the folds in the fabric of his trousers, peaks and valleys forming gentle ridges of cotton and linen.

Anakin wonders what time it is. He wonders how much time they have left, how much time he can squeeze from this single moment. How long he can make it last.

“Go to sleep, Ahsoka,” Anakin says softly.

She does.

#lynn writes #my fic #anakin and ahsoka #snips and skyguy #hurt/comfort #send me asks! #writing prompt #post-trauma sentence starters

[willgrahymn]

Strangely Estranged

this is my gift to @romansandersprotectionsquad for the @sanderssidesgiftxchange!! I really hope you like it :]

Description: Remus just wants to make his art, but Roman is still distressed by the events of SvS Redux/POF and it's affecting both of their abilities to create. When Remus goes to confront him about it, he gets a little more than he bargained for. Content warnings: Some Remus being Remus-y type lines, blood mentions (again, Remus), a good amount of swearing, and throwing some shade at Janus. Word count: 2747 I’ll rb with the ao3 link :]

- ’Honestly,’ Remus thought, ‘this painting could use more blood.’

He stared at the incomplete project. It was at least the 7th time he started on something today, but no matter what he always came to a pause.

Roman, that motherfucker, he probably had a creative block. Remus didn’t care much about only being half of Creativity, hell, it was fun coming up with the most gory stories he could imagine, but it seemed like whenever Roman hit a block he just had to drag him down with him.

He leaned back against his wall, tossing his paintbrush and catching it again. He stuck the brush in his mouth. Blue paint didn’t taste as good as green, but maybe he was just biased.

Remus glared at the painting. If it had eyes, he was sure they would be staring back, mocking him. Maybe he’d scrap the thing and use it as a target next time he played with his throwing stars.

He ground his foot into the stained carpet. Whether it was paint or blood didn’t matter. Come to think of it, he’d been at a pause for some time now. Roman hadn’t left his room nearly as much either. The only people he’d seen Roman hang out with recently were Virgil, Logan, and (inescapably) Thomas. Then there was Patton and Janus who hardly spent time together before. Now they never left each other's sides. Remus would be a liar if he said it wasn’t somewhat upsetting.

Remus loved drama. He loved watching people fight and be seconds from either murdering each other or making out right then and there. It was exciting to see people so close to their limit. Roman’s drama wasn’t fun though, it was just fucking sad.

He was pretty sure it would stay that way unless he took matters into his own hands. He grabbed his morningstar. He didn’t think he’d actually use it, but if he had to literally knock some sense into his dear brother, then so be it.

Walking down the hall of the mind palace the lighting got brighter. Silently, he wondered how the hell Virgil had managed to live with the other three for so long. With Roman’s obnoxiously loud personality and old villain accusations, he doubted the rogue raccoon could’ve slept the day away like he did when he tried to avoid him.

He stood in front of a tall, white door. It looked like something you’d find in a children’s movie or fairy tale that told the protagonist there was some sort of grand adventure on the other side… 

How boring.

Without bothering to knock, Remus opened the door to his brother's room. Maybe for Janus, he would have knocked. There was hardly anything that could truly shock him anymore with all the fun little fantasies that ran through his head, but Janus’ wrath was something he would save for a day when he needed that extra kick.

Then again, maybe he was wrong to say that he couldn't be shocked. Not when Prince Perfect’s room was such a mess. Not when one of his mirrors had been knocked to the floor. And certainly not when he took in the sight of the other half of Creativity, sitting there at the side of his bed in his black undershirt and dress pants.

Something in Remus’ guts told him there was something wrong here, and this time it wasn’t because he had been impaled or ate something Logan and Janus insisted he shouldn’t have. No, this was something else. Something he hadn’t been allowed to see since the two split up. One brother deciding he needed to be pure as white, and the other allowing himself to be the darkest black imaginable.

He stepped closer. Roman hadn’t made a sound, not yet, but it felt like approaching a lion. A lion that stood for courage yet fell to shattered pieces of what it once was.

And maybe if he hadn’t been feeling real, genuine concern for something other than Thomas’ lack of flare in his art, he would have laughed when his mind went to Scar and Mufasa.

It wasn’t like he cared though. Concern, maybe. But he couldn’t be bothered to care for his brother who he hardly ever spoke to for purposes other than making him uncomfortable with his ideas.

Roman shifted on his bed, still not bothering to look to see who entered. “I already told you I don’t want to talk about it.”

Remus rolled his eyes. Of course his brother would choose to be a little bitch about this.

“First off, you didn’t tell me shit.” He said. Roman sat up, looking at him. A mix of defense and curiosity in his glare. “Second, I’m not the one making your life any harder than I normally would.” His brother scoffed. “Aren’t you though?”

“You’re the one affecting my work!”

Roman huffed, pulling his legs up to his chest and hugging them closely. He liked the pressure. Logan would probably be able to tell him why if he asked. He remembered hearing a conversation between him and Virgil when the darker first showed up. Something about pressure was a stress reliever.

At the same time, Remus crossed his arms, tapping his boots and rubbing his fingers against his sleeves. Whatever response he had been waiting for didn’t come. Maybe he should leave. Pretend whatever this was wasn’t happening and go focus on something else until the other half got his shit together. That would be a lot easier than standing here, the air of the room suffocating him into silence.

Either way, neither brother knew what to say. It would be easy for the pensive prince to turn around, to tell the other not to speak to him and to go back to wherever he came from. At least it should have been.

Remus bit down on his lip not minding the pain. It wouldn’t do any good to try to beat at what was already broken. “I can go find someone else.” It was more of a statement than an offer.

His twin tensed. “Please don’t.”

Remus just nodded. He didn’t know what to do or what to say. Normally he didn’t have to think this hard. He didn’t want to care about his brother and his problems. He knew at least part of the reason behind the other’s mood was because of him because Roman hated him and being compared to him. Yet still, despite being twins he couldn’t help but feel like he had to care for his baby brother.

‘What the fuck am I supposed to do now?’

He was Dark Creativity, the embodiment of intrusive thoughts and other so-called disturbing ideas and imagery. It wasn’t something that ever upset him, and hell it was fun making the other Sides and Thomas uncomfortable. It was fun telling Patton things that would make him shift in his seat and try to change the topic as if nothing had happened. It was fun to create thoughts that would fuel anxiety and haunt the sad little Side who harbored them. It was more than amusing to sit beside Roman, watching as he tried to do his work and ignore his bothersome brother’s constant suggestions that ruined his fairytale fantasies.

If Thomas didn’t want to use all the available ingredients he gave him to create that was fine. He could manage just fine! Really, the repression only made him stronger.

But Roman knew how to make people feel those warm fuzzy feelings that were like caterpillars in your ribs. Something that looking at it now, maybe Remus regretted not trying to pick up on the wholesome little messages that his brother always cared about. At least maybe then he’d have a better idea how to deal with all of these emotions going on. Even Logan would have done better in this situation.

His brother sighed, sitting up and turning to finally face him. He looked worse than expected. No wonder he didn’t want to see anyone else. Remus couldn’t tell what he was feeling, taking in the sight of this mess. Roman’s brow furrowed, his jaw clenched. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his nails digging into his skin.

“Why are you still here?” He asked.

Remus bit his lip and chose to ignore the question. “I know you’re pissed about Jan being accepted.”

“Yeah duh,” Roman scoffed. He sounded like a dam ready to break. “Excuse me for not being absolutely overjoyed at this… Manipulative Malefactor being accepted by our very own Moralidad.”

The Duke nodded. Sure, you could call him friends with Double D, but he wasn’t going to be like him and lie and deny that Janus certainly had… a way… of getting what he wanted, whether it meant using others as a stepping stone or not.

“I never should have trusted him.” Roman continued. “I mean, I never even liked him. Hell, right after he revealed himself to Thomas I said I hated him… I only went along with what he wanted because he pretended to be someone I’m supposed to be able to trust, and then he used me again by flattering me with fake love and bringing up Thomas’ dreams. And I just– I just keep falling for it because I’m an idiot and I keep fucking everything u—”

He hadn’t noticed Remus approaching him or pulling him into a hug until it happened.

It was tense at first. Roman froze at contact. Slowly, he sunk into his brother's arms, not caring about the way the material scratched against his face. He just wanted to feel safe.

“What’s happening?” He asked.

Remus wasn’t sure he had an answer.

“I think Patton would refer to it as brotherly bonding, but I really don’t know.” Remus laughed lightly.

Eventually, Remus slowly pushed his brother off of him, still holding onto his shoulders and smiling in a way he could only hope came off as sympathetic. On any other occasion, Roman would despise the fact that his brother was just the tiniest bit taller than him, but right now he didn’t care. He wouldn’t tell him it was good for hugs though, he hadn’t lost all of his dignity.

“Listen, Ro-bro, we’re twins. What affects you affects me too. I know it might not change much, and you might still not want to be around me. That’s fine. Just… remember that we’re two Sides in a trenchcoat trying to make up for one, got it?” Roman nodded, rubbing at his eyes and smiling slightly. “I would have expected a darker way of phrasing that from you.”

Remus shook his head. “I may not think much, but I do know enough to understand it’s probably not the best timing for it.”

He smiled, watching as his brother lightened up a bit.

The room was still a mess. They’d have to fix it up later. Not right now though, he didn’t think his brother was ready enough to face his own destruction.

“C’mon, get your outfit on.” “Huh?” “You weren’t planning to stay locked up in here like Rapunzel all day, were you?” “I mean… kind of, yeah?” Remus shook his head. “Not happening,” He said. “We gotta do some dumb shit to make you feel better.” “Ree, I’m fine now, really.”

He ignored him, grabbing Roman’s stupidly bright white shirt off the floor and throwing it at him. Checking around for his sash afterwards.

“You at least gotta put yourself together! I know how you are about your looks– even if mine are better.”

Roman rolled his eyes before pulling his shirt on, grabbing his sash from under his pillow. “I can’t stand you.” They both knew it wasn’t the truth. Not right now at least.

“I’m going to fix… this.” Roman said as he waved his hand in front of his face.

The prince left to his bathroom, grabbing some of his makeup from his desk as he went. Remus flopped onto his brother's bed. This wasn’t exactly where he expected his day to go. It was fine though. Actually, it probably went a lot better than whatever he originally planned. Bitching at Roman could be fun, but he doubted it would have made anything better. Hopefully getting rid of some emotional block would stop the art block too. It sounded like something Logic would approve of.

Remus stared up at the glow in the dark stars that littered his brother’s ceiling. Roman’s room was less loud than usual. More quiet. Like a heartbeat that once echoed so loudly had suddenly stopped, or a fire which finally died out leaving nothing but smoke and ash behind.

He heard it when the faucet turned on, when a hairbrush hit the floor, and when Roman cursed at his eyeliner.

‘His hands must be shaky.’ They’d have to fix that.

Remus got up again, half-assedly making his brother’s bed and tidying up the place. He didn’t know where everything went, so he could only hope he was putting stuff where it shouldn’t have ever been. Even if he was trying to cheer up his brother now didn’t mean he couldn’t work in advance to cause trouble for him later.

When Roman came out he looked as if nothing had happened. Like nobody would be able to look at him and think twice of if he was okay. It was an art in itself to be a raging storm and to settle down to the tranquility of dewdrops on flower petals within a matter of minutes.

When had he learned to do that?

Or maybe it was just that he didn’t spend enough time around the other to know. Maybe if one of the other Sides saw Roman now, they wouldn’t even have to study his movements or expression to know he had been upset. It would be as easy as looking at  him and recognizing the scripted smiles and rehearsed words for what they were. Was he really that bad at being a brother to fall for his own twins’ tricks?

Roman shifted on his feet. “So… What are we doing?”

“Oh!” Remus bounced, the beads on his shirt clicking together. “Well I was thinking about it earlier and since Papa Patton and Daddy Dee are spending so much time together–” “Never call them that ever again.” “You never let me have fun! But fine. You know how those two have been hanging out more.”

“I can’t let you do anything mean to Patton, he’s off limits.”

Remus pouted. “I thought you were mad at him!” “He’s Patton!” Remus glared, and Roman glared back.

Remus sighed. “You’re so lame, but I guess we can just focus on the snake. Oh! And don’t worry, I can take the fault. Besides, I haven’t fucked around with him in a while and have been waiting for a good day to do it.” He grinned. Roman would have considered it evil, but this, this was pure sibling mischief. “I was thinking we could start subtle like moving his shit 2 inches to the left and work our way up from there. I was thinking about leaving my pet rats in his room and letting them go wild, but he is a snake and I don’t trust like that…”

Roman tried to stifle a laugh. Remus tried not to smile. Remus turned away, heading to his room to put his abandoned work away before anything else. Roman, he noticed, hadn’t followed. Slowly, he turned to him. “Are you coming?” “Oh, yeah I just...“ Roman paused, taking a deep breath and smiling softly. A real smile, not the mask he had given before. “Thank you. For doing all this.” Remus’ eyes softened, nodding as he spoke again. “Don’t go getting too soft on me, Ro-bro. I’m still going to attack your side of the Imagination.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less.” The two brothers stood there, an awkward yet comfortable quiet moment of understanding neither wanted to interrupt. “C’mon,” Remus said, waving his brother along. “We have vengeance in our hearts and glitter in our pockets. Let’s fuck shit up.”

The prince glanced to himself in the mirror. Now wasn’t the time to focus on his shattered world view, or how his brother may not be as horrible as he thought. Now was the time to have fun messing with the one who had messed with him.

He looked to his brother, eyes sparkling. “Let’s do it.”

#Sanders Sides #Roman Sanders #Remus Sanders #Creativitwins #platonic creativitwins #aaa #I hope this is good #Virgil's Volumes

[nightshade-minho]

-Blue Book- (7)

Warnings: a kiss.

Word Count: 2.2k

"You seem like you're in a hurry." Felix pointed out, chuckling as Chan's eyes kept darting to the clock in the classroom.

"Please turn to page no. 45..."

"I have plans with Y/n." Chan explained under his breath.

"Oh."

"Yeah..." He tapped his foot impatiently, almost breaking his pencil from clutching it too hard.

The bell rang finally, Chan jumping out of his place as he left the classroom quickly, making his way through the hallway to get to your locker- only to bump right into Minho.

Chan grabbed him before he could fall, helping him to his feet as he cursed.

"Fuck- are you okay?"

Minho glared at him, shaking his head and muttering inaudibly. Chan tuned him out as he suddenly caught a glance of you, standing near Miyoung's locker and talking to her, gesticulating like you always did when you got excited about something. He noticed you'd worn your hair differently today, up in a ponytail. It made you look adorable, and a giddy smile made its way onto Chan's face.

"Bro- are you even listening to me?" Minho hissed, confused as he followed Chan's gaze to you and Miyoung. Slowly, he understood.

"If you want her, you're going to have to get that book, Channie." Minho chuckled, noting Chan's borderline lovesick expression.

Chan snapped back to reality, frowning at Minho. "Why do you even want that book? Is it that important?"

"The same reasons you do? Although that last bit is something you need to ask yourself, Chan." Minho raised his eyebrow.

Confusion filled him as Minho's words sunk in, the boy leaving him and going over to Miyoung.

***

"So, where do you want to go?"

"Hmm, I hadn't really planned anything today. I wanted to do something, just the two of us."

"Oh." You blushed, as Chan drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, trying to think.

"Wait...I have an idea!" You spoke up. "Okay, so drive to this place." You told him the directions, excitement filling you as Chan smiled, driving you where you'd asked him to. The ride was long, and it seemed like half an hour later you were finally there.

Chan parked the car near the building, looking around and realizing he'd never come to this part of town before. You bounced in your seat, taking off your seatbelt and looking at him. "Okay, I'm going to go get us a ticket. I'll be right back."

You smiled and opened the door, getting out and disappearing from his view.

Chan leaned back as he waited for you to come back, humming a tune he'd made up in his head. A few minutes passed, and he ran a hand through his hair.

Ever so slowly, his eyes drifted to your seat, your bag left open....and the blue book, poking out from the top.

Should he? Minho's words flashed in his mind, his heart pounding as he slowly reached his fingers out, hovering over the book. Just a little more, and his fingers would close around the edge. This would all be over...

No.

Chan withdrew his hand, unable to do it. He just couldn't, and he himself couldn't fully understand why.

***

Minho felt like he was squeezing the life out of his poor straw, trying to get the last few drops of vanilla milkshake into his mouth as Miyoung scrolled through her gallery, showing him the photos she'd taken at the mall.

"And this is Y/n in the green dress. She looks pretty, doesn't she? Oh, and I actually found this matching pink one...I'd buy it, but I already bought mine weeks ago-"

Minho inwardly rolled his eyes, the boredom seeping deep into him as he tried to pretend like he was interested in what she was saying.

To be honest, he wasn't sure how long he could keep this up. He didn't share any interests with Miyoung...she was hot, but that was about it. There was absolutely no fire in this girl.

It was easy to show affection and engage in skinship when Chan was around. However, when the two of them were alone, he found it hard to keep up the facade, as his driving force of jealousy and anger was absent along with Chan. However, he knew he had to keep doing it, or his plan would never work.

Minho tried to stay focused as Miyoung showed her a selfie she'd taken of the four of them. God, this was so boring...

Wait.

He narrowed his eyes as he looked closer at the photo Miyoung was showing him. Interesting...

In it, Chan was looking at you....but it wasn't just any look. It was the same look from earlier that morning, when he'd thought he was looking at Miyoung. Slowly, realization dawned on his features. Oh.

"That's a nice picture."

***

Chan found himself loving the excitement radiating off you as you grabbed his hand, the tickets firm in your grasp as you led him to the all-white building.

"Where are we?" Chan asked, as you reached the entrance, handing the tickets to a scruffy old man.

The man stood up from his chair, digging into a big box and bringing out two good-looking headphones. You took them from him, thanking him and handing one to Chan.

"Well..." You smiled as you pushed the door open.

"I love art, and I know you love music. This is sort of a place where both come together." You said, watching Chan's eyes widen. "This is the Melody Art Museum. My dad used to take me here when I was young, whenever we visited this town. I heard it's getting shut down soon though, so I wanted to visit it once last time."

"Ah."

The space inside wasn't huge, but it looked like a museum, all right. The interior was all white, just like the outside, and there were paintings and sculptures lining the walls.

Chan made a sound of approval as you grabbed your hand and brought him to the first painting, the voice speaking through your headphones instructing you to do so.

"Okay, so, there's a small piece of music to accompany each piece of art here. They're correlated to each other." You explained. "If we take the correct amount of time to observe each piece and visit it all in order, it'll make sense, or else it won't work."

"Wow...that's a cool idea." Chan said in surprise, his interest growing.

And so you began the tour. You kept your hand around Chan's under the pretense of wanting to drag him to each exhibit. Deep inside, the sound of your heart pounding was easier to hear than the music blasting in your ears.

When the two of you finally reached the last one, Chan almost felt sad that it was over. He'd never been so profoundly interested in something. Although both of you were more interested in evaluating different things- you the art and him, the music- he found it extremely wonderful how this exhibition had managed to bring the two domains together, creating an interwoven midpoint that was all the more beautiful.

It told him that despite two entities being different, they could still work together, and in the process create something wonderful.

It was a good lesson to learn, that day.

***

"It's so late." You mumbled, lounging in the passenger seat of Chan's car as the two of you ate the burgers he'd gotten from the drive-through.

"It isn't that late, the sky darkened earlier today. Is your mom expecting you?" He asked between bites, looking over at you as you pulled out your phone, one-handed.

"Probably, yeah." You frowned as you pulled up your mom's text messages.

"Oh...nevermind." You raised an eyebrow as you read her text to you out loud to Chan.

(6:30 PM) Hey, sweetie...I would consider it a huge favor if you didn't come home tonight. My date and I are really hitting it off, and I'm trying to strike gold. Xoxo, mom.

Chan let out a snort as you finished reading. "Wow."

You whined in anger, shoving your phone back into your bag and taking a huge bite out of your sandwich. "I really hate her sometimes."

"Hey, it's okay." Chan sighed, placing a hand on top of yours. He paused. "You know, my parents are still away. You could always stay the night at my place."

Your eyes widened as you processed what he was suggesting. "Really?"

"Really." He said softly.

***

Chan and you watched a movie when you got home, half of which you slept through. He'd laughed and told you to turn in for the night, offering up his bedroom for you to sleep in.

Now you were lying in his bed, his scent filling your nostrils as you buried your face in his pillow. It had been raining when the two of you got home, and now that had evolved into a full fledged thunderstorm. You wished Chan hadn't chosen to sleep on the couch.

You whimpered, tossing in his bed as yet another streak of lightning flashed through the dark sky, the sound of thunder rumbling low.

Fuck it. That was the last straw. You sat up, stumbling off of Chan's bed and heading downstairs. Your heart was pounding, and all you needed was some comfort.

Chan sleepily turned over as he heard your footsteps, sitting up a little. Confused, he stared at you with half-open eyes. "Y/n? What's wrong?" He asked, frowning as he noticed your distressed expression. It ignited something in him...an urgent need to protect you from whatever was upsetting you so much. He still couldn't figure out why he was so affected by you.

You walked a little forward, wincing at the sound of another crack of thunder. Chan's eyes widened in understanding as he held his arms out to you.

Sleepily, you sat down and let him pull you into him. He wrapped his arms around your waist, gently rubbing circles into your side in an attempt to calm you down.

His face was too close to yours. Way too close. There was a mere inch separating your mouth from Chan's. Your heartbeat started racing, but this time not due to fear. Your eyes searched his, the dim moonlight softly illuminating his features, somehow making him look even more ethereal than he already was.

A flash of lightning momentarily lit up Chan's face, and you whimpered softly.

"Shh. It's okay, I'm here."

Gently, he adjusted your positions so he was spooning you, fingers wrapped around your waist as he nuzzled his nose into the back of your neck, letting out a sleepy hum.

Silence, except for the thunder as Chan carded his fingers through your hair, stroking you in a comforting manner. The storm raged on, yet you felt a lot warmer now.

"Chan...I like you a lot." You mumbled under your breath, hoping he hadn't heard your whisper. Unfortunately, he had.

"You do?" He asked softly, as you twisted your neck slightly, facing him.

"Yeah...I've never felt like this before." You said softly.

Chan couldn't help but feel guilt gripping his heart tightly. There was a perplexing mass of sadness and anger in his brain as he paused, taking a second to breathe.

Yeah, he'd started off in a place where all he wanted to do was get the girl of his dreams, willing to hurt others in the process. But at this point...He really didn't want to go through with it anymore.

All of Minho's threats and sly attempts to anger him disappeared into thin air as Chan tried to remember...what was he chasing, again? In the beginning, he'd only agreed to try and steal that book from you so he could get Minho to stay away from Miyoung, but now he couldn't care less about them. Chan took a step back and evaluated his position.

Here he was, harbouring strong possible feelings for you, while simultaneously breaking your heart, all in order to get something he wasn't even sure he wanted anymore.

Chan's eyes took in your big ones, looking up at him innocently, the ever-present twinkle shining in your pupils. And...he just couldn't take it any longer. He couldn't lie to himself anymore.

You swallowed as he leaned in slightly, his gaze heavy as he stared at you. Before you could even realize what was happening, you felt his lips press against yours softly.

Your mouth opened in slight shock as you processed what was happening. He was kissing you? Was this a dream?

In seconds, you felt your inhibitions melt away as his lips moved against yours ever so gently, his tongue taking the opportunity to slip into your open mouth. His fingers stayed in place on your waist, turning you to face him again. After a while he pulled away, breathing heavily as his eyes fell on your lips, swollen and red.

You looked slightly shocked, your cheeks flushed and eyes blown wide. As you fully processed what had just happened, you smiled shyly, burying your face in his chest out of embarrassment.

Chan found himself grinning, his heart filled with an odd sense of contentment. Was this...was this what it felt like to be happy?

It finally made sense. He had been chasing this emotion for years, thinking Miyoung was the key to his happiness. He'd been wrong.

Chan hadn't meant to fall for you. No. A small part of his brain was still screaming at him, telling him this was wrong. That he was making a grave mistake. But to be honest, he couldn't care less. His heart had made its decision.

You made him happy.

#chan angst #chan smut #chan fluff #bang chan smut #bang chan fluff #bang chan angst #chris angst #chris smut #chris fluff #chan x reader #skz smut #Stray Kids smut #skz fluff #stray kids fluff #skz angst #stray kids angst

[13uswntimagines]

Overprotective Much? (Pregnant!Omega!Tobin x Alpha!Reader)

Request: pregnant Tobin and like tattooed y’all reader? Where the reader is very protective over Tobin and the baby and yells at anyone for even the smallest of touches to Tobin and Tobin has enough of it and tells the reader to stop and they have like a conversation? Could this be a/b/o universe?

Any pregnant Tobin and protective and possessive girlfriend

For as long as you could remember, you and Tobin had been referred to by the US Women’s National team as the chill bro’s. That was until Your omega had gotten pregnant. You had turned into the most protective Alpha that had ever existed. Tobin wasn’t even out of the first trimester yet, and she already wanted to kill you. 

“Watch it sonnett,” you growled loudly as the omega approached your very pregnant wife, quickly placing your bags down and moving in between the two omegas, glaring at the younger blond. 

She had a reputation for being clumsy, and that made you nervous. All of your instincts told you that it was dangerous to have her near your pregnant wife. 

“I wasn’t even doing anything, I just wanted to rub her belly,” Emily pouted at you, not at all phased by the dominant pheromones rolling off of you in waves. 

“She’s not a puppy,” You glowered, wrapping a protective arm around your mate who huffed unhappily. She was an omega not an invalid, and she fucking hated it when you talked like she wasn’t even here. She could take care of herself and pregnancy didn’t change that. 

“Careful with that tone Y/n,” Lindsey warned with a low growl, completely disapproving of how you were speaking to her omega. She got that you were feeling a little protective, but that didn’t excuse your behavior. 

“Just wait until Emily’s pregnant, you’ll be just as bad as me,” You snorted in her direction, pulling Tobin tighter to you, trying to ease the distress that was leaking through your bond. 

“Don’t think anyone could be as bad as you Y/n.” JJ laughed with an eye roll, and Alex added in a 

“Even Kelley wasn’t this protective when I was pregnant with Charlie,” for good measure. Tobin huffed again. 

She loved you, she really did. And at first, your overprotective nature had been adorable, but she was over it now. You had never been the hovering, doting type, always respecting her independence and never pulling the instincts cart. That was until she got pregnant. Now she was lucky if she got a 5-minute shower without you checking in on her and the baby. Frankly, she had had enough. 

“Well while you all discuss how much of a knothead my mate is, I’m gonna go kick a ball around,” She mumbled, pushing your arm off her shoulder and moving to the door. You immediately stood up and offered a hand to help her stand. 

“I’ll come with you,”

“I can go alone,” She huffed back with an eye roll, standing on her own and shoving you back into your seat. 

“But it would make me feel better if you let me come along,” you said, standing again, but refraining from using your alpha voice.

“No. I’m going alone and that’s final. I can go places by myself. I’m not an invalid,” She growled, shoving you harder into your seat and your eyebrows furrowed, and a large pout broke across your face. 

You inner alpha whining at the thought of being separated from your mate. You couldn’t properly protect her if you were separated. You hadn’t had a parental figure growing up, and you were going to do everything you could to make sure your child was never in the same situation. 

“I know you’re not, but…” You mumbled. 

“No buts. You’ve been acting like I’m made of glass, and I’m not. I’m gonna go hit some balls around and if you try and follow me, they’ll be your balls I’m kicking. I want time to myself and you’re going to respect that, got it?” She said her voice deadly calm, advancing forward, her finger poking your chest threateningly. You shrunk back in your seat, nodding so quickly your head looked like a bobblehead. 

“Good,” She glared, slamming the door on the way out, the room erupting in laughed, most of your friends cackling about how whipped you were for your omega. You didn’t smile, instead, you stayed frozen, staring at the door, a frown playing in your lips. You hadn’t meant to upset your omega, but you didn’t know how to do this. You didn’t know how to be a parent, and clearly you were fucking it up already and they weren’t even here yet. 

You ran a frustrated hand through your hair, you really didn’t know how you were going to fix this. Hopefully, your omega would let you. 

*****

You stared up at the hotel ceiling, shoving down every instinct to go and find your omega. She asked you for space, and you were doing your damnedest to give it to her. You played with your fingers, trying to minimize your fidgeting, biting your lip. 

The sound of the door opening broke you out of your miserable thoughts. You sat up but didn’t move to greet your mate like you usually would. You didn’t want to set your omega off like you had before. You wanted her to know that you respected her. 

She shuffled slowly into the room, nodding towards you. “Hey,”

“Hey, uh,” You paused, your hand coming up to rub the back of your neck insecurely. You had never felt this way around Tobin. The moment you had met her, you knew she was your mate. Her chill demeanor balanced out your need for control and organization. You had always been terrified of being like your father, so you were thankful to find an independent omega. An omega who wasn’t afraid to set boundaries and do her own thing.

But you had fucked that up hadn’t you? You had treated her differently and now she was probably going to disown you. You just… didn’t know how to do this. How to be a parent. 

“Wanna sit? I think we need to talk,” You mumbled, gesturing to the bed across from you. She nodded and took the seat. You cringed internally. For the first time in forever, the silence between you wasn’t comfortable. It was charged and full of tension. 

“I’m sorry that I’m being a knothead and overprotective. I just… I can’t seem to control my instincts to help you,” You started, focusing on a hangnail instead of the woman sitting across from you. 

You were never very good at expressing yourself in words, and you just couldn’t seem to admit that you were being overprotective because you were ducking terrified. 

“You do realize that suffocating me isn’t helping anyone right?” She said slowly as if she was talking to a child, rolling her eyes. 

“I-,” You started, trying to find the words. Your mouth opened and closed several times, and you ran a frustrated hand through your hair. You sighed, closing your eyes and steeling yourself.“I’m so terrified of fucking this up that I may have gone a little overboard,” You murmured, scrubbing your hand down your face. 

“A little,” Tobin snorted, grabbing your hand from where it was rubbing your skin raw and using it to pull you to sit next to her. She released a puff of her soothing scent. Sure she may be agitated with you, but you were still her mate and she didn’t like how distressed you were. 

“You know how my dad was…I… I don’t know how to do this. How to be a parent and now I’ve become just like him,” You continued, stuttering and sniffing towards the end. 

“No babe. You’re nothing like him,” She denied,  wrapping her arm around you and pulling you closer. The pieces suddenly clicking into place. “a little overprotective yes, but you’re going to be a fantastic parent. You’re never going to leave them, and you’re going to do everything to protect them. That much is obvious,” She finished, kissing your ear and scratching your scalp. 

You relaxed into her, letting her scent and words wrap around you like a blanket. You may have been the alpha in the relationship, but you also really loved physical contact. 

“I’m sorry,” You nearly purred, kissing the underside of Tobin’s jaw, just below her scent gland. 

“I’m sorry too,” she hummed, tilting her head to the side to give you better access. She appreciated your devotion to breaking alpha stereotypes. Particularly when it came to the idea that they didn’t like to please their mates. You took pride in that ability and who was she to stop apology sex. “look this is new for both of us, and we’ll figure it out together,” She sighed out, groaning when you pulled away to kiss her cheek. 

“Together, and I’ll try and stop being a stupid alpha,” You smiled lightly, squeezing her side and kissing her lips. 

“And I’ll try and be a little more tolerant,” She smiled back, allowing you to roll her over. You two could do this… together.

#uswnt x reader #uswnt imagine #uswnt imagines #tobin heath x reader #tobin heath imagines

[galahadwilder]

Kitty Missed the Message, Pt. 2

Part 1

*

"There's thousands of people named 'Adrien' in Paris!" Plagg protests from Adrien's inside shirt pocket. "There's no way she meant you."

"And how many of those Adriens does Ladybug know?" Adrien mumbles, gazing down at the lid on his coffee cup. He sits—no, lies—against the front steps of the school, too tired to even bother trying to keep his back straight. Between the thrill of his new love life and the confusion of her dropping his name, he didn't get any sleep last night; he's allowed to slump a little.

"A lot of them, probably!" Plagg says. "She saves lots of people."

"And how many people has she given a Miraculous to?" Adrien says, gritting his teeth as he contemplates his coffee, then throwing back a sip fast enough to miss his tongue entirely—though it still scalds the back of his throat. He gasps, hacking.

He hates the taste of coffee. Even the burning is better.

"Um," Plagg says, squirming. "Ten?"

"Exactly," Adrien rasps, trying to clear his throat. "They can't all be Adrien. And since she knows Chloé..."

Plagg snuggles grumpily into his chest. "Sometimes I wish you weren't so smart," the Kwami says.

"Too bad you're stuck with me," Adrien says, looking down the street contemplatively. Where is Nino? He's fairly certain he impressed on him the urgency of his dilemma.

As bad as Adrien.

"Am I really that oblivious?" he mutters to himself.

"Well you didn't notice me," Nino says from behind him.

Adrien shrieks, leaping from the steps and stumbling onto the sidewalk, all hackles and hissing. He can feel the pressure on his scalp as his hair tries to stand on end, only to get dragged down by its own weight.

"Dude?" Nino says, shock written across his face.

Adrien looks down at where he flung his coffee, trying to straighten himself without meeting Nino's eyes and hiding the blush burning up his cheeks. "I'm fine!" he yelps. Being a cat is so embarrassing sometimes.

"Dude!" Nino cackles. "I haven't seen you jump like that since the thing with the cucumber!"

"I thought I asked you not to bring that up again," Adrien grumbles, splashing the sole of his foot in his spilled coffee and spreading it dejectedly across the sidewalk. A waste of good caffeine, that is.

Nino’s mouth twists. “Ah. Right,” he says, gently taking Adrien’s forearm. “Sorry, bro.”

”It’s fine,” Adrien says with a slight smile. “I did look like a doof, didn’t I?”

”The doofiest,” Nino says with a nod and a grin. He steps back and folds his arms. “What was so urgent that you needed me at the butt-end of the morning?”

Adrien opens his mouth, closes it again. "I, uh..." he begins. "You... remember that girl I keep saying I like? The one I work with?"

Nino raises an eyebrow. "The one who's not interested in you?"

Adrien's stomach bottoms out. "Yeah," he says. "Or, well. No?” He looks down at his feet, scratching at the back of his neck. How to put this? “It's gotten... weird."

Nino crosses his arms with a wry grin, sinking his weight backward into an uncharacteristically sassy sort of pose, the one he’s been doing more often the more time he spends with Alya. "Weird how?"

Adrien closes his eyes, breathes in, breathes out. "According to her,” he says, picking his thumbnails into his fingers, “yesterday was our one-month anniversary."

Nino’s silence is somehow louder than any words would have been. Adrien opens one eye, wincing, bracing for judgement, only to see confused pride on his friend’s face.

"So... wait," Nino finally says, pushing up his glasses and rubbing his sinuses with his fingers. "Let me—let—” He shakes his head. “You're dating her now?"

Adrien shrugs in distress. "Yes?" he says with another wince. "I'm... it's confusing." He raises his fingers to his lips, the memory of the softness of Ladybug's mouth on his own warming his face. "She... did kiss me last night. Unprompted."

Nino's eyes grow wide. "Dude," he says, holding out his fist. "Dap."

Adrien taps his knuckles against Nino's, still a little too confused to properly appreciate the situation.

“Come on,” Nino says. “Let’s head inside, we can talk while sitting.”

Adrien nods, following without really meaning to move his legs at all.

“So what changed?” Nino says as they walk down the hallway toward their lockers.

“What do you mean?” Adrien says, his eyes wandering. His head still feels a little fuzzy, to be honest.

Nino shrugs. “Well, I mean...” he says, “there’s gotta have been some kind of change, right? That led to her changing her mind?”

The side of Adrien’s mouth twists. “I got nothing,” he mumbles.

Nino turns to stare at him, then snorts and rolls his eyes. “Not surprised,” he says. “You’re not always the best at noticing things like that.”

”That’s... actually why I wanted to talk to you,” Adrien says. “Am I... really that oblivious?”

Nino stops walking and sighs. ”I...” He catches his tongue between his teeth. “You know how pretty much everyone we know has had a crush on Marinette at some point?"

Adrien gives a small smile. “Of course,” he says. That’s pretty much a given.

Nino nods. "Did you ever wonder why she never took anyone up on it until last month?"

"Yeah," Adrien says. "She had a guy she liked, right?"

Nino’s shoulders slump. "Yeah," He says. "You."

Adrien's train of thought comes to a screeching halt. "What?" he says.

Nino reaches out and claps Adrien’s shoulder. “She had a crush on you, dude.”

Adrien blinks. “But, her new boyfriend... wasn’t he the guy?”

Nino snorts. “Nope,” he says. “It was you, bro. And you were the only one who never knew.”

Adrien feels like lightning has been rammed into his skull. As bad as Adrien... it couldn’t be, right?

There’s no way.

*

Class isn’t as difficult as he was expecting. It’s worse. Nino’s words aren’t much to go on—in fact, they’re nothing at all, but it’s the first clue he’s had. So his brain, scrambled from exhaustion and caffeine as it is, can’t stop flitting around Marinette.

First: Kwamibuster. He’d been certain she was Ladybug, all the evidence he’d needed had been there, they were so alike, so brilliant and energetic... and then he’d seen them right next to each other. Different people? Illusion? And then Marinette had suddenly picked up a boyfriend, one who nobody in the class had met, and Adrien had been... so disappointed, but he could never pinpoint why.

When was that, anyway?

Was it a month ago?

He can’t pay any attention to anything that’s happening in front of him—the only thing he can hear is Marinette, Marinette, Marinette. It can’t be her, right? But his brain won’t let it go.

”So, how was your anniversary date?” Alya says with what Adrien can only assume is a sly grin. He can see her exact expression, even though he’s trying desperately not to turn around. Not to let on that he’s listening.

Marinette makes a sound like she’s swallowed her tongue. “Uh! W-weird, actually.”

Alya hums. “Weird how?” He hears the flannel of her shirt slide against the desk as she leans toward Marinette. “How’d the ‘plan’ go?”

Marinette squeaks. Adrien squirms in his seat, staring at his hands, screaming in his head not to turn around. He’s ignoring the way Nino is staring at him, trying to hold still.

”Come on, girl, spill!” Alya whispers. “Did you kiss him?”

”Yep!” Marinette squeaks.

”Oh my god you’re so red!” Alya cackles. Then her voice drops to a hiss. “Tell me everything!”

Marinette swallows. “I mean... it was really weird?” she says. “He... didn’t know we were dating?”

Adrien’s blood rushes to his ears like a vise around his skull, crushing inward. Didn’t know we were dating. That’s—it’s impossible.

Alya snorts. “Girl, are you sure you’re not dating Adrien?”

Adrien doesn’t hear Marinette’s response. He doesn’t hear much of anything until lunchtime, really.

Marinette is Ladybug. He’s going to explode.

*

“Hi, Mari!” he says as soon as she closes her locker.

She shrieks, leaping backward, scattering her papers on the ground, and Adrien immediately feels a rush of guilt at surprising her—but cats are 60% bastard, and he can’t help taking a little joy in it.

Marinette heaves a breath, pressing her hand to her chest. “Adrien!” she gasps. “You’ve gotta stop doing that!”

Adrien feels a grin spread across his face. “Never,” he drawls, leaning a bit into her space. “You’re too much fun to scare.”

Marinette smirks, pressing a finger to his sternum. “Well maybe I’ll just start sneaking up on you.”

Adrien’s heart begins to beat hard in his chest at her touch, at her smile. Oh, it’s her, it’s her, it’s her. And she’s not scared of him anymore, and now he knows exactly why that is...

”Can—can I talk to you?” he gasps out. “In private?”

Marinette’s eyebrows tighten, concern in her eyes. “Everything okay?”

It strikes him through the ribs, the way she cares about him, the way she makes his problems hers, and he knows she deserves the universe. He’s loved her, both of her, since the day they met, and she’s loved both of him, and if she asked him to steal the sun for her he’d burn himself alive snatching it from the sky. “Everything’s fine!” he says, gripping her arm. “Everything’s... great, actually.” He flashes her a smile, his fan’s favorite smile, hoping to put her at ease.

Instead, she tenses. “That’s your fake smile,” she says, her eyes narrowing.

Adrien blinks. “You can tell?” he says.

Marinette’s eyes widen, and her face goes bright red. “I—uh—”

Adrien bites his lip. Right, she’s been in love with him forever—knowing how she is, how the hammer-force of her attention slams down on everything she cares about, she probably noticed everything about him. It’s a wonder she didn’t figure out his identity.

”It’s fine!” he says. “I was just—trying to put you at ease, you know?”

Marinette sets her jaw and nods, glancing around the locker room, cataloguing everyone in the room the way she does when she’s trying to work out a Lucky Charm. “Classroom’s empty?”

Adrien nods. “Classroom.”

*

Marinette sits down on his desk, crossing her legs and leaning forward. “What’s up?”

Adrien looks away, breathes in. “How’s things with your boyfriend?”

Marinette blinks. “Adrien?” she says. There’s a note of... something in her voice. Hope? Anger? Disappointment? Maybe all three. You’re paying attention to me now? it seems to say.

“Last night was your anniversary, right?” Adrien says, looking at her. The pigtails. The eyes, bluer than blue. The earrings he’s only ever seen her take off once—the day Lady Noire showed up instead of Ladybug. Everything about her is the same, even the fire in her eyes.

Marinette’s eyes narrow. “Adrien, if this is about—”

”To be fair, My Lady,” he interrupts, slashing a Chat smile across his face, “you never actually told me we were dating.”

Marinette’s face goes slack, her mouth open, her eyes wide. “I—what?” she whispers. “You... no. No way. You—you can’t...” She straightens, breathing in, gathering herself. “Kitty?” she whispers.

Adrien grins, pressing one arm to his waist and throwing the other out wide with a bow. “Always at your service,” he says.

Suddenly he’s halfway to the floor, falling backwards, Marinette’s tiny hands seizing bunches of his lapels, her lips strawberry-sweet on his. They slam against the ground, together, entwined, gasping, together. Peppering each other with kisses.

“Kitty—”

“My Lady—”

“Princess—”

”Adrien—”

”Marinette—”

”I love you,” he gasps, clutching her chest against his own, and she stiffens.

”I... have been waiting to—to hear you say that... for—for two years,” she stammers.

He presses a kiss to her temple. “I’ve been saying it in private every day,” he says. “And I will say it to you every day for as long as you want it.”

Plagg snorts. “I can confirm,” he says. “Every frickin’ day with this kid. Both identities, too!”

Marinette giggles. “You should hear some of the stuff I said about you,” she says. Then her eyes widen. “Or—maybe not, please don’t—”

Tikki giggles from inside her purse. “I’m telling him anyway!”

Marinette’s eyes shoot to her bag. “Betrayal!” she hisses.

Adrien giggles, and Marinette laughs too, and the two of them just dissolve into laughter. Then, suddenly, Marinette stops.

”Oh,” she says. “Oh, no.”

Adrien blinks. “My Lady?”

Marinette fixes her burning gaze on his eyes. “What are we going to tell Alya?”

#miraculous ladybug #my fic #fanfic #original content #adrien agreste #marinette dupain cheng #ladynoir #adrienette #adrinette #plagg #nino lahiffe #alya cesaire #fic #ml fic #ml fanfic #fluff #identity reveal

[tokoyamisstuff]

Betrothed Ch. 6 - Illumi Zoldyck x Reader

Chapter 6: Bold

Summary: Two pretty unusual family meetings, but one of them lacks a happy end.

Warnings: Angst, Family Drama.

Words: ~4300

Story Masterlist

A/N: Tumblr accidentally posted the unfinished draft a few days ago. Sorry for the confusion! As a treat, you get a very long chapter! (:

Before you were married, Illumi was rarely at home.

He had no one to come home to anyway, let alone someone who cared.

Anyway, this was only one of many things you had changed.

These times, whenever he left, it was only for a good reason like missions, training or caring for his siblings. Sometimes family conferences you were allowed to attend as well, yet not to talk.

Whenever he got home, it felt so cozy and peaceful.

Like he was welcomned and safe here - unlike anything he knew before.

Your home would always smell like scented candles, the many flowers you had planted at the balconry, and whatever you were cooking at the time.

It was very lovely and kinda cheesily decorated by now. Most of the things were stuff you asked Illumi to bring home from his missions, but lately he got you anything he thought you'd like.

Of course you were grateful for everything. It meant he took the time and actually think about what you'd appreciate!

Occasionally, you’d bring home injured animals you found in the forrest surrounding Kurokoo mountain. Sometimes your husband reluctantly assisted you, even though he found kindness futile - he just couldn’t say no to your begging eyes, so be it.

From you, he got love and care in return for his efforts. But a wild animal? Well, if he thought about it, he consdiered himself lacking a real consciousness just as much as the pets you kept.

One day, he’ll understand why people help each other without wanting something back - you promised him. Even though he always emphasized that saving such small lives won’t redeem him anyway.

Yes, the weight of his sins was sure massive - especially now that it all broke down on him, suffering under his newfound sympathy.

You swiped through your phone, adoring all the photos you persuaded him to take together.

It filled your heart with joy to notice every small change he underwent:

He'd run himself a bath from time to time, buy sweets or other things to try out, and spent his free time reading or wandering the estate's forrest instead of thoughtlessly staring into the void.

And for the more nasty things, well...let’s just say Illumi is a quick learner. And you were glad that he began taking the initiative and try out things he may enjoy.

Your husband was more and more developing a personality.

"She's so pretty!"

"Yeah, right?" you proudly commanded the owl to come back, and she immediately landed on your lap. "Her name is Luna."

“She was a gift from big bro Illumi, right?” Your familiar had grown strong very fast, yet it's claws never hurt you. Sometimes you almost forgot that Luna was a dangerous animal rather than a cuddly pet. “Yes, she is!”

"Maybe we can play in the forrest some day. I just need some time to convince your parents."

Alluka was sitting on a chair next to you, cheerfully petting the patient bird. "Thanks, big sis!"

Illumi's little sister was probably the only normal person in this building. No nen, no assassin training either, and a loving nature.

If only there wasn't-

"Y/N!" Oh no. Your husband was back earlier than you expected. "Did you bail her out again?!"

"Big bro!" the little girl cheered, jumping down the stair and wobbling to his direction.

There was not the slightest hint of hate inside of her. Even though she was alone all the time, she was blissfully unaware about her own family resenting her.

"Illumi!" That was the first time you actually raised your voice against him. "Take.down.the. needle. Right now!"

You kept Alluka from getting closer to Illumi, defendingly wrapping your arms around her.

God knows what he'd do...

"Then get that thing out of my face."

Actually, you didn't want to fight in front of a child, but Alluka needed constant superveilance . "How can you be so cruel? She's your sister!"

"Did you make a wish?"

"Of course not! I used my nen to get her out unnoticed, so she could spent some time like a normal child. I would've brought her back tonight. That's all, really! I promise!"

Suddenly, you felt a foreign, powerful aura under your palms.

Damn it.

You forgot her last wish was a hug, which was exactly what you gave her right now.

"Aye."

"That's enough." Illumi already had his needles prepared, infusing them with nen. "I'll end this right here."

You knew he didn't mean it like this. He was afraid of Nanika's powers, and even if this wouldn't end in a disaster, his parents would punish you for your reckless actions.

"Nanika?"

The girl answered, her blackened orbs obediantly glaring at you. "Aye?"

"Y/N" Illumi almost growled, still hesistant. "Know your place."

"Give Illumi a hug."

Baffled, Illumi's needles disappeared into thin air. The girl didn't even reach up to the tall man's thorso, rather embracing one of his legs.

She was so small and weak and fragile - and for the first time, Illumi was able to acknowledge the affection his sister felt for him.

"See?" you calmly explained, now hugging him as well. "Nanika is not evil. Only the people's wish are."

"...she's all alone" he spoke to himself, trying to at least logically understand the situation. "Just like you when I'm gone."

He didn't get it.

Hard enough to understand why you were caring so much about him, but Alluka? The sibling he always despised, insulted, abused, and locked away?

There were still so many things he didn't know yet.

"Well, if it's only the two of you, and I'm supervising..." he mumbled, kneeling down to the girl's height, "Then I guess I can promise you a few liberties."

Alluka's face and aura were back to normal, her glimmering eyes blinking happily at her brother, who was absentmindedly petting her hair.

"Great!" You clasped your hands together, disappearing in the kitchen. "Let's make a hot chocolate for you guys!"

Quickly, you reappeared to the two sitting on the sofa with an awkard distance, until you wrapped them in a blanket.

Illumi sat in middle of you two, deeply buried in thought while you and Alluka were watching TV until she fell asleep.

"I'll bring her back now" you whispered softly, but Illumi already cradled the snoring girl into his arms. "No. I will."

For a second, you were taken aback, unsure about his intentions - but you wanted to believe in him, so you stayed quiet about your apprehensions.

"She's cute, right?" you noticed as Illumi got a strand of hair out of her face. He held her with such great care and insecurity, it was a truly cute sight.

"Dunno. I know the definition of cute, but I don't think I really understand it."

"You are cute, for example." Placing a wet kiss on his cheek, you waved him goodbye as he walled out the door - but in the frame, he stopped.

"You're changing so many things at once."

"For better or worse?"

Illumi wouldn't turn around to look at you, instead watching Alluka's soundly sleeping face.

"I don't know. We'll see."

When Illumi took longer than expected, panic began to rise inside of you.

Did his parents find out? Due to your powers this should basically be impossible, but still-

"Alluka wanted me to stay and play with her" Illumi's voice appeared behind your back, making you jump a little.

So that's why he took so long.

"Was it fun?"

"I'm not a good brother" he murmured, "Not to her or any of them."

He remembered the time he got Kalluto a kimono you picked out for him, as a gift. 

“You’ve changed” the boy said back then, and the confusion in his eyes made Illumi painfully aware that the child was close to become just as inhuman as he was.

And he was the one who teached his siblings to be that way.

Your husband sat on the edge of the bed, with you already laying inside. He buried his face into his hands, seemingly distressed.

Yes, it was fun. Even though he didn't know how to properly entertain a child, Alluka seemed to enjoy her brother's attention inconditionally - just like you did.

Was that love?

"You just tried to protect your family, Lumi" you cooed, massaging his tensed shoulders.

"What about yours?" he suddenly asked, turning to you with a stony expression.

"I, uh-"

"Do you miss them?" Seems like he was afraid to lose you.

You tugged on his arm until he'd finally let himself fall into the bed, and you put an arm and leg around him, effectively trapping him into your hold.

"Of course I do. But this is my home now."

"And they're nice people?" he wondered, since your parents were assassins too.

He laid his head onto your chest, trying for your heartbeat to lull him to sleep.

"They are...special. Strict but loving. I think all parents fuck up their children somehow. But I still love them."

Both of you had already closed your eyes, his cold skin feeling refreshing on your warm one.

"Then let's meet them" Illumi suggested as his hand ran across your bodyline, before he stopped himself with a tender kiss on your skin.

"I want to know what other families are like."

Only a week later, you were allowed to leave the Zoldyck estate for the first time. Wether it was because of Illumi’s curiosity or maybe that he knew you missed your family, it didn’t matter.

Two different worlds.

Your family was living in the midst of the small town, loved by the inhabitants. Being honorable head hunters who mainly killed wanted criminals and acting as protectors of the city, you had kind of a reputation.

So it was no wonder everyone you saw greeted you with great respect, yet also as if you were never gone.

That was what a real home must feel like, Illumi thought as he watched you casually talk to anyone who recognized you while both of you wandered the main street.

“They sure think highly of you” he deducted out loud, seeing how anyone was smiling and cheering at you.

“Well...” Flustered, you rubbed the back of your head as you kept on walking, “I’ve grown up in between those people. Of course they know me! That’s all.”

“Mhh” he murmured, still eyeing everyone quite suspecting. This was your first day outisde the manor, and your husband would be damned if something would happen to you.

“There it is!” Already running ahead, you pointed at the tallest building of the town - your birthplace.

“Y/N Y/L/N” a familiar voice behind you spoke, trying way too hard to keep a straight face.

Turning around, you saw all of your siblings gathered at one spot. Of course you knew they had followed you this whole time, due to your nen - but it was still a pleasant surprise. “You guys!”

Giving each one of them a wholeheartedly hug, you immediately began to chatter about all kinds of things. You haven’t seen each other for a while, and you wanted to know everything.

“Better tell me next time” Illumi abruptly cut you off, and only now you realized the needles in between his fingers. “I almost killed them.”

Oh. So he noticed them too.

Well, your family had it worse, so they just laughed it off.

“So this is your husband, huh?” They didn’t dare speak his name - the family was too infamous, and not in a positive way. it wouldn’t really gain you the good kind of attention. “I thought you’d be more...intimidating.”

All of your siblings got way too close to Illumi, aving hands in front of his face and eyeing his appearance, at least trying to make the stoic man react in any way.

“Nice to meet you!” One of your brothers offered his hand for your husband to shake, yet Illumi decided on staring him down instead.

“Pleasure is all mine” he retorted in his robotic way, sounding way too fake for anyone to buy it.

At least they were not afraid of him. Your husband was very talented in hiding his bloodlust, after all - even though it was constantly there, not even a skilled nen user would notice.

“Mother and father are awaiting you at the usual spot.” Your brother’s voice was more serious now that he had assessed the situation.

It was clear from the very first moment that they didn’t only come to greet you - their main goal was the eldest Zoldyck.

“Seems like he’s now our leader” you pondered as all of them dispersed into different directions. 

Things had changed. Of course they did.

Back then, you declined your fate of becoming the clan-leader, even though it had been the centre of all your ambitions up until now.

Meeting Illumi made you question anything you expected from life.

You didn’t even know why: What would it matter if you left an assassin family just to join another one?

Even your youngest sister was different. You could feel her steady aura, meaning she had completed her training.

The situation made you both nostalgic and anxious.

“Do you regret it?” Illumi’s blank stare turned to your form, black orbs interrogating you. He knew you were meant to be a leader, yet you gave up on that dream and had laid down all your independency.

“Not really.” Shrugging, you quickly linked arms with your husband, leading him to the secret entrance of the headquarters. It was sealed with nen, just like back then.

At leas that didn’t change, and so you’d soon find yourself in the middle of the hall where you’d plan all of the operations back then.

“You’re home.” That solemn tone was fitting for your father: Hard to detect his emotions, but easy to understand. “Welcome home.”

Illumi took a few steps back, almost withdrawing into a dark corner of the room as if he wanted to disappear from this earth. He was more likely to be a mere bystander or observer than to be in social situations.

“My little angel of death!” your mother almost cried out, both incredibly happy and sorrowful. “You’ve returned to us!”

“And that handsome young man over there?” After she was done smothering your face in kisses, she directed her welcoming nature to Illumi was well. “C’mon, don’t be shy. Take a seat!”

That’s right. She’s never seen him before. He was here exactly once to propose in front of your father - god knows how he even got inside. Obviously it wasn’t really a big deal to him.

Your family was so insignificant compared to his heritage - not that it mattered to you, it was just an observation.

“When we heared your wish to bid our humble fort a visit, we were greatly honored” your father declared as all of you sat down at the great, round table. Now everyone was there: Siblings, uncles and aunts, even your grandparents and great-grandparents. “And we are glad of your safe arrival.”

Illumi didn’t really seem to be impressed, being able to silence the room with a single gesture of his hand. “Don’t go out of your way. I am here because Y/N wished to see you.”

You couldn’t help but smirk at his polite manner, even though he wasn’t very talkative. Trying to get a hold of his hand under the table, you’d spend the day just like that.

Hours just flew by as your family held a great dinner to honor ‘the happy couple’, with Illumi absorbing every little detail like a dry sponge: Daily conversations about irrelevant topics, tales about the past and especially the childhood.

He even managed to show a lopsided smile when he realized something made you particulary happy.

Yet everytime someone of your family tried to get close to you, all of you noticed how tense he became.

Of course he was very possessive, and didn’t want to share you with anyone. But it was so damn sweet that he at least tried to get himself together...

“I’ll be waiting outisde. Might give the town a visit.” Even through all of your objections, your husband was gone faster than any of you could comprehend. “Take all the time you need.”

“He’s amazing” you thought to yourself, not noticing how much you were trembling due to your excitement. Being here together with him was such a huge progress, and he was doing so damn great.

“Y/N?” Your father was the first one to take the word, clearing his throat before continuing. “Now that we’re alone...”

Of course he knew they weren’t. Illumi was supervisioning everything somehow. But they waited for so long, and needed to let it out.

It was ‘speak now or stay silent forever’.

“Tell us about life with the Zoldycks.” Your sister once again let her hand run up and down your arm, and you realized this wasn’t just loving closeness - they were searching for injuries. “Are they harsh on you?”

“His family is pretty crazy, but it’s nothing wild, really. I manage” you stated, pulling away from the touch of your siblings.

All of the eyes were on you now, dropping the act. Everything left was sympathy and...guilt?

“So...what’s your point?” You didn’t know why, but their glares made you furious somehow. Maybe because you knew what they were hinting at. “Just speak your mind.”

“Y/N, dear...” Now your mother was the one taking the initiative, squeezing your hand ever so slightly. “We’re so, so sorry! You need to understand why we did this, okay?”

“Did what?” When they didn’t respond, you repeated the question with a much weaker, almost broken voice. “Did...what?!”

“Isn’t it obvious?” your brother now spoke, almost disgusted by what he was about to say. “Giving you away to this...freak.”

“Huh?”

Your mother now clung to you, as if you were about to disappear if she was to ever let go. “There was no other choice!” she exclaimed, while your father dramatically swung his balled fist on the table. “The Zoldycks are dangerous! We knew your fate was sealed when he came asking for your hand in marriage...”

“Of course we despise that sick weirdo. Who would wish for their child to be with someone like him?!” your father continued, his explanation wrenching your heart dry. “But if we hadn’t complied, they would’ve taken you by force. You know they would’ve killed all of us. It was to protect the family, so we had to give you up! My sweet, sweet child-”

“-shut up” you whispered as you felt tears burning in your eyes.

“It’s okay, Y/N” your sister was trying to wipe them away, letting her thumb run over your cheek. “We’ve grown stong now, Y/N! You don’t need to protect us anymore, we’re-”

“You still don’t stand any chance against them.” You got up from your chair, slamming your palms on the table. “But that’s not the point!”

“What did that monster do to you?” 

“Oh, he? Nothing!” you now screamed, slamming a plate to the ground to release some of the built-up tension. “In opposite to you, who abandoned their daughter to save their own skin!”

You didn’t know. How could you have missed that fact? Those people weren’t glad you married him, they just weren’t honest with you.

And they were selfish - for all they cared, they would’ve given you away to die if Illumi had been that way.

“My husband-” you choked on a sob, feeling as if the love you felt for Illumi was crushing you, keeping you from breathing freely. “He’s been here with you, wanting to understand what a normal family is like. But only now I realize this one is just as fucked up!”

“Don’t say something like tha-”

“I’m not done!” Suddenly, an outburst of your aura shook the whole room. “Illumi is a kind and confused person. He was benevolent with you, against all of his teachings. And you are talking behind his back? How cowardly of you. I thought we were a family of proud warriors!”

All of them were looking at each other, nodding in unity as they all thought the same.

“Illumi Zoldyck is probably the most dangerous of them all. Maybe not the strongest, but the most mad of them all.” You grid your teeth, almost snarling at your grandfather’s words. “Don’t fool yourself, Y/N. Love is a foreign concept for him. The word has spread across the whole continent: Even his own family, those bloodthirsty monsters fear that young man!”

“You don’t know him like I do.” Turning around, you prepared to leave - but your siblings blocked the way. “As if I’d listen to the opinions of people who gave me away just like that.”

“Listen to us, Y/N. Maybe you can free yourself. He might’ve placed a needle-”

“That’s enough.”

Your eyes widened in wonder. How did Illumi get back in without any of you noticing?

Yet here he was, and his aura had turned purple, stained with black from all the disappointment, hurt and anger he miraculously contained without breaking down.

“I think Y/N is tired and wants to leave.” His voice was as unaffected as always, yet one look of him was enough to make your siblings freeze in terror.

“You’re Y/N’s family, so I won’t kill you” your husband declared in an absentminded tone, grabbing your wrist and turning towards the exit without anyone daring an attempt to stop him. Just after he shoved you out of the door, Illumi would turn around one last time -  a threatening ember sparkling in his eyes.

“But consider this a warning: Y/N belongs to me.”

“Why?” your father asked with an almost begging undertone. “Why did it have to be Y/N?”

“Because your child is important to me.”

Illumi had carried you all the way out of the town, only getting to a hold when you were at a mountain far enough away. Not that your family would follow you anyway.

After being done crying to your heart’s extend, your husband let you down in the slightly wet grass, and you were able to see the dim lights of the city far away at the horizon.

“We’ve played here very often” you sniffled, trying to get a hold of yourself. “My siblings and I.”

“Ah.”

You appreciated moments like these. Illumi was a very good listener, even though you weren’t even sure that he actually cared about what you were saying.

It just felt good to have him near when you were sad.

“I’m so terribly sorry, Lumi...they shouldn’t have done that.”

“It’s okay.” No, it wasn’t You knew he tried to hard to be the best version of himself today, to try and respect boundaries and to trust people, and yet- “I am aware I’m a repulsive person.”

“Not to me.” Gently stoking his face, you could feel him rubbing his cheek on your palm in return.

“That’s enough for me.”

For a while, you just sat there, enjoying your closeness and the absence of anyone else in silence.

“So this is what family is like” Illumi cut through the nature’s sounds, “They protect you. And they only want your best.”

“They only ever thought of themselves.” You pulled your knees onto your chest, burying your face in them.

“I refuse to believe that.” Your husband wanted to pat your back, but decided against it just at the last second. “They seemed to be in great pain because of their actions. Can’t this only be because they cared about you?”

He was right, of course. The man with the heart of stone was great at knowing other people’s feelings, apparently. What an irony.

But you were too angry at that moment to listen to his rational explanation. That was only human, too.

“You know, when I was a child, my parents-”

“Please.” You wanted him to stop right there and now. “Don’t elaborate.”

Every time Illumi would complete a story about his childhood, it usually ended up with you having a crying fit. Then he was the one having to console you instead of the other way around, and it made you only feel guilty.

Of course you were happy that he’d finally open up a little, but...no. Just not now.

“You defended me” he changed the topic, quietly adding “Even though they were right...”

“That’s only natural. You’re my husband.”

Back then, you didn’t know Illumi’s intentions when he asked you to become his. But truth was, you didn’t regret it - not even for a second.

Illumi on the other hand was as overwhelmed as always.

“I was afraid you’d stay with them.” His voice sounded impassive, yet you knew him better than that. “But now-”

Listening to you passionately defending your husband’s honor was satisfying, obviously - yet knowing you broke with your family left a foul aftertaste in his mind.

No one ever stood up for him like that.

What a day.

His mind was racing, still trying to catch up with everything that had happened today: You did all of that, no - gave up so many things, just because of him.

His entire life was going one set and predetermined way, revolving around his family. Yet meeting you had changed both of your fates in a completely different direction.

And this meant he now had to learn with the consequences of actions he did out of his own, free will.

What for? And was it good or bad?

Now that he was with you, he had liberties. Choices. But freedom felt wrong and made him feel...scared? Not even he could decipher his emotions very well.

All that was clear from now on that - to a certain extend - you were free to draft your own ways - and together, it didn’t seem all that bad for him.

_____

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