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not-me-simping-for-blasty · 3 years

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Wrong Number, Asshole - A Bakugou Katsuki Soulmate AU

All Parts:

Epilogue:

--/--

6 Months Later

“Stop- Katsuki, stop it!” You huff a frustrated sigh, shooting him an unimpressed glare. “Why can’t you just sit still?”

“Because this is takin’ too goddamn long! Waste of fuckin’ minutes.”

“Well this is important to me, so you’re gonna sit back and shut up and-“ You nearly scream when he shifts again, almost dislodging the measuring tape you’d wrapped around his wrist. “Sit still! Jesus, angry man, it’ll literally take two seconds if you just stop fighting me!”

He grumbles, something low and petulant under his breath, but then falls back against the couch fully. Bakugou finally relents, hand going slack in your hold as he shuts his eyes.

You were gonna kill him, no seriously, you were gonna murder him. He was being so difficult, way more difficult than usual, and you had a sneaking suspiscion it was because he was tired- because, as you’d quickly found out, from only a few months of dating, Katsuki was an absolute toddler about sleep. You’d come to understand that him being tired led to him being cranky, and him being cranky led to him being so goddamn annoying and combative that it made you want to tear your hair out.

He was lucky you loved him so much- not that you told him that yet.

You’d known you loved him for months now, could feel it the way your body heated if you thought of him, the way your blood sang if you so much as heard his name. It was a full body sensation for you- the way you loved him. There was just no escaping it; no escaping the way he’d carved himself a spot in every single part of you. You couldn’t imagine life without him, didn’t even want to try- but you couldn’t tell him so.

Every time you’d tried you were tongue-tied and stuttering and red in the face. The words were thick in your mouth, clogging up the back of your throat. You just couldn’t figure out how to say them; no matter how many times you’d tried.

You flip his arm over, measuring the space between his thumb and his wrist. You’re trying to be delicate and gentle, but truthfully you really just wanted to get this done quickly.

With the deadline for your last college project quickly approaching, you’d spent the last few weeks doing nothing but devoting all your time and losing sleep over it. It seemed like no matter what support item you’d devised, it didn’t seem perfect- didn’t seem inspired enough to turn in for your final grade. So you dedicated yourself to watching clips and looked at hero rankings and pretty much sacrificed your social life entirely, just to stew over it. It took watching Bakugou’s own hero highlights with him to snap you out of your funk. You wanted to smack yourself; he’d been in front of you the entire time! Of course, it had to be an item for him. So you got to building and designing with renewed spirit.

Katsuki was an amazing fighter, you knew this, and his prowess in battle and raw power alone was quite literally unmatched by almost every opponent- but, the only thing holding him back was that he didn’t do so well with civilians. Try as he might, Bakugou’s loud, flashy, quirk just didn’t paint him as particularly friendly, and his brash personality didn’t help either. And, since you’d long ago given up trying to soften his character, but maybe you could help with his quirk. You figured that was pretty much your degree right?

So, for the past month or so, you’d been secretly working on a gauntlet attachment for him. You’d designed it to quiet his explosions, similar to a silencer on a gun, in hopes that civilians would stop reporting hearing loss after being saved by your very loud boyfriend. Truthfully, you knew it wouldn’t fix all his problems, but maybe then his ratings would go up a tiny bit. And, you figured, if you then just built the prototype you designed, then it could serve as a birthday present for him too. Two birds with one stone, right?

If only it was that simple.

It wasn’t. You were a perfectionist and you’d been pouring your blood, sweat, and tears for weeks now, but it still didn’t feel like enough. It felt like you were running out of time. Even now, while actively taking measurements for said project, you felt uneasy spending time with Bakugou.

“You done yet, woman?” He peeks an eye open.

“Almost.” You grab your phone, typing the measurements into your notes. “See how easy and quick this went when you stopped being annoying?”

“Maybe I wouldn’t have to be so fuckin’ annoying if you’d just tell me what you’re makin’ already.”

“Nope. Already talked about this, Katsu,” You let go of his hand. “It’s a surprise! You don’t wanna spoil your birthday surprise, do you?”

You’re joking, smiling widely at him and fluttering your eyelashes. He doesn’t look very amused. Katsuki just squints at you for a moment before poking your side.

“That’s fuckin’ stupid. You’re being annoying. Stop it.”

“Fine. Well I guess since you don’t want it, maybe I just won’t give it to you then.” You tease, moving to leave the couch. “Maybe I just won’t give you any of the gifts I was planning to.”

Katsuki rolls his eyes, huffs like he is very inconvienced, and grabs your wrist. He pulls until you’re falling into him, crashing into his chest and settling on his lap.

“I didn’t fuckin’ say that, idiot.” He grumbles, hands falling around your sides. “Stop putting shitty words in my mouth already.”

“I can’t. Pretty sure that’s my job actually.” You laugh, bracing your hands on his chest as you straighten. “Besides, you say like 3 words and all of them are swears, angry man. Someone’s gotta be the talker out of the two of us.”

“It shouldn’t be you. You’re better quiet.” His words were cold, but he was rubbing warm circles into your lower back. “Fuckin’ silent.”

“Wow- we sure are cranky tonight, huh, angry man? Is it bedtime for baby, already?”

“You’re not funny.”

“No, I’m pretty funny.” You laugh, brushing the the wild hair away from his forehead with a gentle hand. “But seriously though, if you’re tired, I don’t have to stay. I don’t mind, I can leave if you just want to sleep.”

He screws his face up at that, comically offended and dramatic as he drops his face into your shoulder. Katsuki’s arms wrap around your sides, pulling you close until you’re flush against his chest. He tightens his grip and doesn’t seem like he plans to let go any time soon.

“Yeah, yeah, okay, angry man, I get it. I won’t leave right now- but I can’t stay for too long.”

“Why the fuck not?”

“That project, remember? I’m nearly done.”

He huffs again, arms curling tighter around you. You’re a little confused- truthfully, he usually is more physical than verbal, especially when he’s tired, but he’s never this physically affectionate. His voice is a near snarl when he speaks again.

“I fuckin’ hate that stupid as shit assignment.”

“Yeah, well, you hate pretty much everything; so I can’t say I’m exactly suprised, Katsuki.”

“No. Seriously.” He gruffs, fingers twitching at your sides. Katsuki takes a deep breath, biting out his next words quickly. “Haven’t seen you in fuckin’ days.”

“Aww-”

“Say another goddamn word and I’ll take it back, woman. Try me.”

“Okay. I won’t.” You giggle. “But I really am serious, I can’t stay over tonight. Got work to do still.”

“That’s stupid.” Bakugou says and then he’s squeezing you once again, keeping you trapped tight against his chest. “You’re being stupid.”

“Wow. Thanks.” You snort, looking up at him. His mouth is pressed into a tense grimace, so you try patting his cheek playfully. “You know though, one of these days you’re actually gonna have to start using your nice words- can’t just continue insulting me or I might just disappear forever.”

He doesn’t seem to like your joke. Not at all.

“I’m kidding. I’m not going anywhere.” You console. “I’m only picking on you, you know, so don’t be so sensitive, angry man. You insult me all the time.”

“When the fuck did I insult ya?”

“Katsuki-“ You utter in disbelief, your hand moving to play with the hairs on the back of his neck. “You literally just called me stupid! And you said you liked me better silent! Like 2 minutes ago!”

He shrugs, and you can feel his face heat against your neck, but he doesn’t say anything.

“You’re awfully lucky I like you so much.” You sigh. “Because otherwise I’d have to kick your teeth in every time you opened your mouth.”

“Like you could even get that close to me, shitty woman.”

“Strong words for a man currently making a home in my collarbone, Katsuki.”

“That’s-I- You know what,” He starts, extending an arm and pushing against your shoulders to create distance. “Say shit like that again and I swear to god I’ll...”

“You’ll what?”

“I’ll- I’ll fuckin-“ He stutters, face red and fists clenched. “I’ll-“

You think he looks adorable- all huffy and red and embarrassed where he sits. Katsuki’s eyebrows are pinched together in that competitive crease you’d come to know so well, his mouth curled around a familiar snarl. You were sure it must’ve looked terrfying to anyone else- but you weren’t just anyone else. You were his soulmate and you knew exactly how to get him to calm down.

You caught his face in both of your hands, crossing the distance until your lips met his. Bakugou tried to set the pace, because he always tried at first, armed with bruising pressure and dominance and uncoordinated aggression. You weren’t new here though- you had a lot more tricks of your sleeve than he did.

You ran a hand up his spine, your nails just barely catching on to the fabric of shirt, trailing the back of his neck until they landed in his hair. He damn near melted into you at that, and he pretty much dissolved when your other hand ran under the fabric of his shirt.

“You’re gonna what now?” You asked, pulling away slowly. You’re breathless and blushing yourself but that never stopped you before. “C’mon, Katsuki, tell me. What you were gonna do?”

“I-huh?”

“Don’t tell me you forgot?” You giggled. Unable to help yourself, you pecked his lips again. “You seemed so determined though!”

He’s still dazed- red and embarrassed as he looks at you through half-lidded eyes. You can’t stop the victorious smirk that rolls across your face.

“You’re an evil fucking woman.” He finally says, breathless. “Shitty too.”

“Mhm, I know.”

“Shouldn’t sound so fuckin’ happy about it. ‘S not a compliment, idiot.”

“I know.” You pat his chest, pushing away from him until you’re standing on your own. “Now, c’mon, up. Sleep time, right?”

You see the look on his face, and it almost kills you to crush it.

“No, that doesn’t mean I’m staying, angry man. I’ll take a nap with you and then I’m going home.” You offer your hand out to him. “Sound good?”

"Whatever.” He doesn’t seem all that pleased and he bats your hand away lightly, standing on his own. He starts down the hallway towards his bedroom with stomping steps and you follow. “You better actually go to sleep though- ya got ugly fuckin’ bags under your eyes, woman.”

You stop in your tracks, a wheeze escaping you. It didn’t matter how many conversations you’d had with him, how many times he’d accidentally insulted you with his blunt words, it still surprised you every time. And maybe it was your tired state, all the sleep lost over the past few weeks finally piling up, but his words hurt a little this time- hit a nerve and made you angry.

“Alright, well, on that note. Maybe I will go home!” You huff, thumping a fist against his back. “That was so mean! What the hell, angry man! I’m literally busting my ass right now and that’s what you have to say to me? That I’m ugly to you? That’s fucking rude! I didn’t- I’m leaving. I don’t even have enough time for this anyway and I-”

He spins around quickly, pressing you into the wall as he grabs your arm. You can’t hit him anymore, not with the sturdy grip he has on your wrist, but the look on Katsuki’s face really makes you want to. He looks insulted, tired, but mostly just annoyed by your reaction. You swear you could kill him that moment, but then he’s gathering you into his chest and you’re melting against him. He’s still your soulmate- no matter how angry he makes you.

“N-not like that. Idiot. Not ugly.” He mumbles against your hair, voice tight and shy. You didn’t have to see his face to know he was blushing furiously. “I meant- I- you’re not fuckin’ sleeping. I can see it. So you have to sleep.”

“I-what?”

“I’m not fucking stupid. You’re tired- it’s obvious. Have been for weeks.”

“You noticed?”

“Course I fuckin’ did.” He shifts on feet anxiously, swaying you a bit in your arms. “See your stupid face all the time- I can tell that shit about you.”

“Oh. I didn’t know that.” You pull back a bit in surprise, trying catch his eyes. He won’t let you, eyes zeroed on the wall, just behind your head. His face is a violent shade of red. You roll your eyes fondly, gently guiding him to look at you with your hands on his burning cheeks. “I shouldn’t have flipped, but that still wasn’t very nice. You really should’ve just said what you meant the first time around, but it’s fine. I understand. School’s just been tough with final assignments and stuff, you know? I’m alright though- just a little tired. Like you said.”

Katsuki doesn’t seem pleased with your answer, his eyebrows creasing as he grumbles something under his breath.

“What? Couldn’t hear you, angry man.”

“I said-” He starts strong, nearly confident until his tone quickly falls off. Then he’s mumbling again and crushing you to his chest so he doesn’t have to meet your eyes.

“W-what are you trying to say?”

“God, you always make me say such embarrassing shit!” He growls, voice loud next to your ear. “I said- I said- you’re doing too much, idiot! You haven’t been around much and it’s fuckin’ makin’ me mad and worryin’ me and all that stupid, disgusting, annoying, shit! So just give yourself a fuckin’ break, already!”

You’re pressed close to Katsuki, and when you press you hand flat against his chest, you can feel his heart racing wildly under your fingertips. He must’ve been upset about this for a while, you realize- to be expending this much energy, when usually he’d be dead on his feet at this time of night. You feel a little guilty for it, but more than anything you’re gooey and warm all over.

“I-I’m sorry. For worrying you.” You soothe, pressing a chaste kiss to his chest. “And I know you tell me not to apologize to you, but I mean it this time. I didn’t mean to worry you. I’ll take better care of myself. I promise.”

“Good. I-”

“Hmm?”

“N-nothing.” He stutters, flushing violently all of the sudden. He spins on his heels quickly, dragging you down the hallway and into his bedroom. “You have to stay now.”

“No- I can’t. I told you.”

“And I fuckin’ told you to chill the hell out and take a break.” He barks, digging through his dresser and throwing a pair of sweats at you. “Stop being fuckin’ difficult. You’re staying.”

Truly, you want to fight him. Your brain is running wildly, a million different ideas and worries battering around inside your skull- but he’s right. You are tired. Have been tired for weeks now. If you went home now, you knew you’d just talk yourself into working some more. So maybe a tiny, tiny little break wouldn’t hurt, right? Just something small. A single night.

“Fine. But I’m leaving early tomorrow morning.”

You knew you made the right decision when he smiles at you; a small, tiny, pleased, little thing that just barely curls the edges of his mouth. It seems like it’d be hardly noticeable, but you’d been dreaming of that smile for months now. He very rarely graced you with it, very rarely shared something so delicate and uncharacteristically soft but it winded you every time.

Katsuki fell asleep almost immediately after pulling your down into bed with him. He’d barely curled around you, hardly even let his head hit the pillow before beginning to snore. That smile stayed though. He kept it even as his breathing slowed and his grip on you loosened.

That same overwhelming warmth you’d been feeling for weeks overtook you again- that same blistering, endless affection rendering your limbs shaky and your breaths unsteady as you stared at him.

I love him. You realized. More than anything.

--/--

As it turns out, letting Bakugou drag you into some much needed rest is exactly what you needed.

The next morning you’d left his place, mind refreshed and completely reinvigorated to once again start working on the gauntlet attachment. You’d love to say it was just the sleep that fixed you up- but you knew the truth. It was him- him and increasingly strange ways of showing affection.

Settling down into your desk chair, you pulled the schematics you’d drawn up once more. There wasn’t much left to build, only a few more parts you’d need to fabricate with your quirk, and then you’d be ready to put it all together.

Using past records of his costumes, and studying various clips of him in his current costume, you’d finally felt certain that you’d gotten it right. It was a pain conducting the research, especially because you’d had to contact the support companies personally, but in the end you were happy you did it. You wanted this to be a possible improvement for him, but you also wanted it to fit in with his current arsenal. It was a risk for sure, giving your prototype as a gift, and you’d be totally crushed if decided to not use it, but you’d take the chance.

Bakugou had only mentioned the problem a single time in the past, and even then it was a passing comment, but you couldn’t seem to let it go.

I’m sick of kid’s always fuckin’ cryin’ when I save them. My explosions aren’t that fuckin’ scary, are they?

He’d said it in the middle of a rant, his eyes pressed tightly together as he paced angrily, but something about his tone struck you. When he said it, he didn’t sound angry. Bakugou sounded upset and frustrated and almost hopeless. You knew it bothered him more than he let on, and from then you wanted to help him- but you couldn’t imagine stripping him of his quirk.

It, his explosions, were important to him. They were his power and his pride and they helped him save people. He was so, so proud of them, and it broke your heart to think that they were the only thing left holding him back. So, you figured, what if he kept the force but lost the sound? Kid’s normally liked bright lights a lot more than loud sounds, after all.

Grunting with effort, you began fabricating gears and wires and screws between your hands. It took hours and nearly all of your energy, but you’d finally done it. You had everything you needed to finish his gift.

The next few weeks flew by in a flurry of construction, and deadlines, and sleeplessness but by the time his birthday rolled around, you were ready. Your schematics had been turned in and approved by your professors, you’d passed your final project, and you were finally finished building the prototype. Everything was going great- but you knew why you were really happy.

The last few weeks had been packed for you, and you’d hardly had time for anybody. You felt guilty about it, of course, and you only felt worse when you only heard Bakugou’s voice over the phone each night, but there was no helping it.

Or, at least, there wasn’t- but it wasn’t crunch time anymore. You’d suddenly found yourself with an wealth of free-time, and you knew exactly who you were gonna spend it on.

--/--

Using the key he’d given you, you slipped into the apartment, closing the door quietly. It was difficult in the dark, stumbling slightly with the gifts and cake currently held in your hands, but you’d managed it. Everything had gone smoothly on the way there, you’d just put the cake safely in the fridge, and now you could wake your soulmate up to the best birthday of his life.

What shame he had to go and ruin it.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

You jumped, heart seizing in your chest.

“Jesus- fuck.” You yelled in the dark. You blindly felt your way out of the kitchen and into the living room, towards the sound of his voice. “Bakugou! What the fuck, man?”

“What the- no! Me! I should be the one fuckin’ saying that!” His voice was raised, and you couldn’t see his fists but you knew they were probably clenched tightly into fists. “Almost blew you up, idiot! What the hell are you doing here?”

“Oh my god.” You huffed, hands rubbing at your tired eyes. “I was going to wake you up! Surprise you! Because it’s your birthday and it’s- wait, what the fuck are you even doing up? It’s like 6:30 AM, on a Saturday!”

“What the hell are you even on about? I’m always fuckin’ awake right now!”

“Yeah! On a work day! When you’re working!” You can’t help but be frustrated; you wanted to be cute and sweet and Bakugou had ruined it entirely. As he so often did. “But you’re not even working today! It’s your day off! And I know you sleep in on those, so why?”

“Couldn’t fuckin’ slee-”

“What do you mean?” You interrupt, finally flipping the light switch and flooding the room with light. “Swear to god you’re dead to the world the second you hit the pillow! Literally happens every time I stay over. You’re out by 8:30! Why is today of all days the day you choose not to sleep?”

He doesn’t say anything in response to your outburst, and that’s when you finally look at him. It had been almost 3 weeks since you’d last visited, and he didn’t look like you remembered him. It wasn’t anything super obvious at first, but upon closer inspection you could see the deep bags under his eyes, and the pale, lifelessness of his skin. He was telling the truth; apparently, he really hadn’t be able to sleep- and it didn’t start just last night either.

“Hey. Katsuki,” Your irritation from earlier faded. Suddenly filled with concern, you stepped towards him, taking his face in your hands. Bakugou tried to turn away, but you didn’t let him. “What’s up, huh? You alright?”

“Fine.”

“No. You’re not. You look tired. Are you sick?”

“No.” He mumbled, his hands falling on your waist as you stood in front of him. “I’m fine. Workin’ a lot or whatever. I’m fuckin’ fine.”

You nod, eyebrows rising in surprise as he suddenly pulls you in. He presses his face into your stomach, arms around your sides as he shuts his eyes. There it is again- that unusual physicality. This strange behavior had stopped for a while recently, but now it seemed to be back in full-force.

“Do you wanna try sleeping again?” You ask after a beat. “I’ve got birthday stuff for you, but we can do always do it later. We’ve got the whole day, right?”

“What- you plannin’ to actually be here or some shit?” He grumbles, with a lot more intentional bite than you’re used to hearing from him. “I’m surprised. Didn’t know an idiot like you still had the fuckin’ brain cells to remember.”

You’re shocked, rendered completely still and stiff in his hold. Was he- was he mad at you?

“What?” You try to push away from him, to get a look at his face, but he doesn’t let you. Bakugou’s arms only tighten and you’re left even more confused. “Are you upset with me? Are you tired? What’s wrong?”

“You really fuckin’ piss me off.”

“What?”

He only growls under his breath, voice raspy and deep. “Whatever. You don’t fuckin’ get it. Let’s just go to sleep.”

“No- but I-” You stutter, feeling out of place. Katsuki sounded so frustrated and angry and you couldn’t figure out what was wrong. “If you’re upset with me we need to talk about it. What happened? What’s wrong?”

He doesn’t respond to your question, only knocks your feet out from under you and stands with you in his arms. You’re dumbfounded. He has never, not ever, carried you anywhere. He’s never even made an attempted to lift you! Something was seriously off with him today- and you couldn’t for the life of you figure out what it was.

Katsuki was mad at you. You knew that, he’d said it himself. But then why was he carrying you down the hall to his bedroom? Why wasn’t he kicking you out?

He kicks open the door, pushing it shut loudly behind him. He looks pissed when you look up at him, his eyebrow’s creased together in an agitated line, but even so, Katsuki sets you down on the bed gently. You’re hardly able to catch your breath when he’s climbing in on the other side, pulling you close and lying practically on top of you.

“What? I- Katsuki?” You asked desperately, brain reeling. “What’s wrong? I don’t understand?”

“I’m fuckin’ tired, woman. Go to sleep.”

“I can’t! Not when you’re upset like this- seriously, what’s wrong?”

“You. You’re what’s fuckin’ wrong!”

“What?”

“God, you’re so fucking dense!” He growls, angry voice vibrating against the skin of your neck. “Fuckin’ showin’ up in the mornin’ like nothin’s wrong? Been avoiding me for weeks now!”

“What- no! We literally called last night! What are you talking about?”

“We called for 2 fuckin’ minutes before you fell asleep! And you-” His voice drops suddenly, and then he’s pressing even closer to you, starting up once again. “You piss me the hell off, you know! Sayin’ shit about how you’re gonna do better and then leavin’ for weeks? Not talkin’ to me? What the fuck is that? And then you sneak in here and scare the shit out of me! And you’re running your stupid fucking mouth about the whole day when you’re not even gonna be her-”

Oh. Oh.

He was mad because you’d been busy; because the last time you’d seen him, Bakugou had told he was worried about you, and you blew him off. The last time you’d seen him, you’d promised that you’d take better care of yourself and then you didn’t. All you did was continue working yourself to death, and while you didn’t regret it for even a second, you hadn’t kept him in the loop. You’d barely even managed to call him each night, and even then you’d fall asleep half-way through every conversation.

“Have you been worried this whole time?” You asked quietly.

Bakugou takes a deep, shaky breath, and you can feel his eyelashes flutter against your neck.

“You were worried.” You whisper. “Weren’t you?”

He nods minutely.

“I-I didn’t realize. I told you- but I didn’t realize. I was so focused on school, so busy, I’m so sorry.” You press a kiss into his hair, your heart sinking when his shoulders tremble. “I missed you too.”

“I didn’t fuckin’- I didn’t-”

“I know. I said it. I’m saying it. I’m sorry, Katsu. I missed you.” You sigh, tightening your arms around him. “Is that why you’re not sleeping well?”

Bakugou is silent but he tenses, going completely rigid under your hands. Your stomach drops.

“It’s-I’m good. Really, this time. Everything’s done. I’m completely finished and everything is gonna go back to normal.” You cradle his face, making him look into your eyes. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think. We’re good.”

“Are we?”

“What?”

Bakugou shakes your hold, tucking his head until you can’t see his eyes anymore. You can hardly see any of his features, but you see the wobbly line of his mouth. Can feel the shaking of his fingers. When he speaks again, it’s quiet. Barely there.

“Didn’t mean it, last time, when I said your eyebags were ugly. You’re not ugly.”

You blink, hardly able to recall the conversation. Wasn’t that the last time you had visited? Weeks ago? Why was he still thinking about it?

Bakugou huffs again, apparently frustrated by your silence.

“So I’m s-sorry. For insulting you. So now you don’t have to disappear again.”

Your eyes widened.

“You know though, one of these days you’re actually gonna have to start using your nice words- can’t just continue insulting me or I might just disappear forever.”

You remember how upset he’d been when you’d made the joke- how his shoulder’s dropped and his eyebrows caved and his mouth smoothed out into a thin line. Was that really the last time you’d visited? Did he think you were mad at him this whole time?

Guilt flooded you, awful and thick and viscous as it tore through your stomach. You had to make him understand. You just had to.

“No. I- Katsuki. Look at me. Look at me.” You insist until he’s looking at you. His eyes are the dullest you’ve ever seen them- more vulnerable than ever before. “I didn’t- I was just busy, I promise! Not upset. I didn’t mean to ice you out like that. It’s fine! I know you didn’t mean it.”

Katsuki growls, grasping for your hand and hiding his face behind it. “I didn’t- I’m sick of stupid angry shit I say ruinin’ stuff for me. So don’t just fuckin’ say it’s fine if it’s not.”

“It is. I promise. We’re good.” You soothe, caressing his burning cheeks with your knuckle. “That was a bad joke, okay- I didn’t mean it. I wouldn’t have said it if I knew it was gonna make you worry so much. I promise I was just busy these last few weeks. Nothing you say is ever gonna get rid of me, alright? Not even if you tried! Because I love you and I-”

“You what?”

You freeze, shifting uncomfortably as your cheeks heated up. This was not how you wanted to tell him. You wanted to tell him like you meant it, not just tacked onto the back of a bunch of other statements. He’d heard though, and no matter what you wanted, you couldn’t run from it.

“You what?” He asks again.

“I-I love you. Katsuki, I love you.”

Bakugou jolts, nearly jumps out of his skin and then he’s digging his face into your neck. He’s hot, his skin nearly burning, and there’s a strangled, clipped noise leaving his mouth. You’re filled with so much adoration in that moment that it nearly chokes you, but it’s freeing too, because you’ve said it. Finally. After waiting your entire life for him, after knowing him for so many months, after loving him for so long, he knew.

“I love you.” You repeated again, giggling breathlessly. “I love you, you dummy.”

He finally lifts his head, expression so full of awe and disbelief and childlike confusion. It’s just like the first time you’d really kissed him; like he couldn’t figure out why you loved him. It was like those first few days all over again and you couldn’t help it. You loved him so much.

Grabbing his chin, you pulled him in, guiding until his lips met yours. You felt him smile as you kissed him, and you realized you were wrong. That first real kiss might’ve been nice; but it wasn’t heaven- itwas only the gateway to paradise. But this? This was the real Elysium.

His body moved against yours, so close and warm and pliant. He was letting you set the pace, without resistance or force or argument for the very first time. There had been a lot of past kisses, you had hardly been able to keep yourself off of him, but none of them had never felt like this before. He’d never trusted you like this before. You got to be the one taking and taking and taking where’d you spent so long giving.

It was consummation. Finality. Your perfect ending.

You pull away, panting for breath. He follows, resting on his forearms and dropping his forehead to yours.

“I-I- I love you. Too. Idiot woman.”

You laugh under him, cackling loudly as you turn to press a kiss into his forearms. Of course he’d said it like that. It’s tough love or not at all with Bakugou Katsuki- and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Stop laughing!” He orders, face screwed up uncomfortably. “You’re always fuckin’ laughing at me! You fuckin’ witch! Stop it! It’s- I’m not- I take it back! I don’t- stop makin’ fun of me, shitty wom-”

“Hey, Katsuki?”

“Oh my fucking god! You laugh at me and then you go thinkin’ your just gonna interrupt me while I’m yellin’ at you? No fuckin’ way! I’m not gonna allow that shit in my own fuckin’ house and I-”

“Katsuki.”

“Jesus christ! What?”

“I love you.”

He freezes entirely, collasping his entire weight directly on top of you. He’s so hot it’s like his skin is burning. You wrap your arms around him with a happy giggle, burrowing your own blushing face into his hair.

“I love you.” You whisper, slow and earnest against the shell of his ear. “I really, really, really love you, angry man.”

He startles again, jumps in your arms and only seems to run hotter. He groans something strangled and defeated, until he’s sinking into you again, pressing you against the mattress.

“S-s-stop fuckin’ saying it. You’re doing it on fuckin’ purpose.”

“Doing what?”

“You fuckin’ know, you witch woman.”

“No, I really, really, dont.” You say indulgently, laughing as you drop kisses into his hair. “Care to share?”

“No. Fuck no. I’m fuckin’ done sharing. Forever.”

You rolls your eyes, once again enduring his very familiar dramatics. “I wasn’t laughing at you, Katsuki. I was just happy to hear it- that you love me too.”

“Well, remember it, because I’m never fuckin’ saying it again.”

“Not even if I say it to you?”

“Especially not fucking then.”

“You’re so difficult sometimes, I swear. You’re really lucky I love you so much.” You say softly, before scratching idly at the back of his head. “Now, c’mon. Get off me. I didn’t forget- you need to go to sleep.”

“I’m sleeping here.”

“No you’re not, you man-child. You’re gonna crush me.”

“Good.”

“No, not good. You wanna celebrate your birthday with a murder charge?”

“Yes.”

“Katsuki.” You laugh, pressing against his chest. “Seriously. Up. You’re supposed to use those muscles to save people not kill them.”

He just groans loudly, flopping backwards gracelessly. Katsuki is pulling the blanket up and shutting his eyes, and you think everything is finally okay. Until he clears his throat. Until keeps clearing his throat.

“Oh my god,” You huff, opening your eyes. “What’s wrong now?”

“Say it again, idiot.”

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t be fuckin’ stupid. You know what I’m asking you.”

When you look at him, he’s got his eyes screwed shut, his cheeks red. You thought he was adorable- just the cutest man in all of Japan. You knew what he was asking, of course you did, and if he hadn’t been so upset earlier you would’ve made him work a lot harder for it. As it stood now though, you just scooted closer to him; shifting until you were right next to his blushing face and sharing the same pillow.

“I love you.” You say, running a gentle thumb over his heated cheek. “Now go to sleep, okay?”

You can see the smile he’s fighting, the way his lip twitches and he raises a hand to cover it. Then he’s pulling you close and digging his head into the pillow.

All is quiet, and finally, finally, he gets some sleep.

—/—

Katsuki, on a good day, was an absolute beast to wake up- on a day off however? The man was damn near impossible to stir.

You were squatted next to the bed, trying to pull the pillow out from under his head as he held it in his grip. It was absolutely unfair- even at his groggiest your soulmate had the strength of a one man army. It was seriously pissing you off.

“Are you kidding me right now?” You’re grabbing at his wrist, trying to pry his fingers away from the pillow but he’s not budging. Katsuki’s got his eyes shut tight, and he’s dutifully ignoring your every word. “I’m serious! It’s noon! Get up already!”

He finally peaks one eye open, just barely enough to see your irritated expression. Katsuki huffs, rips his pillow away from you completely, and flops on his other side. His back was to you, and normally you’d be thrilled about the free chance to drool over the planes of muscle- but this wasn’t a normal occasion. It was his birthday and you’d already made him breakfast and he was refusing to get up and eat it.

“Bakugou Katsuki, I swear to god, if you’re not up in two seconds, I’m not gonna kiss you for a fucking week!”

This does seem to illicit a response from him, because then he’s flipping back over, mouth pulled into a snarl.

“You think I care? You starved me out for fuckin’ weeks already!”

You want to roll your eyes. You thought he was being awfully dramatic and you knew you really shouldn’t stand for it- but he wasn’t technically wrong. However inadvertently, you had been neglecting him, and maybe it was time to treat him instead. Just this once.

“Oh my god, you silly man, come here.” You relent, climbing onto the bed and hovering over him. “If you wanted a kiss you should’ve just asked.”

“I-didn’t! When the fuck did I say that because I-”

You pressed your lips to his, effectively shutting him up. It was a trick you’d learned early on, but damn if it wasn’t still useful. You pulled away right when he started to get handsy.

“No. Bad.” You say, batting his hands away from slipping under your shirt. “I didn’t just waste all that time trying to get you out of bed just to be pulled in. Now, c’mon, you have breakfast to eat and presents to open- it’s your big day, birthday boy.”

“Fuckin’ exactly. Let me do what I want.”

“No, because if I let you do what you wanted you’d sleep all day and only wake to go blow something up.”

“Sounds like fucking bliss.”

“Alright, well then I guess you’re gonna have to experience nirvana all by yourself because I’m going to eat.” You pat his chest, climbing off the bed and standing straight.

Bakugou grumbles under his breath, but then the blankets are rustling and he’s rising to follow you out the door. He tears into the breakfast you’d made him, shoveling eggs and bacon and pancakes down his throat at an almost inhuman pace. You would cringe, but you’d seen this scene already many times before.

“You ready for presents, now?” You ask, putting the dishes in the sink.

“Sure. ‘m not a fuckin’ kid though, you didn’t have t-”

“I wanted to. Seriously. So be quiet and be a little selfish for once. Please.”

He nods tightly, following you into the living room. He’s settling on the couch, once again rubbing at his eyes when you bring the gifts over. There’s three of them in total and he chooses to open the smallest one first.

“Fuck- this a new watch?”

“Yep.” You nod. “To replace the one you blew up last month.”

“When the- how the hell did you-”

“I have my ways. Now, seriously, promise me you’re gonna be careful with this one.”

“Okay.”

“Katsuki, that’s not a promise.”

“I’m not gonna just fuckin-”

“Say it.”

“No! Why the hell should I have to fuckin’ say shit just because you were spyin’ on me, you freak!”

“Katsuki.” You glare him down. “Promise me.”

“Jesus fuck, woman. Fine. I promise I won’t blast this one to pieces, alright?” He rolls his eyes. “Ya all happy and cheery now?”

“Very.” You smile brightly, moving to grab the second gift and place it in his hands. “Here’s the next one, open it.”

You watched him set the watch aside carefully, before taking the second gift. He might’ve been grumbling, but he couldn’t completely hide the smile trying to stretch across his face. You were glad you made the effort- he deserved every good thing and more.

“This is a jar.” He says flatly, looking down at the unwrapped gift. “What the hell?”

“It’s a swear jar. You know, for practicing how not to offend everyone within a .2 mile radius.” You deapan, taking the excess wrapping paper from him to throw it out. “You gotta work on it, Katsu- news has to censor you so much that your public appearances sound like EDM music.”

“I’m gonna blow this up.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I am.”

“No. You’re not.” You laugh. Then you lean towards him, sidling up close and lowering your voice as you run thumb across his jaw. “And, hey, if you figure out how to make it through the week without filling it up, I’ll give you something really, really nice as a reward.”

“Reward?” He’s asks, quickly putting down the jar. You know the look in his eyes, and you’re not surprised when his hands wander to your waist. “’s empty now, right? Think I fuckin’ deserve it. Huh, sunshine?”

“Nope. Sorry, Katsu.” You smile sweetly, dodging as he leans in for a kiss. “It’s saturday- week doesn’t start until tomorrow!”

He groans, loudly, falling boneless against the couch and tugging you with him.

“You make me want to blow my fuckin’ self up. You know that, you shitty woman?”

“Aw, thanks. Now, cheer up- you’ve still got one left to open.” You say, patting his grimacing face.

You shake his hold, just barely avoiding when he tries to pull you back as you grab the last present. This box is a little different from the last two, you’d spent extra time trying to make sure it was wrapped nicely and you’d even tied a ribbon around it. You hoped he’d like the gauntlet attachment- you didn’t think you’d be able to hide your disappointment if he didn’t.

“Yeah, so this next one,” You start, placing the box in his hand delicately. “I made it for you myself. Designed it too.”

He pulls the ribbon on the box, tearing away the paper. It’s like time stops for a moment, rolling nerves arresting you and choking your breath. You’re nervous and you feel like shaking and you so desperately want him to like the gift. Want him understand just how much work you’d put in for him and just how easily you’d do it all over again.

“Yeah so it’s an attachment for your grenade gauntlets, right?” You start, right when he’s pulling the device from the box and holding it in his hands. “I was thinking- wouldn’t it be nice if you could quiet your explosions sometimes? You know, for when you’re saving civilians and kids and stuff so they’re not so scared. Basically it works kind of similar to a suppressor on a gun, dispersing and slowing down the blast just a little to muffle the sound, but it’s just a little more high-tech and way more powerful- to match your quirk. Obviously. And it’s adjustable so, if, for whatever reason, you needed to wear it outside of your costume, you can collapse it slip it on like a bracelet and-”

Bakugou is silent. He’s almost frozen as he stares down at the gift, only twisting the gift around in his hands to get a better look. His eyebrows crease, and your stomach drops.

“No- it’s- please don’t get mad! It’s not supposed to offend you or anything! I-I know you don’t need my help to save people, you can do it all on your own, I know that.” You rub your arm anxiously, eyes averted to the floor. “I’m just trying to help- you know, because you always talk about your ratings going up, and I’m sure you could totally do it on your own, I know you could, but I just wanted to help you cause that’s what I do, support, and I can’t help you out on the field and I-”

Pop.

Pop pop pop pop pop

When you finally look up at him, you’re blinded by the smile on his face. It’s bright, and beaming, and brilliant as he fires off explosions. You can see the light dancing on his hands, the force of combustion shooting his arm back, but it’s quiet. It sounds like pop rocks and bacon grease and popcorn instead of cracking thunder and collapsing buildings and then he’s laughing- he’s laughing something full and joyful as he stands, holding his hands up right next to his ears and setting off more explosions.

“You hear this shit?” He yells, that wide smile dazzling you all over again. “Fuckin’ works!”

The nerves disappeared, the tension seeping from your body entirely as he grinned at you. It was worth it. Entirely worth it- you’d give anything, start all over and do it all again from the start just to see that smile.

“You wanna hear?” He asks suddenly, nearing you with his hands raised. “Listen!”

“No! No- I’m- I’m good, Katsuki.” You laugh, batting his hands away from your head. “I can hear it just fine from here, no need to singe my hair.”

“I wouldn’t-”

“I know.” You smile up at him, poking his broad chest. “So you like it? Right? Because it’s just a prototype, first draft, you know, so if there’s anything you want to change about it, let me know. Or if you just don’t want it I-”

“I’m fuckin’ keepin’ it.”

“Huh?”

“I’m keepin’ it. It’s cool as shit.” He smiles down at you, eyes crinkled at the edges. “Besides, stealth, right? Could blow a fucker up in the next room and you wouldn’t even know it!”

“But I- I made them for you to save people? Like to help them?”

“And they could be used to blow shit up more effectively too. Win fucking win.” Katsuki pulls you in suddenly, arms falling familiarly around your waist. “Good shit, sunshine. Thanks.”

“Of course.” You sigh, looking down at your feet. “That’s what I was doing- when I was gone. Designing it for my project grade and then building it for you. Sorry I got so carried away, I didn’t realize I was gone so long, you know?”

“You’re still stupid for it, but it’s fine. Fuckin’ get it.” He grumbles. “You’re done now or whatever, right?”

“With school? Yeah I mean, I’ve still got graduation and stuff but otherwise I’m pretty much-

“Move in with me.”

“Huh?”

“God, you always make me fuckin’ say it again!” He flusters, voice loud and raspy. “I said- move in! Here! You’re fuckin’ disappearin’ all the goddamn time to wherever the fuck and I’m sick of it!”

“Y-you want me to move in?

“That’s what I just fuckin’ said! Idiot!” He thunders, face a violent red when you look up at him. “And I’m not gonna fuckin’ say it again so you either have to say yes or no because I-”

“Yes. Obviously. Of course I’ll move in!” You say, warmth filling your chest as you throw your arms around his neck. “I love you, of course I will!”

You see the smile he can’t contain- one so dazzling and arresting, as he looks at you. One exactly similar to the brilliant one from earlier. You couldn’t believe that sentiment made you emotional- the thought that you made him just as happy as explosions did, of all things. But it did make you emotional. It really, really, did.

“What’re you- stop cryin’.” He says suddenly, calloused fingers catching your tears. “Why’re you cryin’? I didn’t even say anythin’ rude this time!”

“No, it’s not that.” You sniffle, grabbing his hand and kissing his knuckles. “I’m just happy. Really, really happy. I love you, you angry fucking man.”

Katsuki leans in for another kiss, and you don’t dodge it this time. You meet him in the middle and melt into him just as much as he melts into you. You can feel his hand under your chin, the other on your back, and you don’t think you’ve ever been warmer than in that moment.

You’d been waiting your entire life for him. For all of this. You were warm and loved and so very, very happy that it nearly knocked you off your feet.

Or it would’ve- but when your knees weakened he just held you closer, righting you without missing a beat. You suddenly loved him for that, and for everything else too. You loved him for all that he was and his angry words and his subtle gestures. He was sizzling gunpowder and sharp steel and seared ashes, but he was the softest landing you’d ever known too. There was no hitting the ground with him, and he’d never let you fall alone.

You’d know Katsuki was forever since the day your tattoo appeared, but it didn’t truly sink in until you’d learned to love him. Until you’d known him. Now you knew him like the back of your hand; you saw his face behind your eyelids, heard his voice in your dreams, and thought about his touch every waking moment. He was your other-half, as scary and loud and intense as he was, and you wouldn’t change a single thing about him.

He pulls away suddenly, and when you glance up at him he’s staring right at you.

“I love you.”

Your breath catches. You thought you were thrilled to hear the words last night- but it was nothing in comparison to now. Bakugou was finally looking at you, catching your gaze and holding eye-contact and his voice was soft like you’d never heard it before. His tone was bare, no anger or attitude or bite- just him and three little words that took your breath away.

In that moment, Katsuki is the only person in the entire world. There was no one else and no other conclusion, and of course you ended up here. He was the only ending you’d ever surrender to. The only finality that could ever possibly taste so sweet.

And suddenly, all at once, you loved him all over again.

//-//

i- sob. plS this was so much fun to write and im gonna miss it sm !!

once again, thank u to everyone who liked and commented and reblogged any part of this! this is the first ever multi-chapter fanfic i’ve ever written , and i really really was nervous about my characterization and writing and stuff, but you all made me feel so welcome here. i appreciate it sm. way more than any of you know.

anyways, thank u once again for reading lovelies and i hope u all stay safe. i love y’all. <333

#bnha bakugo katsuki #mha bakugo katsuki #bakugou katsuki #bakugou katuski x reader #bakugou katsuki x y/n #bakugou x you #bakugou x reader #bakugou x self insert #bakugou x y #bakugou soulmate au #bakugou soulmate textfic #bnha fic #mha series #mha soulmate au #soulmate au #bakugou imagine #bakugou series #bakugou fic

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leiriswhore · 3 years

Text

‘JEAN KIRSTEIN AS A FATHER’ HEADCANON

content warning: jean’s breeder balls.

pairings: jean kirstein x fem!reader

note: reblog bc youre hot, jean said so 😤

m.list

who will braid your daughter's hair beautifully, and when you saw him trying to do it firs time, he was so cute struggling :') "honey, can you come over here? i'm trying to braid (daughter's name). and i don't know how to do it."

who is so fucking hot while walking with his three year old daughter and you are a lucky gal being with him and as his wife.

who will breed you again until you get a bump on your stomach, "i'll make you a mommy, yeah?" and started pounding into you, kissing your cervix.

who you caught playing with your make-up and putting it on his daughter's face while you were laughing off holding your phone.

was very protective of you when you got pregnant and also tried to take up your mood swings and your carvings.

that talks with his old comrade about his cute daughter and eren will literally get irritated about it. "-and so, y/n and (child's name) got-" "bro, stop. you literally told us like five times now?!" "well, atleast i have a child."

when he gets called to have a meeting, ofc he's literally the commanding officer and he'll say goodbye to you and your child and your child will literally starts crying because they're literally a daddies girl.

his reaction when he found out that you were pregnant literally lightened up his mood, you were spacing out on him and alway on your own + you mood changes and when you told him that you got stressed out he felt bad :( "it's okay, i'm here for you. both of us will take care of our child and i promise you i won't leave you both. i love you so much my love, remember that." and he embraced you in a tight hug while you sobbed in his chest.

is always gonna make you feel good like; bringing you a flower and gave your child a cute gift too. "you didn't have to bring me a gift!" "i should, it's what atleast i could do, you're literally the mother of our child and i'm so grateful for that."

when he's stressed from work he'll literally cling on you, missing your touch while you're making your baby fall asleep. "jean, stop. you're irritating me, let's continue this after (child's name) will fall asleep." "okay, fine..." and yourself would felt bad after and brought him a special little gift. *lip bites

who'll play with his child like i imagined him; licking his child up and spins them around and say "weee!" or "wooosh!"

who does anything for your child to be happy, you find it cute, their hobbies together are going at the river and throwing stones. *i don't really know why i said this but i think they will totally do it though.!.

who will take care of your newborn while you deserve a little rest. it was the first day of being a parent and he's really good at it. "i love you. thank you for this." "no need to thank me, jean. we made it." both of looked at the newborn child and instantly loved his figure. jean can't seem to take his arms and eyes off of the child both of you made.

he will totally massage your back because of the baby's weight felt bad :( "you know if i could carry that baby i would." you just laughed a this statement.

who is so fucking tender while holding his child on his arms and placing his pointer finger in his child's cute chubby hand.

who will walk into his child's school and all the mommas will fucking stare at him like he's a god. all jaw dropping on the floor once they saw jean's muscular hot body and when they saw you with him, arms around arms. they'll totally befriend you and ask you about how you both met.

who is a god at cooking, he learnt it from the best of course.

who surprised his mom with your child, you all just laughed about it. "y/n, i didn't know you were pregnant!" "jean and i decided that we should surprised you." jean's mom is so sweet i swear, if both of you will go on a date, jean's mom will take care of the baby.

reblogs and feedbacks are appreciated.

#snk #shingeki no kyojin #attack on titan #jean kirschtien #jean kirstein #jean x reader #jean x you #shingeki no kyoujin x reader #vie.posts

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yeojaa · 4 years

Text

NOT YOUR FAIRYTALE - ft. myg

What do you do when you've called your wedding off but forgot to cancel your cake tastings? Why, you ask your brother's grouchy best friend, of course.

pairing. min yoongi. sort of.

genre + rating. fluff-adjacent. general.

warning / tags. mentions of infidelity, cake tasting, cake tasting isn’t a euphemism, fluff and hurt/comfort, alternate universe, alternate universe - modern setting, friendship, friendship/love, childhood friends.

reading. n/a. a stand-alone three part one-shot.

word count. ~1850

chapter iii.

“I didn’t mean it, Yoongi.”

The apology is off your tongue and crashing into his ears before you have a second to consider it, pleading colouring syllables in soft shades of blue. You hate the way he’s looking at you, like you’ve found the chink in his armour and are on the verge of exploiting it.

“It’s fine.” Over a decade of friendship tells you it’s decidedly not fine. His concession comes far too quickly, meant to placate whatever guilt he’d accidentally kicked up.

It makes you feel worse, the weight increasing tenfold when he offers you his seldom-seen smile. Gums flash, corner of his mouth hitching over soft pink tissue. It doesn’t quite meet his eyes though, falling just short of the endlessly dark depths of his irises.

“Seriously. Forget about it.” You know he’s doing his best to force you onward but you can’t help but dig your figurative heels further into the dirt. An immovable force.

“I’m really sorry,” you repeat, voice thick with meaning.

Yoongi huffs a little, seemingly frustrated. You shrink a little further in on yourself, shoulders dropping and lips shifting in tandem. You’re probably pouting. You feel his stare from your periphery, feline gaze focused wholly on the way your mouth turns and turns around words you’re trying to perfect.

Silence stretches on, longer than you can stand and far more awkward than you’re used to. You can feel it like a suffocating weight, a goose down comforter in the heat of summer - heavy and unpleasant.

“I’m sorry.” It squeaks out in the same instant he sighs. He sounds less irritated, though you can see the tension in his chin, how it jumps the muscle in his jaw.

“You don’t have to keep saying it.”

“But I don’t think you’re heartless, Yoongi. I shouldn’t have said it.” You say it like it’s crucial - as if you might perish if you don’t get them out. They sweep into the spaces between you, earnest and full of fear, filling all the cracks left by your own hand.

You layer your reassurances as best you can, tongue tripping over teeth as you ramble about all the different ways you see him.

In shades of diffused morning light, lined with silver like a physical reminder that there’s always hope. Through the lens of childhood admiration, sprinkled with childish laughter and doe-eyed awe. With as much unconditional love as you’ve ever been capable of, wrapped up in furtive glances and curious, miserably nonchalant texts to your brother.

It comes and comes, word vomit that won’t stop until you’re brought back by the expression on his face. It’s tender, bemused - reminiscent of a parent of an overzealous child. You’ve seen it a million times before, though the instances were much fewer and far between now that you were older.

You immediately backtrack. “I’m sorry.” This time it’s for wasting his time, for being his best friend’s annoying little sister.

You’re tumbling over your own two feet again. You’ve said too much by the time he speaks at all.

“You’re more than that.” A statement of fact, seemingly, by how he delivers it with such ease, as if it hasn’t just set your heart off in your chest, the poor thing stuttering to life (or death). You’re not sure.

Despite your best efforts, the singular word gives you away, coloured canary red with hope. “What?”

If he’d heard your question at all, he says nothing, footsteps never faltering. He’s walking ahead like he hasn’t just turned your world on its axis, throwing you completely off-balance. He doesn’t even offer a glance back, halfway down the block by the time you come to your senses.

You jog to catch up, fingers eager to close the distance you quickly eat up. You settle into a measured pace behind him, though your mouth moves at a mile a minute. You can feel the maddening persistence in your bones, hear it as it carves demands into what was once comfortable silence.

“Why did you say that?” No response. “Yoongi!” He doesn’t even flinch, gaze trained ahead as if he’s never been in Apgujeong before and he’s terribly interested in everything but you.

The distinct urge to stomp your foot fizzles through your limbs and you almost do. You’re rooting yourself to the spot, sneaker raised comically, when he rounds on you. Brows have disappeared into his swath of dark hair and his chin tilts just so, studying you quizzically. It looks like he’’s having an internal debate as to whether he should rib you further.

He decides against it - returning to the conversation you’re so adamant to have. “You know, for being a Kim, you’re not that bright.”

“Excuse me?” Indignation bursts out your mouth. You’re focusing too hard on the words he’s spoken than the implication behind them. They sail over your head, lost to the pretty coral that streaks across the sky and eats up the horizon.

To Yoongi, it’s like watching his literal heart fly out the window. He’s a little exasperated when he speaks again. “You’re my best friend’s little sister. I don’t know what you expect me to say.”

“What’re you saying?” Because you’re really confused now. You think Namjoon would be too.

Are you even having the same conversation?

“Do I need to spell it out for you?” The line of his mouth quirks, corner stretching into something that borders on a smirk. It’s devilish - decidedly not something you’re used to - and you imagine your stomach kickflips before wrecking itself on the pavement.

Your silence seems to be answer enough.

He heaves a sigh as if he’s been terribly inconvenienced, arms folding over his chest. The gesture should read as don’t come near me! but you have the very distinct urge to fold yourself under his arms. You resist it by biting down hard on your bottom lip.

“I’ve had feelings for you since we were kids. Specifically since you had your 10th grade ballet recital and you kept the bear I got you.”

You remember the day like it was yesterday. You’d been lucky enough to land the coveted spot in the winter showcase and he’d been there, shoulder to shoulder with your brother, when you’d taken your bow. The bouquet of peonies he’d brought you - in soft shades of blush and violet, your favourite colours - had nearly engulfed your frame and you’d had trouble holding both it and the sweet brown bear that came with it.

The same bear that still sat on your bedside table, propped up beside your charging cable and yearly planner. The one you’d cried yourself hoarse over after you thought you lost it during your freshman year of college.

“I don’t understand.” You frown, deeply. You can feel the little dent between your brows. It comes out when you’re stressed or confused or, in this instance, both.

He’s more teasing than unkind: “Like I said - not that bright.”

You ignore the dig. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I couldn’t do that to Joon. I promised I wouldn’t.”

Somehow, that’s more of a revelation than Yoongi’s confession.

“He knows?” You can’t help the gasp that ricochets out of your mouth, belligerent and betrayed. You’re already running through the 100 different ways you’re going to kill your brother. Because he’d known! While you’d pined, Namjoon had known and simply stood by. “He knows how I feel about you and he didn't say anything?”

You know if you think about it, you can’t blame him. You’d given him a hard time too when he and Sora seemed to get along a little too well. Call it a sibling thing.

In the heat of the moment though, you’re livid. So Yoongi does what he does best and redirects effortlessly.

“—feel?”

The prompt reassigns all focus back to him, your anger toward your brother all but forgotten. You think you could give Pikachu a run for his money by the surprise that works itself into your expression. Heat licks itself across your cheeks, rolling like a steam engine over the exposed skin of your neck and up past your ears. Had it suddenly jumped 20 degrees?

“I mean felt.”

When Yoongi steps forward, you’re hyper fixated on the way his mouth bends and bows, gums and neat white enamel revealed by the motion. You’re rooted to the spot as he’s suddenly all you can see, crown of dark hair blocking the light from behind him, narrow shoulders curling in on you. He’s near enough you can smell his comforting, woody scent.

You haven’t been this close in - well, ever, you think.

Then he kisses you - a chaste thing, right on the cheek - and you forget how to breathe.

“I guess we’ll need to change that.”

SIX MONTHS LATER

“I’m honestly surprised,” your boyfriend drawls, the picture of disinterest as he leans himself against the packed counter top, elbows propping himself up. He’s staring out at the sea of people swarming the apartment, a comfortable group of new and old coming together to celebrate something very important.

He watches as your brother narrowly misses knocking over the beer pong table, earning a groan from the participants. Jungkook yells something about his shot being messed up; Jimin denies a re-throw. There’s more incoherent shouting.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

You’re at his back, arms twined neatly around his slender waist as you press your face into the warm expanse of his back. The sweater he wears is overly soft from years of wear and it feels good under your reddened cheek.

You’d had a bit to drink and you were feeling exceptionally affectionate.

“You actually kept it a secret.” Not that he hadn’t figured it out himself. It was in your nature to throw surprise parties - you did for Namjoon and Jin and that loud best friend of yours - so he’d only figured he would get one when the time came.

“We’re very good at keeping secrets in this family, remember?” Your voice carries past the cotton of his clothes, filtering through laughter to kick his beating heart into overdrive.

“Oh, how could I forget.” He snorts quietly, turning in the same instance you unlatch yourself from him. He has to fight the look of disappointment that threatens to pull his mouth into a pout, brow knitting in disapproval as you round on the refrigerator.

It’s only when you spin back to face him that his expression cracks and re-sets itself with glee. Now he’s actually surprised.

Because you’ve got a cake box from the same bakeshop you’d gone cake tasting at. He recognizes the logo on the front and the pretty frosting behind the plastic cover. It’s shades of cream and citrus and decorated with cherries. Your - and his - favourite cake from that day.

“You’re not supposed to see the cake ahead of time!” It’s Namjoon bursting into the kitchen looking alarmed.

You laugh first, bright and sunny. “It’s a birthday cake, not a wedding dress.”

But as you kiss him, cake cradled gingerly between your bodies, Yoongi thinks he wouldn’t mind seeing you in that, either.

notes. this final chapter was short and sweet but i hope you enjoyed it. thank you for reading! x

tag list. @hoodmeup @loveyoongles @vi-hoshi

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silence-burns · 3 years

Text

Please Hate Me //part 43

Fandom: Marvel

Summary: Based on: “Imagine having a love/hate relationship with Loki.” by @thefandomimagine Who would have thought that babysitting a god could be so much fun?

Genre: slow-burn, enemies to lovers, banter

"You know what? This could actually be worse."

Loki tore one eye open, just to check if your surroundings had changed during the short nap he’d taken against the wall.

The cold, humid cell deep under the palace was still bare and just as uninviting as before. The roughly carved stone reminded Loki of the insides of a beast's belly, the edges rounded, the corridors meandering, and that unnerving smell of dampness and mold hanging thick in the air. The only evidence of the dungeons ever being touched by civilized hands were the metal bars set deep in the stone, quite solidly locking you in.

"Are you sure?" Loki asked. "We are being tried for murder, and not even ones we actually committed."

"That part sucks, I’ll concede, but I mean - at least they don't know about Peter. I don't see him in any of these cells."

That was some small relief. Loki stroked your head, currently laid in his lap. He closed his eyes again. There was no rush.

It was difficult to judge the passage of time under the mountain of stone overhead and with no light from the outside. The only sources of it were the strange colonies of small mushrooms, glowing softly in the otherwise complete darkness. Their hats were no larger than the nail of a thumb, and swayed slowly, as if struggling against phantom winds.

The air felt stale in your lungs - to the point where you wondered if the only way to feel a whisper of a breeze again required consuming the luminescent mushrooms if only to catch the barest hint of the breeze that perpetually swayed them side to side.

"Are those toxic?"

"I have no idea."

"Haven't you read about the dungeons?"

"I've never even heard a whisper of them, but to be honest, I never prepared my studies of the Edge with imprisonment in mind."

"You should've known better."

"My bad."

You tapped your foot against the stone, hoping to relieve at least some of the energy buzzing in your veins. The sounds were quickly swallowed by the foggish air, enclosing you once again in the unnerving silence.

No more than a few hours could've passed since you were thrown in there to wait for the trial. You had no idea how much longer it'd take, but if they thought you'd peacefully rot down there for however long they wished, the lords would be in for a surprise.

"Loki, can I cut the bars now?"

Loki sighed. It was the third time you’d asked. "No."

"But I'll just make a tiny little chip to see if the sword would even work on them."

"We literally have nowhere to run to. I have no way of getting us off the Edge, and Heimdall is unlikely to work against his orders again for us."

That posed a problem.

"But I want out."

"You just don't want to pee in the bucket."

"Of course I don't, I still have some basic human decency. Have you even looked at that thing? I wish I could throw it out of our cell… I have no idea why you're laughing, but I'm warning you - if my bladder decides it's had enough, I'm out."

"Don't worry, it won't be long now."

Crossing your arms, you hid your hands from the cold. Your patience was wearing thin, but Loki's calm was a reassuring presence behind your back.

"You've been on trial before?"

"Yes."

"What happens now?"

Loki didn't dwell on the memories that resurfaced in his mind. His last trial had taken place on Asgard, under a vastly different regime. The mark of the traitor had been plastered to his back before he even set foot before his king - and father.

There would be none of that in this trial, for better or worse - Loki hadn't yet decided.

"They'll soon take us before whoever is to make the verdict. The delay is likely caused by the powers weighing in the palace. The High Prince has every right to rule over us, but the Queen won't allow herself to be pushed away, even now."

"I don't think she'll even notice us."

"If there's any conscience left in her from the old days, she will."

That caught your attention. It sounded like a story, and even poor, short stories were better than the miserable wait in the tiny, damp cell with only the mushrooms and a reeking bucket to keep you company.

"I told you that I've been to the Edge before, with my court on official visits. I was never allowed to dwell around this place as freely as I'd wish for, but even I had met the Queen. It was long ago, for beings like us are not confined to the mortal passage of time. She was fading already back then, but her descent had only just begun and the power within her was still thrumming deep, making her grip on the court and its people like iron. There were whispers that with the almost depthless power like hers, her fading would take millenia, and assure the Edge's prosperity throughout that time. The sacrifice she must make would never be forgotten." Loki swallowed. He still remembered the cold, icy touch of her magic. "She's likely clinging to every shred of it."

"She seems like a ghost." You shivered, remembering the brief meeting with what was left of her.

"I wouldn't put it above her to make her final stand a moment to spit Asgard in the face before she completely fades. I'm a prince, after all, even if Asgard cut ties with me. The wars ravaged this land, and the memories are still fresh in some minds."

"Will they sentence us to die?"

"Most likely. The Rifts will surely enjoy drinking our essence."

The images that flashed before your eyes were far from enjoyable.

"So, we stick to our usual plan?" you asked after a moment of silence. Even silence felt sticky in that place.

"I don't recall ever having one?"

"What about being assholes to everyone long enough for some lucky turn of events to save our asses - in our current case, Peter finding the murderer?"

"I love that plan."

The plan was not loved by even one other person, but that was no surprise. Those who had to deal with you once the time had finally come to put you in shackles and drag you out of the cell, were far from happy when a series of unfortunate events halted their preparations.

And those were truly unfortunate, one had to admit. Who would've thought that the shackles on Loki's hands never seemed to fit? They constantly slipped off, much to his own surprise. But Loki was a forgiving god, so he braced through it all with a calm smile and patience of a saint. It only faltered when another set of cuffs was placed over his wrists, weaved from thick, silvery material that seemed to block the source of the struggle, and his magic with it. It was not unlike the bracelet his memory was still adamant to forget, that had complicated his life in the past.

But as saddening as that was, your problems were on a completely different level. It was not everyday that one's legs completely refused to work, no matter how much you willed them to.

A tragedy, that's what it was.

A nuisance, that's what one of the guards said before hauling you over his shoulder.

You wished you could wipe Loki's smirk off his smug face, as he walked behind you.

"I didn't have time to think of anything better," you hissed through clenched teeth.

"Silence!" the order came sharp and loud in the echoing confines of the narrow staircase.

The guards were careful handling you. Their swords were at the ready and you had little doubt they'd be used if necessary. Loki shook his head slightly. You had to wait for a better chance.

The enormous hall you'd been taken to had to lay in the heart of the palace. Rows of galleries overlooked the vast space, separated by thin, winding columns covered in ivy, orange, and red leaves tightly woven. Behind them loomed the river, its wild current sending a cold breeze through the hall. The water murmured a song of endless wrath as it hit the rocks and the shore, ferocious in trying to free itself from its course.

It was the only alive thing in the hall, you quickly noticed as the guard plopped you onto the ground with no ceremony. He stalked back, joining the other guards, their armor unblemished, and swords pointed at you. In front of you, standing on the raised dais at the head of the hall, awaited the Prince and the fading Queen, just as Loki predicted. Pooled around them were the other residents of the palace you could see for the first time. They stood tall and proud in their ashen regalia and shimmering jewelry. Horns bode the air, sharp as knives. Clawed hands clenched, as if imagining the way your necks would feel underneath them. The enemies' necks.

A miracle occurred when your legs suddenly worked again. You moved a little closer to Loki, looking around. But the walls were far and carefully guarded. The only way out was the river, into its thrashing current that dug its way through the mountain and the palace, unstoppable in its rage.

A shadow of the same rage crossed the eyes of the Prince as he beheld you, seeing precisely what all the unexplained events led him to believe. It was a wonder why he bothered with a trial at all. You were sure the river would welcome two more corpses, just as the Rifts would claim your lives.

You couldn't wait for the part where you could at least say you had nothing to do with any murders. There was little you could do to prove it, but it still felt like the only highlight worth waiting for.

Loki understood your concern well. There was absolutely nothing pleasant about murder accusations, true or not.

"How low Asgard has fallen," the High Prince finally broke the silence.

"You have no idea," Loki admitted. "But still not low enough to have anything to do with what we're being accused of right now. We spent the day out in the woods, learning about the Rifts and looking for more clues."

Half-truths were an interesting sort of truth. While they maintained some of their original meaning, part of them always had to be diluted enough to fit into what others wanted to hear. Despite the hurtful claims against him, Loki loved the truth. Truth was his favorite thing more often than not - so much, in fact, that he often preferred to keep a part of it for himself.

"Have you found any?" The question was polite, but there was no interest in the Prince's voice.

That was a slippery ground, especially since all your potential suspects had gathered in that very hall.

Your eyes met with the female guard you recognized. It was the scarred warrior following the Queen. Her short hair stood like a porcupine's spikes, covering part of the thick, winding scar. The woman had a nasty smile on her disfigured face.

Her place was by the Queen's side, her hand on her sword. She looked ready to strike on the Queen's slightest indication - it was lucky then, that the Queen herself appeared as disinterested in her surroundings as always. The pale gown she wore reminded you of old, crumpling papyrus, withered as if held too close to the flame. She stood too far for it to be possible, but you could've sworn the smell of burnt-out candles drifted to you.

Loki wore an easy, pleasant smile - a mask befitting this place. "We managed to secure an object that'll lead us straight to the culprit of the unsuccessful attack in the gardens a few days ago. Much remains to be explained, but I'm sure that'll be a great place to start."

"You stand before me, accused of murdering the wild dwellers of the Edge, and yet you speak as if you still have time." The Prince shook his head.

Looking at his horns, you couldn't get the image of them cutting through your head. The Prince was the first of your suspects. If he wanted you dead, why weren't you already?

"We cannot even be certain that you didn’t stage that attack," the Prince mused. "Where do you have this object you speak of?"

Loki swallowed. "It is currently tracking the source of the spells," he said carefully.

Time was indeed running out, and it gnawed at your bones. There was only so much you could do to delay the inevitable.

Your hands shook, but you put them together. You wouldn't show any of those deadly silent, uninterested lords how hard it was to remain still. How hard it was to breathe.

A splash of color, so unlike anything in the pale, withering hall caught your eye. Making sure not to move your head much, you cast a careful, quick gaze upwards, toward the empty galleries overhead. A youthful face peeked from one of the balconies. Peter.

Loki's words drifted away from you as you focused on the boy, showing you the stone he still held, the mission you entrusted him with. And you frowned as he pointed toward the dais, to the two figures standing there.

The true murderer was there. It had to be one of them.

The Queen remained poised still as a statue while the Prince derided Loki's words. Which one was it?

Peter kept showing you the horns with one of his hands, which could've helped you more in a situation where you didn't stand among lords, jewels shining on all of their many horns, sharp and dull, long and short, but all deadly.

"Where is it then?" the Prince lost his patience at last, the steel toning in his voice. "How can you prove anything of what you claim?"

"It is the stone of Atica," Loki finally said. "I borrowed a part of the spider that attacked us and let the stone find the spellcaster behind it."

Faint whispers erupted among the lords. The Queen's gown rustled like dried leaves, but she remained silent. But there was fury in the Prince's eyes as he shouted "Then where is the stone? How much longer will you make a fool of me?"

"It is here," you said, your voice clear and ringing in the hall as you stepped forward.

Never had you felt so small and irrelevant as in the moment when all the attention focused on you.

Out of the corner of your eye, you caught a glimpse of color, moving from the gallery onto the high ceiling above you, cautious and slow as to not alarm anyone. You took another step, hoping everyone would monitor your movement instead, so close to the dais now that you could count the silver fairies and animals sculpted onto its side in lifelike detail.

So close that the hatred emitting off Faroq, captain of the guard, was close to burning your skin. You had no doubt that if you took one step closer to the Prince, the needle-like sword hanging by his hip would pierce your heart.

"We only hope that you and your people alike will accept the truth," you said and held your hand to the side.

As a stone dropped right into it, a murmur ran through the crowd again. It began glowing, dragging all eyes to it - no one dared look away as you raised it to show everyone the culprit.

But it did not glow toward the Prince, who you stood no more than a few feet away from you.

The stone of Atica held a steady glow toward the left, to the Queen and her guards.

The female guard took a step closer, the expression wild on her scarred face, and for a moment you thought she might spill the Queen's blood.

But you watched the wrong person.

The Queen, merely a decorative part of the palace grounds through all the time you spent there, finally raised her face, her only horn pointing toward the far ceiling.

To Peter, who had gestured with only one hand. Who tried to make you understand.

"Long may I live," the Queen said, her voice ashen and steady.

The power she unleashed was far from faded - that was the single thought you managed to scramble as it hit you hard, sending your body flying like a mere insect.

#please hate me #loki x reader #loki x you #loki laufeyson x reader #loki laufeyson x you #loki mavel #loki #loki mcu #loki laufeyson #loki imagine #loki laufeyson imagine #marvel #mcu #loki marvel #loki fanfiction #I Love Loki

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ohscorbus · 4 years

Photo

I went to the Slytherin Celebration at the WB Studio Tour because I’ve always wanted to see the Slytherin common room and it’s finally on display for the first time! I’m posting these here for reference. I picture and write the boys hanging out in the common room a lot so it’s great to have more visuals.

But for the record, I’m not saying any of this is ‘canon’. I’m a Cursed Child fan so naturally I hate that debate! I’m just saying this is what I base my headcanons off when I talk about their common room. I grew up with the books and the films so this is how I’ll always visualise Hogwarts. Whether that’s right or wrong, I don’t care. I just thought someone might find this interesting or parts of it would be useful if we share similar ideas. I stood in front of this set and was inspired. It’s such a cool set. I simply wanted to share that : )

Observations/more photos/Scorbus thoughts under the cut:

Obviously this set is from 1992, twenty five years before Albus and Scorpius get there so this is irrelevant to them, but can we talk about walnuts being the choice of communal snack? Or does someone just have a serious obsession because that’s a huge bowl full. Either way, I’m slightly concerned for those Slytherins with allergies as the empty shells were scattered on all the surfaces surrounding the sofas. But back to Albus and Scorpius, what if this is a Slytherin thing that has continued? I wonder what they make of it. Do they like them? Or do they just get annoyed when people leave rubbish all over the place? Like the empty chocolate frog packet on the footstool and the used cups everywhere. Albus might be used to sharing space but Scorpius isn’t.

I know it’s suppose to look like it feels cold and damp but I was shocked that all the stone walls had very visible water marks running down them. I mean, there’s feeling cold and then there’s serious health hazards but hey, it’s Hogwarts! I guess that would explain the need for the huge fireplace. It’s definitely bigger than the Gryffindor one. First years would literally be able to walk right into it without ducking. Again, slightly concerning... And who is responsible for keeping the fire going? Do the students do it since the logs are right there? I’m picturing a miserable Albus repeatedly getting splinters but putting up with it because he needs to stay warm.

The cushions! I don’t know why I was surprised by the amount or how clearly used they all were. They made the room look comfy and lived in. I could imagine the boys snagging a couple of cushions (or even having favourite ones) before settling down to do homework.

The skull above the fireplace doesn’t have a plaque so I wonder if their identity is verbally passed down to new Slytherins or whether its origins have just been lost over time. If so, I can see Albus making up a name for them. I bet it’s purposely ridiculous to antagonise Scorpius who then scours the library for weeks looking for their real name because they can’t possibly be called that. When he comes up with nothing, I hope he writes to his parents and they both give him two different names. His reaction as he reads the letter over breakfast is priceless. It’s one of Albus’s favourite memories from first year.

Here’s a scaled model of the common room. It makes you realise just how tall this space is. I wasn’t expecting that since it’s not in a tower. Although it is described as ‘cavernous’ and ‘as if it was carved out of solid rock’ so I don’t know why I was surprised it was so impressive.

I was really geeking out over this model. It’s incredible that they made that and from it, made this....

Like I said before, I think I’ll always visualise Hogwarts pretty much as it is in the films. Although I have to admit, whenever I picture the boys in the common room I imagine it much warmer and softer than it’s made out to be. (I don’t think I like the idea of them somewhere cold so I subconsciously fix it?) Although maybe to those who live there for seven years, it is? Maybe to them it is cosy and exactly what they need after a full day of classes. The darker, underwater tones aren’t warm but they are very peaceful. Combine that with the cushions, rugs, tapestries, throws... I think this place is only as gloomy as you let it be. Which probably doesn’t help Albus in those first few years as it looks like it could calm you just as easily as it could reflect your negative mood and prolong it. Or worsen it. Can anyone else picture Albus sat alone against the cold stone as he mentally spirals into a bad place? (Fear not, Scorpius will be along shortly with some chocolate.)

Anyway. I think I’ll end this with my favourite piece of concept art from the films. I never see this one around online but it’s beautiful. I love how the light from the lake streams into the room. It makes it look less like a castle and more like a cathedral. I bet it even blew Albus away the first time he walked in. But I guess that’s what they were going for when they deliberately chose a different style of architecture from the rest of the castle. It really must be like escaping the school for a little bit. Hopefully Albus does feel that too.

Although talking of the windows, I always write about the boys sitting by them and looking out into the lake. I love the idea of them doing that! And yet the windows are all up so high. But I guess it isn’t surprising that appearance was more important to its founder than his student’s entertainment. Still, I like to think there’s at least one window that’s lower down for them to look through. If not, I absolutely believe the windows in the dormitory rooms are. You’ll never convince me that Scorpius doesn’t fall asleep looking out the window next to his bed, still believing this school is everything he dreamed it would be. Despite all the bullies. They can damage his property and call him names but they’ll never take this away from him.

#scorpius malfoy #albus severus potter #albus potter #scorbus #slytherin #slytherin common room #mypost #long post

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duelistkingdom · 3 years

Text

you’d come back to me

chapter ten: open

[first chapter] [previous chapter] [master list] [next chapter] [read on ao3]

Summary: Seto Kaiba has been presumed dead for four years after the events of Dark Side of Dimensions. His return causes both unresolved feelings of grief to be brought to the surface and the past to be dragged right back up. In hopes of helping Seto move on and reintegrate back into society at large, Mokuba asks Yugi to work on Spherium II with Seto. Never one to leave a friend hanging, Yugi agrees. Over the course of the project, Seto and Yugi both come to terms with their mutual grief and grow towards a better understanding of each other.

Rating: T

Ships: Yugi Mutou/Seto Kaiba, Mokuba Kaiba/Rebecca Hopkins, Katusya Jonouchi/Mai Kujaku

Warnings: aged up characters, grief, references to suicide

consider supporting me on kofi / battle city tiers & above get first access to chapters!

The exhibition duel had garnered quite the media attention. Most people wanted to know what the tragedy that Yugi was referring to was and no one seemed to have any answers. Yugi didn’t know where to begin to explain. How could he explain what had happened that led to everything that existed between Kaiba and him? No, it was better to let them wildly speculate. He didn’t care. Anzu had asked Yugi if he’d meant to make Kaiba cry. Yugi still wasn’t sure that Kaiba was actually crying. Either way, Kaiba was now going out of his way to avoid Yugi at work.

“You’ve caused quite the commotion with that Duel,” Isis remarked with a light smile on her face as she stared up at the exhibition for Atem. “Is there any reason you’ve come here, Yugi? You usually try so hard to avoid coming to see me when I’m at the museum.”

Yugi, once again, didn’t know where to begin. “Er, I wanted to wish you a happy birthday,” Yugi said, figuring it was a good enough cover. When Isis turned to look at him with a raised brow, Yugi felt almost like she could still somehow see the future. It was strange that even without the Taulk, Isis seemed to know more than she should. “What? Your birthday’s coming up.”

“Of course it is,” Isis said. “But normally you simply call or send a card. Coming to visit me must mean there’s something on your mind.”

It was strange how such an accurate statement from Isis could make Yugi feel uncomfortable. When it came down to it, Yugi simply couldn’t see Isis without thinking of everything that had happened in Battle City. Isis was also the one to tell them about the Ceremonial Duel. It was not Isis’s fault that Atem was gone. Yugi was certain that with or without Isis, he would have to aid Atem’s restless spirit in finding peace. However, Yugi couldn’t help but harbor some mixed feelings towards Isis. “Well,” Yugi said softly, trying to figure out where to start. “I was wondering why the future changed when Kaiba dueled you but… Atem…”

Isis did not seem surprised by this line of questioning. Instead, she looked away and stared back up at the tablet. “Atem had already died, Yugi,” Isis said softly as she gestured up to the tablet. “He lived and died three thousand years ago. There was no future to change. Ghosts are not meant to live in this world. This does not change even when we love and care for the dead. It is one of life’s cruelest jokes.”

The tablet did not provide any answers to Yugi. It was the same as always: Atem and some priest that Yugi never learned the name of in the middle of battle. It didn’t seem fair that Atem would be required to die. Then again, had life ever been fair to him? “He was so young,” Yugi said softly. It had only just now hit him how young sixteen was. On the other side of twenty, he was now amazed that his teenage self had even managed to keep it together. “It just doesn’t seem right.”

“He is not the only one in the past to have died young. We mourn for the dead but we keep going forward,” Isis reminded Yugi, turning towards him. Her eyes were like the ocean - full of deep, dark secrets that Yugi was scared to ask her about - and she was peering deep into his. Searching out his own secrets, he’d imagine. Unlike her, he never could hide very well. “He is where he should be, Yugi. You shouldn’t live for the dead.”

If anyone had any right to tell him that, it was Isis. The Ishtars knew better than anyone that life was for the living. “Right,” Yugi said, looking up at the carved out drawing of Atem one last time. He knew that Atem wouldn’t want him to remain stuck on him. It was more than time to let go of the past. “Well… Happy birthday once again, Isis. Try to take some time off from work, okay?”

“Thank you,” Isis said with a slightly warmer smile. “I shall try to leave work early to go see my family. You have a nice day, Yugi.”

As Yugi left, his phone pinged and he fished his phone out. The new message from saggithedarkclown left no doubt in his mind that it was Kaiba behind the account. He stared at the message for a while before a second message from the account pinged, apologizing for the first message and that it absolutely wasn’t intended for him.

Kaiba was slightly frustrated. Yugi had been acting weird towards him for the past week now. As hard as Kaiba was trying to dodge Yugi, Yugi didn’t seem to want to let Kaiba be alone. He always had a reason to confront Kaiba, too. It was always that he had to check in on how the coding was going, check in on something that Kaiba had taken the lead on, check in this, and check in on that. Even worse, Yugi seemed to have lost the concept of ‘personal space’ and got just a little closer every single time. This time, Yugi’s chest was less than an inch away from Kaiba’s back and Kaiba had sat up rigidly as he kept his eyes focused on the screen.

He barely noted what Yugi was saying. He was certain whatever Yugi was saying was important. Kaiba, however, was focused on the fact that Yugi’s lips were so close to his neck. If Yugi leaned forward even slightly, he could kiss Kaiba’s neck. Not only that, Yugi’s cologne was all Kaiba could really smell. It was such a nice, crisp smell that reminded him of a clean ocean breeze. “Kaiba,” Yugi said sharply, drawing Kaiba out of his trance. “Are you even paying attention to me?”

The fact was that Kaiba had never been more aware of Yugi in his entire life. However, he was certain Yugi was not referring to his physical presence. “Of course,” Kaiba said and unfortunately, Yugi moved away. Even more unfortunately, Yugi spun Kaiba’s chair around, forcing Kaiba to look at him. He looked expectant and once again, Kaiba had no clue what Yugi was looking for. “I have been doing this for years, you know.”

“Really,” Yugi asked, crossing his arms over his chest. Kaiba instantly noted that the tailored shirt actually flattered Yugi’s arms for once. “Then tell me what line of code I said would be problematic to mesh with the rest of the team’s code.”

“It doesn’t matter what doesn’t mesh with the rest of the team’s code,” Kaiba deflected, turning back to his computer to hide the light flush creeping across his cheeks. “I can fix their code later to work with mine.”

“This is a team project, Kaiba,” Yugi said, sounding very exasperated as he moved once again to keep eye contact with Seto. Yugi raised a brow as he appraised the look on Seto’s face and Seto shifted uncomfortably. “Kaiba, are you okay? You look a little… nervous.”

“I’m not nervous,” Kaiba snapped, more out of instinct than anything else. He pushed away from his desk, getting up with the intention of leaving his office. If Yugi wouldn’t leave, he would leave. It wasn’t a perfect solution but it was all Kaiba had. “I’m annoyed that you keep insisting on having me work with a team and parroting all that nonsense about teamwork.”

This plan backfired greatly when Yugi placed himself between the small space that provided the only exit from his desk to the door. His desk was firm up against the wall - he couldn’t go around the other way. Not unless he literally lept over his desk and he was worried his legs might kick the expensive computer with work he hadn’t yet backed up. “Kaiba, seriously, what’s wrong,” Yugi asked as he moved in closer, cornering Kaiba up against the wall. “You haven’t complained about working on a team in a while. What’s really bothering you?”

What was really bothering him? Besides the fact that Yugi clearly seemed unaware of the effect he had? “I told you,” Kaiba snapped, trying once again to seem intimidating in hopes of making Yugi go away. Unfortunately, Yugi continued to hold his ground. “Working with a team is beneath me.”

“Is this about the Duel,” Yugi said suddenly, looking a little bit rueful. “I’m sorry I was so harsh, Kaiba. I know it was overwhelming but… I’m not sorry for telling you that people care about you. And I’m especially not sorry for telling you that you need to confront your emotions. You spend so much time trying to convince us all that you don’t have emotions but no one’s fooled, Kaiba.”

The horror curdled in Kaiba’s stomach. Did this mean that Yugi knew Kaiba had feelings for him? Were him and Anzu mocking him for his feelings? Or maybe Yugi didn’t really piece everything together and was simply bluffing his way into finding out what Kaiba was really thinking. It wouldn’t be the first time Yugi managed to bluff his way into victory over him. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Yugi,” Kaiba said automatically. “I’m perfectly fine on my own. I don’t need your help.”

“Kaiba, you can say that all you want but I know you’re hurting,” Yugi said, his hand now on Kaiba’s wrist. Kaiba took a step back and felt his back hit the wall. There was definitely no escape now. Yugi’s other hand had cupped at Kaiba’s cheek and Kaiba felt his heart leap into his throat. This was far too intimate. What was Yugi thinking? “It’s okay, Kaiba.”

“What would your girlfriend say if she saw you in this position,” Kaiba asked acidly, yanking his wrist from Yugi’s hand. Yugi, for his part, looked shocked. “Just because Anzu’s far away doesn’t mean you get to mess with me.”

A beat passed before confusion settled in on Yugi’s face. “Kaiba,” he said slowly, tilting his head. “What the actual fuck are you talking about? Anzu and I aren’t dating.” He paused yet again, before smirking. “Did you really think that I was dating Anzu?”

“Well, why wouldn’t I think that,” Kaiba asked, suddenly very embarrassed to realize his assessment of Anzu and Yugi’s relationship was very offbase. “I mean, I saw you show up with her to Rebecca’s birthday party and you guys were matching. And she’s nice and you guys have known each other for a long time… and you used to have that crush on her.”

Yugi had started laughing. “Anzu and I are just friends, Kaiba,” Yugi said, still laughing as his hands were placed on either side of Kaiba. He had a look in his eyes that Kaiba had only seen in his dreams. Was this a dream? “We both agreed nothing would work between us. She wanted to stay in New York City, I needed to be here in Domino City. Neither of us wanted to be in a long distance relationship that had no real date in sight where we’d be in the same city, so we’re just friends. I am very much not in a relationship.”

Kaiba’s head was spinning. Yugi was single. Yugi was single and he had Kaiba pinned up against a wall. He’d barely processed anything Yugi said beyond “Anzu and I are just friends”, actually. “So you’re single,” Kaiba said, stiffer than usual. “What does that change, anyway?”

“Is that really what you’re asking,” Yugi asked, a slight smirk on his face as one of his hands moved back to cupping Kaiba’s cheek. His thumb lightly brushed against Kaiba’s lower lip and then Yugi’s lips were pressed to Kaiba’s. Kaiba’s breath hitched, his head spinning as Yugi pulled him in closer. This couldn’t be a dream, Kaiba realized. There was no way he could come up with these details. When Yugi pulled away, he had a look of victory on his face. “Does that tell you what that changes?”

For once, Kaiba had no retort. He hadn’t wanted Yugi to stop kissing him. He wondered if he was allowed to kiss Yugi himself. It took a while before he finally managed to say something except what came out was a strangled noise. Not exactly his best line. Yugi looked vaguely concerned and seemed on the verge of asking Kaiba if he was okay again. “If you ask me if I'm okay one more time, Yugi, I will throw you out of my window,” Kaiba said, almost pleased he was able to properly speak again. “Why did you do that?”

Yugi looked stunned. “What do you mean why did I do that,” Yugi said, looking bewildered. “Kaiba, I like you.”

This was a meaningless statement. Yugi liked a lot of people. However, Yugi seemed to think this statement held a lot of meaning in it. “Yugi, we’re at work,” Kaiba said in an attempt to direct the conversation towards something he understood. “Is it really appropriate for you to be…” Kaiba trailed off, making another noise of frustration as he realized he was once again at a loss for words. “This!”

Yugi paused, frowning. “I guess,” Yugi said with a shrug, stepping away. No wait, he didn’t want that to happen. “You’re right. That was inappropriate of me,” Yugi said and Kaiba cursed his own big mouth. “I’ll email you what you need to fix in your code later.”

Kaiba nearly called after Yugi to stay. Instead, he watched Yugi walk out of his office.

“He clearly wanted you to keep kissing him,” Anzu said, rolling over on her bed and holding the iPad up further away. Yugi had explained everything to them as Honda was shaking one of his birthday gifts, trying to figure out what was inside it. “Seriously, I can’t believe he thought we were dating, though.”

“To be fair on Kaiba,” Mai said with an amused smirk on her face, “I don’t think he’s ever dated once in his life. Probably saw you and Yugi looking sweet and went well, obviously that’s a couple. I know what romance looks like. Didn’t even think to ask.”

“I’m more amazed you actually kissed Kaiba,” Jonouchi said, making a face. “So you’re gonna give me all of rich boy’s money, right?”

“Jou,” Honda said with a roll of his eyes as Rebecca snatched the gift away, reminding him that Shizuka hadn't arrived yet as she set it back on the table. “I doubt Yugi’s gonna give you all of Kaiba’s money. He’s gotta give some to me, after all.”

“I’m right here,” Mokuba pointed out as he came out of the kitchen carrying a plate of food that Yugi barely glanced at. Instead, Yugi was lost in his thoughts as he wondered if Anzu was right. Should he have tried to kiss Kaiba again? “Personally, I think it’s great that you and my brother are dating. That would make you my big brother as well! Though I do have to warn you that if you break his heart, I will hurt you. No offense, Yugi.”

Yugi felt a light flush color on his cheeks. “I don’t know if I’d say we’re dating,” Yugi said quickly, not wanting Mokuba to get the wrong impression. The idea of dating Seto was a strange one, actually. He’d never imagined dating after Atem, much less imagined dating Kaiba. Then again, none of that mattered if Kaiba didn’t want to date him. “It was just one kiss and Kaiba did threaten to throw me out of the window after. Is that really dating?”

“No, but you did say his issue was that you two were at work,” Rebecca said as she popped a rice ball into her mouth as she sat down on a nearby ottoman. “So the solution is obvious: you try kissing him again outside of work. If he’s receptive, then he probably totally wants to date you.”

“I would say just ask him out,” Mokuba remarked with a shrug. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“He could take it badly and then make my life difficult while we work on Spherium II,” Yugi pointed out with a frown as he noted that Otogi had been surprisingly quiet during this conversation. “Otogi, what do you think?”

Otogi grinned. “I think you’re overthinking everything,” Otogi said as he stretched out, throwing an arm lazily around Honda. “You already kissed him. Think back over it. Did he kiss back? If he kissed back, you’re totally in. No need to make it harder than it has to be.”

“This coming from the guy whose idea of romance was telling me we were on a date midway through a casual hangout,” Honda remarked as Yugi thought back on how Kaiba had responded. He zoned out, ignoring Honda and Otogi’s small lover’s quarrel as he wondered if Kaiba actually had kissed back.

Yugi knew what he wanted the answer to be. He wanted to think that Kaiba might’ve responded in kind. But was that what actually happened or was he just being hopeful? This continued to distract him even as Shizuka arrived, apologizing for being late and remarking that finals were coming up next month. At that point, Yugi figured that he’d dwelled on this long enough, preferring to present for the rest of Honda’s birthday party.

Kaiba wanted to avoid mentioning that Yugi had kissed him to Reiki. He had, after all, other issues to unpack at this point. “When I was younger, I didn’t think romance was real,” Kaiba said, knowing this was the worst place to start. “My mother died long before I could remember. My father died shortly after. I had no real framework in which romance works. My adoptive father treated it as if it was an afterthought.”

“Interesting starting point,” Reiki remarked as he glanced over his notes. “What made you start thinking about this?”

Because Yugi kissed me, Seto thought. “It’s just something that’s been on my mind because of Mokuba’s relationship with Rebecca,” he said with a shrug. “I was wondering how Mokuba could have managed to settle into a relationship while I…”

Seto trailed off, unsure where he was going with that statement. Surely he had to have a point. “You can’t go around comparing yourself to others,” Reiki said. “There’s nothing happy in comparison.”

“I know,” Seto said softly, finally piecing together what he was trying to say. “I merely meant that Mokuba and I shared similar experiences. Yet he seems to socialize better and has even found a relationship. Meanwhile, a year later, and I still feel as if I am on the outside looking in. I… don’t understand.”

Reiki sighed. “You can’t expect to be able to just jump right back in where you had left off,” he said as he went over his notes. “You’ve made remarkable progress, Seto. When you first arrived in my office, you barely wanted to talk to me. Last week, you called me after you Duel when you were experiencing distress. Today, you knew what you wanted to address today. I know that it must be frustrating that progress has been slow, but you have been making progress.”

“It doesn’t feel like I am,” Kaiba said, feeling frustrated. “It feels like I’ve stagnated.”

“Of course it feels like that,” Reiki said, matter of fact. “You’ve spent the year looking around and seeing how much everything around you has changed while still being who you were four years ago. You have grown over the past year, though. Cut yourself some slack, Seto.”

There were a lot of thoughts going through Mokuba’s head right now. Most of them revolved on wondering why getting Seto to talk to him was like pulling teeth. Mokuba knocked on Seto’s door, glaring at him when the door swung open. “Why did I have to find out from Yugi that you and Yugi kissed?”

There was some satisfaction when Seto looked stunned by the question. For the most part, Seto had never really been forthcoming to Mokuba when something happened. Mokuba was tired of it. He wasn’t about to be blindsided by Seto again. “He told you?”

“Of course he told me,” Mokuba said impatiently, annoyed that was what Seto had chosen to fixate on. Seto, as per usual, was fixating on all the wrong things. It seemed like Seto did that best. During Battle City, Seto had been so fixated on the God Cards that he’d failed to see everything else going on around him. Mokuba, meanwhile, saw so much more. He saw past what Seto was fixating on. This time, however, Mokuba couldn’t be sure what Seto was fixating on. “We’re friends. Friends tell each other what’s going on.”

Mokuba pushed his way past Seto to enter Seto’s apartment. He noted the rather sterile feeling to it. If he didn’t know Seto lived here, he would assume it was a show apartment. “Oh, please, come in,” Seto grumbled sarcastically as he closed the door behind him. “Why does it matter to you if Yugi kissed me, anyway?”

“Because Yugi’s been hung up on Atem for years. You’re the first person Yugi’s actually expressed any level of interest in,” Mokuba said, well aware that Seto would never figure that out on his own. As expected, Seto did not react in the way most people would expect. His steeled eyes and straightened spine would never give away that Seto was surprised. “If there’s any two people that I think would be great together, it’s you and Yugi. I think you should give it a chance.”

“This doesn’t involve you,” Seto said automatically. It was expected. Mokuba had never known his brother to be willing to open up. “This is between Yugi and I. And… And it doesn’t matter.”

Mokuba examined Seto before sighing and taking a seat on one of Seto’s chairs. “Have I told you about how Rebecca and I got together?”

Seto mirrored Mokuba, crossing his arms over his chest. “I fail to see how this is relevant,” Seto said, looking away. “But no. You did not.”

“You know how we met, of course. After the KC Grand Prix, she gave me her email and told me to keep in touch,” Mokuba said, smiling fondly as he remembered how bossy she’d sounded. It seemed like Rebecca’s default state was being bossy, actually. “You know she had that crush on Yugi at the time and so we were just friends. Over time, I… I started to get feelings for her but figured she’d never feel the same way back. I resigned myself to that. Then you vanished and Rebecca was there for me. She even flew out just to be there while I was worrying about you.”

Seto shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Rebecca told me that she was there for you,” he remarked and for once, Mokuba could tell he felt guilty. “I… I’m sorry. I didn’t think about you when I did what I did.”

It wasn’t the first time Seto had apologized. Mokuba waved it off. “It’s fine. You’re here now,” he said with a shrug. “But anyway, while she was here… she casually mentioned that she was going to transfer schools for her PhD. And she asked if I would be okay if she transferred to Tokyo. It took me a minute to realize that she wanted to know if I wanted a future with her.”

“And you did,” Seto asked, looking curious. “How did you know it’d work out? What if it had failed?”

“I didn’t know it would work out,” Mokuba said as he stood up, shrugging. “I knew that I wanted to take a chance with her. And so I took a leap of faith. That’s all relationships are, Seto. They’re leaps of faith.”

#fic: you'd come back to me #myfanfic #rivalshipping #dm rivalshipping #rivalshipping fanfiction #rivalshipping fanfic

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fablesrose · 4 years

Text

Of Kings and Shadows XXX

Description: Y/n, a girl who seems to have found her calling. Being a SHIELD agent is like a dream come true. With a friendship starting to form with the Avengers, she’s the Queen of the world! What could go wrong?

Pairings: Avengers x reader, Loki x reader (eventually)

Warnings: none

Series Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A flip of a switch. A single syllable.

In the coming weeks, something started to feel different. Maybe it was the voice in my head. It was a voice all too familiar, but luckily it was only a whisper. A very convincing whisper, though.

That one word that echoed in Steve's voice spun my whole mindset to do a 180.

My whens became ifs.

The ifs became whens.

And that little voice that I call Noxy resurfaced again.

When are they going to forget about you down here?

When are they going to leave you here to starve? To rot?

When are they just going to drop you to the bottom of the sea, hoping you never resurface?

When are you going to escape before that happens?

There was a person that was molded in me. Before I became The Queen. It was a frame of mind that I seemed to shed when I took back control. I thought perhaps it had disappeared, dissolved, whatever, I didn't really think about it. All I cared about was that suddenly, I was the person my friends loved so dearly again. That small window of someone different was gone, invisible, even erased.

I came to realize that that wasn't the case.

The person I became, slightly sinister, a bit dark, perhaps a little morbid in certain circumstances, was born from desperation. It disappeared when that desperation was no longer needed. It faded as I lost interest in the life my body was living without me. Or at least I thought it faded. I'm beginning to think that I just ignored it.

Once that desperation came back... I don't think this part of me is ever going to go away again.

I couldn't help but look for ways to escape my impending torment. I noticed that the inner machinery of the cell was exposed whenever my food was delivered. (It was still in smoothie form, unfortunately.) I calculated the space in between and if there was enough for me to squeeze through and if there was a pathway for me to break free. I severely doubted it. The only result of that plan could be my limbs grinding in the gears.

That little part of me almost smiled at the thought of feeling something other than the constant overstimulation mixed with dull numbness that's been coursing under my skin since I got that stupid shot.

I tried to steer my mind to any other plan, but they all fell flat in impossibility. The doors were out of the question. With the two never open at the same time, making a run for it was simply absurd. The walls and floor were all sheer, and I had no tools besides a few books and a deck of cards to dismantle anything. I couldn't use my powers to break out either, since that was the whole point of this whole fucking cell.

I ran out of ideas.

Today was a particularly hard day with how loud my mind was screaming at me to escape. To persevere. To survive. To feel. To be prepared for the absolute worst-case scenario.

Loki visited quietly today. For a while, we just stared at each other blankly. My mind was wandering to the dark places Steve unlocked. I only vaguely wondered what Loki was thinking about when he gazed at me.

I was broken out of my stupor when Loki spoke, "Did I ever tell you how relieved I was when I was finally able to see your eyes again?"

I tilted my head, "What do you mean? Like when you saw that I was alive?"

Loki mirrored my movements with a furrowed brow and a shake of the head, "You don't know... Do you?"

I sighed, blinking slowly, "Know what Loki?"

He produced a couple of illusions of pictures of me. The pictures were cropped to center around my face, but I could see my white tactical suit around the corners. What I did notice was my eyes were not their original color. If it was anything but Loki's impossibly high-quality illusions, I would have blamed the unnatural black hue to the grain of the screen or camera, but it wasn't. The illusion left no doubt. My eyes were not my own, instead replaced with black orbs that swallowed more light then was given.

"Oh, man." I gently traced around the edge of my eye subconsciously. So this is what they saw when they looked at me. My eyes held no light... Literally. "You could've told me I looked like shit," I chuckled to try and cover up my slight discomfort.

"Now now, did you forget my opening statement already?" The illusions fizzled out silently as he spoke. I was a little embarrassed to say that I had been too distracted with shock to pay much attention to what he had said before.

He made sure to make eye contact with me as he spoke slowly, "I was so glad when I was able to see your eyes again."

With that I found a hand-held mirror appear in my clasp. It had exquisite workmanship. Knowing Loki, the delicate designs were carved into genuine gold. I purposefully didn't look at myself, instead, directing my attention to the beautiful piece Loki put in my hands.

"Don't be shy my dear," Loki spoke softly with equally gentle nudges of magic at the mirror.

I finally raised it to look at myself. I kept my gaze from my own and studied the other features of my face. There wasn't any denying that it was mine, but I could tell I had changed. My skin had lost all its impurities, scars and rough skin had just disappeared. Certain features seemed to have been enhanced to capitalize on my beauty. It was almost like I was wearing natural make-up. Without the smokey eye. The structure was similar, but perhaps a little more angled, a bit more perfect.

Or maybe I always looked like this and I'd just forgotten, who knows?

After I had looked at everything but my eyes, there was nothing else to delay the inevitable. I finally turned my eyes to... my eyes. I wasn't sure what I would find. I was silently hoping that they looked the same as they were in my childhood, but I was preparing to see an abyss.

Either way, I was wrong.

My irises were somewhere in between. I had a black ring around the outside that seemed to be leaking into the color from my memories. I pulled the mirror closer to get a better look with a furrowed brow. It was fascinating, but terrifying at the same time. I don't know how long I was staring at my eyes, but eventually, I placed the mirror down with a shake of my head. It was such a strange sensation.

"So you meant half of my eyes right?" I gave Loki a soft smile as he vanished the mirror on the floor.

He chuckled, "They're still yours."

I didn't answer, instead, I just kept my smile, not knowing what to say.

Loki's voice quickly followed his presence in my mind, You must stop those thoughts of yours.

Instantly I knew what he was talking about. How would you know and why does it matter princely?

I watched as his smile stretched to a smirk, Who do you think I am darling?

I blew a stray hair from my face that fell when I tilted my head at him. I looked at him innocently, waiting for him to continue. He didn't leave me waiting for long.

Besides. I have a surprise for you.

A/n: If you enjoyed maybe consider leaving a reblog and a comment? Thank you!!

Best Buds Tag List: @kitkatd7 @snarky--starky @confetti-its-an-imagine-blog @kaogasm

OKAS Tag List: @paigelin

#loki odinson #lokilaufeyson #loki fanfic #loki x reader #loki x y/n #loki #avengersfanfiction #avengers x reader #Avengers #Of Kings and Shadows #chapter 30

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hyliangrace-a · 4 years

Text

oh, i ended up spending so much time on this, but - it’s done ! it’s far from perfect but i’m pretty satisfied that there’s a visual guide to my idea of hyrule, post-seven years war. & now, god help you all, i’m gonna talk about it lmao. click here if you want to see a full-sized version of the map, but i’m also gonna put it under the cut in this post with the original map for comparison, & go on for a bit about how hyrule has, in my interpretation, changed under zelda’s rule.

( this gets long. like, really long. like, over 4,500 words long. read at your own risk. i’d say i’m sorry, but i’m really not. & fuck drawing water features forever. )

first thing’s first - the map !

( apologies for the giant watermark underneath it all but i’ve had my shit stolen before & i’m not enthused at the idea of having it happen again. clicking it open in a new tab should make it bigger if the link above doesn’t work. )

so, it’s slightly bigger than the original map which is featured in the game, haha. here’s a comparison of the two, actually, with my map over the top of the original so you can see what’s been changed or added & where. i’ll talk about what got added & why in a bit, i want to speak just about the actual map, first.

i did my best to keep the main locations of hyrule as specified in the game in the same place, & i think did an okay job, tbh ! my biggest nitpick was just how many dang cliffs & rockfaces there are on the original map. i know they serve a purpose in-game, which is completely fair, but they limited worldbuilding a little by making the map so small, so i took some liberties. not with every cliff, of course - i kept some in the southwest to keep the border between gerudo valley & hyrule field intact, & kept the ridge the river runs through - partly for the sake of continuity, & partly because i’ve always loved the fact that falling into the river in the valley washes you down to the lake. expanding them into a new area was fun, too, because at least then they go somewhere, rather than just locking you in to a certain place.

my main point of contention, to be honest, was the giant rockface in south hyrule field. again, i understand why it was there, but, come on ! so i ended up just doing away with it all, letting it lead a path to two new areas i’d like to work into zelda’s canon. the map just fades out in certain places, too, particularly the gerudo desert, so i ended up expanding that a little more & having it lead into the cliffs above lake hylia - the river already runs from the valley to the lake, so why not have more of the desert lead into the mainland ? the mountains, too, got their range expanded, because they just seem so ... small, in canon, when they aren’t being used specifically as dungeon locations. i’d say the only place on the map i didn’t expand in some way is that little gap between zora’s domain & the kokiri forest - the forest is so hemmed in & the domain is literally inside a mountain, hidden behind a waterfall, so i was happy to just let that be empty space. if you manage to climb over the cliffs surrounding the domain, or break through the treetops in the forest, you get a view of the ocean, & that’s that !

it was fun to look at the maps of the games that came chronologically before this one & see how the position of things in hyrule change, but i’m kind of glad that there was only the three before ocarina of time, because the mountains alone move across the map at their leisure, good god. there was a bit of freedom in it, too, because in zelda’s canon timeline, the gods are going to flood hyrule anyway, so i could make whatever changes i wanted because it’s all gonna end up underwater & unseen in the end - plus, it meant i could add in more mountains to take up empty space on the map, because the hylians have to flee somewhere to escape the flood, & i don’t think the peak of death mountain could hold them all. most of the new locations were inspired by the minish cap, more than any other, so i’m going to start at the top of the map & move down to talk about them.

i always loved royal valley & the royal crypt in the minish cap, to be honest. it was spooky & cute, & i’m surprised it, or a concept like it, hasn’t made much of a comeback in later zelda games. the royal family’s tomb being in kakariko village never bothered me much as a kid ( other than the fact their headstone gets utterly destroyed & you get assaulted by what we can only assume are the zombies of previous hylian rulers ??? & then it’s just left open for anyone to stumble in & possibly loot slash get murdered by said zombies ??? actually, y’know what, this bothers me a lot more as an adult, what the fuck - ) but kakariko was a village founded by the sheikah, originally for the sheikah, so i did always find it a little strange that at some point, a ruler of hyrule went ❛ that’s cool, you do you, but make space for us in your graveyard. ❜ i know the history between the hylian royal family & the sheikah is implied to be murky ( thank you, shadow temple ) but that’s a meta for another day, so i’m not gonna go into too much detail, but it’s still something that sticks out as strange to me. call it the sheikah continuing to guard the royal family in death or whatever, but, hm. weird. anyway !

the point is, after the seven years war ends, zelda decides that what originally belonged to the sheikah should be given back to the sheikah. kakariko village was opened up to non-sheikah by impa prior to the rise of ganondorf, & that’s her perogative & not something zelda would ever dream of interfering with, but that applies to the living, & those who die within the village deserve to be buried in the same place. it takes time to get around to the rebuilding of hyrule castle & its’ town, but when it’s time to plan for it, zelda chooses to utilize the abandoned valley which lies behind the castle as the new home for the royal crypt, but not solely for that ! she establishes & sponsors a university on behalf of the royal family, with special consideration going to the preservation of hylian history ( a lot was lost in the hyrulean civil war prior to her birth, nevermind the seven year war following that so quickly, & we can see in other zelda games, such as twilight princess & breath of the wild, historical preservation within hyrule is ... terrible, to say the least. of course, it will all be washed away when the goddesses flood hyrule, but fuck, at least she tries. ) the university also covers a range of other subjects, but history is the one zelda takes an active interest in, & she spends a lot of time with scholars who specialize in it. the royal crypt lies at the very back of the valley, the university being closer to the castle, & then ... watch this space ! i’m likely to add more things to areas around the map in the future.

hyrule castle & hyrule castle town i’ve left in the same spots, pretty much - i imagine the castle is rebuilt to be something like the one we see at the bottom of the ocean in wind waker, but i intend to put my own spin on that, too. zelda wouldn’t be focused too much on getting a castle up agaiin ( i’ve mentioned in a thread before that two years post-ganondorf, she is still sheltering at impa’s house in kakariko village, as rebuilding for the civilians is her main priority, & whilst i haven’t figured out exactly how long that lasts for, it’s a safe bet to say a good few years ) & she definitely wouldn’t want to be living anywhere especially y’know, grandiose & opulent, if her people were still struggling day to day. the castle town bounces back better than ever, expanding a little more to the left over time, but that’s a gradual thing. no real change except a distinct lack of redeads, which is always a bonus !

death mountain & its immediate surroundings, i was happy to leave as they are - it’s marginally wonky in place compared to the original map but it’s not a severe drift from canon, so lets just pretend it sits a little more to the left, shhh. it’s a volcano built into a mountain with a network of caves both inside & adjacent to it, plus a place of worship built into the heart of it, & you can’t really go wrong with that, so i focused on all that empty space beyond them left on the map. minish cap came in clutch again, because by fuck, did they have a mountain range, so i ended up dipping in to it for the names of this one. the gorons are clustered at the forefront of the mountain because everything beyond their city has been mined to the absolute death by those who came before for its resources, & abandoned by the same in turn, but they still send patrols to make sure it’s fine.

there’s a story of how, before the gorons settled into the mountain, a man of great strength climbed the mountain alone to make his home within it - he faced eruptions from a then-hostile death mountain, fought off the creatures who called the range home & weren’t fond of sharing, & forged on to what was said to be the edge of hyrule itself. it wasn’t, not quite, but it was far enough away from the central provinces of the kingdom that the mountains became capped with snow, contrasting the temperate mountains to the west. the story goes that the adventurer decided to call the furthest reaches of the mountain home, & singlehandedly carved out what would become the beginning of the mines, in order to gather materials for his forge. it’s been disputed whether said man was hylian or goron, as the biggoron family claim lineage from him, but the mountains he once inhabited are named for him now, & are one of the places zelda hid whilst on the run & masquerading as sheik - despite the extreme temperatures playing havoc with her & nearly killing her, it’s one of the harder to reach spots in hyrule, so it provided a measure of safety that other places could not. melari’s hold lies in the northeast, but the cold spot on the mountain travels further south than would be expected, resulting in a cold spot - the ice cavern - to the north of zora’s domain.

real quick, fuck zora’s domain. there was no way to make the water feature coming from here look decent, or properly portray the types of cliffs it’s surrounded by, so please don’t judge it too harshly. at the end of ocarina of time, zora’s domain is still said to be frozen, but recovering from the curse ganondorf placed on it, which, great ! i’m gonna say, i could be completely off here in how it works, but i wanted to change things up a little, so if i am, i don’t mind that much. i like a bit of artistic license. also, if we can have literal fish people, a genderless species made of rock, children who don’t grow up in a magical forest which horrifically warps those who don’t belong, & a giant fucking overworld field where the skeletons of what look like fucking children come out to fight you at night ? i’m okay with this reckoning being off a little.

so, eventually, zora’s domain unfreezes. i personally imagine, as ganondorf’s power ebbed from hyrule, that the process started slow, until one day, it wasn’t. it’s said that zora’s fountain is the source of all water in hyrule, with the domain lying under the mountain it rests on top of, & a few secret passageways here & there, which is fine, usually - the fountain never froze, just the domain beneath it. that becomes a problem, though, when the magical freeze put in place by ganondorf wears off, & the excess water from the melt ends up flooding the domain. not a problem from those who live within it, with the zora being essentially amphibian in nature, but when that excess water begins seeping out into the fountain, through cracks in the mountain, through the entrance granted to those affiliated with the royal family ? that all goes over the fountain, down the sleepless waterfall, through the river, & that river completely bursts its banks. the water level of the river rises significantly, washing away much of the path previously taken by those who wished to go to the domain on foot, causing minor flooding in hyrule field as it travels downstream, & resulting in the waters of lake hylia rising when the overflow reaches it, hence the lake being larger in my version of the map. the rebuilding of a path to zora’s domain ends up becoming one of the earliest projects zelda undertakes as queen but it’s a bit of a logistical nightmare for a while, considering that, with princess ruto ascended as a sage, zora’s domain is now in a succession crisis. does it have much bearing on zelda’s life ? not especially, but i thought it was a nice bit of worldbuilding, so here it is.

kokiri forest, the lost woods, & everything within doesn’t change much. with the dark magic vanquished from the forest, & the great deku sprout able to thrive, the forest continues to grow, & overgrow. it’s still dangerous to outsiders to go within, still dangerous for anyone to enter the lost woods without a fairy companion to guide them & save them from a grim fate, but the children of the forest do grow somewhat braver about stepping out from their home to see the rest of hyrule. it never lasts long - not all of the kokiri are as brave as link was, after all, & hyrule is so vast compared to what they’re used to - but it sparks their curiosity & their desire to explore hyrule which eventually trickles down to the wandering koroks.

the area to the south / southwest of the kokiri forest is entirely my invention. as i said, in-game, it’s just cliffs to hem you in & prevent you from breaking the boundaries of the world, but there’s none of that in roleplaying, so i just … did away with them entirely. part of this is lake hylia not being as hemmed in by these walls as it is in-game, opening up into a new river & streams which travel through the south & southeast. crossing this river leads to three paths - take middle path, & you may find yourself in what’s known as the rito village. now, i’ll say here, i know that the rito don’t technically appear in hyrule until after the great flood, when the zoras somehow sprout wings, but nintendo’s strange decisions don’t change the fact that there are many wonderful people in the zelda rpc who play rito characters with crossover verses that let them interact with those who play characters in other parts of the timeline. in order to better facilitate interactions with these roleplayers, i decided fuck it, rito village in ocarina of time. canon can be easily bent. if, however, i’m writing with someone who wants to adhere to strict canon, then it’s just other hylians who live within the village, & rito is just the name chosen for the village, with no connection to the as-of-yet-unevolved race, just a nice little coincidence. regardless of who lives in it, though, the village & its name are fixed here in a southern woodland, with the village nestled amongst the hills within.

cross the bridge to the south & take the third branch in the path, you’ll find yourself inside the bremen woods. i honestly haven’t got much to say about the bremen woods here, but it’s not because i don’t have ideas for it - i have another headcanon brewing concerning myths, fables & fairy tales within hyrule, because … i am just that type of nerd. about eighty percent of my blogs before this one involved fairy tale characters in some way. it is, as the kids say, extremely my shit, & i’d like to tie the bremen woods into that, so i’m going to save what i have to say for that headcanon, but don’t worry. it’ll probably be a lot smaller than this one. ( thank god, i hear you say. i know, i know. i’m still not sorry. )

cross the bridge, then, & take the first branch in the path, & you better have a sword with you. the castor wilds are a lawless place, which is fitting for the corner of the world where the last remnants of ganondorf’s forces lie. any that weren’t killed during the restoration of the kingdom were beaten back to the edge of the world, & it’s not a friendly place. the last of the monsters shelter in a run-down settlement known as dragmire’s hold, the last place where those who sympathize with the king of evil can speak freely, & it’s murder to get to. the entrance to the wilds is a marshy swamp, thanks to the run-off of lake hylia, but if you manage to get through the mire, the land begins to dry out until you reach the hold, where the earth struggles to bear fruit & it seems the grass refuses to grow. it is, in a few words, fucking grim, & as a result, the go-to place for banishments within the kingdom. zelda isn’t a fan of harsh punishments, but she’s no fool, not anymore, & she won’t abide those who plot to throw the kingdom back into chaos, be it in service of ganondorf, or their own selfish natures. it’s rare that anyone actually finds themselves wandering the castor wilds, unless they actively choose to adventure there, but it is a very good threat, considering its reputation as the land where the devils live.

jumping across the map entirely, we come to the cliffs of coroa to the left of lake hylia. another spot on the map which is notorious for being hard to reach, the cliffs are an inviting challenge to those who want to boast of their climbing skills & durability. if getting up the cliffs doesn’t kill you ( & there is a very real possibility that it will, especially if you fall, ‘cause this water ain’t soft ) the journey down might do it instead, & that’s if you survive your trip at the top. there has been rumours of a great treasure hidden away in the cliffs for years, though the debate on what it might be was pretty intense, if you got into it. for a time, some thought the legendary blade rested within the cliffs, & only those who could brave the rockface would be able to lay a hand on it; others argued that it contained more mundane, but still desirable, treasures, such as a great haul from a band of thieves, left behind when they were hunted down by the crown, growing only more valuable by the minute. some, with sense, said that the only thing atop the cliffs was certain doom for the morons who tried to make their way up them. the truth ? there’s nothing up there. sometimes, cliffs are just cliffs, & those who try to scale the ones facing lake hylia truly are fools. the gerudo people, however, had the right idea of how to get to them.

again, another aspect of canon i was happy to leave as it was. the gerudo desert is a vast, harsh swathe of land, continuously assailed by sandstorms, bordered to the north by what is called ❛ the great sand sea ❜ & to the south by the haunted wasteland, & it’s not hyperbole. spirit guides appear to those who seek the temple of the goddess of the sand, but very few have ever made it through the wasteland if they enter in pursuit of something else. one of the few who did was the gerudo heroine, ashai. a well respected warrior amongst them, ashai was the younger sister to the exalted rishika, the chief of the gerudo at the time, & one of the first to vow to conquer the wasteland & see what lay beyond the storm. though her sister cautioned against it, as tales of people becoming lost in the wasteland were not uncommon, ashai was a headstrong young woman, & she could not be swayed. she took with her a party of twelve, & in time, three returned to tell their story. ashai had forged a path through the ever-shifting sands & left it well enough marked that her companions were able to find their way back. it’s said that some succumbed to madness during the journey, tormented by the ghosts of the wasteland, whilst others fell ill whilst they traveled, choking on the sand which gathered in their lungs. seven of them made it through the wasteland to the valley which lay beyond, but ashai had grown sick during the crossing, & knew she would not make it back. instead, she spent the time she had left exploring the valley, & found a way through it to the peak of the cliffs of coroa. the legend says that is there she died, watching the sun rise atop the cliffs, speaking only of her sister, & her companions laid her to rest within the valley, which her sister then named in honour of her. whilst the gerudo are happy to let those who have proven themselves attempt the journey to the desert colossus, no outsiders are permitted to walk the valley of ashai, where a shrine was built for its namesake - it is considered sacred to them, & the journey to pay respects to ashai is now part of the trial given to those who wish to become chief of the gerudo, should the bloodline of the previous chief die.

that covers just about all the main areas & landmarks of hyrule, i think, so to move on to the last thing, the various settlements, villages, hamlets you see across the map. hyrule is a big place. yes, quite a few of the races are localized to certain areas, & yes, it’s entirely plausible the hyrulean civil war could have decimated the population, with the seven years war exacerbating that problem, but hyrule field just looked so … empty, once everything else was finished. so, rather than stick to a number of locales i can count on one hand, i threw a few more settlements across the map to try & make hyrule feel more like a real kingdom. not to breath of the wild’s extent, of course, but just something a little more than what was given. all those who survived the fall of hyrule castle town apparently fled to become refugees in kakariko village, which was opened to all by impa, which is fair, but i imagine as the world returned to something close to normality, & families started growing again, the village would quickly find itself overwhelmed. as queen, zelda would make it a priority to make sure none of her subjects go homeless - she knows all too well that struggle - & so she would begin a program to make sure there was enough villages or townships for every one of her subjects. those who volunteered would be given a set amount of money & plots of land across hyrule to build a home, which zelda would then personally visit to inspect, to make sure her people were thriving.

there’s little to say in detail about them all as of right now, as i’m still fleshing them out, but i have a few basic ideas. most of the settlements were named after the first to attach themselves to the project, but the names have the potential to evolve over time. they certainly won’t retain the hamlet / settlement status, that’s for sure. the offer wasn’t restricted to hylians, either - any other race in the land was free to join, though only a small number of gerudo accepted it, the others preferring to stay in their homes & travel as they need. ciela’s settlement was the one spearheaded by the gerudo who accepted zelda’s offer, hence its proximity to the valley. a lot of young men volunteered to go to this settlement, but zelda was happy to let ciela make her own call, & many were knocked back - only those with what ciela deemed viable skills were allowed in, & still, it’s very much a female dominated settlement, but it is thriving under her leadership, & blossoms into a successful village as time goes on. lon lon ranch is, well, lon lon ranch. with funding from the crown, talon was able to take on more staff & expand it at his leisure, but it is one of the very few places in hyrule which has stayed constant over time, & he was quite content to keep it that way, & zelda content with his decision.

to the south of lon lon ranch lies damia village, the largest of all the settlements from its inception. led by a fearless young man who gave his name to the village, it is a hub of activity which could rival hyrule castle town. with damia came many like-minded people, all eager to forge their own path in the world & prove themselves as he had, as he had been part of the group which volunteered to help beat back the remnants of ganondorf’s forces. many of the families within damia village are the families of soldiers who work at the castle & it has gained a reputation for being a village full of strong, capable, trustworthy people. arborwood, which lies further to the south in a more rural location, is an outlier in that the one who volunteered to lead in this settlement didn’t wish to put their name to it - they didn’t want glory, just a place to call home where they could finally live in peace. arborwood is an agriculturally focused village, filled with farmers & those who possess green thumbs. a lot of trade is done between arborwood & all the other villages - everyone in hyrule became proficient at growing & hunting their own food in the past thirty years, as was necessary to survive, but it’s nice to have a place to get food from which specializes in high quality meat & crops. why hunt rabbits, when arborwood can provide venison ?

last but not least, lynna’s hamlet, which settled at lake hylia at the request of the owner of the lakeside laboratory. as he was getting on in years, he wished to find someone to continue his work, & so specifically requested that any like-minded hylians settle close to the lake so that he could impart his wisdom & let them take over. he got quite a few more people volunteering than he bargained for, be they scientifically inclined, interested in cataloguing the history of lake hylia, or just desirous of a change in scenery. the smallest of the new settlements, lynna’s hamlet never truly flourished the way others did, but the buildings were never empty - as time went on & people began to move elsewhere, it became a popular spot for those who traveled the land to rest at when they came to the lake, with a very successful inn eventually being run by the lakeside, its doors open to any who wished to visit.

it’s not a lot of worldbuilding when it all comes down to it, compared to other things, but this is something that i’ve wanted to do for a long time. as i’ve mentioned in the section regarding the bremen woods, more headcanons are likely to follow regarding places on the map & how they change & evolve as time passes during zelda’s rule, but for now, there’s this ! something which makes hyrule feel less empty than what it was before, whilst still respecting canon, somewhat which was the goal all along. if you’ve made it this far, holy shit, go outside & feel the sun on your face. it’s been eighty-four years - but i can’t thank you enough for reading ! at least next time, the headcanon won’t be so long. i hope.

#⌜ ❛ ʏᴏᴜ ʙʀɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ & ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪᴛ ɪɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴏᴡɴ ᴛᴇʀᴍs. ❜ ⌟ ✦ ( headcanon. )#( eight. eight pages & 4700-odd words of rambling in google docs #i can't believe i spent so much time on this oh my GOD #but it's done !! it's one am & i'm going to bed but i have to get this out into the world before i go #tomorrow i swear i'll get more actual roleplaying done but for now have ... eight fucking pages of THIS i guess #if this is incoherent please let me know good god )

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ourloveisforthelovely · 4 years

Text

To the Ends of the Earth 11

Supernatural

A/n: AU!Story. OOC Gabriel

Link to Chapter 10

Pairings: Gabriel x Reader

_________

Sam and Dean sat quietly watching Gabriel scowl angrily at the ground. After a few moments, Dean put down his glass of whiskey and sat down across from Gabriel.

“I want you to level with me. How did it begin with Y/n? As her brother, I deserve to know.”

Gabriel’s golden eyes rolled to the eldest Winchester.

“We’ve already told you. We are soulmates. That is what you should know.”

Dean rolled his eyes. He wasn’t about to let this go. He knew that he was going to find out somethings that he didn’t want to know but oh well.

“Yeah. We got the memo. I want to know how this began...the actual relationship part. You owe me that much.”

Gabriel kept his attention locked on Dean for a few moments. He finally relented and began to speak.

“My father, before he left, told me that I would fall in love with a human. I thought that he had gone mad. After spending thousands and thousands of years saying how human and angel relations were wrong now I was to fall in love with one? Confused was putting my feelings lightly. He didn’t talk to me anymore about it. When he left, that was when some other angels got in trouble for falling in love with humans. It didn’t go over well...as you can imagine. I put it out of my mind until I saw your sister for the first time. She was only a baby then but something was different about here. There was a pull that I couldn’t get away from. I wanted nothing more than to protect her from whatever disaster came her way. In case you didn’t know, your sister is a handful…”

Dean snorted.

“Yeah, I’m aware.”

Gabriel smirked. He didn’t care if you were a handful. You were his. Gabriel smiled at the thought. It didn’t matter that Gabriel was nearly freaking out because he couldn’t sense you. He figured that was due to Jack keeping you hidden from other angels. Gabriel made a mental note to thank Jack for keeping you safe (that was after he made sure that you were in one safe piece, of course).

“I didn’t realize that I loved her until I actually met her. That’s been a little over a year ago…”

Gabriel let his mind go back to that particular day…

Gabriel had been listening to Michael and Raphael discuss their “we hate humans and they are a waste of space” topic that seemed to be a regular occurrence. They didn’t bother including Gabriel in that conversation because they knew that he wouldn’t participate.

<i>Gabriel sat watching you from his hidden place in heaven. He smiled watching your interactions with other humans. You had grown up. No longer were you the small child that literally scared Gabriel to death! He was no longer having to sneak to earth to heal your injuries accrued from crazy accidents. Gabriel was still trying to figure out what possessed you to jump off the porch with Adam at 5 years old resulting in a broken arm. Now all Gabriel had to worry about was your decision to become a hunter.

You had been on a solo hunt for the past week that was making Gabriel nervous. He didn’t understand why Sam and Dean didn’t go with you. While he didn’t exactly care for your older brothers, he was at least thankful that they helped keep an eye on you when he wasn’t able to. Maybe if he ever met them, he could thank them in person.

This hunt had taken a lot out of Gabriel. There had been multiple times where he had to step in a shoo a demon in the opposite direction. At this particular moment, Gabriel had gotten himself to earth. After seeing five demons head in your direction, Gabriel couldn’t wait any longer!

You stood in a hallway of an abandoned factory when the demons closed in. Gabriel stood in the shadows as one of the demons knocked you to the ground.

“Stupid Winchester. You shouldn’t have come alone. It's your fatal mistake though.”

You struggled with the blindfold that one of the demons had put over your eyes. The last thing that you were able to see was Gabriel step into the room.

“Having fun?”

Gabriel asked. All five of the demons spun around. They were clearly stunned as hell to see the archangel behind them.

“Oh shit!”

One muttered. Another one backed away.

“I am not about to tangle with an archangel!”

One of the others rolled their beady little eyes.

“Oh come on! It's just one archangel and there are five of us! We could take him.”

Gabriel looked between the demons with an amused smile.

“Just so you all know, I killed a bunch of your little friends. Finishing you all off will be no issue.”

The first demon was shaking their head.

“No, we should go.”

The cocky one gave his friend a glare.

“Are you really scared of him?”

Gabriel stood while the five stood arguing between each other. After finally having enough, Gabriel snapped his fingers ending the demon's lives. He turned his attention back to you. You sat in the corner struggling with the blindfold.

Kneeling down in front of you, Gabriel reached out and slowly removed the blindfold. The moment that your bright green eyes met his, Gabriel felt every fiber in his being begin to go crazy! His father’s words about falling in love with a human came flooding back as your eyes widened.

“Are you going to try to hurt me too?”

Gabriel shook his head as he leaned back on his heels. He didn’t move to get closer or move away. The arms-length between the two of you was enough. As much as Gabriel wanted to reach out to you he didn’t. Touching a human seemed so wrong! He wasn’t ready for the physical aspect yet.

“No. I’m not going to hurt you, Y/n.”

You frowned, clearly confused at how he knew your name.

“How do you know me?”

Gabriel smiled, slightly.

“I know everything about you.”

Without realizing that he did it, Gabriel’s eyes glowed bright gold. Your eyes widened, but to Gabriel’s surprise, you didn’t move away.

“You’re an angel.”

Gabriel stood up. Now it was time to move away from you. You didn’t move to get up for a moment as Gabriel nodded.

“Guilty. You know my brother, Castiel.”

He said with a small coy smile. You nodded as Gabriel walked to you and held out a hand. The moment that your hand touched his; the two of you froze. Both of you looked at your intertwined hands as the feeling of electricity went through the two of you.

“What was that?”

You asked. Gabriel knew but he wasn’t about to tell you. The last thing that he wanted to do was throw away all of the years that he had spent watching and protecting you!

“No idea.”

He said before gently pulling you to your feet. Gabriel gave you a small smile before turning to walk away.

“Hey wait!”

Your voice stopped him. Gabriel didn’t turn to face you right away. The fact that he knew for a fact now that the bond was 100% was a lot of action for one day!

“Yes?”

Gabriel questioned, softly. He could hear your steps behind him as well as your heart rate increasing.

“You never told me your name.”

Gabriel turned.

“Does it matter?”

You smiled, clearly trying to ease the tension. Gabriel knew that you were comfortable around angels. You probably sensed his unease around humans.

“You saved my life.”

Gabriel shrugged.

“Angel here...goes with the territory. You’re welcome.”

You giggled. Gabriel was automatically in love with the sound of your laughter. He could listen to that for the rest of forever!

“My name is Y/n Winchester. I am a hunter but I’m not going to hurt you. I think that it would be a little douchy to hurt someone after they saved your life. Look, I get that you are really uncomfy around humans but….I’m different.”

Gabriel smiled again.

“I know. I’m Gabriel.”

“The archangel?”

You questioned. Gabriel nodded.

“At your service. So, why are you out here hunting alone and what did those trashy demons want with you?”

You chuckled. He could read your thoughts. You wanted to reach out and touch him.

“Maybe because of who I am?”

Gabriel smirked.

“That was a dumb question on my part. Stay safe, pretty girl.”

You stepped forward and held out your hand.

“Do you have to go?”

The two of you spent the next two hours sitting on the floor of the factory talking. Gabriel was surprised at how easily the conversation between the two of you flowed. Again, Gabriel could spend the rest of forever just sitting in his room with you.

“Do I get to see you again?”

You asked after a while. Gabriel tried to fight the look of surprise on his face.

“Do you want to?”

You didn’t hesitate for a moment before quickly saying yes.</i>

Gabriel pulled himself from the memory before looking back to Dean.

“And that was how it happened.”

Dean leaned back.

“Well, I’ll give you this. You saved her life. I can’t thank you enough for that. I may not have liked you in the beginning.”

Gabriel smirked.

“You threatened to stab me in the chest with an archangel blade but we’re square.”

Dean laughed.

“I would like to say that is a Winchester greeting. Look, I am going to give you a heads up. Adam is back and he isn’t happy with Y/n being with you. I have to ask you to please not vaporize my other brother.”

Gabriel leaned back against the couch.

“Do you think that he is going to try to talk Y/n out of being with me?”

Dean nodded.

“Without a doubt but Y/n does what she wants. If Y/n wasn’t in love with you she would have never spent the past few months trying to fix you.”

Dean’s comment was enough to make Gabriel feel better. Gabriel had to agree with the eldest Winchester on one thing. If you didn’t want to do something there was no way in hell that you were going to do it!

Before Gabriel could agree to not turn Adam into a pile of goo, the door opened. Gabriel jumped up immediately smelling your scent.

“Y/n, wait! I think you should approach this slowly!”

Jack’s voice said calmly. Gabriel could hear each of your feet hitting every stair.

“I can’t wait, Jack. I need to if I need to deep fry an archangel or not. If Gabriel isn’t fixed, Raphael is getting my name carved right into his forehead.”

The moment that you stepped into the room, you silently prayed that Raphael held up his end of the bargain. You really didn’t want to have to face the archangel again.

There was also the fact that you weren't sure how you would handle things with Gabriel if he was still out of it. You missed your lover! The past few months had taken a toll on your mental well being.

“Dean! Sam! I’m back! Is Gabriel…”

You ran into the living room and froze the moment that Gabriel’s attention locked on you.

“Hi, sweetheart.”

You stood motionless for a moment before taking off across the room and threw your arms around Gabriel’s shoulders. Gabriel wrapped his arms around you as you knocked the angel off of his feet.

“You’re you again!”

You said before pressing your lips to Gabriel’s in a hungry desperate kiss. All you wanted was for some kind of intimacy. After so many months of being a caretaker, you wanted nothing more than to feel Gabriel kiss you.

Gabriel didn’t disappoint either. One arm locked around your waist while his other hand held the back of your head gently. He didn’t say anything for a moment before letting you slowly slid down the length of his body to stand on your own feet.

“Almost, the same. Y/n, I am so sorry about all of this.”

You shook your head and delicately put your hand to his lips.

“It doesn’t matter. You’re okay. That is all that I care about.”

Gabriel reached out and pulled you back down onto the couch beside him. You quickly sealed the space between your bodies. At the moment, you couldn’t be close enough to him!

Neither of you noticed Adam who was looking totally disgusted. Dean, meanwhile, stood and pulled his younger brother out of the room. He knew that the two of you needed privacy and this conversation would be easier if they weren’t there.

For the first few moments, you simply enjoyed the feeling of Gabriel actually holding you back.

“Gabriel, what the hell were you thinking?”

Gabriel tensed underneath you.

“I should ask you the same question. What exactly have you been up to?”

You stood up and watched as his golden eyes focused on you, not blinking.

“I kind of threatened to carve my initials into Rapahel’s forehead if he didn’t fix you. Apparently he believed me enough.”

Gabriel’s mouth fell open. That was the last thing that he expected to hear! You had gone and confronted his brother with only Jack and Adam as company. Gabriel was horrified! You could have been hurt or killed so easily. Gabriel would have been devastated if he came back to himself and found out that you were dead. He would have gone to Michael and let his older brother stab him! Gabriel wasn’t about to spend the rest of eternity alone without you!

“Y/n, what were you thinking?! You could have been killed! You were lucky that Raphael didn’t kill you. That was crazy!”

You stopped pacing and turned to face your lover. Gabriel was mad!

“Yeah, and you went up against both Michael and Raphael when you promised me that you wouldn’t do anything crazy like that. Gabriel, I know that you are an archangel like them but two against one is never a fair fight...no matter what the species.”

“I’m not really an archangel at the moment.”

Gabriel said in a low tone.

“My grace is too low to really be able to do anything at the moment. It will recharge but...it will take a while.”

You frowned and sat back down beside him.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Gabriel’s amber eyes flickered in your direction. He was clearly annoyed.

“How can it not matter? I am not me without my grace! Now there is the fact that my brothers definitely know about us and I can’t do a damn thing until I recharge.”

You slapped your hands on your thighs before getting up and looking into the kitchen where Sam, Dean, Jack, Adam, and Cas stood watching the two of you. Rolling your eyes, you turned back to Gabriel. The more you looked at him, the more he resembled the archangel that you first met. His eyes were cold and made you think of Raphael's eyes

“It's not like this house is full of hunters! I mean, hell, we can all be pretty kick-ass if push comes to shove.”

“You think that you are going to beat two beings that have been around since the beginning of time by threatening to carve your initials into their forehead? Please! I can tell you stuff about what we as archangels have done that would make you shiver in fear. I’m not a pet, Y/n. I am still an archangel and could hurt you very easily if I wanted to.”

Gabriel’s tone was almost foreign.

“Yeah, but you won’t.”

Gabriel stood up. He quickly reached out and pulled you into his arms.

“Of course not, but my brothers will. We have to come up with something.”

You nodded, snuggling your face into his shoulder. Reaching up, you stroked your fingers through his hair. You couldn’t help but feel a little sad when Gabriel tensed under your touch.

“We will. We always do...besides we won’t be on our own. Come on, let’s go to my room. I want some time without my doofus brothers listening in.”

Gabriel rolled his eyes.

“That sounds really nice.”

Once in your room, Gabriel wrapped his arms around you. You relaxed in his arms before slowly beginning to unbutton his shirt. Gabriel didn’t move for a moment before taking your hand into his.

“We don’t have to rush.”

You nodded.

“I know, we don’t but...I need this.”

You stood on your tiptoes and pressed a chaste kiss to Gabriel’s lips. When he smiled against your mouth, you felt relieved.

“I never said that I didn’t want it. How long has it been?”

Gabriel gently stroked his finger down your cheek before tilting your face to his. You sighed.

“At least 3 months.”

Gabriel chuckled and pulled you toward the bed.

“Then we have 3 months to make up for.”

___________

@brokencasbutt67-writer

@authoressskr

@fandom-trash-worth-it

@hankypranky

@summer-novak

@shadows-and-padlocked-hearts

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@tas898

@li0nh34rt

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@shitfaceddaniel

@untoldshortsofthefandoms

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thefamily · 4 years

Text

Chapter 5: 1824 October 11th

Liru’s P.O.V.

Stella’s hooves make no sound as they hit the ground, her wings folding at her sides as we are now less then a kilometer out and I can hear the sound of the hell hounds barking, Riptide and Killer, their liters already surrounding the village, ready to tear it apart. I can see the village as Stella begins to slows we near the entrance of the village men out with torches almost extinguished by the rain and wind some with rifles others with bows and arrows the rest with some form of farming tool. Most popular decision tonight seems to be a pitch fork.

Stella slows to a stop between Riptide, a hell-hound the size of a wolf with a skull stripped of any flesh with two large horns that went back diagonally and glowing yellow eyes, red fur even redder soaked in blood with it’s bone spikes ripping out the back it’s torso showing it’s ribs with any missing fur, and Killer, a large black hell-hound that went up to my shoulders, it’s fur creating a lion like main around it’s head, glowing yellow eyes shining through it’s sleek black fur. I watched with a smirk on my face as people scramble back screaming at the sight of me, screaming things like death and monsters. So nothing new. I smile, my mouth full of sharp teeth as Τριφύλλι and Σπαθί finally catching up coming to a stop behind Riptide and Killer, and as much as I enjoy reveling in there free after everything they did to Jack, I’m not here for revenge, I'm here for answers, and a bit of revenge.

I bring up a finger to my lips and letting out a quiet “Shhhh.” and surprisingly the humans listen as it echoes through the village on the stormy night, no surprise that the hounds back off a little but still snarling and snapping at them. I smile to myself looking them all over through the bottom of my hood before an icy rage flowing through my veins at their healthy looks remembering just how skinny Jack is. I gently pat Stella’s neck signaling to let me off and I feel her huff slightly before getting on her front knee’s allowing me to hope off before she stands again intimidating the humans as she stares them down the flesh missing on one side of her jaw showing sharpened teeth, obviously unnatural for a horse.

I look over them on last time, the only sound is the thunder rumbling around overhead and the snarling and snapping of Riptide and Killer’s liters. “Hello.” I say my voice falsely comforting as it echoes around the village. “I’ve come for some… information, I guess you could say.” I begin to stalk forward and one of the gun wielders point his rifle at me and I put my hand up stopping the sudden advances of the hounds, shadows and Stella.

“N-now h-hold on,” A tall lanky-ish looking man says in an accent thinker than Jack’s. ‘Mr. Blanchfield’ a voice sounding like a terrified Jack. The icy rage turns to fire as I get flashes of his memories specifically the feeling of a metal belt buckle against his back. “w-we don’t w-want a-any trou-” He gets cut off by multiple loud booms of thunder with lightning striking all around the village eliciting more screams from many of them. “I said,” Poisoned honey dripping from every word. “I’ve come for information. Specifically about the Mcloughlin’s that were adopted.”

The confusion that radiates from them is amusing, but also annoying. “Well?” I ask getting more annoyed by the second. “Does anyone have answers? Or do I need to tear this place apart to get my answers.” My voice is low, rumbling through each and everyone of their heads. “Either way I will get what I came for, blood or no blood.” I begin to stalk forward again my eyes trained on the man, Blanchfield, in-front of me rifle shaking in his hands as he stutters in what I assume to be a poor attempt to sound intimidating voice, “S-STOP!!!” I don’t I just keeping stalking forward staring him down and with a particularly loud boom of thunder overhead, he fires straight into my chest, ripping through the parts of my shirt that showed through my cloak, although I remained unharmed it did knock me back a step. Three things happen all at once. One, the force from the blast knocks me back a step. Second, both Stella and Σπαθί let out ground shaking roars while the hounds made a sound between a roar and a snarl and third, they all attacked the villagers at the same time.

I grab the scythe from my back and cut off Mr. Blanchfield’s head in a single movement and I watch his body fall more annoyed then anything. I look around before shouting above the barking, screaming and gunshots that quickly died out as the hounds got to them, “Αφήστε τους αθώους και τα παιδιά, τους ενόχους, γιορτάστε αν επιθυμείτε!" I look around at the buildings trying to find the orphanage and begin to walk through the village, the hair raised on the back of my neck indicating that Τριφύλλι was right behind me.

I held my scythe at my side as I walked through all the chaos that was happening, the rain washing the blood off until I come across a familiar building. I put the scythe back on my back as I look up at the orphanage a feeling in the back of my mind wants to rip it apart. I close my eyes focusing on the source of it, a little ball of green lightning shaking like a leaf.

“Jack,” I breathe out in shock. I open my eyes again looking up at the building, the rage for this place bleeding from Jack was a bit suffocating as I think ‘It’s alright πυγολαμπίδα, you never have to deal with this place again. So just… relax my love.’ I can feel it begin to fade as he relaxes and I quickly walk inside, Τριφύλλι right behind me. I look around before finding the master bedroom and looks around the room until I find a box of adoption papers under the bed and quickly begin to shift through them trying to ignore the rising headache from the memories attached to them getting flashes of them being signed and for some reason Mrs. Blanchfield was burning some but… missing one?

All of them had the name Mcloughlin but one is missing. Everything freezes as I come across the missed one.

Jameson Jackson Mcloughlin

I dropped the others as I stare at the name before quietly singing out,

“Look at this place, look at your faces

They’re shining like a thousand shining stars.”

As I finish the lyrics my mind is filled with flashes of a little boy with a silver tongue, barely learning how to speak before realizing what happens to his family if he does, his eldest brother? Jack told me that he only had brothers, perhaps one was born in the wrong body, teaching him how to walk while hanging onto his dress like a life line as he watched his own feet. I watched as the little boy falls asleep on all of his brothers, throwing a tantrum as the oldest adopted out against his own will. Watched until he was ripped away at the age of three. But it didn’t stop there it stopped when those fucking monsters that took him from his family whip his back with the metal part of a belt at the age of s̭i̳͋x.

I look down at the paper scanning for the name, ignoring the booming thunder over head and lighting striking outside and the half dead plants inside growing out of control. I find the name and growl out in a bone chilling growl “D͕aly̥” the rage I forcefully stamp down it already having physical effects, the golden red scales surrounding my eyes and I can only imagine how my eyes look.

I quickly fold the paper and hide it in my cloak as I stand up walking out not noticing as Τριφύλλι seems to shiver before following me out. I go to leave but before I can something up stops me calling me upstairs. I take off the hood as I turn and walk to the stairs looking up, confused and even angrier as I stalk up the stairs the smell of blood flooding my sense of smell, Jacks to be precise, years and years of it. I walk through one of the rooms and climbing up to the attic and opening it and gets hit with a blast of cold air and I let out a low growl as I step up into the attic looking around seeing a small mattress made of old ratty pillows and blankets which splotches of dried blood and a few over grown bouquet of flowers that I gave him over the year, ‘I wonder how they lasted this long’.

The entire area smells of him with a mix of mold and mildew from the rain ruined roof, walls and floor. There were holes in the ceiling which aloud for the wind and rain to hammer into attic space. His ‘bed’, if you could call it that, was tucked into a damp corner clearly the ‘driest’ of the entire room. I can only imagine what my eyes look like now as I ignore the rage burning through my veins.

I went over to his sleep area a shifted through the billows and blankets before finding a small metal box that had Jack’s name carved into it and something carved out of it. It seemed to be made of some form of enchanted wood as I looked it over noticing little sigils lighting up when lightning flashes. I nearly drop it when I realize what it’s from, the cult of malplena, the Void, I take a deep shaky breathe as I whispers out “Detruu.” causing the sigils preserving it from time, break leaving no trace of it’s connection to the void behind.

I pick it up as I look around the area on last time and I can here someone scramble into the building and up the stares to the second form and I can hear a hound following them. I stand up glaring at the entrance of attic as the person- no woman, Mrs. Blanchfield to be exact. She scrambles back on her single one hand as the hound, undoubtedly Riptide, the one who took her hand to begin with. She turns to gets up and freezes as she spots Τριφύλλι in the corner behind me as I glared down at her my horns beginning to form as I looked at the monster that dared called themselves a person.

“No.” She whispers out as I begin to move towards her. I grin with no joy and all malice as I grabbed my scythe from my back. She begins to scream “DEMON!!! DEMON!!!”

“Oh shut up.” In one movement I slice her from her shoulder and waist letting her fall back down to Riptide who proceeds to rip her apart as I grab the box before hopping down. I walk past Riptide giving him a pat on the back. “Mi revidos vin poste Riptide.” He lets out a small bark before going back to playing with his new chew toy and I put my hood up again my horns disappearing. I see Τριφύλλι grabbing Σπαθί by it’s wild hair as it tries to swipe at people running by and I walk out next to them drawing Σπαθί’s attention to me calming down as it sits like a dog, waiting. I let out a loud whistle calling for Stella and I can hear her roar one last time before seeming to appear in front of me getting down on her knee’s and letting me get on.

When she gets up I look around the town one last time before patting her neck and she takes off like a light, the shadow creatures close behind. I can feel my rage leave me as I think about Jack back at home asleep, hopefully peacefully and I can feel my scales fade to skin hoping my eyes are back to normal as the field comes into view before fading away to the valley as Stella lets her wings out flying up then down to the island and before she even fully lands I hope off of her and take off running to the entrance of the castle shouting back to her.

“Sorry Stella I need to check on Jack!” I hear her laugh in the back of my head causing me to blush a bit as I run up the stairs. “Don’t worry little one, go check on your lightning bug” I will forever deny the blush that over took my face._____________________________________________________________

Please Reblog I would like to know what you think of it

Liru’s eyes

Thank you to @antis-gauge for Translating for me from English to Greek

Translations:

Club is Τριφύλλι

Spade is Σπαθί

"Spare the innocent and children, the guilty, feast on if you wish" is “Αφήστε τους αθώους και τα παιδιά, τους ενόχους, γιορτάστε αν επιθυμείτε!"

Destroy is Detruu

“I'll see you later Riptide” is “Mi revidos vin poste Riptide”

_______________________________________________________________

Tag List:

@immabethehero

@antis-gauge

@therealtiger77

@nerdylampeclipseuniversity

@a-mad-tea-time

@i-maybe-exist

#Jacksepticeye #Jackaboy Man #Jameson Jackson #Henrik Von Schneeplestein #Marvin the Magnificent #Antisepticeye #Chase Brody #Robbie The Zombie #Fanfiction #soulmate au #Liru Mcloughlin

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worryinglyinnocent · 4 years

Text

Fic: Of Libraries and Ties (1/2)

Summary: Follow up to last month’s Of Comic Books and Sushi. Belle, Neal and Neal’s girlfriend Emma all end up at Gold’s for New Year’s. Belle falls in love with a particular room in Gold’s house, and a good time is had by all.

Part one written for the @a-monthly-rumbelling prompt: Books, Tea, Big City, Drive.

Part two written for the @a-monthly-rumbelling prompt: Surprise, Lingerie, Bedroom Eyes

Rated: Part one is T, part two will be E

=====

Of Libraries and Ties

Part One

Belle was still having a bit of trouble coming to terms with how small Storybrooke was in comparison to Boston. Ever since she’d come to America in the first place, she’d only ever lived in cities, her father figuring that there would be more opportunities in a big city than in a small town. Even back in Australia, she’d never lived anywhere quite as small as Storybrooke.

“Are you ok?”

She glanced over at Neal in the driving seat of the little yellow bug. Emma was spark out asleep in the back. They’d decided that it would be more economical to cram everything into Emma’s car and all go up to Maine together, sharing the drive time, rather than all making their own ways to the same place. Andrew had invited them all for New Years - Neal obviously had a standing invitation as his son, Emma was welcome as Neal’s girlfriend, and Belle was welcome as Andrew’s own girlfriend.

It had taken Neal a while to get to grips with the idea of his roommate and his dad being together. It had taken Belle a little while to accept the fact that she was dating her roommate’s dad. Still, everything seemed to have worked out for the best, even if the relationship was still somewhat long-distance whilst Belle was still in college. She thought that they had the potential to go the distance, and she now knew Andrew enough to be assured that she wasn’t simply a flash in the pan, midlife crisis fling.

“Yeah,” she said eventually, in answer to Neal’s question. “Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve just never been anywhere like this before.”

“That’s not the only thing though, is it?” Neal had slowed the bug to a crawl to comply with the town’s speed limits. “Come on, you can tell me. I’m your best friend.”

“Yes, and your dad is also my boyfriend. I think that there might be a conflict of interest somewhere along the line here.”

“Hey, as long as you never, ever talk about sex in my earshot, we’ll be fine.” Neal grinned. “So, it’s something about Dad that’s getting you down?”

“Not getting me down, per se. It’s just that every other time we’ve seen each other, we’ve been in Boston. We’ve been in my comfort zone, so to speak. Now we’re in his. In his house, no less. It feels… strange.”

“Maybe. But think about it this way. Dad’s lived in that house for over twenty years, so it’s got a lot of him in it. You’ll learn a lot more about him in Storybrooke than you ever could in Boston.”

“I suppose you’re right.” It would definitely be nice to get a first-hand glimpse of Andrew’s life, rather than having to imagine it all for herself as they talked about it. And after all, he had seen her home and how she lived. It was only fair that she should get the same kind of insight into his own life.

“Ok, we’re here.” Neal pulled into the drive of a very impressively pink house on the outskirts of the town.

“Your dad’s house is pink.” Emma had woken up and was staring out of the windscreen at the house, rubbing her eyes. “Is your dad’s house pink? Or am I still dreaming?”

“No, the house is definitely pink,” Neal said cheerily. He waved to his dad, who had stepped out onto the porch to greet them. “Come on, let’s get inside before we freeze. I hope it doesn’t snow. Not that being snowed in at Dad’s is necessarily a bad thing, but I left all my coursework in Boston and it’s due next week.”

“Is Storybrooke famous for snow?”

“Not really, we’re too near the coast. As in, literally on it. But when it comes, it comes with a vengeance.”

They manhandled all the luggage out of the car and into the blessed warmth of the house. Emma and Neal immediately took off up the stairs to dump their stuff in Neal’s room, leaving Andrew and Belle standing under the mistletoe in the hall. He leaned in, kissing her lips softly, and Belle dropped her bag to hook her arms around his neck and pull him in closer for a deeper kiss. He was smiling as she broke away, his eyes bright and a little shy. Belle saw then that he was feeling all the same nervousness about welcoming her into his home as she was feeling about visiting him in it.

“I didn’t know where you would want to sleep,” he said eventually. “The spare bed is made up ready for you if you would prefer, but I’d really like it if you stayed with me.”

Belle kissed him again. “Of course I’d like to stay with you.”

“I’d hoped you would. I just didn’t know if you’d be worried about traumatising Neal or something.”

Belle snorted. “Hey, he’s got his own girlfriend to traumatise us with, he can’t talk.” She grinned. “Why don’t you give me a tour of the house?”

Andrew gave a soft huff of laughter. “Why not indeed. Without meaning to sound in the least bit presumptuous, we can start in my room so you can park your bag.”

Andrew’s room was gorgeous, all dark woods and jewel-like colours, and Belle had to admit that the space suited him perfectly. She ran her hands over the intricately carved headboard, heat beginning to rise in her face as she imagined all the wonderful uses that it could be put to later.

“It’s beautiful,” she said. “It’s very you. This is the kind of place that I can always picture you in.”

“I’m glad you like it.” There was no mistaking the quiet pride in his voice. “But there’s another room that I think you’ll like even more.”

Belle held out a hand to him. “Lead on, McGold.”

He snorted at the throwback to their first date together in Boston, back before they had really known that they were dating, but he nonetheless took her hand and guided her into the next room. It had originally begun life as a small box bedroom, but now, the amount of floor to ceiling bookcases in it meant that the only furniture it had room for was an old leather armchair and an antique end table.

“It’s not exactly a library like you’re used to, but it’s good enough, I think.”

“Oh Andrew, it’s perfect. I’d love a room like this in my own place.”

She slipped her arms around his middle and rested her chin against his shoulder. It was nice to be dating a guy who didn’t tower over her for once. It was even nicer that he remembered how much she liked books and had known how much she’d like this room. Despite their age difference and the undeniable fact that he was Neal’s dad, Belle felt that Andrew was far better suited to her than some of her exes.

“Dad, what’s for dinner?”

Belle felt Andrew’s sigh, but she didn’t pull away from him as he replied.

“Neal, it’s only three in the afternoon.”

“I know, but we’ve had a long drive from Boston. We’re starving!”

“There’s a box of Granny’s peanut butter cookies in the kitchen.”

“Yes! Thanks Dad!”

Andrew always brought a steady supply of the mysterious Granny’s cookies with him whenever he visited Boston, and Belle’s stomach gave an aptly timed growl. Andrew chuckled.

“Come on, before Neal and Emma finish them all. We can have the rest of the tour later.”

Belle curled up in the leather chair under her blanket, lost in Dickens’ prose. Dinner had turned out to be chicken chasseur, and now Emma and Neal had volunteered to do the dishes whilst Andrew made a couple of last-minute phone calls. Although, given the amount of hilarity that Belle could hear coming from the kitchen, she felt justified in wondering if they were actually creating more mess than they were cleaning up.

“I thought I might find you in here.”

She looked up to see Andrew standing in the doorway, a mug in each hand. “Tea?”

“Yes, please.”

He placed the mug down beside her and made to leave the room, but Belle caught his arm. “Hey, stay. I’m sure that there’s room in this chair for two. Neither of us are very big, after all.”

Andrew smiled. “All right.”

Belle got up to allow him to sit down, then she scrambled up onto his lap, tucking the blanket back in around them both.

“There, this is perfect. Good books, good tea, good company. I can’t think of a better way to spend the evening, personally.”

“No.” Andrew took a sip from his own mug. “No, I think you’re right there.”

“The only thing that would make this better is if we had a roaring fire and a cat stretched out in front of it.”

“I’m allergic to cats. How about a dog?”

“A dog’s good too. One of those big shaggy ones that just lies there like a rug. A retriever or St Bernard.”

“We had a collie retriever cross when Neal was younger. Looked like a collie but bigger. And hairier. She was the most docile pushover ever.”

Belle laughed at the image. “What was her name?”

“Tiff. Well, Tiffany. She looked like she was wearing a little black dress, like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s.”

Belle thought about the scene, of Andrew and a big dog and a small child. She could see it easily. What was more concerning was how easily she could see herself as part of the picture as well. She shook her head; she was only twenty-two, she wasn’t ready to be thinking that long-term yet, and she knew that Andrew respected that. She loved what they had together, and she hoped that it would last, but the future was very big and very long.

She glanced over to the window where the first few flakes of snow were beginning to come down.

“Neal’s going to be pissed.”

“What?” Andrew followed her sight line. “Oh, yes. He never did like snow all that much.”

They watched it drifting for a while until Belle got up to close the curtains, keeping them safe and snug. The massed hilarity from the kitchen appeared to have finally ceased.

“Shall we go down and join them?” Andrew asked. Belle’s response was to settle back down onto his lap.

“Nah. Let them have some time to themselves too. I like it here like this, just you and me.”

“I like it too.” Andrew paused. “You know, you’re always welcome here without Neal. You don’t have to wait until he comes to visit.”

“I know. That’s good. I think it would be a bit awkward otherwise.”

“I’m sorry if we’ve made things weird between you and Neal.”

Belle shrugged. “It was weird for about a week, but then we got over it. We’ll always be friends. I know too many of his secrets for us not to be.”

“Well, that makes two of us. Together we’re invincible.”

Belle laughed and leaned in to kiss him. Andrew accepted her readily, pulling her in close beneath the blanket. They might not know exactly where they were going in the future, but that didn’t matter. They were happy in the present. It was the middle of the Christmas season, and they were going to enjoy themselves without a care.

Belle kissed Andrew again, never wanting to let go. This New Year’s was going to be great.

#rumbelle fic #A Monthly Rumbelling #rumbelle #Belle French #Mr Gold #Fic: Of Libraries and Ties

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bookenders · 4 years

Note

Hey girlie!! I was wondering if you would write a short prose piece on my url, tricksexual? I literally can't wait to see what you come up with, because everything that comes out of your fingertips is fantastic.

Happy Giving Thanks Day!

Life got a bit bananas, so apologies this is so late, @tricksexual. But it’s here! Happy New Year!

Title: “Double Twist”

Word Count: 1,423

CW: strong language, thighs, and lots of pining

And it was the twist, the jackknife hip flex, a cymbal crash of knees and elbows pulling her up and over, hitting hands strong on the bend, heaving out and around. Momentum cast her from the bar, back and back below ankle bend to bounce, grab, push and pull herself up, arms loose and strong, eyes locked ahead, breath heaving.

“Fuuuck,” Laney breathed, skate bag slung over her shoulder, her white figures dangling from her fingers.

Gabriel, her pairs partner for the past eleven years, socked her in the shoulder.

“Go talk to her.”

Laney scoffed. “You can’t just talk to people, Gabe.”

Her eyes never left the gymnast as she flung herself between the bars.

“That’s illegal,” she muttered as the woman launched into an impossibly twisting dismount, thighs straining with a cleanly stuck landing, arms poised overhead. “Jesus.”

“What,” Gabe said over her shoulder, “are you feeling inadequate? Out-classed? Out-flipped?” He spun around to stand in front of her, interrupting her staring. “Has she seen our triple twist?”

“No, and she never will.” Laney glared at him, implying a threat she was all to happy to follow through on, but Gabe just smirked.

He tossed a glance over his shoulder at the small gaggle of gymnasts on the other side of the gym, watched one demonstrate a move with her hands to the woman who just finished her routine.

“Name?”

“Allison,” Laney said. “Parallel bars and balance beam.”

“Hot.”

“For the love of God,” she cursed, and dragged Gabriel, now openly laughing at her blooming blush, out of the gym.

Neither of them stuck around long enough to see Allison watch them go.

Breathing heavy, legs shaking from her fifth double toe in a row (not under rotated this time, thank you very much), Laney dragged her hands across the back of her neck, rubbing her sore muscles. Off-ice training wasn’t her favorite, but it was necessary if she didn’t want to hurt herself more than the crash pads could protect her from. And if she wanted to nail her landings, but that was a given.

Halfway through her cool down routine, Laney looked up from her place on the floor to find Allison standing a few feet away, gym bag over her shoulder, one hand clutching the strap and the other shoved into the pocket of her sweatpants. A faded Carly Rae Jepsen concert tee covered the top of her sparkly purple leotard.

“Hey.”

Laney, flat on her back with her left thigh nearly flush to her chest, sputtered out a surprised, “oh, hi.”

Allison smiled. “You’re a figure skater, right?” She shifted her weight, leaning on her right foot, and Laney was staring at her thighs oh my God please pay attention.

“Um,” said Laney.

“That’s really cool.”

Brain finally catching up to what was going on, Laney switched legs and coughed. “Thanks. I mean,” she said, scrambling for something, anything to add to the conversation, “not as cool as bars, but we can’t all be super good at flips and stuff.”

Eloquent.

“From what I’ve seen of your workouts, you’re pretty good at flips and stuff, too.”

A group of absolutely ripped high-ponytailed ladies called Allison’s name. She looked down at Laney, still flat on the floor, sweaty and flushed, and smiled.

“I gotta go. See you later?”

“Sure,” Laney managed.

She had a perfect view as Allison walked away.

The next few days found Laney and Allison smiling and waving when they saw each other arrive at the gym.

It was hard for Allison to focus on her routine when at least three of her teammates made kissy faces at her whenever she mounted the balance beam. Not to mention the looks she got when they caught Laney looking from the open space where she and her pairs partner practiced their lifts. Jessica took it upon herself to elbow her every time Laney was at the leg press.

On Thursday, while Allison was going through her beam routine step by step, slow as she could manage, Laney and her partner arrived for their evening off-ice session with their coach. The moment Laney disappeared into the locker room, her partner jogged over.

“You’re the parallel bars girl, yeah?”

“You’re the figure skating boy,” she said.

“Gabe.”

“Allison.”

She jumped and twisted sideways into a handstand, letting her legs fall into a split, calm and collected. It’s not that she was trying to show off, but.

“Well, shit,” Gabe said.

“What’s up?” Her left hand floated up beside her hip, her right bearing the full weight of her body.

Gabe blinked and gathered himself with all the grace of a baby giraffe. “Uh, we’re at the rink tomorrow morning. At eight.”

Surprise wobbled Allison’s arm. She carefully lowered herself down, legs straight up, pressing her chest to the bar before swiveling to a sitting position.

“You should stop by,” he said, walking backwards toward the locker rooms. “If you’re free, and all.” Halfway across the gym he turned and called out, “I know someone who might be happy to see you.”

It only took a moment for one of Allison’s teammates to mime kissy faces at her intense blush. What she didn’t expect - but honestly, she really should have - was the enthusiastic shoulder punch retaliation from the frazzled gymnast, who was already thinking of which sweatpants to pair with tomorrow’s leotard.

When she walked down the hallway toward the rink, Allison wasn’t sure what she was expecting. Classical music, maybe, or something from a musical. Not Carly Rae.

They were in the middle of their routine, feet carving the ice, spinning dizzy in tandem before Gabe grabbed her arm and pulled her into a turn. He took her waist in his hands, she gripped his wrists, slid a leg down and back, and a twist, launching her into the air in a whirlwind before she hit down, dipping low, flinging her arms out to catch the wind and curl into the corner of the rink. Gabe matched her movements.

Allison could imagine the sequins, the flair of a skirt spiraling into a landing, the crash of metal on ice spraying snow at the stands. It didn’t take much.

It also didn’t take much to send Gabe tripping in a heap to the ground, blade catching on Laney’s and sending him tumbling, nearly taking her with him. They laughed, and Gabe flapped his arms, making a snow angel on his back in the center of the ice.

They both turned at the sound of excited clapping.

“That was amazing!” Allison called out into the cold.

Laney froze. Gabe threw a thumbs-up straight into the air.

“Thank you for your patronage,” he replied. “Laney, please greet our guest while I peel myself off the ice.”

“That was amazing,” Allison said again, quieter this time as Laney slid over to where she stood at the boards. “Is that your routine?”

“Program,” Laney said, the automatic correction slipping out before she could stop it. “Er, yeah. One of the two for this season. The longer one. It’s a, uh, work in progress.”

“He just threw you into the air. Like it was nothing.” Allison’s eyes dipped down to Laney’s skates before quickly flicking back up to her eyes.

Did she just—

“It took a lot of practice, believe me.”

“Rude,” Gabe yelled across the rink. He was skating slow figures in the far corner, black workout pants covered in snow.

Allison smiled and fiddled with the hem of her sweatshirt. “I like your music, too.”

“I know.”

Shit, wait.

“I mean, I saw your shirt.”

“Oh, yeah, I got it at one of her concerts. When she was in town for a show.”

“Give her your number,” Gabe yelled.

Both of them went ripe as tomatoes.

“Uh—”

“Well—”

“You first,” Laney said, resisting the urge to cover her face with her hands.

“I’ll let you get back to practice. But you should definitely teach me some of those tricks. I’ve always wanted to learn.” And she handed Laney a slip of paper with ten numbers and her name.

“Yeah. Definitely. Whenever you want.”

“Great. Cool.” She just stood there for a moment, before mumbling, “have a good practice, bye.”

And she was gone.

Gabe coasted up behind Laney, hands in his pockets.

“I’m so proud of you, you little disaster.”

Laney turned and pushed him backwards, sending him careening across the ice, laughing.

“If you drop me after all that I will murder you.”

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jawnjendes · 5 years

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i’m tired too | shawn mendes

university au summer vacay babey, shawn x goth gf

*******just letting yall know that the chapter before this, girl you’re trouble did not appear in the tags when i posted it, so if u havent read it go ahead and do that now :P

masterlist | series playlist

My tongue was between my teeth as I focused on my reflection in my little compact mirror. Carefully, I filled in my eyebrow with dark brown powder, ignoring the people sitting on either side of me on the couch. Having two sets of eyes on me made it hard to carve out the enhanced version of my face, though. I tried to shift in my seat to get them to focus on literally anything else, but neither of them let up.

“She’s so good at that,” Mom said in admiration. She was sitting on my left.

“Isn’t she?” Shawn agreed in the same tone. He was on my right.

I paused and sighed. The previous evening, Aaliyah pointed out that my mom and her brother had some uncanny similarities. I thought she was just bringing light to the fact that they both… adore me. But they had the same mannerisms, like talking with their hands. They were both optimistic as well, unlike me… and my dad. I pretended not to see any similarities until now. I was just glad Aaliyah wasn’t here now to triumph in her discovery.

“Are you guys gonna do this the whole time?” I asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

“Well, you’re so pretty,” Shawn said, bringing a hand up to stroke my cheek.

I leaned away from his touch. “I just did my foundation!”

My mom laughed. “She won’t let you touch her either! I’m glad it’s not just me!”

Shawn gave me a surprised look. He learned just a little too much about me in the last twenty four hours, and it wasn’t stopping anytime soon.

Luckily, my dad, who had been scrolling through his phone on the other side of the couch, piped up. “Shawn, I heard you play guitar?”

That started the music conversation. I was glad to have the attention off of me for once, all anyone asked me about these days was my stupid hospital stay. Plus, I could finish my makeup in peace. Not to mention, Shawn was still convulsing and crying in his sleep, so things were… not ideal at the moment. But he got to talk about his love of music, which was something my dad could relate to.

“You know, I used to be in a rock band,” he said. “Back in eighty-seven, me and my buddies played shows from my parents’ garage. That’s how I met Lucy. She was standing at the front of the audience for every show. We only had about ten people attend if we were lucky, but she was always there.”

Mom placed her hands over her chest fondly. “I think music has a beautiful way of bringing people together.”

You wouldn’t be able to tell just by looking at my mother, but she lived for heavy metal. She was the one who introduced me to the symphonic metal bands I listen to now.

“Oh, a hundred percent,” Shawn agreed. Then he told me parents that he and I met at one of his shows at a coffee shop.

Today was much more calm than the last. My parents slept on it, and they decided that they were just happy that I was live. I was just glad they stayed at a hotel, too. I couldn’t imagine being holed up with them after not living with them for a majority of two years. I also wouldn’t know how to explain why my boyfriend was yelling in his sleep every hour.

I really did miss my mom and dad. It kicked in when they had to go home at the end of the week. I was supposed to be home too. None of this was supposed to happen this way.

After my parents were gone, I was able to get around the apartment by myself. I didn’t need a babysitter anymore, so I tried to be happy about that. However, my incisions still kept me from doing anything strenuous, which meant I had no excuse not to return to work anymore. Most of what I did was sit behind a desk in a tiny office, so I made my first day back that Friday. I figured I might as well make some type of income to, you know, pay for my books for the next semester and uhhhhhh fucking live. I had to find my independence again somehow.

Anyway, my first day back at work was as mundane as it always was. It was like I wasn’t even gone for three weeks. Stacy gave me a professional “welcome back” and then hit me with the work I missed that I needed to catch up on. I spent the morning adding up gas receipts, entering vehicle information into the computer, and booking service appointments over the phone.

In the afternoon, Jason and Luca came in for their shifts. They approached the window of the office and stopped in their tracks.

“You’re here?” Jason asked in disbelief. “Weren’t you quitting?”

Clearly, no one knew or cared where I had been lately. I mean, I must have told Stacy to keep it confidential while I was high on morphine. Even then, I wasn’t exactly popular here.

“I had surgery, and now I can’t hop on a plane home,” I explained shortly.

“Oh, so you were dying and you weren’t planning on telling us?” Luca said, holding a hand up to my face in a dramatic fashion. “How dare you.”

I blinked once and then got back to adding numbers from the stack of receipts. The two of them entered the office, and that was when another question popped into my mind.

“Who covered me while I was gone?”

“Not me!” Jason said as he went to his desk at the back of the office.

Luca stood by mine and puckered his lips like he was thinking to himself. That said it all for me.

“Shoulda known.” I rolled my eyes. “Not a goddamn thing was done, and it’s month-end.”

“Hey, Stacy told me to book appointments,” Luca said defensively. “I lost commission these last few weeks because of that. I sell cars. I’m no receptionist.”

Bet he didn’t even book appointments either. Bet Stacy told him to cover all of my responsibilities. Luca just did not give a flying fuck about anything.

I spent my lunch hour in the car. Normally, Shawn would have come to meet me so we could eat together… or not eat. He was working too, though, and from the texts he sent me, he had been working on a flower arrangement for a wedding. He was going to be busy all day. When did we become a boring, married couple?

“You’ll never believe who they put to cover me while I was out,” I typed out in a text to Shawn. I munched on my white rice as I sent it.

“Who?!” he replied within a few minutes. I could almost hear the enthusiasm.

“Fucking Luca. He did fuck all, so I have a bunch to catch up on. Plus, it’s the end of the month, so we all have to close a bunch of sales and warranties and all this other boring crap. I’ll be home a little late.” Send. More white rice. God, I’m tired of rice.

My phone buzzed again while I was scrolling on Instagram. Shawn had replied. “Aw. Ok hon. I’m gonna have a couple of friends over tonight, just letting you know. Some of them want to see how you’re doing.”

“Ok. I’ll see you at home.”

“Love that you see my place as a home now :)”

Uhhhhhhhhh… Who’s gonna tell him? Who has to remind him that I was staying at his place for convenience, because I am recovering from a surgery? That I literally almost died and my complications kept me from travelling long distance…? Who’s gonna tell him?

I was horrifically fatigued when I got home. I seemed to have forgotten that stressing over numbers and annoying phone calls was mentally straining. Maybe travelling by car wasn’t a great idea either, but how could I not drive? I had a job to go to. I had an apartment to get back to. As I walked up to the front door, I wished that I didn’t have to worry about things like income and bills to pay. I just wanted to lie down and not get up again.

Walking into the apartment, I realized I probably wouldn’t even get to do that.

First of all, the door was unlocked. Shawn had given me a key, but apparently I didn’t need it this time. I was met with music and laughter as stepped over the threshold. I found people, strangers, when I peered into the kitchen.

It was a small kitchen, but there were five frat boy looking guys all holding plastic red cups. Among them were three breathtakingly pretty brunettes. I’m talking Instagram models, wearing sparkling crop tops and skin tight leggings. They were all laughing about something until they saw me at the doorway.

“Rock on, emo queen,” one of the frat boys said, holding up the rock and roll sign.

Yeah. Even in my work uniform, which was a button up with the company name on, was in fact black. Not to mention, the eyeliner I had put on in the morning smudged so much throughout the day that I now looking like a raccoon having a mental breakdown.

Awkwardly, I continued padding down the hall, finding more people standing and talking amongst themselves. Again, more ridiculously pretty girls and their dates. All I could smell was weed. I tried to keep a stink eye off my face, but it was the only thing that made people move out of the way so I could get to the living room.

Finally, there were people I recognized. Brian, Connor, Teddy, and Shawn were among a bigger group of strangers sat on the L-shaped couch. So this was a couple of friends?

Shawn noticed me first and raised his arms in the air, making me notice the red cup in his hand. “Look who’s here!”

That caused several pairs of eyes to turn to me, causing me to feign a smile. Everyone raised their drinks and cheered. Oh god, I was in a room of drunk toddlers. I was in a whole ass apartment of drunk toddlers. And my fucking boyfriend was the toddler hosting the other toddlers.

“Come, sit here,” Shawn said, waving me over. “I missed you!”

I still felt awkward and tired and far from the vibe everyone else was currently on. I stepped over and went to take the empty space next to Shawn, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me onto his lap. My face went hot at the gesture, but not because of the affection, or the fact that he chose to rest his hands on top of my thighs. His chin rested on my shoulder, and I could smell the alcohol in his breath. Oh jeez.

“Man, let your girl breathe!” Brian joked, seeing the discomfort on my face.

“It’s fine,” I said sheepishly. I noticed several empty plastic cups and shot glasses on the coffee table. It wasn’t even ten o’clock yet.

“Yeah,” Shawn agreed, “I mean, I’d sit on her lap, but my poor baby had surgery. Wouldn’t wanna hurt her.”

Before I could retort, Teddy spoke up. She, too, had her own cup and was very obviously under the influence. “Oh yeah! How did that go? What even happened?”

I was going to reluctantly explain, but Shawn spoke for me again.

“My little fighter looked death in the face and said ‘fuck you!’”

Several gasps and fascinated expressions came from the group on the couch. I resisted the urge to plant my face in my hands. There goes my business, out in the open for everyone to put their noses into.

“You almost died?” Connor asked in shock.

“Ooh, story time!” Teddy announced. “Spill! Now!”

Been home for ten minutes, and I was not in my pajamas lying under the covers. For me, this was a couple of steps away from a worst case scenario. All eyes on me, expected to talk about things I wanted to keep quiet about. And it was all prompted by my drunk boyfriend, of all people.

“I had a bowel resection, and then I hemorrhaged,” I explained curtly. Then, I moved Shawn’s hands off my thighs and got to my feet. “And now I have to stay here and recover for the whole summer. The end.”

Some people booed at the length of my story. I’m sure I was expected to tell an awesome tale about the battle against my infected guts, but I was really not in the mood for that. I had to tell the story twice at work, and that was enough for me. I didn’t really care about being a massive party pooper at the moment.

“Baby, where you going?” asked Shawn as I stepped away from the group.

I sighed and turned back to him. “I’m gonna change out of my uniform, and then I’m going to sleep.”

He pouted and got up to approach me. He came up close, so things felt a little more private. “Come have fun with me. We never have fun anymore.”

The plea in his voice was a jab straight to the heart. But I couldn’t find it in me to change my mind and stay with him.

“I’m not really in a party mood,” I said apologetically. “I had a long day, I’m really tired.”

Shawn’s face fell even more. His hazy, tipsy eyes filled with concern. “You want me to kick everyone out? I’ll do it! I’ll do it right now!”

I quickly got ahold of his wrist before he could rally the troops. I already had enough guilt on my shoulders. “No! No, no, no, don’t do that.” I held his hand in both of mine, and I ran my fingers over the swallow tattoo. “Have fun with your friends. You’re right, things haven’t been fun lately, and I’m sorry for that. You deserve a good time, even if I’m not there. Just have a drink for me, okay?”

He could have put out some things about how the party would be better if I was there. He could have sweet talked me into sitting on his lap again for the whole night. Instead, he squeezed my hand and said, “Straight tequila, right?”

Relief washed over me. “Yes. Remember to drink water too.”

“I gotchu, honey.” Then, he leaned in a pressed a sweet kiss to my lips. “Keep the bed warm for me.”

The taste of alcohol on his lips made me one percent more likely to join him in the festivities. The other ninety nine percent yeeted my ass to the bedroom. Once I was alone, the crushing feeling of deliberate isolation sent me to the surface of the bed.

I was the type of tired that kept me from actually sleeping. I could sleep through plenty of external noise, living in a college dorm was enough experience. It was just my foggy brain and burning throat getting in the way. I grabbed my Switch from the nightstand and played Smash Bros, tuning out the sounds of people having a better time than me.

Every so often, I heard people cheering or chanting, “chug, chug, chug!” I remained curled up in bed, fighting people online to get my frustrations out. Taylor Swift’s Love Story came on around 1AM and everyone screamed the lyrics, while I brought my t-shirt to the bridge of my nose to catch oncoming tears. I felt guilty and selfish every moment I wished Shawn was here to spoon me til I fell asleep. He spent so much time worrying about me, he deserved to forget it all once in a while. God knows I wanted to do the same, but my insides were still recovering.

I had put my Switch away and I was lying on my side by the time people were saying their goodbyes out in the apartment. Some guy was praising Shawn for having such “epic parties” as they put it. Weird, this was the first party of his that I witnessed. We’ve been together just over six months. How much of himself was he holding back because of me?

“Whoo!” I heard Shawn yell, followed by a glass shattering loudly.

The sound woke me up a little. Meaning, my legs got me standing and dashing out to the living room. My eyes scanned the place, which was now vacant of people and full of trash, but I found Shawn sitting on the floor just outside the hallway.

The place was a mess. Half empty cups, food, and mysterious stains covered every surface in the apartment. I was only worried about my boyfriend.

“Hey, cutie,” I said affectionately, bending down so we were at eye level.

Shawn’s eyes were hooded, but sparkling. He gave me a toothy grin and held up a peace sign.

Then, Teddy emerged from the kitchen. “Oh, did I wake you? I dropped a cup, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, I wasn’t exactly sleeping,” I told her, still looking at Shawn. I waved my hand in front of his face, only for him to blink slowly. “Uh, how much has he had to drink?”

Teddy chewed her lip as she thought about it. “I lost count after his fourth shot.”

“My girlfriend told me to have ten tequilas,” Shawn slurred, belching right after. “I think I had like, six.”

I held my breath and waved off the stench. Someone was in for a long night, longer than normal. I didn’t think he would take me seriously, but then again, I did not tell him to have ten shots of straight tequila.

“Oh yeah, he mixed his liquor too,” Teddy said.

I sighed and moved Shawn’s long arm over my shoulders. “Okay, vamos mi chulo. Let’s get you to bed.”

Teddy stepped in to help get the six foot toddler to his feet. Shawn stumbled and swayed, his long arms hanging heavily on our shoulders. I baby talked him as we slowly strolled to the bedroom, and I told Teddy I could take it from there.

Shawn burped again as we got closer to the bed, and he groaned. “Ugh… this isn’t fun anymore.”

“Okay, let’s go to the bathroom,” I said, steering him the other way.

It took a minute to get him positioned in front of the toilet. It took less than a second for him to lean over the bowl and return everything he drank. As much as the sights and sounds of vomiting brought me dark and lonely flashbacks, I went and sat on the edge of the bathtub. I rubbed Shawn’s back and practically waited for it to end.

Once that was overwith, I really couldn’t go back to sleep. I managed to lay Shawn down on the mattress. The sparkle in his eyes was gone, now replaced with chilling emptiness. I took the liberty of pulling his leather boots off his feet, and I removed his socks as well. Then, I draped the comforter over his long body.

“Stay with me,” Shawn mumbled, his arm reaching out to me. “Let’s forget all the bad shit…”

It seems that no amount of alcohol could make him not think about the last couple of weeks. My heart began to ache all over again.

“Go to sleep, okay?” I said gently. “I’ll be with you when you go to sleep.”

Shawn whined. “You always die in my sleep. I love you too much to let you go.”

I had a feeling that that’s what he had been dreaming about. But I really could not get myself to lie down with him. I was too antsy from the vomiting.

“Wait for me, okay?” I told him, stroking his hair. “I’m only gonna be a few minutes, and I’ll come back.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

He’s drunk. He’s going to sleep no matter what.

Once Shawn was all tucked into bed, I left the room and quietly shut the door behind me. In the living room, Teddy was picking up plastic cups and shoving them into a giant trash bag. I really wasn’t expecting her to still be here. Wordlessly, I began helping her clean up. Anything to get my beating heart to slow down.

“What were you doing this whole time if you weren’t sleeping?” she asked me. “Was the music too loud?”

“No. It wasn’t anything from the party,” I replied, scooping up paper plates and used napkins. “Just had a long day. I wasn’t in the mood for a party.”

“Oh.”

She glanced at me a couple of times as she dumped more trash into the bag. This was supposed to be the part where I bare my soul to my boyfriend’s friend and make her my friend, but… Enough of my business was out there already.

Teddy, however, was persistent. “So, how come you didn’t want visitors at the hospital? Or when you got out, for that matter?”

I busied myself with fixing the sofa cushions so I could come up with a decent answer. “Uh, I like my privacy. Especially in moments where things are messy.”

“Hm. Well, aren’t messy moments the times when you need friends the most?”

That thought lingered in the air as we continued tidying up the living room. I could have had my video game club friends there, or Shawn’s friends, but instead I left most of the burden to Shawn himself. What kind of a person am I?

At last, Teddy got the last of the garbage in the bag, and she tied it shut. Then, we moved onto the kitchen. More cups, spilled booze, and the broken glass from earlier. Oh, how I did not miss house parties. I was at the prime age of partying, being 21. I should have been the type to be as drunk as my boyfriend was, to just have fun and forget the stresses of life. But I found myself on a completely different level than the people who were here tonight.

“Do you stay up late often?” Teddy asked, trying to fill the silence yet again.

We both paused as the sounds of loud, monotonous humming came from the bedroom. Teddy scrunched her brow and tilted her head. My shoulders tensed with chills, like ice cold water had been spilled down the back of my shirt.

“To answer your question,” I told her, “yes.”

She followed me to the room, but she stayed at the doorway while I went to Shawn’s quivering body.

“Baby, wake up,” I said urgently, shaking his arm. “Wake up, it’s only a dream, baby…”

He was on his back, head moving from side to side in harsh moments. He groaned, completely spastic, so I coaxed him some more.

My voice shook. “Shawn… please. I’m here, please-”

His eyes flew open with a loud gasp. He sat up, breathing hard and fast. I placed my hands on his broad shoulders, getting his attention.

“Hey, look at me. You’re okay, it’s okay. You’re safe.”

Brown eyes were wide with panic, and then sadness. Within a second, they were filling with tears, and Shawn was wrapping his arms around my waist. With a shaky sob, he buried his head in my neck and cried quietly.

I had a pained looked on my face while he wasn’t looking. I just held him and stroked his hair. I was whispering the things I always said when he was in this state. “You’re safe with me. It was just a dream, it’s not real.”

I was able to coax him back to sleep for the time being. It was only going to happen again, though. I didn’t know how to stop it from happening.

When I stepped out of the room again, I leaned against the wall by the doorway. Teddy was gone, probably fled the uncomfortable situation. Can’t say I blame her. I sighed heavily and brought the palms of my hands to my misty eyes. I was beyond exhausted now. I was at a loss.

A hand went on my shoulder all of a sudden, making me jump. I looked up, finding that Teddy was still here, glass of water in her hand. Her blue eyes were concerned and upset, like the world had just ended in front of her. I pushed past the feelings, though.

“Sorry, I didn’t know you were still here,” I said, my voice thick with emotion. “Uh, did you need a ride home?”

She shook her head and held up the glass. “My fiance is coming soon. Here, drink.”

I offered a weak smile and accepted the gesture. As I sipped, Teddy said something that threw me off.

“He told me he was handling his nightmares. Had it all taken care of.”

“Why would he say that?” I asked in return.

“Didn’t want anyone to worry, I’m guessing. But I can see how tired he is. I can see how shaken up he is. I mean, he never goes as hard as he did tonight with the liquor. And worst of all, he hasn’t written a song in weeks. He hasn’t been in the studio at all.”

And it was my own damn fault.

“Does he tell you what he dreams about?” I dared to ask.

“No,” Teddy said. “I don’t think he tells anybody. I think he needs something beyond our help.”

“You’re right. I need to talk to him about this, because I know he’s not gonna talk to me.”

She placed her both her hands on my shoulders. “Hey. I’ve seen Shawn with quite a few girls over the last couple of years. I’ve never seen him head over heels until you came along. He loves you so much, he can’t fathom the idea of losing you. He loves you so much that he won’t talk to you about this because he doesn’t want you to feel bad.”

I wasn’t sure if that was supposed to make me feel better, because I was barely coherent as I spoke. “I already do…”

For once, I was up and running before Shawn was. His last nightmare happened around six in the morning, and after that he slept normally. The hangover probably had something to do with that. I left him a glass of water and painkillers on the nightstand, and then I went to the kitchen to attempt a type of breakfast.

By the time had eggs scrambled on a plate, Shawn was stumbling out of the room, glass of water in hand. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, and then he ran his fingers through his curly hair. He was still in the navy blue t-shirt he wore last night, but he ditched his jeans and went for the underwear look.

I met him halfway from the kitchen, presenting him with his mediocre breakfast. “Morning, sunshine.”

“For me?” he asked, and I nodded. “You’re the best.”

He sat at the round glass dining table as opposed to going to the living room. He must have been really hungover. I sat next to him and basked in the silence as he ate. My hands were tingling from the nerves.

“How ya feelin’?” I asked in a stupidly gently voice, reaching over to rub his arm.

He hummed through a mouthful of eggs. When he swallowed, he spoke. “My head is pounding. But I took the pills you left for me. Thank you for that, by the way. Who cleaned the apartment?”

“Me and Teddy. After you knocked out, we just decided to tidy up so no one had to worry about it the next day.”

“Well, thank you. One less thing to worry about.” He ate in silence some more, and then spoke some words that truly had me puzzled. “I slept the whole night for once. Feels good.”

Must be nice to not remember your night terrors. However, I had to tell him.

“Shawn…” I said slowly. “You woke up like five times. You had a panic attack one of those times.”

He slowed his chewing, staring at the table top in thought. He stayed quiet, and it freaked me out. He practically shut down, and it scared me for multiple reasons.

“I don’t know how to help you,” I admitted, watching him carefully.

“It’ll wear off,” he said weakly.

“You don’t know that.” I had to be firm. “I don’t know what you’re seeing in your sleep, but I know it scares you so much that you won’t talk about it. And you talk about everything, so that’s how I know it’s bad.”

Shawn looked down, still silent. Not giving me a possible solution to this. Does he even want help? Or am I just exaggerating and losing my mind?

“You don’t have to talk to me about it,” I continued. “Just talk to somebody. Last night, Teddy told me that you were taking care of all of this, but you’re not. I don’t know how you’re functioning during the day, because I’ve been exhausted and sleep deprived. I know you are too, and I’m not the only one who sees it. I, I don’t know how much longer I can watch you go through this.”

Again, he was quiet. He was never quiet. Shawn was feisty and passionate, ready to say anything to prove his point at any given moment. He had strayed from the Shawn Mendes I loved in such a short amount of time. It was happening so fast, watching him slip through my fingers. It felt like I was the one in a nightmare.

“Please,” I mumbled, my voice quavering. My bottom lip began to quiver.

Shawn suddenly looked up at me, eyes wide at the sounds coming out of me. Even when he was sinking, he still paid more attention when I was about to cry.

“I’ll, I’ll give you my therapist’s number,” I offered, losing my composure. “I-I don’t know if she’s taking anymore clients, but I-I-I’ll give up my sessions for you. I’ll do anything if it means you’ll get some help. Shawn, I… I’m begging you. I’m begging you to get help, because I don’t know what to do anymore… a-and it’s because of me why you’re like this, a-a-and I’m sorry-”

I gasped when I realized Shawn had placed his hands on either side of my face. His thumbs rubbed my tear stricken cheeks, and he spoke calmly and gently.

“Okay,” he said. “Okay, I’ll get help. I promise. I don’t wanna go through this anymore either. I promise I’ll figure this out.”

I guess that’s how I knew I was falling in love. The want and need for him to be okay was so great, there was nothing I wouldn’t do to make that happen. The fact that he was not okay was ripping me a new one. I couldn’t even breathe when he slept. I couldn’t even think about how much I wanted to be in California, because then I’d have to think about leaving Shawn all alone. Who would talk him down from his night terrors?

My hospital stay alone triggered nightmares and eerie silence from him. But what would Shawn have done if I had died altogether?

#shawn mendes #shawn mendes fanfic #shawn mendes imagine #shawn mendes blurb #shawn mendes smut #fourtristattoosspring #shawn x goth gf #if this doesnt show up in the tags imma fuckin riot #im jk ill just cry again probably #i may have cried writing this lulz

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askeletonintheclosetfic · 4 years

Text

The one with a bloody knife

*blood, gore, and smut warnings*

November 30, 1986.

The past couple of days have been a complete dream come true for the Black Moon camp. Between the two of us hanging out with all of the guys and all of them being so kind to us, I've completely forgotten that the King of Hearts exists. We're in Connecticut right now and it's pouring rain outside at the moment. Just something about gazing out of the hotel window while Ceecee's in the shower, looking out to the pitch black sky as the rain is streaking over the window pane and there's nothing more than the golden street lights to glean over them. Not even the little desk lamp next to me can give them some highlights.

We're going to New York City tomorrow and Ceecee and I can hardly contain our excitement! We love New York and the guys from Nuclear Assault told us they'll introduce us to the crowd if they must.

I finally got close to Joey last night after our show in New Jersey.

The past couple of days I've brushed elbows with James and had breakfast with him and Lars, the latter of whom always gave me a good morning kiss once he saw me, and as a result the two of us have bit of a friendship going, but Joey seemed to back off for a little bit. I barely saw him in Poughkeepsie and they left before the two of us and Metallica piled into Nuclear Assault's van again to make the drive back here to New England.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the letter Frankie wrote to me. And I thought that might have had something to do with it, like maybe Joey and Frankie are both purposely avoiding me. But that makes no sense, though.

And then I actually bumped into Joey after Anthrax's set. Literally bumped into him.

Ceecee and I earned swag and stuff at every venue we've been to so far, and our guitar cases have been overflowing with said stuff. Since we're on the road, we have no permanent space for all of this, so just when we're about to settle into the room, we have to leave and go to the next one. It's all so quick and transient that Clara actually confessed to me that she's surprised everyone manages to keep themselves sane this whole time.

But because our cases are so heavy now, the three of us had received the help of the guys from Overkill as we made our way out of the theater. It was this cozy little venue with red and gold trimming all around the front lobby so even though it was quite cold outside, the whole place felt warm and comfortable: we brought even more warmth to our set which I feel the people there in New Jersey loved us for, perhaps more than our music.

Clara had her cane extended out right in front of her and Bob had his hand rested upon her shoulder to ensure she could find her way to the door. They were underneath the heater vent in the ceiling when I almost lost my balance from the dead weight on my back. I staggered about to catch myself.

I fell on something soft, and I looked up to find it was Joey.

"Damn, easy there," he told me as he clasped onto me to keep me from falling to the floor. His fingers crept over my shoulders: I could feel his thumbs right on my chest. I raised up to look into his big brown eyes and at the smooth bridge of his aquiline nose. I finally had a moment alone with Joey.

"You okay?" he asked me.

"Yeah," I assured him.

"Chris!" Ceecee called out from behind us.

"I'll catch up with you guys," I told her. She then flashed me a mischievous grin before she and Clara ambled out of the hallway with Overkill. The last thing I heard before the door closed was the sound of the rain on the pavement out there.

"What you wanna do?" Joey asked me once I brought my attention to him.

"Oh, my God, you are so cute, it's annoying," I scoffed at him.

"Wow, great singer and I'm cute?" he teased me. "By the way, I wanna keep thanking you ladies for coming with us."

"It's either that or staying there in Sea-Town with that serial killer coming after us."

"It's gotta be quite the relief to be all around the Northeast." He gave his inky black curls a little toss which showed off his neck. I hoisted the guitar case back over my shoulder: I didn't care if it was weighing me down a bit. I stood there with Joey in a lush red and gold corridor in New Jersey. I looked down at his hips and his thumbs tucked under his belt loops.

I raised my gaze back up to his face.

"Like what you see here?" he teased me.

"The darkness all around us, bringing us together," I whispered to him.

"You wanna... give me a bit of poetry?"

"Give me your warm flesh, and give me your earthly fire," I said on the spot. "Give me a single reason and know that I've taken your gloves. Without a light in the hallway and without a hallway in the mind; slide in between me and the cold of the void."

Joey ran his tongue along his bottom lip. "Go on."

"Lay me down to feel the leather—" I eyed the smooth sleeves of his jacket. "—tie me down and lock the door, and touch me 'til sunrise on all quarters and hit me 'til midday on all sides."

He glanced down at his chest, and I looked right at that low neckline of his shirt.

"There's no heat—of breath and there's no sear—of pain, even as you shake beneath me and the salt hangs over us."

I could hear him breathing harder as I moved in closer to him.

"No one can ever know the way you've touched me," I whispered into his dark lips, "or that I've caressed you down, even as the mark is made. But lo, darling—" He closed his eyes when I said that. "—know that I'm forever yours, carved into each other's skin, the mark—of the Black Knight."

"Kiss me," he pleaded. I brushed my lips against his: chills ran down my arms and my spine. I rested my fingers upon his chest. He felt soft, even with his slender build.

I had my first kiss, and with Joey, the sexy bachelor no less. I pulled back and gazed into his eyes once more. He stared into mine.

"Our parents can't know about this," he whispered to me.

"Especially with all of the murders around us."

"They could murder the both of us if we let the cat out of the bag."

"We could end up in bags ourselves." I dropped my gaze back down to his chest and his stomach.

"That'd be a shame," he pointed out.

"I couldn't be able to feel you," I whispered. Something caught his eye and he tilted his head to the left to check it out. His eyes enlarged and he looked as though he was holding his breath.

"What's the matter?" I asked him.

"Chris, don't look now, but—" I couldn't help it. I turned to look.

Blood dripped down the side of the wall across from us. My heart hammered inside of my chest as I found out it was oozing out of the vent in the ceiling. Right where Ceecee, Clara, and Overkill had stood a mere few moments earlier.

"There's blood. Blood everywhere." I looked to the right to find even more blood running down the wall down the corridor from us.

"You have to kiss me," he whispered to me; his voice was husky and delicate, a far cry from the soaring powerful shriek I had heard over the past few nights.

"Here?" I demanded.

"Yes. Please. Please, Christina—I'm begging you, Mama."

I pressed my lips onto his again. Even though blood and the feeling of death surrounded us, I never felt closer to Joey than in that moment. The dead weight of the guitar case pressed against my back so I pressed my body against his. We were making out as blood trickled out of the vent and the trimming of the corridor over our heads. I never imagined I would make out with a boy in such a morbid setting.

He clasped his hands to the sides of my face.

"Let's get the fuck out of here," he told me in a hushed voice.

"Let's," I agreed with him. I led him out of the corridor as even more blood fell out of the vent to our left. Even with the heavy weight on my back, I managed to run with him right behind me. We hurried out of the venue as a few police men wrapped in black cloaks passed us to the side door there.

"There they are—" I heard Lars' voice to the right of us. Joey put his arm around me and ducked his head away from the pouring rain. We caught up with all them congregated there at the sidewalk. Frankie offered his umbrella to us; on the other hand, Charlie offered to take my guitar case off of my back. I stretched my arms to give Ceecee and Clara both hugs, and then one to Joey himself to feel his softness yet again.

"Bastard mutilated one of Metallica's stage hands," Scott told us.

"Who?" I asked him as I moved my hand away from Joey's side.

"The King of Hearts," Clara filled in; there was a soft thud behind us. I turned to find two of the police men tossing things to each other. Since it was raining, I guess their hands were slippery.

"He followed us over here to the East Coast," Ceecee added. "Dan from Nuclear Assault said he stabbed that poor guy and ripped his heart straight out of his chest." Thud.

"When did it happen?" Joey asked her with a mortified look on his face.

"No idea," continued Ceecee. "Dan poked his head out of the window up there—" She gestured to the second level of the venue behind us. "—and told us to call the cops—" Thud. "—and then Clara and I remembered you and Joey were still in there."

Thud. I felt Joey put his arm around me. He called me "mama" in there as the blood was coming down around us.

"What do we do?" I asked them.

"Blend in," replied Frankie. Thud.

"Since we're hopping all over the Northeast, he's having a hard time catching up with us," said Clara as her dark lenses peered off into the darkness.

"Hartford's out of the way," said Danny. "Pretty out of the way, too—" Thud, thud. "He'll be in the City first before we're done. And then we're going to the Big Apple afterwards, and then into Canada."

"It's New York City," Charlie assured me, "—it's big and foreboding. He'll never find you ladies."

I have to take Charlie's word for it, and I still have, even now as writing this entry and looking back out the window again. I can't help but have an unsettling feeling within me. He's out there somewhere with that knife in hand. He's out for my blood and out for it in such a way that he's willing to kill anyone to get to me.

#new chapter #fanfic #fanfiction #anthrax fanfic #metallica fanfic #anthrax #metallica #heavy metal #thrash metal #dark romance #horror romance #blood tw #gore tw #also on ao3 #also on wattpad #smut

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