#did I put the wrong amount of ear fins? yes I did

[guccigarantine]

bruccet

#friends at the table #f@tt #palisade #my art #posting this now bc if I don’t I’ll keep ‘fixing’ it forever #I’ve been wanting to draw them as this meme for ages #this is my favorite Brnine and Gucci I’ve ever done #did I put the wrong amount of ear fins? yes I did #that’s my business #gucci garantine #kalvin brnine #jesset city

[jlalafics]

“Operator”-an Everlark Ficlet

For @mrspeetamellark, who wanted “Peeta’s dirty filthy sex talk”. Enjoy!

Katniss couldn’t believe she was doing this.

Delly had convinced her that this would broaden her horizons.

Apparently, that’s what she needed after a dumping such as hers.

Her year-long relationship with Cato had ended with a bitter fight and him telling her that she was bore in the bedroom. Then, he promptly informed her that he was moving out of their apartment to shack up with Clove, a little beast of a woman who had clawed her way up into Cato’s penis.

That was fine. The relationship had been going downhill months ago.

However, this was kind of a new low for her.

She went to the mirror in the corner of her bedroom, looking at her reflection and wondering if the black nightie was necessary.

Then, pouring a glass of wine from the bottle on her bedside table, Katniss pulled out a card with the scantily clad man on it and dialed the number.

It rang a twice.

She told herself she would hang up on the third, when someone suddenly picked up the line.

“Hello?” came a smooth, deep voice.

“Hi,” she croaked out nervously. “This is stupid.”

The man on the phone chuckled. “I hope not. It’s how I make a living.”

“Oh hell—I’m sorry!” Katniss slap her palm to her forehead. “I’ve never done this before, but my friend suggested it as a way to help me discover ‘my sexual goddess’—whatever the fuck that means.”

“Sounds like you’ve been going through something,” the man replied. “Want to tell me about it?”

“I’ve been living with my ex for a year and he just dumped me for a girl who will let him put it anywhere he wants.”

“Ouch. Sounds like a real charmer.”

“You bet,” she responded wryly. “I’m not too sad about it. I’m more insulted that he thought I was boring in bed. I mean, I would’ve let him put it anywhere, but some foreplay would’ve been nice. Also, being completely silent while I’m pulling out the big guns didn’t help.”

“Some guys expect women to just automatically go for anything,” the man said. “But I find that, in healthy sexual relationships, there has to be an equal amount of give and take.”

“Exactly!” Katniss took a sip from her glass and sat back against the pillows of her bed. “You seem like a decent person. Why are you working on a phone sex line?”

“Because I enjoy it,” he told her simply. “Also, this is just an evening job.”

“So, it’s like a stripper at night and paralegal by day kind of thing,” she replied.

The man chuckled. “Kind of. I have a pretty standard office job.”

“Me, too.” Katniss took another sip, her nerves beginning to relax. “So, how do we do this?”

“Let’s start with your name,” he told her.

“Katniss.”

“Katniss,” he repeated.

His voice tightened at the last bit of her name and she straightened at the change of tone.

“Is there something wrong?”

“No, it’s just a very different name,” the man said. “But very pretty. I think I’m going to like saying it into your ear as you come.”

Her nipples immediately tightened at his words. “Oh yeah?”

“Yes.” He laughed roughly. “What pretty little thing are you wearing for me?”

“I knew you were going to ask that, at some point.” Katniss fingered the strap of her nightie. “I’m wearing a black nightie with lace along the top.”

“Sounds lovely,” the man replied. “Tell me; do you feel uncomfortable taking instructions?”

“Depends.” She smiled into receiver. “What are you going to tell me to do?”

“Give me a name,” he told her. “A name that means something to you. A name that turns you on. But I don’t want you to say it until you come.”

“Alright,” she agreed.

There was only one name that Katniss wanted to say.

He, however, was unattainable.

“Close your eyes.” His voice was low, and the timbre instantly electrified her…down there. “I can tell that you’re analyzing every single part of this call…what I must be thinking about you…what I look like—am I right?”

Katniss giggled. “Exactly.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “I closed them.”

“I think that you’re a brave woman who’s taking control of her sexual life.” The man breathed against the receiver and Katniss shivered imagining his warm breath against her ear. “I’m blond, average height, with blue eyes. Imagine me in your mind.”

Katniss took a deep breath, the image of a man forming in her head. She saw him, undoing her favorite red tie, removing his black loafers, before lying next to her.

“I’m playing with the strap of your gown, Katniss…what were you doing before I came home?”

“Drinking wine…imagining what we would be doing once you got home,” she stuttered out. “I’m not good at this.”

“You were doing beautifully,” he assured her. “The tone of your voice…low…grounded…I bet you growl when you’re turned on…and I'd love to make you growl…”

Katniss felt the gush as her core pulsed at his words. She had foregone underwear and could see her arousal gleaming on her inner thighs.

“While you were waiting for me, did you touch yourself?”

Her fingers traced along the opening of her gown. “Yes…”

“Oh fuck—” He groaned into the receiver and the sound traveled straight to her cunt. “I’ve been thinking about you all day. Just thinking about coming home to you made me hard—” There was a grunt on her speaker, and she gasped at the image of him, cock straining through the zipper of his pants. “I had to close the door to my office and stroke myself to the thought of you…”

Katniss mewled into the phone, her hand traveling down between her legs as the other massaged her breast.

“God…”

“That’s right, sweetheart,” he rumbled on the line. “I’m kneeling in front of you, open your cunt for me—”

“What?”

“Take those pretty little fingers of yours and use them to spread your labia, Katniss. I want to see that lovely hole…the one that I’m going to stick my fingers…then my tongue…and finally my cock—”

Behind her eyes, Katniss imagined this mystery man kneeling before her and using her index and middle finger, spread her outer lips apart to his hungry eyes.

“Mmmm…more…” She groaned into the phone. “I want more…please…”

“I got you—” Katniss could hear shifting and wondered if she was actually turning this stranger on. “You’re so wet for me, Katniss. I bet you taste delicious...go on…taste yourself.”

Losing herself in his voice, she lifted her hand to her mouth and stuck her fingers in her mouth.

“I can hear you sucking on your fingers.” He sounded desperate. “What do you taste like?”

She moved her fingers from her lips. “Light…but musky…”

The man moaned into the receiver. “Do you want to fuck me?”

“Yes,” she growled. “I need you inside me.”

Her fingers went back to drenched core, moving along her inner lips, and dancing along her entrance.

“Undo my belt,” he commanded. “I can’t wait anymore, Katniss. I want you to pull out my cock. I want you to rub your cunt against my pants so every time I wear them, I can remember my dick ramming into that soaked hole of yours—fuck!”

Katniss took her fingers, plunging them straight into her core. “UH!” She lost herself in the motion, her hips jerking as she fucked herself—or in her mind, he fucked her—into oblivion. “I’m going to come…”

“Me too, baby,” he moaned. “Touch your clit, make yourself come for me, Katniss…”

Her hand went to her pearl, circling the peaked nerve, and she felt the crest of her climax in sight.

“Don’t forget…” he demanded. “Say my name…say my name when you come—”

Her whole body arched, tensing, before she crashed, and her hips bucked as the white-hot pleasure blinded her.

“FUCK—PEETA!”

She could hear his ragged breaths as her hips landed back on her mattress.

“Oh God…that was amazing.”

“You are amazing,” he breathed, almost tenderly.

“Thank you,” she whispered into the phone. “I thought that maybe my ex was right—that I was a horrible lay. But it wasn’t me. He just never inspired me…or made me want…you did.”

“Katniss?”

Her eyes opened slowly. “Yes?”

“It’s me—” He took a deep breath. “Peeta.”

She snorted. “Yeah, sure.”

“Today is your 25th birthday.” Katniss shot up at his words. “Your office gave you a cake—chocolate with strawberries on top and almonds sprinkled on the sides, along with a bottle of wine.” Her eyes went to the open bottle of pinot. “My office is right across from yours—and I’ve been in love with you since the moment I met you.”

“Peeta…” Her eyes filled. “Two years?”

“Two years,” he confirmed. “Delly told me that you and Cato broke up. I had to take a chance even if it was this.”

“Do you actually work as a phone sex operator?”

“No,” he replied. “Delly made that flier.”

“Damn her and her graphic skills,” she muttered.

“Do you hate me? For lying to you?” Peeta asked carefully. “If you ended up not calling, I was going to ask you out on Monday, but I understand if you never want to speak to me—”

“Peeta.” He stopped. “Would you really do all the things you said over the phone?”

“Fuck yes.”

Katniss laid back against her pillows. She didn’t want to wait till Monday to see him.

So, she told him her address.

FIN.

#Everlark #Everlark Fanfiction #Rated E #request #unedited

[fanfoolishness]

A Warrior’s Death (The Mandalorian)

Set immediately following the events of Chapter 8: The Redemption.  

Din Djarin was alive.  The child was safe.   The Imps were vanquished.  He and the child were now a clan of two.  ...So then why was it so hard to breathe?

Angst, PTSD, blood/injury trigger warning, found family.  ~1700 words.

Now with art for extra feels!

***

The rocks and lava fields of Nevarro fell away beneath them as the Razor Crest ascended.  The child sat in his lap, curled against his cuirass, exhausted by the ordeal they had both survived.  Far below, Din could just barely make out the small cairn he had left behind.  A little higher and clouds surrounded them, vanishing the land.

They cleared the atmosphere and Din set the ship on autopilot in a high orbit.  He knew the Imperial presence had been destroyed, but he still felt uneasy keeping the ship planetside after such a narrow escape.  Especially with what had happened in the covert --

He abruptly got to his feet, cradling the child.  He needed to tend to him, needed to make sure he was all right after everything.  Carefully he carried the drowsy child down the ladder and to the cramped sleeping area.  He set the little one down on his own bed, bunching up the thin blanket to pad the area.  

Din knelt beside him, ignoring the dull pain in his head and body.  His head still pounded.  Bacta had saved his life, but he knew how close it had been.  It would be at least a week before his body could forget an injury that severe.

The child blinked up at him.  “How are you, kid?” Din asked into the silence.  

The kid tilted his head, ears quivering faintly.  He let out a soft sound, then slowly outstretched his hands, reaching up to Din.  There were a few small burns on those tiny green fingers, little areas where the skin was slightly reddened.  To his relief Din saw no blisters or deeper wounds.  Still, though, the way the baby grimaced slightly when Din touched them tore at him.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” Din murmured.  “Here.”  He reached to the medikit stored beneath the bunk, pulling out a vial of bacta cream.  He slipped off one glove and dipped a calloused fingertip in the ointment.  “Can I see?”

The baby regarded him with those large, intelligent eyes, and reached toward him.  Din dabbed a small amount of the cream between the child’s palms, then rubbed them together.  The baby cooed, the sound sweet and bright.

“See?  Feels better, right?” 

The kid stared at him, mouth falling open in a small smile, then clapped his hands together without a flinch.

Din let out a long sigh, putting his glove back on.  “Good job.  You were very brave.”  

He rummaged in the crate beside the bed, coming out with a kit of freeze-dried krill, some of the last from Sorgan.  “Want a snack?”  

He opened the packet, setting it in the child’s lap.  “Remember the nice people in Sorgan?  All those kids you made friends with?”  If only we --

Little fingers reached to the food, and the child ate the lot ravenously, getting krill crumbs all over his face.

“Here.  Let me just --”  Din wiped the crumbs off with his fingertips.  The child leaned into his touch, large eyes falling closed as Din cradled his cheek.  “Sleepy?  Get some rest, buddy.  I’ll be back soon.  Just need to clean up a little.”  The kid snuggled into Din’s blanket, already fast asleep.  

“Night, kid,” he said softly.

The door to the bunk closed behind him, the locking lights flashing.  His shoulders slumped, exhaustion settling in.  

He shuffled to the wall beside the vacc tube, hitting his closed fist against the small panel that hid a shallow sink, faucet, and cupboard.  He glanced back.  The door to the bunk was still locked.  He didn’t think the kid would try to follow him, tired as he was, but he dared not leave it to chance.  Not after earlier --

He sank onto the narrow seat of the vacc, and leaned heavily against the wall.  

He forced himself to reach up and lift his helmet, hissing as the inner lining, sticky with dried blood, tugged at his hair.  He sniffed, wincing, catching the scent of stale sweat and iron in his sodden shirt collar.  He set the helmet down beside him on a weapons rack and methodically pulled off his gloves for what came next.  

Childhood training burned deep in his bones.  You must tend to your armor after each battle as you tend to your body.  Without your armor, your body is vulnerable.  The two are one and the same.  

Normally his skills, his training, and his beskar kept the ritual of maintenance brief and automatic. Then again, normally he didn’t come back from a job with bacta mending a skull fracture.

A blinding flash, the air ripped from his lungs as he flew backwards -- 

A horrific crunching, a hot flood slick down the back of his head, soaking his collar and cloak --

He stared at his helmet, IG-11’s words echoing.  I am not a living thing.

He shivered.  It was true that no droid lived.  No living thing had seen him unmasked since childhood.  He had sworn the Creed.

But would the Armorer have granted him his signet, had she known what he’d done?  

What he’d allowed?

A wave of pain throbbing, overwhelming, clouding thoughts and vision, black blooming at the edges of everything --

Feet limp and nerveless, legs dragging in the dust, Cara hauling him from the fray like a dead thing --

He snatched the helmet from the shelf in a quick, controlled movement, breathing hard, and turned on the water in the shallow sink.  He reached for his cleaning kit and thrust his hand inside the helmet, methodically scouring the detritus away from the delicate machinery lining its inner surface.  

A frisson of revulsion passed through him as the water flowed red.  Broken strands of hair, clumped with clotted blood, gathered at the drain.  He scrubbed until the water poured into the helmet flowed clear, until the outside shone, until his head and his hands ached with the effort.  

The certain knowledge that this, then, was a warrior’s death --

Gasping for air, chest heaving, the raised blaster in his trembling hand --

The air, soft on his face --

Stiffly he set his helmet down to dry, and raised his head.  His face, distorted, stared back at him from the dimly reflective wall surface.  The colors were all wrong: reds and purples where he remembered brown and tan.  He brought handfuls of water to his cheeks, grunting when he found undeclared bruises, a nasty cut across the bridge of his nose, blood dried hard enough in his mustache that he had to scrub to lift it.  

Helmets stacked like trophies, beskar bones of his people in the dark  —

He gingerly touched the back of his head, his hand coming away still moist with blood and sweat.  The hair had matted, mired in hopeless tangles.  He’d cut it tomorrow.  For now he settled with more soap and water, enough to thin some of the mats at least somewhat.  He brushed through some of the damp hair with his fingers, and he wondered if the foundlings had fought back.

He stilled, his hands falling slack into his lap.  He stared at the wall.  He breathed in.  Breathed out.

He stared until his eyes burned.

***

The door to the bunk hissed open.  The child still slept soundly, though the blanket had fallen to expose his small shoulders.

Din knelt beside the child, his armor finally cleaned and restored.  The kid was sleeping so peacefully that for a moment he considered sleeping up in the cockpit, letting the kid take the bed rather than move him to the makeshift hammock Din had made.  Either way he’d be sleeping in full armor, as he had ever since the kid had come aboard, so it made little difference to him.  But as he adjusted the blanket, tucking it in around the little one’s neck, a small hand brushed against his vambrace.  

The child blinked owlishly up at him, stifling a tiny yawn.  Then he reached up, hands striving --

“C’mere,” said Din.  He gathered the child into his arms and sat on the cot, letting himself stretch out.  He meant to reach over and help situate the child in the hammock, but he did not.  Instead the child curled up against him in the soft spot between his fresh-cleaned cloak and his pauldron.

Din laid a hand over the child’s back, watching it rise and fall with every small, rapid breath.  “It was a hard day,” he murmured.  “No wonder you’re tired.”

He closed his eyes.  Tried to drift off to sleep, the familiar weight of the child resting against him.  But he stared through the slit in his helmet up at the ceiling, eyes unfocused.

Burrowing his face into the shoulder of the Mandalorian, the wind in his hair -- 

He was alive.

The foundlings playing games beneath the city --

The child was safe.

Kuiil’s small body, scored by blaster fire --

The Imps were vanquished.

A mechanized voice beseeching him not to be sad --

He and the child were now a clan of two.  

Beskar desouled, defiled, desolate --

So then why was it so hard to breathe?

The child whimpered suddenly against him, his hands twitching, perhaps in a dream.  Did his species dream?  The whimper grew louder, sounding almost frightened.  The little hands jerked.

His stomach clenched, the flashes in his mind receding, his focus turning sharply to the child resting on him.  “It’s okay,” Din whispered, caressing the baby’s cheek, thumb drawing small circles against delicate skin.  “I’ve got you.  You’re safe now.”  

Please believe me, kid --

The baby murmured half inaudibly, then shifted and wrapped his arms around Din’s hand.  Through the kid’s robe Din could feel a fierce heartbeat, tapping a rapid tattoo.  Close to the heart, his gloved fingertips brushed against something hard and metallic.  The mythosaur, memory, might, Mandalore.  

The child, the heartbeat, the mythosaur.  They anchored him.  They were enough.

This is the Way.

The child rested peacefully against him, comfortably asleep once more.  Din’s eyes fell closed, his mind quieting, the ache of his wounds fading.  He breathed in.  Breathed out.  

He slipped into a dreamless sleep, and he held his foundling closer.

-fin

(Maybe Grogu’s mind wanders in the Force while he sleeps.  Maybe Din’s trauma isn’t as hidden as he thinks it is.  Yes, my heart breaks for both of them.)

#the mandalorian #din djarin #grogu #the mandalorian fanfiction #noromo Mando #mandalorian #star wars #my Mando fic #and yes if you were wondering I deal with blood a lot #sometimes cleaning up after a trauma case is a secondary trauma #even when you’re used to it #so... this story happened #blood #blood tw #blood cw #tw blood

[hitsuackerman]

Unpredictable (Overhaul x Reader) pt.21

a/n: things will get better~ <3

warnings: this cannot be read solo

Links: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12, part 13, part 14, part 15, part 16, part 17, part 18, part 19, part 20, part 22

Masterlist to my other fics: here :)

Overhaul’s waiting list: @jjk-biased @infinite-universe-love @dirtypride @blackymomo03 @azzie @purple-rabanito​ @meximorrita @awesomeee19​​ @celestial-kanzakii​ @laure-lo​ @team-wang-puppy​ @aydience-world​ @choros-main-hoe​ @colorseeingchick​  @but-kairis-not-that-smart (i cant seem to tag again :( hope this lands in your timelines!)

The silence of the hall was cut by the vibration of your phone. Taking it out, you answered.

“Yes, Nao?”

“The cameras showed the Fukuo Kai members left the building. Save for two people. Overhaul not included.” Inside the tent, Tsukauchi focused on the monitors. Observing and watching as live and recorded footage were being played to make sure the remaining two were to be caught. “I’m assuming you're on the 4th floor. Be careful. Cameras aren’t picking up feed.”

“I know. You said there were two?” Staring at the fresh blood dripping onto the floor, you took a step back when the thick red liquid began to run down the wall. Recalling that sound earlier, the other person was surely on this floor. Somewhere.

“That’s right. It’s your call from here.”

“Any info on their quirks?”

“We’re still digging it up. Apparently, those two men weren’t part of the meeting. If my deductions are right, they were the ones who terrorized our plan.”

Feeling a bit lightheaded, you inhaled and let out a long exhale. The man wasn’t lying entirely when he said it had nothing to do with the Fukuo Kai. Now that you were sure he was not on the same floor, you cursed under your breath.

“Nao. There’s only one person left. Overhaul used his quirk on one of them.” Heading back towards the fire exit, you wiped off the beads of sweat forming on your forehead. Feeling chills run down your spine, the grip on your phone tightened as your hands began to feel tingly. “My adrenaline is going down. We’ll catch the other one… next time.”

“Bring yourself back to safety. We’ll debrief once you're here.”

“See you in a few.”

Ending the call, you shook your head and made your way back to the fire exit. With each step you took, your eyelids seemed to become heavier. Leaning on the wall for support, you saw how your vision was starting to blur. Shutting your eyes close, you reached out for your phone only to stumble to the ground. With a steady growing headache, you activated your quirk.

Giving yourself a self-administered adrenaline pump, your felt control over your body once more. Standing up with effort, your shoulder remained glued to the wall as you took slow and steady steps towards the exit. Taking your phone out, you dialed for Tsukauchi only to flinch as another gunshot echoed through the room. The way your phone just sprung out of your hand and landed with a crack made a small yelp escape your mouth.

Taking your handgun out as you turned around, you were face to face with a man in a suit. Realizing that your phone was long gone by now, reaching base through your earpiece would not be the best option.Squinting your eyes, your blurry vision was not helping one bit. Hopefully, the sudden end to your call would alert your partner.

“Who are you?” Buying time was all you could do for now.

“No one important.” He took a step forward. His face void of any emotion save for the complete focus he has. “The question is, what are cops like you doing? Teaming up with the yakuza? Have you all stooped that low?”

“Says the man who’s ready to pull the trigger. Is it Overhaul you're looking for?” Each second that passed, your headache was evolving into a migraine. Breathing alone was becoming strenuous.

“On the contrary, yes.” He takes another step forward. “He’s been rather difficult to deal with these days.”

“You… You’re not from the F-fukuo Kai.” This was not good, you thought to yourself.

“Don’t strain yourself, love.” Seeing how your eyes widened and body trembled. He let a smirk cross his mouth. With much confidence he closed the gap between your bodies. With one hand, he unzipped your bulletproof vest. “You might be wondering why you can’t move?”

“No shit.” Watching him create invisible circles over your stomach made your heart beat even more rapidly. Thinking that his quirk had something to do with how your body’s motor skills were useless, you hoped that back up was now on it’s way. “This is your quirk, isn’t it?”

“Right you are. I can control a certain portion of a person’s gravity. It also works with force as well. But it’s much more fun.” Slapping your face, you barely felt a thing till you saw how his irises changed colors. The amount of force you received hurt double than it should have. Before your hands could touch him, his irises shifted color once more. “Not fast enough. But that was fun.”

“Why are you after Overhaul? Isn’t that suicide?”

“That man refuses to partner with us. We were more than willing to sponsor but for some shitty reason he turned us down.” He rolled his eyes and took a step back. “Wanna see something fun?”

You flinched at the sound of his gun. Yet the bullet lay suspended in mid air. Knowing where this was going, you tried to gather each ounce of your strength to break through the man’s quirk. With your body trembling from the failed attempt, you cursed under your breath and focused on your own quirk. If his quirk centered on gravity, then maybe yours could regulate your blood flow to show any kind of result.

“Struggling won’t get you anywhere.” He blinked and his irises changed colors.

Regaining control of your body did not save you. Feeling an intense heat pooling on your lower obliques, the burning sensation was enough to let you fall to the ground. Immediately covering the wound, you focused your quirk on that area to stop the bleeding. The pain made you curl into a small ball, your body trembling as your mind remained focused on the bullet’s entry way.

“Guess backup isn’t coming~” Taking his time, he grinned at the sight of slowly forming a puddle of red liquid. “Sucks to be helpless? Hoho~ I see your quirk is preventing blood loss.”

Bending down to squat, he grabbed your hand and flipped you over. Trying to release yourself from his grip, he placed a foot on your right hand and kept a hold of your left. Placing his free hand on your wound, he let out a chuckle. The pain had subsided but you were too aware of what would happen next.

“And here I thought police officers were a force to be reck-”

Before he could finish his sentence, you watched as he went flying all the way to the other end of the room. Simultaneously, the blood he had stopped came oozing out like a small water fountain. Seconds after, you harshly bit on your lip as the pain came back two fold. Putting pressure on the badly bleeding wound, you activated your quirk.

“This.” Despite the ringing in your ears, you knew who owned that voice. “This is why we refused to work with your lot, Ayato. Always causing unnecessary burdens.”

“Well if it isn’t the man I wanted to see.” Ayato stood up, barely keeping his balance. The way he landed was rather painful on his side. “Thought you left already, Overhaul?”

“I did.” He scratched his forehead. Glancing at your bleeding body did not help the situation.

Taking slow steps forward, Ayato focused his sight on the mask wearing man. Blinking a couple of times he felt his blood start to boil. Patting his body, he felt the small bullet on his side. The same red bullet he was supposed to be funding. Meeting Overhaul’s eyes once more, he felt a chill climbing up his spine and enveloping his mind.

“The bullets are nearing its completion..” Overhaul said as he removed his other glove. Moving forward, Ayato couldn’t help but take a step back. The growing anger in Overhaul’s eyes was enough to shrink whatever confidence he had in him. “What’s wrong, Ayato? Not so brave without your quirk?” Patting around his body for his gun, he let out a silent curse when he saw it resting beside Overhaul’s foot. Reaching for a small knife, he assumed a battle stance only to be met with a faint chuckle and a shake of the head. Gritting his teeth, Ayato began to sprint towards the supposed villain. Only to fall to the ground with a thud as a surge of electricity coursed through his body.

“Sorry.” Tsukauchi’s body appeared from behind the fallen man. “Got held up at the entrance.”

“Useless.” Overhaul commented as he watched the unconscious body. Turning around, he went closer to your body. Observing how shallow your breathing was, he caught himself clenching his fists. Caught up in the fight, he had forgotten the main reason why he rushed back to the building.

Before he could do anything, a hand touched his shoulder and shoved him. Stumbling three steps to the side, the same officer who was not fond of him was now administering first aid. Seeing him lift your badly bleeding body made him feel uneasy.

“This is your fault.” The officer's eyes focused on the standing man. “If you weren’t involved in this mess, (l/n) wouldn’t have been injured this bad.”

“For your information, she was already injured when I arrived.” It took a lot of strength not to harm the person in front of him. “Tell me, officer, do you think it would have been a smart move to just barge in?”

“You and your quirk are more than capable of doing something on the spot.” He stood up. A few drops of your blood dripping down his fingertips. “Lend a helping hand? An officer gets injured, and one of the terrorist is gone because of your hot head. That’s why I despise working with your lot. Nothing but  bad news.”

“Captain Iwase.” Tsukauchi butted in. He had just finished cuffing Ayato and handed him over to another officer. “Enough. Let me tend to (y/n) injuries. Your babbling mouth is causing her to bleed out.”

“Look at her.” His index finger pointing at your heavily breathing form. “Do you really think first aid is gonna help? For a bullet wound, that amount is abnormal. If anything, a blood transfusion is what she needs now but I doubt the ambulance would get here in time.”

“Then why don’t you stop complaining and dial 119?”

“Tsukauchi. Are you serious?”

“You may be higher in terms of ranking, but she’s my partner and she will always come first.” Reaching for his personal phone, Tsukauchi tossed it to Iwase. “Now unless you want to keep Overhaul’s hand away from your neck, I suggest you dial emergency hotlines. Now.”

Defeated, Iwase marched off the floor. Making sure to bump shoulders with the tall detective.

“He means well.” Tsukauchi still vouched for the captain as he checked your weak pulse. Carefully lifting your body, he made you lean on the wall. Iwase, despite the rambling, was right. He wasn’t sure what happened but the puddle of thick red liquid was alarming. “What happened?”

“The man you just electrocuted used his quirk on (l/n). He can control gravity to a certain degree. By the time I arrived, your partner was already bleeding and glued to the ground. His hand was covering the entry way so I assume her blood came gushing out like an oil pipe when I attacked him.”

As he relayed the information, Tsukauchi was already wrapping a bandage around your waist. For a moment, his eyes met your dull ones. Looking back at the red patch, he swallowed a bit of his saliva.

“Move over, Tsukauchi.” Overhaul looked down on both your crouching bodies. His eye twitching at the sight of your blood stained bandage. Not wanting to go on his bad side, Tsukauchi stood up and excused himself. Despite Overhaul being the labelled sociopath, he had gained enough respect for him to be trusted. “Can you talk?”

“I’m in a lot… of pain… but I’m fine, Overhaul.” You reassured him. Voice breathy and shaky. “It’s not that bad and I’m already doing my part by regulat-”

“Shut up.” He cut you off and forced your hand away from the wound. Taking a look at his hand, he let out a muffled curse. He was breaking out but the priority of fixing your wound won. Seeing Ayato’s knife, he reached for it and sliced the bandage. The bleeding was still bad and he knew full well that your quirk was no longer doing its function. “As much as I hate to admit it, that asshole officer was right. You need blood transfusion. I can close the wound but i’ll have to overhaul the bullet.”

“I think dying would hurt less.” You managed to chuckle.

“Just shut your mouth and let me overhaul the damn bullet.” Without a warning, his index finger entered the small hole. His eyes darted back to your screaming voice. He had to do this quickly to make sure any more blood loss would stop. Sighing, he leaned in closer. Just enough for you to lay your head on the crook of his neck. Your badly trembling body was not helping the situation.

Luckily, it barely took another push for his fingertip to reach the cold shell. Overhauling it in barely a second, this time he warned you about his exit. Receiving a nod, he felt your shoulders tense. Once his bloody finger was out, his clean hand held on to your wound before closing it completely.

“You’re in for an amount of pain.” At least the wound was closed now. The small whimper that escaped your mouth was the telltale sign that you were near exhaustion. Yet somehow, you managed to grip on to his jacket. “Your wound may be healed bu-”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Be specific.”

“For m-mentioning Ackerm...Ackerman.” With your last ounce of strength, you wrapped your shaky arms around his neck. To which he did not refuse. “You’re b-breaking out.”

“I know. Guess you really aren’t as pure as I thought you were.” He stared at his hives and back at you. Slowly sliding in and out of consciousness. “Such a shame. Then again, each and every person is tainted in their own way.”

“I… I’m sorry about… last time.”

“You should be.” Wrapping his arm under the crook of your knees, he lifted you up. He adjusted his hold to make sure you were comfortable. By now, you had lost consciousness. Failing to hear what he had left to say. “Don’t ever mention Ackerman again. You’re mine and mine alone my guilty pleasure.”

- - - - -

a/n: and the fluff begins :D hope the tension was alright in this scene... took a while to write this tbh xD see yall next week <3 yes Overhaul is still accepting in his waiting list too :)

#overhaul x reader #overhaul #bnha overhaul #mha overhaul #chisaki kai x reader #bnha chisaki kai #mha chisaki kai #chisaki kai #bnha chisaki

[k7l4d4]

Midnight Striga: Fairy Tail/Owl House Cross Fic Episode 6 Part 2

Hello, and once again, welcome back to midnight Striga! Thanks for reading!

With a shout, Eda gripped the arm, slamming the attached body onto the ground. Looming over the hooded figure now gasping on the ground, Eda growled. “Now listen here you sneaky bastard, I don’t know who you are but you caaaaaaannnnnnn!?” She trailed off from her threat, shock rising as the hood fell back.

“Oh, hello, Edalyn!” The old woman cheered, flipping herself up and onto her feet. In a blink, she rushed in, pulling a frozen-stiff Eda into a bearhug. “I have so much news to tell you about!”

Luz blinked, eyes flicking between the two, before the features clicked. Eyes widening, she shot Eda a look. “So… this is your mom?” She asked, pointing at the woman.

Shaking herself back into the present, Eda groaned, lightly shoving the woman away. “Yes, unfortunately.” Giving a deep sigh, Eda turned to Luz, gesturing to the woman next to her. “Luz, meet my mother, Gwendolyn Clawthorne, and one of the single most recurring pains in my butt. Speaking of which,” She turned to Gwen, scowling, “What do you want, mom?”

Gwen gave a beaming grin, tilting her head in apparent thought. “Is it really such a shock that a mother would want to see her daughter?” She asked, neither aware of the way Luz tensed at her question. Both Gwen and Luz reeled back at the response she got, however.

“Yes.” Eda bit out, intense bitterness coating her voice. Standing firm, she put both hands on her hips, head tilted up in anger. “Everytime… EVERYTIME!! You’ve visited me since I’ve been living on my own, it’s been to try some cockamayme cure for my curse. And they. Never. Work!! So yeah, I’d say it’s reasonable to be a little skeptical.” She finished, panting slightly at the exertion of her outburst, lightly covering part of her wrist, and the feathers underneath.

Luz desperately held in the urge to shout at Eda for talking about the woman before her like that, but she could grudgingly admit to seeing where she was coming from. However, neither of them were fully prepared for Gwen’s reaction. Gwen gave a tired sigh, a sad smile forming across her features. “I do suppose I deserved that.” She chuckled, reaching up to Eda’s face, tracing a hand across her jaw, much to her daughter’s discomfort. “I promise, Edalyn, I just want to talk. That’s all. Please?”

Eda bit her lip, conflicted. On the one hand, she was sick and tired of being burned by her mother’s antics… and on the other hand, she was sick of her family being in pain, and was honestly wanting to have genuine quality time with her mother for once. Deciding to take the risk and just bite the bullet, Eda sighed, relenting. “Okay, fine! We can talk.” She said, throwing up her hands in exasperation. Turning a raised eyebrow to Luz, Eda asked, “You want in on this, kid?”

Seeing the two witches giving her matching looks of inquisitiveness, Luz blinked, before rapidly shaking her head. “Oh no!” Pointing to Eda, she continued, “You need this a lot more than I do at the moment, and, if that brief back and forth was any indicator, the two of you have enough issues to work through WITHOUT me being thrown in.” She stated, stepping back, arms raised. Shooting Eda a brave smirk, “Don’t worry, I’ll just make a day of it in town. I mean,” she shrugged, “I’ve kinda got to get used to people being suspicious of me in public all over again, why not start now?”

Coming to an agreement (“If you die, I’m selling all your stuff!” “Love ya too, Eda!), the group headed their separate ways, promising to catch up later. Gwen giddily dragged Eda along, who was personally torn between annoyance at the manhandling, and amusement at her mother’s amusement. “Yeesh, calm down, Gwen! You’re gonna rip my arm off!” Eda half-joked. Gwen’s yanks actually did have a real chance of removing her arms, but it’s not like that was a problem with her condition, really.

“Oh, I’m sorry dear, I’m just so excited!” Gwen squealed, a sheepish grin filling her face. “I just…” Her smile turned sad, “I just really wanted to see you.”

Eda gave her own sad laugh. “Don’t worry, I can understand the feeling.” Her mind flashed back to how she was after she and Raine split up, all the nights she wished they were back, wanting to see them. A thought came to her. “Hey, I just noticed… where’s Hawksley?” She asked.

Gwen gave her a mischievous wink. “Oh, he’s just looking after our other guest.”

Eda shot her a look of bafflement. “Other guest!? What are- oh no.” She groaned, as realization set in. Turning her gaze, she was in no way surprised to see Lilith, glumly slumped over a table before them, Hawksley perched on top of her head. What did shock Eda, however, was the bottle of Appleblood Lilith was chugging. Turning accusing eyes towards an unrepentant Gwen, Eda shouted. “SERIOUSLY!?”

Cheerfully whistling to herself, Luz strolled along, using the noise of her whistling to tune out the whispers and muttering all around her. It was honestly a neat trick, but she was well aware it wouldn’t work forever, especially if she ended somewhere more crowded. Scanning the area, Luz was disappointed, if unsurprised, by the sight of parents tucking their kids behind them as she moved past. It hurt. It was understandable, but it still hurt.

Sighing, Luz slipped into the shadows, rolling her eyes when the sounds of the main streetside picked up in volume at her ‘departure.’ Still, the sheer amount of gossip was entertaining, if only for the wild speculations and rantings of the more… colorful members of the local communities. Seriously, her? A shapeshifting giraffe seeking to supplant the Emperor through a false army of Abominations wrapped in Illusions? Pfft! She was gonna have to tell Eda that one, preferably when she was trying to drink something!

Laughing internally at the thought of an Owl Lady Spit Take, Luz tightened her movements against the wall. Her ears pricked at the sounds up ahead; it didn’t sound like the usual rampant paranoia. And if she focused enough, she was almost certain…

“Look, I know things are… really crazy right now.” Amity’s voice sounded out, confirming Luz’s suspicions. “But I honestly think this’ll be good for all of us. The Moonlight Conjuring is an important aspect of our culture, and is a funtime all around. If you all show up while it’s still daylight, nothing should go wrong.” Moonlight Conjuring? Hmm… something to talk with Eda about.

“B-But what if those Oroboros creeps attack again!? I can’t put my parents through that!” An unfamiliar voice questioned, concerned murmurs of agreement sounding in response.

Amity’s voice sighed. “I… I know it’s scary. The things I saw at the Covention, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forget, not entirely.” Her voice took a melancholy note, before firming. “But in a way, that’s why we have to do this!” At the sounds of confusion, she continued. “That attack was supposed to make us afraid, to make us all panic. Something that it’s managed in spades all across the Isles. But for all that Oroboros is powerful, it’s an organization with a finite amount of resources. They can’t be everywhere at once, and no organization would commit precious resources to attack a party for school youths!” The nervousness died down, replaced with cautious contemplation. Luz gave a little smirk; Miss Blight apparently had a way with words, and some serious charisma if they were already changing their tune.

“I’ll go.” A familiar voice said. It took Luz a moment to place it; it was the voice of that girl who Boscha had burned! Her voice spoke up again. “If you can find someone to protect us, just in case, I’ll go.”

“W-Well, that’s fantastic!” Amity said, faux-excitedly. If Luz had to guess, her friend speaking up had caught her flat-footed, and she was trying to get things under control. “And I know just the person to do so! If you all show up before sundown, I promise, on the Blight name, you’ll all have an amazing time!” At that, all potential opposition crumbled, a chorus of agreements and cheers going up. As sounds of footsteps headed off, Luz peaked around the corner. She saw Amity, jerkily waving goodbye to her… friends? Acquaintances? Her face stretched into a plastic smile. 

Suddenly, Amity rammed her head against the wall, knocking her forehead against the stone repeatedly, frustrated grumbles coming forth. “Stupid. Stupid. Stupid! Oh, I’ll find someone to guard us, everyone! Leave everything to Amity, everyone! I swear it on my family name!” She slapped her hand against her face. “Titan, what was I thinking!?”

“I don’t think you were.” Luz dryly noted, walking out from her pseudo-hiding place. Amity leapt back, startled. Luz noted how quickly she shifted into a ready position, one arm pulled back to cast, the other slightly pressed forward to defend herself, legs prepped to spring to either side and out of the way. She was honestly impressed, the girl had some athletic experience.

“Oh! It’s you!” Amity exclaimed, relaxing slightly, if not fully. “Luz, correct?” She said, more than asked, extending a hand for a shake. Smirking, Luz complied, giving the girl a firm grip, Amity’s eyes widening at the painless pressure. Schooling her features into a cordial smile, she grinned. “It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“Really?” Luz asked, blinking rapidly. She had honestly not been expecting that. She cocked her head. “I kind of expected you to be some level of scared of me.”

“Oh, don’t worry, what you represent terrifies me.” Amity said frankly, the sheer honesty in her voice drawing a surprised snort out of Luz. “However,” Amity continued, her eyes focusing on Luz. “I gained a look into your measure during the Covention. You are wild, independant, and freely and liberally resort to violence even faster than Witches and Demons do. But you’re also loyal, caring, compassionate, and understanding, with a strong sense of duty. While I find you puzzling, your traits are those that I find commendable.”

“HA! Glad to hear.” Luz smirked. Her face shifted into a serious frown, contemplative. “You know, I overheard your little problem. So,” She grinned cheekily, “You need to find a bodyguard, eh?”

“Ugh! Please don’t use that phrase!” Amity near-pleaded, hiding her face in her hands. “My family has been going nuts over my safety. I am honestly lucky that they let me go into town without an armed guard of Abominations!”

Luz snorted, blinking at the mental image of Abominations skulking around Bonesburough, scanning for threats and hovering over an annoyed Amity. “Wow, over-protective, much?”

Amity exhaustedly nodded. “Yeah. My parents… aren’t the best, but they do care about me. Even if they care about our image more.” She said, muttering the last part spitefully. Shaking her head, she refocused on the original topic. “But yes, I need someone who’s willing to stand guard for me and those I plan on inviting to my Conjuring.”

“What about me?”

Amity blinked. “I’m sorry?”

“What about having me be your guard?” Luz elaborated, shrugging. “I’ve got combat experience, free time, and you won’t have to pay me!”

“That’s-!” Amity started, before pausing. She brought her fingers to her chin, eyes narrowed in thought. “That could actually work.”

“Really?” Luz asked, cocking her head. “The offer was serious, but I wasn’t actually expecting you to agree.”

Amity gave a grave smile, nodding. “Indeed, I’m willing to agree to this. If you don’t have any requirements?” She asked, eyebrows raised.

Luz paused, thinking. “If you could invite Willow and Gus, I’d really appreciate it.” She finally said.

“Done.” Amity said decisively, typing up the messages on her scroll. “That honestly works out rather well; ever since their actions at the Covention, their popularity has sky-rocketed and my friends have been wondering about meeting with them so this is an excellent opportunity. If that’s all, I will see you at my home before sunset; you can ask Willow and Augustus for directions.” WIth that said, she turned on her heel, marching off. Luz shook her head at Amity’s antics, before turning to leave herself. Neither noticed the group of individuals perched on a nearby building, the apparent leader’s eyes tracking Luz’s every movement.

“Of course,” Eda muttered, staring in resignation at the sight of her sister, chugging away on the table in front of her. Shooting an accusing stare towards Gwen, Eda moodily stomped over, plopping herself down from across her sister, glaring at her.

“EeeeDalyn?” Lilith blearily asked, words slurring slightly. She hiccuped, bottle awkwardly cradled in her hand, the other bracing her against the table. “Since when are you purple?” She muttered.

“Purple?” Eda said incredulously. She turned to Gwen, concerned. “Is it me, or is she…?”

“Absolutely wasted? No, it isn’t you, she really is.” Gwen noted dryly, casually yanking the bottle of Appleblood out of Lilith’s hands, ignoring her weak protests. “I dragged her out of her barracks, kicking and screaming. I believe a few of the Coven Guards who tried to stop me may be in need of Healing. Now, we are going to take the time to stop, think, and figure things out. As a family.” She said firmly, arms crossed.

The bitter snort came from Lilith, of all people, much to Eda and Gwen’s shock. “A-A family.” She chuckled, swaying lightly. “Is that what we are?” She laughed again, slapping the table. “And here I thought we were a bunch of strangers, pretending we CaReD about each other!!”

Gwen and Eda shared unsettled looks. Gwen hesitantly spoke up. “Now, Little Flea, I know I’ve been… distant, but-”

“DO NOT CALL ME THAT!!” Lilith shrieked, eyes wild, before calming down. “I-I haven’t been ‘Little Flea,’” She muttered derisively, “Since you abandoned me!” She accused, fist pounding against the table.

“Abandon!?” Eda exclaimed, confused and alarmed at her estranged sister’s behavior. “Sis, I don’t know what’s been going on with you, but how has Gwen abandoned you?”

Eda reeled back at the bitter anger in Lilith’s face. “She never came to my induction into the Coven, did you know that?” She said, “She never showed up for any of my promotions, any of my awards, anything!! She just, up and left!” Lilith laughed, a bitter, hollow sound. “And here, I learned that she’s been visiting you for Years!! Trying to cure you!”

Gwen’s eyes grew misty. “I have made mistakes, and I apologize for that, Lilybug.” She said, reaching out towards Lilith, unconcerned when she slapped her hand away. “You were always so strong, so independent. I never meant to ignore you. I’m sorry if I hurt you because of it. But that’s why I dragged you both here!” She pleaded, glancing at the two of them. She wrung her hands in nervousness. “I just didn’t want to fail the two of you again. I know I can’t fix the pain between the two of you, and I don’t expect to. I just wanted to get you two together to hash out some ground rules, if that’s okay?” She explained, a hesitant note at the end

Eda and Lilith shared a glance, a moment of grudging understanding passing between them.

Eda turned to her mother first. “Okay, I guess we can do that. But if you’re serious about being in my life for real, I don’t want you coming around with crazy cures anymore.” Her voice took on a tender note. “If you’re gonna come over, I just want it to be so we can spend some time together, okay?”

“And I’d prefer you to visit me AT ALL!” Lilith shouted, some of the slurring fading from her voice. Eda was honestly surprised at how quickly she was recovering; a glance at her neck, and the Healing Glyph tagged onto it explained much; it was forcibly purging the Appleblood from her body, getting her back to normal. Eda winced; Lilith was going to feel like HELL when that thing wore off. “I want you to visit me, ask me about my day, take an interest in my Life!!” Tears pricked at Lilith’s eyes. “I want my mother back!” She pleaded.

Gwen turned a watery smile towards the two of them. “I think I can manage those requests.” She said, a pleased smile on her face. She grew serious. “Now then, If we are going to act like a family, as a whole that is, I am going to be doing my motherly duties, and establishing some rules for the two of you.” She stated, nodding even as her daughters groaned. She continued, ignoring their annoyance. “The rules are simple; Eda, you are to no-longer deliberately antagonize Lilith. If the two of you run into one another, you are to keep a civil attitude and in no way try to anger or upset her. Lilith, you are to cease your attitude in attempting to bring Edalyn in under the guise of being cured. If Edalyn is brought in, it is to be because she is a criminal and flouting the law, not out of an inane desire to cure her. Besides, I strongly doubt Belos would do so in the first place.” She finished, feeling a smug satisfaction at her daughters’ matching look of dumbfounded shock.

“B-But! He promised me!” Lilith said, whined really. “He gave me his word!!”

Eda groaned, even as Gwen raised an eyebrow. “Lilith, Belos’ regime is built on his Coven System, something Eda’s very existence stands in challenge to,” She said gently, “There are no circumstances in which he will EVER cure her. If you bring her in, he will have her thrown into the Conformatorium, and nothing more. He has all the leverage, and all the authority, and you have nothing that could compel him into curing her at your behest.”

Lilith shakily pulled herself to her feet, staggering off, a mumbled excuse echoing as she rapidly walked off, tears in her eyes. Gwen sighed. That had gone about as well as she’d been expecting.

Eda turned an impressed look towards Gwen. “Well dang, Mom! Didn’t know you were such a rebel!”

Gwen shot her daughter an unimpressed look. “I’m not.” She said primly.

Eda had a look of disbelief. “Really? Because you didn’t have a problem calling out Bonehead on his crap.” She said snarkily.

“That is because I am under no delusions as to his nature.” She said, “Belos’ rise to power and initial rule was tyrannical and cold, utterly without mercy. I, and many others, chose to join his burgeoning power because it was literally either him or complete chaos and anarchy. Not everyone can survive it as well as you, Edalyn.” She said archly, almost daring her to protest.

Eda opened her mouth to do just that, but paused, considering. Ultimately, she sighed, pushing herself away from the table. “Yeah, that’s true. I still hate him, and I always will, but I can get why people shacked up with him, even if I disagree with him on principle.” She grudgingly, painfully admitted. Giving her mother a level look. “This, as short, weird, and awkward as it’s been, was nice. I really hope you keep in touch for real, okay?” She said softly, before walking away.

Gwen just smiled, tears of relief and sadness filling her eyes. It wasn’t much… but it was a start.

#the owl house #fairy tail #owl house au #fairy tail au #owl house crossover #fairy tail crossover #luz noceda #eda clawthorne #lilith clawthorne #gwendolyn clawthorne #amity blight #magic

[angelicdestieldemon]

Presents NSFW (Day 9 of Christmas)

Request: Rafael and Liv don’t know what to get each other for Christmas

SHIP: Barson

Requests are open for the next 16 days, I write for Barson, Bangan, Barisi and potentially other Rafael Barba ships (even other Raúl Esparza characters too), just talk to me on asks or private messages.

Rafael had been staring at his laptop for the better part of an hour and he had still made no progress. He had a stack of paperwork he still had to do sitting in the box next to him, but he couldn’t even bring himself to look at. So far, he had been through 15 different websites all claiming have a list of the best Christmas gifts for a wife/girlfriend, and yet nothing stood out. Quite frankly he was ready to pull his hair out.

The closer and closer it got to Christmas the more stressed Rafael became, he wanted to get Olivia the perfect gift, but trying to figure out what that gift is, was driving him mad. Usually, jewellery was Rafael’s go to, he had always had an eye for things like that, but he’d already bought her an emerald necklace for her birthday that she wore almost every day. He didn’t just want to get her the same type of gift, he wanted to show that he had put thought into it. However, no matter how many sites he went through, conversations with Liv testing the waters on different ideas, he wasn’t any closer than when he began. And time was running out.

Rafael lifts his cup to take another sip of coffee, frowning when he sees the mug is empty. He slumps over his desk, his head pressing against the cold desk, cooling him down, he takes a few deep breaths before sitting up and wiping his hands down his face. Releasing a sigh, he stands up, grabbing his mug and leaves his office.

“Something on your mind?” He hears Carmen pipe up from her desk.

Rafael is about to reply that he’s fine but stops himself at the last moment. Hesitating for another second, he decides to just take the opportunity to ask for help, at least he knows Carmen wouldn’t laugh at him… much.

“I’m trying to figure out what present to get for someone,” he says, cringing internally about how useless that revelation was.

Carmen smiles at him, but she doesn’t laugh at his struggle.

“Who are you trying to buy a present for?” She asks and Rafael rounds the desk to sit on the edge. She must see the war going on inside him, trying not to reveal too much. “Girlfriend, or boyfriend?” She asks, and Rafael’s lip twitches.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you know more about me than most people in my life.” Instead of responding verbally, she quirks, an eyebrow and Rafael laughs quietly, “Who am I kidding, of course, you do… it’s for a girlfriend,” he finishes. That wasn’t so hard, he thinks to himself but then pushes away the thought.

“Well, I would think about something personal, maybe something she wants but won’t buy for herself. I can’t really say much without knowing who she is, but I know you like your privacy, so I won’t push, just talk to her, you’ll know what to get in the end.”

Rafael thanks her before heading to the coffee machine willing himself to be able to finish off the afternoon without a hitch.

Olivia was ready to just go home, cuddle up with Noah and Rafael on the couch and watch a Christmas movie. However, she still had no idea what to get Rafael for Christmas and if she were to go home, she wouldn’t be able to do any more searching with him sitting next to her.

Olivia had spent all day trying to think of what to get Rafael, the man wanted for nothing, he could afford anything he wanted, and she wanted to get him something that meant more than it’s monetary value. She was ready to just pack it in and try again tomorrow when Fin knocked on the door to her office.

“Am I interrupting something?” He asks.

“Yes, but please, interrupt away.” She replies taking her glasses off for the first time in hours, her eyes beginning to hurt from staring at her laptop screen for too long.

“What’s up?” He says taking the seat opposite her desk.

Olivia debates on how much to tell him, not wanting to betray Rafael’s trust in keeping their relationship quiet but Fin has been her friend for over 20 years, she doesn’t want to lie to him, even by omission.

“I don’t know what to get someone for Christmas,” she tries and smiles at his responding quirked eyebrow. “I’m dating someone, and I don’t know what to get him,” she elaborates.

Fin’s eyes widen slightly but he doesn’t look as surprised as she expected him to be, he must realise her thought process.

“You’ve been happier lately; I was wondering how serious it was but if you’re this stuck on a Christmas present it must be serious. Anybody, I know?”

Olivia merely smiles wryly and Fin grins, “I’m taking that as a yes, but I won’t push, you’ll tell me when you’re ready.” Olivia smiles gratefully but says nothing. “Talk to him, you’re a trained detective, now Captain, you know how to get information out of someone without them realising what you’re doing.”

“Thank you,” she says, taking in his advice before remembering he must have come in for a reason. “Did you need something?”

“Rollins says one of the witnesses has decided to testify, she’s taken their statement now, and Carisi thinks it’s enough to make a strong case.”

Olivia sighs in relief, this case hadn’t been easy on any of them but if they have another credible witness, they’ll be able to get justice for the victim.

“Good, I’ll read it tomorrow, now I’m going home. I’ll see you tomorrow,” she thanks him, grabbing her things and finally heads home.

By the time, Rafael gets home, Olivia and Noah are in the middle of making dinner, spaghetti and tomato sauce covering the bunker, making Rafael grin. Quietly he takes off his shoes and then suit jacket, hanging it up on the back of a chair.

He pads across the floor into the kitchen wrapping his arms around her middle and laying a kiss on her neck. Olivia leans back into the touch immediately, one hand coming up over his, the other stirring the sauce.

“Honey, I’m home,” he whispers into her ear and she smiles, turning her head to kiss him, raising her hand to cup the back of his neck, stopping him from pulling away.

“Mama, the sauce is burning,” Olivia is about to pull away when she feels one of Rafael’s hands slide from her stomach between her and the cooker and turn down the heat on the burner.

“You two are gross,” Rafael hears the boy say and can’t help but break away from Olivia’s lips a smile on his face.

“Us? Hijo, you’re covered in sauce…” he teases the boy, getting a scowl in return. “How about we clean you up while mama finishes dinner,” Noah holds his arms up and Rafael lifts him into his arms, trying to minimise the amount of tomato sauce on his white shirt.

After dinner and a movie, it’s Rafael’s turn to put Noah to bed, luckily the boy is tired and was half asleep already, managing to only get through a single chapter of the current book they were reading before the boy is sleeping softly.

Rafael kisses the boy on the forehead before turning on the nightlight and exiting the room, leaving the door open a small fraction.

Olivia has already moved to their bedroom and is staring in the mirror when he walks in. Her hand on her stomach, Rafael comes up behind her, resting his chin on her shoulder.

“What’s wrong mi amor?” He asks, sliding his palms around her hips.

“I think we need to cut back on takeaways,” she says, swaying into him.

“Are you worried about my heart?” He teases, they’ve had more than one conversation about the amount of coffee he drinks but the number of times they order out, even at work has been pressing on his mind recently, he’s not getting any younger.

“No, it’s me,” she sighs. “I weighed myself this morning, the first time in a while and I didn’t like what I saw. And then I was putting on my belt and I couldn’t reach the usual notch. I know it’s not much, but this is how it starts,” she says trying to pull away, but Rafael’s arms lock around her.

“Carino, there’s nothing wrong with you, even if you have put a little weight on. I love you, no matter what, hell, I’m not exactly the fittest am I? I love every part of you,” he reassures, catching her eyes in the mirror, and then spinning her around to face him. “Besides its winter, we could all do with a little more insulation,” he whispers, leaning in to kiss her neck.

Olivia tilts her head to the side, letting him kiss and suck his way down her neck before he pulls away, a soft, loving smile on his face that makes her feel better.

“I know, I just… I was going to get ready for bed and I just didn’t want to take my clothes off, I know it’s stupid I just don’t feel sexy anymore,” she expresses, running her hands up his arms to his shoulders.

“You, mi amor, are gorgeous, you always will be to me. I love your breasts, your hips, your thighs, your ass,” he winks at her pinching her behind making her gasp and step closer into him. “I love the fact that you could throw me around and pin me down if you wanted. I especially love your stomach, it’s soft and smooth and sensitive, I like how it quivers when I run my tongue down it.” He sees her eyes darken and he moulds his hands completely to her ass, pulling Olivia in to feel the truth of his words in how aroused he is just by thinking about her body. “You will always be sexy to me, Olivia Benson.”

Olivia pushes him back towards the bed until he’s lying down on it and she knows what she’s getting him for Christmas.

Rafael watches as Olivia straddles his waist, pulling her top over her head and yeah, he knows exactly what he’s getting her for Christmas.

On Christmas morning, Noah bounds into their room, jumping on the duvet, almost hitting Rafael in the privates as he does, luckily Rafael manages to move before the boy’s foot makes contact, making a sleepy Liv giggle at his sigh of relief.

Rafael lifts the boy who’s squirming with excitement and carries him through to the living room, Olivia follows behind and Rafael can’t help but admire the way she looks in his old Harvard t-shirt, but its quickly distracted by Noah asking if he can open his presents now.

Liv makes him wait until she has made them all a drink, orange juice for Noah, coffee for her and Rafael before sitting on the couch with Rafael sitting between her legs on the floor.

The two adults watch as the boy rips the wrapping paper off each present in seconds and Rafael can’t help but remember how long it took himself and Liv to wrap everything. The look of pure joy on the curly-haired boy’s face as he opens everything pushes those thoughts away and Rafael smiles at the feeling contentment inside of him. Liv is running her hands through his hair and down his neck and he relaxes into the touch, Noah thanks them after he opens every present and Rafael can’t think of anywhere he’d rather be than in this moment.

After he’s finished unwrapping all his presents, Noah runs to his room to grab the presents for his mama and Rafa. While he’s gone, Rafael feels Liv slide her hands down his chest as she leans down to kiss him, tilting his head back he meets her halfway, humming in contentment that warms her heart.

“Merry Christmas, mi amor,” he mumbles against her lips, the coffee not having quite hit him yet.

“Merry Christmas, Rafa.” She kisses him again before pulling herself back up as Noah runs back through, the presents wrapped well and Olivia knows Lucy helped him, and for the millionth time she thanks whoever’s listening for finding Lucy.

Both Rafael and Olivia open their present from Noah and smile at the handmade gifts, Rafael gets a mini sculpture of the scales of justice and he smiles at the boy’s creativeness, already he can picture where it will go on his desk at work. Olivia opens her present and finds a two-window photo frame, on one side is a picture of her, Rafa and Noah when they went to the park a few weeks ago, and on the other side is a short little poem written by Noah about his family. She reads it, a tear coming to her eye and hugs her son who grins at seeing his parents happy with his gifts.

“Where are your gifts for each other?” Noah asks, the boy realising they’ve only opened gifts from him.

Rafael glances up at Liv and they share the same thought, “Mama and Rafa will open each other’s presents later, they’re not as exciting as yours,” Olivia bites her lip hoping her son will accept the almost explanation and relaxes when he nods his head and asks about breakfast.

Christmas day is spent at Rafael’s mother’s apartment, Rafael is shunned from the kitchen by his mother with the explanation that she wants a catch up with her daughter-in-law, ignoring Rafael’s response that they aren’t married yet. Rafael doesn’t notice the slip, but Olivia and Lucia do and for the rest of the afternoon, Olivia wishes she could escape the kitchen, so she doesn’t hear another word about how old they’re getting or another question on why they’re wasting time.

However, the thoughts of her night alone with Rafael approaching quickly gets her through the day. As previously agreed, Noah is to spend the night with his self-proclaimed Abuela while Rafael and Olivia get to have the night to themselves and when it’s time to leave, they’re almost pushed out the door by his mother.

When they get home Rafael grabs each of them a glass of wine handing Olivia hers before taking her hand and leading her towards the couch, the lights from the Christmas tree are enough to light the room but keep the atmosphere soft.

They both place their glasses on the coffee table before grabbing the remaining two gifts from under the tree.

“Do you want to go first?” He asks taking a sip of wine.

Olivia nods, handing him a box. He places his glass back on the table before carefully unwrapping the box and lifting off the lid. Inside are lots of laminated cards with Liv’s distinctive handwriting on each one, picking up a few he reads through them.

‘Pick a roleplay’

‘Oral Sex’

‘Sex and Chocolate’

‘Lap Dance’

Rafael’s mouth is completely dry, his trousers becoming tighter the more ‘Coupons’ he reads, he glances up at Liv and takes in her red face and shy smile.

“Do you like it?” she asks nervously, and Rafael places the box aside to kiss her wet and dirty making both of them moan and clutch the other closer.

When they separate Liv’s shy smile is gone and she looks pleased with his reaction. Rafael then picks up his gift to her from the floor and hands it over, a smirk on his face.

Liv pulls on the end of the bow, preventing the fancy pure white box from losing its lid. She lifts the lid off completely and places it on the carpet before pulling aside the tissue paper to reveal a near-transparent red lace babydoll lingerie set. Before she can say anything, Rafael slides closer to her on the sofa, his thigh pressing against hers and she feels the warmth radiating from him.

“I know you’ve been worried about how you look and how sexy you feel, and I want you to see how sexy you are to me. You don’t have to wear it if you don’t want to, but I bought it with the intention of seeing it on you while I worship you for the goddess you are to me,” he expresses and Liv flushes at his words.

Olivia hasn’t worn anything like this in years and hadn’t thought she ever would again, she’s not as young as she was, not as in shape as she used to be, she hadn’t thought she could pull something like this off anymore. But hearing that Rafael wants to see her in it, wants to worship her every physical insecurity, makes her want to wear it not only for him but for her. She wants to feel sexy again and he’s going to make sure that she does.

Olivia puts the lid back on the box before standing from the couch, she sees the look of worry in his eyes, so she tilts his head up with a finger under his chin, kissing him chastely before walking towards their bedroom, box in hand.

“Stay there,” she asserts, looking back at him before closing the bedroom door behind her.

Rafael watches her walk away, grinning when she disappears behind the door. While he waits, he rolls up his shirt sleeves until they’re cuffed at his elbows, and unbuttons the first three buttons of his shirt, knowing Olivia likes it when she can see glimpses of his chest hair under shirts. He moves to the centre cushion of the couch and leans back against the couch with his wine glass in hand.

Olivia opens the box back up taking out the lingerie before stripping herself completely. Luckily, she had planned ahead for their night alone and had shaved before they left for Lucia’s. Before she can doubt herself, she puts on the set, the lace feeling soft against her skin, everything fits her perfectly and she’ll have to ask Rafael later how he knew what size to get her. Walking over to the mirror she gasps aloud at her reflection. The slight curve on her stomach is still there and she can still see the extra width on her hips, but the lingerie works with it and draws more attention to her breasts and ass. When she decided to try it on, she thought it would hide the parts of her she doesn’t like but the near-transparent material makes it impossible. Instead of hiding her insecurities, it enhances her favourite parts of her body. She smiles at her reflection. Rafael said he loved the way she looked and instead of picking something to hide the parts of her she didn’t like he chose something that didn’t, and she loves him more for it, he doesn’t want to make her feel better by hiding parts of herself, he wants her to love everything, insecurities included.

Walking over to the bedroom door she takes a deep breath before walking out and standing over him and the look on his face is priceless. His mouth hangs open, his eyes burning a trail down her body and back up until he meets her eyes, and his pupils are already blown wide with desire. She lifts the glass of wine from his hand and places it on the table before taking his hand and pulling him to his feet, he leans in to kiss her but she turns and leads him towards the bedroom.

Olivia pauses as the bottom of the bed; she turns to face him and tugs his hand lightly for him to come closer. Holding his eyes, she pulls him against her before moving his hand to the curve of her ass. Rafael takes the initiative to grab her and pull her closer, their foreheads leaning together, and he can feel the dampness of her breath on his mouth. Slowly she slides her hands up his arms and neck until her fingers intertwine themselves in the soft locks of his hair.

“You look absolutely stunning,” he whispers, before closing the gap between them.

He starts slowly, soft unhurried open-mouthed kisses, his teeth nibbling on her bottom lip every so often. Olivia feels his hands slide from her ass up the hem of the lace to her hips and waist, one hand slides between their bodies, his knuckles smoothing up and down the bare skin of her stomach, the sensitive skin making her twitch in his grip and she presses further into him, the bulge in his trousers rubbing against her navel.

He moans into her mouth, his tongue finally sliding out to tangle with hers. The taste of wine on his tongue is intoxicating and she feels her fingers grasping harder on his hair as she holds him close. The need to breathe separates them and Olivia watches as his eyes glance down and his tongue swipes across his lips at the view the new angle supplies. Olivia feels herself flush at the look of hunger in his eyes as he admires the view of her breasts.

Leaning back in she bites gently on the lobe of his ear before whispering, “I believe you said something about worshipping me like the goddess I am.”

Olivia feels his grip on her tighten in response and is unsurprised when he walks her back another step until her knees hit the mattress, she feels him nudge her gently until she is sitting down, Olivia moves to lay down, but his gentle hands firmly hold her upright. She watches as he kneels down on the carpet, his eyes holding hers as he slides his large, warm hands down her thighs to her knees. Pushing them apart slowly he moves into the ‘v’ of her legs as his arms slide back up her skin to rest on her hips.

Leaning forward he pushes up the red lace to place a soft chaste kiss on her stomach, trailing his tongue down until he meets the lace covering her core, making her shiver in his grip.

“Hands in my hair,” he directs, and Olivia doesn’t hesitate, grasping the dark soft strands.

He places a clothed-mouth kiss over the material covering her heat, making her breathing speed up in anticipation. Rafael pushes her thighs wider apart and then uses one hand to pull the thin lace material aside before licking a broad stripe across her core. Olivia’s hand tightens in his hair, but he pays it no mind. Licking and sucking at her folds until she’s struggling to breathe and then his teeth make contact with her clit and Olivia can’t help but thrust into his mouth.

Olivia feels the coil inside of her building quickly and just as she’s about to be thrown over the edge he stops, Olivia groans, pulling his head closer but he pulls away. Once she can breathe again, he starts over, she feels his fingers circling her opening as he sucks on her clit, but they don’t move to penetrate her. His mouth continues to work her up until she feels the coil about to snap but Rafael pulls away at the last second and Olivia can’t help but groan at the almost orgasm. Rafael pulls back and she can see his mouth and chin glistening with her wetness and the sight is almost enough to build her up again. Rafael moves to stand, leaning over Olivia to kiss her, the taste of herself on his tongue makes heat run down her spine to her core and as he slowly pushes her to move up the bed, she groans at the loss of his mouth on hers.

Olivia watches as Rafael undoes the final buttons on his shirts and shrugs it off his shoulders until it falls to the floor, his trousers soon follow until he stands before her in boxers straining to hold him. She watches as one of his hands reaches inside to re-adjust his length until it’s standing up, but he doesn’t remove the garment. Instead, he crawls up over her body, capturing her mouth again in a needy kiss that leaves both of them breathless and wanting.

Instead of pressing her down into the mattress with his body, he rests on his side beside her, as his tongue slides against hers his hand slides down her thigh pulling it over his hip, opening her back up to him. As he moves his mouth to her neck, Rafael’s hand slips up the hem of the red lace smoothing across the slight curve of her stomach before sliding down the front of her panties.

Olivia wraps her hand around his wrist as his fingers slide up and down her wetness, coating themselves in her before circling her clit and she tries to close her thighs around him but his elbow locks to hold her open. Olivia’s back arches as the first long finger penetrates her, she clenches down on it as it slides slowly in and out, working her up before curling up and the sound that leaves her is obscene. And she feels him smile against her neck.

Slowly he works her up again until she’s panting and gripping his wrist tightly, one finger becoming two and then three, curling up with every thrust inside of her. She can feel the coil tightening again, she’s almost there and he stops, Olivia tries to thrust against this hand but it’s no use if his fingers aren’t moving.

She feels him bite down gently, sucking a light mark into her sweat covered skin, his tongue licking up and along her jaw sucking another mark there, this one, however, is not made to last past the night.

“Worship, my ass,” she mutters when she can breathe again, Rafael laughs softly, kissing her lips chastely.

“I want to be buried inside of you when you come, I want to see you in my lap so I can watch your body roll into me as you chase that climax, I want you to come with my hands on you stomach and hips because I love them, and I love you.”

Olivia rolls onto him, he sits up to kiss her before pulling away and pushing the lace up her body and she throws it to the floor. Standing up from the bed she pushes the panties, so they fall off her hips to the floor before removing his boxers and straddling his hips again. His mouth licks and nips at her nipples, his fingers toying with them until they’re hard and sensitive. Olivia then pushes him down on his back and rises up on her knees before sinking down on him. His length filling her completely. As promised one hand grips her hips helping her roll down onto him while the other pressed against her stomach, the warm weight of it grounding her in the moment as she chases the feeling building inside of her.

This time he doesn’t stop, he helps her keep the pace until the coil snaps and blinding pleasure wracks through her body, her legs shake uncontrollably as she clenches tightly around him until he can’t move.

Slowly Olivia comes back to herself, her vision clears but she can still feel him hard inside of her, Rafael rolls them back over pulling out of her and wrapping a hand around himself.

“Can I come on your stomach?” He sounds desperate, the request and tone of his voice make her clench down again, this time on nothing.

Olivia nods her head as he begins to fist his length, his eyes trained on her stomach as he pushes himself over the edge, his come landing on her heated skin, making a mess all over her, the sight is erotic, and Olivia makes note of his glazed reaction to the sight of her covered in his come.

“I am definitely wearing that again,” she promises, and his eyes light up, a grin splitting across his face.

#barson #rafael barba #Olivia Benson #Raul Esparza #mariska hartigay #Law & Order SVU #Raúl Esparza

[melyaliz]

The Yellow Umbrella pt.5

Masterlist 

Fandom: Marvel 

Summary: Eating cookies and whip cream -NOT- off each other 

Pairing: Demon Lord! Loki x Reader

Notes: I’ve been struggling with this story. Like I have the outline and everything but… I feel just a little lost with where I am going. So I may take a small break. Idk.  I think it’s more I want it to be funnier but I don’t think it is. Then again I’m reading it over several times. 

Or it’s just me 

All Masterlists @melyalizarchive

Connect with me! AO3 / Instagram / Pinterest

DONATE or REQUEST

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

Loki sat up looking around the bedroom, curled up in a soft blanket and cuddled up with a stuffed pig. His new friend. His pig was getting more action with him than his secretaries at the moment. He had been here more in the past few days than his own bedroom really. 

Maybe he was acquiring a taste for cotton over silk. 

Getting up he noticed the fluffy pink robe laying on the floor. Picking it up he gracefully wrapped it over his body. Sadly there were no slippers. It did, much to his delight, have a hood with bunny ears.

“Well don’t you look adorable” the lady of cotton said looking up as Loki walked into the living room. She was scrolling on her phone as the tv played. A plate of cookies and can of whipped cream on the table in front of her. Loki just nodded, pulling the hood over making the bunny ears flop in front of his face. 

“I felt like I needed some sugar this morning,” she said, noticing him looking at her place of sugar. “If you want some you will have to risk Mr Mewoly”

“For those cookies, I will take the risk.” Loki’s pink ears bounced as he made his way to the kitchen. A pot of coffee sat on the counter as well. Opening the cabinet where he remembered seeing Yue pull out a mug he was greeted by a line of cream cups all etched with dark lettering  “Coffee, Hot chocolate, Tea” as well as some bowls that said soup pasta, and cereal. 

Pulling out an appropriate Coffee mug and helping himself to come coffee before risking his life grabbing a few cookies from the demonic cat’s body. Was it just him or did it’s eyes look even eviler than he remembered? Maybe he should get one of those, to guard his office when he isn't around. 

“I like your informinate dishware” Loki said, flopping onto the couch next to Yue who smiled at him. 

“It’s so I don’t forget.” she said as Loki grabbed her feet draping them over his lap before,“By the way, these cookies are amazing. Totally worth the risk.”

Loki nodded as he added a healthy amount of whip cream to his cookie before taking a bite, “Jeff, my assistant, got them for me.” 

“Oh fancy you have an assistant.”

“That I do.” Loki said, taking another bite of his cookie. His free hand gently stroked her ankle as he studied the TV. The two twins were battling some crazy puppets or something. He wasn’t totally paying attention, still waking up.  

“So your assistant’s name is Jeff huh. Do you also have a name?” Yue asked. Loki paused licking sweet cream from his lips as she flashed him a cheeky grin, “See what I did there, smooth.” 

He couldn’t help but chuckle, She was as cute as her choice of robes and dishware, “Very” taking the last bite of his cookie he savored the taste for a moment before speaking again,  “Loki… and you?”

“Loki?” she let out a light laugh “what are you some norweedic god or something? Did you parents hate you? Like Thor I could see but… Loki? Wasn’t he like… the bad guy”

“Not bad necessarily… more like... smarter than everyone else.” 

“Still, Loki? Why not just say Hades, at least that bitch was loyal.”   

“Laugh it up, what’s your name?” 

“Yue”

He tried, but really he didn’t have much to say to that, “it fits you.” he said nodding. It did. It fit her like everything else in this apartment. It was just so… her. 

“So…” she said settling back into her couch of comfort, “Please don’t take this the wrong way but, I like this…. thing we have going.”

“Speaking of loyalty.” Loki said, raising an eyebrow, “I don’t really do relationships… I mean this has been fun, don’t get me wrong but, I’m not about to feed you some pomegranate seeds or whatever.”

“No, that’s what I mean. I like THIS” she motioned between the two of them, “No strings attached. Feeling like we don’t own anything to the other person.” 

“Well in that case I’m all for this thing we have.” 

“So you’ll keep stopping by?”

“I’m only a text away.” 

Nodding Yue pulled out her phone handing it to him, “I’m here for texting. I like to do things with my friends.” 

“Never want to get in the middle of that.” Loki said taking the phone entering his number, “I can always meet after if you're down.” 

“Deal” 

Her hand was still out so Loki took it and shook. Making it officially official. His slender fingers wrapping around her own. 

It felt like the beginning of something. But the fact was it kind of was.

The beginning of nothing. 

-----

“So you guys basically shook on being hook up buddies?” Sammie asked as she took a cookie from the plate that was on the table. 

“I think it’s cute” Riley said, “did you get him some snacks or are we special?”

“Well he actually got us those cookies,” Yue nodded down the now demolished plate of cookies. She had brought over to Sammie’s apartment for movie time, she would say night but it was more early evening. They were watching clueless with a bowl of carrots. And cookies because Yue refused to spend the whole night eating only healthy food even if it was for the memes. 

“He’s hot AND he gets your amazing sweets!?!” Riley moaned, “Are we sure this guy isn’t fake?” 

“Like what?” Sammie shickred, “Is he a cardboard cutout?” 

“Yes, he’s just got a cutout of Brendon Urie and I have been carrying him around pretending it’s my side piece.”

“I like how this cardboard cutout isn’t even your boyfriend. He’s a side piece which means you can sleep with other cardboard cutouts.” Sammie picked at the hole in her sock that had been slowly growing since the movie started. 

“I have Paul Rudd bringing me cake for lunch and Frank Sinatra delivering pizza for dinner.” 

“Living the dream” Riley chuckled, “Oh I have an idea! After this movie  let’s find you something to help him eat your cookie” holding up the image of a local sex shop on her google maps. “They close late like a good sex shop too.” 

“Really Riley?” Sammie said looking up at the shop skeptically. “We have like 6 other movies planned.” 

“We could always watch them after. Go on a quick adventure.” 

“Adventure!” Yue giggled, “Come on Sammie maybe we can find you something tasteful for your presentation on Monday.” 

“Yes I’m sure the Magic Cherry will have JUST what I need to help me pitch my website design on Monday.”  

“Something Leather maybe? I’m sure the party planning company will be super into it.” 

“Yue’s right, after all they ARE all about partying.” 

Sammie fought back a smile as she tossed Yue a hoodie. “Let’s just get there before they close. I don’t want to be those jerks who are there when the workers want to leave.” 

Yue nodded following her friends out bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. Feeling giddy with excitement. “This is the craziest thing I have ever done.” 

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

“It was the craziest thing I have ever done” 

“That’s where you have been? Doing the craziest thing ever?” Jeff asked as he came up behind Loki holding his black umbrella. Loki surveyed the dark road as they both slowly walked under the large red bridge. 

“Yep we watched this show called Gravity Falls.” 

“What?” 

“It’s a popular children’s cartoon.” 

“A children’s show?” 

“We ate cookies with whip cream.” 

“Off each other?” 

“Out of bowls,” Loki pulled out a pair of white rubber gloves from his pocket, putting them on. 

“Oh, did you… was she young?” 

“For human standards no, you know I don’t mess with anyone who is not within reason.” 

“Cookies for breakfast is the craziest thing you have ever done? Really?” Jeff sighed, closing the umbrella shaking it. Most of the rain had slowed at this point and from where they were standing it wasn’t really doing much good anyway. 

Loki chuckled slowly crouching down. Holding out his hand he waited for Jeff to hand him his cane. Which he did. “I wore a fluffy pink robe with bunny ears.”

“I guess it’s important to have new experiences.” his assistant sniffed looking around tugging his coat closer to himself. 

Loki nodded using the sharp end of his cane to poke at something. 

A dead body. Half its face already decaying in the muddy ground, eyes missing. Around it several others. All their eyes missing bits of their body decaying.

“You sent these vampires out only two days ago.” Jeff, “You think it’s the faceless?” 

“No” Loki sighed standing up, “This is something else. Something worse.” 

“What should I tell the others?” 

“Stay in packs and if anyone knows anything to come to me right away.” Loki turned surveying the site that lay before them. He had sent for the vampires from Seattle to go down to LA to check on Brandon after the LA demon hadn’t shown up for their meeting. While not unusual it hadn’t sat right with Loki. 

Now with almost ten vampires laying here dead and the rest missing he was starting to worry. If someone had overthrown Brandon they would normally approach Loki. New terf lords would want to make a truce with the most powerful Demon Lord on this continent. 

No news, in this case, meant nothing good. 

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

“They have butt plugs that have tails,” Riley said holding a pretty pink and glitter one, “And a unicorn horn, I could fulfill all my little kid dreams and become a unicorn.” 

“Please don't refer to yourself as a little girl in here” Sammie frowned, “It’s weird.”

“Ok, sorry sorry.” Riley said looking over the other items on the wall. “I have been wanting to try these,” she said, pulling a pair of nipple clamps. Sammie, already feeling VERY out of place just looked down at her phone nodding.

“Get whatever you want, I just don’t want to picture you and Sam… doing stuff.” 

“Ok fine,” Riley said, grabbing ones she thought she would like before walking over to Yue who was looking over a rack of panties.

“Find anything fun?” 

“Yeah a few things, What do you think?” she asked, holding up a lacy lingerie. A pretty green color.  

“Love the color” Riley nodded before grabbing a pair of fluffy black cuffs, “Get these too,” 

“Ok but I want the pink ones,” Yue giggled thinking about the morning where Loki had dressed up in her bunny robe. He looked good in it. Under all that eyeliner and studds he was just a big dork. She found it hilarious and would do everything to keep messing with that side for her own amusement. 

“So are you guys meeting up tonight?” Sammie asked, coming up nodding toward the set Yue was holding approving. 

“No he hasn’t texted me.” 

“So what about late dinner? Gary was saying we should go out to this speakeasy place.”

“Oh let me text Sam,” Riley said, “He’s been wanting to go there. Yue you can just find your Paul Rudd while we are out.”

“Or just enjoy the company I’m with.” Yue snickered, “I don’t have to spend every night hooking up.” 

“What’s the fun in that?” The cashier chuckled as she took Yue’s things. 

“A girl needs at least one night to herself.” 

“Well you got the wrong stuff for a night by yourself.” the cashier said as she wrapped everything up, “But I do have some dildos on sale if you want some you time.” 

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

Sam had responded almost immediately that he would pick the girls up. Something about a long week and just wanting to be with his lady. So rushing back to their apartment the girls quickly changed out of their jeans and hoodies into more slutty hipster attire. (A girl’s gotta dress the occasion after all) 

Once she was more speakeasy and less “I am cuddling with my two best friends watching movies” Yue grabbed her bag and walked outside her apartment. After locking her door she turned almost running into a tall dark haired man. Dressed in a red leather jacket he was smoking a cigarette. Yue’s eyes instantly went up to the man’s bold white streak that ran across the front of his black hair. Blue eyes looking down at her amused. 

“Oh, excuse me.” 

The large man shrugged holding out his cigarette pack “Want one?” 

Yue shook her head, thrusting her keys back into her purse, “I’m good thanks.” 

He nodded putting the pack away, “You’re all dressed up, going somewhere fun?” 

“Yeah just dinner with friends.” 

“Nice, I’m visiting a friend, know any good places to go?” 

“Uh well we are going to Idain Basian but if you want something more happening, maybe like Valencia street?” 

“Oh sounds good, I’m not big on waterfronts.” 

“Well I hate to break it to you but San Francisco is basically an island.” 

This earned her another chuckle. “True, well have a good night and be careful there’s a full moon out tonight, never know what crazy you'll run into.” 

Yue nodded walking toward the gate of the complex where her friends were waiting, turning back she got one last look at the man, for a moment she could have sworn it looked like his eyes glowed. 

Maybe she was watching too many cartoons. 

Or maybe he was just a bunch of gnomes in a trench coat. 

No, she was definitely watching too many cartoons. 

-GET TAGGED!- 

Masterlist 

Forever tag:  @the-shadow-of-atlantis @coffee-randomness @0hmydeku @xx3fsxx @daisyboobear  @jason-redhood @hello-i-lovespiderman-blr  @pinkwitch21 @tomhncharliep  @cdwmtjb8

Story:  @irwin-hood @hit-th3r0ck @cruel-kitten @boofrarti @i-miukimiuki @mmimagine-40 @mynameofuser @pia-1000 @angelgl16 @the-fifth-marauder03 @plutos-deamonchild @frenchfrostpudding @carydorse @neverleturheartshow2​ @sebhiddleston​ @probsjosh @dracaryspowpow @andrea20967​ @saiyanprincessswanie​ @olive-tini @albinotigerpython @wonderlandfandomkingdom​ @alessia--winchester 

#Loki x you #Loki x OC #Yellow umbrella #Loki x reader #Loki smut #loki long fic #loki fanfic #loki AU #marvel au #demon loki #demon lord loki #mafia loki #mafia au #demon au #demon angel au #supernatural au

[cravingmarvel]

American Money: Chapter Four - Getaway Car

Paring: Bucky Barnes AU x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Shit’s going down, blood, police violence

Summary: Going on a road trip with your best friend Bucky to Lake Erie  ended quicker than you thought it would. The car crash turned yours and Bucky’s life around from living in Manhattan, to staying at different motels every night and running from the police.

“How did this happen?” A question only two people can answer. And one of them is dead.

A/N: Here we areee! I’m sorry it took so long, but I feel like right now I’m on a roll with writing so I just had to get another chapter done. Thank you to anyone who is still reading this series and thank you for waiting :(

Masterlist // Chapter Three

Chapter Four - Getaway Car

 I awoke to the soft melody of a song playing on the radio, Bucky humming along, a little out of tune. My eyes got used to the sun shining brighter than I would like it and I looked out of the window, the sun standing high, the morning already passed. Outside nothing but boring sand and coloured stone could be seen for miles, not a single cloud lingered in the sky, only blue for miles.

Turning my head, I saw Bucky, one hand on the steering wheel, the other lazily draped out the window. Bucky’s hair was flowing free from the wind blowing through the rolled down window. His beard started to get longer than just a five o’ clock shadow.

“How long did I sleep for?”

He turned his head to my direction shortly and smiled, concentrating on the road again (even though there wasn’t much to concentrate on). “Long enough. We’re almost in Page.”

My jaw dropped. “What! I slept for nine hours?”

Bucky erupted into laughter. “Yes! I stopped a few times and expected you to wake up, but you wouldn’t.”

I closed my mouth, shocked at my long slumber. The last few days must’ve really worn me down considering the circumstances. Life back in New York wasn’t as versatile, the only time I felt tired enough to sleep more than six hours was after my workout class, but that’s it.

“How long until we’re there?” I asked once I gained my composure back.

“About thirty minutes. I looked up a motel we can stay in. It even has a bar.” Bucky smiled smugly at me.

I just shook my head, smiling. A drink could be the perfect way to drown some of the stress away. Although I’ve never been much of a drinker, after the incident at the store, I was happy to have some alcohol.

As the road went on and on, the greener it got. The small wooded area sat strangely between all the canyons and flat sand patches. It was nice to see some trees after the unbearable sun kept shining on our car. Even with all the windows down, it was too hot, so some trees promised for a little shadow.

We arrived at the motel, which was nicer than the others we stayed in, probably because we can afford it now, due to the money we stole. The whole building was made of wooden planks, stained a dark brown. It was situated in between the little wooded area and perfect to hide in for the night. The three stories promised for a look over the trees, to the main road so we could observe anyone driving by. Although that doesn’t seem to be that interesting, after all, we didn’t come across anyone for miles.

The narrow street opened up to a big parking area and only two men sat on the bench outside next to the door, smoking a cigar.

Upon walking in, the choice of style from the outside caries through to the inside. The interior mostly made out od wood, plaid curtains and chandeliers made of metal gave the lobby a nice Bavarian feel. Under different circumstances, I would’ve loved to stay here a few days. Walk around the motel, wander through the forest and search through the canyons for adventures unknown to me. But right now, all Bucky and I can do, is hide in our room.

Bucky checked in at the front desk while I kept a lookout for anyone glancing for a little too long, but the process was quick and we were on your way, up the creaking stairs to the third floor.

Along the walls there were pictures, most of them in black and white, of different people. Some appeared to be guides, some I wondered to be previous owners.

Our room was no different from the rest of the motel. A bed made of wood, plaid curtains and a chandelier made of metal. The small bathroom gave little to no room for relaxation as a tiny shower was the only way to get clean. I was hoping for a bathtub, but when you’re a criminal, you have to deal with what you’ve got.

We unpacked the few things we had, and it became apparent that a washing machine wouldn’t be such a bad idea. The attire I had taken with me wasn’t supposed to last so long without a wash and whilst packing I didn’t know Bucky and I would be taking a detour to Los Angeles.

I let myself fall onto the bed, relishing in the softness of it. This was definitely much better than what we were used to. Bucky fell down next to me on the bed. For a few minutes we just laid there, before we stared laughing.

“This is crazy.” Bucky said.

“Yeah, who would’ve known that we would end up here?” I turned my head to look at him. “What’s the plan for tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow we’re aiming for Las Vegas and then straight to Los Angeles to meet with Sam. I already told him about our situation, he’s meeting us at the Freehand Hotel.”

“How do you know Sam?” I said, Bucky turned his head to look at me.

“Old friends.”

I looked back up to the ceiling. I didn’t want to ask any further questions. I’ll get my answers once I meet this Sam. If he even exists. But that’s crazy.

“Y/n, let’s go to the bar!” Bucky jumped up from the bed and held his hand out for me to take.

I followed Bucky downstairs, through the lobby and into the bar. We sat down in one of the booths a little further away from the other people.

Not that there was a mass amount of people, but enough to make me nervous. Bucky went over to the bartender ordering a glass of Lambrusco for me and a Negroni for himself.

He came back with our drinks and sat down beside me. “Here-“ he handed me the glass. “- I don’t know how you can drink cold red wine with fizz.”

“And I don’t know how you can drink a Negroni of all things.” I said, scrunching my nose.

We laughed together as the sun started to sink behind the trees, the bar filling with music on a low volume. I looked back to Bucky, who was staring straight ahead. The sun casting a halo around him and I didn’t know if it was the alcohol from my third glass of wine, or just me, but thoughts about him started to pop up in my head. Thoughts I’ve never had, like the way I loved his hair hanging down to his shoulders, or the blue of his eyes.

“Whatcha looking at?” Bucky said softly, catching me off guard.

I quickly turned my head away from him, adverting my gaze to my hand on the stem of my glass. I knew my cheeks were burning bright red and I had nothing to say to him.

I felt two fingers on my chin, lifting my head, turning my face to him. Bucky draped his arm around my shoulder, while his other stayed on my chin. My mouth agape, he inched closer, never breaking eye contact.

He closed the distance between us, moving his lips on mine, his hand straying away from my chin to my cheek, keeping my head in place. My mind was fuzzy, and I was ready to melt into a puddle before him.

Bucky pulled away with a smile and I exhaled deeply. Did this just really happen? Bucky, my best friend for years and I just kissed.

“Hey, are you ok? Do you want to go to the room?”

I shook my head, pushing his hand away from my cheek I stood stumbling not only over my words but also my feet. This was wrong, this whole situation was so wrong. How could I let this happen?

I muttered an apology and left Bucky sitting in the booth.

I sprinted back up the creaking stairs, stumbling into the room. Sitting down on the bed next to the nightstand, next to me, the bag of money.

“This is messed up.” I got up, grabbed the bag and car keys.

I ran out of the motel and walked to the phonebooth next to the motel.

“Hello this is-“

“Bucky Barnes is staying in the motel in Page Arizona, Blue Bird Motel. The man who killed the guy in Sheffield.”

I hung up without saying anything else. They will know.

I sat in the Cadillac and put the bag on the passenger seat. Breathing became much more difficult and I focussed on the street ahead of me.

I looked into the review mirror and saw Bucky standing, looking out of the window of our room. Next, I heard the sirens and drove off.

I saw Bucky running out as soon as police cars started to flood in.

I heard the sirens behind me and someone yelling my name. It’s Bucky. I knew he felt betrayed and that’s what I did; I betrayed him. Jumping slightly as I heard a gunshot being fired, a shiver ran down my spine.

The tears in my eyes blurred my vision terribly, rolling down my cheeks like they’ve done for the past three hours. My eyes fixed on the dark road in front of me, the trees disappearing beside me. Only the moon and the bag of money accompanying me on my journey. I didn’t want to look, but my eyes flickered up to the review mirror of the Cadillac.

There he is, lying on the floor. Blood and dirt coating his messy brown hair. The ringing in my ears tuned out the sirens, but I could clearly see the blurry red and blue lights through my tears.

And I screamed, I yelled out to no one. Hitting the steering wheel, adverting my gaze back on the road.

As the road went on and on, the tears stopped. My mind was blank, dazed from the mess that happened. The sun started to rise on the horizon, and I lit a cigarette, keeping my mind occupied with the smoke to calm my nerves.

I knew where I needed to go, the plan set in my mind.

Get to Los Angeles and meet with Sam. Whoever that is.

 ***

Fin!

Please like, reblog and leave a comment while you’re here!

#Bucky Barnes #bucky x you #bucky barnes au #bucky barnes x reader #Bucky Barnes x female reader #bucky barnes x you #criminal!bucky #bucky x Female Reader #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x y/n #nimi writes

[sarahsardines]

storyline : ariya ying,22 is a college student studying fashion and has been dating jackson wang,23 for 3 years.

genre: soft , emotional

< song sync : around by NIKI >

( ill hopefully be doing this to most of the chapters , songs that i think go well with story or the mood. maybe even try listening to it while reading!)

the amount of assignments kept piling up , ariyas apt was messy , she stayed up all night on her laptop , her sleeping schedule was wrong , she wasnt eating properly , she barely checked her phone , her notifications were full of jacksons miss calls and texts from a day ago and that day. everything went downhill for her. she had to sketch 4 outfits and do 4 paragraphs per outfit on explaining about it. all due on 1 week. stress was an understatement to her.

5:25 p.m

"one outfit , down. done." she let out a big sigh. ariya took a look around her apt. she didnt realise how messy it was. her stomach was grumbling. she just ignored it and continued to sketch her next dress. by then it was already 7pm and she finished sketching. now she was on her couch typing on her keyboard. her back felt sore and eyes felt so tired from not getting any sleep last night.

she heard an aggressive knock on her door. it startled her a bit. she got up and her back felt so pain. she walked up to the door and opened it.

it was jackson. he had a worried look on his face.

"ariya!" he looked like he was out of breath and pulled her into a tight hug.

"jackson? are you okay baby?" she says hugging him back. his warmth made ariya feel alive again.

"am i okay? are you okay?? why werent u answering my calls or texting me back??" he let go of ariya looking at her with such a worried look.

"what? what do you mean?" ariya said confused as she walked inside to go look for her phone.

jackson closed the door behind him. he turned on the lights and noticed the apartment was messy. but he also noticed that ariya looked really tired and pale. she found her phone.

"oh my god. jackson." she looked at her phone and had her hand on her head. jackson walked up to her sitting down on her couch.

"im so sorry babe , i didnt even know." she looked down. jackson was already concerned. he saw sketchbooks , pencils , papers scattered everywhere on the coffee table. he put things together in his head and it all clicked.

"hey, why didnt you tell me you had a lot of assignments." he kneeled down infront her holding her hand. he said it in such a soft tone that would only come out when hes talking to ariya.

"i dont know , i couldnt think properly" ariya responded, she sounded so exhausted.

"whats wrong? you look so tired." he asked her in the same tone looking at her with such sad eyes. his hand was cupping her cheek and the other was still holding her hand.

ariya looked at him , her eyes were dark yet sparkling. it made her feel at ease looking at him with his big eyes and having his presence there. a weight had been lifted off ariyas shoulders. her eyes started to tear up but she was smiling softly looking at him. jackson noticed it.

ariya collapsed to the ground hugging jackson. she just started to cry her eyes out and cried so bad. jackson didnt say anything. he understood the feeling. jackson just hugged her back tightly rubbing her back comforting and calming her down.

ariya was crying her heart out in his arms , she couldnt breathe properly. her head was in the crook of his neck. jackson knows she gets easily stressed out and cries a lot when the stress hits her bad.

"im so stressed jackson." she mumbled as she cried

"i know baby." he continued to rub her back. having jackson rubbing her back really calms down ariya when shes feeling like this. jackson hates seeing a loved one like this , in so much stress and pain.

after a few minutes , ariya calms down and her crying stops.

she stayed there in his arms quietly.

"im sorry." she whispered

"hm? why."

"because i didnt tell you anything , thats not what girlfriends do huh." she mumbled rubbing the back of his neck.

"its okay , i just got so scared and worried. thats all." he comforted her slowly rubbing her head feeling her soft hair.

"do you feel better baby?" he looks at her laying her head on his shoulder.

"yeah." she let go of him. Jacksons shirt was wet from her tears. He didn't even care. they both looked at each other in the eyes. jackson felt sad seeing her like this. but glad that she's feeling better.

"do you want to talk it out?" he asks her tucking her hair behind her ear.

"i need a drive in your car." she said.

whenever either Jackson or ariya have a lot going on in their mind , a drive always makes them feel better while ranting their feelings to each other. it's kind of their thing.

"to the moon?" he says

"yes please." she said. jackson thought her tone was cute.

ariyas stomach suddenly grumbled.

"and maybe also somewhere to eat." Ariya said. both of them laughed.  ariyas smile made Jackson feel better.

He looked over at her sketches.

"did you sketch that?" he flipped thru the pages of her beautiful dress sketches.

"yeah i did." she smiled lightly

"why is my girlfriend so talented though??" he looks at her with his puppy eyes.

ariya pushes him lightly chuckling.

making Jackson laugh.

the mood lighten by their laughs and jokes.

"okay , come on! let's go get you something to eat." he helps ariya get up.

Ariya grabs her bag and puts her phone and keys in it. jackson went to the kitchen to get her some water.

"drink some water." he gave her a cup of water. she drank half of it and gave the rest to jackson to drink.

jackson opens the door for her and they both walk out. he held her hand as they walked the halls.

"hey." he stops while walking.

"hm?"

"make sure you don't do that again okay? it made me really worried. tell me when your sad , stressed , happy , sleepy ,, anything. Im always here." he said cupping her face with both of his hands.

"i promise , i will never do that again. ill tell you everything next time. your my go to. okay?" she smiled looking at him with such love. knowing that jackson is hers.

"okay." he grinned happily and he leaned in for a kiss. ariya kissed him back. both of them felt at ease and in love.

"i love you." he said to her sincerely.

"i love you too."

- fin -

by : yours truly , sarah.

#jackson wang #got7 #wang jia er #jackson fanfic #kpop #jackson wang fanfic

[cryptid-jack]

((Who doesn’t need a little Simon/young!Hank merfolk AU in their life?)) “You came.”

Hank paused and looked up from where he’d seated himself on a rock to roll up the hem of his pants in time to see Simon haul himself up out of the surf onto a similar rock a few yards out into the water. The merman swept his long blue tail through the water as he made himself comfortable while Hank dropped his gaze so he could unlace his boots and discard them and his socks on the sand nearby.

“’Course I did,” the man said with a frown as he stood and waded out into the chill water, barely registering its harsh bite against his warm skin. “You were bein’ even more cryptic than usual, which is impressive, considering,” Hank pointed out unhappily as he reached the merman’s perch, but did not move to climb onto it himself. He’d probably regret it in a few minutes when his feet went totally numb.

A small smile tugged at Simon’s lips at the fisherman’s grumbling. Had he really known him less than three months? Sometimes the merman felt as though he’d known Hank Anderson for a lifetime, and sometimes like he didn’t know him at all. He’d thought he’d had Hank figured out within days of arriving in the small seaside town; gruff, introverted, and cold… Well, Simon hadn’t been wrong about Hank being gruff and introverted, but gradually he had come to realize he was anything but cold. He tried to pretend he was, for reasons that had taken Simon some time determine, but in reality he was a warm, caring man that would go out of his way to help someone in need, stranger or not. He’d complain the entire time, of course, but he’d still do it.

Simon hadn’t been able to see that until after he’d saved the fisherman when he’d gone overboard during a bad storm, of course. They hadn’t been on good terms before that point; in fact, Hank had been outright suspicious of him, but the merman could hardly blame him, and he hadn’t let the man’s hostility stop him from saving his life.

He’d only been in town for two weeks at that point, sticking to the story that he had amnesia and thus no memory of where he’d come from before Markus had found him washed up on the beach. It’d been a lie, of course, and Hank could tell, though the truth of the matter was far wilder than anything he could have guessed.

While merfolk generally kept to themselves down in the depths of the sea, Simon had always been fascinated by the surface, and during one of his frequent trips to the coast, he had become smitten with a handsome musician performing at the pier. He’d taken to watching Markus any time he was beside the water, and it hadn’t been long before he’d been head over fins for the human with his beautiful voice and kind ways.

It’d been foolhardy to seek out the witch that lived in the sea caves along the shore, but Simon had heard she sometimes helped people and he had grown desperate for a chance to be with the man he’d fallen in love with. Her price for the magic he wanted was paltry, seafloor trinkets found easily by a merman, but the price of the magic itself had been significantly steeper. He would be mute so long as he remained in human form, and his every step an agony, like striding across a bed of needles. More importantly, though, the magic would last for only three months, and if he had not received true love’s kiss by then… he would die.

Simon had paid the price gladly, certain of his success in spite of the obstacles. 
Oh what a fool he had been.

Markus had found Simon on the beach during his morning jog, taken him back to town and even found himself a place to stay until he could get his bearings and remember where he had come from. His friend Josh had an extra room over his bookshop and the man had been kind enough to let him work in exchange for some under the table pay and a place to stay. Simon had been delighted, inundated in so many new things to see and learn, people to meet, friends to make…

It didn’t take him long to realize he had made a grave error, however. Markus, it turned out, already had someone he loved, and while he became close friends with with Simon, his heart belonged to North, and nothing the merman tried could begin to sway it.

“Sorry,” Simon mused with a soft huff and a melancholy smile that intensified Hank’s worry rather than eased it.

“What’s going on?” the fisherman asked with a frown as he studied the merman’s face, tracing its familiar lines and trying to catch his eyes as though he might read the truth in their depths. Hank tried not to think too hard about the way his chest ached when Simon smiled like that; the sorrow in his blue gaze was like a blade that slid between his ribs and directly into his heart. It was an expression he’d been wearing more and more of late, and the fisherman was convinced it was slowly killing him.

Markus, Hank thought, was an idiot. Not that North wasn’t a nice girl; they suited one another, really, but Simon…

Alright, so maybe Hank was, in fact, the idiot in this scenario. He was the one that had fallen in love with a merman already in love with someone else, after all. Simon had literally put his life on the line for a chance to be with Markus, of course he’d never look look twice at someone like Hank.

Knowing it was all for naught didn’t stop the way his heart skipped a beat every time Simon smiled at him, though. It didn’t stop him from coveting the fact that he was the only one that knew the merman’s secret, that he’d been willing to risk himself to save Hank when he’d gone overboard that stormy night almost three months ago. He was the only person that got to see Simon like this, in his natural form; achingly beautiful in the rosy light of the setting sun and looking at him and only him.

He’d do anything Simon asked of him; it was a truth that frightened Hank sometimes, drove the air from his lungs and left him aching with a need he couldn’t put words to. It had been a terrifying realization when he’d first had it, but at the same time he trusted the merman enough to know he would never take advantage of Hank’s weakness, which only made the fisherman love him more.

“I-” Simon began, then stopped as he finally lifted his gaze to meet Hank’s, struggling to speak. The concern on the man’s face made the merman’s stomach twist and his throat tighten and it took everything in him to finally say, “My time’s almost up, Hank. I just… I wanted-”

What did he want?

Not to be alone in his final moments, of course, but he could have gone anywhere, been with anyone. He could have left town for the sea and gone back home before meeting his inevitable end.

Mostly, he thought, he wanted to not be in love with Hank.

It’d all seemed so simple when he’d first arrived. Find Markus, make the musician fall in love with him, get his kiss, then live happily ever after. Things had been anything but simple from minute one, though. First, it turned out Markus was already in love with someone else, and no amount of Simon’s charm could lure the man into anything more than friendship. And then, when Simon had been at his lowest, he had rescued Hank and in the process earned himself an unexpected confidant and friend. Someone who knew the truth of his identity, someone he could speak to freely while in his natural form, someone who gifted him earnest advice and even did his best to turn Markus’ attention his way. It had been to no avail, of course, but Simon had appreciated the gesture, even as it slowly began to chafe.

As weeks passed, Simon thought of Markus less and Hank more. Making the gruff fisherman smile was a triumph, and his laugh never failed to send a pleasant warmth racing through the merman. He wasn’t sure quite when it was he had fallen in love with Hank Anderson, but he knew as he looked at him now, standing beside him without a care for the ice cold water ebbing around his calves, that there could never be anyone else. Not anymore.

It wasn’t fair, Simon thought as tears pricked at the corners of his eyes and the air rushed from his chest. It wasn’t fair that he’d sold his life for a chance to be with Markus when what he wanted more than anything was to spend the rest of his days with Hank.

Something was terribly wrong, and Hank felt his veins turn to ice even as he asked, “What’s wrong?”

Simon was quiet for a long moment, but eventually, the merman began to explain the nature of the magic that allowed him to shift between his natural and human forms. He dropped his eyes only a few words in, unable to look at Hank as the truth finally came pouring out of him, and by the time he was finished, his gaze was locked, unseeing, on the distant horizon.

The fisherman stood frozen in place, mind reeling at the immensity of a situation so much more complicated and dire than he had ever realized.

“How long do you have?” he finally asked, voice rough, words seeming to catch in his throat on their way past his lips. The whole world felt as though it were careening wildly around him, the gentle sigh of the incoming tide suddenly a deafening roar in his ears.

Somehow, though, he didn’t have any trouble hearing Simon when the merman quietly admitted, “Sunrise,” and finally looked at him once more.

“Sunrise,” Hank repeated numbly. “If Markus doesn’t kiss you by sunrise, you’re going to die?”

A stupid question. Why couldn’t he stop parroting what Simon had already told him? Something important stirred beneath the panic rising in him, though, and Hank latched onto it like a lifeline.

“Yes,” Simon replied softly. “I asked you to be here because I… I guess I didn’t want to be alone,” he admitted and managed to choke out a sad laugh as his tears broke free and spilled down his sea damp cheeks.

“No,” Hank said abruptly, and Simon blinked up at him in confusion to find the man looking at him with curious intensity.

“What?” the merman asked. The thought that Hank might not want to be with him in his last moments, that he might not want to have to witness his death occurred to him and Simon was suddenly struck with the realization that he’d been terribly selfish in his request. “I’m sorry, you don’t have to stay,” he began, heart aching more than ever, only to be cut off again when the fisherman grabbed him unexpectedly by the shoulders.

“That’s not what that witch said, was it?” Hank asked, voice low and fervent as he searched Simon’s confused eyes with his own. “What were her exact words, Simon?” he demanded and gave the baffled merman a gentle shake, as if to jar the truth from him by force.

“She said I had to get true love’s kiss by sunrise of the third full moon,” Simon stammered, heart jumping behind his breastbone when his words brought something like hope to Hank’s eyes. The merman opened his mouth to say something else, but whatever it was dropped right out of his head as the man shifted forward to rest one knee against the rock Simon perched on, bringing him in closer than ever. Thought of anything but how warm the man’s skin was against his fled altogether when Hank shifted his calloused hands from Simon’s shoulders upwards to cradle the merman’s face. Simon’s eyes fluttered shut in pure bliss as the sheer heat of them, breath coming quick and shallow at this unexpected shift in the energy between them.

He wondered briefly if he had already died and found that merfolk did indeed go to heaven, because if there was a heaven, Simon was completely convinced it felt like Hank’s hands on him as the fisherman leaned in, nose scant inches away from his own. The merman could feel the heat radiating off the man and he reached out instinctively to rest his hands on Hank’s hips.

Before Simon could consider what he might do next, Hank said, “Kiss me.”
The merman’s eyes flew open in shock at the words, heart pounding behind his ribs as he registered that Hank really was as close as he’d suspected. The barest shift on either of their part would send them crashing together…

“What?” Simon gasped, feeling like a broken record now, though he couldn’t have asked anything else if his life had depended on it.

“Kiss me,” Hank repeated, a little more self conscious this time, though just as emphatic. Simon’s eyes were wide with surprise, but he hadn’t recoiled in horror at the suggestion, so the fisherman continued, “the witch just said you had to get ‘true love’s kiss’, right?” Simon nodded dumbly, unable to speak but hanging on Hank’s every word. “Well I… I love you,” Hank said, cheeks flushing at the admission but, riding high on a desperate, wild hope that he might be enough to save the merman’s life, he managed to add, “-truly. I don’t know if it counts if it’s just me… I know I’m not who you want; I’m not Markus, but it’s worth a try, right?”

Simon’s grip on Hank’s hips tightened reflexively, hands fisting in the thick wool of his sweater as the immensity of the man’s words settled over him.

He loved him. Hank loved him. He loved him and he wanted to kiss him and- A quiet sob escaped Simon and a fresh wave of tears spilled over his cheeks as the emotion welling up within him became to big to contain.

“Hey, hey don’t cry, it’s okay,” Hank said, voice gentle but verging on panic as he wiped away Simon’s tears with his thumbs. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to, I just thought-”

Laughter interrupted the merman’s crying, though didn’t stop it as he admitted, “No, I’m just…” He managed to smile at Hank then, and continued, “I’m such an idiot.”

“Listen, you’re a lot of things, idiot is not one of them,” Hank insisted, torn painfully between hope and fear in the face of the merman’s smile.

Simon shook his head and used his hold on Hank’s sweater to pull him in closer, making the fisherman’s eyes go wide as he said, “You don’t have to flatter me, Hank. I am. I’ve been so blind… but I guess that’s just something being in love does to a person.” He smiled shyly and admitted, “I was so busy falling in love with you I didn’t even notice you’d fallen in love with me.”

The words felt like lightning racing up Hank’s spine, sharp and clear and beautiful as they left him stunned and staring down at the merman. Finally he sucked in a breath and laughed, “Well, that makes two of us, I guess.” Simon’s smile widened and tilted his chin under Hank’s hands where they lingered along the merman’s jaw in silent invitation. Nervous energy humming under his skin at the tiny gesture, Hank hesitated for a moment then carefully, reverently even, closed the distance between them to press a kiss to Simon’s lips.

They were cool and soft under his own, and Hank could feel a shudder ripple through the merman before Simon pulled him in closer, taking their kiss from tender to passionate in the span of a breath. The intensity of it dragged a groan of bliss from the fisherman, his only coherent thought that they were not anywhere near close enough for his liking; a sentiment Simon clearly shared as he slid his hands up under Hank’s shirt. His cool, slick touch made Hank gasp and shift forward as Simon parted his lips and welcomed him inside, though before they got any further, both men were reminded of just how precarious their positions were when they suddenly found themselves tumbling backwards into the waves.

The water was only a few feet deep, but it was more than enough to submerge both of them and send Hank bobbing back to the surface with a ragged gasp. Simon was immediately at his side, supporting him so he didn’t topple and go under again, arms sliding around Hank and dragging him in close. “I’ve got you,” he reassured the man with a chuckle.

Hank wiped water from his face with a hand then raked his fingers back through his sodden curls so he could see, soaked sweater hanging off his muscular frame as he twisted so he and Simon were face-to-face. “Did it work?” he asked, and to Simon’s embarrassment it took him a moment to realize what he was asking.

Heart jumping in his chest at the moment of truth, Simon twisted in the water and revealed… a tail.

The merman’s stomach dropped sickeningly at the sight of the blue appendage as it broke the surface of the water and he realized their gamble had not payed off. He was still a merman.

Beside him, Hank swore vehemently and slapped the water, furious. Not at Simon, but at himself. He wasn’t good enough to break the spell and now Simon would die in a few hours time and-

The fisherman let out a voiceless cry of pain and fury at the unfairness of it all, then turned to Simon, regret and sorrow written clear on the sharp lines of his face. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I really thought I-”

Simon shushed him gently, and rather than rail against the unfairness of his fate, reached out to Hank and pulled him in for another kiss. It was gentle and sweet and it stole Hank’s breath away, leaving him gasping and weak under the blissful onslaught.

“It’s alright,” Simon murmured gently against his lips, then pulled back and traced his fingers along Hank’s jaw, smiling softly as he continued, “It’s not your fault.”

Hank searched the other man’s face for any hint of blame, but found none, though he wished he had. It would, he thought as he leaned forward to press his face into the crook of Simon’s neck, be easier if the merman hated him for his failure. Trembling under the weight of his own inadequacy, the fisherman slipped his arms around Simon, unwilling to let him go.

The merman pressed a kiss to the crown of Hank’s curls and held him for a time before being forced to recall the man’s more fragile human nature. “We should get you out of the water. You’ll catch your death this time of year,” he murmured gently. Hank tried to resist, but Simon firmly, if reluctantly, disentangled himself from the man’s hold and gently pushed him back towards the shore. “I’ll change too, we’ll sit on the beach and make a fire,” he said and finally Hank nodded in silent agreement.

When he went to stand up, however, he fell over, feeling as though his legs had become tangled together while sitting there in the water. “I think my legs went numb,” he said and spit a mouthful of seawater as Simon looked on with concern.

“Here, I’ll change and drag you in,” Simon began, but Hank immediately waved him off, not wanting the merman to go through the additional struggle of carrying something heavy when just walking was painful enough for him in human form.

“No, I got it, I’ll just-” the fisherman twisted in place, intent on lifting his legs so he could see if they had indeed become tangled in seaweed, but instead of a pair of long, muscular legs… a dark, silvery tail broke the surface.

They both stared at it in mute disbelief for a long moment until Hank dropped what should have been his legs beneath the water again. He took a breath, then lifted them once more and was, again, met with the sight of an unfamiliar fish tail quite similar to Simon’s aside from the color.

“You’re seeing this, right?” he asked the merman, his own gaze locked on the tail. Simon nodded and Hank said, “Oh, good.” Silence stretched between them again and finally Hank asked, “Am I a fucking merman?”

“I think so,” Simon answered and finally tore his eyes from Hank’s new appendage to look at his face once more. “Are you okay? Does it hurt?”

The fisherman (fish man?) turned to regard him in turn and blinked as he finally seemed to shake off his initial shock. “I think I’m fine,” he answered and moved his tail again. “Doesn’t hurt, anyways,” he mused, then turned his attention back towards Simon, and asked, “Do you… think it worked after all?” in a hopeful tone. Simon looked confused by the question, so he clarified, “Do you think you’re safe?”

“I- oh!” the merman said as he realized what Hank was asking. “I don’t know,” he admitted uncertainly. He didn’t feel any different, but then he hadn’t felt different besides and overriding sense of dread about his impending doom before the kiss either. “I’m not sure we’ll be able to know for sure until sunrise,” he speculated with a frown.

Hank nodded absently, but something inside him knew that everything was going to be just fine. Well, he was a merman and he wasn’t entirely sure that was fine, but… it certainly wasn’t not fine. “So we’ve got a few hours to burn then?” he remarked as the last of the sun sank below the horizon, leaving the both of them illuminated by only the moon where it hung high overhead.

“I suppose we do,” Simon said and felt a sudden onslaught of butterflies overtake his belly when something in Hank’s gaze shifted and a crooked smile pulled at the man’s mouth for the first time that evening.

“Well then,” the former fisherman murmured as he reached out and gently pulled the other merman towards him. “I can think of a few ways to pass them, I think.”

Simon’s breath hitched as Hank drew him in against his chest, and he didn’t hesitate to slip his arms up and around the man’s neck where his fingers could tangle in the thick, wet curls of his hair. “Oh?” he said and tilted his chin up once more, pulse jumping as Hank’s hands roved down the length of his pale back to settle on his hips. “I suppose a little insurance wouldn’t hurt.”

“Nope,” Hank said. “Always did say that anything worth doing is worth doing well,” he teased with a low chuckle that Simon quickly silenced with another kiss.

#detroit become human #dbh #sihank #dbh simon #long post #hank anderson #dbh merfolk au

[originalcharactersandmore]

I wrote something! It’s probably still a little rough, as all I’ve done for editing it fix the spelling mistakes... but I wanted to post it anyway! This is a The Arcana Game AU! I will probably also post is on my AO3 too. 

I was looking around for more mermaid AU stuffs and I couldn’t find any that I wanted and then I remember I was a writer and that I could write my own! This is inspirited by some headcanons that I don’t remember who did them, the headcanons where reversed where it was mc in the tank, but I wanted to do one where it was the arcana as mermaids. So here you go, I hope you enjoy!

You weren't too sure what to believe when you read that newspaper ad.

'Finally after years of searching, we've found one! Come to Robinson's Aquarium to see the first ever captured Mermaid!' with a picture of a shadowed figure that could of been a Mermaid, but could also have been someone dressed up as one.

You figured it was a load of baloney, put it aside and went on with your day. However, no matter where you went, people where talking about it. On the radio, in the shops, even in your favorite café. You where thoroughly done with hearing about it when you turned your TV on later that night, only for the news channel to be talking about it. You where about ready to turn it off and go to bed when the screen switched to just outside the aquarium in question, where a news reported and a person was seemingly being interviewed about their time inside.

You kept the TV on, because as much as you hated to admit it, after hearing about it so much your interest was piqued. They went on to describe the experience and at the end on it, you left like you where being played. Really, how many people did this Robinson guy pay off just to get some publicity for his aquarium? You turn off the TV and go to bed.

Three months pass, where everyone keeps talking about it and no one posts pictures at all, you think to yourself bitterly. You read an article about that, apparently Robinson is very strict about no pictures, to the point where he hired guards. He claims it's because he wants everyone to have a fresh experience. You call bull on that. The whole situation it very suspicious and after three months of non stop news and people going to see this mermaid and coming out satisfied, you're at your wits end. So with some vague feeling of disgust, you drop your money on a ticket and drive your way there.

You're pretty lucky to live relatively close, it's only an hour and a half drive. The entire time, you're arguing with yourself, part of you wanting to turn around and go back, the other part countering with the money you just spent. After all, you spent the money on it, might as well go, right?

With that thought in mind, you pull into parking spot and walk in. The door jingles like you just wanted into a small café and the receptionist looks up. Their eyes go wide and they immediately stand up, back straight like you're their commanding officer.

"Mr. Robinson has told us about you and we are to let you through and give you this," They walk around their desk, holding out an envelope. You take it out of habit and tear it open pulling out a letter.

'Dear ________,

I have always been a big fan of your research papers, especially your latest one featuring clues on how to find Mermaid homes. Using your knowledge, I was able to find and capture one, so that I could prove to every nay sayer that you where right. As a token of gratitude to you, who helped me locate the Mermaid I have put on display, I have included a V.I.P card, so that you may come and see the product of your research as many times as you'd like.

Sincerely,

Mr. Robinson'

That vague sense of disgust you where feeling before? Yeah, it's full force now.

Yes, you use to be a researcher, leading a team on a hopeful journey to discover Mermaids. You thought it was bogus at the time, but had to go with it anyway because money ruled the world. You weren't expecting it to go anywhere, but then you started to discover unexplained stuff, like scales that where far to big for any fish, or a sharp tooth that didn't match any shark they could find, coral formations that looked almost like a room in a house. You started believing that maybe mermaids were real, just hiding really well.

However, after you submitted your report and it got posted, the government changed office and cut your funding, meaning you had to disband before your research really even got the chance to take off. If that hadn't happened, you might have discovered Mermaid's yourself and you would have put protective measures in place, so that they wouldn't end up in tank at an aquarium like the one that's being held captive right here.

"Mr. Robinson would like to speak with you, but he has requested that you go see the Mermaid first" The receptionist voice almost makes you jump, you had forgotten they where standing there in your short trip down memory lane. You pull the ticket out, giving it to the receptionist. They look hesitant to accept it, having just given you the V.I.P card but you insist. You did spend the money already and this aquarium had a 'no returns' policy. Plus, you weren't about to call down their manger just for this. They take the ticket and direct you to the door into the aquarium.

Inside, there are a few people here, but not too many. It's closing soon, so there are not many people around. Plus, the hype over the mermaid has worn off quite a bit now.

There are signs pointing you in the correct direction and you know you've found it when you see a door being guarded by two people in security uniforms. It seems the stories mentioning Mr. Robinson's caution was correct. The guards take your phone and your bag before letting you in. The room is circular and well lit, with a big circular tank in the middle, fences surrounding it. There are several guards stationed along the wall and you feel like you stepped into a spy movie. There are two other customers here, pressed up as close as they can get with the fences in the way. You walk up to an empty spot, looking into the tank with a sense of hesitance. All of your research, right here in person. Just not in the way you wanted it.

Your eyes scan the tank, looking for the figure and you spot them near the bottom. With a sudden rush of bubbles, the Mermaid  smacks their hands against the glass, near where the other two customers are. The two oohhed and aawwed, looking amazed at the Mermaid's show of speed. You're the only one who seems to notice the act for what it is. Desperation and fear.

The Mermaid has thick curly white hair and beautiful brown skin. Their scales are pink and red, swirling around their hips and down their legs, with alternating white blots. They have scales of the same colors down their forearms and hands, their fingers tipped with claws that might have been sharp before but are dulled now, probably shaved down by the staff here. Their ears are webbed, a blue and purple color swirling much like their scales. The gills on either side of their neck are the same color as their webbed ears, scales spreading out around them and down their neck, over their sides. They had fins along the backside of their tail and on their forearms too. As if that action had taken all of their energy, the Mermaid floats down from the glass toward the bottom of the tank.

You are immediately concerned. Now that the surprise and shock has faded, you can see just how weak the Mermaid looked and you could just see how red and puffy their gills where. Was there something in the tank causing irritation? You look around the tank and notice just how dirty it was, expertly hidden but still there. No wonder the Mermaid looked so sick, they probably were! Was the filter not working?

As you examining the tank with a growing feeling of horror that is probably showing your face, the Mermaid suddenly becomes aware of your presence and sharply turns toward you. Your eyes meet and you find yourself staring into beautiful purple eyes. The black sclera is a little unnerving but their pupil and iris look very similar to that of a human eye, so you can ignore the black sclera as a bit of dust or something.

The Mermaid is glaring in you general direction and while you feel like you deserve it, after all you are the one who wrote the paper that apparently gave Mr. Robinson the information he needed to find and capture this Mermaid, it becomes apparent who their glaring at when a hand lands on you shoulder.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

You turn to see a man there, dressed in a three piece suit and looking like a cat that got the canary. You would explain his features, but all you could think about was those posts listing all the white male celebrities images together and his picture would fit right in.

It seemed like he was waiting for you to answer, so you answered the direct question keeping all of your complaints to yourself for now. Plus, how he refereed to the Mermaid as an 'it' rather then 'they' really rubbed you the wrong way.

"Y-Yes, sir." Your voice cracked and you have to clear your throat before you could continue.

He laughs heartily, and slaps your back hard enough to send you flying into the barrier. Hunched over the barrier as you are, your eyes met the Mermaids again. Their not just glaring now, their fins are flared up, their hands clawing into the sand and they're barring their dulled teeth in a show of defiance. Mr. Robinson scoffs, before walking off.

"We have much to discuss, so let's get to it shall we?" He throws over his shoulder. Taking a look around the room, the two customers are gone, probably having been shooed out by the guards when Mr. Robinson walked in and they are all standing at attention in the presence of their employer.

There's a small tap on the glass and you turn to see the Mermaid right there, hand splayed on the glass, the amount of desperation in their eyes breaking your heart. You can't reach the glass and you doubt the Mermaid would be able to hear you through it, so you hope your eyes convey your message:

I'll come back for you.

With that, you turn quickly and follow after Mr. Robinson. It would not do to angry such a wealthy man.

———————————

Mr. Robinson leads you to his office, beautiful ornate doors and impressively clean carpet, and furniture from the Rocco type. This was a man with a lot of money to spend. He takes a seat at his desk and gestures to the chair directly in front.

"Please, have a seat," He waits for you to sit and settle in before continuing, " Someone of your learning and intellect has probably already noticed the sate of the Mermaid's tank, yes?"

"Yes, I have," You wonder how anyone could not notice it, but you digress.

"Good. You see, the Mermaid is very difficult. We have a hard time cleaning it's tank because it is so aggressive toward us. You saw how it had tried to attack the customers."

You nod along as he talks, listening and hoping that none of you're inner feelings are showing. You pretend you're making a speech about your research, needing to keep your face from showing your true feelings and it works well enough. He stops talking, presumably to let his words sink in, but then the silence stretches and you realize he's waiting for you to talk.

"I-is that what you want to discus with me?" You voice comes out surprisingly steady, after rushing to talk to keep the moment from getting awkward. You're not the best at social interactions, especially with people who had enough money to pay for your killing and a lot left over.

"Yes, that's correct. Someone like you, who has done much research on marine animals, plus your brief research on the Mermaids, will be trained enough to be able to deal with it's mood swings and aggression. So, my proposition to you is, come work for me as the caretaker of the Mermaid. This way, you can continue your research, get payed for it and my aquarium has a clean tank for the Mermaid to live in. What do you say?"

As much as you wanted to spit in his face and say 'no', doing so would probably put you on his shit list and take away the V.I.P card you just got, so that was a no go. And besides, you had just promised the Mermaid that you'd be back, even if the promise was more to yourself then to them. And if you worked here, you'd be able to help the Mermaid, like you wanted to and maybe discover a way to break them out of captivity. Okay, so that was your more lofty goal, but you gotta aim high, right? And you'll also get the opportunity to study them, the little researcher in you squealed. Okay, so maybe you where a little selfish, but your main goal was to help the Mermaid.

So with a smile you hoped looked real, you held out your hand and said, "I would be happy to work for you."

Mr. Robinson's lips curled into a smile of his own, looking like a cat that got the canary as he took your hand and shook, saying, "It will be a pleasure working with you."

#text #the arcana game #the arcana asra #asra alzanar #asra #fan apprentice #fan apprentice x asra #mermaid au #the arcana game au #soulmate au #that last tag is something that will come around later #if i write any more #this is inspired by some mermaid head canons and also that one comic with the green mermaid

[mermaidxatxheart]

Poor Unfortunate Souls

This is my submission for @shitty-imagines-95 ‘s Halloween ‘Being the Thing that Goes Bump in the Night’ challenge. This is super late because life sucks sometimes. Anywho, I hope you all enjoy it. Let me know what you think, comments, reactions, favorite parts, concerns. I love to hear everything. 

Summary: Loosely based on the Little Mermaid. The Reader loves to save humans that fall into the ocean. This pisses off the sea witch, Allura, to no end. When she saves Sam, it’s just one transgression too far and Allura has to put her fin down. 

Pairing: Sam Wilson x Reader

Warning: panic, feeling like drowning/suffocating, LOTS of swearing because let’s be honest this is me we’re talking about.

Word Count: 8403

A/N: This is going to be broken up into three parts because honestly, everything I wanted to put in here was daunting and I couldn’t get past the sixth page because of it. With the enormous amount of help and support from @everythingisoverrated and @dsakita, I’ve finally gotten part one done. Sam would still be falling through the air if it weren’t for them.

Sam hates flying over water. 

 He hates it.

 There’s no safe place to land if something should go wrong, and ever since partnering up with Rogers, everything goes wrong.

 He can see land just up ahead, maybe three miles away? It’s hard to tell.

 He glances down at the ocean below him to see all the choppy waves and shudders. If he were to fall now, he could crash into one of the rock spires and that would be the end of 

 Sam 

 Fucking 

 Wilson.

Before he can even think twice about going lower, a boom echoes from somewhere. It rattles his teeth like a sonic boom and his entire body jerks and immediately starts tumbling out of the sky.

 “Oh shit!!” He tries to aim for water instead of rock, but he doesn’t have much control. His left wing is completely detached and he has a second to realize ‘cannon’ before he hits the water with a great FLUME. 

 His head smacks against a rock and his remaining wing gets snagged on something. His pack weighs him down.

 Dazed and confused, he can’t find his way to the surface and he can’t breathe. Panic sets in, his lungs burn, his muscles ache. Everything starts to fade as he still struggles to reach the surface. 

 Only problem is, he can’t find the surface. The current pulls him into another rock formation, forcing the last of his precious air from his body.

 Something soft, gentle, something so different from the crashing waves grips his arm and suddenly he’s floating. He’s cradled so gently, he starts to believe he’s actually dead and an angel is taking him to heaven. 

 The next thing Sam becomes aware of is the waves lapping at his legs. He rolls over and coughs, retching up sea water. His entire body aches from the beating he just took, his cuts from the rocks burn. 

 “How did I get here?” He mumbles.

 “Sam!!” He hears his best friend calling for him.

 Steve. 

 Sam staggers to his feet and stumbles in the direction of Steve’s voice. He doesn’t know how he’s alive, but he’s grateful to whatever saved him. 

 ***

 You watch the man stumble back up the beach and smile to yourself.

 Another one saved. 

 You turn and dive back beneath the waves, starting the long swim home. You should be paying more attention to where you’re going,  instead, you let yourself become distracted by the ocean floor scenery around you.

 An algae rope ties around your tail fin and pulls tight, effectively stopping you in your tracks. It’s painful, rubbing and pulling against your scales in an unnatural way

 “What?” You look down and your heart freezes in your chest.

 Masika.

 She reels you back and grins wickedly, revealing her forked teeth. Her pupils are slits, more like that of an eel or a snake than a mermaid. She should have been a beautiful mermaid, like you. 

 But something happened. 

 Rumors flew around that her parents practiced dark magic and it had an effect on their unborn baby. That was only one of many.

 Whatever the reason, she fled from her kind, finding shelter with the most feared creature in all of the seven seas: Allura.

 Maskia swims right up to you, getting uncomfortably close. You know you’re in trouble.

 “You really shouldn’t have done that,” she hisses with a cold grin, snapping her teeth at you. “But on the other fin, I do get a portion of those that cross my mistress.” She drags her forked tongue over her fanged teeth. 

 You have a sudden image of her ripping into your flesh with her teeth and you shudder involuntarily. You lean away, trying to keep out of reach of her wicked bite while simultaneously trying to wiggle your tail out of the rope. 

 “I couldn’t just leave him to die,” you plead.

 Her hand shoots out and thin, pale fingers reach and grip your arm, sure to leave a bruise. “While I don’t give a shit about those disgusting mortals, my mistress certainly has an opinion about your actions. She requires your presence.”

 “No-“

 Without warning, Masika takes off, the rope clenched tight in her fist. It yanks you off balance and you’re dragged backward through the water to wherever Allura’s secret cave is.

 ***

 “I have a right to all the humans claimed by the ocean.” Allura hisses.

 “He wasn’t dead, yet.” You reply, struggling to keep your voice steady. The sorceress terrifies you, but you have to stand up for what’s right. 

 She studies you for a long minute before floating over to a coral shelf. Barnacle encrusted jars and vials are clustered on it, so dirtied by their time under the ocean that you can’t even tell what’s in it. But she seems to know. 

 She selects a few and tosses them into the cauldron. A green flame burns under it. You’ve heard rumors that she’s one of the last creatures alive that knows the secret to Greek Fire. 

 “If you love to save the humans so much, then let’s see if they repay the favor, shall we?” She swirls her finger in the cauldron and seizes your wrist. You try to struggle away but you’re not strong enough. She drags her finger around your wrist and up into your palm, a line of crimson red burns into your skin.

 You cry out, from pain at first as you stare at the spot. It blisters where she touched. Then you realize that your wrist is turning clear, you’re dissolving before your own eyes.

 “Try to save your pathetic humans now.” She cackles.

 You watch your whole arm disappear, screaming the entire time. Your throat aches and is raw, but you can’t stop.

  Sam

 “Sam, we’ve got a bogey. It’s coming from the upper atmosphere and it’s coming fast right for us.” Rhodey says, pushing him towards the door.

 “And you want me to do what, exactly? Charm it away with my good looks?” Sam replies sarcastically. He rubs his shoulder absently, it still aches from where he slammed into the rocks just a few hours ago.

 “Go take a look. I can’t, Tony isn’t here, you’re the only one nimble enough to get close enough.”

 Sam rolls his eyes but grabs his Falcon pack and buckles himself in as he runs to the door. “I swear, I need a vacation.” He mutters, plugging his comm into his ear.

 “It’s falling fast, Sam.” Rhodey urges. 

 “You’re sure it’s gonna land on us?” He asks, his wings extending and he takes off towards the sky.

 “Yes!”

 It doesn’t take him long to see the object falling toward the new compound. “It’s a person!!” Sam shouts, shooting directly for the falling body almost seven thousand feet. His heart pounds in his chest.

 What if he misses? 

 What if she dies and it’s his fault?

 “Repeat?”

 “It’s a human! A girl!” Sam calls, pouring on as much speed as he can coax from his wings. Her slender form is falling fast and she looks to be unconscious, he can’t hear her screaming at any rate. 

 How did she even get up here?

 He stretches his hands out. So close, he can almost brush her fingertips with his. His heart lurches in his chest as he realizes she’s awake. Her eyes are full of fear as she tries to meet his hand.

 Just a little further!

 His pack seems to have just a little bit left and his hand closes around her wrist. Her grip is tight in return and he glances past her. The ground is coming up fast, too fast for him to stop completely. But he can try to change direction.

 His wings change, fighting against the rushing wind to move parallel to the ground. The straps pull at his aching shoulders and chest and he lets out a guttural scream from the force of it.

 They’re going to crash. They were going too fast and they were too heavy. Sam could just see it about to happen. He hauls the girl up just in time, wrapping his arms around her like a cage. They tumble to the ground, rolling head over heels through the grass. He hears something snap, but it wasn’t from his body. He doesn’t feel that kind of pain. 

 Once they finally stop rolling, Sam is hovering over her, his heart racing. Her face is a mask of pain and anguish.

 “Shit. What broke? Where does it hurt?” His eyes roam over her body as he pushes himself up. He frowns, realizing she hasn’t actually spoken yet.

 She reaches for her ankle and he realizes it’s starting to swell and is turning a nasty shade of purple.

 “Okay, don’t panic. We can fix this.” His heart is thumping wildly in his chest. “Don’t panic.” He can hear his voice rising as he begins to pat his pockets. 

 Of fucking course there isn’t anything there, he ran out in such a hurry. He touches the comm in his ear.

 “Rhodey, I need medical on the scene.” He practically shouts.

 “On its way.”

 He looks back at her. “You’re not panicking, right?”

 She gives a small shake of her head. Her eyes have filled with tears but that’s probably from the pain in her ankle.

 “Oh good, just me, then.” He mutters, his wings folding back into the pack. 

 Her eyes widen slightly and she tries to push herself up.

 “Oh, no. You should just stay there. We have a medical team coming to make sure you’re okay.” He looks the girl over. She’s not bleeding from anywhere, but he can’t seem to stop looking at her. She’s gorgeous.

 But her clothes are odd. It’s a white, shapeless thing, almost like a nightgown, but four sizes too big for her. 

 “Can you tell me your name?” Sam asks, finding it more than a little worrisome that she hasn’t spoken yet.

 She opens her mouth, but no sound comes out. She hesitates and then tries again. Still nothing. Her hand flies to her throat and the panic is back in her eyes 

 He quickly kneels in front of her and takes her hand. “I’m the only one allowed to panic, remember? The medics are almost here. We’ll get you completely checked out, okay?”

 She nods once and takes a deep breath. Her hands shoot to her ribs and she frantically pats her sides. Clearly not finding what she’s looking for, she squeezes her eyes shut and flops backward in the grass. Her head makes a thump and Sam winces. 

 “Maybe we should avoid as much damage as possible.” He suggests. A noise over his shoulder catches his attention and he turns to see the med team arriving on a golf cart. 

 “Okay, these guys are gonna check you over and make sure you’re okay,” Sam tells her, hoping that she can at least understand him.

 “What happened, Sam?” Helen Cho asks, stepping closer. She’s the head medical scientist in Tony’s lab. 

 “She came out of nowhere, just falling out of the sky. I tried to catch her as safely as I could, but our momentum was too great. I think she broke her ankle, I heard something snap.” Sam relays. “Also, she was fussing around her ribs, I don’t know if they hurt, though.”

 Helen looks him over. “And what about you? This is two near misses on one day.”

 “Par for the course, really.” He shrugs. “I’m alright.”

 Helen turns back to the girl and she kneels down in front of her. “My name is Helen. I’m going to take a look at your ankle. Do you know your name?” She asks calmly as she gets out her kit. 

 The girl nods, a glum look on her face.

 “Okay, can you tell me your name?” She presses and the girl shakes her head, pointing to her throat. “I see. No voice.” 

 The girl nods and slumps back again, flinching out of Helen’s hands as the doc begins to manipulate her ankle.

 “Did she seem surprised by the lack of a voice? Or was she expecting it?” Helen asks, glancing over her shoulder at Sam.

 “Definitely surprised.”

 “Alright. I definitely want a scan when we get back. I won’t be able to do much for her leg out here besides immobilize it.”

 “Is it going to hurt?” Sam asks.

 “Well, it won’t tickle,” Helen replies. She looks at the girl apologetically. “I need to put a brace around your ankle so that it doesn’t move and get worse.” She explains.

 The girl eyes her warily but nods. Sam wants to hold her hand so she can squeeze it and let him take the brunt of the pain for her, but he doesn’t know how well that will go over, so he stays where he is. Helen tried to be gentle, but the girl clenches her jaw together, forcing air out in what would be a scream. Her hands ball into fists in the dirt, pulling up the grass. 

 “Almost done,” Helen promises. 

 Tears spill down her cheeks and Sam wants to wrap her in his arms and make everything better. But that just doesn’t make sense. Helen gets her brace set and she turns to him. 

 “Will you set her in the golf cart? I don’t want her to try and put any pressure on it.”

 “Sure.” Sam’s heart beats strangely in his chest as he steps around to her side. “May I?” 

 She nods slightly and he scoops her up, careful not to jostle her too much. She smells like the best part of the ocean, the beach breeze, and the salt air; he has to resist the urge to bury his face in her hair. As it is, she wraps her arms around his neck and he can barely focus on putting one foot in front of the other. 

 “We’ll meet you back at the compound, Sam,” Helen says as Sam sets the mystery girl in the front seat.

 Sam is reluctant to be away from her, but he’s going to see her in five minutes at the front door. Helen climbs into the front seat. He watches as she drives away.

 “Quit being such a weird bitch, Wilson. What the fuck is the matter with you?” His wings unfold and the pack lifts him off the ground. He soars easily over the hilly terrain of the Avengers’ compound, landing at the front door. 

 “Rhodey, everything else all clear?” Sam asks into his comm.

 “All good, Sam. Any idea where she came from?” The Colonel asks. 

 “There was nothing on the radar, no sign of any plane-nothing for miles. It was like she just appeared out of thin air.”

 “You think alien? Maybe like what happened in New York?”

 “Don’t you think we would have noticed a giant fucking black hole opening up right over us?” Sam sighs. “I don’t know how to explain it. Maybe Doctor Cho can figure out how to get her voice back so she can tell us what happened.”

 Helen approaches the front gate and parks as one of her assistants brings a wheelchair out. Sam steps forward to help lift her into the chair, but Helen’s assistant does it, a burly man. He hates the way she clings to his massive shoulders 

 “I think we can handle it from here, Sam,” Helen says with a pleasant smile and he can’t help the churning in his gut. He doesn’t want to leave the girl alone, but he doesn’t have an excuse to follow them to the medical wing. 

 The mystery girl turns to watch Sam as she’s pushed past. “I’ll come to check on you later,” Sam says. There’s nothing weird or unusual about that, right? He caught the girl falling out of the sky, it would make sense that he would want to check on her. 

 She smiles slightly before the door closes between them. He gives them a few minutes to get in the elevator so he’s not tempted to stalk them all the way to the medical wing. 

 Finally, he trusts himself to go inside, relieved and at the same time, ridiculously disappointed at the empty hallway. He slowly makes his way back to command and to talk to Rhodey. 

 “Where is she?” Rhodey asks immediately as Sam enters. 

 “Medical, getting her ankle looked at.” Sam frowns at the older man.

 “You didn’t bring her straight here? You just let her-a stranger-go wandering around our super secret compound? Are you insane?” Rhodey snaps, throwing his arms up in the air.

 “Rhodey-shes not wandering anywhere! I broke her ankle. She’s harmless.”

 “What’s going on here?” Steve asks from behind them. 

 “You explain, I’m going to detain our trespasser.”

 Sam cuts Rhodey off before he can take two mechanical steps towards the door. “You’re going to stay away from her.” Sam warms.

 “You wanna make me? I don’t care if I’m crippled or not, I’ll still kick your ass.”

 Steve steps between them and Sam feels a metal hand on his shoulder. Bucky. “Whoa, Alright. Buck, why don’t you and Rhodey take a walk?”

 “What? No-“ Sam starts to protest, but Steve cuts him off with a warning look.

 “I’m gonna get the story from Sam.”

 “Sure. Come on, Colonel. Let’s go get some ice cream. I really missed ice cream.” Bucky says, holding his arm out for Rhodey to lead the way.

 The older man casts one last look at Sam before heading out the door. Steve leans against the counter with a sigh. He crosses his cannon-ball sized arms and looks at Sam. 

 “Tell me what happened,” Steve says calmly.

 ***

 The woman called Helen had taken very good care of you, fixed you up, fixed the thing where your tail should be and made it stop hurting, just in time for a man to come in and attach something to your wrist. It’s cold and it rubs painfully against your skin. 

 “Colonel!” Helen protests. 

 “What’s your name?” The man demands, glaring at you. 

 You flinch back from his harsh tone. Even if you wanted to speak, you couldn’t. Your voice was gone. Even the feeling of trying had vanished. 

 “How did you find this place?”

 “Colonel Rhodes, I really must protest!”

 “Stay out of this Dr. Cho.” The man snaps and you’re reminded of Masika.

 “She needs to rest, James.” Helen insists, stepping between you and the scary man.

 You tug experimentally on the object holding you to the bed.

 “Yeah, you’re not going anywhere until I get some answers.”

 “She can’t speak, Colonel.” Helen snaps.

 “Well, fix her. I need answers!”

 You watch the exchange, feeling very nervous. It’s obvious this new man doesn’t like you, which sort of makes you determined not to answer him, even if you could. The door bangs open behind him and you jump as another, scarier man walks in.

 “Jesus, Rhodes. You move fast for a cripple.” He says with a groan. He runs a silver hand through his dark hair.

 “Go back to your ice cream, Barnes. This doesn’t concern you.”

 “Aw, come on. You handcuffed her?”

 You look down at the thing around your wrist. Handcuffed. New word. You pull on them again and they rattle like the pirate discs you’ve found on the ocean floor.

 “Did you have to close them so tight?” The new man asks, clearly unconcerned.

 “I’m going to get some answers.”

 “Hasn’t anyone else told you, you catch more flies with honey?”

 There’s something about this new guy that you like. He moves toward you and you tense slightly. Even though he seems nice, you don’t know him. 

 “It’s okay. I’m Bucky. I’m just going to take off the handcuffs.” He gestured to your wrist and you follow the motion. “Rhodey isn’t usually so bad. He’s just a little paranoid these days.”

 You look at the man behind him, Rhodey. 

 “Barnes, I’ll shot you.” He warns. His voice is uneven, shaky. He wouldn’t follow through.

 Bucky meets your gaze and you give a small shake of your head. He winks and sits next to your leg.

 “If you shoot me, then Steve will be really pissed.” He removes the handcuffs and rubs your wrist gently. “There. Now, can you tell us your name?”

 You chew on your lip, looking around to see if there’s anything nearby to describe your name.

 “As I’ve already told the Colonel, she is incapable of speaking.” Helen intervenes and you point toward her emphatically. 

 “Alright. Well, how about writing? Can you spell your name for us?” Bucky suggests. 

 You stare at him blankly. 

 “Alright.” He chuckles. 

 “Waste of time,” Rhodes mutters. 

 Bucky half turns. “Aren’t you at least a little bit curious as to how she’s made it this far and can’t even spell her own name?”

 “Amish, homeschooled, circus runaway. I don’t care. We need answers.” Rhodey snaps. 

 “And you intend to get them, how, exactly?”

 “If she can’t speak, can’t write, then we’ll just-“ Rhodey cuts off with a guilty look at Bucky.

 The big man has gone unnaturally still, like the ocean waves before a massive storm. “Just what, Colonel? Pick her brain apart? Torture her until she gives it up?” His voice is low, dangerous, reminding you of a shark.

 “That’s- Of course not- I wouldn’t-“

 “I would hope not, Colonel. Now, let’s let our new guest rest while we figure something else out over ice cream.” Bucky stands up with one last squeeze of your wrist. 

 You have no idea what just happened, but you’re wondering about your assessment of the two men. Rhodey has seemed scarier, yelling at you and acting so aggressively, but the way Bucky obviously intimidated him with just a few words; he was clearly more dangerous. You look at Helen as she steps closer. 

 “Ready for some more scans? I need to figure out what happened to your vocal cords.”

 You nod and she pushes you over to a big white thing. 

 “You’re going to lay down on here. Have you ever seen a machine like this before?” She asks as you slide up onto a bench. 

 You shake your head as you lay down. You can honestly say that all of this is a mystery to you.

 “Okay, so what it’s going to do is take pictures of your insides and show them to us in little sections, so if there’s anything wrong, we can find it and fix it.” She explains. 

 You aren’t sure what a picture is but you think you follow the rest of it. So you nod. She presses a button and the bench lurches into a hollow tube at your head and your hands shoot to the sides. 

 “It’s okay. It will stop in a moment. I’m going to need you to hold very still. There’s going to be some loud noises that tend to make people uncomfortable.” The bench stops. “If you need to stop, wiggle your toes, okay? I’ll be right on the other side of that glass.” She gives your non-fin a squeeze and you can hear her walk away.

 “Okay, the noise is going to start. Remember to hold very still.”

 You close your eyes, pushing away the claustrophobia. You had never liked swimming in the underwater caves around your home. You always panicked, feeling like the roofs were going to cave in on you. This was no different, but you try to remain calm. Otherwise, she’s going to make you do it over again. 

 The noise starts and it turns your stomach. It’s loud, louder than anything you’ve ever heard. The steady, rhythmic noise sets your teeth on edge and salty tears leak out of the corners of your eyes. You almost reach up to brush them away but you remember at the last minute. 

 “Almost done, just a little bit longer. You’re doing fantastic.” Helen’s voice echoes around you and your heart races. The noise gets louder, sounding almost like buckets on the ships you’ve seen as they clang together, but louder, sharper somehow. It hurts your ears and just when you reach the point you start trying to figure out what toes are, the noise stops. 

 The bench moves again, this time the other way and you can sit up again. “There, that wasn’t so terrible, was it?” She asks with a friendly smile. 

 You nod emphatically as the door opens and you look around. A man you haven’t met yet enters. He casts a smile in your direction before turning back to Helen. 

 “Barton, what are you doing here?” She asks. Her tone is pleasant, she isn’t displeased to see this man. 

 “Bucky sent me. Thought maybe you could use my help.” He shrugs. She considers him for a moment. 

 “Well, worth a shot.” She gestures for you to get back in the movable contraption. Wheelchair. That was the word she used before. “This is Clint Barton. He’s going to visit with you for a moment.”

 You look at the man and smile hesitantly. 

 "I know you can't speak, but do you know sign language?" He asks, moving his hands at the same time.

 Some of it you recognize. 

 Yes, a little, you sign back, relieved to finally be able to communicate.

 "That's great. Do you remember your alphabet? Can you sign your name?" 

 You frown for a second, thinking back to your lessons in mermaid sign language before it comes back to you. You twist your fingers into the right shapes. 

 "Y-Y/N?" He tilts his head and you nod. "Alright, do you think you remember enough to tell me what happened?"

 You frown for a minute. How much should you tell him? You're going to need help from these humans, but will they believe your story about Allura?

 You believe in magic? You sign, the words are choppy and you're not even sure he speaks mermaid sign language. 

 "Do I believe in magic? Sweetheart, I've had a god in my brain and I've seen aliens come out of a wormhole in the sky. I work with a woman who shoots red mist out of her fingers. Lay it on me."

 You study him, trying to decide if he's being serious, or making fun of you. He looks serious, you decide you can trust him.

 I made sea witch mad. You start, hoping you're getting the words right. 

 "I'm sorry, sea witch? You did say sea witch, right? I haven't gone crazy again?" He holds up his hand to pause you. 

 You nod and the doors open again. Your heart skips a little when Sam comes into view and you smile at him. He smiles back and for some reason that makes you ridiculously happy. 

 "How's it going, Barton?" The man by Sam's side asks. 

 "Fucking great. She knows some sign language" Clint grumbles. 

 "Enough to tell you her name?" Sam asks, his brown eyes flicking towards you.

 "Y/N. Steve, I need to talk to you out in the hallway." Clint stands up and steps towards the door. Sam immediately takes his seat and shifts to face you. The other two men disappear outside and you can't hear what they're saying. 

 You turn back to Sam and realize he has a bandage over his eye. You lift your hand gently to touch it, trying to ask if he was okay. He smiles and takes your hand gently. 

 "I'm alright. I've had worse." He assures you. 

 You tilt your head for a second, trying to figure out how to say what you want. Your eyes get wide as it dawns on you. You touch your fingers to your chin before bringing it down to your other palm.

 Thank you.

 "Oh, I'm just glad I was able to get to you in time." he hesitates, his eyes dropping down to your non-fin. "Well, almost in time. How's your ankle? Did Helen fix it?"

 You follow his gaze to your non-fin and understand that's what he's talking about. Ankle. You nod in answer to his question, holding it out to inspect. 

 "Looks good". He clears his throat, his fingers trailing softly over your skin and it makes your shiver slightly. You lightly touch his arm to get his attention. He pulls his gaze from your ankle to your face. 

 What are toes?

 "Toes?" He arches an eyebrow. You nod, your heart sinking a little as he frowns. "Do they hurt?" He asks, reaching for your ankle again. His gentle fingers on the bottom of your skin send a panic through and you punch his arm without meaning to, jerking it out of his grasp. You cover your mouth, instantly feeling bad for hurting him.

 "You're ticklish, huh?" He chuckles and you tilt your head, confused. He touches the same spot again and you instinctively punch him again. There's a smile on your face but you don't understand why, because you certainly didn't like whatever he just did. 

 "Alright, I'm sorry", he laughs, rubbing his arm. "I won't tickle you anymore, although it's going to be hard to resist now." He grins and you feel your pulse skip.

 Resist harder. You sign.

 "I don't know what you just said, but you were adorable doing it." He chuckles. 

 "She said 'resist harder'," Clint says, reentering the room. 

 "Don't know that I'm that strong." 

 Doctor Cho comes back in and sighs when she sees the extra people. "I'm so glad Mr. Stark installed that revolving door. Oh, wait." She says flatly, glaring at the men. The one Clint called Steve laughs. 

 "We're just checking upon our friend, here." He gestures to you. 

 Helen huffs. "Fine, but if I see her in another pair of handcuffs, I'm locking the door." She snaps and all three men turn to look at you. 

 "Handcuffs?" Sam repeats and you shrug, holding your hands up - the universal gesture for "don't know shit." "Oh, I'm gonna kill him," Sam growls, turning for the door. Steve grabs his arm, stopping him.

 "Sam, I'll talk to Rhodey."

 "You detained me so he could come in here and interrogate her!" He accuses and you reach forward and taking his hand. He glances back at you, his face softening slightly. You point to Steve and shake your head. 

 "No, I know he wouldn't do that." Sam sighs, casting an apologetic look to his friend.

 Bucky stopped him. You sign. Clint frowns. 

 "All I got out of that was 'Bucky'. He's the one who sent me up here."

 "Y/N, we're just waiting for the scans to develop. While we're waiting, I'm sure Steve can find a room for you to stay in while you're here."

 "I can take her." Sam offers. 

 Steve seems to hesitate before finally nodding. "Alright, put her in a room close to Wanda's. We'll see if she can help when she comes home."

 "Awesome." Sam pushes you toward the door and you can't keep the smile off your face. 

 "I'm really sorry about Rhodey. He's not usually so deranged. He's had a pretty rough year." Sam explains. 

 It's silent for a minute while he pushes you into a small room. Two doors close behind you and the room starts to move. You clutch the sides of the chair and look back at him, wide-eyed. 

 "It's just the elevator. It's supposed to do that."

 You cover your face, beginning to feel overwhelmed. It wouldn't be as bad if you could just speak!

 "It's okay, we'll figure everything out". The doors open and he pushes you out. 

 You keep your eyes closed, letting him push, imagining it was the current moving you along. You miss your fins, the feel of the salt water on your skin. The feeling of the weight of your hair was a strange sensation.

 Sam comes to a stop and you blink your eyes open. He pushes open a door and steers you inside. In the middle of the room is something that looks similar to what you sleep on at home, but much softer. Windows take up one wall and you can see outside, all the way down to where he saved you.

 "So, this is your room. Whenever you're tired, or just want to be alone, this is where you can come." Sam shrugs. "We'll have to get you some clothes. I think there might be some in the armory." He tilts his head, looking towards the ceiling. "Hey, FRIDAY?" He calls.

 "Yes, Mr. Wilson?" A voice replies and you jump, looking around. 

 "Can you check the armory inventory, and see if we have any clothes?" 

 It's silent for a moment before the voice comes back. "There are several options, Sam."

 "Thanks." He turns to you. "Wanna go pick out some clothes?"

 You nod and he pushes you back out of the room. You don't really pay attention to where he's taking you, unable to add any more to your list to freak out about. 

 "So, I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that you're not from around here," Sam says and you shake your head. "Let me guess, Asgard."

 You frown, looking back at him. 

 "So, not Asgard?" He frowns. You shake your head. "Have you even heard of Asgard?" He asks.

 You shake your head, trying to think of a way to explain. You remember that humans can't breathe underwater. You plug your nose and hold your breath. 

 "I don't smell that bad, do I?" He laughs.

 You grin and shake your head. Maybe your signs weren't obvious enough. He pushes buttons by a door and it opens. Maybe you can find a better way to describe "mermaid". 

 Sam opened a box and pulled out objects similar to things he had on. "I think these will fit. Can you stand up? I want to make sure that it's long enough for you." He glances at you and you make the "I don't know shit" gesture again.

 "You don't know how to stand? Or you can't stand?" He asks.

 You nod emphatically and he nods once. 

 "Alright. Let's see how you do." He moves part of the chair at the bottom and takes your hands. He gives you a little pull so you're standing. It seems solid at first but then you buckle and collapse against him. He catches you in his big arms, supporting you against his chest, also very solid. 

 "Easy. You're alright." He gets you steady again and you cling to his arms. "Do you wanna try again?" He asks.

 You hesitate, debating. You really don't like how helpless you feel, unable to move on your own. You nod, determined to do whatever it is he's trying to make happen. You've seen humans do it, for as long as you've been going to the surface, you just don't know what it's called. 

 He holds your elbows and guides you upright. Your non-fins wobble a bit but you refuse to fail. Slowly, he lets go of your arms and backs away a little. 

 "There you go". He grins. "Okay, don't move for a second." He says and you narrow your gaze eyes at him. 

 Very funny.

 He holds up the bottom half to your non-fins, and they fall just to your ankles. 

 "Perfect. We'll take these pants and this shirt. I'll find you some more in color so you don't look like a mini Winter Soldier."

 "I heard that," Bucky says as he passes the door. He glances up at you and grins. "For the record, I think you look fantastic in all black."

 You beam at him, happy for the compliment and Sam shakes his head.

 "No, no - don't encourage him.  He doesn't need that. He's impossible anyway." 

 You point to yourself. You're impossible. A mermaid turned human falling hundreds of leagues in the air. You can't get much more impossible than that. But Sam can fly. So he's a little impossible, too.

 "You think you're impossible?" He guesses. 

 You nod and point to him.

 "You think I'm impossible?" He puts his hand on his chest, indignant. Your mother makes the same face at you all the time.

 You grin and flap your arm like a seagull. 

 "She has a point, Wilson. You're a flying human." Bucky nods. 

 "I guess that's fair. But why are you impossible?" He asks, looking at you. 

 You tilt your head, thinking about how to get your answer across. You put your arm straight up, pointing as high as you can. 

 "The ceiling?"He follows your finger, frowning.

 You roll your eyes and look at Bucky.

 "Not my division." He shrugs. 

 Your non-fins buckle again and they both dart forward to catch you. Sam eases you back into the rolling chair and you let out a rush of air. 

 It relieves some of your tension so you do it again. 

 "Are you hyperventilating on me? Because I've already told you, you're not allowed to panic." Sam says with a cheeky grin.

 You shake your head, knowing that you definitely aren't panicking. 

 "I think she's sighing," Bucky says and you look up at him. He copies you and you nod emphatically at him. 

 "Why so many times, though?" Sam asks, setting the items in your lap. 

 Bucky shrugs. "Sometimes it just feels good to sigh."

 Sigh.

 Kind of a boring word for such a fun thing. With your gills and breathing water, this was never possible. 

 "You never answered the impossible question yet." Bucky reminds you. 

 You tap your chin, thinking. Communicating should not be this hard. Your face lights up as you've got it.

 You point to Sam and flap your arms for him flying. You grip his wrist and turn him around, putting his arms out to the side like his wings. 

 "I like this game." Bucky laughs.

 You draw a line down the center of Sam's back with your finger and push down one of his arms. You spin him in circles and he looks at you curiously as you make two fists. 

 "How do you know about that?" He asks, surprised.

 You smash your fists down, exploding them like when his body hit the water and the bubbles went crazy. 

 You point to yourself, take his wrist and move your chair towards Bucky, pulling Sam with you and handing the other man Sam's wrist. 

 Both men stare at you. "There's no way you could have been in that water. You would have been smashed into the rocks." Sam says disbelievingly. 

 You nod emphatically. 

 "Are you sure Helen said she was okay?" Bucky asks Sam. 

 You smack his arm and he grins apologetically. You look around the room, biting on your lower lip. If only you had an algae rope, you could wrap your non-fins back together to make a fin. 

 You hold your left arm up like a hook, wrapping the imaginary rope around it, coiling it up. 

 "You want a rope?" Sam guesses and you nod furiously. 

 Both men start looking around. Sam finds it first, handing it back to you. It's not what you're expecting, being all coarse and round instead of braided and flat like the ones from home. 

 You tuck it under your non-fins and begin to coil them back together until you reach your ankles. Once you're done, you hold your arms up - tada!

 They stare at you. 

 Silence. 

 It's starting to ring in your ears. 

 Speak at any time. 

 Say something!

 "I want to say I don't get it... but honestly, I've seen weirder," Sam says, never taking his eyes off you. 

 "You've seen weirder than a mermaid turned human falling through the air?" Bucky asks skeptically. 

 "Sure. Hang out with the super soldier twins from the 40s long enough, you'll see anything."

 "I'm gonna have to have a strong talk with Steve. It seems there's a lot he's been keeping from me." Bucky says.

 "You go do that. Hey, where's Rhodey?" Sam asks and you feel yourself go very still. 

 "With Stark. Tony will keep him chill. Or, at the very least, away."

 "Wanda is due back any minute with the wonder twins," Bucky continues, holding open the door for Sam to push you out. 

 "You didn't want to stay with him?" Sam asks and you tip your head back to look at him. 

 "To be honest, he threatened to stun gun me and mace me if I stayed since I was a 'traitor to the cause'." Bucky rolls his blue eyes. 

 Sam grins and you love the way it changes his whole face. He turns into actual sunshine. 

 "The big bad Winter Soldier is afraid of a stun gun?" Sam laughs.

 You have no clue what they're talking about, but you like listening to them. 

 "You do realize that I'm part metal?" Bucky holds up his left arm, glinting silver under his sleeve. You feel your eyes widen and you hold your hands out for it, wanting to feel. 

 He places it in your hands. "It tends to conduct electricity." He continues to Sam. 

 You run your fingers over the hard, cold, unforgiving material. You hold it to your warm face, marveling at the difference. 

 "Alright, that's enough of that." Sam snaps, carefully pulling his hand out of your grasp. "Barnes, will you go tell Wanda to come find us as soon as she lands?" 

 "Sure." Bucky winks at you before breaking off and disappearing. 

 You look back at Sam, confused by his reaction. 

 "Don't judge." He sighs.

 You copy him and turn back around to face forward. He pushes you into your new room and parks the chair. 

 "You're not mad at me, right?" He lowers himself to your level. 

 You pretend to think about it before taking his hand and putting it on your cheek. He smiles wide. 

 "Okay, I'm going to step outside so you can get dressed." He says and you feel your bubble pop at the thought of him leaving you. 

 "You're really a mermaid?" He asks and you nod. "Okay, these are called pants. One hole for each leg. Button goes in front." He explains, holding them up to show you.

 You nod, hoping you understand. He hands them back to you and stands up. 

 "I'll be right outside when you're done." He promises, backing up towards the door. 

 You nod and he closes it behind him. You hold up the pants, doing your best to figure it out. It only takes you three tries to get them on right and up around your waist. 

 The upper half is a different story. You try to copy the way Sam was wearing his lovely maroon one but it feels weird, putting it on over the hospital gown that Helen put you in. So, you pull it off, taking a moment to wonder at the faint lines where your gills used to be. Three on each side, in between ribs. It feels weird to be breathing through your face instead of your sides. Also, to not have your scales anymore. Your breasts feel incomplete without your violet scales covering them anymore. 

 How do humans live this way?

 You pull the top over your head and slide your arms through. It smells strange, unfamiliar.

 You open your mouth to call for Sam, forgetting for just a second. You sigh, trying to figure out how to get him back in here. 

 Too bad he can't be a mind reader. 

  Bucky

 "Hey, Steve. They back yet?" Bucky greets his best friend. 

 "Two minutes out." He replies. 

 "Sam is acting weird." Bucky leans against the control panel counter. 

 "Weird, huh?" Steve replies sardonically.

 "Well, weird for Wilson, at any rate."

 Garbled speaking sparks over the radio. Steve closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. 

 "Someone needs to teach Thor how to speak." Bucky chuckles. 

 "I don't understand why he won't ever let anyone else speak on the radio," Steve mutters pushing himself out of the computer chair and heading for the landing pad. 

 "Be honest. Would you trust Loki to speak to anyone?" Bucky replies. 

 "That's a decent point." They lean against the railing, waiting for the jet to come into sight. 

 It doesn't take long. In less than a minute, they're in sight, and then they're landing. Thor, Loki, and Wanda are exiting, the latter two arguing and bickering like they usually do. 

 "Ah, finally, sane people!" Thor booms, clapping both soldiers on the arms. 

 "Good to see you, too. Even though it's only been six hours." Steve laughs, turning to head back inside. "We can do a debrief after. Wanda, we have a guest we need you to look at." 

 She looks at him, ignoring Loki for a moment. "A guest?"

 "Yeah. She's having difficulty communicating." Steve says. 

 "Unless you don't mind her using you for full body charades." Bucky grins. 

 "Sure, I can take a look." Wanda shrugs. 

 "Will we be meeting her, as well?" Loki asks. 

 "I don't see why not. It seems like she's going to be with us for a while." Bucky says.  "Especially if Sam gets his way." He mutters.

 "Interesting." Loki muses and Bucky doesn't miss the look he shares with Thor. 

 They're halfway to the infirmary before Bucky realizes it. 

 "Sam already got her a bedroom," Bucky says, turning down another hall. 

 "Please tell me it's not next to his." Steve sighs.

 "Afraid so." 

 "You don't think Rhodey was right, do you? That she's here to cause trouble?"

 "I'm not entirely sure it was her choice to come here at all." Bucky stops outside Y/N's door and reaches for the handle. 

 "How did she get here, if you don't mind me asking?" Loki asks. 

 "Rhodey spotted something on the compound's radar falling through the air. Turns out it was Y/N." Bucky shrugs, twisting the knob and stepping inside, really hoping he wasn't about to interrupt anything. 

 "Doesn't anybody in the place know how to knock?" Sam sighs. 

 "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought you wanted to see Wanda as soon as she arrived. My bad, we'll just leave." Bucky says sarcastically, turning to usher everyone out the door. 

 "Well, way to bury the lead, Barnes. You should have let Wanda walk in first. She's way prettier than you." Sam grins. 

 Y/N's eyes widen and she crosses her arms petulantly. She eyes Wanda as she steps further into the bedroom and Bucky can practically see the mental walls going up. 

 She's jealous. 

 Bucky doesn't have to be a genius to figure that out. 

 Loki spots her and takes an instant step back. He isn't rude, but he doesn't move any closer, either. 

 "Hello, Y/N. I'm Wanda. Have they explained what I can do?" She asks. 

 Y/N shakes her head, but points to Wanda, wiggles her fingers and points to her own head. 

 "That's right. But, how did you know that if they didn't say anything?" Wanda asks.

 Y/N sniffs once.

 "I don't-" Wanda tilts her head.

 "She can smell your magic on you," Loki says quietly. 

 Bucky frowns, looking at the slender man. "Maybe we should leave Wanda to do her thing. Come on, Sam." He suggests, gesturing to the door.

 "I'm not leaving." He says obviously.

 "Sam-" Steve starts, but Thor steps in. 

 "That's alright. Let him stay. The rest of us can step outside."

 Steve shrugs and the four of them leave. Bucky shuts the door behind them. 

 "You know what she is," Bucky says immediately. 

 "A mermaid. You can practically smell the ocean on her. The voice loss can be a side effect of being cursed. I can't say for sure that she'll ever get it back. But this can explain Sam's... odd behavior. If he's being affected by the Siren Song." Loki shrugs.

 "She cursed Sam?" Steve arches an eyebrow. He probably has run through a million thoughts and comments in his head before finally landing on that one.

 "Not necessarily. It could come from the witch that cursed her. Sometimes it only influences the first person to touch them." Thor explains.

 "You said Sam caught her falling out of the sky? That would be when he 'caught' it, so to speak, the love bug." 

 Bucky runs a hand through his hair. "Can she be affected by this thing, too?" He asks.

 "Possibly? Each case is different. But maybe because he saved her from certain death, it heightened it, intensified it."

 "So, what do we do?" Steve asks, sounding a little defeated. 

 "Keep them apart for a few days. It will fade and he'll go back to his normal self." Thor says easily.

 "Is she a threat?" Bucky asks seriously.

 "Hard to say. There's a reason she was cursed in the first place. If she was harmless before, she will be now." Loki shrugs. "Just keep an eye on her until you can tell for sure."

 They hear a crash from inside the room and what sounds like glass breaking. Bucky shoves the door open to see a broken lamp on the floor.

 Wanda had apparently backed up hard and fast into the dresser, tipping it over. Y/N lays on the bed, shivering and trembling all over. Sam scoops her up, brushing her hair back. 

 "What the hell was that, Wanda?" Sam snaps.

 Wanda stares at her hand, speechless. Bucky rushes over to her, taking her hand.

 "Wanda? Can you hear me, sweetheart?" He asks and she doesn't reply. "I'm gonna get her to Helen to check her out." He says, guiding her to the door. 

 "So... So much red. Covered..." She mutters. 

  ~~~~

 "No! No! Curse that stupid girl to Davey Jones' locker!" Allura screeches. The sphere showing Y/N smiling wide at a handsome man dissolves as she swipes her hand through it.

 "Mistress?" Masika drifts forward.

 "She was supposed to die! She should have fallen to her death!" Allura shrieks.

 She seizes her jars of ingredients and throws them against the walls of the cave, shattering them. 

 Masika flinches back, but Allura either doesn't notice or doesn't care. "How dare she interfere with my plans?" She destroys nearly half her stock before getting control of herself. She runs her hands over her torso and hips, smoothing out her scales, turning to Masika, an evil glint in her eyes.

 "Well, you know what they say: if you want something done right, you do it yourself." She turns to look at her young protegé. "Mind the store while I... have fun." She smirks wickedly. 

 "Our little mermaid and her new mortal friend will never see the storm that's coming." 

Tags:

@dsakita @everythingisoverrated @i-dont-want-to-be-called @thefridgeismybestie @alexblrus @thinkingsofamadwoman @ellaenchanted91

#sam x reader #sam wilson #marvel #writing #writing challenge #mermaid #little mermaid #fanfic #fantasy

[katurdi]

Chapter One: Failures

Hiccup watched the Titan Wing Dramillion land on the top of a tree, the wood bending under its weight. The dragon roared loudly, spreading its wings threateningly at the dragons circling above.

Hiccup looked over to Astrid, who was sitting atop Stormfly next to him and Toothless. “We got this. Cover me!” Astrid sent him a worried look and looked like she was about to protest, but he ignored it.

He directed Toothless down, the pair flying towards the Dramillon. Hiccup heard several Singetails call to each other behind him. The flyers followed the Night Fury, attempting to engage them. Unfortunately for the flyers, they were stopped in their tracks as Stormfly and Meatlug fired at them.

A few stray Singetails followed Hiccup, who pulled up on Toothless’s saddle. The Night Fury flew up sharply, narrowly avoiding the Singetails’ blasts. Hiccup glanced back at the flyers, then looked forward again. His eyes widened as the Dramillion, now in front of him, prepared a blueish blast in its monstrous mouth.

The dragon fired at Hiccup and Toothless, who dodged the blast narrowly. The pursuing flyers directed their dragons to blast at the Dramillion, which unleashed another stream of flame. Hiccup looked back and watched as the Dramillion’s fire quickly approached Toothless’s tail fin. The dragon yanked his tail away, narrowly avoiding catching it on fire. Toothless pulled upward abruptly, and Hiccup let out a surprised grunt.

Fishlegs and Meatlug blasted the dragon, distracting it from its previous target. Meatlug flew up, falling beside Hiccup and Toothless.

“It’s scared, Hiccup!” Fishlegs said worriedly. “And, it doesn’t know the difference between us and Krogan’s men!”

“I know, Fishlegs.” Hiccup answered, glancing at the Dramillion before looking back to Fishlegs. “But we have to protect it, at all costs!” He looked down again. Hiccup furrowed his eyebrows when the Singetails fired at the blue dragon.

Hiccup patted Toothless, who flew after one of the Singetails. He took out his shield, aiming it at the man on it’s back. A rope sprung out, wrapping around the flyer. Hiccup yanked his shield backwards and pulled the flyer off the dragon.

“Uh, boyo, we might want to back out of the way for a wee moment!” Spitelout yelled to Hiccup, who returned his shield to his back.

Hiccup looked back at the Jorgenson, mildly irritated. “Why’s that?”

“Harpoon!” Spitelout pointed to the side, his eyes wide.

Hiccup turned his head to the side, following Spitelout’s finger… only to pull his head back sharply as said weapon sailed straight towards his head. As it passed by, the harpoon grazed Hiccup’s face, leaving a long, deep cut along his left brow. He let out a shout of pain, one hand letting go of Toothless’s saddle to grip at the wound.

“I tried to warn ye!” Spitelout yelled, his normally arrogant face looking panicked.

“Now is not the time!” Hiccup yelled, taking his hand away from his forehead. He was alarmed to see it completely covered in blood. He immediately pressed his hand back to the cut, wincing at the stinging pain.

Behind Hiccup, a dragon roared. He twisted around in the saddle, then gasped. The harpoon that had just grazed his face had embedded itself into the side of the Titan Wing Dramillion.

The dragon tipped backwards slowly, then slowly fell from the tree it was perched on.

Hiccup watched the dragon’s descent with wide eyes. “No!” The wounded Dramillion hit the ground hard, rolling down the hill towards the edge of the cliff.

“We have to get it before it goes into the water!” Hiccup yelled to Spitelout. He directed Toothless to fly down to the fallen dragon, Spitelout following. “Come on, Toothless,” Hiccup urged his dragon.

The dragons descended rapidly, almost reaching the Dramillion. Before they could get to it, several thick streams of fire blocked their path. “No!” Hiccup yelled again, watching helplessly as the large dragon fell off the side of the cliff.

Toothless turned sharply to avoid the flames. Hiccup turned in the saddle, just in time to watch as Meatlug and Spitelout’s Nadder were shot down. He twisted, searching desperately for an exit, but was blocked on all sides by a cage of fire. He yelled in frustration, looking up in a frantic attempt to find an escape.

Hiccup gasped and tensed as Krogan’s Singetail prepared a large fireball from its tail. The blast was released and sent down towards the center of the ring, straight towards Hiccup and his dragon. Toothless jerked to the side to try and avoid the blast. He narrowly dodged it, but the force of the explosion sent the rider and dragon flying to the ground.

As Hiccup was thrown forcefully off Toothless, the only thing he could think of was how horribly he failed. He failed to protect the Dramillion, to protect Berk, and to find the king of dragons. He failed his father, who was dying in bed because of his war.

The brief feeling of weightlessness was short-lived. Hiccup crashed to the ground, his head forcefully colliding with the hard stone. He grunted painfully as his body rolled several yards, before finally coming to a hard stop. He blinked slowly, his vision blurry and unfocused. His ears rang, as he heard a few distant calls of his name. His head throbbed, and the cut above his brow stung. Hiccup’s entire body ached from the force of the fall. He tried to get up, but his body wouldn’t listen to him. The slightest twitch of his hand brought endless amounts of pain. He exhaled slowly, letting his eyes slide shut and the blackness take over his senses.

Astrid wasn’t sure if she looked down at the worst or best time.

She and Stormfly had just taken out a few stray dragon flyers. For some reason, most of them had disappeared all at once. Astrid assumed that Hiccup and Fishlegs had probably defeated them, and so she continued to focus on her own battle. Thor, she couldn’t be more wrong.

She glanced around, noticing that Hiccup was nowhere to be found. Neither was Spitelout and Fishlegs. However, most of the flyers were crowding around one place.

Astrid directed Stormfly towards the Singetails, who were forming a ring. They fired at the ground, cutting off… something. She watched as the Dramillion fell off the side of the cliff, and she let out a gasp. She saw three shapes near the ground, then gasped again. The Singetails were firing at Hiccup.

“Stormfly!” Her dragon immediately picked up the pace, speeding towards the dragons. The Singetails let loose long streams of fire, surrounding Hiccup, Spitelout, and Fishlegs. Stormfly was going as fast as she could, but it felt like she was barely moving an inch. Astrid watched helplessly as Meatlug and Spitelout’s Nadder were shot down, the Flyers closing in on Hiccup.

“No!” Astrid yelled. They were almost there. Just a few hundred feet. Toothless flailed in the center of the circle, looking for an escape. Astrid saw Hiccup look up and tense. She followed his gaze, her eyes widening.

“No!” She repeated, more urgently. Krogan’s Singetail hovered above the pair, forming a fireball on its tail. In half a second, the dragon flicked its tail, then sent the blast towards Hiccup and Toothless.

She wasn’t sure if it happened in a few seconds or a few hours. She could barely see Hiccup through the sudden onslaught of flames that covered the rider and dragon. Astrid screamed for him, but she wasn’t heard through the sound of the explosion.

Suddenly, everything was quiet. The flames died out, and the sounds of the explosion stopped. Astrid’s ears rang. She realized Stormfly had stopped her descent to avoid the blast, and was now hovering in the air. The dust cleared, and Astrid’s heart dropped.

“HICCUP!” Astrid screamed. Her betrothed was laying on his side, his limbs sprawled across the ground. He wasn’t moving. She couldn’t even see him breathing. His eyes were closed, and red stained the previously gray stone. He was hurt.

“Stormfly!” Astrid barely choked out. Her dragon seemed to sense her urgency, as she immediately darted forward towards the fallen rider. Astrid vaguely heard Fishlegs also calling Hiccup’s name. She wasn’t sure. All she was sure of was that Hiccup wasn’t moving, and she had to get to him.

Stormfly closed the distance fast. When she was a few feet from the ground, Astrid leapt off the dragon. She stumbled slightly, then ran towards Hiccup’s crumpled form, ignoring everything else. She was so focused on him that she didn’t notice when Krogan landed his dragon right behind Hiccup. However, she did notice when he dismounted, also rushing to the downed rider.

“No!” Astrid screamed, and put all her energy into getting to Hiccup. Despite her efforts, Krogan got there first.

The large man crashed to his knees, drawing his sword. He grabbed Hiccup’s arm and pulled him up, holding the rider close to his chest. He pressed the sword against Hiccup’s throat, stopping Astrid in her tracks.

Everything was still. Neither opponent dared to make a move. Astrid stood straight, her chest heaving for breath. Krogan narrowed his eyes, pressing his sword harder on Hiccup’s neck. Astrid noticed the flyers leaving with the Dramillion, who was caught in a net. Her eyes flicked back to Hiccup. There was a deep cut on the side of his face, stretching from his temple to the tip of his eyebrow. Blood covered his cheek, and more continued to flow from the wound. His eyes were closed and his body was limp… but his chest was moving with his shaky breaths. She let out a tiny breath of relief, then turned her gaze back to Krogan.

Astrid was the one who broke the silence. “Let him go, Krogan.”

“Why should I do that?” The man slowly stood, dragging Hiccup up with him. His head lolled to the side. Krogan adjusted his grip on the rider, stretching his arm around Hiccup’s midsection. The sword stayed pressed to Hiccup’s neck.

“Because if you don’t, I will run you through and feed you to Stormfly.” Astrid’s grip tightened on her axe.

Krogan chuckled. “If you do that, who is to say I won’t run him through?” He gestured with the sword, then replaced it back to Hiccup’s throat. He still didn’t move.

Astrid’s breath hitched. “If you hurt him, you lose both your bargaining chip and your head.” She said desperately, trying to keep his throat from being slit.

Krogan glanced behind her, then grinned maliciously. “I won’t be losing either of those.”

Stormfly squawked, and Astrid turned around. While she had been distracted, the flyers had regrouped- and were now right behind her.

She gasped. “Stormfly!” Her dragon let loose her spines, knocking several flyers off the Singetails. However, there were still about five left… and they were closing in.

Suddenly, the sound of buzzing wingbeats appeared behind Astrid. “Meatlug, spew!” Fishlegs yelled. His Gronkle fired, hitting two of the flyers.

“Spitelout, Spitelout, oi oi oi!” Spitelout’s Nadder squawked, knocking a flyer off his Singetail with his tail. Toothless, who had apparently recovered, roared angrily, firing plasma blasts into the fray.

Astrid breathed a sigh of relief. She turned back around while the flyers were distracted, searching for Hiccup. Her breath hitched, and her eyes widened. The spot they were in was empty. The stone was still stained red. Astrid gasped, looking up. Krogan was mounting his Singetail, a limp Hiccup slung over his shoulder. He grinned cruelly at Astrid, then snapped the reins.

“No, no, no!” Astrid yelled frantically. She darted forward, pounding her way towards the dragon. The Singetail flapped its wings, ascending into the air. “Hiccup!” Astrid reached the edge of the cliff, unable to go any further.

“Stormfly!” Astrid yelled, planning to go after Krogan. Her dragon, who was finished with the flyers, squawked and started towards her rider.

“No, girl! There’s too many of them! We’ll regroup and go after them another day.” Spitelout said, landing between Astrid and Stormfly.

“But they have Hiccup! We can’t let them get away!” Astrid yelled angrily, then tried to get around Spitelout to her dragon.

“Listen to your elder, he speaks wisely!” Krogan shouted, then gestured to his flyers. They directed the dragons to fly after the ships, one of which carrying the wounded Dramillion. Krogan’s Singetail turned around slowly, then followed the ships as well.

“No!” Astrid shouted helplessly. Her axe dropped with a clatter from her slack hand, and she dropped to her knees. She watched the retreating Singetails, the silhouette of Hiccup over Krogan’s shoulder taunting her. She failed.

#rtte #httyd #race to the edge #rtte spoilers #rtte fanfiction #hiccstrid #my fanfic #my post #hiccup!whump #rtte season 6 #frozen flames #hiccstrid fanfic

[multicatnoodles]

MinJi’s Merman Part 4

Summary: Hansol recalls a memory when he sees the merman in the tank.

Word Count: 1,623

Fandom: Seventeen

Characters: Hansol, Minghao, Mingyu, Seungkwan

Pairings: None

Triggers: Blood mention

Other: supernatural creatures au, part of “Tales of Sciltroa”

AO3 link Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

The room was bigger than the other aquarium rooms. It was open in the center with some small tanks lining a few walls. Against the far wall, was a huge tank filled with several fake plants. There were various fish swimming around in it. But what was in the center caused the corners of Hansol’s mouth to tug down. A merman sat in a little hollowed out part of the rock wall. Hansol knew something was wrong. Something was very wrong. He couldn’t quite figure it out until the merman noticed his presence and turned towards him. A conversation from the other month replayed in Hansol’s memory.

***

Hansol had gone to an event in Daejeon his friend Minghao was throwing. It was an event for Sciltroans only and everyone who was someone was going. Personally, Hansol was attending simply because Minghao asked him to. He was never one to judge others, but the last time he was at an event that had more than five different species mixed together didn’t end well. Though he did suppose it was the ogre's fault for insulting the small faery which insinuated the fight. Either way, Hansol had fled before things got too rough and Hunters showed up. He had nothing against Hunters, he just didn’t feel like filling out all the paperwork of being an eyewitness.

Nevertheless, Hansol showed up to the club Minghao rented out for the night. Loud music could be heard from a block away. Inside was packed as various creatures danced, drank and mingled. Since no Munprarians were allowed in, everyone was free to be themselves. Animal shifters had ears and tails out. Faeries’ wings glittered under the changing lights. Warlocks had their marks on display. Vampires smiled wide enough to flash their fangs. Hansol silently prayed to whatever deity was listening that no one got too drunk and started a fight.

He weaved his way through a throng of people trying to find a familiar face. It was hard with the amount of people, but one did catch his eyes. He couldn’t recall the name of the faery. Yet he was certain he had seen him around before. Yes. He definitely had. He remembered the red hair falling into pinkish purple eyes. He remembered the moon and star earrings. He remembered the soft pink dragonfly-like wings. The short faery was most definitely the one who had been in the fight last time. Hansol quickly changed directions just in case. He really did not want to be around if another fight broke out.

Hansol made his way to the second floor of the club. His eyes scanning for Minghao. He found the vampire leaning over a rail overlooking the dance floor with a glass full of presumably blood delicately held in one hand. Hansol called out to the elder who perked up and turned to face him with a grin.

“Glad you could make it!” Minghao shouted above the music.

“Yeah. Hopefully it doesn’t end like last time.” Both chuckled. Minghao returned his gaze to the dancefloor. Hansol stood beside him and looked down, “Someone peak your interest?”

“Not really. It’s just Jun,” Minghao pointed and Hansol followed to see where he was pointing at. Down below, Jun- Minghao’s half brother- was dancing with a brunette haired demon. Hansol couldn’t see the demon’s face, but the red and black wings prodding from the back seemed familiar. “I hope Jun knows what he’s getting into with that high ranking of a demon.”

“I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Hansol reassured him. The two continued to chat for a bit. At some point another one of their friends, Mingyu, joined them. It was a bit odd to see the tall male with his wolf ears and fluffy tail on full display. He usually kept them hidden even around other Sciltroans. Something about his hearing being overly sensitive and not liking people trying to feel his tail. Hansol never questioned it. It was Mingyu’s choice to do as he pleased.

“Did you two hear?” Minghao asked suddenly, “About the kid who disappeared from Jeju?”

Both Mingyu and Hansol shook their heads. Minghao sighed and rested his head on the palm of one hand. His gaze still on the floor below as he spoke, “Apparently a merman was kidnapped. He went out for a night swim by himself. When he didn’t come back in the morning, his mother grew worried. Hunters found his bike and all the belongs he took with him still by the pond.”

“Who do they think took him? A Sciltroan or human?” Mingyu inquired.

“The Hunters had the local pack in the area check it out. They said it was hard to tell, but seemed like humans.”

“That’s horrible… How would they have even known?” Hansol asked, fear lacing his voice.

The vampire shrugged, “I don’t know. Keep an eye out for him both of you, please.” It wasn’t so much as asking, but telling them to do so. Minghao pulled out his phone and opened up his gallery, “I had them send me the most recent picture of him available.”

Hansol looked at the photo. There was a boy smiling widely with his arms wrapped around an older woman- most likely his mother. He had short blonde hair and soft brown eyes. His face was full. He didn’t look much older than Hansol which made his stomach churn. Minghao put his phone away after a few minutes.

“In his true form, he has a blue tail with pink fins,” the elder informed.

***

Blue tail with pink fins. Blue tail. Pink fins. Blue tail. Pink fins. The words echoed in Hansol’s mind. He stared at the merman in the tank. He looked at his face. It was a bit chubby, but looked like he wasn’t being fed properly. The merman had long blonde hair with dark roots growing in. His tail was a pale blue with pink fins. There was no doubt. This had to be the missing boy.

The merman was looking at him with his head tilted. He seemed confused. Hansol stared into his eyes, “You… You’re the merman who was taken. Aren’t you?”

He watched the merman form an x with his arm before tapping one of his ears. He could see his lips moving, but no sound came out. The glass is sound is soundproof… Just my luck… Hansol looked around to see if there was anything for him to write on and with. Nothing. Absolutely nothing useful was around him. He looked back at the merman sadly. The merman still looked confused as he swam a little closer to the glass. The two held eye contact with not much else to do.

Hansol vaguely remembers bringing his hand up to the glass. He didn’t really mean to, but it seemed like the right thing to do and instinct took over. The merman broke eye contact to look down. Hansol could see the other bringing his arm up as well in the edge of his vision. They locked eyes again.

It felt like forever that Hansol stood there. Finally after some point, he reluctantly dropped his arm and stepped away. He kept his eyes trained on the merman as he took several steps back. Once he was several feet away, the glamour shifter turned away and walked out. He went straight back to the hotel. His thoughts were clouded and jumping all over the place. He was trying to figure out what he could do.

In the hotel room, Hansol called Minghao. He didn’t bother checking what time it was in Korea currently, if Minghao was even still there. It didn’t matter. The vampire never slept. He was rarely ever too busy to pick up a call. He picked up on the third ring. Hansol didn’t give him a chance to say a single word, “Hyung. I think I found him. The merman who was kidnapped. I’m sure it was him.”

“You- what? You mean Boo Seungkwan?”

“If that’s his name, yes. Blue tail with pink tips. Blonde hair. Brown eyes. Who else could it have been?”

“I’ll send you the picture real quick. Are you absolutely certain it was him.”

Hansol’s phone pinged as the picture was sent. He looked at and remembered the face of the man in the tank, “Yes. One hundred percent certain. Hyung he was underwater for over fifteen minutes without coming up for air or a tank. He has the same face and tail. It was him. What do I do?”

“Hmmm… You should inform the local Hunters. They’ll take care of it,” Minghao explained, “They’re trained for these kinds of things.”

“How long would they take?”

“Uhh… I don’t know… They’d need to get evidence and such first. Is it a Munprarian keeping him captive or a Sciltroan?”

“Human I believe.”

“Then they’ll have to play by human laws which could take a while. Wait. Hansol, you’re not thinking of taking matters into your own hands are you?”

“Hyung. I have to help him. And fast. He looks under fed and tired and like he isn’t being treated properly which he probably isn’t. I can’t wait while the Hunters sit around trying to collect evidence.”

“Hansol you’re alone. It’s dangerous-”

“I know.”

“... Then be careful. And at least inform your dad before you bust him out.”

“You know my dad wouldn’t let me. He’d tell me into the police.”

Minghao sighed, “So you’re going to try and break Seungkwan out. Without your dad knowing and without telling the Hunters. Then what? You bring him to the hotel, then tell your dad what happened and bring him back with you? That’s it?”

“Yeah?”

“You’re only there for a week. Act fast.”

“I will.”

#hansol vernon chwe #vernon #seventeen vernon #Seventeen #kim mingyu #seventeen mingyu #seventeen minghao #xu minghao #seventeen the8 #the8 #Boo Seungkwan #seventeen seungkwan #merman #vampire minghao #werewolf mingyu #blood mention tw #tales of sciltroa #ToS #Supernatural creatures #supernatural creatures AU #noodles writes things

[7fics]

I've had so many hostages before and you're by far THE WORST HOSTAGE EVER. I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE UNCOMFORTABLE BC YOU'RE A HOSTAGE

Warnings: Lots’o cursing, innuendo, some (fairly minor?) violence/threats of violence

Author: TJ

Word Count: 1.7k

A/N: This fill gave me more trouble than I thought it would OTL thanks Mno for helping me plot (even though I still derailed from my plan HAH) But writing struggles aside, I hope this came out at least somewhat entertaining? ^^;;

~~

“We’retrying, okay, we’re trying. But we didn’t - power didn’t completely - enoughtime - delete the - hasn’t - it - ch - tttssssss-”

Jaebum grimaced, dropping hiswalkie back into his pocket, fully muffling the static-y voices. Not that itmattered much, given he wasn’t able to understand the words being spoken eitherway. The reception was absolutely terrible within these thick, concrete walls.

“Mmmmmph! Mmph mph mphhhh! MMPH!”

Jaebum’s frown deepened into ascowl as he turned his attention to the gagged man on the other side of theroom, though the cap pulled low on his face probably didn’t allow hisdispleasure to be fully communicated to his captive.

The other man was young, strong,and stockily built, having put up quite the resistance in their tussle not toolong ago. If his security guard uniform was anything to go by, he’d probablybeen trained to deal with such situations.

Jaebum’s greater height gave himthe ultimate advantage, however, allowing him to snag a laptop charger off atop cabinet shelf and deftly wrap it around the other man’s neck, securing himinto a chokehold.

The struggle had ended promptlythereafter, and Jaebum, inspired by his apparent stroke of genius, took tofully restraining his new hostage with whatever wires and electrical cording hecould find in the small office they were in.

Oh, and stuffed a sock in the guy’smouth for good measure, too, because god did he not know how to shut up.

And that was ten minutes ago. Now,Jaebum was only becoming increasingly impatient. Taking a hostage hadn’t beenin the original plan, so clearly something had gone wrong. Jaebum was supposedto be helping to secure their exit, not stuck here babysitting this -

“MMMMMMPHHHHHHAAA! BLEH!”

His hostage finally managed todislodge the sock from his mouth, visibly wincing as he spat loudly. Jaebum’sexpression darkened, already contemplating taking off his other sock, (he wouldnot be touching the one that had saliva all over it),when the man spoke.

“Dude, what the hell? That wasgross! If you’re gonna gag me at least use something clean! That tasted sogross, man!”

“If you were able to keep yourmouth shut to begin with, I wouldn’t have had to resort to such measures,”Jaebum growled as he advanced forward menacingly, raising a hand for purpose ofintimidation.

“Aw, man, that’s so mean! I wasjust asking some questions– ohhh whoaaaaa. Whoa. Holy shit.”

The other man suddenly broke off,his already large eyes widening even further as he stared up at Jaebum, who’dcrossed the room towards him and consequently stepped into the light. For thefirst time, his features were clearly illuminated, and Jaebum tensed, his jawlocked and ready to face further resistance.

Instead, he almost choked on air atthe man’s next words.

“DUDE your face is a masterpiece!”

“…What?”Jaebum didn’t even know what that meant, almost swinging his fist at the guy’s facebecause what the hell even, but forced himself to pause when he was confrontedby furious headshaking.

“No like, seriously! How do youeven look like that? Are you sure you’re not a celebrity or something? And yourjawline is unreal!”

For the first time in a long time,Jaebum was completely flabbergasted. By a hostage, at that. Ittook him more than a few seconds to find his voice again, and even longer tofind words.

“What is wrong withyou? Are you an idiot?”

“I’m Jackson! Jackson Wang,actually!” The hostage, Jackson, responded enthusiastically, having the audacity toshoot Jaebum a wink. “Nice of you to ask. And actually, yes, the only thingwrong with me right now is my circulation might be getting cut off by thesecords of yours.”

He turned slightly to show off hiswrists that were twisted behind his back, wriggling his fingers.

“Don’t get me wrong, wouldn’t wantto get in the way of doing your job and all, Mr. Jawline, totally understandthat you had to tie me up for very important reasons. Could you just loosenthem a little bit, though?”

He blinked up at Jaebum innocently,cocking his head when he earned no verbal response.

“Oh come on, just a titch? Just ateensie eensie bit?”

Jaebum took a deep breath, countingdown from ten in his head so he didn’t accidently murderthis infuriating bastard. Don’tlose it, Jaebum, the gang needs a bargaining chip that’s alive.

“You do realize that I’m holdingyou hostage, right? That I couldn’t give a flying fuck about your comfort? ThatI could literally -” Jaebum grit his teeth, reaching down to lift Jackson up byhis collar, slamming his back into wall, “kill you right now?”

“Ohhh, kinky,” Jackson grimacedslightly when his head rebounded off the wall with a painful thud, but was backto grinning almost instantly. He even went slightly cross-eyed in order tomaintain eye contact with Jaebum, whose face was now mere inches away from hisown. “You know actually, if you’re gonna stay this close to me, I think I’d befine with these cords as long as-”

“Oh what the fuck,” Jaebumhissed, shoving Jackson off to the side as he stepped back with a look ofdisgust of on his face. Kicking off his shoe, Jaebum reached down, intent onremoving his other sock because clearly he was dealing with a total incompetentdumbass, and attempting to speak with him any more was only going to spike hisblood pressure.

“Oh, dude, no, please, not anothersock!” Jackson wailed, his irritating voice sounding much closer to a whinethan fearful begging. “Oh come on, please? Oh oh, I have a better idea! Ifyou’re gonna gag me, can you just take off your shirt and use that? You’vegotta have a killer bod, right? So no need to be shy, come on!”

Having already yanked his sock off,Jaebum snarled, moving forward with a vengeful rage when suddenly, his phonewent off.

Jaebum froze, sock still clutchedin hand before he finally exhaled deeply, retreating to the far end of the roomwith surprising swiftness as his phone was retrieved from his back pocket.

“Hello? What’s -”

“Get out, now. Forget the hostage,we have what we need and police are surrounding the premises, just get out now!”

“But where -”

Jaebum swore loudly when a telltaleclick signaled the other side hanging up, but he didn’t waste any timeattempting to redial.

Shit he needed his own way out, and if police were already surroundingthe premises he needed some way to slip through undetected. Almost immediately,he started running through his options, eyes scanning the room for anythingthat could be useful.

Eyes landing on Jackson, an ideastruck him, and for the first time, Jaebum returned Jackson’s grin with one ofhis own. He strode towards him briskly, whipping out the small army knife hekept in his other back pocket.

Jackson didn’t seem to notice theweapon, appearing simply starstruck at the appearance of Jaebum’s smile.

“Whoa, dude, you should smile moreoften, it’s quite- WAIT WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

Jackson let out a muffled shriek,Jaebum pressing a palm against his mouth just in time to block most of thesound. Immediately, Jackson’s hands were on Jaebum’s own, his eyes wide.

Jaebum had cut his bonds, and wasnow busy tugging off his outer clothing. His button-up was off within seconds,and Jaebum’s efficiency ensured his undershirt followed shortly after.

“Whoa, whoa, aren’t we moving a bitfast here?” Jackson babbled as Jaebum went for his belt next, but didn’t resistdue to the cold blade pressed to the side of his throat. “Like, shouldn’t youtell me your name first, at least? Isn’t that basic etiquette?”

Jaebum didn’t respond, directingall his attention towards stripping Jackson down. There was a large amount offumbling, but the knife pressed against Jackson’s skin never wavered.

“Oh come on, now you won’t eventalk to me? You’re just gonna - hey, hey, I thought we were over the bondage!”

Having stripped Jackson down topretty much just his underwear, Jaebum quickly restrained him once more withthe cords, shoving him off to the side when he finished.

“Aww, really? You’re just going toleave me here? Naked?”

Jaebum couldn’t help but smirk ashe pulled off his own clothes, switching into Jackson’s uniform instead. It wasa tight fit, and the pants were definitely too short, but it’d do - no oneshould question a security guard wearing the company badge.

“You’ve got your underwear, haven’tyou? You’ve got quite the killer bod yourself, so no need to be shy, right?”Jaebum didn’t even try to keep the smugness out of his voice, mood instantlylifted by Jackson’s pitiful state.

Jaebum gathered his own clothesnext, stuffing them into his pack, and therefore missed the mischievous gleamthat lit up in Jackson’s eyes.

“Why, thank you. Does that count asyou flirting back, Mr. Jawline?”

Jaebum snorted, striding towardsthe door to make his leave without a single backwards glance.

By the time the door finally swungto a close, Jaebum was already halfway down the hall. So the faint “Call me!”that was yelled out right before it clicked shut just barely made it toJaebum’s ears.

He’d merely scoffed, shaking hishead as he broke into a determined sprint.

~~

Just as Jaebum predicted, slippingthrough the crowd of police had been a piece of cake with his security guardgetup. Arriving back at their base was easy enough after that, and Jaebum wasrelieved to find out that despite the many hiccups along the way, the heist hadbeen an overall success.

It wasn’t until much later, aftermany hours of drunken celebration and feasting, that Jaebum finally returnedhome to his apartment, slipping off his shoes to find a tiny slip of paperflutter up and out of the left heel.

It was a haphazardly folded note, with equally haphazard handwriting that was still somehow legible.

First, a series of digits that wereclearly a phone number. Then, a signature:

~ JW :)

~~

Jaebum slept fitfully that night,dreaming of large, shining eyes and dirty socks.

#jackbum #got7 #character:jackson #character:jb #genre:au #genre:humor #author:tj

[thelastspeecher]

Ford getting kidnapped while he's living on land during his transformation process? Maybe Angie or Stan seeing and going to get help.

This turned into like, an intense, complicated rescue scheme, where a scantily-clad Angie distracts a sailor.  And Stan punches a boat.  I’m pretty proud of it.

               “Fucking finally!”  Lute and Angie looked up, startled by thesharp edge to Stan’s voice.  

               “What’s up, Stan?” Luteasked.  He popped a seaweed bonbon in hismouth and then held the box out.  “Wantone?”  Stan knocked the box of treats outof Lute’s hand.  “Rude!  Those were a gift!”

               “From who?” Angie asked.

               “Didn’t I tell ya?  The handsome sturgeon-lookin’ fish what livesdown the way.”

               “Ooh, nice.”

               “Hey!” Stan barked.  Lute and Angie looked at him again.  “Took me forever to find someone, and now allya can do is jabber on and on about handsome fish and- and candy?”

               “Why were ya lookin’ fersomeone?” Angie asked.

               “Ford got kidnapped!” Stanyelled.  Angie’s jaw dropped.

               “What?!  Who- how-”

               “A group of mer hunters, the sameones that hired us ages ago.  Bill andhis crew.  They saw Ford’s guppy scaleswhen he was walkin’ down the pier.  Theyhad him bound and gagged before I even realized somethin’ was wrong.”

               “Ya worked fer mer hunters?”Lute demanded.  

               “Not the important thing rightnow!” Stan said, agitated.  

               “Especially since they eventuallyfigured out what Bill was doin’, and started tryin’ to sabotage him,” Angiesaid.  Stan glared at her.

               “Yes, that’s true.  But we need to get goin’ before they kill my twin brother!” Stan said impatiently. Angie looked at Lute.

               “Full siren mode, ya think?” sheasked.  Lute nodded.

               “Seems like that should do thetrick.”

               “No, you guys don’t understand,”Stan said.  “Bill and his crew, they’reprofessionals.  They’ve got specialearplugs that make them immune to a siren’s call.”  Lute rubbed his chin.

               “Do they always wear the earplugs?”

               “No, but since they’ve capturedsomeone who’s turnin’ into a siren, I’d imagine they are right now!  Yer magical voices won’t be enough!”

               “You underestimate a MerGucket’svocal cords,” Angie said proudly.  “Butat least to start, we’ll go songless.” She tapped her chin.  “I think Imight have an idea fer how to start us off.”

—– 

               Stan treaded water, just underthe surface, watching Angie walk down the pier. As per usual, she had opted to wear the minimum amount of clothing toprevent her from getting arrested, and heads were turning.  

               “How’s it goin’?” Lute whisperedto him.

               “Shh!” Stan hissed.  He pointed at the air bubbles that hadescaped when Lute spoke.

               “Oh.  Right.” They watched Angie approach the man guarding Bill’s ship.  She bent over to speak to the guard, and Stan’seyes widened.

               A skirt and no underwear.  Imean, it’ll distract him, that’s for sure. But damn.  Angie ran a handthrough her hair as she spoke to the man, likely in a sultry voice.  The man’s eyes traveled a decent distancesouth of her face.  Angie lifted the man’schin with one elegant finger and whispered something in his ear.  The man grinned.  Angie tapped the pier three times with herleft foot.

               “That’s the signal!” Stan saidto Lute. “Let’s go!”  They surfaced underthe pier.  Angie laughed jovially.  Two pairs of footsteps walked away from theboat.  After checking to see if the coastwas clear, Lute and Stan turned into their human form and climbed onto thepier.  Stan resisted the urge to coverhimself.  

               Not used to lettin’ it all hang out in front of everyone and theiraunt.  Even if there’s no one actually here.  Lute grabbed Stan’s hand.

               “Angie’s still distractin’ theguy, come on!” Lute whispered.  Theyboarded the boat.  “Okay, you worked ferhim, any clue where he might be keepin’ Ford?”

               “Umm, I think he had a tank orsomethin’ below deck,” Stan replied.  Hesnagged a pair of pants someone had left on top of a crate.  As he quickly put on the trousers, Lute stalkedover to the cabin door.  “No, that’s nothow ya get there!”  Lute stopped andcrossed his arms.

               “Then tell me how to get there!”  Stan forewent the zipper, deciding to behasty.  He crouched down and lifted up atrapdoor.  

               “This way, Gucket.”

               “Ohhh,” Lute said.  Stan jumped down, closely followed byLute.  

               “S-Stan?” a weak voicesaid.  Stan spun around.  Ford was strung up in chains, lookingdehydrated, bruised, and burned.  

               “Holy Moses,” Stanwhispered.  He and Lute quickly rushedover to free Ford from his bonds.  Oncefree, Ford collapsed onto Stan.  “Can yawalk, Sixer?”  Ford shook his head.  

               “Even- even if I had thestrength, my feet…”  Stan lookeddown.  Ford’s feet were now fins.  

               “I’ve seen this sort of thing ‘fore,”Lute said quietly.  “Pushin’ a mer tobeyond what their body can handle, it’ll force a transformation to their normalstate.  Their mer state.  I s’pose this is the furthest mer ya can goright now, Stanford.”

               “What did they do to ya?” Stanasked, wiping away a tear from Ford’s eye.  

               “Electrocution.  Torture. Taunting me, denying me water.  I-I-”

               “Okay, that’s enough.  We’ll talk when we’re safe,” Stan said.  He froze, suddenly hearing a high-pitchedtone.  “Is that-?”

               “Angie’s warnin’ us that thefeller is comin’ back, yup,” Lute said. He hefted one of Ford’s arms around his shoulders and looked at Stan,his face pale with worry.  “How are wegoin’ to get out of here?”  Stan shiftedthe rest of Ford’s weight onto Lute, making him stumble a bit.  He then marched over to the hull of the ship.

               “Like I always say, when onedoor closes, choose a nearby wall and bash it in with brute force.”  Utilizing the enhanced strength merfolk had,Stan solidly punched through the hull, then kicked the opening until it waslarge enough for them to leave through.  Voicesbegan to shout on the deck.  “What are yawaitin’ for?” Stan demanded.  “Get Fordoutta here!”  Still carrying Ford, Lutejumped out of the ship, seamlessly turning to his mer form the second he wasunderwater.  Ignoring the water slowlyfilling the boat, Stan tugged off the borrowed pants.

               They’renot worth stealin’ anyways.  

               “Hey!”  Upon hearing a shout, Stan turnedaround.  Bill and his crew were standingin front of him, looking pissed.  Stangrinned.

               “Later, William,” Stan saidsnarkily, flipping the mer hunters off, before jumping into the ocean.

#Stan has such swagger I swear #flipping off Bill Cipher #while fully nude #MerGucket AU #Lute McGucket #Angie McGucket #Stanley Pines #Stanford Pines #ficlet #my writing #my stuff #ask #agent-jaselin