#does someone scream at you while covered in tears and blood? on some branches yes

[hpowellsmith]

NOBLESSE OBLIGE is due to launch August 25 - wishlist on Steam!

Spark romance amid secrets in a crumbling mansion! What will you sacrifice for love? Can you trust your own heart?

Noblesse Oblige: a Crème de la Crème Adventure is a 137,000-word interactive Gothic romance novella, a standalone story in the Crème de la Crème universe.

On a windswept island, far from the mild shores of Westerlin, stands the estate that is your new home. You have been hired to work as a conversation partner for a lonely aristocrat. It is a profitable opportunity, and your impoverished upbringing and middling university education leave you few others.

But secrets lurk in every darkened corridor, and nothing is what it seems. Why does your young charge go wandering in the middle of the night, haunted and mourning? What is in the letters that the charming new secretary constantly writes? Why is your employer so intent on keeping outsiders from prying into the family’s business?

Attend grand balls, ride through fast-paced fox hunts, spend jovial evenings with the servants, teach diligent lessons to your charge, and observe - or take part in - this northern land’s religious rituals. Meanwhile, there are webs of deceit for you to unravel, and deep mysteries to explore. When you reach the end, will you bring justice to those who deserve it, or keep their secrets buried forever?

And, of course, there is love: midnight trysts, stolen moments, and sweet warmth amid the cold. Your job on this remote island has just begun: will you work hard for a secure future or abandon everything to follow your heart?

#noblesse oblige #choice of games #interactive fiction #romance games #amare games #here it is!!! #I'm THRILLED that it'll be out soon! #now everyone will get to hang out with my messy ROs #will one or more of them go feral? yes #will you fix them or will you make them worse? yes #will there be intense peril? yes #does someone scream at you while covered in tears and blood? on some branches yes #can you brush fingertips lightly in a drawing room to avoid people watching? yes #is there snuggly knitwear and high necked collars? yes #I'm very excited can you tell?

[lunaekalenda]

Omg can I request a scenario with Levi in season 4? So you know how he's supposed to keep watch over Zeke in the forest? One of the Yeagerists finds out their location and lies to Levi that his wife is giving birth so Levi rushes back to town and leaves the other soldiers in charge of keeping an eye on Zeke. And by the time Levi meets up with his wife, she's very confused as to why he came in such a rush. I've read the manga so I also want to add onto what happens next but idk if you write manga spoilers so 😭 anywho the explosion doesn't end up happening tho! :D

ofccc!!! i hope you like it!! <3 sorry if i wrote to much fluff it just came :’) i took some manga spoilers so read under your own risk under the spoiler line!!

a/n: i didn't took the canon manga words or events!

❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁

❁ levi x female!reader

❁ some bad talking against zeke :’), pregnancy and death.

❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁❁

Zeke opened another wine bottle and drank, being cautious with the book he has been reading. Levi looks at him, his face totally unexpressive but his eyes look at Zeke with disgust. They have been days in that place, sleeping in tents, near the Forest of Giant Trees. He’s in charge of Zeke, with some of his closest soldiers, who are now drinking some wine in reward for their hard work, even when Levi told them to have some water instead.

“Come on, Captain. We also want to have fun...”

He couldn’t stop his soldiers, they deserved it. He looks to the campfire in font of him, the flames reflected in his grey eyes. He thought about his family, the one he’s about to have. You’re pregnant with his baby, the baby you two wanted for a long time. Armin told him he estimates less than a week for you to give birth.

And he’s trapped in this forest with a fucking bastard. He looks at Zeke. He seems strangely calm, as he wasn’t being watched by humanity’s most strong soldier ever. The one that cut his arms and legs more than once, and was about to kill him at least another two. But he didn’t learn about it, and keeps trying to get killed.

“Levi, you look too serious. Do you want some wine?”

“Drink it yourself and hopefully you’ll choke to death.”

“That’s not very sweet for a married man, Ackerman.” Levi raises an eyebrow, taking his blade out and cleaning it slowly. Zeke looked at the blade, shimmering in the light. He took his eyes to the book once again. Some fast steps were heard. Levi took out his blades and, with a look to his soldiers, they all stood in their positions. A little girl, with the Corps jacket, searched the Captain with her eyes. He looked at her.

“Captain Ackerman, I have news from the District!”

He looked at his soldiers, one of them behind her, in case she tried to hurt the Captain. Levi’s gaze told them to be alert around her. Zeke looked at the girl from behind his book.

“Talk, then.”

“It’s your wife... She’s having complications with the birth. She’s about to have the child, but the possibilities of them both surviving are minimum.”

Levi’s eyes reflected true terror while he was listening to her. He looked back to the bearded man. He keeps reading, while drinking. He looks then to his loyal subordinate.

“You should go, Captain. We’ll have an eye on this man.”

Levi nods. He looks at the girl closely, analyzing her. He talks before taking his horse.

“Keep one eye in this girl too. She seems like a liar.” Right after that, he rode his horse, going as fast as he could. During all the way, he though how you were. How the baby is. If you two are okay. If he's late to save one of you. 

He obligated himself to fix his attention on the way and keeps going, He arrived to the city at almost night. He searched his home, the one the army gave him after getting married, to avoid the Captain and his wife living with them. He opened the door with his hands shaking, and almost run to the living room. He smelled rice. Then, the sound of a knife. He also took out his blades. You both encountered in the corner of the kitchen, your hand holding tightly the knife and his holding the blades. Both of you looked at each other with surprise, before you let go the knife and run towards him. His hands found your waist.

“Levi...” you whisper. You have missed him a lot all this time. He hugged you, his eyes full of tears. He’s trying to relax his breath, but you notice. “Why did you come so fast? Weren’t you watching Zeke?” 

He nods, his hand caressing quietly your belly. 

“It’s the baby okay?” you nod, confused. “And you?”

“Of course, I’m fine. Why?” he sighs before hugging you again. His head buried on you hair, your belly against his worked abdominal. 

“I thought I was late to save you. I thought I lost you and our baby.”

“No, no. Armin came half an hour ago. He told me I’m really healthy and the baby is in a good position to give birth to. We’re both totally fine, but we were missing you.” You pout. His lips found your neck. 

“I also missed you.” His hands cover your belly, and he receives a little kick. You laugh,

“It has been kicking for a while now. It’s the Ackerman gene.” Levi lets out a little laugh. He also knows he has to go back to the camp, to keep watching over Zeke and interrogate the girl who is she and for who does she work. But his soldiers are there, just a minute more. He gets on his knees, near to your baby bump. His hands keep being warm against your covered skin.

“Daddy missed you a lot this days, hm? But we’ll be all together really fast, baby. Don’t make mommy feel bad, yes?”

“I can’t see you as the strongest and fiercer soldier alive if you talk to my belly like that.” He lets out a little laugh, but his brain made “click”. That girl was a Yeagerist. For sure. This was all a trick to make Levi come here and leave his post.

“You have to leave this house. Fast. And don’t go out for a while. They have an eye on you.”

“Were I’m I supposed to sleep then?” You ask, lost and confused. He takes a couple clothes from your wardrobe and put a brown cape on you, covering your head and your bump. “Should I stay with my parents?” you ask. He shakes his head while he keeps searching things you might need. Also, some baby’s clothes, because he’s sure you’re about to give birth.

“No, that’s too obvious.” Levi’s brain was working faster than ever. You need to be in a comfort place, so sleeping in the barricade it’s out. Then, you should be with someone who knows how to help you giving birth. A place where a pregnant woman won’t be found and hurt.

“Historia.” he whispers. “Can you walk fast?”

“Of course.” he took your hand and guided you. You talked to Historia a couple times. You know she’s also pregnant, and protected by some guards. He guides you fast. When you’re in a campsite house, near the town but kinda hidden, he knocks. 

“Were you talking about Queen Historia?” you ask in a whisper. He nods. A soldier opens, without recognizing Levi. His head totally covered by his cape.

“Sorry, this is restricted area. It’s an orphanage...”

“We know that.” Levi takes his cape out of his head. The soldier stands straight and puts his hand in his heart as a salute. You two do the same.

“Tell Historia she’s my wife. They have been rounding around our house, so I hope the Queen can give a favor back and let my wife sleep here until we’re safe.”

The soldier ran up the stairs, to talk to the Queen. He came back faster.”

“The Queen accepts. She’ll be in the best care and, if she gives birth, she’ll be in the hands of the real matrons. Don’t wprry about her, Captain Levi.” He nods before looking at you again. The soldier lefts to give you privacy.

“Be careful. Talk to them if you feel bad or if you need something. And, please, don’t make efforts. The baby it’s near and...”

“Got it, Levi. Don’t worry. I’ll be fine. You should be careful, I don’t want you to get hurt, or worst...”

“I’ll be okay.” he answers. “Just looking to a barbed man. I’ll be back faster than you think.” He takes you again between his arms. You bury your head on his chest, hugging him stronger. 

“I don’t want you to go.” you say in a whisper. He pats your head before giving you a kiss.

“I’ll be right back.” he says. You enter the orphanage with his little smile promising you you’ll be together soon.

-------------------s p o i l e r s  a h e a d -----------------------

Then, he runs back to the camp. Things seem quiet there. Levi hears his soldier’s voices, followed by a scream.

And then the click of a thunder.

All the soldiers he had there were now titans. From different sizes and type, but they had the face of his comrades. And a blonde-haired bastard was running in front.

“This fucking bastard...”

He was surrounded by his now-titans comrades. He had no exit, just killing them. When will this nightmare end? He saw his friends getting killed, he killed friends. He's tired of this macabre game.

“I’m sorry, guys. I’m so sorry...” he thought, before starting to move his blades against his friends’ necks. He saw his faces, his families, every time their blood got into his uniform.

His teary eyes weren’t an obstacle when he kept fighting. He saw Zeke, in the hands of a titan, covered by other two. He killed the first one silently.

Zeke searched him, founding nothing, looking surprised.

He killed the next one. There was just the one carrying Zeke left

“You thought I was not going to be able to kill my comrades? That’s dirty play.” Zeke looked at the man with fear in his eyes before turning into the beast titan. Levi smirked.

“Pathetic.” Zeke says. Levi's blades are covered in blood. "I'm going to kill you."

Zeke took the head of the titan carrying him. He looked around for Levi. A near movement caught his attention, making him throw a smashed titan head to a branch. Levi cut branches to distract Zeke, right before covering his neck with thunder spears.

"Did you think that converting my subordinates into titans will stop me? that i wouldn't kill them? You don't know how many comrades I killed."

Zeke's neck exploded, making is titan fall. Levi went back to the flor and searched Zeke between all that blood and flesh. He was charred.

"I'm not going to kill you... yet."

Levi took Zeke by the head and dragged him.

"I'm so sick of you, barbed bastard."

#aot fluff #aot x reader #snk fluff #snk x reader #snk fic #aot fic #aot scenario #aot fanfiction #snk headcanons #aot #levi shingeki no kyojin #levi #snk levi #levi aot #levi x reader #levi x you #levi ackerman #captain levi #zeke jaeger #snk #shingeki no kyojin

[luimagines]

He Accidentally Hurt You pt.2

Masterlist

Set platonically and within the group Part 1

Hyrule

Your blood was pounding as your feet carried you across the battle field.

Your hearing was rendered useless by the cause, you only thoughts were on Hyrule and getting to him before the hoard of monsters did. He had somehow gotten separated from the group in the struggle and was left to fend for himself.

You made contact.

The sword in your hand followed through your practiced movements, slicing all and any between you and your target.

You could hear him in the distance, you were close, you just had to get- just a little-

The hairs on the back of your neck stood up and the air changed. The split second static was your only warning before lightning struck.

Monsters fell all around you but you failed to pay attention to that. Your attention was instead on the blinding, scalding twist in your arm that held your trusted blade. You couldn’t even find it in you to let go of the weapon, your muscles incapable to receiving orders.

The pain traveled through your arm and across your chest until it encompassed your whole being.

Screams tore through your throat without your knowledge and when the attack subsided, your whole body went rag doll and your vision went black.

“Please. Please. Please.” A voice whispered through the darkness. It was soft. Pleading. A blessed chill seemed deep into your bones and you found it within yourself to open your eyes.

Hyrule was crouched above you, tears in his eyes with shallow cuts across his tunic and exposed skin. Not a lot of blood though, your brain supplies. You take a relieved breath.

“Hey.” You croaked out in greeting. “Glad to see you’re ok. I was worried.”

“I didn’t know you were there.” He blurts as if he didn’t hear you. Maybe he didn’t. “I thought it was only monsters nearby. I don’t think I have enough magic to heal you completely. This is all my fault.”

“Fault?” You attempted to sit up. You succeed. Mostly.

A grunt leaves your mouth at the stiffness in your joints and you force yourself to power though to reach into your inventory.

A sniffle leaves your Traveler when you push his hands away when you find your target. The red liquid glints in the dying sunlight and you hand it out to him. “Think you can open it?”

He nods and pry's it open before you can even think about getting into a better sitting position.

You don’t think twice about taking the potion when he hands it back.

“Save your magic.” You say. “I’ll be fine.”

And you know you’re right....It’ll take a little more than that to convince the rest of the group when you get back though. Hyrule plans to smother you until not a single blemish is left. The others? Well... They’ll keep an eye on you.

Twilight

“Ten rupees says you can’t make that throw.” You hear Warriors say.

“Double it and I’ll gladly prove you wrong.” Twilight responds.

The book in your lap calls for attention more than whatever those two are doing for the sake of friendly competition. You don’t look up, trying to keep your eyes on the page but you can’t help the growing curiosity in the back of your head.

“What are we using to aim with?”

“That?”

“Sure.”

You roll your eyes and keep your head down.

“I’ll be twenty rupees richer and it’ll shut your mouth. Just watch.” Twilight grumbles.

There’s a tap and a growl before something comes at your head full throttle. It’s dense but not enough to keep it from exploding all into your hair and it knocks you over slightly.

You closed your book to protect it from the falling matter and reach at the spot. By your feet laying the offending object.

An apple.

They threw an apple at your head. Correction. Twilight threw an apple at your head.

The thoughts in your head spin a bit. Your whole head is throbbing but you doubt there’s any blood. You look up just in time to see Warrior and Twilight running at you as fast as they can. Twilight reaches you first and kneels next to you. “By Ordana, are you ok?”

His hands hover over you, trying to take in the damage without actually touching you.

“Who are you?” You blurt out, very quickly realizing that it was the wrong thing to say.

His face drops and Warrior wears a similar expression.

“Kidding.” A pained grin covers your face. “Take me to Hyrule please.”

“I’m so sorry.” Twilight reaches for you and you comply. Once you’re on your feet he speaks again. “Warrior messed up my shot and it hit you by accident.”

“That’s a weird way to say you lost a bet.”

You kick Warrior as payback.

Sky

“So...” You sit next to Sky during the break. “What are you planning to make this time?”

The boy next to you already had his whittling knife out and a decent sized chunk of wood in his lap. He picked it up and spun it a few times, staring into it as if he could already see the form inside it. It was just his job to take it out.

“I don’t know yet.” He admits. “Maybe it’ll come to me.”

You nod and let him work in relative silence, the faint but consistent sounds of Sky working next to you create a blissful and serene atmosphere.

The others are off doing their own thing, each keeping to themselves for the most part.

It’s nice.

“Actually, can you help me with this real quick?”

Your attention is back on Sky. He’s trying to get his knife out of the wood block, the outline of the shape he’s making already starting to form.

You don’t recognize it.

Sky picks up the knife and the whole block follows. “It got stuck.”

“How?” You raise an eyebrow and try to keep the smile off of your face.

Your response is only a shrug and the wood being thrust in your direction.

You grab it and instinctively tighten your grip on it when you feel Sky pull.

You both use your strengths to your advantage and pull in different directions. You feel the knife begin to slip out and adjust your grip. Within seconds the blade is free and you feel it cross the tip of your finger.

Instantly, the wood is dropped and you cradle your hand close to you, putting pressure on the injured digit.

“Ok, got it, thank- What happened?” Sky scoots closer to you and pulls your hands out.

A thin red line follows the length of your finger and it only seems to grow as the moments pass. It doesn’t feel deep but it certainly won’t let you flex your finger for a while.

A quite hiss leaves Sky’s lips. “Well that could’ve gone better. Sorry about that.”

“It could’ve gone worse too.” You press a little on the injury, trying to will the pain away.

It doesn’t work, but hey, you try.

“Hold on. I think I have some bandages in my pack.” Sky gets up and jogs to where most of the others are sitting. He picks up his bag and looks inside for a minute or two before jogging back to you.

A small role of bandages sits in his hand and when he reach for your hand, you don’t hesitate to give it to him.

As he’s working on your finger, you feel mild irritation bubble up in your throat. “This better not scar.”

“Why’s that?” Sky replies.

“It’ll be the lamest story.”

He laughs and finishes his work.

Time

Sometimes it surprised you how short everyone in the group was. You weren’t sure if it was a Link thing or one of the biggest coincidences of the universe because it certainly wasn’t just because they were Hylian (but that probably didn’t help).

That being said, and what you could gather from The Captain, it boggled your mind further that Time was the biggest of everyone. Warrior made it seem like he’d stay small forever, implying that Time was smaller still when he first defeated Gannon.

That didn’t seem very fair.

For him and you....well everyone, only Twilight and Warrior were the ones exempt from having to look up at the old man. But you didn’t like the idea of someone so small fighting such a beast, so Time is included in your sympathy list.

Despite his size, he seemed to move as silent as a mouse. Only Wild would be quieter than him.

After some time of traveling with them all, you realized he was just as much as a gremlin as the rest.

He was not above pranking the living daylights out of poor unsuspecting teenagers.

And the thing is, no one could catch him. Somehow he managed to get them to in the blame on each other but you knew better. You swore it had to be him. There was no way. There was no way he could count as a Link and not get into this kind of stuff.

But no one believed you.

It definitely wasn’t fair.

With the stage set, it’s safe to say now that you were calmly, peacefully and quietly minding your own business. You weren’t bothering anyone.

You were writing in your journal under a tree with some low branches. Nothing too bad but in terms of shade and angle, you found it to be the perfect resting place.

You took a deep breath in and let it out.

Yes, it was nice.

“BOO!”

You jumped as high as your reflexes you take you and spun around, but you had forgotten where you were in the moment.

With a solid thunk, your head hit the branch above you and sat back down, with a curse.

While there was laughter in the your reaction, it was cut off abruptly at the first sign of pain. “Oh jeeze, I’m sorry. How bad does it hurt?”

A whimper escaped your mouth before you could stop it and you closed your journal, choosing to furiously rub your hands against the now tender spot on the top of your head. “Ow Time. Why did you do that?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d move like that.” He moved your hands away and inspected the area for himself. “No bleeding. Doesn’t look like it’ll need a potion...”

“I blame you.” You grumbled. “This is your fault.”

“I can accept that.” He nodded and stepped back. “There’s not much we can do about it in terms of healing, but perhaps Hyrule would be willing to lend a hand.”

“No way. He’d ask how it happened and I’m not going to lie to him.” You pouted. “No one will believe me if I told them the truth.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s you!” You glared at him.

A tiny giggle escaped from the so called Old Man of the group, Mr. Stick in the Mud. Senor Buzzkill. “And why would that make a difference?”

“I cannot believe you... Actually yes I can, you were doing this on purpose the whole time.”

He laughed more fully this time and didn’t seem to let up.

With a pout, you picked up your book and marched away.

One day you’ll get back at him. You just had to figure out how and when.

Four

“So, how do we play this game again?” You picked up the ball one of your companions took out. It was almost the size of your head and had crisscrossing lines. It was white and weighed less than you originally thought.

It was a relatively slow day and no one felt in the mood to dampen it by looking for trouble.

While Twilight and Warrior set up the net that was supposed to go with it, the rest were waiting and going over the rules.

“Just hit the ball over the net. You can’t the ball twice in a row, someone else has to hit it and if it touches the ground you lose the point.”

“Seems simple enough.” Wild takes the ball from you and tosses it a few times.

It takes a while for all the appropriate moves to be demonstrated but you all play the game with ease.

You were having a good time with your friends. Everyone was actually getting along for a change. With a smile on your face, you waited for the moment that would inevitably change.

You swore you could almost pin point when it happened.

With Four right across from you, his sudden change in stance gave away the glint in his eyes.

The ball came to him and he jumped up, higher than you thought he could and spiked.

Next thing you knew, you were on the ground, stunned and slightly disoriented and your face was hurting.

Four ran to your side as the game was halted. “That... was not what I was intending.”

“You don’t say... Can I step out for a minute?” You asked, trying to get your feet. Four helped you get away from the battle field- I mean, the game area and helped you sit back down against a nearby tree.

“Sorry about that.” He smiled apologetically. “Anything I can do to help?”

You looked up at him hopefully. “Lose the game?”

“Not a chance.”

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #linked universe x reader

[sparkbeast20]

You’re my Treasure (Mammon X MC) Pt11

The Blue Lotus petals (series)

As a fan of Beauty X Beast pairing, Showing your “true self” to Lover or (Monster Love) Tropes. I figure to make a (More Demonic Forms AU/head canon) story for each brothers. Heads up each brother’s Story is long as fuck. So, I’ll be posting them as parts and finishing one brother before moving on to the rest of them.

(spoiler for lesson 1-60)

Pt1 Pt2 Pt3 Pt4 Pt5 Pt6 Pt7 Pt8 Pt9 Pt10

Warning: Swearing, Demonic nature, Mention of blood, Past events, Unwanted hate towards a family member, and Attempted murder.

Note: I am really bad at warning.

Previously

The sound of coins being step on quietly filled the cavern, as someone pick up the old book on the ground and return back to sleep.

“So, you don’t want to control my body?” Mammon asks the beast reflected in the lake.

No....I have seen how your brothers treated you, and frankly I think you should fight back!

Mammon pouts at him, not likely the way his saying this.

“Hey! They might be a pain in the ass, but that all family are. Sure, we are at each other’s throats, but we have each others back when we need the most.” The beast huffs at that.

Name one time, you all agree to do something!

“The reaper’s cave”

Hm?

“We might not say it out loud, but we truly wanted to help Beel in anyway possible. Hell, it was a miracle that y/n was there. If was for them giving some of their candle to Beel, we would have made it a regular thing to go back to that cave for Beel.” He starts playing around with his ring, to distract himself from missing his brothers.

It seems that the human choice you out of your brothers why is that?

“y/n is not just a human! And why would you care if y/n choose me?”

I don’t know Mammon, why least you been repeating it in your head over and over causing me to wake up!

Suddenly Mammon felt a lump in his throat, he wants to respond but hesitant for a moment, then he spat it out.

“I haven’t done any of that”

Really? Let me refresh your memories

The last part the beast voice changes into his voice as he starts talking into it.

“I failed as protector and a guardian!” “They deserve better than me!” “Why they have to choose me to love” “Why settle with a weak and pathetic demon like me” “I SHOULDN’T BE SECOND OF THE AVATARS!?!”

Half way of the beast speech Mammon covered his ears, shut his eyes, and grinned his teeth with a snarl coming out of him. But he just keeps repeating his thoughts over his mind. Until Mammon scream.

“OKAY I GET IT!” he drops down it all fours as pant like he was exhausted. “I-I can’t be the demon they all want me to be”

Because you keep letting them to fill your mind with those thoughts, but what you should be doing is SHOW THEM!

Mammon looks back to the lake and asks “What do you mean?”

Kill The demon who attack our mate

“I can’t do that; the bastard knows and what I can do. Even if want to kill him, he’ll just move one location to the other”

Not unless you change into me…...

“I can’t…...” Mammon clenches his hands, digging his talons into his palms drawing blood as his body to tremble in the thought of changing back to that form the memories flood back in his mind, all the fights, the wounds which heals but the mental scars remain, and watching Levi and Asmo change right Infront of him. Their scream of agony rings in his ear as tears and blood drip down in to the ground as he starts to sob.

Are you scare after killing Basto, you’ll go and killing your brother while they’re in those forms?

Mammon quickly nods while his looking down at his bleeding hands.

You don’t have to worry about that

The beast spoke with a softer tone causing Mammon to look back at the lake.

“Wh?”

Look you and I are the same being, when I tell you that all you have to do is stay away from them for a week or two, to have better control over yourself and your instinct you might be the first one out of the seven of you to able to turn into your demonic form without the resist of killing your brothers.

Mammon is done founded about the beast just said.

“How are you sure that I can do that?”

Simple you and Asmo are the only ones that didn’t attack y/n when you get angry and threaten them. And you are the only one who never use violence against them by changing into your demon form. You might be a hothead but you never or will raise a hand to your brothers or to our mate.

Mammon is left speechless, the thing that he been scare of knows him well to the point of trusting him for being himself. He was right as much he hates being the first one to be targeting with name calling because of his sin, is not like his the only one, Asmo calling him a horn dog, Levi with his weird obsession with things and getting emotional, Beel with eating all the time, Belphie with out of nowhere naps and sleeps, Satan with his anger issues, and Lucifer being too proud for his own good.

Their demons now, is something they should be use to. But him have the most control out of the seven of them, makes him fill warm inside. That he should be proud of, and why he should let his brothers tell him that he has no self-control when anger.

But his sin oh yeah! He can’t argue with that, I mean he was willing to help Solomon to forge a pact with Lucifer for the Midas crest, and immediately takes all back when Asmo points out that once he gets the crest, he won’t able to touch you due to the crest make everything he touch turns into gold. It had to take Asmo to point it out, who just said it to openly admit that it will be less competition for him. To realize that he could have made one of his biggest mistakes of his life, for what gold!

Looking back at his hands and/or talons then his wings, looks back at his newly grown tail. It too late, he’s far along of the transformation as he his. If he agrees with the beast’s plan, its going to take some time, means that you need to go back.

“Hey, before I agree to yer plan, let me take y/n back to my brothers”

Mammon…. their better with us then back with your brothers

“Yer crazy!?! What if I kill them!”

MAMMON The last thing we want is our MATE DYING. AGAIN! I’m still a little mad at Sloth for what he did! He’s luckily that y/n forgave him, because if they didn’t rest assure, I would’ve wakened up that day!

Mammon flinch and snarl at just remember that day. Holding your past self in his arms as you choke on your blood causing Belphie. If he’s being honest with himself, sometimes he gets piss off whenever Belphie took a nap at your lap and asks pat his head like, he didn’t try to kill you long ago.

That reflex he just did, get angry when you get hurt or someone trying to hurt you. Maybe his beast does have a point.

“Okay, I’ll do it……I’ll-I’ll change, IF!! You make sure that y/n safety is my-our one goal! Go it!”

Even with a beak the beast smirk at Mammon

You have my word…… also you might feel A LOT of pain!

“Huh?...... Wh?”

Before Mammon can say anything else, he felt a pain in his abdomen, he wants to scream but he bites his lips muffling the scream. As he dug his talons into the ground dragging his hands closer to him. Then the pain slowly got worst by each heart beat and panting.

Soon the he couldn’t take it anymore and let out an agnosies scream.

Then a faith voice calls out to him.

“……Mammon…...”

“Mammon!”

Mammon wakes up from the dream by someone grooming his tail, he slowly opens his eyes and lifted up his head and let out a wake-up yawn. And turn his head to whoever is touching his tail.

His eyes narrows and he groans at the sight who it was.

“Morning Mammon, have a good night sleep” Asmo flash he cheerful smile as he fixes the feathers of his tail. “When is the last time you check your tail feathers, look at them some of them are uneven and others stuck together see….” He points at feathers with the vane split apart with dry blood.

“Oi! I didn’t have a chance to clean myself and beside y/n usually brushes and cleans my feathers so, back off” Mammon squawks at Asmo who just giggle at him.

Right, no one can hear him, well no one expect Lucifer who is close to what he is now. He just has to have you use gestures and his eyes to convey what he’s thinking.

“What a pain in the ass, ya all don’t listen to me when I was normal. Now I have to deal with this crap!?! Tch whatever, the herd must be at the lake at this time. Might as well get some food……. Oh shit! Beel’s here…. Great……”

“I know that you’re not a morning demon, so I know that your cranky. But maybe not try to be loud so you won’t wake up y/n” that snap Mammon out of his train of thought.

Surprise to what Asmo said, Mammon looked down in his arms to see your sleeping form curled up next to his chest as you nuzzle your cheek into in with a smile on your face.

He faces softens as gently rub your face with his, as a soothing cooing and purring comes off from him, causing you to let out a satisfying hum as you fall more asleep.

Then Mammon reaches out with beak for a thick fabric from the nest. Then he slowly and gently lay you on the nest and place the fabric under your head serving as a pillow as you continue to sleep.

Then he stood up leave the nest as Asmo let go of his tail and gazing at his brother’s action. Once out of the nest Mammon stretches bending down then stand back straight shake body ruffle his feathers and once finish the feathers fixes themselves as Mammon being his daily routine beginning with leaving the cave. And Asmo got up and follow his big brother.

“I-I don’t believe it. There’s no SIGNAL HERE!!!” Levi is basically reaching for the havens on top of the tree trying to get a signal for his D.D.D, but to no avail.

“Levi! Get down from there” Lucifer yells at Levi causing to flinch almost letting of the branch he was holding to keep himself balance.

From afar Satan and Belphie watches the two older brothers, with Beel who is cook breakfast inside the cave.

“Its just me or is Lucifer losing~”

“His cool? Yes, I’m all for it” Satan is gleefully smile at the sight of Lucifer completely abandoning all of his calmed and serious demeanor, for an anger, short tempered and animalistic one.

Then suddenly they heard talons being drag through rock behind them, they turn around to see Mammon walking out from the cavern and heading outside with Asmo not far behind him.

“Mammon, your awake you got to see this Lucifer is blowing a casket at Levi~” Mammon just keep on walking out ignoring Satan.

“Wait where you going? Breakfast is about to start” Beel got up from he sits next to the campfire and chase after Mammon.

Once outside, flap his wings and start flying, grabbing the attention of Lucifer and Levi.

“MAMMON!?!” Lucifer calls out to him, as he flew after him grabbing Levi’s arm towing along.

As Levi scream for help fade, Satan look at Asmo with a questionable look on his face.

“What did you do”

“Hey! Don’t look at me like that. I was just cleaning the feathers in his tail; I mean you saw him covered in blood of that bastard. You would have done the same thing” Asmo huffs and walk back inside.

“Oh, before you go, Lucifer was looking for the book that he used. Have you seen it?” but Asmo shook his head, not even looking at Satan as he went in to Help Beel with breakfast.

“Clearly one of us is lying about the book” Belphie said it looking at Satan.

“Obviously, but the question is who is lying”

#obey me #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me reader x mammon #obey me monster love #obey me shall we date #obey me mc #obey me blue lotus petals

[storiesforallfandoms]

what are we going to do? ~ 10k;z nation

word count: 2250

request?: no

description: it’s hard to take precautions during a zombie apocalypse, and when these lack of precautions catches up with a young couple, they have to decide what the best option is going to be

pairing: 10k x female!reader

warnings: swearing

masterlist

“Can we find some fucking transportation now?” Murphy groaned as he trailed behind the group. “My legs are killing me.”

“Oh, the poor baby,” Doc teased. “If you haven’t noticed, we haven’t seen any vehicles for miles! Do you expect one to magically show up?”

“I hate to agree with Murphy, but I need to stop, too,” (Y/N) sighed. “This heat is starting to get to me.”

10k wrapped an arm around his girlfriend, pulling her tightly to him as she began to sway. “Let’s find some shade.”

The group threw their things to the ground as (Y/N) and Murphy slumped under the shade of a nearby tree. Warren unhooked the water bottle she was carrying from her bag and passed it around the group. There was very little left, so everyone had to take a small mouthful.

When the bottle came to (Y/N), she meant to take just a small mouthful, but the moment the cold liquid touched her lips she couldn’t help but finish the rest of the bottle. Everyone yelled in protest, but she didn’t stop until the bottle was ripped out of her hands by Murphy.

“Hey kid! That’s supposed to be for sharing!” he snapped. “We don’t know when we’ll find more water.”

(Y/N) meant to apologize, to say she didn’t know what had come over her. Since the beginning, (Y/N) had been the one to insist that they ration out their food. At times, she ate and drank less than the others in order to save the food they had. She wasn’t one to be greedy with their rations.

But the moment she opened her mouth to apologize, she felt her stomach lurch. She quickly stood and moved so she was a fair ways away from the group before she doubled over and began to throw up. She heard her friends make noises in disgust before feeling 10k’s gentle hands on her, pulling her hair from her face with one as the other soothingly rubbed her back.

“What’s wrong with her?” Murphy asked. “She’s not sick, is she? We can’t afford for any of us to get sick, I can’t give all of you my blood.”

“Shut up, Murphy!” Addy hissed. “It’s probably sun stroke, we’ve been walking for so long and it’s been so hot. We haven’t had rain in days.”

10k guided (Y/N) to sit down and continued to gently rub her back. She looked up at him and gave him a half smile, trying to push down the nauseated feeling that was growing in her stomach again.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his voice soft.

“Yeah, just a weird feeling in my stomach,” she responded. “That’s why I drank all that water, my stomach has been off for a while. Probably sun stroke, like Addy said.”

The sound of footsteps caused 10k to look over his shoulder suddenly. Warren put a hand on his shoulder. “It’s just me, kid. Mind if I look at your girl?”

10k nodded. If there were anyone he trusted in these crazy times, it was Warren.

He stood and allowed Warren to kneel next to (Y/N). Warren looked into her tired eyes and inspected her face. She leaned forward close enough that a whisper would only be heard by (Y/N).

“When was the last time you had your period?”

(Y/N) felt her heart race. It had been months since her last period, at least two months for sure. She had shrugged it off as nothing, it was hard to tell what was normal and what was abnormal anymore. She hadn’t thought anything of it until she started feeling nauseated, something she managed to hold back until the night times. It was why she was so tired, she had been so sick that she hadn’t been sleeping.

(Y/N) glanced up at 10k, who had a look of concern written across his face. How did she break this news to him? How did she break it to any of them?

The look on her face was enough of an answer for Warren. “How long have you known?”

“I haven’t,” she responded. “I didn’t think anything of it...I just thought...I thought...”

Warren sat back, holding (Y/N)’s hand in her own. “Does your boy here know?”

10k looked between them, confused. He began to think the worst, that maybe (Y/N) had been bitten and no one knew, or that she was suddenly sick and wouldn’t be able to beat the sickness.

Tears were welling up in her eyes as she looked up at 10k. He felt his concern grow then. (Y/N) looked at Warren to ask, “Can you guys give us a moment alone?”

Warren smiled at her and nodded before standing. 10k quickly took her place next to (Y/N) as Warren called the others to leave. (Y/N) couldn’t look at him, instead she kept looking down at the ground in front of her.

“What’s going on, (Y/N)?” 10k asked. “Are you okay?”

Tears stung (Y/N)’s eyes as she looked at the ground. She shook her head, trying to will the words from her mouth. “Tommy, I’m...I’m pregnant.”

The news caught him off guard. He faltered a little, sitting back on his legs as he looked off into the distance as well.

On any normal occasion, this news would’ve excited 10k. His whole life he had wanted to be a father, to be as good as his own father. But that was before; before the apocalypse, before the constant threat of Zs, before it was dangerous to carry around a screaming, crying baby.

“Are you sure?” he asked her.

(Y/N) winced at 10k’s tone of voice. Although she had been expecting that reaction, part of her had hoped that maybe he wouldn’t sound as worried. She hoped that maybe, for once since the apocalypse happened, that they could enjoy a happy moment that any normal couple would celebrate.

“If it’s not pregnancy, then there’s something else we should be concerned about because I haven’t had my period in a while and now I’m getting sick.”

10k ran his hands through his hair. “What are we gonna do?”

He hadn’t meant to ask the question out loud, and he felt after seeing (Y/N) flinch at the question.

“What can we do?” she asked. “I have to have the baby, there’s no safe way to...to get rid of it without the risks.”

“But...do we keep it?”

(Y/N) couldn’t suppress her second flinch. She knew it was the right question to ask, raising a baby in these crazy times wasn’t easy. They had witnessed that first hand when Murphy tried to have his baby girl.

But would she be able to give the baby up? Would she be able to leave a seconds old, defenseless baby on its own, waiting to be killed by a hoard of Zs before it could even live? Would she be able to give her baby to someone she didn’t know and continue her life knowing that her child may or may not be out there, that they may or may not be alive or dead or a Z?

(Y/N) covered her face with her hands and began to cry. 10k wrapped his arms around her and held her close.

“I’ve always wanted to have kids,” she said, trying to keep her voice even. “I was hoping that, once we get Murphy to California and we find the cure, that maybe that would be a possibility. But...the longer it takes for us to find where we’re going, and the longer it takes to find anyone who really knows what to do...it feels like the cure will never come. And now this...”

10k soothingly shushed her and ran his fingers through her hair. “It’s alright. We’ll figure out what to do.”

~~~~~~

They decided not to tell the rest of the group, not until they made a decision regarding the baby. Whatever the decision, (Y/N) knew she’d have to divert from the group when it came time to give birth. She couldn’t risk them like that, no matter what they told her.

That night, the group set up camp in an area tucked away by trees. Warren littered the surrounding ground with anything that would make noise and alert them of someone, or some Zs, arriving.

Like most nights, (Y/N) was awake, except this time she was awake with the worry of her future decisions. Although it seemed as though the decision should be an easy one to make, she was still conflicted. The decision was easy, but was it the right one?

Afraid of waking 10k, (Y/N) sneaked out of her tent and went to sit in a nearby tree. Growing up near the woods, she always found that sitting in trees calmed her down. Being one with nature and all that cliche stuff.

She started when she heard the sound of leaves rustling below her. She slowly moved to pull her knife from her shoe, ready to attack whoever or whatever was approaching, but stopped when she saw the familiar lanky figure of her boyfriend pulling himself up onto the branch below her.

“Why aren’t you asleep?” she asked him.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he said as he struggled to pull himself onto the her branch. (Y/N) giggled and helped him up, taking hold of him to steady his balance. “You sitting in a tree is how we first met.”

(Y/N) covered her face and slightly groaned. “You have to let that go. You were a stranger and I was all alone, I had to be careful.”

“I don’t hold anything against you for attacking me, I just think it’s a funny story,” 10k responded, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “She dropped from a tree brandishing an knife, threatened to cut me open unless I told her what I wanted. That’s how I knew I loved her.”

(Y/N) smiled and leaned forward to kiss 10k. His kisses were always gentle, as if he were worried about hurting (Y/N). Of course, there was no need for that worry. (Y/N) was probably one of the toughest in the whole group. She had been fending for herself for years after the apocalypse started, you had to be tough in those sorts of situations.

“It would be a story for our children if we - ” she started as she pulled away. Her words cut off abruptly as she realized what she was saying. “I mean...fuck, forget that. That was...old habit.”

10k took (Y/N)’s hands in his, running his thumbs over her knuckles. “Tell me the truth, (Y/N), do you want to keep this baby? Even with the threats, do you want to have a family with me?”

Tears started pricking (Y/N)’s eyes again as he asked the question. She looked away from him, not wanting him to see her cry again.

Stupid pregnancy hormones. They’re gonna make you soft.

“Yes,” she responded. “Yes, I want to have this baby, and yes, I want to have a family with you. I’ve always wanted to have a family, a small one if nothing else, and I even dreamed that, if we could find the cure to Zs, that I would be able to have that. I know that it’s reckless, and I know this puts us in danger, but fuck, Tommy, I wanna raise this baby with you.”

Tears were starting to form in 10k’s eyes as well, but he quickly blinked them away as he cupped (Y/N)’s face. “I wanna have this baby, too.”

The words shocked (Y/N). She looked up at her boyfriend in disbelief. “You...you do?”

He nodded. “I also know it’s dangerous, and I know we’ll have a lot of talking to do with the group, but I don’t think I can give this baby up. Our perfect little thing that we made...I’d never be able to live with myself if I didn’t at least try.”

(Y/N) threw her arms around 10k’s neck, almost pushing the both of them out of the tree. They laughed together as 10k hugged her back, holding her tightly to him. He didn’t want to let her go. The safest place for her to be for the next nine months was in his arms.

“I want a baby girl,” he admitted. “A little daddy’s girl that I can be overprotective of. I’ll even teach her how to shoot my gun when she’s old enough.”

“Hopefully she won’t have to do that when she’s old enough,” (Y/N) responded. “But...but I think it will be a girl. My mom always said that she had strange dreams about a little girl when she was pregnant with me, and a few nights back I had this dream that a little girl saved us from the apocalypse, but I couldn’t understand what it meant.”

10k chuckled as he put his hand on (Y/N)’s stomach. “That’s a lot of pressure mama’s trying to put on you already. Don’t worry, we’ll save the world before you come out.”

(Y/N) placed one hand over 10k’s and leaned in to kiss him. “I love you so much.”

He smiled brightly as he kissed her back. “I love you more, (Y/N).”

#10k #10k imagine #10k x reader #nat zang #nat zang x reader #nat zang imagine #z nation #z nation imagine #imagine #one shot

[romeulusroy]

You Remind Me Of My Own Unhappiness (Thomas Shelby Oneshot)

Character/s: Thomas

Word Count: 1,587

Tag List: @dontdowhatisayandnobodygetshurt @myriadimagines @lilyswritings @encounterthepast @writerdream22 @brithedemonspawn @megnotfound @death-of-a-mermaid @woahitslucyylu @obsessedunicorn24 @thedarkqueenofavalon @fangirlsarah16 @captivatedbycillianmurphy @theshelbyclan @creativemayhems @soleil-dor @thegirlwithoutaname87 @babylooneytoonz @peakyxtommy @locke-writes @lucillethings @miahelen @valkyrie-2312

A/N: A lil writing before I start requested prompt fics, which are still open btw!!!! Ngl, I've had this is my head for a while, and it turned out better than I expected!!!!! I've been reading for my horror fiction class, so I guess this is kind of based off/inspired by all of it (lots of Poe, Jackson, King, etc.) so be warned my loveliest of loves!!!! Feedback is always appreciated 💜💖💜

Summary: You knew too much for his comfort 💕

Gif Credit: @peakycillianblinders :)

FIC MASTERLIST PARTS 1 -> 3 / WANNA BE ADDED TO THE TAG LIST?

The earth is soft in your palms, loose as your dig away, your fingers aching amidst the clumps and rocks. The maggots fall one by one off the bone, disturbed in their everlasting feast. Fresh in his mind, an open wound he leaves exposed, to bleed, to breath, to eat him alive. Shallow, as expected. Careless in execution. Impatient, your husband always in such a hurry. Even with this. Handful by handful, muddied, the morning dew undisturbed even as nightfall came. Smelling faintly of a sweet memory, that of the first time you kissed. The raindrops coming between you. Pulling away with a laugh, in awe, at how his beauty compared to that of a rainy day. Your shoes sinking deep, your hands clutching his arms as he pulls you from the muck, letting the slightest hint of a smile slip. The noise of that day, the plops from the pond, the quiet, yet powerful, taps of the leaves, the shudder of branches and bones alike cold from the breeze, the soft of his voice, low, teasing of all the things he'd do when you were alone. Lost, but not forgotten.

It doesn't exist here. The silence is heavy, deadly, respectful. Something he is not. Early, before the sun has her chance to even set and paint the sky. The in between, the dark not as inky as you remember, the stars fading in, resting for their show ahead. A creature of habit, your husban. Every night, at the same time, no matter what. Day by day, you grow less and less, and this becomes an ever harder task than before. Time staking, your movements slow, weary, all knowing of the journey ahead. There is an ache of gratefulness, a nod to the thoughtfulness you assumed he was lacking in, though it could have come out of selfishness none of the less. Not far from home. A quiet walk, that of seclusion. A quick pace, a tight jaw, he could have made the journey in no time. Your body was not as forgiving

No wooden box. Not eternal flame. A sheet, dirty now, and spotted in red, tangled around you. Wet and cold. The same sheets you used to wash, scrubbing clean, that thick soap smell no longer. One more thing you'd miss, the newness of this dying as each minute ticked by. That excitement, that joy, that want for anything more fades as all things do, decomposing with the rest of you. It's become a duty, an obligation, to him, to your marriage, as all things had been, or would become.

There is no where else to go. Nothing more to do. A broken routine was a broken man. Fight it, resist, and you might find him in the tub again, his spine kissing the porcelain, neck bent, waiting to sink until he finds the bottom. You might find him in the bed you shared, eyes open, never crossing that split down the middle, always faced away from your side. You might find him out, at the bar, a job, surrounded, your presence striking him, bloodying his lip. He stares, his balance off, truly shaken to his core. You are a guest he does not share, a secret he locks in his closet, a beating heartbeat under his floorboards.

So, you give up fighting, as you had the last time, and accept this battle lost. Wave your white flag, shaking yourself free of the sheets, standing uneasily on your own rotting skeketon. Step by step, your toes tearing, soles wasting, the entirety of you threatening to cave, making your way home. Tendons frayed, splitting apart. Your flesh bloated, runny, what's left is chewed away. You can feel it all. Your teeth chatter by the openings that were your cheeks, the cold passing right through you, whistling through your open ribcage. Dreadfully exposed. All of it is heavy. With nothing to hold, to cling to, you're stitched together by a single thread. You pull forward with all your strength, choking back a scream. It wasn't pain, not anymore, your nervous system long gone, but the memory of it bursts through your open chest the way it had in that moment, before everything seeped away in a puddle beneath you, and the warmth of your body grew into icy cold.

Your hair is all but gone, just like your middle. Innards spilling into your clothes, filling out, everything once protected inside catching their first taste of freedom. You give up making yourself anymore presentable. You could pass for sickly, at your best, even tired in the beginning. The bags under your eyes gone now, eaten away, the green tint to your demeanor disappeared, leaving nothing but a rotting smell. There was no hiding this, hiding the time that's passed. The flies buzz, bugs crawl freely. It's much their home as yours. You click, a tune you suspect is music to his ears, but it only leaves an ache in your hollow chest. There isn't much left of you, there isn't much more time.

How long does he want to do this?

How much longer can you?

The light streams through the windows, a welcomed warmth. You missed it. You missed that comfort, that knowledge of a place being yours. All you had left to your name was a hole in the ground, weak and muddy. Even then, few knew it was yours at all. The back door, the one only homeowners used. You could see it, your skeletal hand resting weakly on the heavy door. A night like every other. Pressing your ear to the door, listening, as if the pull from his want, his need to see you, hadn't tugged you the whole way here. This act, so small, so innocent, had lead to consequences he could never take back.

Listening, waiting, your own breath no longer a distraction, your own heartbeat no longer drumming through your veins, interrupting every word. It was the only way. Banished, shunned, turned away. Though you wrote his name, you did not share blood, a defining trait he could not look past. The business, family business, turned you away. Complicit, docile, that's what he expected, what you tried to be. Yes, Love. No, Love. For your own protection, Love, as if it hadn't been the barrel of his gun pointed at your chest.

Not everything, but enough, your first mistake was making it known. Invading his world one word at a time, overstepping boundaries with a bit of advice. That was all it took. You realized too late, none of it you could ever take back. Pleading, wide eyed, you promised not to say anything more, to keep your distance between the job, but the damage was done. He changed before your eyes. Tight, rigid, masking himself, crawling back into his shell. He trusted you, he did, but not after that. A man like him could trust no one, not even the person he married. If you knew, who else did? Even the smallest detail could be dangerous. It could coolapse his entire empire. He didn't want to, insisting there was another way, but they agreed as long as you lived, knowing what you did, none of them were safe. A family by name, hardly by choice.

So, by their insistence, he pulled the trigger.

He dragged the body.

He dug a shallow grave.

He made an elaborate story, one of belief, of half-truths, and throw away lines about your solemn departure seeking a new life, abandoning your husband for something else, each of them chipping pieces and plots to the story, anything to help them sleep a little easier.

And here you sat, the hard wood of your dining room chairs puncturing your back. There are two plates, and two sets of silverware. A candle is lit between you. Not always, but tonight it seems he's been missing you more. A napkin sits on your lap, waiting, covering the mangled mass that used to be your lower half. He sits across from you, the space between you large enough to seat the entire family. Only two, though. Everyone else has left, gone, suspecting what it is Mr. Shelby is up to, wondering why they are let go more frequently, always at the exact same time. He musters up a smile, that of pain, with horror in his eyes, finally realizing just how cruel this has all been for you. You smile back, pieces of you ripping open, your lips uncurling, splitting in two, revealing a mouth empty of teeth.

Thomas speaks lightly of the day passed. The endless dread of paperwork, the faint gnaw that someone has been following him lately, a special nod to the advice he took from you that had been successful. No thank you, though. No admittance of grief or wrongdoing, no apology, not even a word of what you were really doing here. He couldn't let go, move on, he couldn't shake the guilt that woke you each night and put you to bed hours later. You were dead, killed by his own hand, had been for quite some time. Yet, every night after the murder you joined him. For dinner, for drinks, to sleep beside him in the bed you shared since your wedding day. Step by step, decaying in your time of rest, the same thought in your mind over and over, never letting it escape your lips, you knew better from the last time: when would he let you rest in peace?

#what a bastard im so in love with him #writing #thomas shelby #thomas shelby drabble #thomas shelby oneshot #peaky blinders #peaky blinders drabble #peaky blinders oneshot #thomas shelby x reader #thomas x reader #x reader #drabble #oneshot #thomas shelby fic #peaky blinders fic #gender neutral #gender neutral reader #x gender neutral reader

[nonbinarylowkey]

Hello miss/sir, I loved your recent Loki head cannon and I was probably wondering while on a mission with the “Past” Loki and you know they got into a fight where he yelled, “it's your fault” this ”future” S/o got some nightmarish flashback about “future” Loki getting killed by Thanos and her PTSD starts kicking in and tries to blame herself for not helping the “future” Loki. Thank you!

They're both soaked.

There's sludge in Loki's hair and a sneer on his lips. He shucks off the bulky, water logged TVA uniform jacket, tossing it into the river they just pulled themselves from. 

Loki's partner isn't in a much better state. Most of the sludge that had covered her washed off in the water as she fought (and occasionally failed) to keep her head above water. But her attention shifts between Loki and the shattered device she pulled from her pocket when they made it onto dry land. Loki doesn't seem to have noticed it yet; there's no time to dwell on her own discomfort when she needs to use what scent time she's been given to find a way to gently break the news to him.

"Hey, Loki?"

He looks at her. The movement of her hand brings his gaze downward where she's covered the wreckage of the only thing that could get them back to base.

"What is it?"

"This planet seems pretty nice, don't you think? Why don't we stay here for a while; take a break?"

"This planet is a backwater wasteland. What reason could you possibly have for wanting to remain here?" He sniffed, all of his derision and judgment clear from that one forceful inhale.

Well, ah… mostly I want to stay because, well, we have to?" Her voice went high at the end of her explanation, making it sound more like a question than a statement. She moved her hand from the pieces of the device so that Loki could see what had happened. 

Silence settled between them. She held her breath. Loki stood statuesque.

One moment.

Two.

Three.

Fou--

Loki grabbed her one-handed by the throat, squeezed hard enough that her breath was restricted, even if it wasn't cut off completely. A knife materialized in his other hand.

"We are stuck her until that wretched organization of busybodies deigns to notice our absence and given their utter disconnect from the flow of time, how long do you suppose that will be, hm?" He drops her, uncaring of the way she crumples to the dirt. "This is your fault. You will be the one to fix this mess."

***

It's funny, really, how life has a way of going from bad to worse without any consideration for how the people living it feel. 

As it turns out, backwater wasteland planets have very few lodgings for travellers. And what lodgings they do have, tend to have very few rooms. In fact, they only have one room, apparently. 

Naturally, that room only has one bed.

"I can take the couch to make up for not being more careful with the transporter thingy," she says; an olive branch, if a somewhat flimsy one.

"Yes, you can take it," he says.

They say nothing more to each other for the rest of the night.

***

She's been here before.

Not physically, no, but she has dreamed of this place many times before. How long has it been since the last time? A year? Longer? 

The ship stinks of blood and death; of sick and shit and piss from bodies of dead Asgardians who could no longer control what came out of them during their final despairing moments.

She kneels in a pool of Asgardian blood. A spotlight shines down on her and in the dream this seems utterly natural. Everyone else is dead. Where else does a light need to shine? She is the only thing left for the killers to see.

Another spotlight illuminates a circle of space directly in front of her. She looks up.

The giant is there. He is cradling something- no, someone in his arms. 

"You understand what it is like to have a demanding love," the giant says. The words are gentle. She can almost believe he cares. "People like us, who love like us, will do whatever is necessary for the ones we love."

He deposits the body at her knees. Still gentle, always gentle. The giant backs away. His spotlight fades. The area surrounding her spotlight has gone completely black again. She is alone.

She knows who lies in front of her before she looks. She has been here before, after all. She has experienced this all before.

Still, when she finally forces herself to look on Loki's gray, lifeless face, she screams. She screams until her throat is raw; until she is coughing so hard from the force of it that she's certain blood must be coming up. She screams until her voice gives out. 

Tears and snot drip from her face onto his. 

A hand rests on her shoulder. Someone is standing behind her.

"This is your fault, you know."

Loki kisses the top of her head. His dead body grins up at her. The Loki at her back wraps his arms around her shoulders.

"You left. You knew the threat and you still left me to die at the hands of my abuser."

"I know," she whispers. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" He laughs. A knife materializes in his hand. He gives it to her. "You're sorry. I know you are, my love. That is why I have one request."

No. No. No no no no nononononono.

She squeezes the hilt of the knife. Her arms shakes from the effort of keeping it in place. She knows what his request is. Knows, too, that it's nothing more than a torture her own mind has come up with.

The Loki at her knees opens his eyes. The Loki behind her maneuvers her hand so that she is holding the tip of the blade to his heart.

"I want to know that you understand your role in all this," the Loki behind her says.

"You are going to kill me," the Loki in front of her says.

"This is your fault," they both say. "You must know this is your fault."

She sobs, shaking her head wildly. "No, no, no, please no. Please, Loki. I can't."

"You already did!" The one behind her says.

She tries to pull her hand away, to drop the knife. The Loki in front of her won't let her go. He's got a grasp on her hand, keeping her grasp on the knife. He raises their hands. 

"Say my name," the Loki behind her whispers. "Scream my name as you slip the blade between my ribs. Your final act of love; to kill me when no one else has."

And when the Loki in front of her brings her hand down and the blade is buried beneath his skin, she does.

***

She screams his name over and over and ov--

Her head collides with Loki's chin when she jolts awake.

She throws herself into his arms. One shaky breath is all the warning there is before a sob bursts from her. Her tears come fast, soaking the shirt Loki had worn to sleep. Logically, she knows that she has no business clinging to this Loki. This is not the Loki she dreamed of, not her dead husband, not even a version of Loki that particularly likes her. But he still smells and feels like the Loki she knew and loved and so she clings with all her might.

And though this Loki is none of those things, he does not push her away. She wonders if he looked into her dreams. If he saw her dream of his death at the hands of Thanos; of his corpse forcing her to kill him all over again. She isn't sure she'd be upset with him if he had. 

"You were crying," he says, nose pressed to her hair. He rubs circles along her back. "You called my name."

"I'm sorry," she whispers. She isn't sure if she's apologizing for waking him or for killing him.

"I'm here."

It's exactly what she needs to hear.

Without another word, he lifts her off of the couch and brings her to the bed. He drops her in the center of it, settling down next to her with his arm around her waist. 

She'd be tempted to laugh at how similar this Loki is to the one she knew if the memory of his near constant desire for touch wasn't so painful now. She sighs, instead.

"Sleep," he commands.

So she does. This time, Thanos doesn't appear.

#loki angst #loki x ofc #loki x reader #loki fluff #my writing #will add a readmore when im on my computer #im on mobile right now and i just dont know how to do it on the app

[haruno-sakura-san]

So I have a thought for an ItaSaku AU. Sakura gets some intel on where Sasuke is headed right before his fight with Itachi. She shows up after they've both knocked each other out. She goes to try and help Sasuke, but Tobi gets between them and takes Sasuke away with him. Which leaves Sakura staring down at Itachi. The man who is the reason for Sasuke's anger and hatred. But she's also a medic. She leans down, assuming that he is dead but she finds the faintest of heartbeats (1)

I’VE FINALLY WRITTEN SOMETHING FOR THIS!

Sorry this took so long to respond too. I love this AU idea and was thinking it over for a while. I knew I just had to write something out for it, the potential was too good! We MUST have more soft Itachi moments and this would be full of them.

Anyway, it strays a little from the prompt, its not finished and I’m not completely satisfied with the last bit (I swear I can’t write Itachi correctly anymore), but its something and I hope you like it! Feel free to send me thoughts, more suggestions or things you’d like different!

🌸🍡

Do No Harm - Part 1/2

Word count: 4,682

It happens so fast, within the time she takes to blink. One second she’s rushing toward Sasuke, the next Tobi is standing over him, then one blink – that’s it – and they are both gone.

“Sasuke!” She screams his name into the empty space, but its futile. They're long gone, and she did nothing to stop him from being taken.

She stops running, hand braced against the uchiwa painted into the only wall left intact from the battle. What is she supposed to do now? She has no idea of where to look for them, and if she goes back to her team and the village empty-handed... Either way, Kakashi-sensei will be pissed. She's such a failure.

Hot tears fall from her eyes, mixing with the freezing rain. She's standing over Itachi's body with hate in her eyes. She never thought in her life she'd have the capacity to truly hate someone like she didn't now. It was his fault. All of it. Her being here to save Sasuke, his fault Sasuke had left, his fault Sasuke had been injured enough to be taken, and his fault Sasuke had festered under his own hatred so much he couldn't love her.

Her hot tears drop onto Itachi's cheeks, and he flinches. He's not completely dead.

Her hands find his skin, still warm, feeling for any sign of life and - there - fainter than the brush of a butterfly's wings is his heartbeat fluttering along.

There's a rush to that discovery and the act of beating back death from someone, and in the face of so much uncertainty on what to do next, her hands automatically start to work. This she knows. This is the only thing she knows. The feeling of uselessness starts to fade away as she gains momentum and his heart beats stronger.

Later she rationalizes that he's the only one who might know where Tobi could have gone and the only one strong enough to face him should it come to that, but it's secondary to that intrinsic need to do and fix. She's so exhausted by the end, it's all she can manage to take them to an inn nearby. She collapses at the edge of his bed and sleeps for hours.

When she wakes, she's staring into the eyes of the man she hates most in the world. She stands quickly, and a blanket drops from her shoulders to her surprise.

"Sorry, did I wake you? You were shivering."

She doesn't expect an apology or that he isn't showing any signs of aggression at all. Her response is uncharacteristically rude, just a cold glare.

"You look familiar, but I don't know why." He says with a lost look, unaffected by her glare, and moving to sit up. He winces, and she's at his side again, checking his injuries even as she scowls. "I can't remember anything, actually." He continues without his eyes leaving her face.

"Excuse me if I don't believe you." And why should she? He was smart, and this could be his best chance at preying on her soft side.

"You don't.. like me." He answers slowly, only because it's written all over her face.

"No."

He looks down at her glowing hands, "But you're still helping me."

She clenches her jaw and doesn't answer. He's clearly tired, but he's trying to learn as much as he can by just observing. The room, her expression, her clothes. His eyes snag on her headband.

"You're a leaf Kunoichi." Her eyes meet his for a moment in confirmation. "I...am also a leaf shinobi." He says it carefully like he's tugging the memory loose from his head.

"You were. Not anymore." She corrects, offended he'd put himself in the same category as her. They weren't the same at all.

"Was? Hmm." He considers it some more. "I remember bits and pieces of my home, Konoha, but that's it. Nothing about leaving. Is that normal?"

"Stop talking so I can concentrate." She snaps, and to her surprise, he responds with a soft apology.

"Yes, of course. I apologize."

He’s healing more slowly than she'd like, mostly because of her own exhaustion and shallow chakra reserves. At the close of this checkup, he asks, "May I please have some water?"

Begrudgingly, she gets him a glass and press it into his hand. He winces again at the weight and almost drop it. Sakura catches it quickly and raises it to his lips, silently helping him drink. She removes it before he has his fill with an explanation, "Drink too quickly, and you'll make yourself sick."

He looks up at her, now much closer than before, and stare.

"What?" She barks.

"I can finally see you clearly." He says it without embarrassment. His eyesight was that bad, and he's just admitted it with the same even tone as one would admit the sky was blue. "You're beautiful for a kunoichi. You don't have any scars."

She stands up quickly, feeling a flare of strong emotion in her. Hate. She hated him so much. This all had to be an act. Playing on her softness and vanity. She stalks go the door.

"Where are you going?" He asks with a note of panic in his voice.

"I'm getting dinner." The first excuse that pops in her head, and closes the door behind her. He won't leave in this state, and even if he goes, good riddance.

Again she's faced with why she's doing this at all. She should be reporting back to the village, to Kakashi, but what would she say. She just revived a criminal and aided him in escaping capture instead of reporting back. But more than that, she was scared. What if they told her Sasuke had been killed? How can she face them after being such a failure? Naruto's disappointed face would break her.

There were too many scenarios to think through. Too many what-ifs, and that was paralyzing. But she did know if she left Itachi now, he would die. Maybe that was for the best anyway. He was destined to die anyway, right, so she should just walk out the door -

She stops short at the bottom of the stairs. At the inn's entrance is a giant man who's skin was ice blue and cloak covered in red clouds, darkened by the rain. Kisame, Itachi's partner. She darts back up the stairs before he can see her, hurrying back through the door to their room.

"Did they not have food-"

"We have to leave." She's already gathering her few supplies, shoving anything useful in the room into her pack. "Now."

She pops a soldier pill and helps him to the edge of the bed, threading his arms through the straps of her plack and dropping her traveling cloak around his shoulders.

"What's going on?"

"Just get on my back." She crouches in front of him, waiting to feel his weight leaning against her before she grabs the back of his knees and stands. They flew out the window into the rain as fast as she can manage.

The weather is awful for traveling but gives them lots of cover, beating away their tracks as she runs with no destination in mind other than away from the inn and the battleground to the north.

The longer she runs, the weaker they both feel. He needs rest and at the warm wetness seeping into her back, she knows he's reopened some injury. But she doesn't know where to stop. She has nowhere safe to take him.

"Miss?" She hears in her ear. She hadn't told him her name. She tilts her head, so he knows she heard him. "I think I remember something. A hideout from when I was a child."

Her gut tells her not to trust him, but what choice does she have? If she's walking into a trap, the worst they could do is kill her, and if Sasuke was dead, well...

"Head to the right toward that Maple tree with the twisted branches. There's a hidden door at the base."

She takes his direction and sees it almost immediately. It's been shaped from a sapling or through some Jutsu has a pair of lower branches twisting unnaturally together in a spiral. She inspects for a door but doesn't see one.

Itachi asks to be lowered, and she does, looping a weight bearing arm under his shoulders. On his hands and knees, his hands sink into the muddy grass, and she feels a flare of chakra. A door snaps upward. She doesn't ask any questions yet, just hurries them inside.

Uchiwas cover the room, including a faded tapestry on the far wall "Protect and Serve" in script at the bottom. It looks to be some kind of secret meeting room, but she figures it doubles as a safe house when she finds enough to last a full year in the back. She hopes they won't need them for that long.

Dragging out a dusty futon that smells like mildew, she makes a comfortable place for Itachi to lie back. No chakra left for healing, she has to treat his reopened wounds the old fashioned way, with antiseptic and stitches. After she's finished, she again hand feeds him water and a quick miso soup she found dehydrated in the back.

He thanks her more times than she can count, and not once does she answer.

Only when she's rinsing out bandages in a sink in the tiny bathroom does she finally stop to consider just what she's doing.

Again she had the opportunity to leave. She could have left him for his partner to find, but she took him and ran. Staring at his blood on her hands, she feels nothing but disgust for herself and confusion. She scrubs her skin raw.

Wandering back to the room where Itachi is sleeping, she props herself up against a wall, glaring at him until she loses the battle against her exhaustion.

*

His coughing is what wakes her, wet and deep. She pulls his hand away and sees dark blood. A curse leaves her. She'd check before she left for internal bleeding and broken ribs. There was no reason for blood in his lungs. None. Although it will have consequences, she pops another soldier pill and looks again.

It's a disease.

Her hands drop away, and she leans back on her calves. Another chance to give up and walk away. Another choice.

She stands and begins to pace. It was very advance, and this type was something he'd have been born with. Treatable now, but clearly untreated. She turns her back on him, staring deep into that tapestry with the uchiwa. A chink in the great protege's armor. In the strength of the Uchiha clan. Had they left it untreated to save face? Doesn't matter because she needed to decide whether it would be worth it to hide here and heal a man whose very body was fighting against him. A man she hated. An enemy. Should she stay even when she should already be headed back? When Sasuke could be in trouble?

His wet coughs pull her back, and she can't stay away. Her glare is hot on her face as she does what she can to ease his symptoms for the time being.

Team 7 and 8 would have already found the battle sight and have more information than her. They were a team designed for tracking. What would she even add to that? She'd be a spectator. Here at least, she was doing something. She was making an impact. And if Itachi lived, he could give them information they didn't already have.

She leaves to find tea and rationalizes some more.

The second wave of exhaustion from the soldier pills is worse than the first, as she knew it would be. She doesn't know how much time has passed, but Itachi is thankfully sleeping when she wakes. She'd die if he saw her in this state.

Her empty stomach lurches, bitter saliva filling her mouth. Staggering to the bathroom, her muscles tight from overuse and sleeping against a cold wall, she's sick several times. Nothing is I'm her stomach but yellow acid, and when that's gone, dry heaves for several minutes. The cool tile on her face is a relief. She's exhausted, and the weight of her loneliness hits her in full. Her friends don't know she's here. She can't leave. Even if it makes her the weakest shinobi in the world, she just wants to go home and see her mother's face again. She wants her mom to bring her peppermint tea and rub her back softly until she feels well again.

She's silently crying on the floor, holding her breath through the sobs, so they don't escape. Her moment doesn't last long because Itachi's coughs reach her again. She sits up, wipes her face, and focuses on the only thing she can.

She doesn't have enough chakra right now, but he's not coughing up blood this time, so she opts for traditional methods. A warm mug of tea in her hand, she slides behind him and helps him sit up, leaning his weight back against her smaller frame. His breath is less labored sitting up. She stirs him awake and carefully pours tea into his mouth, it's sharp herbal vapors opening and soothing his airways. Then she rubs circles into his back until he falls asleep again, thinking about her mother and her home.

*

It takes a week before he's well enough to stay away for any length of time. It's restless and agonizing for Sakura, who, left alone with her thoughts, rehashes all her options until she's shredded to pieces. None of it matters. Her life has become a series of reactions and that’s it. The moment he needs her, she's there nursing him without the desire to be. She still hated him with everything in her, and this place was covered with reminders of that. It was inescapable.

His lucidness was as welcome as it was unwelcome. A companion of any kind eased some of the loneliness, but his attempts at conversation left Sakura feeling angry and tired. He maintained that he didn't remember anything when she questioned him about Akatsuki, their base locations, and Tobi. It was very clever given she wanted him only for information at this point. She's sure he's just dragging this out until he was strong enough to run. Another inevitable scenario to worry over.

It's that theory that has her still being uncharacteristically rude to him. She gives one-word answers or none at all whenever possible.

Eventually, he stops asking, taking the hint that she won't answer, and just starts talking out loud, puzzling through any memories he can. It's little things: a particular drill he ran in training as a boy, learning his first Jutsu, the smell his mother had. Most are about training, to her surprise, like he'd spent most of his time doing only that, but his mother began to appear more and more. It didn't matter to her, she told herself. Just the sound of his voice alone grates on her ears, and she grinds her teeth and the monotony of it. She's never hated anyone this much that even that is irksome to her.

But one day, she wakes up, his words are drawn out, sloppy, and stop making sense at all. An infection kept up on them, and it bottoms out her stomach. If she lost him now, none of this was worth anything. She wasn't worth anything!

His words become very important

then because if he was speaking, he was surviving. She asks him as many questions as she can think of as she cares for him, though it's all delivered in a clinical tone.

Can you sit up for me? Yes. What's your favorite color? Pink. Think harder, please. Oh, right, blue. Do you have any persistent chills? Yes. What's your favorite food? Dango. How's your headache? Worse. What’s your birthday? Its in June, I think. Lay back down for me? Okay. Favorite birthday present? Breakfast my brother made me.

She stills at that, pulling the cool, damp cloth from his forehead. He'd never once mentioned Sasuke, and her surprise at him remembering shown was mirrored on his face.

"I had...a brother." He murmurs, his fevered face looking up at hers. "Sasuke."

For the first time, she nods in confirmation at a memory of his. He nods back at her as well.

"For my birthday one year, he made me breakfast. But mother wouldn't let him use the stove, so he took the rice leftover from dinner and pressed it into rice balls for me."

Sakura catches herself staring and dips the cloth in cold water again, wringing it out and dabbing it against his warm forehead.

"He woke me up by jumping on my bed...One of them rolled off the plate and ... onto the floor...We had to split the last one." He’s far away, speech slowing, and that scares her. His eyes slide closed.

"Itachi?" She says a bit too quickly. He doesn't respond. "Itachi."

He looks at her through heavy eyelids, making eye contact for the first time in days—her fault, of course.

"What else happened?" She asks softly, staring for the first time this intently into his depthless eyes. He blinked, and they turned glassy.

"I don't know, but... Suddenly I feel like crying."

Sakura bites her lip, dabbing the cloth at his temple, then over the trail of tears rolling from his eyes.

"I think I love my brother very much." He says, and she sees in his face that he does... or did.

"So did I." She whispers, and his brow furrows. The tense of it is another question she doesn't ask herself. Instead, she cooks the cloth again and asks, "Would you like to hear one of my stories about Sasuke?"

*

It's hard to maintain hate for someone whose wellbeing is the sole purpose of your life, Sakura finds. That or she was just growing to like him after all. The stronger he got, the more of a real personality started to emerge. He was polite and kind in a constant way that was becoming harder and harder to believe was an act. It was little things, really, like when he stopped her from killing a spider, and she had to let it outside instead.

After the night of fevered delirium, their conversation had become less stilted. He still didn't remember much about Akatsuki or his time after the massacre but learning about his childhood made him unavoidably human.

"My father and I didn't get along." He admitted one day in conversation. He couldn't remember details out of thin air, but once he started down a train of thought, things came to him in the same context. His father didn't often come up.

She nodded for him to continue, but his brow furrowed, and he looked away. Sometimes she knew he was holding back, like now, but why was still a mystery.

"Can you not remember?" She offers, adjusting her seat on the bed.

"That's not it." His eyes are trained on the floor. She waits for him to continue if he'd like but doesn't press. "We didn't see eye to eye on a lot of things. He had very high expectations."

"I can imagine. He oversaw your whole clan, so I'm sure the pressure was -"

"You don’t know what you’re talking about." Itachi cuts in, tone steely cold.

She stiffens. He'd never raised his voice at her once in the weeks they'd been here, and for the first time in a while, she feels wary of him.

"He made me kill a man at 7 years old." Rage sizzled in his voice, but Sakura could only see shame in his eyes. She leaned back in surprise. "It was a traitor among the Uchiha, one of my own clansmen. My father wouldn't tell me what he'd done to deserve death but placed the kunai in my had anyway. He said it was my duty to protect the clan at all costs, even from traitors inside of it. I begged him not to make me. Then he beat me until I agreed.”

Sakura felt sick and presses her fingers into her lips, wondering just what kind of man Fugaku really was.

“I was too weak to hold the kunai myself, so he squeezed his hand around mine. It felt so small in his. He'd only ever shown love to me with those hands. Small gestures like a pat on my back or head. But that day, he beat me and held my hand so tight it hurt and forced me to press a kunai into my own relative's neck until it bled, and he died."

His hands curled into fists that shook as the words finished pouring out of him. Sakura hesitates, unsure what to say to him, but her hand reaches out to cover his, giving it a gentle squeeze. He lets out a breath, threading her delicate fingers with his.

She wonders if he’s misremembering or rewriting his memories into something he can live with. He’d killed every one of his clansmen, so what  if he was mixing two memories together? But the emotion in his face, maybe she was too naïve, but it felt too raw to be anything but the truth.

“The more I remember about my life, the less I want to. I’m coming to realize most of it was filled with regret.” His hand clenches hers. “ All I feel is powerlessness. I just want it all to end.”

“Don’t say that.” She commands, scooting closer toward him on the futon. Her purpose had become to keep that from happening, but she wonders if he’d already tried to sending Sasuke after him like he had. She wonders if he’d try again given the chance.

“Why shouldn’t I want to die?” He’s dejected, almost resigned. “I know I’m a murderer. How can someone redeem themselves from what I’ve done? I can’t even remember all of it, but I see the way you look at me and know there are worse things hiding inside my head.”

The pity in her face and the fact that she can’t meet his eyes confirms his suspicions. Itachi recoils from her at the realization, disgust marring his graceful features. This mouth draws tight at the corners, jaw jumping under his skin and he looks away.

"I don't think I deserve to still be breathing. I feel that more every day. I see your face and feel..." He breathes in through his nose and then out in a whoosh. He looks at her again and says, "So undeserving."

If she didn't know the whole story, she might have contradicted him, but she does. Many terrible things had happened because of Itachi Uchiha. But the man capable of doing those things and the man holding her hand now couldn’t be more opposite. She made the decision to be here, so he deserved something from her. The person she knew, or rather the gentle person he was without his memories, deserved to live.

So what if his story was true? What if this is who he was before whatever he had endured as a child made the way he was? Was there more to the story, things out of his control? If he was just a boy who’d suffered abuse until he snapped, Sakura knew she could forgive him for just about anything. She’d forgiven Sasuke for the very similar reasons.

Itachi shrinks a bit more into himself in her contemplative silence. All she can see now is now small and lost he looks, a little boy who just needed someone’s help. Her help. It tugs at her until her fingers curl around his cheek, and he leans into it. Her touch was familiar and comforting now after so much time caring for him. It is quiet for a moment longer.

"You should have left me in that inn and gone home." He finally says into her palm.

She shakes her head but realizes he can’t see it with his eyes screwed shut. "I couldn't do it."

From the way his brows droop, she knows he understands that she had tried. Shame clutches her stomach.

"Why not?" he murmurs, compelled to even if he believes the answer will be unpleasant.

She can't answer, but he gives her plenty of time to. What could she possibly say to that? Even to her, the truth was tangled together with the dozens of rationalizations she’d made so that she could look herself in the mirror every day without hating herself. And those were so impersonal, it would only hurt him more if she did.

He finally speaks again. "We've discussed many things but never how I fit into your life." Her hand drops from his cheek, but he catches it, dark eyes finally opening. This he's not letting this go as easily as the rest. "What are we? Colleagues? Friends?"

There’s an innocence to him believing they could have been friends that again has her stomach in knots. She doesn’t want to think about it or how far she’d gone for him despite what they were.

She tries to lean back. The space between them grown too small to fit his questions and the weight of his stare. He stops that too, hand coming to the back of her neck – firm, but not so hard she can’t break free if she wants. He’s constantly asking her closer so he can actually see her expressions. She tells herself that’s all this was.

"Why are you so invested in me, Sakura?" His eyes jump between her own. When he could see clearly, his eyes never stayed still.

Again, she doesn't have an answer but finds her chest rising and falling quickly, adrenaline tingling inside. It must not be from fear, because she doesn’t feel like running. She’s sure she should feel like running.

Instead she’s drawn forward.

"I can't remember you at all, no matter how hard I try." His eyes trailed her cheek, to the pulse hammering in her neck. His thumb brushes away her hair from the spot. Her cheeks heat. "There must be something, because I...feel something for you. It’s frustrating not remembering why or what you feel for me."

Feel something? What did that mean? She swallows, lips parting after. It catches his attention and his always moving eyes still. Reacting without thinking, her's fall to his now, and even if he hadn’t moved yet, she wondered if they would begin to dip forward. She wondered if with his thumb brushing her neck and his eyes on her lips if he was thinking about kissing her.

Finally, the missing instinct to run hits her full force.

"There's nothing to remember." She says quickly, stopping whatever it was he’d been considering. He finds her eyes again, questioning her. This was too close. She can feel his warm breath on her face, and as she inhaled she could taste the sweet and herbal he’d drank on her tongue. "We never met before I found you."

His forehead creases. "I don't understand. Why would you care for me like this if I was a stranger to you?"

"I don't know." A prickling pressure builds behind her eyes. She doesn’t know anything. Everything she was had spiraled so far out of her control that she was thinking about him without any hate in her heart. With something else in her heart entirely. "It just happened."

"Something like this doesn’t just happen.”

This? There is no this. There is nothing more to this than getting some intel and then going back to her life like it never happened. But she’s faced with the how impossible all that was now and her head spins.

She’d have to tell everyone where she had been. No lie she tried to spin could possibly explain her absence or Itachi’s reappearance for that matter. Sasuke would be furious. He’d never forgive her, let alone love her. And for what? For what was she doing all of this?

“I’m just your brother’s teammate. That’s it.” She breaks away from him, quickly shifting to her knees and springing to her feet. What the hell was she doing?

“I see.” He says in that quiet way he does when he’s sifting through his memories for more information. His hands fall to his lap. “Sasuke’s…”

Sakura turns her back and leaves. She was Sasuke’s, but she’s realizing not once in her life was he ever hers. At this point, she doubted he ever would be.

#do no harm au #part 1 #itasaku #will edit later!

[bangtanloverboys]

days in the sun // jhs

summary - it's a gloomy day for hoseok, and all he can think of is you: his light

pairing - vampire!hoseok x female!reader

genre - angst; vampire au, slight historical au

word count - 2k

warning - vampire yoongi makes a quick appearance, blood drinking, death, this is just sad

author’s note - would like to acknowledge that, yes. i know the title is a song from disney's "beauty and the beast" (2017). italics equal flashbacks

Closing his book, Hoseok glanced to the time. 6:37 am. It was barely morning, setting his book off to the side, he folded his arms behind his head. He hadn’t slept at all last night. Granted sleep for him was unnecessary but he was restless this particular night. Because of the date. It was the anniversary. It was another painful year without you. With a sigh, he closed his eyes. He could still picture how your hair fell, framing your face beautifully. He could still perfectly remember your smile, how he’d do anything to see it. You were so beautiful. 

“Hoseok!! Where are you taking me!” He had you in tow as you shrieked in excitement. 

“Almost there!” He laughed as he pulled you a little further into the gardens of your family’s estate. He knew he shouldn’t be seeing you without a proper chaperone, but he wanted to see you. 

Your hand in his, he pulled you past the low hanging branches of a tree. “Seokie!” You giggled as he came to a stop. Ever so gently, he spun you around until your back met the trunk of the tree, your dress catching on the rough bark. “What are we doing here?”

For a moment, Hoseok didn’t say anything; he just looked at you, taking in your beauty. He merely placed a hand on your cheek, the warmth of the sun peeking through the tree caressing your skin. “I missed you, darling.” He confessed as he stared into your eyes. 

You close your eyes and lean into his touch. “I missed you too.”

Sucking in a breath, he sat up. He couldn’t reminisce the day away, not when he had things to do. He pulled back the curtains of his apartment window, greeted with grey skies. A gloomy day. With a tight smile pulling on his lips, he sighed. “Perfect.”

Hoseok got changed out of the clothes from yesterday, wanting to look his best today. He chucked his old clothes into a basket, finding a fresh shirt and slacks. He fixed his appearance up, making sure that not a hair was out of place. Finishing up tying his shoes, he tucked his umbrella into his pocket and headed out the door. 

The streets were busy this morning, people wanting to get to work before the rain kicked in. Per his usual routine, he ducked into a coffee shop a few blocks away from his apartment building. The smell of fresh coffee filling his senses as he moved to stand in line. As the wait droned on, Hoseok found his eyes being drawn towards a couple, hidden away in the corner of the cafe, laughing to themselves as they shared their breakfast.

“Miss L/N, Mister Jung has arrived.” The butler announced as Hoseok stepped up to the gazebo; there you sat on the opposite side of the small table, dabbing your face with a napkin, riding your face of any cream or crumb that might’ve resided on your lip. 

“Mr. Jung,” you smiled at him as he took his seat across from you.

“Couldn’t wait for me, I’m assuming.” He chortled, noting the small eaten croissant that was on your plate. “Apologies, if I kept you waiting.”

Your face flushed from embarrassment as you looked down to your lap, “No, I’m sorry. I should’ve waited until you arrived.”

“Well, I’m here now, Miss L/N.” He started, taking his own napkin and laying it across his lap. “Shall we begin?”

“Sir, next in line please.” Hoseok was pulled from his thoughts as he saw that he was next in line, being called by the barista. 

“Sorry about that,” he mumbled as he asked for his usual order, leaving a slightly larger tip to apologize for holding up the line. Drink in hand, he walked back out onto the streets beneath the gloomy sky. 

Hoseok kept walking down the street, taking the occasional sip of his coffee; the drink warming his eternally cool body. The drink did little to nothing to his energy nor his taste buds, all it did was warm him from the inside out. Not necessarily a bad thing, but today of all days it hurt a bit more than usual. He missed it’s taste, but all the liquid could do for him was remind him of the permanent ice that rested deep in his soul. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a spot of color amongst the gay that loomed over all the city. Turning his head, he recognized the small building as a flower shop, hidden between two larger buildings. Crossing the street, he made his way over to the bouquets that lined the front of the store.

It was a warm spring day, the two of you were in a field of flowers, far from either of your homes or any sort of supervision. Hoseok had his head laid down on your lap, listening to you talk about flowers. Some of the information he was able process, but truthfully he was completely enthralled with you. The way the sun was perfectly behind your head, illuminating a halo around you as you looked down at him. 

“Seokie! Are you even listening to me?” You teased him, noticing he wasn’t paying attention to your words as you explained the meaning of another flower. 

“Do you promise not to be mad at me if I say no?” He bit back a laugh as you gasped, playfully smacking him on his chest. “Forgive me! I promise to listen now!”

“Mm, you better.” You stuck your tongue down at him as you picked a flower within your arms reach. “What kind of flower is this?” Holding the small blossom in front of his eyes.

He squinted up at it, recognizing the white and yellow of the plant. “It’s a daisy.”

“Mmhmm,” you affirmed as you ran your free hands fingers through his dark locks, warmed by the sun. “Do you know what it means?” 

“What?”

A tender smile is on your lips as you brush some of his hair behind his ear, placing the small flower there. “To most the meaning is innocence, but for you; Hope.”

“Oh, and why is that, my love?” A smile of his own slowly growing as he looked up at you.

“Because you give me hope,” you began as you let your hand rest upon his chest, tracing designs along the crisp white cloth. “You’re my hope.”

Hoseok opened the door of the flower shop, “Excuse me, do you happen to take custom orders?” With a nod of her head, the shop owner asked what he wanted. 

A few minutes later he walked out with a blooming white bouquet; the shop owner saying that a pure daisy bouquet wasn’t the right approach for visiting a loved one, believing his reasoning behind the flowers. White hyacinths, for loveliness. Because that’s still what you were to him, lovely; and yarrow, everlasting love. Ironic in his case, he does have love for you everlasting. One he doesn’t quite think he’ll ever forget.

It starts to rain as he approaches his destination, the cemetery. He doesn’t move to open his umbrella just yet. He stands at the threshold for a moment, letting the icy rain fall over him. He places a hand on the stone pillar that marks the entrance. It feels too much like that night.

Everything burned, Hoseok let out a garbled scream as pain seared through his veins. The cause of all this pain? The man who he thought was his friend, the one he was considering to be his best man when he finally asked for your hand in marriage; Min Yoongi. 

He should’ve known this creature was not his friend, not the one he knew at least. He knew Yoongi was always a reserved man, but the past few weeks he should’ve suspected something was wrong when he received an invitation to his house well past midnight after not hearing from him at all. But yet this is where he was, writhing in pain beneath his friend, whose sunken his teeth deep into the flesh of Hoseok’s neck; gulping down his blood. 

When Yoongi finally released his grip on him, they both fell onto the floor, panting heavily; albeit for different reasons. Tears burned down his cheeks as Hoseok cried, he didn’t quite fully understand what had happened. He was scared, confused, and in pain. But all that came out from what had happened was tears. 

His hand moved from the stone to his neck, grazing over the site of where the bite mark once was. It’s healed over the century, not even a scar to even prove that it happened. But he knows it happened, he wouldn’t be here if it didn’t.

Hand gripping the flowers, he stepped into the cemetery. He followed along the pathway, watching as the headstones got older, more moss covered and less visited. Then he saw it, taking a deep breath, he started towards the headstone. Your headstone. 

He knelt down in front of it, re-reading the inscription for what feels like the millionth time: ‘Y/N L/N, Beloved Daughter, 1851-1869, Aged 18’. Reading those words over and over again felt like an arrow puncturing his heart. You should’ve lived longer, you deserved a long happy and wonderful life with or without him. But you didn’t.

And it was his fault. 

“Hoseok, you’re scaring me.” You trembled as he stuttered towards you. He doesn’t remember getting to your house, he doesn’t remember how he got into your room. But soon as he set his sights on you, he began circling you, like a wild animal hunting its prey.

“So. . . hungry. . .” The sound of your heart racing was roaring in his ears. He drank you in from bottom to top, licking his lips as his eyes landed on your neck. You looked so delicious, he had to have you. He needed to have you. Lunging forward, he tackled you to the floor in a loud thud. Someone should’ve heard that, he needed to be quick. Just a bite. Only a bite. 

He let his tongue run over the expanse of your skin, his mouth was watering over the barest taste of you. With a growl, he sank his teeth into you, piercing your skin. Quickly, he began to lap up the blood that seeped from your fresh wound, all while you squirmed and cried, begging for him to stop, to get off you. But he didn’t listen, soon as he had a taste of you, his laps became gulps. Hoseok drank from you until you ceased moving, but not even that stopped him. 

He kept going and going and going until his thirst was finally quenched. But by then the damage was too late. He remembers looking down at your blank face, your eyes still open looking up at him. The image made him sick. 

“Y/N? Are you alright in there?” A voice called as it knocked on the door. Covering his mouth, he scrambled back to his feet. His eyes never left yours as he walked backwards towards the window.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he placed the flowers at the base of your headstone. With the rain coming down so quickly, he was no longer sure if he was crying or not, the rain mixing with his tears. He was damned for life, not only for what he was, but for what he had done. He should’ve never gone to you in the state he was in. He should’ve packed up his bags and left town; you wouldn’t have ever been able to see him again, but at least you would’ve been able to live. 

The image of your lifeless body still haunted his every waking moment, he tried not to think of you as that still form. But to remember you as you were, beautiful and warm. You were his sun. His light. His love. 

Hoseok opened his eyes to stare blankly at the gravestone. Without thinking, he pressed a kiss to the rough edge of the marble headstone. Standing, he unfurled his umbrella, finally stopping the rain from soaking him any further. He took one last good look at the headstone, then walked away.

#btsghostie #thehouseofbangtan #jung hoseok x reader #hoseok x reader #hobi x reader #jhope x reader #bts x reader #bts vampire au #vampire jung hoseok #vampire min yoongi #bts angst #bts fanficiton #jung hoseok angst #jung hoseok fanfiction #bts #jung hoseok #min yoongi #bts x reader vampire

[fanfic-collection]

Loki x Reader: December - 18 Crimson Snow

So I wrote this over like 3 hours while watch a tv show, so I don’t really know how it turned out, so if it seems kinda weird, don’t blame me. Blame TV

-

Loki scrambled through the snow, his boots skittering and sliding as he scrambled past tree roots and branches, ducking and jumping, fleeing. Bullets and energy beams followed after him, scarring the trees and wrenching their limbs from their trunks.

Panting, Loki tossed a few throwing knives over his shoulder. Screams of pain confirmed they found their marks. With a flex of his hand, a heavy mist rose in the air, but the projectiles continued firing at him, their shots growing more accurate. Leaping into the air and twisting around, Loki manipulated his fingers, a burst of green energy arching out and knocking several trees down. More screams of pain confirmed his magic had been a success.

Loki landed and turned, stumbling to one knee, before forcing himself to stand once more. He scrambled forward, slower this time, his followers gaining rapidly.

Bursting through the wall of trees, Loki let out a pained breath as he found himself at a literal rock wall. He walked forward, stepping up to the rock slowly and smoothing his hand along the flat surface, groaning weakly. His chest rose and fell rapidly, a stitch in his side as his breath came in painful gasps.

The pursuants grew closer and closer, narrowing in on him and he knew he was at the end.

Loki cursed softly, scrambling for his knives, and readying them to throw, conjuring green fire in his other offhand.

Masked, clawed beasts stepped through the tree cover, screaming at Loki, flashing their claws and waving their weapons. The creatures began firing at him, those at a distance Loki killed with magic. Those that thought to use their claws, moved closer and Loki rapidly grew tired, having to resort to his own daggers.

Claws sliced into his flesh and armor, blood running down his face and clothes. Loki kicked and punched, slashing and stabbing, dancing among the beasts.

A particularly lucky strike lashed out and struck him in the abdomen. Loki keeled over, more claws digging into him, ripping and tearing at his armor from his skin.

With a final surge of strength, Loki mustered magical knives and in a circular blast arched them into the beasts surrounding him.

From among the trees, you stood holding your breath, hoping nobody finds you. The cowl of your cloak was pulled low over your face and a scarf tugged up high over your nose. You peered around the tree, watching the bloody melee warily.

The dark haired man sent out a burst of green energy and the beasts fell to the ground, spattered in blood, clenching at their wounds before succumbing to the cool hands of death.

For a moment, the man stood there, his clothing more rags than actual clothes. He swayed where he stood, taking a forceful step away from the beasts, then another. Forcing himself to move from the circle of dead beasts and their green blood.

At last he made it to the sheer rock wall and slumped down, falling prone on his back. Slowly a pool of blood spread around him, staining the snow crimson.

Making a split-second decision, you stepped around the tree and scurried over to the man. You passed around a number of knives glinting in the sun, mindful not to cut your feet on the sharp surfaces. You wore thick boots in the snow, but you didn’t doubt the knives could still cut sheer through them.

After your long timid steps, you made it to the comatose looking man and looked down at him.

Blood continued to pump out of him in a slow, steady beat. This was good, technically, he was still alive.

You bit your lip beneath the scarf. This man was dangerous. You were uniquely equipped to help him, but should you?

With a heavy sigh, you knelt down, undoing your scarf, and moved to wrap it around the worst of his wounds.

The man’s eyes shot open, staring up at you defiantly, his hand reaching up weakly trying to grab your throat but stopping short. His bloodied hand fell limply down by his side as he stared up at you, eyes shimmering as he stared you down.

You were not to be deterred. “I’m going to help you.” You whispered, reaching your hand up to wipe gently at his forehead, smoothing some of the blood form his face. For all of your life, you had had some manner of healing powers in your touch. Mostly you knew healing herbs and medicines, but your touch, it calmed and soothed people.

At first the man stiffened distrustfully at your touch, but the longer you held your hand to his forehead, willing him to relax, he slowly melted into your touch. His eyes flickered shut.

You lifted him under the arms and began to drag him carefully through the snow, your scarf wrapped tightly around his torso wound.

What felt like an eternity later, the two of you finally reached your log cabin. You looked at the trail of blood following you to the cabin, praying for fresh snow to cover your trail.

Finally inside and with your new patient on a cot, laying by the fire, you began to set about taking care of his wounds.

First you had to take off the last remains of his armor, tearing it and cutting at it with your sharpest blades. You knew if it weren’t for the myriad of wounds and blood covering him, he would be a specimen of a man. But there was no time to ogle, he was rapidly bleeding out.

You ground herbs, cleaned the wounds and began stitching at the smaller cuts. Setting a needle into his vein, you injected numbing agents into his bloodstream, as well as other supplements to stop a fever.

The large wound on his abdomen worried you the most, and you kept your soothing hand pressed to it, willing your healing energy into it.

When you finally turned your attention to the largest wound on his abdomen, the skin had already attempted to tug and pull and begin to close. The bleeding only coming out mildly. You stitched it shut and wrapped it in fresh bandages knowing you would have to change them frequently.

And then, you waited.

You were exhausted, such an endeavor was draining. Using up so much healing energy took a huge toll on you and you had not done so in a long time. You crossed the room over to your simple bed, after forcing yourself to wash up, and sank onto the soft mattress.

Just as you started to doze, your patient stirred.

You pulled yourself from the hazy confines of sleep and struggled to your feet, walking over to him.

The man gasped, breathing heavily as he tried to lift himself into a sitting position. It was a testament to his will that he was already awake.

“Rest.” You said softly, coming over and placing your hand on his forehead.

The man glared at you, trying to raise his hand to swat at you. “What sorcery is this?” He snarled softly.

How does one snarl softly? You looked at him bemused. He tried to snarl, and yet there was no bite to his anger. “You are injured.” You explained gently, smoothing your hand through his black wavy hair. Subconsciously, you smiled at the texture. “Can you tell me your name? I saw you injured by those beasts and took you back to my home to heal you.”

The man looked at you distrustfully, “I’m Loki, of Asgard. And why would you show such kindness.” His green eyes flashed.

“I heal people. Sometimes they do favors for me in return.”

“How pragmatic.”

“Sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they just leave and I never see them again.”

“Altruistic.”

You smiled, still stroking his hair.

“Why are you touching me?” Loki squinted his eyes, trying to move his head away from you.

“My touch calms and heals. You have been through great trauma that you still feel distrust despite this.” You looked at him sadly.

Loki laughed coldly, eyes glancing away. His defenses, however, seemed to be lowering. Whatever mental walls he had, defiantly resisting your touch, seemed to be crumbling.

After a moment he looked back at you irritably, “Where is my armor?”

“It was damaged beyond repair, I had to cut it apart to get at your wounds.”

Loki glared at you angrily, though it seemed to fade quickly. He lifted his arm up, gazing down the length of his body to see how bare he was beneath the blankets and grimaced. He sighed, setting his head back down on the pillow. “Your touch is infuriating.”

“Does being calmed, trouble you?” You furrowed your brow.

Loki opened and closed his mouth. “Against my will, yes.”

“I’m sorry.” You pulled your hand away.

Loki gasped, body writhing in pain, a low moan escaping his lips.

You quickly pressed your hand back to his forehead and began stroking his hair again.

A small shuddering sigh ran escaped Loki’s mouth and his breathing steadied. “Please, don’t… don’t do that again.”

You smoothed your hand down his face, along his cheeks and smoothed your thumb along his sharp cheekbones.

Loki’s eyes fluttered shut.

“I’m going to have to redress your wound. So I’m going to have to remove my hand.”

Loki scrunched his eyes shut and clenched his jaw, nodding.

“I’ll get you a shirt though.”

A soft exhale through Loki’s nose as he nodded and then you set about changing the dressing, blood lightly seeping through. Then you helped tug on his shirt and he mumbled small thanks.

“So your touch, is magic?” Loki asked after a long silence.

“Yes, I saw you use magic as well.”

Loki held your hand, more convenient, you told yourself – though you felt a warmth on your cheeks. He studied your fingers laced through his. “Yes, yours is so life giving.” He smiled at you.

You gazed at him. He didn’t seem the type who opened up so freely, and yet, he was so warm to you. Perhaps there was something to saving someone’s life and then being forced to keep skin contact. You knew your natural gift encouraged people to open up to you, but this man seemed so touch starved and desperate for compassion and you found yourself happy to give it.

A large yawn escaped your mouth.

“Your touch takes energy, doesn’t it?” Loki asked, once more breaking the long silence.

You nodded wearily, “I’ve been up for many hours tending to you, and dragging you through the woods…”

“I can manage without you.” Loki offered.

“I don’t want to do that to you.”

“Does it work while you sleep?”

“I imagine it can?” The way you said it sounded like a question.

Loki turned his head over at the bed at the other side of the room. You turned your head and followed his gaze. Your bed could fit two people, however you were worried about having him away from the fire, worried he could get cold.

Loki weakly raised his hands on his chest and picked at his fingers. It seemed to take all of his strength to do this anxious movement.

Finally you sighed, “Brace yourself.”

You walked over to your bed and dragged it towards the fireplace. The bed screeched along the floor until it finally stood next to the cot.

By the time it was next to Loki, a thin sheen of sweat lay across his brow as he grit his teeth, breathing heavily against the pain. Gripping the blanket beneath him, you tugged him onto your mattress. Loki groaned in pain, crying out softly as his back wounds were jostled.

You hurried around to the other side of the bed and pulled off your shirt, leaving yourself only in a bra, then climbed into the bed, tucking yourself in next to him. Pulling up his shirt, you pressed your chest into his side, and dragged the blankets over the two of you. You hooked your leg over his legs, pulling him flush to you.

A soft moan of relief and a shuddering sigh ran through Loki’s body. You had never felt so exhausted, so much of your soothing, healing magic flowing into another being.

As your eyes fluttered shut, sleep and exhaustion beginning to take hold, you felt Loki reach across you and grip your shoulder. On your other shoulder, Loki nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck. Slowly you fell into a warm dreamless sleep, wrapped up in Loki.

#Loki x reader #ficbit #december 2020

[ashintheairlikesnow]

Yes poor poor mute Chris with sir

CW: Noncon touching (nonsexual), conditioning, sensory deprivation, noise torture, nonverbal episode, Oliver Branch is a fucking creep, emotional manipulation, restraints, blood mentions, conditioned responses, sadistic games. 

Tagging Chris’s crew:  @burtlederp, @finder-of-rings, @endless-whump, @whumpfigure, @stxckfxck, @slaintetowhump, @astrobly, @newandfiguringitout , @doveotions

First, the scent of Sir’s cologne, heady and overpowering as always. In conditioned response that goes deeper than thought, he knows the scent means safe.

But it’s not safe.

But it has to be. The owner is safe.

The owner is safe the owner is safe the owner is safe 

He’s not safe

He’s safe

Sir's fingertips brush along his cheek just under the line of the blindfold's smooth black leather. The sudden touch, after nearly a day with none, makes Baldur flinch back before he whines - or thinks he does - and pushes forward into it.

He can’t hear his own voice over the blaring sounds still in his ears, the heavy headphones locked over them blasting something that might be music, but all Baldur can hear now is a horrible deafening noise. He can only feel the vibration in his throat that tells him he’s trying to speak, the scrape of chapped lips against each other, the press of a dry tongue against his teeth, but he’s not sure if words are coming out.

The noise is too loud, he’s derailed, nothing’s left but sound.

His neck aches from holding up his head with the weight of the headphones, they seem like stones fixed over his ears and not speakers at all. They press so hard it hurts, it throbs, he never wants to hear anything ever again if it has to feel like this.

There’s a sharp, piercing headache lancing through him whenever he tries to turn his head, and he might be whimpering, or begging - how could he know? All he can hear is someone screaming or a guitar or something, he doesn’t even know anymore. He doesn’t know.

His nerves are electric but in the worst way. This isn’t like when your skin lights up from touch, this feels like his whole body’s gone to sleep and woken up again. It’s too much, too overwhelming. He can’t take all this feeling, like spiders crawling but under instead of on top of, like his skin is made of puzzle pieces that are being shaken out on the floor. He can’t rock, something pulls taut and stops him, freezes him. 

Statue boy, puzzle glued down to the table, you can’t pick up the pieces any longer, it’s all so still and so loud and it won’t stop. He has to move he has to move he can’t move.

He used to do puzzles upside down, didn’t he? he remembers staring at the flat brown cardboard and he knew exactly how the pieces would fit together even without looking at the picture even without-

The new spike of pain is sharper, it’s stronger than the pain he already feels, and he knows he cries out, because Sir’s hand pressed against his mouth, a firm push against his jaw forcing his teeth to click together, nearly biting his own tongue in the process. He feels vibration, still along his throat and that means he must be trying to scream, right?

Baby, honey, please, baby, you have to stop screaming, we’re at Target honey you have to stop-

It hurts, it hurts and he can’t stop thinking it but he has to stop, these are the wrong thoughts, the bad thoughts, the ones that hurt too much to think but he can’t stop he can’t-

Just a different way of living in the world

Legs straight spine straight arms up perfect landing

Help me please someone help me please god please, please don’t leave me here alone don’t leave me don’t leave don’t-

He’s full of static, he’s a television that isn’t working he’s the drink inside a cocktail shaker he’s ice and liquor and crushed-up mint all his parts were destroyed so someone else can consume him he can’t stop he can’t think he can’t hear he can’t speak he can’t move he can’t-

please, I’ll do anything, please, whatever y-you want, please unlock the door please take me out of here please just fucking talk to me please-

He’s screaming he has to be screaming he has to be there’s so much noise inside his head but some of it is his own, right? Some of the noise is from him, is from-

I know it hurt, honey, but sometimes things have to hurt for a little bit-

The headphones suddenly lift off and the noise is gone. 

In its absence is a silence that weighs so heavily on him that he slumps forwards, forgetting that his hands are tied tightly with a short line to his ankles until he crashes gracelessly onto the floor chin-first, the impact clicking his teeth together. 

Everything is still dark, but now the dark is quiet, and it’s better, and it’s so much worse. The echoes of sound still rollick around inside his brain, crashing off his skull and back into each other.

A finger runs slowly up the front of his throat, tracing the line of his Adam’s apple, slipping underneath his jaw and to his chin, presses a roughened pad against his lips. There’s a burst of copper in his mouth as the fingertip presses down so hard it breaks open the sore spots and his lips bleed back against the tongue that lolls heavy and like a cotton-covered weight behind his teeth.

"Oh, darlin’. You beautiful boy, you did just fine." 

The voice is low, but it cuts through the noise. He whines again, tears sliding out from under the blindfold to fall against the floor. His sobs are broken and hitched, gasping air into his lungs with desperation. 

“Good thing it’s just us at home today, hm?” A soft, playful press of a bloodied fingertip to his nose, leaving a little spot there. He can’t see it but he can guess when Oliver chuckles and hums the first few bars of a song he doesn’t know but knows, all the same. 

He can hear a little voice (his voice?) high and reedy child-voice, off-key and not caring, a woman’s voice saying that he knows how to make a joyful noise, doesn’t he?

Does he?

Did he used to?

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (reindeer), had a very shiny nose (like a light bulb!)

He flinches as the pain comes again, then whimpers when his movement only pulls the ties at his wrists and ankles tighter. Skin that rubbed raw hours ago is one more agony to add to the rest. 

This game is worse than all the other games have ever been. 

How was he supposed to win? He can’t remember any longer.

Fingers, skimming along the underside of the blindfold over to his ears and behind his head, and the sensation of touch overwhelms, it's too much. Only his training - only the memories of the white room and the white light and the pain - keep him still for it. 

His thoughts have scattered, broken, his ideas are shattered glass on the ground around him. He can't think, not anymore. When the blindfold slides off and his open eyes suddenly see a blurry face too close for comfort and the flash of light against his dilated pupils he winces back and clenches them shut again, shaking his head desperately. 

“Sssshhh... calm down, darlin’. It’s all right. I’m here.”

But you did this to me

Baldur wants to speak but his voice won’t work. There are words but they’re locked inside his head with all the noise. All he can do is moan when his wrists are untied from his ankles and he can flop them, muscles aching, to the cool floor. 

“You did so well.” A hand pets through his hair and after everything else the sensation is too much. He cringes away from it, turning his head away. It’s all too much, too much on his skin and under it and inside his head and it’s too much it’s too much it’s too much-

“Oh, hiding from me, now?” Sir’s voice is teasing, laying his southern drawl on thick as he moves away. Baldur lets out a soft breath of relief, as for just a moment he can lay here with nothing touching him at all, no sound in his ears, only the pain.

A metallic scrape, and he manages to force his eyes open, in tiny little slits, to see the floor lamp being pulled across the floor. He stares at Sir’s leather Oxfords - he’d shined them just this morning before the game. Or was that yesterday? 

He hates the lamp. The light is bright and too white and he remembers, always, the light of the white room that never turns off.

“Just say ‘please’, darlin’, and I won’t turn the light on.” There’s a teasing delight to Sir’s voice. It’s a game, Baldur realizes with a sick lurch inside his stomach. Another game. He just finished the game and there’s another one already.

But this one is easy. It’s one word. Just one word.

He opens his mouth...

Nothing happens.

His mouth stays open for a while, desperate to have the sound create meaning, for tongue to push against teeth in the specific way. But when he tries he can’t remember how, exactly. Only the wordless shrieking noise inside the headphones, the overwhelming weight of the sound inside his head. 

He can’t ask.

He turns tearful eyes, pleading, begging, and Sir only smiles down at him and pushes the light bulb closer and closer down on its adjustable stand, until it’s only a foot away from his head.

Sir flicks the bright white light on and stares fixedly down, smiling and smiling, as Baldur shudders and begins to cry.

Please just turn the light off I’ll do anything I’ll sign your stupid paper please I’m sorry please I don’t know what I did I don’t know

I’m so sorry I won’t be angry anymore I promise I won’t

Please turn the light off

please

He’s never afraid of the dark anymore, but Baldur is terrified of the light.

Sir’s voice runs thick and sweet as molasses, pours over Baldur, suffocates the air right from his lungs. His sobs are airy, breathy, dizzy gasps now. The light is so bright and it never turns off. The light is so bright and it never-

He can think the please until it’s a scream inside his mind but it won’t come out of his mouth. 

“Too bad, darlin’. Guess you lost again after all.”

#whump #sensory deprivation #noise torture #blindfolded tw #box boy #box boy universe #box boy multiverse #chris and sir #chris the strawberry blond romantic #repressed memories #broken whumpee #oliver branch is gross #conditioning #conditioned whumpee #sadistic games #creepy whumper #memory loss #referenced past isolation #fear of the light #fear of light #whump involving a minor #blood tw #restrained

[g00d1uckch4rm]

Primal

Chapter 15: Keys To The Cage

Summary/Info Rated M CHAPTER WARNINGS: Character Death, Blood, Non-Sexual Non-Consensual elements, Use of Restraints

Previously...  

After Link tells his knights everything, Platoon forty-eight and the secretive couple R and M meet. A band is starting to come together for the rescue and proper medicine is almost at hand. 

Yet something derails Link’s focus on the mission. Sidon’s concern turned out to be true, as not only does M smell the change, the Sheikah slate denies Link teleportation. Emotionally compromised, Link rushes to the Domain, to Sidon.  

Only to be captured by Sado. With whatever life growing inside him threatened, the remaining three champions are stripped from his soul by the Hylian known as Kuu and Link is left weakened, practically helpless. But he is not so easily broken and resists where he can. 

However, Yanun’s horrific magic practically makes him into a doll. Acting as she desires and going through a sacrificial ceremony without issue. Link is tormented as he’s left to simply watch as Mipha’s soul is offered to play a key role in overthrowing Hyrule and Sado stakes claim to Link with a bonding bite. 

-Only obvious key points will be summarized. There are likely moments of an Unreliable Narrator or Sneaky Foreshadowing.- 

____________________________________________________

Despite the weight, the door flew open with ease as Sidon rushed inside. “Pardon the entrance! I am sorry it took longer than planned, Link. I...” He trailed off, for the room was empty. The fireplace was nothing more than embers, leaving the room dim in the winter afternoon.  

Yet dark markings on the floor drew his attention. Sidon didn't know what to expect; a strange drawing, a message? As he approached, the Zora stepped to the side and let the brightly lit hall shine upon the floor. As they were made clear, he wished for anything but this. These sharp and wild turns, burned into the wood. Kneeling down and daring to touch the scorched floor, Sidon could still feel a faint warmth. It was no longer fresh, but he guessed this was likely about an hour old.    

Following along the branch to its source with his fingertips, he came across something unusual hidden at the edge of the shadows. Unlike the other marks, this one was not an assortment of lines, this one was a blotch, an impression of something else. Tracing the shape, Sidon realized what he was looking at and not far off was its twin, along with something else that stretched all the way behind the door.    

"Prince Sidon?” Bazz calls out carefully from the hall, clearly worried from the silence. “Is everything alright?”    

“No.” Was all he could reply with at this moment as a mix of fear and rage began to rush through his veins.     

The Zora captain was now visible in the doorway, but kept a respectful distance. He squints his eyes at the markings around the prince. “Is that..?”    

When the other didn't finish his sentence, Sidon stood and glared at the damaged flooring with hands clenched into fists. “Lightning strikes, yes.”    

Unsurprising, the knight took a quick step back out of reflex before he made the bold move of standing in the arch of the doorway. Lightning, here!? Inside the palace!? “Is the weapon still there? Is Link alright!?”    

“He is not here and I am unsure if I should feel thankful for that or not. Link could have fled and is possibly injured or.” Sidon stopped as out of the corner of his eye, he noticed something else.    

“Or?” Bazz urged and watched as Sidon picked up a small book. Only to realize his mistake when the prince flipped it around in his hands, it was the Sheikah slate.  

The red Zora scowled at the ancient technology. “He has been taken.” For the time being, he placed it atop the mantlepiece. “This isn't the work of a weapon; this is the work of a creature. When it attacked, the placement of its feet was burned into the floor and along with something else.”    

“A Lizalfos?” Rare for an electric one to be in the Lanayru region, but not unheard of. But Bazz couldn't even begin to think of how one managed to get this far in. They could camouflage, sure, but they were also prone to blowing their cover.    

“No.” Sidon glanced from the footprints and to his own feet. Clenching his fangs together, Sidon held back a snarl and stormed from the room. The door was slammed with such force, it sounded as though a wall had collapsed. “Someone much bigger.”    

The captain wasn’t able to question further on the accusation, because before his prince could even take two steps down the hallway, he collapsed with a loud shout. Sidon managed to catch himself on his knees as he braced himself with one arm. While his hand grasped helplessly at the side of his neck from a sudden explosion of pain.    

“Prince Sidon!” Bazz hovered in shock, unsure if it was wise to touch him. “What’s wrong?”    

“I-I don’t know!” Sidon groaned in agony, he was just as confused and worried as the other. Sidon held on so tightly that his claws began to catch on his scales and it hurt, but nowhere nearly as intense as his neck already did. It was like a jagged edge of an old knife was digging into him. Grinding against his bones, threatening to break through.    

Yet it didn’t stop there. A surging heat began to burn all the way down to his chest. It felt like someone was trying to tear him in half. And Sidon couldn’t take any more. He began screaming in torment. 

All Bazz could do was watch, as none of his words reached his prince after that. He couldn’t even touch him without being lashed out at. But he couldn’t just leave Sidon alone, so he would have to wait until another guard followed the sound of distress. Then he could have them fetch a physician.    

Or at least that was the plan, until electricity flashed across Sidon's body.    

~~~~~~  ҉  ~~~~~~ 

The wind pressure from the sudden change in temperature was strong enough to knock people over. But Link held his ground and covered his face. As the dust settled, he dropped his arms and looked towards the edge of the canyon. 

Looking back at him were fierce blue and yellow eyes. Her mountain sized body softly curling around in the air as she floated. Fire held tightly in powerful talons as her horns and crystals glowed brightly like the magma of an active volcano. With a small glare, Dinraal barked out an order and was careful to keep her fangs hidden. “Speak.”    

Link is shivering now, not from the dragon, but because his body is burning hot. He has to blink the spots from his vision as he focuses on the spirit before him. She's easily the full source of light in the cave and it makes it hard to look at her.    

Dinraal hissed, dark smoke shooting out from between her teeth like a geyser. “Speak!”    

Link shakes his head and goes to touch his throat, only to feel something drip on his hand. Checking, he finds drops of red liquid and touching his face, he finds the source. Blood is trickling out of his mouth, there’s no pain and every breath out is followed by a sudden gush. Splashing on the floor around his bare feet, adding to the horrific puddle spreading across the white floor.    

Panicking, Link tries to stop the bleeding by covering his mouth and looks to the dragon for help. But she hasn’t moved at all and doesn’t seem to care about what is happening to him.     

The blood starts flowing faster, going right through his fingers. More and more Link is becoming surrounded by the dark, red liquid and still his body burns hotter and hotter.    

“Speak!” Dinraal demands again.    

Link shakes his head, so overwhelmed with fear by the sight he can’t do much else. There’s so much blood, there's too much blood, it’s so dark. It begins to bubble and broil, turning to tar in his mouth. His breath is ragged and erratic, but still has no issues as the thick black mass pours out.     

It’s filling up far too fast, it’s up to his waistline. Black water splashes around as he tries to find an edge, some way, anyway to get out. Everything is enveloped in the darkness; all save for the smouldering glow of Dinraal.     

Link locks his gaze with the dragon as she roars before the world truly becomes dark. Then there is nothing but terror and silence.   

~~~~~~  ҉  ~~~~~~ 

“I said, I'm fine!” Sidon shouted and staggered a little as he got up from the floor. The pain may have stopped, but there were aftereffects. Nerves still humming made his muscles twitch and the blood rushing through his veins had him gasping for air. Along with strange sensations running across his scales. One felt like a current pushing past him and the other was like hands grabbing at him.  

“By all accounts, nothing that has happened has been anything close to fine!” Bazz lost all sense of unease in place of anger and frustration. Dropping his professionalism, Bazz grabbed the other man by the arm. “I can't carry you so we’re going to walk to the medical wing!”   

“Don't touch me!” He reacts with hostility and easily yanks his arm free, unintentionally throwing his friend to the floor in the process. It startled Bazz more than anything, but he is quick to gather himself and pick up his spear. About to give the prince a piece of his mind, scowling and pissed. Only for his temper to simmer down at the look of horror and shock skimming across Sidon's face before settling in a twist of discomfort. “I-I didn’t mean...”  

Normally this would be the point where Sidon would go on a string of apologies, back down and see sense. That he needed help, something was affecting not only his judgment, but his control. “My Prince, you need to see a physician, the King, someone. You're not acting like yourself! You must come with me, I will use force and gather others to drag you if I must!” He then shifted his hold on his spear, readying to engage in non-lethal combat. 

Bazz expects some sort of reaction; annoyance, a glare, a pout even. Some sort of sign that the prince still had some semblance of self.    

He might have misjudged his friend’s rationality, just a bit. As Bazz is not even sure if he should feel irritated or bewildered. 

Sidon ignores every word, a sense of importance overwhelming his focus on the situation. He felt as though he knew what it was, what it was for, yet could not recall why. Only it would guide him to where he was supposed to go, where he needed to be. Sidon had to follow the current and he weaves his hand through the air trying to get a better feeling of the illusion. “This way... from below?” 

“What are you-?” The captain doesn't even get a chance to finish before the prince bolts. He gives chase, but panics when the red Zora jumps out the window at the end of the hall. “Sidon!” Reaching the windowsill seconds later, he can't even see the ripples in the dark waters below. But he did not follow, it was far too risky to be jumping in between raised pathways. 

Bazz cursed and raced for the stairwell, he was going to need more than five men this time.  

~~~~~~  ҉  ~~~~~~ 

Sidon ran, swam, chasing the current. Sounds distorted from the flow echoed all around, but he didn’t stop, he didn’t listen. The current grew stronger as he followed it, Sidon couldn’t afford to stop, he had to hurry, he had to get there.  

But then his body collided with something, knocking him off course. 

He was snapped from his daze from the sudden scent of blood. Looking around the water, Sidon was below the palace and the silver woman was here. He didn’t even remember diving into the lake, he was confused, but the feeling of urgency was stronger than logic. I have to hurry. 

“Prince Sidon,” Yanun held her forehead as red wisps faded into the water. "I was hoping to bump into you on my way to see the King, but didn't mean literally." She said with a smile, dropping her hand and revealing mere scrapes; likely from colliding with his ornate chest piece. “Won’t you join me?” 

The scent of blood was blocking in his focus, like a vail of iron floating over them. He was smelling a lot of it. Far more than could be only hers. But, it was not quite enough to shake off what had possessed the red Zora prince.  

The soft lull of water moving past his sensitive fins forced a sharp twitch of his head, as if to snap himself back into reality. “I'm in a rush.” His words held no bite, but the bluntness made it sound otherwise. 

She laughed lightly before replying. “I’ve noticed, where are you off to? Perhaps I-” 

“No.” He cut her off sharply and a low growl began to build in his throat, “I’m the only one being called.” Even the mere suggestion of her; anyone, coming along with him for such an important task, had him flaring up. It would not be permitted. It would not be tolerated. It’s mine!  

He turned away as he felt about for the current, but he could no longer tell which he should follow and what was the lake's own. “Which way is the current flowing?”  

Yanun wore a puzzled look, curious as to what Sidon was up to, as his behaviour was quite strange. Yet her delay only irritated him further. “Which way!” Sidon pressed with a snarl, glancing over his shoulder with narrowed eyes.  

“Oh. Apologies.” Yanun blinked in surprise. “That way.” Pointing, to further her reply, and with the information, Sidon was able to tell the currents apart. Noticing that it felt far weaker than before. He expected his feelings of urgency to increase, yet it didn’t, it was fading and his mind was beginning to clear. Sidon could feel himself begin to doubt, to question what was happening. “Prince Sidon, after your finished with your task, would you be able to join-” 

“Sure.” He cut her off again, he did not want to waste any more time and darted away. 

~~~~~~  ҉  ~~~~~~ 

She remained there for a moment, staring off in the direction the prince had disappeared and going over what just transpired. Sidon had been uncharacteristically curt, aggressive, and spoke over her more than once. He had even glared at her. Something Yanun would have punished anyone else severely for. But from Sidon, it was not at all unpleasant; in fact, Yanun found she rather liked it. It was a delightful change to see in him, even if it was only a sliver of what he could be. To be fierce as he was meant to be.  

It excited her.  

“You could still go after him and we could do this later.” Sado swam towards her from the shadows, following her gaze for a moment before meeting her eye. “I’m certainly in no rush and I’ve got someone to help settle into our way of life.” 

She gave him a disgusted scowl, the mood completely ruined. “You’ll have plenty of time for that later. Your role is still required.” Spinning around, she continued her ascent to the palace. “As Hine is preoccupied with the Primals elsewhere.”    

Sado sighed and swam along after her. “Yes, my Priestess.” 

They journeyed to the lakeside before exiting the water and then continued up the steep pathway to one of the bridges that connected to the towering palace. It was the long way, but for the silver Zora it was the only option if they wanted to reach the raised part of the city. No matter how much any of them practiced and attempted to scale waterfalls, it was simply impossible. Even for Yanun whom was the most nimble and swiftest of them all. It was something that they were simply not built to do. 

Making their way up the stairways and passing archways, the pair finally arrived at the throne room. Sado stepped forward when Yanun came to a pause and opened the door, even if the guards informed them that the king wasn’t seeing anyone else. 

“Be quiet and discreet, won’t you?” She requested as she then continued onwards.  

“If you insist.” The silver warrior replied with a bored tone and closed the door behind her. Leaving the priestess alone with a few more of the king’s guards and for Dorephan's gaze to fall upon her with mixed feelings.  

“Pardon the entrance.” Yanun began as she approached the raised platform before the throne.  

But King Dorephan was not in the mood to entertain, it had been a long day and her casual disruption was only bringing him further annoyance. Nonetheless, he did his best to sound unaffected. “Princess Yanun, I am retiring for the night. Tomor-" 

Deliberately, she scoffed loudly to silence him and proceeded to walk up the platform. “Retiring from your position is more like it. Your charade over the Zora ends now, a heretic has no rights to control. End this quickly and I will see to it that the same will be done to you.” 

There was an audible clink of armour as the guards tensed. What had begun as a bitter and irritated arrival, was now hostile. While Dorephan was shocked by her decree and behaviour, he kept his tone calm and level. “Surely, there is some misunderstanding. It sounds as though you are threatening me to surrender my rule to you.” 

“Perhaps this will be clear enough. You are no longer the one in control. Resist and your death will be anything but swift.” 

The king represses a sigh and rubs his forehead. “Where is this coming from, Princess Yanun?” 

“You can forget that moniker. It is Priestess. I’ve degraded myself long enough with tolerating oafish Sharp-ear customs. No thanks to you and your hold over this territory.” Yanun ridiculed him with a sneer. “I’m sick of it all, you’ve cast aside proud Zora traditions and I intend to rectify it.” 

If she had been expecting an outburst or at the least some form of violent backlash from this. Yanun was in for some disappointment. For Dorephan merely took a deep breath, sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Very well, let us entertain this idea for a moment.” The king said as he relaxed into his throne and then laced his hands together over his chest. “So, say I take your warning seriously. The easy way out and all that.” Adding in a gesture of rolling one of his hands lazily before continuing on. “What then? All is right in the world with you now controlling the Domain and its people? Don’t tell me you truly believe that my people would be grateful that you forced your way into power. That none of the other Kingdoms wouldn’t come to my people’s aid should you succeed in supressing them.” 

“Warning?” She scoffed. “Are you that conceited? This isn’t a threat either. This is a promise.” 

“A promise made by that of someone with a supportive unit of about forty, fifty if you include civilians.” 

Yanun chuckled darkly and shook her head. “You think you outmatch us do to numbers? Bloated with arrogance as well I see... We are far more powerful than you believe, just one of my warriors is worth more than ten of yours. And I can assure you that there are some of your very own that are against you leading the Zora race down this tainted path.” 

“You have quite the confidence in these... opinions of my rule. But, what is the source of your belief?” 

“Your worship of a deity of a lesser species, for starters, is nothing but a perversion of Prima’s teachings. Those Sharp-ears; that you so adamantly protect with your laws and let them freely wander, are nothing more than vital livestock and yet, you deny your kin this. Those with a blessing of Prima can be bred and used to produce pups efficiently, the rest of the forsaken Sharp-ears are simply food. And worst of all, you've twisted a generation of Primals that to fight their instincts is proper, rather than allow it to be their guide! It’s an utter disgrace to our superior race. The Zora will not thrive like this and you are the sole reason.”  

The king was perturbed to hear such dark ideals coming from the young woman. Regardless of how or why things had come to this, Dorephan was not the least bit intimidated, but rather, he was disgusted by her. “Have you gone mad? It is you that is twisting our way of life with your own deranged opinion. The Hylian and Gerudo people are neither above nor beneath the Zora. And the mere mention that you believe they are even a feasible resource is-- is  blasphemy!” 

“No, what’s blasphemy, is your claim over Sidon!” Yanun countered with rising fury.  

Dorephan visibly bristled, his fins fanning out till every point stood on end. His claws scraped across the arms of the throne as he braced himself and leaned forward. The king’s voice became hardened. “Choose your next words carefully.” He was not a rash person and it was hard to get under his skin. He could take insolence, mockery, prejudiced. But when it came to his family, it has always been a weak spot for him and even more so with every member he lost. 

“Sidon is not your son and you’re a fool to say otherwise.” She glared at him, not at all threatened by his display. “He bares not only the colour of Prima, but the spear.” Yanun said with a gesture of Sidon’s crest, the shape of his hammerhead. “He is a child of Prima, one of pure lineage! Sidon should be free to be what he truly is, for his power to go unrestrained, to take and control as he sees fit, for his instincts to be our guide to conquer over all!" 

That was the breaking point. The king had finally had enough and stood from the throne, storming up to the platform where the foreign priestess defiantly stood. “How dare you utter such nonsense!” Looking down at her, his voice booming in the grand hall. “I refuse to let you do any such emotional harm to my son because of your religious beliefs! My son has been through enough!” 

“Indeed, Sidon has been through enough. Enough of your control and manipulative coddling.” She pointed up at him, her anger humming around her like an aura. “I know what a caged beast looks like and I shall be the one to set him free. Sidon will take me as his mate and I will show him that this world was meant to cower in his wake.” 

“Guards!!” Vibrating with rage and as much as he wished to strike her down, Dorephan held himself back. To think there was a time when he thought that she could be a fitting suitor. How she saw his son, for what he could be, was everything Sidon fought against. “Seize her and lock her in a cell!” Two of the guards hurried forth and reached out to restrain her. Only to the king's bewilderment, there was a sharp, audible snap and the guards recoiled back from merely touching her skin.  

“Careful now.” Yanun said eerily soft and cast a stern gaze over her shoulder. “Next time won’t be a warning. You will be hitting the floor.” There was fear in the guard's eyes, but they hastily pointed their weapons at her, as if it would protect them to put her at a distance. She sighed. “I should have expected less and perhaps, maybe I wouldn’t be so disappointed... Sado!” 

On queue, the entrance door popped open and the silver Zora sauntered on in.  

“Remove these as well, perhaps when the command has changed, they will come to their senses.” Yanun ordered. 

“Oh, very well.” Sado began to walk towards the guards that held their weapons at Yanun, chuckling as the remaining Zora soldiers surrounded him. He then beckoned the knights closer with a finger, like he were calling a child. “Come on. This will be over in a flash.” 

“Enough toying, submit!” Dorephan commanded. “And I shall see to it that your punishment is-” But he was unable to finish. Electricity shot out across the hall, dancing atop the fountains, pools and wet marble. No one was even able to let out a scream as their bodies were seizing up from the voltage. Lasting only a moment, before it stopped and they collapsed.  

By some cruel miracle, Dorephan managed to remain conscious as he struggled to move. Body still pulsing and twitching, his gaze roamed the room only to realize that both Sado and Yanun were perfectly fine. Not only that, electricity was faintly coming off Sado’s skin. Through the spasms and numbness of his jaw, the king barely manages to whisper. “Don’t... hurt my boy.” 

Yanun could have laughed, but she just wanted this over quickly. “Sado.” 

“Yes, my Priestess?” 

“Silence him.” 

“As you wish.” Sado huffed and stalked over to the helpless titan, emitting a low charge to keep him paralyzed. And as they knelt down before Dorephan, Sado cradled his face. “I may have to give it my all; I’ve never shocked something as big as you. I wonder if you’ll pop.” He whispered softly as his head fin began to coil around the larger body, sending sharp, small stings directly into the king. 

Dorephan’s fear ran rampant, unable to form words, while his thoughts pleaded and prayed that this couldn’t be the end. He could feel a burning at the edge of his mind to fight back, but the last flickering of gold light reminded him.  

Shiel is never wrong. 

~~~~~~  ҉  ~~~~~~ 

I don’t understand. It had taken seconds and Sidon was at the entrance of one of the residential caverns, the one Yanun’s people called home. But there wasn’t a soul about, only the water-life and the light of Luminous lanterns. Why here? 

While he continued onward, a glint of metal on the lake floor redirected his focus. Sidon’s swift diving stirred the plants and settlement around the object. To his horror, resting in the soil was the Master Sword. “Don’t tell me-!” Sidon gasped as his gaze snapped upwards to the entrance of the air chambers. There was no attempt to take the blade, whether it would willingly come or not.  

That rush of urgency, it was back and his body was bolting upwards without thinking. He just about grazed the ceiling from the speed in which Sidon launched himself from the water. The moment his feet touched the floor, Sidon tore his way through the corridors. Everything he shoved or smashed felt weightless and fragile.  

Crashing through the last door, Sidon was greeted with frightened screams and shifting, soft blue light in a dark room. Around him was maybe a dozen silver Zora the prince had never seen before, all with black markings on their scales.  

But he did not linger on what or why. Illuminated faintly in blue, a lone Hylian crouching down at the back caught Sidon’s eye.  

“Link!” He ran towards him, however as he got closer, Sidon realized his mistake and stopped dead in his tracks. Bristling in agitation and glaring at the stranger, a deep rumble in his throat began. “You're not him.” 

Kuu slowly stood up and turned to face Sidon, his voice calm despite the other Zora panicking or cowering around him. “The bellowing is unnecessary. No one here will resist you, Primal.”  

Yet he did not change his behaviour; his emotions and actions were as they were for one set purpose. “Where is Link!?”   

“Take what is yours.” He said as he stepped aside, revealing the source of faint light. A prone body lay on a patchwork bed and Sidon rushed forward without a second thought, dropping to their side.  

Link lay unconscious. Skin pale and glistening with sweat. Bloody bandages that were poorly wrapped around his neck and shoulder, peeked out from under the black garment. Breathing slow and shallow. His soul brightening momentarily with every intake; like Link was kindling a weak flame and only to mock Sidon with its dwindling life.  

Fury and sorrow tear away at Sidon as he gently touched Link’s cheek. In one final rush, Sidon feels that strange current he had been following all this time. It surges from Link as his glowing eyes weakly open for the briefest of moments and then it abruptly ends. The hero’s eyes close and his soul fades out.  

“N-no, please no!” Sidon panics, fearing the worst, yet relaxes when there’s no pause in Link’s breathing. He is still alive, weak, but alive.  

Carefully, he lifts and cradles Link in his arms, but the prince’s concerns only continue to pile up. Link’s temperature is far too low, so much so that he feels cool against Sidon’s scales. “Hylia, don’t take him from me.” 

As Sidon stood, he snarled at anyone he felt was too close. Kuu remains unmoving and unperturbed, while the Zora scatter the moment he made a move for the exit. Only Kuu’s eyes followed him as he carried Link down the hallway.  

Upon returning to the water however, it made Sidon hesitate. He would have to time his dive carefully, with Link unconscious, he may barely be able to hold his breath for a few seconds. As he crouched and readied himself, he looked to Link. Then Sidon grasped hold of Link’s mouth and nose easily with one large hand. He cut off his breathing for a moment, just till Link’s body began to struggle for air. Releasing for Link to gasp and take a few deep breaths. Sidon then jumped and twisted himself for a perfect dive, but just before he broke the surface, he covered Link’s face once more.  

Unexpectedly, Sidon was overwhelmed. An eruption of sound; cries of fear and anger, clashes of metal and stone, all blending together in chaotic noise that rattles in his head. However, that wasn’t even the worst of it. A chain reaction of sparks assaulted him, alternating in strength and in a completely random pattern. Sidon snaps his eyes shut as if blinded, a useless reflex as the electric fields splash coloured shapes on the back of his eyelids. Irritations throb from the tip of his crest to the back of his skull. There’s too much for him to handle and he becomes disorientated.  

The Zora curses and tries to get them both out of the water quickly. Though he ends up misjudging the distance left and slams into the roof of the cavern. Forced to open his eyes and though his vision is skewed from the fresh head injury, he manages to get out into open water to ascend. Breaching the surface leaves Sidon gasping in relief as the assault ends, even if he’s still off balance and there is lingering pain.  

Leaning against the cliffside, Sidon tries to check on Link. Though, he is hyperventilating, he isn’t coughing so Sidon takes it as one good sign. However, the soaked fabric and remains of water are already starting to frost over, leaving Link trembling like a leaf. And regrettably, Sidon knows that he won’t be able to offer much in terms of body heat. But he still bundles Link in as close as he can, curling his arms and fins around him in an attempt to buffer against the cool waters and freezing air. For a few moments, at least, until his head stopped spinning, as there was no way Sidon could scale a fall like this or swim properly. The best he can do is tread water and wait. 

Looking out to the black waters, rippling under the gentle light of luminous stonework from the palace high above and listening to the soft rush of waterfalls. Everything seemed to be unchanged and at peace. On the surface that is. 

“There’s no storm...? Then why did I-?” Sidon stopped as he saw a faint light underwater come rushing towards him and then something suddenly pinned his hips to the wall, quickly followed by one of his ankles. Reflexively, the prince thrashes to break the hold, discovering that the weapon is curved and trapping his movement in very limited space. If any at all. There’s no pain from the weapons used against him, only pressure, so the goal must be to restrain him. Catchpoles!? 

While Sidon cannot see his enemy, he releases his right arm to defend himself and protect the vulnerable man in his care. Slashing his claws down to where he was being attacked, he had felt the weapon for a second before another pinned him at his elbow. Next, he attempts to escape by throwing his weight forward and using his free foot to push off from the cliffside. Till another bursts from the water aiming for his throat.  

Recklessly, Sidon forsakes caution. The man didn’t know what to expect as he bites down on the weapon coming at him. But it splinters and cracks as his teeth sink into it. Twisting sharply, the wooden weapon snaps and he’s a tad grateful that it wasn’t made of metal. However, he doesn’t have time to spit it out as another comes at him and this time makes their mark. The strike had been more of a shove, preventing damage to his neck, but effectively keeping Sidon’s head trapped against the cliffside. All that he can do now is continue to put up a fight and hope for a drop in his attackers’ formation.  

He can feel the catchpoles shift as Zora breach the surface and while the sudden clarity of light from their lanterns blinds him momentarily. He can make out about nine of them, two or more to a weapon and seeing them struggle to maintain a hold on him. The weapons length kept them well out of striking distance, but that also left the shaft at risk to braking under prolonged stress. Shaking his head to dislodge the wood from his teeth, Sidon had a chance and that’s all he needed.  

He’d bite, kick and claw his way out. If it meant that he protected Link. What was his. He didn’t care. Sidon’s bright red scales begin to lose some of their luster, random and uneven areas fade into a dusty red. His breathing became deeper, slower, rolling at the ends with noise that wasn’t quite a hiss nor a growl. It was his last warning. I’ll do whatever it takes! 

“Alright, you’re up!” Sidon’s eyes snap to the silhouette of the Zora in utter shock. There was no way. That sounds like- “You got to restrain him, Rivan!”  

Sidon couldn’t believe it; it was Bazz, he was being attacked by his own men! When Rivan approached with his hands free, carefully reaching out to touch him. Sidon seethed with rage and snapped, knowing full well what Rivan’s magic was capable of. “Don’t you dare touch me! Release me!!”  

To the smaller man’s credit, he did not flinch, he did pause however and spoke surprisingly soft. “Easy, I don’t want to do this either. Just let us help you.” 

“Oi! There’s no sense talking to him!” Bazz shouted, irritated at first. “Get it over with, there’s enough shit happening as it is! We don’t...” But then it shifted into something akin to dread. “Rivan. We’re too late, he’s already gotten to someone.” 

The prince’s hold on Link tensed, they believed that he was going to attack someone? “I haven’t harmed Link! I’m protecting him!” 

Despite his own words just a moment ago, Bazz couldn’t help himself. “You- you found him!?” 

Rivan turned back to his captain with a scowl. “Found? Master Link’s been missing!? Why haven’t I been told about this?” 

“Can we just focus on the task at hand!?” A woman; one of the other guards, piped up, on edge and nervous with the situation. “Dealing with a frenzy is hard enough with a normal person! If he breaks free, we don’t have the King around to stop him.” 

Sidon felt his body go numb at hearing those words. Yes, it had happened before. It had taken a number of guards to catch him and his father to restrain him. With only a claw wound across the shoulder blades, no further harm had come to them. Yet, it had given way to more doubt and distrust against Sidon.  

“Hold your tongue!” Rivan turned on her.  

“I’m...” Sidon began quietly and gave up on breaking free, letting his body go lax, his scales returning to their bright hue. “I’m angry, but not in a frenzy, please release me.” 

There was a moment’s pause before Bazz gave the order, “Stand down, everyone.” and drew back his weapon, releasing his prince’s neck.  

“But-”  

“That’s an order.” Their captain cut them off sharply and one by one, they removed their hold on the prince. While the others chose to keep a distance with their weapons still at the ready, Rivan and Bazz came closer. 

Sidon’s focus returned to Link in his arm, he was still shaking, but his breathing had returned to being slow and shallow. With clear light to assess the situation, Bazz began franticly looking for something in his belt pouch.  

“Prince Sidon, you’re wounded.” Rivan noticed his crown was missing and that blood was running down the sides of his head, dripping off his ear flippers. His arms were in worse shape, erratic cuts and missing scales ran from his shoulders down to his hands. The brown Zora wasn’t sure how Sidon got the injuries, but it didn’t look as though it was from any weapon. It was also unlikely due to their actions, but it still worried him that they could have harmed Sidon unintentionally.  

“Oh...” He said weakly and glanced at his wounds, as if ashamed. “I didn’t realize.” 

“What happened to Link?” Bazz asked, more worried about the freezing Hylian in the red Zora’s arm. Before Sidon could even begin to answer, the black thought better of it. “No, never mind, we can talk about that later.” He then brought a small, glowing red bottle above the water.  

However, at the sight of a Hylian elixir, Sidon had a mix of fear and hope. First aid was one thing, but none of them were healers and Sidon was at least aware that elixirs could be lethal to Hylians if used improperly. “Wait, we should take him to the medical wing for treatment.” 

“Not an option.” Bazz said sternly and put a hand under Link’s head to lift him more up right. “Hylian’s can die from freezing temperatures within minutes or hours.” Flicking the cork out, Bazz slowly and carefully began to feed him the contents. “Sometimes seconds. If he doesn’t warm up now, it might be too late.” 

They all floated in silence as Link drank and when the shivering slowed to a stop, the three breathed a little easier. Sidon could even feel heat beginning to seep into his skin.  

“Argh!” However, the rest of the Zora knights had run out of patience and one of them shouted. “We can’t afford to waste time like this! The Prince has been handled and I’m certain Master Link has survived worse. Let us move on to more important matters! Remember the silver Zora? They have attacked the Domain, or have you forgotten, Captain Bazz!?” 

“What?” As if Sidon needed another reason to be outraged by the silver, looking to Bazz and Rivan for an explanation. “They are right, don’t put us as a higher priority than the people! You should be helping the King put a stop to this!”  

Bazz flinched and looked uneasy, it was rare for anything to hold his tongue.  

But Rivan quickly stepped up. “My Prince, I regret to inform you.” Though Bazz foresaw this would end badly, he wasn’t fast enough to stop Rivan. “King Dorephan is missing, possibly fled.” 

Sidon lunged at the brown, grabbed hold of his breastplate and lifted the smaller Zora from the water. “That can’t be true! What proof is there!?”  

“B-but with the people being attacked and the King not joining the fight to protect them as he always has. What are we to believe, that he has been defeated? That our King has fallen?” Rivan didn’t want to believe such outcomes, but it was seeming to be more and more likely as chaos consumed everything. Yet he held on to whatever hope that Dorephan was not lost to them yet. “On top of that, ever since we left to search for you, no one has been able to get back into the upper palace. They’ve done something to the waterfalls, leaving them too thin to swim up. And they have archers lining both bridges so even climbing the pathways is not an option.” Sidon released Rivan and while his gaze was still fixed on him, he did not see him.  

The silver Zora, Yanun and her people, they had betrayed Sidon’s kingdom. Attacked his people, his father. Harmed Link. How could they, how dare they do this! After everything his people had done for them, helping them and offering them a new home!? 

Sidon’s colouring began to unevenly shift again, faster this time. And the sight had Rivan puzzled, believing it to possibly be a trick of the light. Though out of the corner of his eye; it was brief, but he saw the look of realization and fear cross Bazz’s face before regaining composure. It had to be bad if Bazz of all people was scared of Sidon.    

“Prince Sidon, calm yourself.” He began carefully. “Let us not be heedless in our actions. You are already injured and we can’t risk losing you to the enemy during the battle.” While the prince was now focused on Bazz, the expression he wore was frightening, even Rivan slowly drifted back. Hopefully trying to redirect him, Bazz continued. “Link still needs you, he needs to get somewhere dry and safe. Go to the shelter and take Rivan with you too. Let me handle this fight.” 

With the reminder of the man in his arms, Sidon looked to Link in remorse and hugged him close. One deep breath later, he seemed to be bringing himself back under control. “You’re right... You’re right.” Sidon said softly and Bazz let out a sigh of relief.  

Though, Sidon lifted his head suddenly, gold eyes flickering as he watched as a bright light suddenly flash from within the palace.  

“What was that!? An explosion!?” One of the knights that had caught sight of it panicked.  

“Don’t be a fool, there wasn’t any sound of one.” Another said.  

“No.” Sidon spoke up, his face twisting into rage, voice raising in volume with every word and his colouring becomes completely dull red. “No, no! Father!”       

“Prince, wait-!”  

But Bazz is cut off as the larger Zora gets right in his face, glaring at him as he growls lowly. “Protect them.” Then Sidon forces Link into Bazz's arms. Not spending a second more on the matter, Sidon rears back to cast his eyes back upon the palace. It was a war cry like no other, the shear fury of Sidon’s bellowing roar was like thunder. Yet, it was the sound that most could not hear that was truly terrifying. It made the water tremble and dance at the surface. A shockwave that; for one horrifying moment, made every single person in the domain freeze. And then Sidon was racing out across the water before anyone could recover.  

Bazz was still shaking moments later and holding onto Link like he was their last hope. Bazz feared that he was. “Rivan, after him! You must contain Sidon, you hear me, contain him no matter what!” 

“I can’t just-” 

“Don’t argue, do it! These are Queen Shiel’s orders!” 

~~~~~~  ҉  ~~~~~~ 

“Father!” Sidon bellowed as he entered the grand hall, stepping over the fallen knights and leaving a trail of bloody footprints. The blood was his own however. Broken arrow shafts protruded from his backside. Claw marks cut into his skin at different points on his body where Zoras had tried to grab him, in attempt to hold him back from storming the palace. Much of which was a blur to Sidon, running down or tossing aside the silver. Silver that wasn’t his. Nothing but what was his mattered, it was why Sidon was here, to take back and protect what was his. 

Though his mind tittered on edge of anguish as he saw the body of his father and his will almost shattered. Rocking in the small waves of the pool surrounding the throne was Dorephan, scales discoloured with root like scaring all over his body. Telltale signs of death by lightening. “Father...”  

“I’m so glad that you were able to join me.” Yanun’s cheerful tone cut like a knife and Sidon flinched as he focused on her. The woman sat atop one of the throne’s arms, posed proper and proud.   

His determination returned with a vengeance. “How!? How could you!?”  

She tilted her head in thought for a moment as she stood up. “Considering your present state of mind, I don’t think you would understand or accept any answer. But,” Yanun paused and hopped down from the armrest, using Dorephan as a stepping stone to return to the raised platform. “in time, you will be grateful for everything I am doing now.” 

“You’ve attacked my home, my people, harmed what is most precious to me and taken away the last of my family.” Tears burned at the edge of his eyes as he rushed towards her, grabbing one of the fallen guard’s spears. “And you expect me to be grateful!?” He lunges the weapon out, aiming to run Yanun through the heart.  

Yanun raises her right hand and the tip of the spear merely kisses her red dress. Sidon’s whole body came to a dead stop. “Oh, Sidon! Look at you!” Her eyes full of wonder and joy as she reaches out to him with a bright smile. “Instincts guiding you, adorned in your rightful colour! Yes! Satisfy your suppressed urges, kill a few people if you so desire! I understand you’ve had to hold back this whole time. But you don’t have too anymore. You’re finally free!”  

“The only person I want to kill is you!” Sidon struggled; his anger still far too powerful for the fear to set in. It would seem that Yanun had allowed him to remain in control of his head.  

“I’m the only one you shouldn’t kill. I can help you; I can show you how you were meant to be, Sidon.” Yanun spoke tenderly as she brought him to his knees and made him toss the weapon away. It would have been a convincing performance of surrender or relief, if not for his true feelings expressed on his face.  

Sidon grimaced as she cradled his chin. “Get your filthy hands off me, traitor, murderer!” 

Yanun hushed him softly, rubbing her thumb through the blood on his cheek and stepped in closer to him. “Worry not. Our people will not kill each other needlessly. I have ordered it, but some may have fallen unintentionally.” 

“Unintentionally!?” Sidon spat and hissed. “You speak of the death of others as though it is a minor inconvenience. Is that what my father was to you? An inconvenience!”    

“Yes, he was.” The answer came simply. “Unable to see reason, I had no choice, but have Sado kill him.” Her calm and cold words struck him hard. However, it did not end there. “Though, he will be able to provide nourishment for many and no one can be ungrateful for that.” 

His anger began to dispel into horror. “Y-you’re going to... eat him?”  

Yanun laughed lightly and stroked at Sidon’s jaw lovingly as she let go. “Of course. We’re not savages after all.”  Then she happily sucked his blood off her fingers. “We never waste our own race’s precious flesh.”  

Sidon’s head was filled with white noise as he looked down at Dorephan, he couldn’t even fathom the thought.  

Though, Yanun had no intent on letting him focus on the fallen king. Or anything but her. For Yanun’s soul stretched across her scales like a flowering vine and then she bore her neck to him. “Take this offering, Sidon. Drink my blood, my soul and the power of Prima that dwells within you will finally be set free.” 

“No!” Sidon shouted, feeling energy starting to hum beneath his scales and his soul trying to cry out. The pink markings on his scales began to shift to blue as Sidon fought with his body. But not even his head was under his control anymore. “You’re not mine!” 

That had been the last time Yanun let him speak. “But I will be.” For the next time he opened his mouth, it was not of his choosing. Nor was it his choice to embrace her gently and bite down on her neck. To drink her blood, the energy of her soul. 

With his mind already overwhelmed, it took a moment to process the pain. Every gulp was boiling, burning his throat on the way down. His gut twisted like it was rotting. While something angrily claws at his ribcage, like it wanted to break in, to take something from him.  

But something much bigger bears its fangs.  

That’s mine. 

~~~~~~  ҉  ~~~~~~ 

Link wakes with a jolt, the after image of rows of teeth burned into his eyes and keeps his heart pounding for what feels like an eternity. His legs and arms; still numb, fumble as he struggles to get up, to get away from the silver monster. Clothing and bandages cling and pull at his skin. Soaked from blood or water, he doesn’t know. His ears begin ringing as the world around him becomes more stable, as his vision begins to clear. Luminous stone shines softly down from the ceiling, casting an eerie light upon the room and the figure sitting with their back against a door.  

Sado! Link rushes to get his feet under him, but the water that had pooled beneath him cause Link to quickly fall and land painfully back onto the stone floor. Groaning and whimpering from the terrible reminder of how much suffering his body had already endured. And the agony he was still very much in. 

“-ied to warn you.” They said softly, but what had been said before was completely missed. Was this about his rules? For his stupid game?    

Slowly this time; not that his body would allow it any other way, Link sat up and braced himself against a wall. It was deathly silent now. Or perhaps it had only felt that way. As Link kept his eyes fixed on the motionless enemy and was allowed a moment to fully assess the situation. The illusion faded away and everything finally became clear. The Zora at the door wasn’t Sado, it was Bazz.  

Link breathed a sigh of relief and began to relax, his plan had worked. Someone had found the Master Sword and led Bazz to his rescue. But before Link could say anything, he realized there was an awfully big commotion going on behind the door the black Zora rested against. He could hear shouting voices of many people and something being argued over, but was muffled by the door so he couldn’t make any of it out.  

Bazz followed his gaze and glanced at the door with a mix of emotions, but when he looked back at Link, it was all resentment. “Want to know what they’re fighting over?” Bazz asked darkly, though did not wait for Link’s answer, his voice following was filled with venom and despair. “What they should do about Sidon. Most of them want to hand him over, a few just want him dead.”  

The Hylian clenched his teeth in frustration, did they plan this too? Did they attack Link first on purpose, so that it would be one less obstacle in their way, and make an attack on Sidon easier? All for their sick goals, for taking control of Vah Ruta. [Damn those silver bastards!] 

“Silver?” Bazz huffed in pitiful amusement and then pointed over his shoulder. “That isn’t the silver you hear; those are my own knights. And Rivan... well, Rivan is the only one standing between them and this door.”  

As Link stared at him in bewilderment, Bazz only laughed. “What’s with the look? Did you think that we were being held here by Yanun’s people?” The Zora then spun something in his hands, it shimmered dully in the light and clinked roughly when the metal was grasped. “I’m the one with the keys.” 

[Then why are we in here? Why is the Zora’s royal guard fighting over betraying their Prince!?] Link gestured angrily. [Why aren’t you doing anything about it!?] What on earth was happening, why was everything suddenly going straight to hell?  

“Because they blame me for fucking everything up!” Bazz snapped and stood up abruptly. “I’m only one damn person, but I’m fucking trying, okay!? My distrust of Yanun and that freak, was a fucking joke to all of them, and now it suddenly fucking means something!? So, I’m to blame for not convincing them otherwise, for not stopping Sidon from bringing them to our home!? Screw all of you! I was wary of the silver Zora, but that doesn’t fucking mean I knew that they would turn against us! That they would kill King Dorephan!” 

While the death of the king was likely the main source of disarray among the guard, it should be a strong driving force to unite them. Not drive them apart. [You’re not making any sense! Stop bickering over stupid things and fight back!] 

“We can’t fight them!” 

Link glared at him. [Why not!?]  

“Because we can’t, we would only be throwing more lives away!” 

[Do they have hostages? Are they threatening the Prince’s life, too!? Is that what your people are really arguing over!? Their loved ones’ lives or the Prince’s?] 

“That’s not it at all! You’re not listening! They blame Sidon for bringing the silver here, that all this madness is his fault and that if not for him, none of this would have happened.” 

[Have you all suddenly become cowards and children!?] Link couldn’t believe the petty excuse the Domain’s people were using as evidence against Sidon.  

“Shut up! They think that way because of Sidon’s name, of what he is! Because the silver can all use lightning!! There’s literally nothing we can do, Link!” The man was shaking from the frustration and the fury that was tearing away at him. Bazz’s voice was even beginning to crack under the pressure, as if he was on the verge of tears. “If we get too close while in the water, their lightning stuns us. If we go at them on land and there is any amount of water between us, their lightning stuns us. If our weapons touch their bodies, their lightning stuns us...  Do you understand now? Why we are so utterly and pathetically vulnerable. We can’t fight back.”  

Link didn’t know what to say. What could he say to that? A Zora’s top weakness was electricity. Even the most resilient of them all; Bazz’s father, Seggin, could only barely hold a few shock arrows. Let alone be struck by one. Yet, if the silver Zora truly have the ability to not only withstand it, but to have it manifested within their bodies for use. It was a losing battle for the Domain. 

[I’m sorry.] Was all Link could muster up. Here he had been lecturing Bazz and his knights about not fighting back, but was Link any better? Link had let his guard down; he truly had become overly confident and look at the mess it left him in. He was barely able to sit up and speak in hands. Even if he managed to force himself onto his feet, Link didn’t believe that he would have the strength to run, let alone fight.  

There was tense silence between them now, Bazz was either refusing his apology or was insulted by it. Yet, he remained standing and kept his gaze fixed on Link. His sharp, golden eyes and his presence was starting to make the smaller man uncomfortable. It’s similar, but not the same. Wrong. Is the feeling that rings throughout his body. Wrong!  

A frightfully familiar sensation begins to burn in his aching muscles as his heart begins to pick up speed. Stop. Link shook his head roughly and looked to the floor. Trying to shake off the urge to fight, to suppress the adrenaline rushing through his veins. He was getting sick of these sudden twists in his instincts, it was exhausting how fast and how often the stress for survival kept triggering.  

Manhandling from M was odd of her, but something Link was used to and yet all he wanted to do was fight her, run from her. Harmless contact from a stranger like Kattan was something he shouldn’t have even cared about and yet all he had wanted to do was hurt her, kill her if he had too. And Bazz... before he had only touched his shoulder out of concern for him, but all Link had felt was danger. Even now, he feels as though the Zora is dangerous, a threat. His heart won’t stop hammering in his chest.   

Nothing had happened for months, months! Yet, within less than forty-eight hours, Link was losing control, losing his mind. Had his condition really been that compromised by one small incident with Ingo? That Ingo’s actions and scent was all it took for his instincts to fluctuate wildly and perpetually struggle against his will.  

Frustrated and frightened, as his thoughts and emotions continue to spiral. He just wants this to end, to get out of here, to feel safe in his own skin once more. Link claws angrily at his belly, at the source of his state. But he whimpers reflexively from the burst of pain, he had forgotten about the wounds left there by Sado. 

“You did something similar before,” Bazz’s calm voice snaps Link out his torment and the Hylian yanks his hand away. “when you told Prince Sidon he was right.” The black Zora starts walking towards Link. “Just what was it, what did he know? What was so important that you couldn’t say openly and all before the silver made their move?” 

Link struggles with himself; to resist backing away, to resist cowering, and make eye contact as the other stops before him. He knows what Bazz is asking. Yet, he can’t bring himself to answer. There’s a vice grip on his lungs and a strong sense of distrust weighing heavily on his body.  

Link feels the smooth texture of the rib bone in his hand before he even realized he had reached for one that was attached to his garb. Subconsciously searching for anything that could be used to protect himself.  

A sudden knock on the door startled them both, but neither one looks away. “Bazz. It’s me.” Came Rivan’s calm and serious tone. “Open the door.” 

~~~~~~  ҉  ~~~~~~ 

Bazz rested against a wall of the main room in the royal safehouse, bitter about this whole situation, but was feeling rather smug at the moment. As the other Zora couldn’t keep their emotions in line with him now present; glaring at him and grasping their weapons. Like he was the enemy. Though, Bazz supposed he was to these fools.  

As the brown Zora returned carrying Link awkwardly in his arms, Bazz looked to him. “So, what is the verdict.” 

Rivan sighed as he seats Link at the only table. “Well, with Master Link conscious, that has now changed.” 

The uproar that followed had Rivan turning to shout over them, trying to regain control over the situation. But all Link could focus on was the markings on the man’s back. It hadn’t been noticeable under the low light of luminous stone, but in torchlight, the Hylian could see it clearly. Artwork; similar to the tapestry in Impa’s home, was painted across his brown scales. Even breaching into his white in harsh radical lines, almost like cracks in between scales, as though it couldn’t be contained. The overall colour of it was grey; with areas of blue and yellow, while the spiralling shapes could be fire or smoke.  

It couldn’t be a tattoo. Link would have noticed it earlier, even as he rushed into the Domain. It also wasn’t like Rivan to have one.  

Not thinking, Link reached out to touch what he believed could only be paint. But it did not smear nor did it feel any different. The artwork, however, came alive. Moving around chaotically, like a frightened animal.  

Rivan flinches away from the contact and while he doesn’t voice it, the shifting of the artwork seems to cause him some pain. And unexpectedly, seeing the movement scares the other knights into silence. Grimacing, he asks Link. “Please, don’t do that. Just leave him be, he isn’t himself right now.”  

[What, who? What’s happened to you?] 

“Later, Master Link. I’ll explain later, after we’re out of this mess, I promise.” 

Bazz isn’t the least bit bothered or surprised and continues on like nothing happened. “Well, what do these idiots want to do?” Ignoring the few that returned to glaring at him. 

“They want to find Gaddison.” Rivan stated. 

“What!?” Stepping away from the wall and now visibly angered, he turned on the knights. “Why have Gaddy be the priority over any other civilian? She isn’t a knight right now who has to focus on the protection of the people, she’s an expecting mother! Don’t drag her into this!”  

One of the knights shouted back. “She’s involved just as much as any of us! And perhaps if you hadn’t failed at your role, we wouldn’t be in need of hers! You know the truth!”  

Bazz groaned as they had come back around to this, again. “Let me make this perfectly clear to you younglings brought up by your parents misguided belief. My name means Truth Bringer, as in will bring forth truth! Not that I know all that is true!” 

“You carry forth Queen Shiel’s words and knowledge of what is to come! Tell us everything, we have a right to know what the future holds! And don’t bother lying. We all heard you tell Rivan that it was on her orders to capture Sidon!” They spat out the name as if it was bitter on their tongue.  

“Watch your mouth.” Rivan said harshly, but nothing else. Letting the room fall into silence.  

But as Bazz met his friend’s eyes, he could tell that Rivan wasn’t on their side of things. Not entirely. Huffing in irritation, Bazz leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms. “Where do you stand in all this, why has Link become your focus now?” 

“You’re dodging the question.” Rivan warned, not of his backlash, but of the others. Sidon hadn’t been the only one on the chopping block during the initial discussion.  

“Answer mine and I’ll be more inclined to speak.” 

“Fine. While I do not disagree with the idea that now is the promised time that Queen Shiel had wanted us chosen to prepare for. I believe that it is far too early to be grasping at hope, at Gaddison. For all we know her role could be elsewhere.” He paused for a moment, glancing at the tattoo that was still in the process of settling back down. “And despite the horror I experienced at this sudden reveal. I do not envy the weight upon your shoulders. I trust that whatever knowledge you may have, you know when to share it. Just as our Queen did before. I trust you, Bazz.” 

“My answer,” Bazz began, turning to the one that had demanded it. “I choose to say nothing.”  

“You can’t be-!” The knight began, but Rivan was quick to silence them. 

“Enough, all of you!! You turned to me the moment I arrived, trusted me to listen to you, to remove Bazz of command and make the right decisions. Which Bazz surrendered without a fight, might I remind all of you. So, hold your tongues! I’ve made my choice.” He scowled and dared anyone to challenge him. Confident that they wouldn’t, not for as long as they saw him as a place of safety. For they were in a state of panic, grasping desperately at any logic or reason their home had succumb to darkness once more.   

Who to blame. Who to trust. They have lost faith in Bazz who was to be their truth, lost Gaddison who was to be their hope. Leaving only Rivan who is to be their refuge.  

Blinded and deaf to what they once knew and believed in. 

Something Rivan had a feeling could be healed with time. 

“I know you want Gaddison.” The brown said softer, he sympathized with their fear of the silver and the sheer helplessness of it all. “But, there is one hope that is with us and one I will never stop believing in.” Rivan then turned to Link. “And that is you, my friend.” 

“Don’t you dare go asking Link to fight.” Bazz piped up in rage before Link could even raise a hand to speak.  

“I’m not.” He said to Bazz calmly and then again to Link. “I’m not. What I am asking, is will you be our hope once more. As the stand in Captain of the Royal Zora guard, I ask for your aid in leadership, Master Link. What do you believe is the right course of action?” 

With a fierce gaze, Link does not hesitate. [We must escape for now and the Prince comes with us.]  

~~~~~~  ҉  ~~~~~~ 

Without the Sheikah slate, the Master Sword or even any armour, Link was already feeling bare. But for the Zora knights, they were about to be. Since they could not fight, armour and weapons would only slow them down. It had been during this time of preparation that Link learned that the Domain’s supply of bows had either been destroyed or was in use by the silver. Yet another disadvantage pitted against them. 

But when the escape plan from the safehouse; located within the Ruto Precipice, was gone over, Link turned to Rivan with worry. Setting the now empty spicy elixir as side, he spoke. [The Prince is here, right?] With the idea of turning against Sidon dismissed, it wasn’t like they had to keep him locked in another room. [Is he badly injured?] That had to be the reason why he wasn’t with them now. 

Rivan frowned as he set the last of his equipment aside. “He is injured, but I do not know the extent of it. Or how much more he gained after leaving you in Bazz's care.”  

[Can you take me to him?] He requested and used the table as a brace to get up from the chair. His legs were as wobbly as a newborn foal. But Link had to see him, he had to make sure Sidon was going to be okay.  

“No time for that.” Bazz stated and dropped to his knees to help lift the Hylian onto his back. Link gave a grunt of displeasure, both from his wounds being jostled and being cut off. The tension he felt towards the man hadn’t fully gone away just yet, but Bazz had insisted that he had to be the one to carry Link, do to still being under the affect. What ‘affect’ the Zora didn’t answer. “Just trust me when I say that Rivan has got him, so let’s hightail it out of here before we lose our cover.” 

The cover Bazz spoke of, was a howling blizzard. Due to Link not having gills, they had to use the top exit. The flooded tunnels were far too long to even risk holding his breath.   

“See you at Mercay Island.” Was the last thing the Bazz said before hurrying towards the small stairway. Time wasn’t on their side after all.  

It was a short climb up, but the higher they went the less luminous stone there was and when Bazz reached the end, there was only dim light behind them. Pushing open the secret passage, all Link could see ahead was pitch black. He could feel the strong wind of the storm and the thick flakes melting on his skin, but as Bazz stepped out and shut the passage. It was nothing but a void.  

Link hadn’t experience darkness like this in a long time, with little protection from elements and enemies. Frightening memories started to pop up and his stressed mind playing with his senses only made things worse. He hugged Bazz tighter and was grateful that the man was with him, despite his body’s protest.  

A few minutes later, Bazz had made his way down to the riverbank and waded out to his hips before dropping in to start swimming. Bazz focused on making the ride as smooth as possible for Link, but was greatly caught off guard when someone snatched his ankle. He didn’t even get a split moment to react before electricity shoots through him. A silver! 

Twitching and stunned, Bazz can’t even keep himself afloat and begins to sink, while Link has no choice but to hold on. Then his attacker breaches the surface with a grin and holds him up. “To think, being one of the few to get the boring job and I snag not only a souse thief, but the one Priestess hates the most. She’ll reward me for such a gift brought to her alive.” 

Bazz believed that they had more to say, but an odd sound made them pause. As it got a bit louder, a heavy and slow beat, like a large flag in the wind, the silver then shot their gaze to the sky in terror. “They followed us!?” Before they hastily released their captive and dived back towards the domain. But they were too slow and a chunk of the night sky plummets for them, creating a massive tidal wave sends Bazz and Link rushing down river. 

“Holy Hylia, what is that!?” Bazz hollers as he scrambles, his swimming is sloppy has his body has yet to fully recover. But as the horrified death cries of the silver become muffled in the thrashing waters and when the silence quickly settles in, Bazz’s own fear only continues to climb. He does not look back at whatever nightmare sends a silver running from sound alone.  

Though his heart seizes as the beating noise is above him in seconds, the river plunges around them; forced down only for Bazz to feel something powerful coil around his arms and to be wrenched from the water. It happened so fast, even Bazz is gasping for air as the river falls farther and farther from his dangling feet. “Oh, gods! Oh, Hylia!” He feels Link’s grip failing and quickly tries to help the Hylian hold on. 

But they are not given any sort of time to even figure out what to do next before the creature is suddenly diving for Oren Bridge. The sudden sight of the ground rushing up to meet them has Bazz panicking. “Brace yourself, Link!” 

Link musters up enough strength to hold to Bazz tightly just as rapid blasts of icy wind whips around them with thunderous flapping. They are then dropped a few inches from the surface of the bridge, but Bazz is unable to land on his feet. Collapsing, his body won’t stop shaking and when he hears the clicking of stone, he rolls over. To face the threat and to shield his friend.  

This creature’s appearance is brought to light from the lanterns; darkly feathered all over while their red face, beak, four limbs armed with six inch talons standout. It looks like a bird, a Rito, only with monstrous proportions. It’s the size of Sidon! Bazz flinches as it takes one step forward, yet it pauses and tilts their head at him. Then it speaks. “Short-tail know Sharp-ear.” 

“Sharp-ear?” Bazz whispered and was hesitant to look back at Link. They’ve met before? From the scowl on Link’s face, he took that as a yes. But not on friendly terms. 

Though the bird continued with an amused scoff. “Fooled!” Then they stepped up onto the railing and hopped along it like a sparrow till they were next to the pair. Then they leaned in, till their sharp beak was right in Link’s face. “Safe now. Short-tail hunting.” Then they leaped over to the other railing, the one facing towards Zora’s Domain. 

They both turn to follow the bird and then they regret it almost immediately. In this frozen darkness, not all the ice is what it seems. It was blood and there were bodies draped all along the railing.  

Silver Zora. 

And Hylian knights. 

"See?” The bird clicked their beak as they ripped a letter from a dead Zora’s clutch and tossed it in front of Bazz. While the contents were ruined, the wax seal was intact and Link recognized it immediately. The insignia was the very same one from the waterskin, the very same that was on the red banners in the quarantine camp. As Link looked back up at the beast, it smiled. “Fooled.” 

As much as Link hated it, the bird was right and Link isn't even certain if the castle would be a safe place to go anymore. The silver and the one running the camp were conversing directly, but just how deeply connected were they? What now? Was there anywhere safe left to go? 

“Want truth?” They grabbed at something through their feathers and lifted it over their head before tossing it at Link. Which Link nearly missed and looking it over, it was a large gold pendant. One with the Triforce and with only the top triangle represented with a ruby, leaving the bottom two simply as gold designs.  

“He know, find desert.”

<<–Previous Chapter-^-Next Chapter–>>

#SidLink #a/b/o verse #Mpreg #Primal FF #Written Work #Rated M #Rated R

[suphoshi]

BURN | Bobby x Female Reader

Genre: Gangster AU, Angst/Fluff

Warnings: Deals with mature themes, explicit language, physical violence (nothing domestic), explicit language, possible PTSD triggers, + other dark themes (read with caution please!)

Word count: 17,094 (lol kill me)

Sometimes he reminded you of fire.

Not something raging or destroying like a house burning or a tree set aflame, but something you sit in front of when your toes are too cold, desperate to feel the warmth in your bones when you feel like a hollow shell. Its passion bleeds through you like a welcome home and you want to stare at its brilliance until it eventually dies out. When it does, it breaks your heart so much to see it go that you light it again, an eternal flame that you couldn’t live without. The orange hues that make your heart the happiest, make you think that the heavens have to be real because how could something be so beautiful. You reach out because you want to touch it, you need to know how it feels, if the flames are as soft as they look, but when you do the burn extends up your palm like a warning. ‘Stay far away, I’m pretty on the outside, but inside I’m waiting to destroy something as precious as you’.

A flame you could never touch. A treasure you could never hold.

Bobby held the deepest and darkest parts of you, and sometimes you wished you could hold his. He kissed your tears away when terrible things popped up behind your eyes at night, demons of a past you always tried to wish away but somehow never left, held you pressed against his chest until you felt a little less broken. He let you shine in such dazzling ways, dressed you in diamonds and silk, showed you off at parties, kept you pressed to his side like the most magnificent trophy he’d ever held. He looked at you like you were starlight (it broke your heart a little to think he never saw it before you).

It was winter when you met him. Snow clung to the leafless trees, but you loved the crisp air that came with the cold. Loved how it stole your breath away and breathed life into you at the same time. You would go on walks at night, the clearest sky ever above, stars dancing to the rotation of the earth, moon full and glimmering as if to say ‘I own this world. The sky belongs to me.’ You were feeding a stray kitten outside of your apartment building when it looked up at you with twinkling eyes. It meow ’ed and started to walk away, looking back as if you were supposed to follow, as if it was taking you home. It reminded you that you truly did feel lost, no real family or home to call your own. This cat was probably more loved than you had ever been in your entire life. So, you followed. It never strayed too far, never stopped looking back to make sure you were still there, always keeping the closest eye on you. It was funny, how this was the most wanted you had ever felt, how you never had someone who looked back for you, someone who made sure you weren’t lost.

You made it to a park beside the woods when it stopped, turning back and winding itself around your legs. You smiled and reached down, half expecting it to run away, but instead it let you lift it into your arms and scratch the top of its head while it purred. It was a comforting feeling, to know that this little being trusted you, that it felt comfortable enough to let you carry it in your arms like an old friend. You were whispering things to her (finding out shortly after, she was in fact a she) about the snow, the stars, the forest, how you would call her Yuki (you saw it on a web search just the day before when trying to name another stray cat that ended up leaving), when you heard a commotion coming from somewhere in the trees, loud thumps and branches cracking. You looked over at the heavily dense woods and held Yuki tight to your chest, unsure if it was to protect her or to protect you.

“Hello?” You called out, hoping it was just your imagination that it sounded like a fight going on. You heard muffled groans, harsh voices as you stepped closer to the tree line when a group of men ran out, shoving past you. You nearly screamed but it instead came out like a choked gasp, scared to say anything that might make them stop and hurt you. When they were gone, having passed by you without a second glance, Yuki pushed at your chest and jumped down from your arms, running into the woods. It was strange, how the attachment you had for her already made you follow.

“Yuki!” You yelled out, following close behind as she slowed near a figure on the ground. It wasn’t until you got closer and it rolled over on its own that you realized it was a person. It took hold of you, the fear the sight of his face caused, bruised and bloody, hair sweaty and sticking to his forehead. His left eye was already too swollen to open, but it didn’t really matter because he looked unconscious. The sight triggered memories inside your brain, still frames of your past flooding back as if it was yesterday, a life where you had a family, faces flashing by at an alarming rate, your mothers when your dad came home drunk and angry, your brother after school when he tried to fight anyone who looked at you wrong, your father’s after the crash. Eyes dead and empty, the same eyes you saw on your mom and brother that same night, looking into your soul like they could see right through you. Like they were accusing you of a wrong you never committed, like it was unfair they all died, and you lived.

Yuki meow ‘ed, jumping on the man’s chest and the sound snapped you out of the trance you were in, causing you to move closer until you stood just above him. He wore a black suit with a white button-down shirt that was covered in blood, the first few buttons undone so you could see the sliver chain that dipped below and down his chest. His hair was a mess, dark brown and curly, sticking to his forehead, but you could see that he was probably more put together before whatever happened with those men.

“Hey, are you okay?” Stupid. As if you couldn’t see that he was broken and bleeding in front of you. You squatted down, tucking your hair behind your ears so you could get closer, hand reaching out to touch his shoulder. He took a deep shuddering breath when you made contact and you immediately pulled away, grabbing your phone. You watched as Yuki curled up on top of him, like he was her resting place for the night. She rested her head just under his neck, and for some reason the sight made your heart ache. He looked so broken, and Yuki just wanted to make sure he wasn’t alone. Tears sprung to your eyes and you weren’t sure why, heart racing because you didn’t want to leave him alone ever. You didn’t even know him.

Your hands shook as you tried to dial the police, messing up the first few tries before you finally got it right.

“Hello? Yes, I’m with a man who’s been attacked, he needs an amb-“ You were cut off by the man grabbing your wrist and pulling you down, your hand dropping from your ear to keep you from falling on top of him. His unswollen eye was open, glaring at you when he reached across and grabbed your cell phone, ending the call.

“No police.” He mumbled out, groaning at the movement he made.

“You’re really hurt, you should go to the hospital.” You said, desperate. Yuki was readjusting herself after he inadvertently shoved her off, no concern at all for his current state.

“No. Police.” He repeated, more emphasis on his words that time, breathing haggard. His gaze was fierce, effectively shutting you up. You felt your heart pounding in your chest, too scared to stare at him for too long because his face reminded you of too many dark things. His hand remained wrapped around your wrist and you were acutely aware of the tug it had on your heart.

He hissed as he tried to pull himself up and it was instinct alone that made you grab his arm to help him. He was out of breath, spending up all of his energy in that minimal movement, yet somehow found the strength to reach into his pocket and pull out his phone, dialing a number and pressing it to his ear.

“It’s me. I have to lay low for a while. Seunghyun’s people knew I would be alone. They knew everything.” He mumbled out. You kept your hand on his arm, too scared he would fall back if you let him go (too scared you wouldn’t feel the warmth of his body again). Yuki laid in his lap and you stared at her pointedly, as if she could understand the danger she might be in if he realized she was there, never worrying about the danger you might be in for doing the same thing.

“Get everything ready. When I come home, I want them to know I’m coming for them.” His face was so pale, and the moonlight hit his eyes in such a way that he looked scary. Still, you didn’t actually feel scared of him. He ended the call and shoved his phone back into his coat pocket, wiping his hand down the left side of his face, smearing blood along with it.

“Help me stand up.” He demanded suddenly, not waiting for your answer as he pushed himself off the ground. Yuki jumped off of his lap and you had to wrap your arms around his chest, a squeal falling from your lips as you tried to support his weight. His arm wrapped around your shoulders and it took all of the strength in your legs to keep the two of you upright, praying to every God there was that you wouldn’t break your ankle, you couldn’t afford it.

“You can’t walk on your own!” You shouted, annoyance and worry now overrunning your thoughts, scared of the dependence he now had on you as you could feel his knees buckling every few seconds. “How can you expect to go anywhere like this?!”

You groaned under him as you pulled an arm away, grabbing his hand that slung over your shoulder and holding onto it while your other arm remained secured around his waist.

“How far away do you live?” He breathed out and you stared up at him, blood now smeared on your sweatshirt. He looked down at you, and your breath caught in your throat. You heard the things he said on the phone. Knew logically that he was a bad person, a person who was caught up in ugly things that you needed to stay out of, but in your heart, you just wanted to help him. You felt like you needed to help him. His eyes were going in and out of focus and you knew you didn’t have much time before you would have to drag him.

“Not far, just a few minutes.” You said softly.

“Your apartment then. Let’s go there.” He replied. You were already turning to walk him before he replied. Your limbs were aching when you made it to the front of your apartment building, trying your best to move quickly so you wouldn’t draw attention. You had pulled a mask out of your pocket before you made it out of the woods, putting it on him to try and shield some of his face. He stayed quiet the entire time, saving his energy to walk, knowing that you couldn’t do it alone. When you made it into the building, Yuki trailing behind you the entire way, you led them both into the elevator and felt his legs start to give.

“Don’t, please, we’re almost there.” You pleaded, pressing the button to your floor. He found some energy in your words, straightening up a little during the ride up and walking out with you when the doors finally opened. You pressed in the code to your apartment and led him in, too tired to be embarrassed about the state of the place. It was tiny, a kitchen, a bathroom, and your bedroom/living room – still almost more than you could afford. You helped him to your bed and tried your best to sit him down carefully knowing it would hurt worse to let him fall. His arm dropped from your shoulders and you wrapped your hands around his neck, lowering him back before lifting his legs up onto the bed. After that, you fell to your knees, arms resting on the bed beside him. You took your time catching your breath before looking up at him. He was out cold, breaths even and deep, hoping that was a sign he didn’t have any broken ribs.

Yuki climbed up your bed and onto his chest where she had been, and you stared at her incredulously before walking to the kitchen, filling up a bowl with water. You found your first aid kit under the sink, an old thing you had gotten years ago when you moved in, everything in it probably expired or unnecessary for what he needed, but you hoped you might find something useful. After grabbing a washcloth and walking back towards the man on your bed, you sat down beside his head and pulled the mask off of him, dampening the rag before cleaning at the small cuts on his face. It seemed like most of the blood came from a gash above his swollen eye, finding no other major cuts around it. The entire left side of his face was a dark red, extending from his eye down to his jaw. His lip was also split, and you dabbed at it gently. Once his face was clean, you took a moment to really look at him, grateful he was unconscious. Besides the now swollen shut eye, strangely the prettiest purple and blue you had ever seen, he was handsome. Maybe the most handsome man you had ever been so close to. His jaw framed his face perfectly, squared and defined, plump lips prominent though you weren’t sure if it was because they were swollen or not. You remembered his brown eyes (well, eye) from before and wished he was able to open them both now, wish you could see his face the way it was meant to be, an anger resting over your shoulders that you hadn’t felt before, wondering how someone could harm a face so pretty.

You quickly shook yourself out of your thoughts and decided that you needed to take his shirt off, needed to find out if he was hurt anywhere else. You plucked Yuki off of his chest and moved her to lay on the other side of his head, where she quickly found a comfortable resting place on his shoulder. Unbuttoning and removing his shirt was difficult, being that he was wearing a suit jacket, but you didn’t have the heart to cut it. It looked so expensive. So, you took off his cuff links – setting them on the nightstand, undid the buttons on his sleeves and rolled him back and forth until you could get the them off. There was a deep gash on his side that looked like it was from a knife, extending from below his ribs and down to his hip accompanied by a large bruise higher up on his rib cage. You cleaned around the wound as much as you could before grabbing a stack of gauze from your first aid kit and putting pressure. The bleeding had mostly stopped, but you still taped the gauze in place, scared that he would bleed onto the sheets while he slept. You tried your best to ignore the rest of his body, but it was… difficult to say the least. He was a well-defined man, abs splaying out across his stomach like he was born with them, arms toned and strong. He looked like the kind of guy another man might envy, someone who didn’t have to try very hard to be attractive. It made you angrier knowing that he was strong enough looking to defend himself but was still hurt like this.

You pressed antibiotic cream to the small cuts on his face and his eye and moved to your dresser to find an old t-shirt you could put him in. It was surprisingly easier than expected to get on him, though it still left you out of breath, deciding he could change his own pants when he woke up. After you finished, you walked to the kitchen and put all of your supplies away, not really sure how to act now that there was a stranger in your house. You wanted to shower, his dried blood caking your nails and making you uncomfortable, but it felt strange. He could wake up any time and walk in, hurt you, murder you, steal all of your belongings. You sat on the floor beside the bed staring at his profile and thought about it for a long time before deciding you would take a short one, enough to wash your hair and clean the blood off of your hands.

After the quickest ten-minute shower of your life, you changed into your pajamas and walked out, only to find him in the same position you left him, Yuki back on his chest where she had been before you changed his shirt. The disappointment that rested on your shoulders said too much. You rolled out a blanket on the floor and laid down, mind running too quickly for you to keep up with. When the exhaustion finally let your mind rest, your eyes shut like a prison door, no temptations to open them or fear to keep you up worrying about the stranger that laid in your bed.

When morning came, he was still there, in that same position. Yuki was clawing at the door to go out, so you pulled on your jacket and shoes and took her. She was only gone for fifteen minutes and you were just about to abandon hope that she was coming back when she climbed onto the bench you were seated on and crawled into your lap. You smiled and zipped her into your jacket, scared your neighbors might complain if they saw her in the daylight, before walking back to the apartment.

It didn’t shock you this time, noting that he still hadn’t moved. You ordered food for two, set out an extra plate, expecting him to wake up any time. Fourteen hours had passed and if you hadn’t seen his chest rising, you would have thought he was dead. He slept through your entire meal. Slept through the movie you played on your laptop, slept through you crying at the ending. Slept through you talking to yourself, talking to Yuki, talking to him.

“I guess you can stay. It’s so weird, I don’t know you at all, but it’s nice to not be alone. Nice to have someone. Even a stranger. Plus, Yuki seems to like you more than me even though I’m the one who feeds her, so if you leave, I imagine she’ll leave to.” You rambled on and on about things that didn’t matter, but still found yourself eager to tell him.

“I have to work tomorrow, so I kind of hope you’re awake by then. No offense, but I don’t know if we’re close enough for me to trust you in my apartment alone. I don’t even know your name. I’ll have to take my laptop to work with me probably, it’s the only thing here worth any value.”

You laughed at the random videos you found scrolling through YouTube and eventually find yourself tired enough to lay back on your makeshift bed and sleep. Honestly, you had never felt so safe. He was a stranger who you had shared no more than fifteen words with, but at least you weren’t alone. And you weirdly trusted Yuki’s judgement, trusted that she could sense he was a good person on the inside.

You dreamt for the first time in a long time, dreamt of someone holding your hand, showing you galaxies that you never knew existed, swimming through oceans filled with stars that were close enough for you to touch. When your hand reached out to grab the brightest one, another hand beat you to it, snatching it away and you whined, looking over at the star thief. It amazed you how you could see his smile so vividly even though you had never seen it in real life. This stranger who took over your apartment now flooding your dreams and you loved how complete it made you feel in that ocean of stars.

“Give it back!” You shouted and he laughed, teasing and taunting you by holding it so close before snatching it away. He swam off, pulling your star with him, laughing like you were friends or something closer. You chased after him, but he was too fast, body growing smaller and smaller as he moved further away. Your smile faded with him, no longer finding this dream fun.

“Wait! Wait, don’t leave me!” You shouted, and the uncomfortable chill that took over your bones broke your heart, loneliness seeping into your lungs as you breathed in an ocean full of stars that you could no longer swim in.

“Come back!” You cried, trying to swim for the surface before you drowned, but it was too late, you could feel the water pulling you down as you desperately kicked, fighting your way back to the happiness you held just minutes before with your stranger who left you alone in the dark.

“Come back!” You shouted, eyes opening in the darkness of your room, breathing heavily, no oceans or stars in sight. You sat up, heart racing as you looked up at the bed, finding it empty. The disappointment you felt was almost consuming, your heart not sure how to handle the loss of someone you didn’t know, how to handle the break in your soul when you didn’t even know his name.

“Are you okay?” His voice came from the other side of your makeshift bed and you screamed, pushing your back against your bed as If you could hide from him now.

The moonlight shined in through the window illuminating him perfectly, sitting beside where your head had been.

“What are you doing?!” You shouted and he simply shrugged in response.

“I woke up to you laughing, but then you started crying.” The look of concern on his face made you nauseous. Like it implied anything besides curiosity.

You sighed, running your hands over your face. “You scared me.”

He smiled and you get to see it outside of your dreams. It’s better than you imagined, better because it’s here, and it’s real. You hated the way your heart raced for him. Hated that you already knew it was going to end up with you broken before anything even started.

“I’m sorry.” He said softly, pulling his knees up to rest his elbows on them. You shook your head and sat up on your knees, suddenly curious about his condition.

“What about you? Are you okay?” You asked, noting that his eye was a little less swollen after nearly a full day.

He pushed his lip out in thought, nodding his head. “I’m sore, but better.”

You nodded in reply, relief flowing through. “Good. I was worried.”

“Why?” He asked and it caught you off guard.

“What?” You questioned and he looked at you. You could see his defenses rising before you even tried to invade and it made your chest ache, wondering what made him so closed off to someone who wanted to help.

“Why would you be worried about me? You don’t know me.” His words sounded like they were meant to be harsh, but you weren’t hurt by them. Instead you were just as confused as he was, wishing your chest didn’t ache every time you saw the gash on his forehead, wishing you didn’t long to see his eyes every second since you found him.

“I don’t know, honestly. I was just… worried.” You whispered, running your hands through your hair.

Your reply satisfied him enough to stop asking questions and he stood up, walking to the kitchen. He rummaged through your fridge before finding the plate you had made earlier that day, putting it in the microwave to heat up. You checked the time, 3:35am, and took a deep breath to steady your nerves. He sat in the kitchen to eat, pulled out his phone and started texting and calling people like he lived there. His voice was soft sometimes and harsh others, and you wondered who you had to be to get his soft voice. You liked it the most. Weirdly, you didn’t mind his harsh voice either, your mind easing, soul settling in a way it never had.

Yuki eventually crawled into your lap, purring in your arms, so you leaned your head against the bed and ran your hand down her back, let your mind drift off to the sound of his voice. You opened your eyes sometime later; the feeling of a blanket being pulled over your shoulders. Your hooded eyes looked up and it was him, face too close to yours, close enough that you should see the shimmer in his eyes. He stared down at you for a while, like he was trying to solve the world’s most difficult puzzle, before climbing onto the bed behind you. You didn’t move even though his hand brushed beside your ear, nerve endings on fire, yet too comfortable to stay awake. You didn’t feel scared, you didn’t feel worried. You just feel so warm. And that was enough for you.

“What’s your name?” You asked with your eyes closed, almost praying he didn’t answer. If you didn’t know his name, your heart would be safer when he left, no name to cry out in the dark when he was gone.

“Bobby.” He replied. You let it fall from your lips, loving the way it felt to say aloud, prayed you would get to say it for a long time. It was all you dreamt about that night.

The next morning started out like this – You rushing to get ready for work, pulling on clothes without looking at them, combing your hair wildly, putting on lipstick and shoving it in your pocket. You remembered as you were putting on your shoes that you wanted to grab your laptop and turned back, finding Bobby sitting up in bed, scrolling through his phone. He glanced up at you before turning his attention away with a small smirk on his face.

“I won’t steal your laptop. I know it’s the only thing worth any value here.” You remembered your late night rambles to him the second he said it and wished you had time to find out what all he had heard during his supposed unconscious state, but you had no time, so you instead you ran out the front door without a word.

You hated work before, but the thought that Bobby was sitting in your apartment made it worse. You wanted to see him, talk to him, make sure he was eating. Keep him from leaving. The thoughts plagued you like nothing else, but work was important. You didn’t have any other income to support yourself, and you had no family or friends to rely on. You bartended at a place not far from your apartment, somewhere that was sketchy enough to let you work when you were only nineteen after your family died, no money to stay in college, no home to live in after the bank repossessed it. You met Sabrina, the owner of the bar, at your family’s funeral. She told you that she was a friend of your fathers and her heart seemed really genuine, took you in like her own and gave you a place to stay when you had nothing, it gave you the sense of security you desperately needed.

At first, it was okay. You made good tips because you were pretty and the men loved your innocent eyes, but after a while you realized how dark people could be. How they didn’t care if you said ‘no’ when they asked for your number or when they followed you home from work, grabbing you until you pepper sprayed them or ran.  Now you just worked because it was all you were good at; all you really knew how to do. Plus, it felt like you owed Sabrina a large debt, one that felt like it would take a lifetime to repay. She never asked for too much but made it apparent that she would be upset if you ever left. You felt stuck, torn between the life you wanted and the only person you could claim as family.

It felt like the longest shift ever, entertaining drunk men who didn’t care about anything but themselves, praying the night would end quickly. It was around 10pm when you walked to the bathroom, wanting to fix up your hair and touch up your lipstick before going home. It felt childish, the giddiness you had at the thought of seeing Bobby, excitement bubbling in your stomach like it used to when you were in middle school and had a crush on someone. You rolled your eyes at your reflection, embarrassment creeping up your neck, but still, you blotted your lips together and pinched your cheeks for some color before stepping out of the bathroom.

“Hey, y/n, leaving so soon?”

The regulars at the bar were usually easy to handle, knowing your limits and following them well, but sometimes they went too far. Miko often overstepped those boundaries, always too handsy and too bold, reaching over the counter to grab the things he wanted and whispering disgusting things in your ear that made your cheeks hot. He was in his forties, hair balding and stomach rounded from drinking every day and eating everything in sight.  It was his slurred voice in the hallway that stopped you outside of the bathroom and you immediately felt cornered, isolated away from everyone else, and somehow you felt like he knew it. His eyes glazed over in a sinister way that made your stomach sink.

“Sorry, I have to get home. I have a new cat; she’s been inside all day.” You laughed nervously, hoping to conceal your fear, but it fell off of you in waves, his eyes darkening as he pushed you back into the ladies’ room, locking the door behind him. You immediately started rummaging through your bag for your pepper spray, but he grabbed your wrists before you could find it, fingers digging marks in as he pulled them up in front of your face.

“I thought about it earlier, and we’ve never spent any quality time together. I know everyone who works here, but I don’t know you very well.” He said, voice low, the smell of alcohol wafting from him. Tears formed in your eyes as he pressed you against the sink. “How about we have a little ‘get to know each other’ session. How’s that sound?”

You fought in his grasp to no avail before lifting up your legs and kicking at him desperately, shoes barely scraping at his shins as your body was too close to do anything significant. His lips pressed to your cheek and you screamed, the only response being the back of his hand connecting with your cheek, sending you to the ground before he pounced on top of you.

“Help!” You pleaded, but no one could hear, music too loud and everyone too far away. He pressed his lips to your neck, hot and wet and everything that made your stomach turn, slamming his hand over your mouth. You bit down on his pinky, pulling your knee up to connect with his groin before he finally yelled and rolled off. Everything was a blur after that, pulling yourself off of the ground and jumping over him, running out of the bar and down the street, tears falling freely down your cheeks as everything melted together around you. You made it to your building and were half-way up the elevator when you finally felt safe. It took you too long to gather your senses, but you tried to calm yourself down, hands still shaking with fear, arms tense and the taste of blood in your mouth. The doors opened and you wiped the tears from your eyes, embarrassed that you tried to look nice for Bobby only to end up in the state you had. You combed your hands through your hair and stood outside of the apartment door for what felt like hours, trying to appear calm and cool.

You didn’t know what to do. People had reported customers at the bar before, but they just ended up with a warning in the end, or worse – the employees would end up fired, the tight knit community unforgiving. You needed the money. Needed the tips you made more than anything and you were scared to disappoint Sabrina, scared to tell her and have nothing come from it. You wanted the night to reset, wished you could go back and leave without going to the bathroom, wished you could hide from the fear that would loom over you forever. Your own stupidity broke your heart the most.

You walked into the apartment and kept your head down, pulling your shoes off, hoping for the first time since he came that Bobby wasn’t there.

“I think you need more groceries, there’s nothing here to eat.” He said from the kitchen, fridge opened as he went through everything. “Eating out every night is unhealthy.”

You walked straight to the bedroom, laughing a little and mumbling out some subpar excuse, trying your best to avoid him as you could feel the ache in your jaw. You threw your bag on the floor and went through your dresser, picking out pajamas and turning back towards the bathroom, hoping to avoid a confrontation at all costs. Things weren’t working in your favor that day, Bobby standing directly behind you as you turned around, eyes glued to yours like he knew all of your secrets when you didn’t say a word. You noted that he was wearing different clothes, wondered if he had left to get them or if he had someone bring them. Either way, he looked better in his own black t-shirt than he did in your white one, setting off a run of palpitations in your chest that you had to ignore. His eye was nearly healed, the bruise still apparent as well as the cut above his eyebrow, but the swelling was almost gone. He looked at you so fiercely, like he could hear your thoughts, causing a lump to form in your throat, eyes suddenly wet again.

His scanned your face, eyes landing on your chin when he took it in his hand, turning you away so he could inspect the bruise that was now forming on your jaw. His touch was gentle, but the anger you felt radiating off of him was anything but.

“What happened?” He asked and it was the genuine concern that flashed across his face that made you speak, telling him everything without hesitation, tears falling down your cheeks without shame. His hands dropped to his side, fists flexing every so often, especially when you told him about Miko hitting you. He never interrupted, never asked any questions. He gave you no comfort in his arms or his eyes, staring at you so intently that you wanted to hide.

When you finished, he walked out. You couldn’t follow after him, too embarrassed and ashamed to do anything but climb in the shower and try to rinse the feeling of Miko’s hands off of your wrists, rubbed the skin where his lips touched your neck until it felt raw. You wished that Bobby had pulled you in his arms and held you for the rest of the night, felt stupid as the thought crossed your mind.

When you exited the shower, you immediately got dressed, wiped the steam from the mirror so you could see your face. It looked worse than it felt. Dark purple and red that matched Bobby’s eye extending from the corner of your lip down to your jaw. You remembered the feel of Miko’s rings connecting like rocks when he slapped you and closed your eyes, the memory replaying over and over as if you could change it somehow. You shook your head and pulled your hair up, walking out of the bathroom and to the kitchen. You sat there for a long time, leftover food from a few nights before heated and sitting in front of you. Nothing tasted good, thoughts running back to Bobby’s face when he saw that you were hurt. His eyes reflecting yours, sadness settling deep inside like stone sinking in the ocean. He was gone for so long that you thought he wasn’t coming back, but just as you were standing up to go to bed, a knock came from the door. You made a mental note to give him the passcode to the apartment before you opened it, but the thought quickly left your mind.

Bobby stood there, hand gripping the back of the shirt of a man kneeled down in front of him. Blood was pouring from the man’s nose, from his mouth, both eyes black and blue, bruises peeking out from under the collar of his shirt like he was choked. It was Miko. Your hands instinctively moved to cover your mouth as you gasped, looking down at him kneeling in front of you.

“Speak.” Bobby said, nudging him with his foot.

“I’m sorry y/n, so sorry. I’ll never do it again, I’ll never come back again!” Miko cried and you looked up at Bobby. His eyes were void of any emotion and that might be the only time you were ever scared of him.

“Please let me go, I have kids at home, I promise I’ll never see you again, I’ll never do it again!” He was pleading, hands clasped together as he begged for your mercy, as if you hand any control over his life, as if you made the decisions. The thought made you sick for all of the wrong reasons.

You liked it. Liked that you had control over this person who tried to hurt you, tried to take advantage of you less than two hours before. This person who would have done worse had you not gotten free from him; the lingering feeling of his hands wrapped around your wrists becoming more apparent as you watched him beg. You wanted to see him hurt like you did, wanted to hear him cry and see him broken and bleeding. It made you nauseous, all of these new feelings you never knew you were capable of having.

“Please y/n…” You tried to feel the sincerity in his words, prayed he really did mean it, then grabbed Bobby’s hand and pulled it from his shirt, worried you were making a decision you would regret.

“Just go.” You said, watching as he hauled himself off of the ground, turning to run. Bobby grabbed his arm and turned him back, balling the front of his shirt in his fist while he pulled him close.

“If it happens again - no.” He shook his head with a humorless laugh before starting over. “If I see you again, if I hear your name across town through friends of a friend, if you touch another woman the way you did tonight,” Venom dripped from his words. “If you step within a hundred yards of her…” The air felt too cold as Bobby leaned into the other man’s ear, voice lowering to a whisper. “I’ll kill you.”

Miko’s face was white, tears pouring from his swollen eyes, fear apparent in the way he shook as Bobby shoved him away.

“I know lots of people around here.” Bobby yelled after him, watching as he ran towards the elevator. “Probably best you stay home from now on.”

You pulled on his arm, tugging him back into the apartment before people heard him shouting and came out to investigate. The door slammed shut and you turned to face him as he walked back to the kitchen, anger filling you up like a balloon ready to burst.

“What is wrong with you?! That is not how you handle things; you don’t just attack people!” You shouted and he paused as he pulled the fridge open, eyes meeting yours.

“He attacked you.” He said simply, eyes filled with hatred for the brief few seconds he looked at you. Your throat went dry. He looked away, pulling out a left-over container of rice before sitting down at the seat you had been in a half an hour before. A few minutes later, he was shoveling it into his mouth while scrolling through his phone, as if nothing had happened. It was true. Miko did something bad and he should be punished for it. Bobby fixed the problem, did more than you were willing to. So why were you upset?

You walked to your spot on the floor and sat down, staring at the wall across from you, heart racing for a thousand reasons. Bobby didn’t finish for a long time, eating everything and then cleaning the dishes, but he eventually walked over, squatting down to eye level with you. He saw the tears in your eyes, reaching his hand out to wipe one away as it rolled down your cheek, the lingering feeling of his fingers lasting longer than Miko’s did.

“You sleep in the bed, I’ll sleep here.” He said without asking, pulling the blanket away and waiting for you to move. You stood up and climbed onto the mattress, pulling the comforter up over your shoulders. You faced away from him, forced your eyes shut while you tried to keep every thought of him out, tried not to see the concern in his eyes replay like your favorite movie on the back of your eyelids. You prayed your heart would stop racing every time you thought of him and hoped that maybe it wasn’t all true. That maybe he wasn’t a bad person. The memory of Miko’s face brought you back to the reality you wished you could deny.

You woke up sometime in the middle of the night, nightmares forcing you awake. Your body was facing back towards the floor, the opposite of how you fell asleep, arm hanging off the edge of the bed. You didn’t notice it right away, but your hand was clasped inside of Bobby’s, his eyes remaining closed while gentle snores flowed from him. Your breath caught in your throat, the feel of his calloused fingers threaded through yours taking over all of your senses, making your heart speed up like you could die if you touched him for too long. You tried to pull away, but he gripped you tighter, not letting go.

“The only time you stopped crying was when I grabbed your hand. Go back to sleep.” He mumbled; eyes still closed. The sound of his voice gave you chills, and your cheeks felt too hot to bear, but your eyes closed anyways. You bit your lip to keep from panicking, pretended everything was okay, counted to one hundred over and over again until you could finally breathe normal.

In the morning, you had to pry your fingers free from his so you could go to the bathroom and get ready for work. When you came out, he was still asleep, sun shining on his face. His hair was longer, hanging in his eyes, the swelling of his left eye completely gone, and the bruising changed to a yellow/brown color. His lips were parted slightly, soft huffs of air coming out with each exhale, making you smile. You stared at him for as long as you could before gathering your things and walking out the door.

The days go on just like that. Bobby stayed in your apartment mostly, talked on the phone a lot during the day, watched you get ready for work. After the incident with Miko, he put his number in your phone and made you call every night when you were finished, so he could walk you out. Two and a half weeks passed by without you ever questioning his presence and you were too scared to ask him when he would be leaving (never really wanting him to). Instead you just enjoyed his presence. Appreciated that he was there.

“I think Yuki really does like me more than you.” He said one day, out of the blue while you washed the dishes.

“Hey!” You whined, turning back to face him. He was laying on your bed, Yuki curled up in her favorite place on top of him, him petting her softly while he smiled at her. Your heart constricted and you had to tear yourself away from the sight, scared you might fall for him over something that small. It would be stupid to fall anyways, this man you barely knew enrapturing your heart like it only ever belonged to him.

You found yourself scrubbing the same dish for five minutes, the thoughts rolling around in your head like a storm cloud when you felt him behind you. His arm snaked around yours, grabbing the dish you were cleaning and pulling it out.

“I think it’s clean.” He said softly, setting the dish on your drying rack, laughing to himself while peeking around to see you. You couldn’t help but stare up at him, remembering the day you found him in the woods, leading him to your apartment, cleaning the blood off of his face. He was absolutely the most handsome man you had ever seen. His eyes were brilliant, and they shined when he smiled, when he laughed, when he was yelling at someone on the phone. Now they were shining at you and you couldn’t help but lean up and press your lips to his. It was almost involuntary, like your body would have just dissipated to nothing if you didn’t do it. You pulled your other hand out of the water and rested it on his neck, fell for him like you had never fallen for anything before.

When he rested his hand on your shoulder, you expected him to push you away. He turned your body to fully face him, pressing your back against the counter, hands on your cheeks while his lips pressed against yours more urgently. You gripped the counter behind you, not sure why you could feel tears in your eyes when you were anything but sad. His hands left your cheeks to grab your arms, wrapping them around his waist before he pulled them back up to your neck. He touched you like you would break, but his lips; oh, his lips… They melted into yours like wax, tongues brushing against each other, kissing you like he could never get enough. You gripped his shirt like he would disappear if you didn’t hold him there, felt like it would all be a big dream that faded away the second you opened your eyes.

He walked you to the bed, sat down and pulled you into his lap, brushed the hair out of your face with the rough pads of his fingers that you loved so much, and you tried to remember that life could go on without him. Tried to remember that someday he would go, and you’d be alone again, and it would be okay (wouldn’t it?). Found it hard to convince yourself of that the more you fell for the stability he gave you, the stability you didn’t realize you had craved your entire life. You woke up every day to his soft snoring, got out of the shower and knew he would still be there after you got dressed, brought home dinner every night, always making sure there was enough for two. It was a sense of security that settled so deep in your bones that you didn’t realize how far gone you were. The way his eyes watched you put on your makeup, the way he held your hand while you slept because it was the only way you could dream beautiful things. The only way you could dream at all.

“Please don’t leave.” You mumbled absentmindedly as he moved to kiss you again, halting at your words. Your heart always spoke before your mind could think to stop you. His eyes went hard, looking up at you like you broke a rule, like you opened a door you shouldn’t have, but he didn’t move. Didn’t push you away.

“I don’t care what happens,” you continued, breathing uneven and urgent, tears filling your eyes again. “I don’t care if you’re a bad person, I just need you.”

He stared at you for a few seconds before letting out a shaky breath, head turning away. A chuckle passed his lips soon after and he shook his head a little, pulling his hands up to wrap around your elbows.

Your hands found their way to his cheeks, forcing him to look at you. Forcing him to see the tears that ran down your cheeks, tears he had a part in.

“I’m not asking you to love me. Just, please…” You let out a shaky breath of your own, sadness ripping through you like a tornado, forehead crinkling up as your tears fell harder. “Please don’t leave me alone again.”

You watched him soften at your words, saw for the briefest moment the darkness he kept hidden from everyone, prayed that someday you’d get to help him heal.

‘So stupid…” He mumbled before pressing his lips back to yours, and you didn’t hold back. You gave him every piece of you. You fell into his flames and only wished you could burn, because as long as it was him, you would learn to love the scars he would leave. You would love everything for him.

--

It was hard at first, loving Bobby. He didn’t make it easy, never let you know how he was feeling. Only ever wanted to laugh with you, never wanted to show you a weaker side. When he had to leave after a full three weeks had passed, time to return home to work, he wasn’t sentimental about it. Didn’t care to acknowledge your feelings much at all.

“I’ll pick you up after work, so don’t leave until I get there.” He said sternly, ignoring the tears in your eyes. You sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the floor, fear gripping you at the thought that he wouldn’t be there hold your hand that night so you could dream. He gathered the small things he had delivered to the house, throwing them all in a duffle bag haphazardly. The silence weighed on you like cement, pouring over your limbs with such ferocity that you never wanted to get up again.

He squatted down in front of you after a while and leaned his arms on your knees, looking up at you with such sweet eyes that you wanted to hit him.

“You cry too much.” He said softly, resting his chin down onto his wrists, making his lips pout up at you.

“Stop making me cry all of the time then.” You complained, staring back at him. He smiled and leaned up, pressing his lips to yours. It was the sweetest thing, soft and gentle, pushing all of the sorrows you held to the back of your mind, every sadness cured by his lips and those puppy dog eyes he stared up at you with when he pulled away. He pressed another chaste kiss to your lips when he stood up and you smiled a little, enough to bring him some comfort as he walked towards the door.

“I’ll see you tonight.” He said, and just the thought of it made your heart race.

You prayed through your entire shift, prayed he wouldn’t lie, prayed he would really be there when you walked out that night. The way your heart leapt and fell at every car that passed while you stood outside made you nauseous, a sick you thought would only be cured by the sight of his smile. You waited for twenty minutes before turning to storm away, tired of standing in the cold, anger clouding your vision as you thought of all of the things you would say when you saw him next. It was just as you were pulling your phone out of your pocket that you noticed him a few feet away, leaning against the building you just came out of. He looked different, no longer sporting the t-shirt and sweats you always got to see, instead sporting a navy-blue suit, white t-shirt underneath, silver chain hanging the same place it always did. His hair was gelled back, a shade of class washing over him that you never knew was possible.

“What are you doing?!” You shouted, storming up to him and punching his shoulder.

“I was waiting for you! You seemed so busy watching traffic that I thought you might be waiting for someone else.” He said laughing, hands held up in defense. You hit him again, one more time for good measure before storming away, walking towards your building. He ran up behind you, lifting you up into the air and your laughter fell involuntarily from your lips as he spun you around and around. When your feet hit the sidewalk, you grabbed his arm, shaking the dizziness out of your eyes. He led you the rest of the way home and asked about your day, let you talk forever about the stupid things you had to deal with as if you were his favorite podcast to tune into, diligently listening and never interrupting.

When the tables turned and you asked about his day, he was short, never sharing more than a simple ‘it was okay, nothing special’. You hated how closed off he could be. Hated that he wouldn’t talk to you about everything the way you would talk with him.

“Do you ever get scared?” You asked and he looked at you.

“Scared of what?” He retorted and you tilted your head, curiosity taking over your thoughts.

“Scared of your life. The things you do. Aren’t you ever scared?” The words seemed to hit him in the same way they did when you had said you were worried about him weeks before. He shut down, fake smile filling up his cheeks, eyes empty as he chuckled lightly.

“No, I’m not scared.”

It broke your heart.

He walked you into your building, rode the elevator up to your floor in silence, a different person than the one who lifted you into the sky just a while before.

“Can you stay a while?” You asked, pressing in the code to your door and pushing it open. He didn’t enter behind you and you assumed that was his answer as you turned back.

“I can’t. I have some work I need to get home and finish.” He said with no regret in his eyes, so unemotional that your heart sunk at the thought of having to say goodbye.

Yuki was at his feet seconds later, pressed against his legs like he was her human magnet. You rolled your eyes as he lifted her into his arms, pressing kisses to her face and petting her.

“I’ll take her outside, is that okay?” he asked, and you nodded, jealousy ringing through your bones as you turned back to walk inside, an air of disappointment hanging around you. He grabbed your hand as it fell from the door and pulled you into his chest, Yuki now waiting beside his feet. His free hand wrapped around the back of your neck and pulled your lips to his, the taste of his tongue sweet like wine. It took you a little longer than him to react, but eventually, you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him as close as you could, never really feeling like you could get enough.

When he pulled away, you whined, a smile forming on his cheeks instantly at the sound.

“Stop crying all of the time.” He said, pressing a kiss to your nose before reaching down for Yuki and walking away. You let the door shut behind him, sighing as you walked to your dresser and grabbed random clothes to sleep in.

You waited for him to come back before getting in the shower, scared he would let Yuki in and leave without a word. Fifteen minutes passed before your phone was buzzing beside you.

“Where’d you go?” You asked, curious about why he was calling.

“Every time I set her down, she cries for me to pick her up. I don’t think she has to go to the bathroom. Maybe she’s sick?” he said, and you sighed, defeat settling in your chest.

“She wants to go home with you. Just take her.” You huffed out, annoyance apparent in your tone.

“Are you sure?” He asked and you groaned, standing up from the bed.

“Yes, she always liked you the most, I’m sure she’d just cry all night anyways if you weren’t here.” You said and walked into the bathroom, ready for the lonely night ahead without either of them.

He sighed on the other end. “Will you be okay?” He asked and you turned on the shower, letting it warm up.

“It’s nothing I’m not already used to.” You huffed out before hanging up. It was childish honestly, no real reason to be angry. You weren’t actually mad at all; you had just been so spoiled with his company that the thought of being alone upset you. You finished your shower after some time, drying yourself off before getting dressed and leaving the bathroom.

The first thing that surprised you was Yuki, walking in front of you, brushing her tail against your leg. The second was the sight of Bobby asleep in your bed, suit jacket hanging off of your kitchen chair, enough room beside him for you. You smiled, ringing your hair out before walking closer, climbing under the covers beside him. He immediately rolled over, wrapping his arms around you and crushing you into his chest.

“This is the last night. I mean it.” He mumbled and you smiled into him, the smell of his cologne intoxicating you in a way that alcohol never had, a drug you never wanted to get tired of. You dreamt of a field full of roses that night, all planted by Bobby just for you; his smile and laugh filling your ears like the greatest song you had ever heard. You played it on repeat until the sun came up.

--

Bobby was weak for you in so many ways, never told you ‘no’, never held you back from doing the things you wanted.

After a month and some odd weeks, you found yourself staying at his house more nights than he agreed to. He was desperate to keep you away from all of his darkness, told you before that he didn’t want you involved in his personal business, but you wanted every piece of him; craved it more than anything. He needed to be home so often that it was only logical you stayed with him, but in your heart, you knew it was more than that. You wanted to know him, to know the sides of him he never showed.

At first, you didn’t see it. He was always making you laugh, kissing your tears away when you were sad, holding you until you fell asleep every night.

He took you to small parties first, events where there would only be people that he trusted, people he knew wouldn’t lay a finger on you, but eventually he took you other places. Places that were dangerous, where Donghyuk and Junhoe, the guards he trusted the most, had to follow close behind, ready for anything that might happen. You loved the thrill you got being the girl Bobby chose, loved the way people stared and wondered who you were. Loved that you finally felt like someone people wanted to be, wanted to have. It was exhilarating, dressing in the beautiful gowns that Bobby bought you, expensive diamonds dripping down your neck, hanging from your ears. It was a life you never knew you could love, but you loved it even more than you had expected because Bobby was there.

Every turn you took, you got to see his shining eyes that made your heart swell up three sizes, made your chest ache in a way that you would never feel for anyone but him. He was the cold winter chill you craved at night, stealing your breath and breathing life into you at the same time.

When things got dangerous, Bobby grew quiet. Distant. He made you stay in the house, wouldn’t let you go to work.

“I can’t stay here forever Bobby; Sabrina has texted me for the past three nights that she needs me there. I have to go.” You complained while he paced the room, stress apparent in his tense shoulders and the furl in his eyebrows, jaw clenching over and over again. He hated this argument. Hated that you pushed so far into his personal space, but now you wanted freedom. Hated that you had become too important to let out of his sight, as if he could just sit at home and wait for you, thinking about all of the people who wanted you hurt because of him.

“This is why I tried to keep you away.” He mumbled, running his hands up and down his face. He stopped pacing and turned to you; gaze firmly fixed on the floor. “I told you that I needed to keep you away, but you just kept pushing, kept taking it further and further.”

You climbed off of the bed and walked up to him, taking his face in your hands. You tilted his head up some so that his eyes met yours and gave him a small smile.

“You cry too much.” You joked and he groaned, grabbing your wrists and pulling your arms around him in a hug. He rested his forehead on your shoulder, arms wrapped tightly around your waist, the gesture making your heart feel like it would burst. You combed your hand through the hair on the back of his neck and smiled against him.

“Can’t you just stay here forever? Stop trying to leave.” He mumbled sweetly into your neck, the smile on your cheeks growing five times larger. You pulled away and fell in love with the worry on his face, fell in love with the neediness in his voice.

“When did you get so cute?” You asked and he rolled his eyes, a small sigh falling from his lips. You leaned up on your tippy toes and kissed him once before pulling away, loving the way he peered down at you like you won the battle even though you barely had to fight. You kissed him one more time before walking across the room and grabbing your bag.

“I’ll text you as soon as I get there and you can pick me up whenever I’m finished at 2, okay?”

You turned back and he shoved his hands in his pockets, nodding a few times in agreement. You smiled, waving at him before walking out.

Junhoe stood at the front door, but you told him you would get a taxi, certain that if you let him drive, Bobby would make him stay and keep an eye on you. You didn’t need them to stress so much, didn’t need the stress yourself. So, you went to work alone.

While Sabrina was the closest thing you had to family, you didn’t see her very often. She hardly came to the bar unless there was a special reason, so when you saw her that night, arm attached to a man, you knew something was up.

“Y/n! I want you to meet my boyfriend!” She shouted and you smiled, the sound of her voice something you weren’t sure if you missed, but still giving you a sense of comfort that you enjoyed. Sabrina was beautiful for her age, tall with tanned skin, hair dark and long, signature bright red lipstick pasted on her lips as it always was. You had wondered when you first met her why she wasn’t married, but never pried. She complained often about how no man was good enough for her, no man was good enough for life in general, but it was apparent that her mind had changed.

The man stood beside her was handsome, tall and tan mirroring her perfectly, hair black and gelled back exposing the defining features of his face. His black suit was tailored perfectly, clinging to his broad shoulders in all of the right ways, white button up clasped all of the way to his neck.

You smiled at him politely and nodded your head, sticking your hand out to shake. He took it in his at the same time she said his name.

“This is Seunghyun!” The happiness in her voice was drowned out by the alarms going off in your head. You remembered the name, falling from Bobby’s bloody lips months ago in the woods; remembered him mentioning it several times after, always in conversations filled with malice and anger. Your blood ran cold as your eyes met his and it was in the way he squeezed your hand as you tried to pull away that told you he knew; he knew who you were. Your knees shook at the way evil danced in his eyes and it took everything in you to nod at him again, a fake smile pulling your cheeks up.

Sabrina remained oblivious to the tension, not caring that the atmosphere had changed the second she mentioned his name.

“Isn’t he so handsome, y/n?! Make us some drinks, we’re celebrating!” She squealed, and you were finally able to pull your hand away, immediately turning to grab some glasses. Your heart was racing, filled with fear and anxiety. You poured out the drinks she requested while she went on and on about how they wanted to get married as soon as possible, wanted to have kids. It was hard to ignore the feeling of Seunghyun’s eyes on the back of your neck, hair raising at the thought that he was planning something to hurt Bobby. Why else would he be there?

You turned and set the drinks in front of them before excusing yourself, cell phone in hand. You were just about to press dial on Bobby’s number, hand resting on the restroom door when a hand grabbed your wrist, whipping you back around. Seunghyun’s eyes looked even darker in the dim light of the hallway as he pulled your phone from your hand. He smiled a little at the sight of Bobby’s name before locking it the screen and reaching behind you, stuffing it in the back pocket of your jeans.

“We obviously have business to take care of. Let’s talk somewhere more private.” He said, pulling you out the back exit. Winter was coming to an end, air warm enough to go without a jacket, but goosebumps ran up and down your arms despite that. His grip never left your wrist, shoving you up against the brick wall of the bar.

“This can go one of two ways. You can tell me Bobby’s plans or things…” He ran a finger down your cheek, standing much too close for your comfort. “Can get ugly.”

You took a deep breath and tried to steady your nerves, fear gripping you like a cobra.

“I- I don’t know anything. He never talks about that stuff in front of me.” It came out too shaky, like you were lying. His grip on your wrist tightened and you yelped, trying to twist away from him, but he slammed you back against the cement even harder, free hand snaking into your hair and tightening. He pushed you to the ground, hair pulling so you would look up at him while tears fell down your face.

“You don’t know anything?” He retorted, and you shook your head, begging for him to let you go.

“I swear, I don’t know anything, I don’t! Please let me go, I promise I don’t know anything!”

He hummed in reply, looking around as if he was thinking of what to do. It was a few minutes later when his grip loosened, letting you collapse on your hands and knees. You quickly scrambled away from him, back pressing against the wall as you stood up. He dusted his hands off on his pants and smoothed out his hair.

“You’re the closest person to him, yet you don’t know anything?” He added with a chuckle and you didn’t speak. “Must not be that close.”

The last part was a mumble and his eyes met yours again. “Still, I’m keeping you close. Don’t let me find out you’re lying to me. I would hate to break Sabrina’s heart, she’s pretty fond of you.”

He straightened out his suit before walking back inside. You sank to the ground, burying your face in your hands. The sound of his voice echoed around in your mind and it terrified you, all of your senses in overdrive. You could hear Bobby’s voice, telling you not to leave, trying to push you away, could see his face when Miko hit you, the image replaying over and over again, his eyes empty but voice filled with insane anger. He tried to make you stay home, begged you to stay. He would think it was his fault and you wanted to vomit at the thought, overwhelming concern filling you up quicker than before, and there was another problem. Seunghyun was dating Sabrina. You weren’t sure if he had any real feelings for her, if he had only used her to get close to you, but you were sure of her feelings for him.

The thoughts flew through your mind too fast, you could breathe, couldn’t see a way out, felt like the world was closing in around you until you opened your eyes and found that it wasn’t. You took a few deep breaths, pulling yourself off of the ground and wiping the tears from your face. After walking back inside, you went straight back to work, letting Sabrina ramble on and on about her new-found love, ignored the glares from Seunghyun. Tried your best to let the numbness wash over you for the night.

Sabrina’s arms wrapped around you before you left, telling her you had to leave early to feed Yuki.

“Please come around more. I know I don’t see you a lot, but I love you and I need you. More than anyone.” Alcohol fueled her words, but tears still filled your eyes at the sentiment. “Not just because I need employees, but because… you’re like a little sister to me.”

You let her hug you for a few more seconds before pulling away. “I’ll call you. I promise.” You said softly, quickly walking out before she could see your tears.

You took a taxi home, leaving earlier than Bobby would have expected, planning on showing up before he left to avoid him find out about Seunghyun. You stood outside of the house for a while, calming your nerves and trying your best to appear normal. It was just as you were about to push the door open that Bobby walked out.

“Oh,” surprise written on his face when he saw you standing there.  “You told me to pick you up, what happened?”

You stared at him blankly and had the hardest time keeping it together. You wanted to melt into his arms, let him kiss away your tears, wanted him to hold you while you told him everything. Instead you smiled, the fake expression coming to you more naturally than expected.

“I got off early so I wanted to surprise you.” You lied, wrapping your arms around his waist. Your head was buzzing with anxiousness, resting your chin on his chest while he tilted his head, looking down at you quizzically. You worried if he could read your thoughts, if he could see the fear hidden behind your smile, but after a few seconds he wrapped his arms around your neck and pressed his lips to yours. The smile that raised on his cheeks was enough to settle some of your anxiety and you held him tighter.

“Let’s go get food.” He said and you were grateful. Grateful that you were able to keep this secret, grateful that you could go to bed later that night with Bobby smiling and joking, holding you in his arms with the same warmth and tenderness that always brought tears to your eyes. He kissed all of the worries you couldn’t tell him about away and your heart loved him more then than you ever expected it could. You never wanted to see sadness or anger in him, not over you. So, you held it in, kept your fear to yourself, prayed every night that you could avoid it, prayed that Bobby would never stop smiling at you.

--

Seunghyun kept his distance at first, never put his hands on you or pushed you for information. He seemed to be convinced that Bobby didn’t really care about you, and while the thought stung, you knew it wasn’t true, so you ignored it. Sabrina was by his side every night, and since the first meeting you had with him, you refused to leave from behind the bar while he was there. Bobby never found out. You kept him at a distance from your work, finding any excuse you could to keep him from coming to pick you up. He hated it initially, but eventually he seemed to accept that you would be fine taking a taxi home. Life seemed fairly normal for a while, like things would actually be okay.

It was a month later when you were getting ready to leave work that everything came crashing down. All customers had gone for the night as you stacked the last pair of chairs on a table, excited to go home, eat dinner and watch a movie with Bobby. It had been a long night, a night that you weren’t prepared to deal with Seunghyun walking through the front door, obvious distress written on his face. There was another man with him, blood running down his nose while Seunghyun sported a black eye and bloody lip. The anger that seethed off of the two of them had you standing up straight, backing away immediately.

“You knew, didn’t you?” He accused roughly, and the air around you froze at the sight of his dark eyes. You shook your head instinctively, but he didn’t listen, lunging at you and wrapping his hands around your neck. You fell to the ground, gasping as he squeezed tighter and tighter, tears choking you in the same way Seunghyun was. You were clawing at him, kicking your legs, not connecting with anything as desperation poured in your stomach. “You fucking knew!” He screamed.

You shook your head, gasping for air, eyes blurring when you couldn’t bring anything in. The pressure his fingers had around your throat, squeezing without hesitance, eyes raging, it made your body shake with fear.

“I didn’t-“ You tried to force the words out as black spots clouded your vision. He pulled his hands away as everything went dark and you took in a deep breath, rolling on your side as you clutched your chest, coughing spasmodically.

“He took out half of my men. Half of my fucking men! I’ll fucking kill him!”

He wasn’t screaming at you, turned around and throwing chairs, flipping tables. You tried to pull yourself off of the ground, hands shaking with adrenalin as he turned back towards you. When his eyes met yours, you turned to run towards the exit, feet not quick enough for his reaction. His hands gripped your hair, throwing you back to the ground. You screamed and his leg swung back, kicking you in the ribs once before rearing back and kicking you again and again. The oxygen that filled your lungs seconds before was gone, and you swore you felt something crack, no longer counting the blows you felt in your ribs. Your eyes went blurry for a few seconds, pain shooting through you like lightning.

“I swear I didn’t know; I swear!” You gasped out, hands gripping your left side as he stepped back.

He stared down at you like a lion hunting its prey. You had never felt so vulnerable, like he could kill you any second, the mania in his eyes terrifying you in a way nothing ever had. It was funny how the only thing that flashed through you mind was two nights before when Yuki threw a hairball up on Bobby’s pillow. He was so angry, yelling and cleaning it at the same time, screaming about how he was supposed to be her favorite. Ten minutes later, they were curled up in bed together, sleeping. Love pumped through your veins like the mechanisms of your heart worked only for him.

Seunghyun chuckled, squatting down in front of you. You flinched back as his hand reached out to grab your chin, turning your head up towards him. He was quiet for a long time, studying your expression.

“He really doesn’t tell you anything?”

You shook your head ‘no’ with tears in your eyes, too scared to speak, scared he would hurt you again; the pain you felt already too much to bear. The silence extended on for eons in your mind before he finally nodded and stood up.

“I guess we’ll see how much he cares when you show up like that.” He lit a cigarette and took a deep inhale of it before walking out with his partner, not saying another word.

It took you close to an hour to pull yourself off of the floor, ribs cramping like torture every time you took too deep of a breath. You locked the doors to the bar and walked to the bathroom, every step a challenge. Your face was tear soaked but otherwise free from marks, however deep red/purple bruises trailed along your neck, the tactile memory of Seunghyun’s hands causing your stomach to ache. You splashed cool water on your face, wiping away the ruined mascara that dripped down your cheeks in trails, before you lifted up your shirt. You could feel the ache inside, knowing the bruise would be bad, already appearing over your entire ribcage. Your lips trembled at the site, tears forming as another sharp pain took your breath away, causing you to lean over the sink for some stability.

Another thirty minutes had passed before you pulled out your phone and texted Bobby that you would be home late, but he responded just as quickly.

From; Bobby [02:48am]

Too late, I just pulled up

Your heart sped up, not bothering with a reply as you stuffed the phone back in your pocket. You stood up straight and practiced taking some deep breaths, fighting off every wave of pain and nausea that came in response. It took some time, but eventually you thought you could pull it off, thought you could trick both yourself and Bobby that everything would be okay. You grabbed your jacket from the front and pulled it over your arms, zipping it up all of the way so it covered your neck.

When the fresh spring air greeted you as you walked outside, you were met with the sight of Bobby leaned against his car on the street. He smiled as soon as he saw you, putting your heart at ease for the first and probably last time that night. Walking was simple, painful, but easier than breathing.

“What took you so long?!” He asked, happier than usual. You stopped in front of him and waited for him to move from the passenger door so you could get in, a smile forming on your lips.

“I don’t feel very good.” You lied, hoping the way you felt now could pass as an illness to his eyes. Concern flashed over his features as he opened your door and you slid past him, getting in as nonchalantly as you could. He slid into the driver’s seat moments later and you ignored the looks of worry he threw at you while he questioned what was wrong.

“I just have a stomachache, don’t worry.” You mumbled out, closing your eyes. That kept him quiet, hoping to let you rest some on the ride home. Every bump and turn brought tears to you, bile burning in the back of your throat. It felt like the longest ride home you had ever taken.

When he pulled up to the house, you prepared yourself for the pain of getting out, Bobby rushing to your side to help. He took your hand and pulled you up, which was the task you were most worried for. It wasn’t as bad as you expected with him taking most of your weight to help you up. You walked inside fairly normal after, steps too slow, drawing Bobby’s attention even more. Making it to the bedroom felt like the biggest victory, throwing your bag on the ground just inside the door like you were carrying a fifty-pound weight.

“Should I make you something? Are you hungry?” He asked and you shook your head, just wanting to sit down. You walked to the bed and he helped you, pulling your shoes off and setting them on the floor.

The adrenalin had worn out of your system long before, exhaustion rattling in your bones after everything you had been through, mind too tired to stop him from helping. He was grabbing the zipper on your jacket before time finally caught up with you. You grabbed his hands as they started to pull it down, desperation bleeding out in your fingertips.

“Don’t!” you said wide eyed, fear clutching your chest, ribs spasming with the deep inhale you took in. You let go of one of his hands to clutch your side and his eyes were scanning you, gauging the situation.

“Tell me what’s wrong.” He said, watching as the tears now fell down your cheeks, pain from crying only making the pain worse. “y/n, what happened?”

You looked up at him, pleading with your eyes, ‘please let it go’.

His gaze hardened as he brushed your hands away, unzipping the jacket. The bruises had gotten worse over on hour, covering the sides of your neck in the pattern of a hand. You couldn’t look at Bobby’s face, couldn’t see anything through the tears that poured down your cheeks. When he stepped away from you, hands falling to his sides, you stood up, hand clutching your ribs. He hesitated before stepping closer, only to pull up your shirt, revealing the bruise splayed across your ribs. You quickly moved his hand away (not near quick enough), pulling your shirt back down.

He looked sick, the palest you had ever seen him, tears filling his eyes as you grabbed his face.

“Bobby, it’s fine, really. I’m fine, don’t worry about it.” He shoved your hands away and you shook as sobs broke through, fear masking the pain you felt moments before.

“Who did that?” He asked, too quiet, eyes filled with disgust and betrayal. You shook your head, not sure how to speak, how to tell him the secrets you kept. “Who the fuck did it, y/n?! Tell me!”

He was screaming and you covered your face with your hands, wishing you could take it all back. You told him everything. Told him about the first night Seunghyun came into the bar with Sabrina, how he threatened you, how you didn’t want to worry him.

“He doesn’t know, Bobby, he doesn’t think we’re that close. He won’t hurt me again, it’s okay.” You cried out and he wouldn’t make eye contact. Wouldn’t look at you at all. He let you finish talking before nodding his head, those same emotionless eyes you saw the night Miko hit you present.

He brushed past you to leave and you tried to grab his arm, but he shook you off.

“Bobby, wait!” You cried after him as he walked down the stairs. You followed close behind, ignoring the pain in your lungs so you could keep up.

“Donghyuk!” He yelled, the person in question appearing in front of him within seconds. “Get her things and take her home.”

He said it so simply that you didn’t comprehend it at first, but once the words mulled over in your mind, you were frantic.

“Bobby, stop!” You yelled, hand gripping his arm. He whipped towards you, pulling out of your grasp, all of his anger flurrying behind the eyes that were now directed at you.

“Don’t ever come back here, do you hear me?” He seethed and you shook your head, ready to fall to the floor, beg him to let you stay. “I told you it wasn’t safe, told you that you needed to stay out of it, but you didn’t listen. And you lied to me.”

You tried to grab for him again, but he stepped away, turning back to Donghyuk once more. “Take her home now.”

He shoved past you, ripping your hands off of him when you grabbed his shirt, ignoring the way you stumbled back and hit the counter. He didn’t look back when you screamed his name, didn’t look back as you tried to pull yourself from the hold Donghyuk took on your arm. He didn’t look back at all. Everything felt broken, dark and miserable, the uncomfortable feeling of loneliness seeping through your skin, clinging to your bones as you cried in the car after Donghyuk forced you in and buckled your seatbelt. He threw a bag of things he found throughout the house that were yours in the trunk and set Yuki on your lap.

When you made it to your apartment building, he had to practically carry you up, pain soaking through your ribs and making it even harder to breathe after all of the useless effort you put into screaming Bobby’s name, begging him to let you stay.

“You should go to the hospital tomorrow. Take two of these pills before you sleep and again in the morning.”

Donghyuk didn’t walk inside of the apartment, instead set your belongings just inside the door before thrusting a plastic bag filled with pills into your hands without so much as a goodbye before leaving. It was cold inside, colder now that it was just you and Yuki, the memory of Bobby sleeping on your mattress bringing a fresh wave of tears to your eyes. You poured a glass of water and took two pills from the bag, swallowing without a worry of what they were, hoping they would stop the world from spinning. You walked to the bed and sat down, staring into the darkness, wondering how you got there. How you could lie to Bobby for months and expect him to forgive you.

The sound of Yuki meowing beside the door, waiting as if he would walk in any second, made you bury your face in your hands, head pounding.

“He’s not coming Yuki.” You said softly, but she wouldn’t stop, her meowing constant, the silence that followed each reminding you of how alone you truly were, wishing you could drown in the sobs that were now choking you.

“Yuki please, please stop, he isn’t coming back.” You cried, hands covering your ears. “He isn’t coming back!”

You were shaking, wishing it would all end, begging her to stop crying for someone who was gone, someone who didn’t want her anymore. “Please, please stop!” Chest aching as your heart hammered wildly at the thought of a future without Bobby’s smiles, without his eyes, without his kisses. Thought about how you would rather die than never feel his love again.

It was hours later when you were finally able to sleep, no dreams of gentle kisses or shining eyes coming to you, no nightmares of the dark because you were already living in your own hell; you didn’t need any other realities to plague you that night.

--

Living without Bobby felt wrong, like there was no reason to wake up if he wasn’t beside you. You ignored Donghyuk’s advice of going to the hospital, took the pills that dulled the pain like they were candy instead. There were enough to get you through three days. You only got of bed to go to the bathroom, refused to shower, only ate when you had nothing left to throw up.

Sabrina called on the third day. You ignored it at first, letting it ring over and over again until the buzzing gave you a migraine. You answered after her seventh try.

“I need you to come to work tonight.” She said immediately, no real urgency in her tone.

“I can’t Sabrina, I’m sorry.” You replied, voice hoarse and dry.

She was silent for a few seconds before clearing her throat. “I hate to pull this card, but you owe me, big time and you know that, so I need you to come, whatever is happening I can help you with. Be here in an hour.”

She hung up without a reply and you stared at the ceiling, wishing the world would swallow you up. Your limbs felt like loaded down bricks as you pulled yourself from the bed, immediately taking Yuki outside. The day after you came home and cried yourself to sleep, you woke up with her on your chest and immediately broke down in tears again. You couldn’t imagine why she always came back even now that Bobby was gone, but she did, let you pull her into your arms and carry her upstairs.

Getting a shower made you feel surprisingly nice, despite the aches and pains that took over your torso with the movement and pressure. You could feel yourself healing, at least physically, and that gave you some form of relief. It was well over an hour later that you made it to the bar, not worried about being late when it was an accomplishment that you got out of bed at all. You found yourself deeply confused when you saw all of the curtains were drawn, no lights on inside, but you walked in anyways pulling out your phone’s flashlight and turning on the lights as the door shut behind you.

It took a second for your eyes to adjust, but when they did, your stomach flipped.

Bobby sat tied to a chair in the middle of the room, nose bleeding, dark hair a mess. Duct tape covered his mouth, and his eyes widened at the sight of you. You ran over, heart racing, confusion and fear fueling your actions.

“What happened?!” You shouted in a whisper as you started to pull the tape from his lips, tears filling your eyes, only to be answered with a hand on the back of your neck that paralyzed you with fear.

It was terrifying, how you never heard Seunghyun in the room, how you he moved close enough to put a hand on you without even the mildest realization that he was there.

“Yes, y/n, what did happen?” He mumbled in your ear. Bobby’s face was masked with fury and frustration as he stared up at you, arms and legs flexing as he struggled to free himself.

“You see, you had me under the impression that maybe you were a showpiece, a stand in at parties that had no real emotional connection with this guy, that’s how you made it seem the other night, but what confuses me is how I end up being hunted down after our little run in. After I was nice enough to let you leave in one piece.” His laugh was sinister and sent chills down your spine as the grip on the back of your neck tightened, causing you to flinch. You noticed Sabrina standing beside the bar, tears in her eyes, apology written on her face as well as a bloody lip.

“Tell me, y/n, why have I been chased all over the city for the last 72 hours if Bobby doesn’t care about you?”

You shook your head, tears falling down your cheeks. “I don’t know. I- I told you that it wasn’t that serious Seunghyun!” His grip released from your neck and you turned to face him but were met with the back of his hand across your cheek. You stumbled back and Bobby groaned from the chair, eyes raging.

“You’re lying.” He laughed out, cracking his knuckles while you moved yourself behind a table, tears taking your breath away as you tried to find a way out of this. “I’m so tired of people lying to me.” He pulled a knife out from waistband of his pants, simultaneously sucking the air out of the room.

It was a split second, the glance you shared across the room with Sabrina. She nodded once and it was like you shared the same thoughts. You turned and ran as fast as you could to the back exit, heart beating wildly, the sound of Seunghyun’s feet racing closer and closer fueling the adrenalin that pushed you forward.

You had just made it into the back alleyway when his hand closed around your shoulder, shoving you towards the ground. You turned back, trying to crawl away but he lifted you by your shirt.

“You’re gonna pay for that.” He hissed out; knife pressed to your neck. You choked out a sob and he smiled, bringing his face closer to yours.

“Such a shame you had to cause all of this trouble. You have the prettiest face.” He pressed his lips to yours and you reeled away, trying to tilt your head back as far as you could. When he pulled back, he laughed, no humor behind it. “Such a lousy kisser. Oh well, I won’t be dealing with you anymore anyways.”

He dragged the knife down your cheek, applying enough pressure to leave the sting of open skin along it, blood mixing with the tears that fell. He changed his grip on the knife and held it up in the air, a scream falling from your lips with clenched eyes, at the same time the sound of a gun cocking halted his movements. You looked up to see the barrel of it pressed to the side of Seunghyun’s head, Bobby’s hands steady though the anger in his form was apparent. He looked down at Seunghyun with a look so intimidating that it made you shake.

“Stand up.” He said, never pulling the gun away from his face, stepping closer to grip his collar in his fist. Seunghyun smiled, never taking his eyes off of you as he stood up straight, hands pulling away from your neck.

The events that happened next went quicker than you could keep up with; he whipped around to knock the gun from Bobby’s at the same time Bobby pulled the knife from Seunghyun, both weapons flying away as they fell to the ground. Fists connecting with flesh, the sound making you sick as your stomach rolled over and over, images flying through your mind of all of the anger, all of the darkness that consumed your life. You couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, could only follow the hollow paces that your body took you through, standing up from the ground, grabbing the gun that laid before you, emptiness taking the seat of the fear that once controlled you. You remembered seeing Bobby shove Seunghyun away, but after that it was black, the sound of a gun ringing so close, ‘who was shooting?’, ‘who got shot?’, thoughts racing so fast that your head spun.

When you came to, your arm was extended, pistol firmly griped in your hand. You were shaking, tears falling from your eyes as muffled voices shouted around you, voices you couldn’t make out clearly. Bobby’s face appeared in front of yours and you sobbed.

“Y/n, drop the gun!” He yelled, but you couldn’t do anything. You felt paralyzed, fear regaining control as it took over everything inside of you. The sobs wouldn’t stop, tears endless, bones shaking wildly.

“Y/n, it’s okay. You’re okay, I’m here.” Bobby took your face in his hands and you dropped the gun, the sight of his eyes pulling you back into reality. He pulled you into his chest and you gripped him like he was the only thing keeping you on earth, like you would die if he let you go. He held you in his arms, keeping your head pressed to his chest so you couldn’t see the body in front of you, protecting you from the world because he felt like he let you down. Felt like he failed.

Sabrina’s hand touched your back and you flinched before turning around. Her eyes were sincere, broken and numb like yours.

“I’ll tell them it was self-defense. Go.” She said and Bobby’s hand clasped around yours before you could say a word.

Bobby pulled you through the alley, guiding you the same way you did for him months before when you found him in the woods. He walked you into the building, entered the code to your apartment, all but carried you inside. He stood with you in the middle of your room, holding you tightly to his chest until you felt like you wouldn’t collapse with every breath you took. Ran his hands through your hair, whispered in your ear over and over that you were safe until you actually believed it.

“I killed someone.” You mumbled into his chest and he pulled away to see you. Your eyes burned with tears; throat thick with the words that fell from your mouth, not sure how to handle the reality of them.

His lips pressed against yours before he pulled you back into his chest.

“He would have killed you.” He whispered. Images of Seunghyun pressing a knife to your face, chapped lips pressed to yours, the smell of pine and beer making your head spin in a nauseating way.

You wrapped your arms around Bobby’s waist and found comfort in the way his warmth hadn’t changed. Found comfort in the sound of his heartbeat, the sound of your favorite coming home. Found comfort in the way he smelled like mint and laundry detergent, so different from Seunghyun.

“Can we go home?” You asked and felt the rumble of a laugh in his chest.

“How could you still want to be with me after today?” He questioned, pulling away from you some.

You looked at him, face serious. “I want to be with you forever.”

You expected him to push you away, shut you down and draw a line, but he didn’t. Instead he kissed you with all of the words he couldn’t say yet, kissed you with a thousand forever’s that answered every question you would ever ask.

Bobby was like fire, but sometimes you felt the same. Your secrets looked so tempting in the orange flames that rose from your shoulders, begging to be loved even though you knew the destruction you could bring. You never wanted anything but to love someone, even if it brought you ruin in the end. Meeting him was fate, flames joining and igniting in ways neither of you expected. He settled your soul more than you deserved and sometimes you ignited his, but it was okay because you had each other. Two lonely embers begging to be touched when the rest of the world broke them down, left them empty. It warmed you from the inside out, his kisses, his smiles, the magical way he brought the stars down to earth for you to see.

“I love you.” You said one night, a few months later, watching him put dishes away so mundanely that you couldn’t remember all of his dark parts. He looked back at you sitting on top of the kitchen counter with such a puzzled expression that you smiled. “I love you, Bobby.” You repeated.

His silence didn’t scare you, didn’t make you rethink your words or regret anything, having kept them inside even though you had felt them long before. Instead it settled all of your fears, wiped out all of your worries, the adoration that poured from his gaze filling you up with all of the love you ever needed. He walked closer and stood in between your legs, looking up at you. Your hands snaked around his neck as his rested down beside you. You ran your hands through his hair and kissed him lightly once before pulling away, resting your forehead on his. His eyes were shining in the way they always did, a glow that only you were luck enough to see.

“So stupid.” He whispered before pressing his lips to yours.

A love you knew would never be perfect, something you would have to fight for until the day you died. He gripped the backs of your thighs and pulled you closer, ankles crossing around his waist as he smiled into your lips. You fell into the fire of his soul, promised to yourself then that you would love every single piece of him even if it was the end of you. Whatever it took, you would burn for him.

--

A/N - Guys!!!! Bobby has taken over my heart and soul during my social distancing, and I have been up writing this for the last 6 nights until 5am, complete ruining my sleep schedule, but I just couldn’t sleep until I got my heart out for him dude!!! I hope you guys love this, it is absolutely the longest fic I have ever written, and I worked major hard on it, so plz give me some love/likes/critiques, anything is welcome!! I absolutely love hearing from you guys, so I hope you get some feels from this. Love you all!!! Hope you’re staying safe in this crazy world!

#ikon fanfic #ikon reactions #ikon scenarios #ikon imagines #kim jiwon fic #kim jiwon fanfic #bobby fanfic #bobby imagine #ikon bobby #ikon bobby fanfiction #ikon fanfiction #ikon bobby imagine #jiwon fluff #jiwon angst #ikon angst #ikon fluff #ikon bobby fic #hooneybaek:burn

[edensbuttercups]

Golden lights - Part three

Pairing: Jaskier x reader Summary: Everything is going on well, until something changes.  Word count: 1.5k A/N: I’m having so much fun writing this. We’re slowly getting somewhere. Also every time someone comments, just know that I have happy tears streaming down my face so thank you, I love you. 

Part one Part two Part four Part five Part six Part seven Part eight Part nine Part Ten Part Eleven

You walked hand in hand, the soft scent of calendula following you with every step. You walked through the door and into the small room you shared. The space was small, even smaller now that he lived with you, but he made everything so much brighter. You shuffled in the corner, where you kept all of your clothes, and picked some up for him. You turned around, handing them to him. He grabbed them, getting closer to you as he placed them on the bed, as his hands slowly reached for the small ribbon on top of you chest, untying it and making it slip on the floor. He placed soft kisses on your shoulders, his eyes glancing up at you ever so often. 

He had always been a romantic, he loved with such a passion and found beauty in everything. He built you up in every possible way, truly seeing you as a gift from the universe, and you did the same, basking in his words, in his smile, in his being. You grabbed the hems of his shirt, still damp, and pulled it over his head. You found his lips as his hand found its way to the small of your back, pulling you in before dragging you down onto the bed. You had made love many times before, him always needy of giving love and receiving it, you always gripping to him, whispering his name as he moved in you, your souls tangling and dancing together, until you collapsed on the bed, still holding on to each other until the morning rays kissed you cheeks, waking you from your slumber. And this time it hadn’t been different. The light from outside peered in, almost shy as afternoon clouds warned of an upcoming storm. “Should we just stay here?” You asked softly. “And let the night slowly swallow us, and start everything again tomorrow morning? That does sound nice.” He smiles as he placed a small kiss on your forehead, just as his stomach growled in response. “Well it appears that someone doesn’t agree!” You giggles, pointing at his stomach. “Does yours have anything to add?” He pointed at yours this time. “Well eggs it is then! And potatoes. Ooh, do we still have tomatoes in the garden? I loved that thing you did last week when you fried the eggs with tomatoes and... basil maybe?” “That was the one, yes! I’ll go get some tomatoes, you go get the eggs. We should still have some basil on the windowsill”. You hopped in the garden, the warm sun shining on your face, warming you up and making small freckles appear on your skin. You gathered what you needed and started walking back, enjoying the moment as the breeze softly led the way towards your home. You cooked in unison, no more burning rags, no more accidents, except the occasional cuts on yours or his fingers, but plenty of laughs, and kisses, and loving, and jokes, and songs.

Life was good. And that’s how it went on for some weeks, until another storm came, and this one stubborn, not leaving its place over your heads, rain pouring down all day, everyday. You had made it into a game in the beginning, jumping in puddles on your way back from your foraging expeditions, bowing when the thunder clapped at the end of a song, showering in the warm rain as you danced together. But as time went on, your crops slowly started to perish. You managed to save most of them, expertly knowing when to pick what, just before the rain drowned the roots of the plant, killing it with the thing that usually made it thrive. The rain wouldn’t stop, and even though nothing felt different about it, people in the village had started blaming it on a curse. You didn’t believe in curses, but their words wouldn’t leave your mind. You didn’t want Jaskier to worry, so you didn’t mention anything to him, but you had decided to avoid going to the village as well as the forest as much as possible, blaming it on the rain. A week had passed, and you had started to feel calmer, not as worried as you had been. You left Jaskier home, as he prepared some food for the day, and walked to the forest, looking for some herbs to cook with and some to heal. You weren’t hoping to find much, but the rain had stopped, and you needed some fresh air. You hadn’t walked far, just enough to reach the lemon tree that you and Jask used to sit under years ago. You looked for a small carving at the base. He had made it one night; you had argued, god knows about what, and you had walked away, angry and sad, ignoring him and his pleads. He wrote a simple word at the base, “together”, and tied a red ribbon to a branch. He later explained to you how he had read a story about a red string of fate. He promised that no matter how far you two where, a red string would unite you, never breaking. You smiled and picked some lemons, sure that you’d use them later on. You walked some more, looking up at the trees, at the birds, the squirrels, and then down at the ground, finding berries, herbs, and pretty flowers. You didn’t expect to find so many things.

You turned around, stopping dead in your tracks as you saw a figure, laying on the ground, a slight twitching making its body move. You tightened the small bag on your back, slowly approaching the dark shape. A branch cracked under your feet, making the figure move, as his cape fell of his face, revealing white hair, covered in blood, and tired golden eyes, struggling to stay open. You gasped and moved closer, but stopped when he motioned towards a tree, not far from you, where a creature lay under. “I don’t-“ he struggled to talk but carried on after a short groan “-know if he’s dead”. His eyes met yours, almost begging you to stay away. It wasn’t something you would’ve done in the past, but you knew he was going to die without immediate help. You took another step and crouched next to him, placing a hand on his sword. He tried to hold you back, but he was weak, and you were fast. You stood up, the sword heavy in your arms, glistening silver and red as you walked towards the beast. Its body was covered in blood, its fur hiding gashes on his skin. He emitted a blood-curdling scream break the silence as it jumped towards you, your sword already up in the air, as you swung it towards its neck. Blood splattered on you as its body fell on the ground, still. You tried to ignore your shaking hands, you tried to calm your breathing.  You turned around and walked towards the man. You placed his sword back, and pulled him up, placing an arm under his and dragging him up. “Let’s get you patched up, hmm? My house isn’t far.” He groaned in response, his body heavy and you slowly made your way home. It took longer than you thought to reach the cottage, his legs barely cooperating. He had lost lots of blood, you didn’t know how much chance he had of surviving, but you were going to try your best. You opened the door with a kick, a worried Jaskier glancing at your body covered in blood. “Oh my- Darling, what happened? Are you alright? I knew I should’ve come with you, I-“ “Jask. Prepare some water, cloth, needle and string, and gather some herbs. I’ll take care of-“ You saw his eyes shifting from your body, to the man you had been carrying. You suspected you knew who he was but helping him was the most important thing. But Jaskier’s face showed too many emotions to count, one second anger, then regret, then helplessness, fear, and finally resolution. He turned and gathered everything you needed, as you sat next to the man, now lying unconscious on the floor, examining the open wounds. He sat next to you, as you cleaned the deep cuts and added the herbs to help the healing process. The silence was deafening, so you broke it. “Is he…?” you stopped, not knowing how much you should say, knowing how much Jaskier had been affected by the Witcher. “Geralt.” He nodded, looking at the Witcher. “Is he going to be alright?” he asked, almost a whisper. “He’s going to need some luck, but he should make it. We’ll have to take care of his wounds every day, but in a couple of days he’ll be able to start moving, and in a week, he should be able to stand up and do some basic things.” You explained while wrapping the last piece of cloth on his arm. You placed a hand on Jaskier’s, as he turned to you and kissed you softly. “He’s a friend. What he said hurt me, but it brought me to you. So, I’m thankful. I don’t want to see him like this. He saved me many times, and I think this time is my turn.” You placed a kiss on his cheek, resting on his shoulder. “Our turn.” You said, looking up to him, a small smile on your lips, as he nodded, wrapping his arm around you.

#Jaskier x reader #joey batey #jaskier #the witcher #jaskier imagine #fanfic #imagine #the witcher x you #reader #dandelion #dandelion witcher #golden lights

[crimsonslytherin]

Bleeding Hearts - Prologue

Genre: Romance, Supernatural, Friendship,

Pairing: Sirius x F!OC x Severus (Love triangle, not polygamy)

Fic Rated: T (Might change)

Summary: Erin Norton is a vampire and Remus Lupin is a werewolf. An unlikely pair to say the least but a close pair nonetheless. Trusted with the other’s secret and inseparable until they’re placed in rival houses.

A/N: Set during the Marauder’s time. Most things I’ll be going off the wikia for when I need to. It will go into the movies/books time period after a (long) while.

(Pro) (Ch 1) (Ch 2) (Ch 3) 

A painful howl of a scream pierced the through the silence of the night causing Erin’s head to snap in its direction. From her place high in a tree she could see that nearby birds flew away from the source and a few animals scurried away. The trees rustled and branches snapped as something headed her way. There was another strangled howl before a figure fell into view through some bushes. Erin watched with wide eyes as the figure twisted and turned on the ground as it whimpered. She flinched as she heard the loud snap and crack of bones. She couldn’t look away as she saw the hair retreat from their body and the overall size of the figure shrink down. With a final cry the figure stopped moving. They lay there, their chest heaving up and down. The way the cool air frosted their breath made them resemble a hard working chimney. After a moment the boy curled up into a ball and began to shiver as a cold night wind hit his bare skin. He looked to be around Erin’s age and was very skinny but not unhealthily so. The boy shook violently as he whimpered, tears streaming down his cheeks. Erin frowned as she watched him as he sobbed. She took off her jacket before dropping it down to him. The boy flinched as it landed a few feet from him. He immediately looked up into the tree and spotted her. Her green eyes seemed to shine slightly, even in the dark. Of course he could see her almost perfectly clear through the dark as she could see him.

“You’ll catch a cold.” she said quietly as she tilted her head. The boy looked to the jacket, then to Erin then back to the jacket before he pulled it on and covered himself.

“Won’t you come down?” he asked as he looked back up at her. Erin smiled and nodded before she stood on the branch. The boy’s eyes widened and he stood as well pulling the jacket down to cover himself as best her could. As Erin moved to hang from the branch, before she dropped down, the boy finally noticed how high up she’d been and wondered how she’d even been able to climb that high on her own. Erin landed crouched on the ground with a soft thud. She stood up and brushed any dirt off the pleated skirt of her dark green collared dress.  “How…?” The boy breathed out as he looked from the girl to the branch again. Erin smiled and as the boy lowered his gaze back down to her, and caught sight of her teeth, he understood. “You’re a vampire.”

“And you’re a werewolf.” Erin said with a nod. “I won’t tell anyone if you won’t.” The boy shook his head.

“Of course not. I-I wouldn’t dare… Thank you.”

“I’m Erin Norton.” she said as she brushed her black hair behind her ear.

“I-I know… we go to school together.” He said as he finally remembered where he’d seen her face before. “We’re not in the same class but I’ve seen you around.” She nodded; she hadn’t recognized him until she’d gotten closer to him, but she didn’t remember his name.

“Normally when one gives their name you’re supposed to give yours back.” Erin pointed out before she sat on the ground.

“Oh- I’m sorry. I’m Remus. Remus Lupin.” He said as he sat beside her. Erin smiled. “Thank you for…” he pulled her jacket tighter around him.

“You’re welcome.”

“How are you-? How do you go to school if…”

“I’m only half vampire.” Erin explained as she looked down at her hands in her lap. “My father’s a vampire but…my mum’s a … well my mum’s a witch.”

“My father is a wizard!” He exclaimed with a grin. “I-I mean I am too! …Are you?” Erin nodded with a small smile. “This is great.” Remus said. “Finally someone else besides my parents know.” He let out a sigh of relief.

“I could say the same. Do you know how hard it is having to hide my fangs all the time?” Erin asked with a sigh. “I wish I would lose them already so I could get my grown up fangs.” Remus tilted his head.

“Vampires have… baby teeth?” he asked.

“Of course. You do, don’t you?”

“Well, yes but-“

“Mine just can’t retract like grownup ones do. There’s no difference between us.”

“Except the whole moon and blood thing.” Remus pointed out with a slight smile as he rubbed the back of his neck. Erin smiled back with a slight giggle that made his smile grow.

“Yes, except that.”

___________________________

“Do you ever… hate yourself?” Erin asked as she kicked the dirt under her swing before she looked up at the other children playing and running around on the playground. Remus frowned and looked at her from his swing.

“Why do you ask?” he asked.

“Cause…I do.” she admitted. Remus’ frown deepened. Erin glanced over at him briefly. “I know that I’ll be accepted, at Hogwarts, for…” she lowered her voice. “being a witch but… people don’t like vampires.”

“Wizards are different; they’re more accepting of… people like us. I mean muggles don’t exactly like werewolves either.” He said as he looked out at other children.

“Sometimes I wish I wasn’t a vampire.” Erin said. Remus looked down at his lap.

“Only sometimes?” he asked.

“It’s who I am…but…”

“It wasn’t a choice.” Remus said. Erin nodded. “You’re lucky though…” Erin turned her head to look at him. “Wizards are more accepting of vampires than werewolves. Vampires… you can control yourself… me…” he sighed. “My parents and I aren’t even sure I should attend Hogwarts…”

“You have to go!” Erin said with wide eyes. Remus looked at her and saw the fear in her eyes. “I-I can’t be alone again. I know about you and you know about me. It’ll be so much easier for the both of us.”

“But it won’t be safe for you, or any of the other students, if I attend.” He insisted. “I can’t control it.” Erin bit her bottom lip. “I want to be there with you, I really do, but I don’t want to put anyone in danger.”

“But how else will you learn to be a wizard?”

“My father could… home-school me.” Remus shrugged before letting out another sigh. “I don’t know… this would be so much easier if I were normal.” Erin frowned.

“If that’s normal what does that make me?” she asked. Remus’ eyes widened.

“No-! I didn’t mean-! I didn’t mean that you weren’t…”

“It’s okay. I know I’m not normal.” she said quietly as she looked down.

“Erie… I didn’t mean it like that… You’re much more normal than I am.” He said. Erin peeked up at him. “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize.” She said. “Just…” she looked back down at her hands in her lap. “Please think about going to Hogwarts?”

“Of course.” Remus said with a smile. Erin peeked up at him again before she smiled back. “Do you want me to push you?” he asked. Erin’s face lit up.

“Okay!” Remus got up and moved behind her as she held onto the chain of her swing. He pushed her gently making her giggle. “Remus?” she asked.

“Yeah?” he asked as he gave her another push.

“Will you always be my friend?”

“Of course, Erie.”

___________________________

(Next Chapter)

A/N: So there’s the prologue. Remember this is going to be a Sirius/OC/Severus, but not polygamy. I’m going to have each year either one chapter or two until they’re in their 5/6 year.

I picture Erin as Michelle Trachtenberg (She’s been in enough movies that you can see her grow up, for a better idea of how Erin would look at different ages in the story.)

#Harry Potter Fanfiction #marauders era fanfiction #Sirius x OC x Severus #Original Vampire Character #Bleeding Hearts

[pernatius]

Lost in Space Part 3: Ch 3

Ch 2

Summary: Sending the Earth to its doom, an unnamed Space Explorer must now try to prevent the demise of millions of humans by risking her life.

Five chapters, 10k works, and in one week.

Part 1: ch 1, ch 2, ch 3, ch 4, ch 5

Part 2: ch 1, ch 2, ch 3, ch 4, ch 5

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

Getting out of the ship, we stepped onto a floating island. Hundreds of intertwining branches stood in front of us. Below us, roots masked the dirt. Further down below, underneath the island, stood a deep, massive crater that must’ve stretched for miles. 

A shiver ran up his spine, causing him to rub either arm. “I don’t like the look of this place. Why are we even here anyway?”

“Whoever this client of hers is must know something, but if it’s not much at least it’ll be better than nothing.”

“Then, let’s find this guy before it gets dark. This place is giving me the creeps” So, we all headed inside without another word. Although, as soon as we enter the little forest, not only are we met with a dense fog but screams as well. “You two keep your guns at the ready.” 

Heading deeper, the fog became denser and the screams became louder. It had me clutch Saamuki’s gun tighter but caused my hand to shake as well. If something or someone were to attack I wouldn’t be ready to defend. I’d miss, giving our attacker the time to slaughter them before my eyes. 

I imagine a beast made out of shadow lunging towards us. It’s much smaller and slimmer than Mikrovos. However, it’s because of those features it’s so quick. It stabs him with his claws, cutting right through his ribs and ripping out his heart. It then squeezes it, forcing him to cry and gasp. Once it explodes he falls to the floor in his pool of blood. Next comes Ashley. While she doesn’t suffer the same treatment it’s painful nonetheless. It grabs and lifts her by her head. With her, I’m at least able to finally aim the gun, but it’s too late. All I can do is touch the trigger before it squeezes her head. It lets go of her. As I try to keep my cool, as I try to avenge their deaths, it slowly trudges towards me. I finally shoot, but the blast goes right through it. Stepping back as I cry, I trip. Before my head can hit the floor, it grabs me by my collar. My eyes then meet with its soulless expression. 

Ashley waves her hand in front of me. I blink. “Hey. I’ve been calling you for the last minute. I think we found their place,” she explained worriedly.

“Oh. Really?” Looking past her, I see a little hut with smoke coming out of its chimney. “Then, what are we waiting for? Let’s see what this person's about.”

I take the lead. I feel both their eyes looking at me, judging me. They quickly follow soon after. 

I don’t get to knock at their door because right when my fist is about to hit, it swings open. We’re greeted to an empty, but warm room as inside its fireplace flames cough out of it. Seeing this, that there’s seemingly no one in sight, we all looked at each other fully confused and especially creeped out, but we don’t plan to leave empty-handed. So, Mikrovos takes a step inside. He takes the lead, but he doesn’t get too far because both me and Ashley are pushed inside by the slamming of the door. 

Guns at the ready and Mikrovos readying himself as well, a gust of wind flies past us. It kills the fire. Pitch blackness fills the room, but with a snap of some disembodied fingers, the fire relighted. With it, a man stands before us. He looks human, but he looks more apelike. He’s mostly covered in fur. So, his skin is barely visible. Both of his arms have been replaced with robotic arms as well. 

“It appears things have changed.” His eyes focus on both me and Ashley.

We sat in a circle with cups of tea in front of us. The three of us hesitate to drink it. Ashley has it swirl inside her cup and Mikrovos sniffs it. I just hold it up as our mysterious companion takes a sip of his.

“What did you mean about how things have changed,” I asked. 

Setting his cup down and swallowing down the sip he just took, “While it is true me, you, and your friend over there may not be alike, and I wouldn’t blame you for thinking so, we are more alike than you think.”

“And what exactly do you mean by that?”

“During humanity’s cultural revival, it split into two different groups. Two different histories began that day. One side had a gift and wanted to share it with the stars and the other wanted to remain on Earth to continue their petty wars.”

“Then,” I set the cup down with such force that a droplet of the tea goes up then goes back down into the now rippling liquid, “you’re human too.”

After finally trying it, Mikrovos spits out the tea. He accidentally aims it at the man showing us hospitality, but it thankfully doesn’t come close to touching him. It’s blocked by a force field that was quickly manifested by his mechanical hand. It then falls to the floor. Steam rises from the now marked piece of floor. We look at him as he explains, “It was a little too hot.”

As Mikrovos fans his tongue, he continues, “Technically, yes. However, we’re more like cousins rather than siblings.”

Ashley pitches into the main conversation, “Let’s say we believe you. Where are the others like you?”

“I abandoned my people a long time ago to pursue something more. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to contact any of them ever since.”

Speaking with his burned tongue out, “As much as I’d like to hear the rest of this history lesson, this isn’t what we came here for.”

“You’re right. We came here to ask if you know anything that can help us with Saamuki.”

“Saamuki? I haven’t seen her in a while. Did something happen?”

“She’s fine, but we need to know if you have anything that can help us sneak her past her boss. Look, it’s a long story, but we don’t have time to explain,” I clarified. 

“Cabelo,” he strokes his chin, “I’ve always had a bad feeling about him. So, it doesn’t surprise me he did something or is planning to do something to her. Well, let’s see, Saamuki did tell me the fifth time I asked for her services that Cabelo goes underneath the hotel for an hour. He does it around midnight, but I’d be wary about sneaking around that late. That’s when the hotel is the most guarded.”

“Really? Then, it’ll be easy. We just get in and get out during that time.” While his words sounded like he was accepting this information his tone said otherwise. 

However, Ashley doesn’t catch it. “Easier said than done, Mikrovos. How are getting inside in the first place?”

“Well, if Cabelo can go underneath the hotel then there must be hidden passageways there.”

“So, we risk getting caught by Cabelo no less?”

While Ashley and Mikrovos argue I get a burning pain on the back of my neck that causes me to twitch. It’s much more painful than the many electric shocks it injected into me before. So, I grab the site and tear up. They notice, which gets them to move towards me, but I don’t get to see what they do next because my vision faded out from the hut and faded into the infamous spaceship. 

Syco stands before me. Darkness surrounded us as a single light shined above. “Hello again, human.”

“S-Syco? Where am I? How did I-”

“Now. Now. Your body is still where it was previously. All that I have moved is your mind.” I lift my hands to my face. I’m able to see through them. “I too was baffled about how advanced Earthling technology has become. However, it still is primitive.”

“Why am I here? Where is even here anyway?”

“Don’t tell me you have forgotten already. I’m here to tell you about the update upon your signup to the tournament.” My heart dropped. I had completely forgotten about it. “Ah, now you remember. Anyways, and unsurprisingly, my convincing was a success. It will take place within our spaceship, which will be above your homeworld. As based on your coordinates, it starts when that planet turns completely dark. So, I bid you a good rest of your day.” 

The last thing I see is him bowing, but the next thing I see is Ashley crying into my chest. I move her away from me and wipe away her tears. “Ashley?”

“You fell. We tried waking you up. You stopped breathing. I thought I lost you,” she whimpered. 

“What happened,” Mikrovos questioned. 

“It was Syco. He told me that it’s going to take place above Earth later tonight.”

“Syco? That sounds familiar, but I’m not so sure why,” our new ally said as he stroked his chin again. 

“But, Saamuki…”

“Sorry, but she’s going to have to wait a bit longer.” It hurt to say that. It might not have hurt as much as how he had to swallow that down, but my throat tightened after it came out of my mouth. Between the branches that made up the hut, I saw the light of the planet’s sun cut through them. Because of this, I saw their shadows creep closer and closer to us. “We need to leave. Now.”

Before I get up I help her up. Upon me standing up my friend does as well. I then thank our recently made ally for his information, but we don’t part from each other so soon. “Please, I would like to come with you. I would like to help with your plan with Saamuki, but I also need to know why that name you spoke of earlier sounds so familiar.” 

The three of us look at one another, but because of how limited our time is, “Fine. Okay. Just show us a faster way out of this forest.” 

He places his hand in front of me. I take it. “My name is Skeema and I’ll help you any way I can for the time being.”

We left the island much faster than when we entered. Once we get into the ship I order the AI to fly us to Earth. It does. As it flies us, I see Skeema’s hand brush against the walls of the ship. 

“I don’t like this,” my fur-covered friend whispered to me. 

“He just gave us the information we wanted. Besides, we don’t have time to drop him off.”

“I know, but you heard it. He knows Syco. What if he double-crosses us?”

“Skeema said he might know him, but you can just pierce your horns into him if he does.”

“I don’t think with those hi-tech arms I’ll be able to do anything to him anytime soon.”

“If you keep a close eye on him I’m sure he won’t try to do anything.”

“You don’t need to tell me.” He squints at Skeema and huffs. 

I head towards Ashley. She’s sitting, so I take a seat right next to her. “You okay?”

“Yeah. It’s just that I don’t want to lose you again. For weeks I wondered if I was ever going to see you again. For a while, I believed that kiss was our last.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize.”

“No, I’m sorry, Ashley. I’m so sorry I got us into this situation.”

“I know this is probably a terrible thing to ask, but,” she hugs herself, “How are you going to make it out? How are you going to fight against hundreds of Tauvoxes? You know how strong Mikrovos is. How are you going to fight his people?”

“I-I don’t know. I don’t need all my memories to know I’m not a fighter. I survived out in space because I’ve always had people to protect me.”

I look away from her, but this doesn’t stop her from placing her hand onto my cheek. Her thumb caresses it. I didn’t know it, but I was crying. “I’m sorry. We’ll find a way. We’ll find a way to save you and Earth.”

I stopped crying, but I didn’t stop thinking. No matter how much I would like to get out of this I know I have to do this. If I could push them away, so that they’re not able to see what’s to come I would. So, that it could just be me like it should’ve been right from the beginning.

#191 #lost in space #writers on tumblr #writeblr #writers #creative writing #spilled ink #wlw #fiction #space