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clairdelunelove · 3 months

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What Pining!Yuuji Would Do For You

itadori yuuji x reader

genre: insane amounts of fluff, comfort

warnings: slightly suggestive

synopsis: you're in for a crazy ride! pining!yuuji means having this loverboy absolutely head-over-heels for you. told in headcanons!

a.n. I can't stop writing about this beautiful boy. I'm so sorry but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

gives you random compliments

it could be a regular, mundane day where you’re carrying out your normal routine while yuuji accompanies you

just doing some grocery shopping before the week starts,, attempting to get ahead before you’re inevitably caught up in work/school

and spending some time with him was, without exception, bliss

yuuji has this magnetic force that pulls everyone in– you included– and it’s no different when the two of you are strolling through the aisles

he’s sociable, easygoing, and friendly; so of course he’s going to catch bystanders’ attention

especially with how sincere his words are to you

“oh,” he hums and points to a brightly colored package, “didn’t you say you wanted to try these last time?”

and before you can persuade him that you don’t actually need it,, they’re just some silly limited-edition snack you wanted to try,, the blushy haired male places it into the shopping basket

“I’ll pay! don’t you worry about it!” he’ll mention while placing a gentle hand on your head

he walks off while whistling like it’s nothing,, like it’s normal for friends to pay for each other’s groceries (which was an entire week’s worth)

and oh boy, you should expect yuuji to carry the basket/push the store cart for you

it’s basically his job whenever he goes shopping with you

takes it on with such seriousness that it’s almost concerning

“oi! you’ll hurt your hands,” he lightheartedly clicks his tongue before taking ahold of the basket in your hands, “it’s heavy. I’ll carry it!”

and he's so adamant about how 'heavy' it is but uses a couple of his fingers to effortlessly swing it around

follows you through every aisle (even ambles back when you meekly tell him that you forgot an ingredient you wanted) without a complaint,, basically has the patience of a saint

and each shopping run isn’t complete without yuuji secretly picking out a gift for you

it could be anything: candied snacks, yummy dessert, a sugary drink,, he’ll just add it onto the conveyor belt before the cashier can finish scanning all the items

this time though, he’s picked out a small bouquet of flowers for you

“yuu,” you bashfully tug the bottom of his shirt to convey your appreciation, “you didn’t have to.”

because they’re beautiful– a handful of radiant flowers that are bunched together in glimmering wrapping paper

“hm?”

he seems genuinely confused, an emotion that you’re not used to identifying on his sharp features

brows furrowing, he finally adds, “oh, you meant the flowers? why not? they’re pretty like you.”

his words seem straightforward, direct but they’re wholly genuine since it’s coming from him

yuuji wouldn’t say anything he didn’t truly believe

the cashier casts a knowing glance to you when yuuji’s turned away, digging in his pocket for his wallet to pay, and sends you a badgering wink

you, on the other hand, are a flustered mess

finds any excuse to get closer to you

was yuuji particularly concerned in the ill-kept secret you weren’t willing to tell him?

not necessarily

did that stop him from pestering you about it?

nope

if anything, he’s revitalized when you peer up at him through your lashes and murmur, “I guess I can tell you now.”

and you’re so close to him,, he never even realized you obligingly closed the distance by scooting beside him

“but yuu,” you pause so your lower lip juts out into a pleading pout, “you can’t tell anyone else because this is just between the two of us.”

there's not a thought in his mind except the fact that he’s so screwed

because at this angle you’re even more stunning; wide, imploring eyes that are solely focused on him

and he inwardly melts when he manages to catch a whiff of your sweet perfume,, it never even dawned on him that a person could be the literal embodiment of his desire

his tongue feels like sandpaper, he’s tumbling over his words but reassures, “you can tell me anything! my lips are sealed.”

“you sure?”

to respond, he gestures toward his mouth, zips it close, and metaphorically throws it behind his shoulder

“good,” you’re obviously pleased at his obedience before you’re waving him closer, “come here then, I’ll tell you.”

you should’ve been puzzled about his unusual speechlessness but you’re buzzing from the excitement of the secret

and there’s no one else around,, in fact, the spot that the both of you are situated in is surprisingly empty

the top of the school building is typically bustling with students attempting to get a breath of fresh air before trudging back to class

yet, yuuji’s alone with you now,, and he’s not about to waste his chance

it’s almost pitiful how quickly he scurries to heed your every word

he ends up softly knocking knees with you in his haste, mutters a hurried apology, but it doesn’t seem like you mind

no, you just twist closer to him, invading his personal space, and he’s holding in his breath

because if he concentrates hard enough he’s able to feel your warmth on the crook of his neck

you raise a hand near your lips before your secret easily spills out, “I bought us tickets to the horror movie you were talking about a couple months ago!”

and it’s silent

you're beaming at him

yuuji’s speechless because he’s too preoccupied with, well– you

and he’s consumed with the thought of how sweet you are to him, how your every interaction with him is genuinely wholesome, or how you’re completely oblivious to the effect you have on him

“I know tickets were sold out in the first week but I pulled some strings,” you explain with a delighted smile, “and managed to snag two for us!”

immediately, his lips crack into the widest grin you’ve ever seen

in true yuuji fashion, he throws his arms around you to encase you in a warm hug and your giggles are smothered by his chest

and as he snuggles closer, he breathes you in and tenderly murmurs, “what did I ever do to deserve you?”

answers your 2 a.m. phone calls when you can't sleep

“look who’s calling.”

you recognize the lighthearted jest in his voice as it crackles through the phone’s speaker and immediately you’re put at ease

it had taken yuuji two rings before he picked up,, he’s never failed to answer your calls whenever you needed him

although he couldn’t see it, you playfully rolled your eyes at his comment and explained, “just wanted to talk and ask what you’re up to.”

he presses the ‘speaker’ icon on his phone, props it on his pillow, and shifts so his hands are folded beneath his neck

honeyed eyes staring at the ceiling, he figures losing a bit of his sleep was worth it if it was for you

“at this hour?”

he chokes out a laugh, voice a tad bit rough as he jokes,, the sound is a kind of gravelly that would’ve caused you to swoon if it wasn’t for your inkling suspicion that he was fast asleep before you called

instantly, your heart drops

“yuu,” you hesitated with a hushed apology, “sorry for waking you up. I just couldn’t sleep so–”

there’s a rustle on the other end of the phone

he must’ve tripped on something because there’s a loud clang followed by a string of curses from his mouth

“I wasn’t sleeping! I was still gaming when you called! I have my headphones on and everything. I’m on, like, level 29 now! so,” he clears his throat, “don’t be sorry that you called.”

you felt the tips of your ears burning– his reassurance was too sweet,, yet you couldn’t help but shyly prod, “you sure?”

“totally, I’ll even send a picture if you don’t believe me.”

after the words leave his lips, your phone dings with a notification and truth be told, yuuji’s contact indicated that he had attached a file

your fingers click on it, curiosity drawing you in, and you’re greeted with a picture of him; perched at his desk with his dark gaming headphones draped over his head

he’s featured with a lazy grin and has three fingers thrown up in a laid-back pose

you’re not focused on that, though

no, you’re instinctively pinching at the screen to zoom in at the enticing dip of his collarbones that peek underneath his nightshirt and how tousled his blushy hair is since it’s so late at night– a different side of yuuji that you’re rarely graced with

you save the picture to your camera roll

caught in a flustered daze, you barely hear him call your name over your ogling, “(y/n)?”

“yup! I see the picture,” you quickly chirp before smoothly changing the topic, “I like the headphones, by the way.”

he chuckles but softens his voice, almost bashful, “well, you are the one that got them for me for my birthday.”

“oh my gosh, you’re right! that was so long ago!”

“it’s only been a month!”

and when the two of you are enraptured in a fit of laughter, he pauses,, lets your gleeful giggle flow through his phone’s speaker and knows that you’re worth every second of his time

“fair point,” you gasp for air as your lips curl into a smile, “what do you want for your next birthday, then?”

yuuji manages to brush aside your inquiry, mentioning that he didn’t need anything, and the two of you chat until the sun slowly rises over the horizon

his eyes lowly droop, threatening to close, but he speaks with the same enthusiasm as when the call begun

you talk about anything and everything

hobbies, worries, the future– the whole lot

yet, you manage to include him in each and every topic

“the beach would be nice in this weather,” you sleepily suggest and hum, “I feel like you’d really like swimming there. lots of fish and seashells to collect. we should go together sometime. maybe for your birthday.”

when he hears your soft breathing over the line, indicating that you’d fallen asleep over the call, yuuji quietly chuckles

“‘for my birthday’ huh? for my birthday, I just,” he repeats your words and confesses with a hushed, “want you to notice me, dummy.”

#jujutsu itadori #jujutsu kaisen #yuuji itadori #itadori yuuji x reader #itadori x reader #yuuji fluff #itadori x y/n #itadori yuuji x you #jjk x reader #itadori fluff

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ppawmpkin · 1 month

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Weak

Nakia x Black Fem Reader

This is just a lil something from my head, it’s just you being such a softy for Nakia and her knowing so and making good use of it.

“nakia, baby no. i don’t feel like going tonight, love.” you said, grabbing both her hands in yours and placing a chaste kiss on both of them. you could see the disappointment written all over her pretty face, the slight pout on her soft lips highlighted by the full moon that was surely adorning her. she didn’t know what else to do to convince you further, i mean sure she had been short notice on the matter but still, who wouldn’t want to bask in the beauty of the arts as if there was no tomorrow?

“it’s just an art showcase, sthandwa sami. you’ll barely have to speak to anyone, if you even have to at all. i want nothing more than my wife there with me so we can enjoy it together.” she said, placing her hand on your chin so that you eyes could see the pure sincerity behind hers. it was something she always did when she wanted you to truly feel what she was saying. you could feel yourself weakening at her words, you wanted to at least stand on your no for twenty minutes. but at this rate, would you even each ten minutes before she had you right in the palm of her hands?

it was how she knew exactly what to say or do to break your resolve and make you do whatever she wanted of you. you’d be lying if you sad you didn’t do it happily, with a smitten smile across your lips. even if all your friends honed on how she could turn you into a puddle of mush with just her words. “ill go to the next one with you, my love. just please, i want to be in bed tonight.” you whined, snuggling even more closer to the warm covers that were practically begging you to sink yourself under them. “you have all of tomorrow and the next day to be in bed with me.” she smiled coyly, the implication not slipping past you one bit.

you tensed a little at her boldness, something that even after years you still couldn’t help but react the same to. she laughed, finding herself amused at your reaction to her words. she used that as leverage, your wife inching her body closer to yours. making it so that your lips were centimeters apart from her own. “kia, i know what you’re doing and it’s not going to work.” you said, but even you didn’t sound so certain of your own resistance. did you even have faith in yourself?

the answer became apparent when her lips touched yours and you found yourself so caught up in the moment, that you could barely feel her hand pressing you down so that she could straddle you. “please. please. pleaseeee.” she said, each please followed by a quick kiss to on your lips. “ill make it worth your while, my love.” she says, her tone of voice leaving little to the imagination. she guided your hands to her hips, her eyes low as she stared at you with a mischievous glint in her eyes. and you melted, fast.

her kisses soliciting small moans from you. “kia.” you dragged, being completely at her mercy at this point. she loved it too, dragging her finger down your chest. “so?” she asked but the smile on her face showed that she knew the answer. you rolled your eyes lightheartedly. “so what are we wearing?” you said, completely and utterly swooned, brown eyes glazed over with wanting. she giggled softly, placing a quick kiss on your cheek. “mhm, there’s my girl.” she hummed.

#black reader #ppawmpkinpostedit #queen shuri #letitia wright #nakia #nakia black panther #lupita nyong'o #black panther imagine #okoye #black writer

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hyucksong · 4 years

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afraid.| lee jeno

summary: Jeno asks you if you’re afraid to die. You lie twice, and tell the truth once.

genre: angst and fluff

word count: 2.0k

warnings: sad and there’s definitely imperfections in the representation of hospital stays. also possible misunderstanding of metastatic brain tumors, please tell me if it’s so bad that i need to edit it.

a/n: wrote this in one go, as an apology for not updating in like a month! i’ve been in the haikyuu hole :)

Jeno asked you if you were afraid to die the first night he met you. It was on a dirty park bench at three am. As a newly admitted patient, the sterile white walls and the digital beep of the alarm clock every hour drove him crazy. He knew hospitals were supposed to help him, but he hated the confined feeling. The nurses and doctors would ask if he wanted anything, but when he said he wanted to leave, they'd glance at each other and wince, asking if he'd like anything else.

After they'd make an awkward exit, you'd always laugh in your bed. He'd glare at you and shift in his bed, muttering about how you would never understand.

"What're you here for, anyway? Got a bad headache?" Was the first thing he spitefully said, and he'd meant it with his whole heart. He didn't wish illness on anyone, but God, sometimes he wished that they could just understand. His terrible guess made you laugh even harder, he was close. "Hmm, close. I've got a brain tumor." And then he fell silent. A few minutes later he meekly whispered, "Sorry."

He made up for it by waking you up to go outside with him, "Just for some fresh air." He'd said. It was cold, and he shivered in his jacket the whole walk to the park. But you never shivered once despite goosebumps trailing up your arms. Your eyes were distant, and your mouth had a small, sad smile resting upon it.

"How long have you been admitted?" He asked, sitting on the opposite side of the bench from you. "About three months. I usually stay in my own room, but there was something wrong with the lights so I'm elsewhere until they fix it." Jeno nodded, uncomfortable. "...Can it be removed?" You sensed his hesitance and laughed, shaking your head. "I wish. It's too dangerous. I mean -- they could, technically. But there wouldn't really be a point." His confusion was written on his face, and it almost made you giggle. "It's cancerous. It's a secondary brain tumor. I've actually got a few up in there," You gently knocked your fist against your head, unbothered.

Jeno was confused -- weren't you scared to die? Would you die? How long did you have left to live? Why were you so happy?

"Are you...afraid of dying?" The question stilled you. The words tore at you, they pricked at your skin and your heart. You wished he hadn't said them. Shrugging, you turned your head and focused on an empty swing set that blew around from the wind. "I'm not afraid, I guess. I mean, it's inevitable for me. It's not 'are you of dying' for me, it's 'are you afraid to die.' It's not ''will you die' it's 'when will you die." You glanced at Jeno one last time, noticing his glimmering eyes that were so full of hope and want. They were full of determination to get better. You were sure yours were just tired. You just wanted to sleep the days away.

"I've got a few months left. At least, that's what the doctors say." The boy nodded, fists clenched in his pockets. He didn’t know you, but he knew you didn’t deserve only a few more months.

Jeno asked if you were afraid to die after you had a seizure his second month there. You didn't tell him you’d been getting worse, but he'd overheard a few nurses talking about your worsening state. One of them said that you might as well just die; it'd make no difference. Jeno almost hit her.

"No, I'm not afraid." Your voice came out scratchy. The soup in front of you was barely touched, the steam coming off of it having stopped a while ago. "Why would I be? I've got the most awesome roommate." He'd been slightly flattered when you'd said that, but the next week you were moved back into your own room. Jeno thought about how much of a bummer that was, but he also remembered that he could just visit you.

He walked into your room one sunny afternoon after one of his treatments. Jeno's heart almost exploded when the nurse told him how much better he looked. Honestly, he'd almost cried. Going home seemed tangible, like a light at the end of the tunnel that he was running closer to.

The second he stepped past the door frame, he noticed something was off. You were facing the window with a pencil gripped in your hands, paper scattered around you. Jeno kept quiet as he slowly made his way to you, shaky lines and unfinished drawings plaguing the pages beneath him.

"W-What's wrong? Y/n?" Heavy breathing was all he got in response before you turned towards him, tears in your eyes. "My arms are really weak. It's hard to even lift them up, Jeno." He said nothing; just sat beside you and rubbed your back carefully. "I know, I know. It'll be okay." But it wasn't going to be. Jeno hated that he lied, and he hated that you knew he lied, but said nothing. He hated that he was getting better, but you weren't. He hated that he could left weights to stay strong but it was hard for you to even lift a bowl. He hated it all. He wanted to get better, but he wanted to get better with you. But you weren't getting any better. You were getting worse.

"Did you know that a symptom of the metastases can be changes in my behavior and personality, Jeno?" He shook his head, biting his lip.

"Would you love me if I changed, Jeno? If I wasn't who you know now?" He nodded, tears pricking at the corner of his eyes. And he meant it. "I'd love you no matter what."

The third and final time he's asked if you were afraid to die was three months after that. He'd checked in to take you out for a while, "For some fresh air," he said to you through the phone. He'd been released a month and a half ago. He'd gotten better, and quickly, too. It made you happy that he left the overly-sterile walls of the grim hospital. You felt mixed about him visiting you: you wanted him to visit you in your apartment, in your home. Not here.

It was late, and the nurses almost denied his request to take you out. But you were already dressed, hands in pockets and all. They’d shared looks with each other before letting you go.

The park was empty again, the stars were bright, and your head was cold, mostly because of the lack of hair, but also because the air was biting at you. "You've got a thing for late night walks, don't you?" You teased, sitting on the slightly damp grass next to him. He laughed and nodded, "Only if those walks are with you." There was no denying the flush that rose to your cheeks. His hand gently slid into yours, fingers intertwining.

"Well, you'll have to get used to coming on these walks alone." You'd meant it lightheartedly, but Jeno's grip tightened. "...You're not getting any better?" He lowly asked. A humorless laugh left your lips, "Of course not, Jeno. I haven't been getting better for the past five months. Why would I start now?"

"You can get better at any time--"

"Well I'm not. That's not going to change, Jeno -- we've talked about this already. I'm going to die in that hospital." Jeno couldn't help but raise his voice, "Don't say that!"

"It's the truth! Stop lying to yourself!"

The silence was heavy and tense. It felt like the weight of the world rested on your shoulders. You hated it. But it was the truth. Jeno knew better than to argue any more. Instead, he kissed your shoulder softly before laying his head on it. He wished you were okay. He wished you'd go on another walk with him in three years from now, in fifty years from now, and when you both are readmitted into the same hospital on your deathbed.

But he couldn't stay blind to the truth. You needed to hold onto his arm the whole way here because your legs were wobbly. You grip was so weak compared to what it used to be. Your breaths were shallow. You were on the brink. And he couldn't pull you back from it.

"Are you afraid to die?" The familiar question rang in your ears sharply. There was no malevolence towards it. No hatred. Nothing. Just...acceptance. There was no denying your death. But there was a strange okayness with what was happening. You were happy with your life. You'd met Jeno, the love for the remainder of your life, You'd kissed him, held hands with him, and cherished him. He snuggled his head in the crook of your neck, kissed your chapped lips gently, and introduced you to the rest of his close friends.

You were okay with dying now. Things would be okay. He'd be okay.

"You know, Jeno," You sighed and leaned back on your elbows, "you ask me that question a lot. And I must admit, I've lied to you the first two times. I was scared. I didn't want to die. I wanted to live and soar and graduate college and have kids and a dog with an ungodly green lawn that would make my neighbors mad. But now," You nodded, squeezing his hand. "I'm okay with it. I don't want to die -- but I'm okay with it. I've lived a dream. I've kissed you and petted dogs, gotten bitten by cats, snuck out, and thrown tantrums. I'm okay now. And I know you'll be okay with out me."

A sob left him, and he took a deep breath in. You accepting death was a bittersweet medicine to him. He wanted you to say with vigor that you'd live with him, that you'd be okay, that he'd see you on the opposite of a wedding aisle from him. But the calmness of your voice, the gentle understanding, the happiness -- it all made him realize that you were okay, It'd be okay. He'd be okay.

But he still wished for a miracle. He'd pray to any god for it to happen.

There was no miracle. You died a month later in the same bed you'd met Jeno in. The light in your room went out again, and you'd been moved to a different one temporarily, and died there.

The funeral was simple, too simple for Jeno's tastes, but perfect for yours. You wanted your death to be quick, your funeral to be quick, and your burial to be quick. You just wanted people to move on after your death. You wanted them to go back to smiling and laughing and dancing and kissing and living. But Jeno could never move on that quickly from the enigma that was you.

He wished there were more to say. But that was it. That was the end of you. It had all happened so quickly, everyone seemed to move on so quickly. Your life had been so long in comparison to your death. You death had been so gray in comparison to your colorful self. Jeno was left with his memories. Left with his sorrow. Left with sitting at the bench he'd first asked you if you were afraid to die at.

Jeno was left behind. He was alone.

But every time he sat down on the dirty wooden slabs, he felt a sense of peace. It was as if someone was holding his hand and gazing up at the sky with him. It was as if everything was okay. As if nothing was wrong.

Jeno remembers the way your lips felt on his, the way your weak grip made his heart race, he remembers the way you'd lived. He remembers your casual relationship with the hospital staff, he remembers your favorite soup, your favorite band, he remembers it all. His memories of you were tangible -- he could almost touch them. He could relive those moments with you anytime he wanted. He memories were infinite, his memories always felt more vivid on that bench.

Jeno knows you weren’t afraid to die when you did. Jeno remembers you. Jeno misses you. Jeno loves you. And he always will.

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waywardwrestlewritingwaif · 3 years

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The Guardian’s Oath, Part Seven

13The continuing saga continues... Rather than linking each previous section individually, I’m just going to direct you to the Master List, where you can find links to earlier chapters and to everything else I’ve written here.

Pairing: Feargal Devitt/ Finn Balor x OFC

Word count: 2,913

Content advisory: Nothing. Compared to the last couple of sections, this one’s practically a children’s story. (Except that it’s still a story about demons and death and 19th century sexuality and all that good stuff, there’s just nothing explicit in this part.)

I dressed myself while it was still dark, wincing from my invisible wounds, and went downstairs earlier than usual. I told myself that it was because I could do more productive things if I left my chambers but the truth was that I knew that the Reverend was still there, that he had not yet left to make his weekly rounds. He was in the kitchen, lightheartedly chatting with Kate over coffee and some toast about events in the town. They were surprised to see me but I thought that both looked pleased in their own way. I was especially happy to see that the Reverend’s eyes seemed to linger on me longer than usual.

Kate looked at me as if we were sharing some private joke and handed me a cup of coffee.

“You’re up early, Miss.”

“Thank you,” I said, taking the coffee from her. “I couldn’t sleep and so I thought I’d be better off just getting an earlier start to the day.”

“It’s nice to be able to see you before I leave,” the Reverend responded softly. “I don’t usually have the pleasure.”

I felt myself blush a little and I thought that Kate’s smile grew, although she turned back to the stove before I could tell for certain.

“I’ll make you something to eat then.” She stepped into the pantry, leaving the Reverend and I alone.

“I hope that the weather improves for you.” I nodded to the windows, slick with rain.

“Oh I’m used to it by now. The weather here is just one more way God likes to test my commitment, I think,” he laughed. “One time a couple of years back I got stuck on the road because it snowed. I thought we were going to freeze to death.”

“Well, I’m very happy you didn’t.” Almost immediately, I felt like I had gone too far. “I mean, we’re all glad that nothing happened to you.”

His luminous eyes fixed on me. “I’m happy to be alive, of course. All the more so since it’s allowed me to meet you.”

My cheeks felt as if they were on fire and I was saved from having to respond by Kate, who returned with a new loaf of bread to make more toast. Her eyes passed swiftly over the two of us and I thought that she looked just a little disappointed by something.

We all stayed silent while Kate fried up more toast, until the sound of a firm rap on the front door made us all jump. I was frightened, believing for a moment that something had come for me, that my demonic communion was about to be revealed. The Reverend and Kate, however, while they were startled by the sound, quickly realized what was happening.

“Oh don’t let that scare you Miss,” Kate reassured me when she saw my face. “That’s just the coachman come to pick up the Reverend.”

“Indeed,” the man himself sighed with a smile, “I am needed outside this home, although I hate to leave its comforts.”

He gave Kate a little bow before he spoke again. “Thank you as always for taking care of me so well.” Then he turned to me and took one of my hands in both of his, pressing a kiss firmly against my knuckles. “And I’m delighted to have seen you before setting out.”

He gave me a playful little wink that made my whole body grow weak.

“I shall be back a little earlier this week,” he declared on his way out, as if it were something he’d decided on the spot. “Late on Thursday night, most likely.”

“It will be a pleasure to have you here for the weekend, sir,” Kate beamed in response.

I gave an awkward sort of smile, not wanting to look indifferent but at the same time not wanting to let on how thrilled I was at the idea of having days with him.

“It’s wonderful seeing him so happy now,” Kate murmured. “And it’s you that brought this all about.”

“I didn’t do anything, really. I just followed William. It was by chance that he went to the cave where…”

“God doesn’t take chances,” she corrected me with a warm smile. “The boy would have died but for you and no one would have known where he’d gone. Fact is, this family’s needed that closure to move on since Mrs. Devitt disappeared and you helped bring that about.”

I shifted on my seat, feeling the ache at my core, the memento of the sins I’d committed in the name of bringing peace to the family. Perhaps I could be forgiven, I thought, because my intentions had been good. But then I thought of the lascivious pleasure I had taken in what I had done. Surely that damned me.

By late afternoon that day, I was feeling the effects of the night before. I was exhausted and in pain and I was struggling to focus on the children, who seemed more energetic than usual. A couple of times I had to protect them from Susan’s wrath when they tripped her and knocked over the basket of washing she was attempting to carry.

“Please, both of you, calm down!” I snapped, more harshly than I’d intended.

“Oh no, Miss MIles is ill,” Sophia cried. She and William had spent a good portion of the day pretending to be doctors and diagnosing everyone. “We must make her better.”

Both of them scrambled up on the divan where I was seated and started prodding at me: pretending to take my pulse, or check my forehead for a fever, or look at my eyes. In fact, it was more of an excuse for both of them to curl up against me and to trick me into wrapping my arms around them. Before I knew it, William’s arms were wound around my waist and Sophia’s were around my neck as she placed a cool kiss to my cheek. The affection felt strange and a little unnerving, something that the always observant little girl noticed right away.

“You don’t like to be touched, do you?” she asked sharply.

“Oh, it’s not that.”

“It’s all right,” she said, without releasing me from her embrace. “Is there a reason you don’t like it?”

My mind seemed to release a thousand thoughts at once, like a murmuration of birds that momentarily blocked the sky before dissipating. I felt like I wanted to answer her, like there was an answer, but I couldn’t access it.

“I… I suppose I’m not used to it.”

Sophia kissed my cheek more firmly than before. “It’s like you’ve never really had someone love you.”

William wriggled his way up so that his head rested on my shoulder. I felt flattered but also overwhelmed, like they were pinning me down in order to devour me. Nevertheless, I squeezed both of them close and enjoyed the happy giggles this elicited from them. Not for the first time, I marveled at Sophia’s keen mind: I hadn’t ever had someone show me kindness and affection the way that they did and, in fact, I wasn’t sure that I had ever been loved by anyone. Even hearing them say it felt strange.

“Well goodness, what do we have here?” Kate’s cheery voice cut through the moment of affection.

“I’m afraid I’m a little tired and I’ve been overwhelmed,” I moaned. “These two scientists were trying to revive me.”

“As much as I hate to interrupt this important work,” Kate said, playing along with the game that this was a gathering of professionals, “I need to request the assistance of one of these experts in the kitchen. The table needs to be laid.” Seeing that this wasn’t of much interest to either of the scientists, she added, “And I’m starting the Christmas pudding tonight, so I need someone to add the coins.”

William immediately jumped up when he heard that, leaving Sophia and I on the divan together.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered as soon as her brother and the cook had left. “We should never have asked you those things we did about unbaptized children.”

“Well, it was a bit of a surprise,” I mumbled. “Did the answers I gave you make sense?”

“Yes, absolutely. But I shouldn’t have asked. I’ve just always worried about Colin.”

“Who is Colin?”

“My- well, our- little brother,” she admitted, her voice filled with sadness.

“You had another brother?” I was astonished that I had not heard of something so important.

Sophia nodded solemnly. “He died.”

“I’m so sorry! What happened to him? When did he pass?”

“I don’t know,” she murmured, eyes filling with tears. “He just stopped coming.”

“What do you mean?”

“He never lived with us. I don’t know where he lived but he said that Mama took care of him.”

“He went somewhere with your mother?”

“After she disappeared, yes. He told me that she lived with him and that I shouldn’t worry about her.”

I couldn’t think of what to say next. How could I explain to this girl that her mother had almost certainly drowned the night that she disappeared? For that matter, could I even be sure of that? Was it possible that her mother had run off with another man? Was that why they had suspected that the Reverend had attacked and possibly killed her? “Sophia, does your father know that you spoke to this boy?”

She shook her lovely head a little. “Papa never even wanted us to speak about him. But it wasn’t my fault he’d come to see me.”

“Of course not,” I told her.

“I wish I understood what happened to him,” she sighed.

“I can well imagine. Even when we know that all things are in God’s hands, His work can still be painful for us to bear.”

After dinner, when the children went upstairs to prepare for bed, I was still worrying about what Sophia had said and while I didn’t want to betray her trust, I felt like I needed to ask another adult about what she’d told me. It wasn’t as if she’d sworn me to secrecy, I told myself. She’d intimated that her father might have some issue with what she’d said but I wasn’t going to speak to him.

“Did the Reverend and his wife have a third child?” I asked Kate as I helped her clear away the dishes.

“No, Miss,” she responded, avoiding eye contact with me.

“I was speaking to Sophia earlier and she said that there had been another baby, perhaps one that had died young. I was just surprised because I hadn’t heard of it before.”

Kate moved her lips as if she were about to repeat what she had said but I saw her shoulders slump. “I was afraid this might start up again,” she muttered.

“That what might start up?”

“I don’t need to tell you that it was terrible for the children to lose their mother at such a young age,” the cook sighed. “And especially with there being no real answer as to what happened. So for a while, Miss Sophia started to tell stories that she had a brother- Colin, she called him- and that her mother had run away with him. I suppose it was her way of coping with the loss but she became terribly obstinate about it and wouldn’t be told that it was all in her head.”

“And you thought that she might go back to those stories because Mrs. Devitt’s remains were discovered.”

She nodded. “I had sincerely hoped not. She was terribly defiant, even abusive, to her father sometimes and… well I’ve already told you enough of their mother for you to figure out why that hurt and worried him so.”

“He was worried that she’d inherited something of her mother’s alienation.”

“Yes. And may God forgive me for saying it, there are times I’ve thought he had reason to worry.”

“Well, perhaps it’s just a temporary turn for her in this case.” I locked my eyes on Kate’s with as much intensity as I could muster. “For the time being, it might be best that we not share this with the Reverend. At least, not unless she brings it up again.”

“Yes, Miss. I believe that would be for the best.”

I sat up in bed for much of the night, having exhausted every prayer I could muster to ask for protection for this fragile little home. I found myself jumping at the movement of every shadow, wondering if my demonic protector had come to taunt me, or to demand further acts of servility from me. I worried that somehow Sophia’s flight of fancy was his doing, that somehow he was putting these thoughts in her mind as a threat or a show of power: I felt that by showing me how easily he could hurt her, he was guaranteeing that I would do whatever he asked.

Given my agitated state, my first thought when I heard faint noises coming from downstairs was that I was imagining things. But while I tried to focus on ignoring them, the sounds persisted and I finally realized that there was something stirring in the house. Wrapping myself in my robe, I descended to the floor below and approached the door to the children’s room. Opening it a little, I could see William asleep in his bed. I went to lean in a little further to confirm that his sister was in hers, but as I did, I heard a muffled scraping and rattling sound that emanated from the ground floor. Quickly, I sauntered to the stairs and slowly made my way down.

I could make out very little in the darkness but I was able to follow the sounds to the front door, where I found Sophia fidgeting with the key and the handle. As I approached, I realized that she was walking in her sleep, unaware of where she was or what she was doing. I approached as quietly as I could, not wanting to startle her.

“Sophia,” I whispered, getting no reaction. “Sophia, you need to come back to bed.”

A few seconds passed and finally I saw a change in her expression, enough to encourage me to lean in a little closer.

“Sophia?”

She let her hand fall from the door key and pivoted her face to look at me. Her eyes were still remote and uncomprehending but I could tell that she was at least aware of my presence.

“Will you let me take you back to bed?”

She frowned and gave me a little nod, allowing me to take her hand. It was icy and I immediately gathered her up against my body to warm her up again as I carried her back to her room. l laid her to rest wrapped up in her blankets without her ever fully awakening and I was pleased to see that William’s slumber was unbroken as I left them to their dreams.

I was about to return to the attic when it occurred to me that I should make sure that she hadn’t actually managed to open the door. As it happened, it was good that I checked because it was ever so slightly ajar. I pushed it to and as I did, I saw something flutter to the ground. Picking it up, I realized it was a scrap of dark fabric, rough like sacking but thicker.

Although I told myself it was probably nothing, I pulled the door back to see if there was something outside that would explain the presence of the cloth on our door. The moon was full and bright and illuminated everything in the yard so that my eyes took a moment to adjust. When they did, everything appeared peaceful, even the wavering of the tree branches in the wind. The gate was closed and the road was empty as far as I could see. It was only when I lowered my eyes that I saw the marks: three vertical lines scratched crudely into the stone before the door.

I looked around wildly, even though I knew there was nothing to see. Always those same marks, never any clue as to their meaning. Whatever it was he sought to communicate, and I was certain I knew who was responsible, the message was not meant for us to understand. The thought of him playing his little game while Sophia hovered innocently on the other side of the door made me angry and I rubbed at the marks with the coarse scrap of fabric in my hand until I was satisfied that I could no longer see them. I took extra care to make sure that the door was locked before retreating to my chambers and once there, I sat close to the window for the remainder of the night, straining to pick out any sign that we were under imminent threat.

There were no further disturbances that night and the next morning, Sophia recalled nothing of her adventure. In fact, she seemed to find it funny when I told her what had happened. Nevertheless, I remained on edge throughout the day and when I had the opportunity to do so, I dropped the scrap of fabric I’d found the night before into the fire. I had never thought of myself as a superstitious person, but I wanted it gone from the house, never to return.

#wrestling imagine #wrestling fanfic #wayward wrestle writing #finn balor imagine #finn balor fanfic #wwe fanfiction #wwe imagine #nxt fanfiction #nxt imagine

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vannahfanfics · 4 years

Text

Call It Destiny

Category: Mild Romantic Fluff

Fandom: Fairy Tail

Characters: Juvia Lockser, Natsu Dragneel

Requested By: AwarenessBringer (FanFiction)

Clack. Clack. Clack. Juvia’s boots clunked over the wet brick as she slowly descended the steps of the Hargeon Town train station. The drumming of the rain was steady against her umbrella that she held primly over her head. She did not look up as two girls holding their small bags over their heads hurried past, complaining loudly about the fact that the rain had seemingly followed them the entire train ride; Juvia’s indigo eyes remained fixed on the countless puddles before her, transfixed and disgusted with the way the ripples bloomed across their sheer surfaces. The raindrops flew down endlessly in a constant stream that would be calming to individuals lounging inside their homes waiting for the rain to pass. Juvia almost pitied them, because they would be stuck inside a very long time at that rate. Until she left this town, the rain would not cease; that was the curse that she, the rain woman, wrought upon the world.

For once, however, Juvia could admit that her rain served purpose. The damp, wet atmosphere would surely suit perfectly to douse the fire of one Fairy Tail mage named “the Salamander.”

Juvia knew not how Bora came to calling himself that name. The last she had heard, he had been excommunicated from his former guild for the use of illegal magic and thievery. She also knew not why Fairy Tail, a supposedly upstanding guild, would hire him, unless he had somehow managed to hide his shady pastimes. Juvia was also not sure what had compelled her to come to Hargeon Town. Was she seeking revenge for the way he had so unceremoniously and callously dumped her? Was she here to reveal his nefarious nature for Fairy Tail to see, or, alternatively, reveal Fairy Tail’s shady underbelly to the world? Or even, was she here to see if all of this was just some vain attempt of his to upset her, by flaunting how successful he was while she was still alone and depressed? Perhaps none of them, or perhaps a combination of all of them. Juvia supposed that she would discover her reasoning once she was actually face-to-face with the man.

The streets were largely clear as Juvia strolled through them, thanks to the perpetual rain pouring from the heavens above. Her expression soured a little as she considered the possibility that the weather would drive Bora inside as well, which would make confronting him all the more difficult. As she paused in the middle of the street to articulate her next move, the drumming of the rain was suddenly overtaken by very furious slapping footsteps. The sound was coming from behind her; as she turned, leaning the umbrella back to get a good look at the perpetrator, someone zoomed past her at such speed that a wall of water was what was greeted her instead. She squeaked loudly as she was splashed with rainwater from head-to-toe; Juvia could absorb it and was more surprised than affronted. As she used her magic to do just that, there was a loud screeching noise, and she looked up to see a pink-haired individual rapidly back-tracking to stand in front of her.

“Whoa! Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to drench ya!”

Juvia had to admit, a faint blush rose to her cheeks from how absolutely stunning his smile was. It was so bright that she thought for a moment that the sun had actually come out and she instinctively looked up; however, the sky was still choked with ashen gray clouds, not a ray of sunlight slipping through the thick barrier. She glanced back down to see that he was now a mere few inches from her face, green eyes boring into hers. “Wait a second, where’d the water go? What kinda magic is that?!” he demanded with steam blowing out of his nostrils.

“Juvia is a water mage,” she answered simply. His pink eyebrows quirked before he nodded emphatically in admiration.

“Neat, neat! I guess it’s a good thing I splashed you instead of anyone else!” he laughed lightheartedly. It was then that she noticed that the man did not have an umbrella on his person and was just running about getting drenched in the rain. His salmon hair was plastered to his forehead, and water was running down his face in rivulets to drip down from his chin. His clothes were sodden and probably a few shades darker than they normally were.

“You’ll catch cold running around in the rain like this.”

“Nah, don’t worry about me,” he said while waving a hand dismissively. Juvia flushed darkly, for some reason very stimulated by the fact he brushed off the rain when everyone else she had ever known had griped about it being such an inconvenience. He doesn’t mind it… He then planted it above his eyebrows and because looking about wildly, squatting low to the ground as he inspected every nook and cranny in sight. “I’m on a mission, ya see, to track down this fella callin’ himself the Salamander!” From the way he was huffing and puffing, it was not because he was a fan.

“Juvia is also looking for this fire mage.” The boy straightened up like a rod to look at her with wide eyes. Another grin then split his face like a sunbeam.

“Really?! Well, why don’t we look for him together, then? Three pairs o’ eyes is better than two, yeah?” Juvia narrowed her eyebrows quizzically, but before she could call his intelligence into question, a pair of blue cat ears poked up over his broad shoulder. This was followed by the head of a cat and its paw, waving in greeting.

“Aye, aye! Let’s get looking, because the sooner we find him, the sooner we can eat!” He purred contentedly.

“It talks.”

“Yep! This is my buddy Happy, and I’m Natsu. You’re Juvia, right?” She nodded. “Great! Nice ta meetcha!” he chirped and grabbed her hand to shake it vigorously. His hand was warm. Incredibly so. Juvia felt the blooming sensation travel up her arm, like she was dipping it into a lovely bath. Natsu… Normally Juvia did not concern herself with others, especially when she had a specific mission in mind, but there was just something so… gripping about this young man. She gripped the fabric of her overcoat above her heart, feeling it flutter within. Juvia has not felt this way since Bora…

She was not sure if it was a portent of doom or an omen foretelling better days. Only time would tell.

“Let’s get going, shall we?” Natsu whirled on his heel to begin splashing along down the road, humming cheerfully. Juvia hurried to catch up to him and then extended the umbrella so that it would shield him as well. He was a bit taller than her, so she had to stretch her arms up to do so, and she was almost embarrassed at how quickly her biceps began to burn at the awkward angle. Regardless of what he says, Juvia does not want him to become ill because of her rain, she thought miserably. He looked down at her with upturned eyebrows. “You don’t have to. I’m okay.”

“Please. Juvia wants to share.”

“That’s really nice of you!” he smiled brightly. “That looks uncomfortable, though; lemme help.” She gasped lightly as he plucked the umbrella right out of her hands to hold it up himself. Juvia wasn’t used to not holding it, so her hand automatically slipped to clutch his forearm where it was bent at a ninety-degree angle; once she realized what she was doing, her face flushed tomato-red, but honestly his muscles felt so nice and defined under her petite hand that she shamelessly kept doing so. Natsu didn’t seemed to mind; in fact, he seemed pretty much oblivious to it. “That’s better, huh?” he grinned down at her.

“Aye, aye! Thanks for the umbrella, Juvia!” Happy sighed as he crawled up onto Natsu’s shoulder. He then proceeded to squat down and shake himself from the top of his head to the tip of his tail, splattering Natsu with raindrops. The boy jumped as they painted the side of his head and face.

“Hey, hey, hey, watch it, will ya?” he whined loudly as he tilted his head to try and shake the drops out of his ears. Juvia could not help but giggle at their amusing antics. They get along so well… “Yeesh… I’m starving,” Natsu whined all of a sudden and clutched his growling belly with his free hand. “I can’t wait to find this Salamander guy and then get some grub.”

“Do you know who he is?”

“Nope. All I know is he’s calling himself the Salamander. I’m hoping he’s my master, Igneel!” At the mention of his name, Natsu’s green eyes began to sparkle. He looked so overjoyed at the prospect that Juvia wrestled with crushing his hopes, but she did not wish to see him incredibly upset when he discovered the true identity of the fire mage.

“Actually… He is a mage named Bora.”

“What?!” Natsu stopped in his tracks to look poutily at her. “You mean we came all this way for nothing? Aw, man… And I was so hopin’ I would get to see Igneel again,” he griped aloud. Juvia looked down at her feet miserably. Should she have not told him?

“Juvia is sorry to have to be the one to tell you…”

“Nah, it’s okay,” he sighed deeply. She peered out of the corners of her eyes to see him rubbing his neck and smiling gratefully down at her. “I ‘preciate it. It woulda been a bummer to come all this way and it be just some random dude. I guess me ‘n Happy should grab some grub and then head back to Fairy Tail.”

“You are from Fairy Tail?”

“That’s right!” he snickered and turned to show off his bright pink guild mark on his upper arm.

“Then that must mean Bora is not a member of Fairy Tail.” As she had suspected, he was abusing the guild’s name to build clout. What could he possibly be up to? Juvia was busy considering the possibilities and did not notice that he had closed the distance between them again; after a second, her eyes registered his brilliant green ones centimeters away, and her face turned redder than ever.

“What? What’re you talkin’ about?”

“Rumor has it that Salamander is a Fairy Tail mage. Bora has been calling himself by this name. Juvia knows Bora well; he is not a very good man. He has gotten in trouble for many bad things…” Natsu’s eyes narrowed into sharp peaks as he stiffly straightened back up. His grip tightened so hard around the umbrella’s handle that his knuckles glared white and she feared the plastic may splinter.

“So that’s it, huh? Well, I can’t stand by while somebody is tarnishin’ our good name. I think this calls for an ass-kickin’, don’tcha agree, Happy?!” The cat trilled in agreement over his shoulder. “I’m all fired up now!” His grin was absolutely feral, but something about it filled Juvia with excitement. She barely knew him, but somehow she felt as if she could follow him to the ends of the Earth. Her heart began to pound wildly in her chest again, and despite her many wills, it refused to still.

Natsu…

“It is very good fortune that Juvia met you today,” she remarked with a tiny smile.

“Nah,” Natsu said nonchalantly. For a second her heart threatened to break at his dismissiveness, but when she looked up at him, he was smiling broadly. “I don’t believe in luck! Let’s call it destiny! When we’re done here, you should totally come back to Fairy Tail with me, Juvia!” he offered. Juvia’s eyes widened as she stared at him in shock. Juvia… Join Fairy Tail? Her fingers were twisting so hard into her overcoat that she felt she could tear the thick, cottony fabric. She was so… happy. Juvia could not the last time she felt that emotion so purely and strongly.

“Yes… Juvia will gladly come to Fairy Tail!” she cried and nodded emphatically.

“Great! Ass-kickin’ first, though.”

“Yes!”

~~~~~~~~~~

They tracked Bora to a cruise liner docked at the port. It took a lot of convincing to prevent Natsu from charging in fires-a-burnin’, but she managed to convince him to do so. Apparently, Bora had been seen courting a large group of ladies and they had all migrated onto the ship. Juvia had several ideas about why Bora would be so interested in women, and none of them sat well with her. One peek through the windows validated her concerns; throughout the dining hall there were woman slumped over tables or collapsed on the floor with half-finished drinks still in their hands. They were casually discarded as men in suits hauled them off into another room.

“Human trafficking…” Juvia murmured under her breath.

“What a buncha bastards,” Natsu growled in agreement. “I can’t stand by and watch this anymore!” Before Juvia could rebuke him, he punched through the window to charge into the room, bright fire alighting all over his arms. She cried aloud and looked around wildly, unsure of what to do, before she decided to hop into the interior of the ship after him. Natsu had already slammed the two lackeys into the wall to knock them unconscious and was now plowing through the wooden door breathing fire. “Come out, you asshole! I know you’re in here!”

“I would appreciate it if you stopped making a mess of my ship,” sighed a voice from behind Juvia. The two mages whirled on their feet to see Bora holding a squirming blonde by her wrists. As Natsu went to wind up for a punch, Bora clicked his tongue and jerked on the girl’s arm, making her wail in pain. “Ah, ah, ah. Wouldn’t want to have to break the pretty lady’s arm here. Why don’t you fizzle out for a second, yeah?” Bora sneered at Natsu before his eyes drifted to Juvia. They instantly narrowed in confusion. “What?! What are you doing here?”

“Juvia has come to put a stop to your villainy!” He stared at her, then snorted and looked back to Natsu.

“So, this your new boyfriend? He sick of the rain yet?” Juvia flushed bright pink and slapped her hands to her cheeks, bleating about how Natsu wasn’t her boyfriend at all, but froze in horror when he mentioned her rain. She looked at the fire mage in terror to see him staring quizzically at Bora. “Ah, haven’t figured it out yet, eh? This woman’s a curse. Makes it rain wherever she goes. It gets old real quick; that’s why I dumped her.” Juvia hung her head as she hugged herself. She couldn’t speak of for herself, but her mind was just melancholy echoes of No… Juvia is not a curse…

“You’re a real piece o’ work, you know that, asshole?” Natsu snarled. She peered back at him to see him slamming a fist into his palm, fire blooming at the area of contact. “What’s wrong with rain, huh?”

“Yeah! It makes all the flowers grow and it smells really nice and fresh~” Happy trilled with a wiggling tail.

“You said it, Happy! I’m sure there are plenty o’ people out there who would see Juvia as a blessing. So, kindly let me punch the snot outta ya for disrespectin’ her like that, okay?” Natsu hunched down, fist drawn back with fire swirling within, but Bora once again made use of his hostage. He did not expect the girl to have plenty of fight left in her, however, because once he was distracted by Natsu, she slammed the heel of her boot as hard as she could into his toes. Bora yowled in agony and let her go to begin bouncing around on one foot, while the girl snatched a ring of jangling silver and gold keys to hurriedly dash over and hide behind Juvia.

“I dunno who you people are, but we have to save all the girls on this ship!”

“We’re Fairy Tail mages!” Natsu grinned brightly. Juvia’s cheeks darkened as she smiled happily, her heart beginning to flutter again. She hadn’t even officially joined yet, but he was already acknowledging her as a comrade? The girl began screaming about how she wanted to join Fairy Tail too and that they were going to talk after Bora was effectively handled. Now that the girl was free, Bora hand no shield, and Natsu was rearing up for a big attack.

“Take this, ya scumbag!” Natsu’s chest suddenly swelled up as he breathed in deeply, and the two girls watched in admiration as he released a billowing white-hot flame from the pits of his lungs. “Fire Dragon’s Rooooooooar!” Just barely audible over the rushing of the flames was Bora’s high-pitched totally unmanly screaming as he was blasted through the hull of the ship and out into open water. Natsu snickered and wiped at his mouth, grinning at the large hole in the side of the cruise liner. “Well, that takes care of that.”

“You idiot! Everything’s on fire!” the blonde girl screeched and ran over to bonk him over the head.

“Who are you, anyway?!” Natsu whined, crouching down as he rubbed his bruised noggin.

“My name’s Lucy!”

“Um! Lucy! Please do not hit Natsu! And don’t worry, Juvia can handle the fire,” the water mage quipped suddenly before she scampered over to the gaping hole in the hull of the ship. She gathered some of the sea water below and surged it through the opening, splashing it over the flickering flames to quickly douse them before they spread too far. I will show Natsu that I am worthy to join Fairy Tail! She thought with glee as she willed the water about the room. She got a little excited, though, and three very loud complaining yelps indicated that she had accidentally drenched the others. She laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck as Lucy and Natsu gave her thin-lipped glares. “Juvia is sorry…”

~~~~~~~~~~

They handed Bora over to the authorities and the drugged women were transported to the nearest hospital for treatment. Now, the three mages and Happy were sitting along the cobblestone wall overlooking the harbor. Lucy had related the tale of her own search for the Salamander and how she had ended up on the cruise liner and foiled Bora’s plot.

“This turned out great, huh?” Natsu laughed with a beaming smile. “Now I can take the two of you back to Fairy Tail with me! Gramps’ll be pleased.” His scarf swished as he hopped down off the wall and stretched his arms above his head. “He ain’t gonna be pleased about the property damage to the cruise liner that scumbag was renting…” he mumbled with lidded eyes. He then whirled around to point at the two of them. “Anyway! How’s about dinner, yeah? I’m starving after all that butt-whoopin’!”

“It wasn’t even a butt-whoopin’; you took him out in five seconds…” Lucy muttered under her breath, then smiled. “But, I’ve heard of a nice place in town. Follow me!” She hopped off the wall to begin skipping down the street with Happy flying (apparently, he could conjure wings, the strange little cat creature) behind her. Juvia jumped down from the wall and turned to follow when suddenly Natsu’s hand was extended out to her.

“You must be really happy, huh?”

“Oh… Yes. How could you tell?” she blinked. Ever since Natsu had offered for her to join Fairy Tail, she had possessed this floaty feeling in her body, and her heart had refused to be still. Juvia had been hesitant to call it love, since it had landed her in plenty of trouble in the past, but she also couldn’t deny that it was strongly familiar. Natsu cocked his head to the side as he scrunched up his eyes from a big smile.

“It stopped rainin’, you know?”

Juvia gasped and snapped her neck back to look at the sky. Sure enough, it was brilliantly blue and cloudless. Her indigo eyes shook as she beheld the thing that had been veiled to her for as long as she could remember. They filled up with tears that soon spilled over onto her cheeks, and her mouth twisted into a brokenly overjoyed smile.

“It’s… So beautiful… It has been so long since Juvia has seen the sky…”

“Juvia.” Her head slowly fell back down to meet his brilliant green eyes. In the back of her mind, she thought they complimented her shade nicely. “Let’s go. To Fairy Tail.” Juvia extended a trembling hand to slide it into his, and his fingers grasped on tightly. His hand was so warm and welcoming and kind. It had been so long since Juvia had felt such caring emotions from someone. She used her other hands to quickly wipe at her cheeks as Natsu lurched her forward, laughing animatedly. Her feet carried her onward, towards her new future.

Juvia thought for a moment that it was good luck she took the train to Hargeon Town, then corrected herself.

No, not luck… Call it destiny.

Enjoy this oneshot? Feel free to peruse my Table of Contents!

Tag List: @searchfortheonepiece

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longlivemystories · 6 years

Text

Moonlit Strolls: Chapter 10

Chapter ten: Monday pt 2

Jake stood in front of Integra's desk, hands tucked casually in his suit pants pockets. His deep purple hair was pulled back in a low, loose ponytail and he'd already applied some dark makeup. Ever the same fashion. Integra was sitting at her desk, signing something, then handed the packet of papers to Walter.

"Mr. Clayton."

Jake stood a little straighter while I couldn't help but slump further in my chair. I was happy that Jake was better and uncaged, but now Integra was even more unpredictable about Jake's situation. Integra never seemed to like the idea of Jake being here in the first place, but I didn't expect her to kick him out on the street, being an untrained werewolf and all.

"How would you like a job?"

That caught me off guard. A job? Why in the hell would Integra offer a job? Suppose it's better than killing him, which I was grateful for. Jake had a moment of confusion as well, before offering a smile.

"I'd like that very much, sir, considering I think my old job is gone," he responded, shifting his weight onto his other leg.

"I don't think you understand the situation," Integra said. "You have no choice, no leniency in your options. Mr. Clayton, you will never have a life outside my manor. You will never live a normal life and you will strictly follow my rules or face the penalty of death," she stated calmly, fingers intertwined on her desk.

"You're quite the heavy hitter, sir, but I think I'm more than up for the challenge," Jake responded, grinning a little more.

Integra watched him carefully as if debating if he really knew what was at stake. Jake glanced over at me, eyes almost twinkling. I knew the way he could push buttons with authority figures and I was terrified he'd push the wrong one with Integra.

"Fine. Seras and a few of my men will train you. I hope you're 'up for' several long days and nights," Integra told him.

Not a moment later and Seras entered the office, offering Jake and I a small wave.

"Train him well, Seras," Integra ordered.

Jake gave Seras he own wave in return, then bowed lowly towards Integra.

"I hope not to disappoint you, sir," he said calmly.

Jake took a moment to say something to me, but I shook my head, wanting to talk to him in private later. My friend settled with a light pat on my shoulder before heading out with Seras. Integra leaned back in her tall chair, letting out a long breath.

"Your friend better be ready," she grumbled.

"Thank you for hiring--"

"Don't go thanking me yet," she interrupted, leaning forward once more. "I have more tests for you to do. Nothing quite as fun as blood drawing, unfortunately," Integra told me. "Stay in your room and the doctors will come to you."

"I... all right. Thank you, anyways," I responded softly, leaving once she gave me the okay.

"How's it going, Ollie?"

I looked up to see Jake standing in my doorway, holding two trays of food. I smiled lightly up at him and put my journal on the nightstand.

"You look like you could use a bite to eat," he murmured, waiting for me to slowly make my way to the small table in the corner before handing me a tray with veggie soup. These tests were already wearing me out.

"My favorite," I sighed happily, biting off a small piece of bread.

"I know it," he chuckled, rolling up his sleeves to reveal tanned arms. "You never answered my question, though. I heard you've been doing tests all day," he pointed out, sitting next to me with his own tray.

"Yeah... I guess there's something wrong with me... For some reason, vampire hybrids keep attacking me so she's checking to see if it's biological or something," I murmured, stirring my soup mindlessly.

Jake was quiet for a moment. "You sure it's safe to be here then? With two full blooded vampires not two feet away?" he asked, taking a bite of his salad.

I looked over at him. "You think Alucard and Seras are likely to attack me?" I snorted. "If they wanted to, don't you think they would have by now?"

"Sure, but... I don't know, just be careful," he mumbled, rubbing my back.

"What about you, hows the training going?" I inquired, nibbling on my bread some more.

"Man, I thought the training at the office was tough," he laughed, removing his hand from my back and sipping his water.

"Not funny, Jake. You need to take this seriously. Integra is not someone to play with," I chided, throwing him a playful glare.

"Yeah, yeah, I gathered that," he mumbled, shaking his head, "but I'm learning." "Oh, hey, where's your room now, anyway? I doubt she'd let you just return to your apartment," I snorted.

"Nah, she's got me in the same room, cage and everything," Jake laughed. "Decent enough to put a bed in, though. So you gunna let me braid your hair or what?"

I blinked at him silently for a minute or two. Was he serious? He hadn't braided my hair since college and it made me wonder where the request came from. I suddenly thought of Integra's words and shifted somewhat. Too many very unlikely scenarios were popping in my head and it took a hell of a lot of effort to shove them back down. Jake was my friend, there's no way he'd think of me like... like that... would he?

"W-why do you ask?" I stuttered quietly, mindlessly pulling some hair over my shoulder to play with.

"I figured just in case you have more tests to do, ya wouldn't mind having your hair out of your face if you get nauseous. An added bonus: It'll look beautiful," Jake added, giving a thumbs up.

I looked him over quietly, pondering the consequences, before finally giving in. I answered him by turning my chair around and scooting it closer. Long fingers pulled my hair back over my shoulders to rest on my back. I couldn't help but notice goosebumps covering my body as he started brushing my hair. Even though it'd been years since he'd played with it, the feeling was so familiar and it brought back nice memories of college. I rested back against the chair, relishing the calm.

"So what happens if they never find out why you're being attacked?" Jake inquired. "I don't think they can keep /you/ here against your will."

"I'm not sure how I would feel about leaving you, even if they did let me leave. But maybe... I don't know. Hey, have you seen Alucard at all?"

"Oh, big tall guy, black hair? Yeah, a real peach. Ran me ragged all morning," Jake snorted. "Why?"

"He, well... we... I don't know," I sighed. "We had a little fight, or I dunno, it was back though and I just feel bad for snapping, but I have some questions for him," I rambled, wringing my wrists nervously.

I didn't notice Jake had stopped moving until he started up again.

"Do you care about his feelings or something?" he grumbled, fingers moving swiftly.

"I mean... yeah, he can be a bit brutish, but he's saved my life several times n the last week alone and he's been doing his best to reassure me about your situation, and he doesn't even like werewolves," I answered quietly, shifting in my seat.

"Are you serious? The same ass I met this morning has been by your bedside, wiping your tears away?" he snorted.

"You sound pretty nasty about someone only trying to help," I sighed. "Listen, I just... just got you back and want to enjoy the moment."

It was tensely silent now between us and I felt bad, but still couldn't quite figure out what Jake had against Alucard. These two had been acting so strangely lately and it was so tiring.

"There," Jake murmured, lightly flicking my finished braid over my shoulder.

I paused upon seeing the bow tie neatly around the base. It was black with red highlights.

"Where'd you get that?" I inquired quietly.

"Walter," he answered with a small sigh. "Seras is probably looking for me by now," he continued, standing up and taking his tray. "Finish your food and I'll be back tonight."

4 in the morning and I was bent over the toilet, my stomach wholeheartedly disagreeing with the day's events. I was surprised I even made it to the bathroom at all after all the painful tests I went through; spinal tap, bone marrow. Hell, they even took a small piece of muscle from my calf. Everything ached and nothing stayed in my stomach for more than a minute or two. I leaned back against the tub, holding my head in my hands. At least Jake was right: my hair was clean and still looked nice.

"Long day?"

I couldn't even bring myself to look up at this point, but I knew who was in the doorway.

"You could say," I mumbled.

The vampire made his way over and sat on the tub side, near me. A soft clink told me he put something near me, so I dared a peak.

"First tea, now Pepto? What kind of vampire are you?" I asked lightheartedly, accepting the small glass and downing the contents.

"The kind who believes in medicine. I have a human master who comes down with illness. Granted, not very often, but it does happen," he chuckled, taking his sunglasses off and tucking them in an inner coat pocket. "I heard they were cutting you raw today."

"Y-Yeah..." I mumbled, leaning against the tub once more. "And I heard you ran Jake ragged."

"Not for long... He did come with us on a hunt today, though."

That news surprised me. Why hadn't anyone told me Jake would be out so soon after gaining back his memories? A twinge of worry ran through my chest, but it quickly dropped into my belly and I was over the toilet again. Thankfully, nothing came out, but that didn't make me feel any better. I stayed where I was for a moment before leaning back against the tub again.

"Such a fragile body..."

I laughed a little, though it was winded.

"Were you ever human?" I murmured quietly.

Alucard remained silent for a second or two but then stood, taking the cup with him. After rinsing it out in the sink, he filled it with water and sat back in his spot, handing me the water. I accepted it and took a sip.

"A long time ago. I don't particularly miss it," he finally responded.

"Mhmm," I hummed, drinking some more water.

"These tests... they don't seem to be doing you any good," he commented. "If it helps, I don't think you're problem is the biological you're thinking of," Alucard added.

"What could it possibly be, then?" I mumbled, wondering if all these tests were for nothing.

"Genetics, lineage. Who were your parents?"

"No idea. I was adopted with I was little," I admitted with a light shrug.

I looked up at him to be met with an intense, thoughtful stare. I hadn't been this close to him in a long time and I caught my breath. Alucard leaned forward slowly and reached up. I wanted to pull away, but couldn't. I winced when the vampire pulled away the bandage covering Jake's scratch. Furrowing my eyebrows in confusion, I started to stay something but didn't get the chance before he snipped a stitch with a sharp nail.

"Alucard, what--"

"Don't worry. I have some more self-control than you think."

#Hellsing #Chapter 10 #Moonlit Strolls #Anime #mild language #illness

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