#nothing i offered him would differ from what anyone could give him is the issue

[elytrafemme]

long theoretical post about my friend hugging me

like. to dissect a matter that none of you are involved in and then i'll delete in the morning: my friend in college hugged me about ten minutes ago and i don't understand why. he's a physically affectionate person so we knew it was bound to happen, it was a running joke between us that we'd like schedule our hug to happen. nothing extraordinary happened tonight. in the second half -- which is when i spent the most time with him -- i was so fucked up that i barely processed what was going on? i was listening to what he was telling me, he just rambled about stuff, and it's interesting and i could recite all of it if asked and the expression he made at each part, but there was absolutely nothing in my head. and he never asked if i was okay which i think he would have if he thought something was wrong, because he's done that before. and we were alone so he could have and there would have been zero consequences. but he didn't ask me what was wrong, so it's hard to assume that the hug was for emotional consolation reasons. he wouldn't have noticed me on the brink of tears, either, he's not that observant. i would have known if he had. and i didn't do anything truly kind to him today, i listened to him talk about his interests and we hung out for a while, but that's what we do all the time. nothing happened. there was the chair thing but i thought i played that off well, i tried to have a coherent narrative about it an hour later too so he would guess what i had hoped, and i think i was successful. he wasn't distressed, i would have known. and he was tired but he's been tired a lot before and he's never acted like this. so he had zero reason to hug me unless he maybe sensed that this entire time i just really fucking wanted him to hug me, but he wouldn't have, and i would never have voiced that, because i don't want him to see me at that level. but i needed that hug badly. and i don't understand why i received it.

#nightmare.personal #neg #he's the easiest person to be around i think. because there are a lot of conversation topics to have #and i understand the way his mind ticks pretty well at this point #that's going to change in spring semester. maybe. which is going to really suck. but it'll be okay. #nothing i offered him would differ from what anyone could give him is the issue #i'm really good at that. you don't really need to have a ton of anything to listen to people #it's just listening. and yeah i guess people are bad at that? but like. #i don't know. he could talk to literally anyone else. all of them could talk to literally anyone else and they actively do #part of my brain is trying to rationalize myself into calming down but the other half is the one i want to indulge because #fuck. fuck. i can't do this forever. #like someday i have to snap right. i can't keep doing this. it's like a time loop. #this always happens and i only vaguely remember tomorrow but it'll happen two days after and it'll be bad #and i will always want to crack under pressure but never do #and if nothing's wrong with me why the hell am i like this? #i wish he didn't hug me. i should have got my book and fucking left. #i only waited because i was getting the book back from his roommate who was off calling his girlfriend #but honestly. that guy even though he's my friend. if he saw me crying he'd do nothing #because i don't think he would care even slightly. we're good friends now i'd say. he would not care. #at least this happened in a pretty way. that's something huh.

[messiahzzz]

thank you sm for the ask!! 💕 i’m glad you enjoy my posts and it is not a strange request by any means!

note: this is merely my read on gale’s sexual preferences/kinks. i don’t want to police anyone on their headcanons or claim they are “incorrect”. since the game doesn’t provide too much detail, many things remain up to interpretation. (and lest we forget fanfiction has always encouraged the exploration of dynamics that may not be present in canon.)

gale is a character who isn’t interested in walking the straight and narrow route. he is all about new experiences, favoring non-traditional means, putting his own spin on things, and the thrill of seeking the forbidden. the sheer romance of the uncharted and the unknown. he is enthusiastic in almost every aspect and possesses an infectious zest for life. in regards to his sexual preferences, this translates into an eagerness to explore, witness new sensations, and reach new heights together. while approaching the topic of sexuality with a generally playful, adventurous attitude.

if you’re looking for harder kinks, however — i don’t believe gale is the character for you. and in case it needs to be said again: there is nothing wrong with being vanilla.

initially, i see gale as a switch, who gravitates more towards assuming a dominant role, due to his ever-present desire to give and to impress. i do think he enjoys giving up control, yet you still have to actively convince him to let himself go and be spoiled for once. his first focus will always be to fulfill his partner's needs and drown them in his all-encompassing love and adoration. i also believe that gale will grow more comfortable with being the center of attention, once their relationship has reached a point of total security (and he had ample opportunities to show in just how many ways he can wow them). gale is not a strict dom, nor a sub. in his ideal relationship roles would be discarded entirely, deeming them too restrictive in his expression of intimacy with a trusted partner. it’s all about variety and ridding oneself of the shackles of the worldly, after all. melting into one perfect whole, not knowing where he ends and his partner begins.

gale: we are all sensual vessels. illusory magic lets us sail farther, and feel more deeply.

gale: [..] i could use the weave to make us feel sensations beyond reckoning.

based on what we know about gale, these could be some of his kinks:

lots of praise (this is non-negotiable), sensation/temperature play (waxplay, electrostimulation/all the many perks magic has to offer), sensory deprivation, light restrictions and bondage, the occasional roleplay, katoptronophilia (self-explanatory), altered mental-states (hypnosis, psychedelics), orgasm control & denial, body worship, olfactophilia and given his propensity towards verbosity: narratophilia and some very inventive dirty talk. as for my own self-indulgent take: due to the recurring emphasis on hands during his romance, as well as his being the main tool in how he shapes and navigates the world: quirofilia.

nodecontext: flustered, standing in front of his romance partner in bondage gear. not necessarily uncomfortable with the bondage aspect, just trying to stay focused.

now, what are gale’s hard-limits?

gale, after the player received loviatar's blessing: your hide, your choice. not quite my cup of tea though.

while projecting your own kinks and fantasies onto fictional characters is fine and well, disregarding and ignoring the source material (and the character's stated boundaries) is another matter entirely. fanon!gale is rather ooc and very different from his canon portrayal, which is something that tends to irk me. although this remains a common fandom phenomenon.

personally, i don’t see gale as someone who enjoys pain of any kind, be it giving or receiving (with the exception of spanking and light choking, if a certain mood strikes. although it is kept mostly playful). contrary to what fandom may claim, having self-worth issues, being loquacious, emotionally expressive, and vulnerability-seeking (as well as being commonly perceived as arrogant and insufferable) doesn't automatically equal having repressed masochistic tendencies. he could be convinced to dip a toe into sadism, but only upon his partner’s insistence. although i doubt he himself would find enjoyment in that.

the same applies to degradation/humiliation. i doubt that a character who is still very much struggling with inherent self-worth issues and a general feeling of being defective/not worthy would derive sexual gratification from being degraded. yes, it can certainly be healing for some, but gale doesn’t strike me as someone who would find particular enjoyment in that. quite the contrary, actually. nor would he like to do the degrading for that matter (he would vehemently refuse. all he wants to do is sing your praises.) gale wouldn’t enjoy being leashed and/or collared in any way either. the prospect of being tied up or restricted is rather intriguing, cause it serves to center one’s vulnerability while also allowing for more intense sensations. anything that taps into the puppy play/slave territory tho? he would find it demeaning… and, quite frankly, silly.

gale is also not a voyeur, nor a cuck. the entire scene with the drow twins leans way too much into dub-con territory for my tastes. the only way you can get him to participate at all is by rolling a persuasion check with DC 25. in every other dialogue option, he immediately (and explicitly) declines. even if you do manage to pass the persuasion check, he is still very hesitant about participating.

gale: i might enjoy watching you tangled up with the drow, as long as i was five paces back.

he then immediately runs from the room, because sending a simulacrum in his place was the only way to somewhat remove himself from the situation while still being able to please tav. because of course he wants to please and clearly this is important to tav so he might just… have to discard his reservations and... just go through with it?!

gale: well i suppose it would do no good to back out now. let us begin this little anthropological study, if we must.

i am aware that fandom uses the fact that his “orb lit up in telltale excitement” as a justification that persuading him was the right choice, as well as confirmation that he was secretly into it and “just needed a little push" to explore his desires/get out of his comfort zone. that implication alone is very suspect and goes straight into the sort of logic abusers often use. you can be physically aroused by certain scenes, images, or sounds, even while being visibly uncomfortable with the presented scenario. it is a natural response that you can’t often control. which is what he is showing throughout the entire scene: discomfort. he was coerced into this situation, without any prior discussion or an opportunity to talk about his boundaries. furthermore, this is what he has to say if you approach him after the threesome:

gale: ahem. i hope you're not here to ask about our recent, erm, activities. i'd rather those were consigned to the footnotes of our romance, if it's all the same with you.

since he is strictly monogamous, any arrangement involving another person is also a no. he made this rather clear when tav sought him out after receiving halsin's proposal. him being monogamous isn't solely rooted in his trauma, it isn't something he has to “overcome” in order to heal, nor does it mean that their relationship is any less fulfilling. call him greedy, stubborn, or old-fashioned, but he cannot comfortably agree to that.

#baldurs gate 3 #bg3 #gale dekarios #gale of waterdeep #bg3 meta #now what do i even tag this as? #coercion cw #degradation tw #humiliation tw #will have to do some more thinking about the whole “gale has a breeding kink” take #as of now i don't believe that it is a kink nor a squick of his #as long as there's no actual risk of pregnancy involved that is #btw guys i love answering these #if you enjoy reading my long ass posts feel free to clutter my inbox #it speaks

[multific]

Offering

Simon 'Ghost' Riley x Reader

Summary: Your boyfriend and you break up before a mission.

Somehow, you knew, you could see it in his eyes.

Somehow, you knew, you could see it in his eyes.

It was your biggest fear and it became true.

He no longer loved you.

You should have noticed the signs, you should have seen it all coming.

Now that you recall, his touches were extremely different, he barely kissed you or even talked with you.

He didn't love you anymore and it shattered you.

Instead of letting him ramble on with this 'it's not you, it's me' bullshit, you simply stood up and left.

You had a mission in a couple of days anyway.

Taskforce 141 knew that their precious little flower had issues.

From the moment they saw you, they knew something was off.

Thankfully, during the mission, you were able to take your mind off of your ex.

Barely even thinking, you moved on instinct.

Currently, you were with Ghost, waiting for backup before heading into another fight.

Your target was inside a mansion and you two needed some backup before heading in.

"I didn't want to mention this, but I can see it is bothering you. Something happened, Daisy?"

You looked up into his eyes, it was weird to see him trying to be so professional while still calling you by your code name.

"I broke up with my boyfriend. We didn't exactly talk about it but I could see in his eyes he didn't love me anymore. So... yeah."

"He is a dumbass. You deserve a real man."

His honesty made you turn and look at him. You could only smile as he refused to meet your eyes. He knew he overshared. He should have just said 'sorry' and moved on, but he fucked up.

"A real man sounds about right. You know anyone?" he didn't say a word only shook his head, no. "That's sad. I was hoping you were offering," you smirked. "But oh well... Maybe Johnny would be open..."

"No." his reply came way too quickly. There was a couple minutes of silence between the two of you.

"Backup in 10 LT." came Johnny's voice over the radio.

"Copy." Ghost replied.

"You told me many times to leave him because he is not good enough for me. And here I am... I guess I'm more disappointed in myself for trying to believe that it could be real." you said as you let out a sigh.

"You did nothing wrong. He is an idiot."

"A gone idiot." you finished before the chopper arrived. Giving Ghost a smile.

You weren't sure if you were only imagining things.

You swore you could see something in his eyes, something soft and caring.

---

The mission was finished. The information had been obtained.

And you were only the lovely new owner of a shot wound on your arm.

The wound was now all bandaged up and you were ready to head back for some rest.

Ghost closely followed you as you were heading to your room.

"Y/N..." his voice came from behind you as you smiled and turned to face him. You two spent a good amount of time looking at one another before he spoke up again, his voice low.

"Maybe, I am offering." this made your eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"A-are you?" your previous confidence seem to have died down as he took a couple of steps closer to you, eyes never leaving yours.

"I am." he said as his thumb came up to your bottom lip.

You two just stared at one another he moved you into your room as he kicked the door closed.

Using the darkness in the room to his advantage, his face was bare as he placed his lips on yours.

You didn't need to be told twice, you pulled him to the bed without another question or without breaking the kiss.

---

You woke up the next morning to a dull pain in your lower region and a hand on your waist.

Suddenly the reality of the situation hit you like a cold shower.

You had sex with your Lieutenant.

And it was amazing.

You were sure the two of you went on for hours and many rounds. He was an amazing lover, a giver but he also knew how and what to take from you.

You lost count of how many orgasms he gave you but you can recall that he always made your legs shake.

You enjoyed the night.

It was a good distraction from your fucked up life.

But now, that it was morning, you knew, this will all come to an end.

You felt him slightly move behind you as his breath hit your neck.

"I can hear you thinking, Daisy." using your code-name possibly wasn't the best idea he ever had.

You felt distanced from him again.

"You are overthinking." he said again and you wanted to laugh but couldn't. "This doesn't have to be any more than a night if you don't want it to be. I am now offering something more."

"You are not a relationship kind of guy, Simon."

"I could be." his reply came so fast, he made you believe it.

"So what? A secret relationship where you could come to my room and always have to look behind you trying to see if someone was looking?"

"I wanted you for long enough. I feel like I would agree to any conditions." this made you turn and look at him, searching his eyes for a lie which you never found.

You were doomed.

---

And now, you were fucked.

With a dislocated shoulder, a huge gash on your leg, you could barely stand.

Thank God you were sitting.

Sitting and bleeding out.

You let out a long sigh before you hit the radio.

"Guys, I'm not in good shape. My shoulder is fucked, I am bleeding rapidly. I managed to hide in a shop down the street but I feel like they will find me any moment. I'm running low on amo and-"

"Where are you? I'll get you." Simon's voice came over the radio.

"In the perfume store at the back, hiding behind the counter." you replied.

"Stay there, I'm almost there. Gaz, get the chopper. Johnny, how's he mission?"

"Almost got the maps, LT."

"Meet us at the meeting point Johnny." You soon heard the radio get silent as the door to the store opened, you tried to peak. "Y/N?"

"Here." you replied as Simon arrived by your side with a first aid kit.

"What happened?"

"Turned out, I can take guys like you not only in bed." you smirked but Simon didn't find it so funny. "I dislocated my shoulder and he cut my leg." you said with a more serious tone as he grabbed your leg and put a bandage on it, stopping the bleeding.

"I can put your shoulder back." he said and you knew, this is going to hurt.

When he grabbed your arm, you prepared for the worst.

It was a terrible feeling, feeling your shoulder pop right back as you let out a groan.

"Good girl." he said and if you weren't in such a pain, you for sure would have made a dirty comment.

Soon, the chopper arrived and after having a showdown with a couple guys, you were on your way back to the base.

At that point, you lost consciousness. The blood loss caught up to you.

"Daisy?" Johnny asked and you let out a noise. "Just making sure you are all good." he replied. "You made Lt rather worried today." Soap smirked as you let out another groan. Simon looked at Johnny with an angry expression.

"Let her sleep." he said as Johnny put two of his hands up in defence.

"Sorry, Lt." Simon moved to sit next to you, holding your hand, checking your pulse. "I always had a feeling you would be a protective kind of boyfriend." you opened your eyes to that, looking at Johnny. "What? You thought your room is sound proof?! Also, it's so clear that you two are dating. I'm just said you didn't tell me."

"Or me!" replied Gaz with a huff.

"How did you know?" asked Ghost.

"As I said the room is not sound proof and as quiet as you two are, we could hear the noises still. And you are not that sneaky, Lt."

"A big guy like you was basically a beacon walking into her room." said Gaz.

Simon let out a groan.

"Captain also knows. He knew before us actually. I believe he knew even before you two. He always said you two make a good team and it was only a matter of time." Gaz explained and you let out a shaky breath, squeezing Simon's hand.

"I told you to be quiet." he turned to you as you snapped your eyes at him.

"Quiet?! QUIET?! How the fuck am I supposed to be quiet?"

"You have so many pillows, you should have used one!"

"Well, excuse me! Mr 'Let me hear ya Doll'!" Both Johnny and Kyle laughed. "Are you guys... really okay with this? With me and Simon?" you asked with a rather shaky breath.

"Of course! More than okay actually. I always said that Lt needed some lovin'. Captain asked us to see if it will affect the missions. And it did, but in a good way." Johnny nodded as soon you would arrive back to base.

"Thank you." you and Simon said in unison as you landed.

Nurses barged in to get you to the medbay as soon as possible.

Simon could only watch as you were taken away.

Johnny and Kyle both patted him on the back before leaving.

Price arrived soon after.

Simon was sitting in the medbay, waiting to be let in so he could see you. This is when the captain sat down next to him.

"You two could have told us."

"We were afraid we would be separated or discharged."

"I would never do that. Sure the others don't have to know, but as a team, we are responsible for each other." Simon nodded at Price.

"Thank you."

"There is nothing to thank. Let's have a drink once she is better." Just as John said that, a nurse came to inform that Simon could go in.

He sat down in the chair next to you, holding your hand.

You two really thought you were secretive enough.

But you were okay with the others knowing. At least in front of them, you didn't have to pretend anymore.

Simon leaned over to give you a kiss on the forehead.

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DO NOT STEAL, REPOST OR TRANSLATE ANY OF MY WORKS  

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[ahonice]

Please Don’t Go

Please Don’t Go

Luke Hughes x Fem Reader

WC: 6.1k

Warnings: cussing, mentions of partying & underage drinking.

Luke didn’t mean for it to happen, to fall in love with his best friend, but it did and now there was nothing he could do about it. You were insanely out of his league, he knew it, you knew it, and so did everyone else who saw the two of you walking around campus or saw photos of you on social media. Those who don’t know you probably assumed that you guys were dating, with the matching swimsuits over the summer, and sharing beds all the time, you guys did couple stuff together just as best friends, not as a couple. You were kind, funny, supportive, and beautiful.

So could anyone really blame Luke for falling for you? 

Your mother and Luke’s mother were childhood friends, they played lacrosse and hockey together growing up, both played for the USA women's team together as well, they were best friends. While your parents had kids much earlier than the Hughes did, your mother had always wanted a daughter and her first four attempts had ended in boys so after seven years she decided to give it another go and finally in early 2004 her little princess was born, you. For once your mom and Ellen, Luke’s mom, had kids that were close in age so you in result did everything together. There are images all over Luke’s walls of you in joint Halloween costumes from growing up over the years, you guys at picture day for school, when you had to say goodbye when he moved to Canada, all the pictures of you guys hugging in the airport once he was back for the summer. Your walls were a bit different, you just had one photo of the two of you on display, coincidentally it was the only picture Luke hated of the two of you. Taken when you guys were 3 and 2, you were in the bath together and you had matching bubble mohawks, it was a sweet photo but Luke always found himself embarrassed when he saw it. You loved it though.

Once Luke had moved back to America right before he started high school he wasn’t in New Hampshire anymore, they had moved to Michigan, you were still apart from each other but at least you lived in the same country again, and you still spent your summers with the boy, and his brothers and friends, at the lake house. You had never really been close with the friends and teammates that were brought over during the summer, just keeping to yourself and Luke, and the both of you had no issue with it, but things changed during the summer between your freshman and sophomore year. You were filling out your swimsuits better, you got your braces off, your acne went away, and with that you had a new found self confidence. Luke had taken notice of it and so did everyone else, you were suddenly invited out more and you hung out with everyone during the day and nights doing whatever the first suggestion with it, this time Luke had an issue with how you were spending your summers. He chalked it up to just being a protective best friend, but all those around him knew what it was actually about, everyone but you. 

Everyone first noticed it when Luke’s friends from his school stayed at the lake house for a week. His one friend, Vincent, seemed to have taken a liking to you. He always sat next to you, offered to make your plate or your smores for you, and always wanted to do whatever you wanted to do, and if no one else wanted to do what you suggested the two of you would do it just the two of you. It was sweet, you found it sweet having never really had a guy flirt with you before, Luke did not. He began sitting next to Vincent, or pulling you onto his lap whenever there weren’t any spots available other than the one Vincent would save for you. Luke would make comments about Vincent making your plates wrong or make them himself claiming “I know her better than you.” and when Vincent made the mistake of putting chocolate on your smore Luke just about lost it and began yelling at Vincent about how you were allergic and you could die. When you and Vincent would go off to do your own thing Luke would tag along, always trying to one up Vincent at whatever you were doing and embarrassing himself quite a lot. 

On the last evening all of Luke’s friends were at the house, you suggested that everyone ate outside because it was very nice, unsurprisingly they didn’t want to say it was too hot out for that so you told them you would be eating outside if anyone wanted to join you. Once you were out there you understood why they didn’t want to be out there, it was nearly 8pm and still nearly 90 degrees outside, but not wanting them to have a reason to say “I told you so” you stayed outside. Deciding to strip into just your bathing suit, which you usually only wore when you were tanning because it covered the least amount of your body but it was all you had that was clean.

Soon enough you heard the backdoor open and saw Vincent approaching you with a smile and some lemonade. “It’s hot out, I don’t want you getting dehydrated.” He said as he approached you.

“Thank you.” You said while taking a sip and immediately sighing afterwards, you loved lemonade more than life itself. 

You and Vincent quickly fell into conversation about how horrible the AP Geography exam was that you both had to take. 

“I probably got a one on it if I’m being honest with you, that class was so horrible.” Vincent said, causing you to laugh.

“Oh come on, have some faith in yourself, it really couldn't've gone that badly” You said, turning when you heard the backdoor open again, smiling at the sight of your best friend.

“What couldn’t have gone that badly?” Luke asked while approaching the table, sitting at the spot next to you and across from Vincent. 

“The AP geography exam. How do you think you did on it Lukey?” You asked him, confused when he coughs to cover up his blush and shame.

“Lukey here-” You cringed at the use of Luke's nickname in a sarcastic form, “dropped the class a few months ago because he was failing it. If he had taken the exam he probably would’ve gotten an impossible zero.” Vincent laughed, you did not. You knew how insecure Luke could be about academics.

Once Vincent had finished his food he went inside, you quickly told him you would meet him there in a little bit before turning towards your best friend.

“Lukey come take a walk with me?” You already knew the answer.

As you made your way towards the docks you turned to him.

“Why didn’t you mention that you were struggling in school? You know that I’m here for you right?” You questioned him, feeling him tense next to you as you grabbed his hand.

“I didn’t want to bother you.” 

“Nothing you could do could ever bother me Luke.” You said, “-unless you start being a blanket hog again.” You added poking him in his side, pleased with yourself as you heard him giggle and saw him smile.

“Let’s go inside, the boys weren’t kidding I am sweating my balls off.” You joked, laughing at yourself.

“Ew Y/n please don’t tell me about your non-existent balls.” Luke said, groaning, which just made you laugh harder. Running ahead of him, he was finally able to see what you had on, not having a good look before. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head before he took his shirt off, yelling at her to catch and put it on. 

“Lukey, will you ever not be overprotective of me?” You asked with no malice or poor intentions hidden in your voice. 

“No I don’t think I will.” He said back, his words hidden with meaning and promise.

Vincent walked out the back door again asking if you wanted to go get ice cream together.

“Yeah I would love to, Luke I’ll see you later tonight ok?” You smiled at your best friend and left before you could hear him whisper “Y/n please don’t go”.

***

“So have you decided where you are going to college yet?” Luke asked over the phone.

You were having your weekly facetime, there were about three months left until your graduation and you didn’t know where you were planning on going. You had applied to the University of Michigan a few months back, but you hadn’t heard anything back yet so now you have to start considering some other options.

“Not yet Luke, I’m still holding out committing anywhere in hopes that I get into Michigan. I have started considering other options. What do you think about NYU? Or Ohio State?” Luke’s opinion meant the most to you, he had to have been approving of where you go to school just as much as your parents, probably even more. 

“What! You can’t go to Ohio State Y/n, you can’t be my enemy.”

“Luke, I wouldn't become your enemy just because I go to your school’s rival.”

“That is exactly what you would become. NYU is a great school, but it is too far from me.”

“Luke we have been surviving off of seeing each other only during the summer, I think we can continue doing that.”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to. Y/n I want you to be at the same school as me again, even if it’s just for one year before I move out to New Jersey.”

“You do realize that if I go to NYU it would just be one year apart before we live like half an hour away from each other.” You suggested hoping that would spark some approval in him.

“Or, and hear me out on this one, you come to Michigan-”

“Ugh Luke.” You groaned, interrupting him.

“-let me finish. You come to Michigan for your first year, and then you transfer to NYU and live in New Jersey with me.”

“That is tempting, but I have to be accepted into Michigan first.” You explained.

“The second you get your letter you facetime me ok? I need to be there with you when it happens.”

You nodded before the conversation switched topics, you really wanted to get into Michigan.

***

It was finally time, you had received a letter in the mail from the University of Michigan regarding whether or not you had been accepted, and you had never been so scared. You quickly facetimed Luke, and received no answer, so you continued to call, but still you were met with a reflection of a very disappointed looking you and “facetime unavailable” shown at the top.

“Mom, I can't open it without Luke on the phone.” You told her after she asked what you were waiting for.

“We’ll film it for him, come on sweetie open it up. Your brothers are here for you, ok hun? Open it up.”

You hesitated, for a long time, your mothers patience wearing thin.

“Y/n if you don’t open it right now I will do it for you.”

“Mom let me just call him one more time, I really don't want him to miss this.” You pleaded. Your mother sighs in response. Her way of saying yes, so you quickly thanked her while walking to the washroom and called Luke again, and once again it was denied. The tears in your eyes were hard to push down, but you did it and walked out giving a sad smile to your mom,

As soon as she hit the record button on her phone you began shaking, Michigan was your dream school, you wanted to be with Luke and Luke wanted you to be with him, and Michigan would do that.

You ripped open the envelope and started reading, mumbling the words until you got to the line.

“I GOT IN! MOM I GOT IN!” you yelled, jumping up and down as your parents ran up to hug you, your brothers yelled in congratulations. Soon confetti cannons were being popped and a cake was brought in front of you.

“What would you guys have done if I didn’t get in?” You joked causing your family members to laugh.

“We knew you would sweetie, but we have one more surprise for you. You don’t have nearly enough Michigan gear so we got you some, they’re all over your bed. Go look.” Your mom patted your leg to send you off. As you stood up you didn’t notice your brother following you with a camera.

“Surprise!” Is what you heard as you opened up your bedroom door, your eyes quickly focusing on your best friend sitting on your bed with what looks like one hundred Michigan sweaters, shirts, hats, etc. 

“LUKE!” You were sure your voice would be sore tomorrow with all the yelling and screaming you’ve been doing, but you didn’t care. 

You were quick to jump onto your bed and tackle him into a hug, the two of you landing on your sweatshirt covered pillows.

“I can’t believe it. we’re finally gonna be together again.” You whispered in his ear.

“I’m so proud of you Y/n.” He whispered back, leaning back and staring at you.

That was when he knew he was fucked.

***

You just finished your first week of freshman year at the University of Michigan and of course you had to celebrate. Luke informed you about the party that the hockey team was throwing to celebrate syllabus week being over and to welcome in the school year. Luke told you he would pick you up at 9pm, saying he needed you there early for the pregame and so you could meet his teammates and friends before the party actually started.

You decided to wear a pink corset-bustier type bodysuit that made your boobs and waist look amazing with some black ripped jeans and your white air forces. You straightened your hair and applied your usual going out makeup before Luke texted you that he was outside, you did your final touches by adding the necklace with your name on it that Luke had gifted you for your 18th birthday before you walked out your dorm to the front of the building.

“Woah, you look…wow.” Luke was speechless once you entered his car, his eyes literally never leaving your chest, you giggled at his flustered state.

“Eyes up here Hughes.” You said faking anger, but he saw through it and began laughing as he drove off to the house.

***

“You have met Dylan, Mackie, Ethan, and Mark at the lakehouse, but this is Luca and Adam, brothers, Seamus, Rutger, and Johnny. They’re all freshmen like you, and there are a couple more who are gonna be arriving soon, but everyone this is Y/n.” You smiled at all the boys, giving a way. You were suddenly very aware of how much of your skin was showing by not only the breeze of the night, but also by the eyes of a few of the boys who were shamelessly staring. “Alright guys, we are gonna go up to my room. We’ll be down once the party starts.” Luke said, glaring at the boys for making you uncomfortable. 

“Wrap it before you tap it Hughes!” Dylan shouted, making everyone laugh, but Luke.

The short trip to Luke’s room was silent, neither of you speaking until his door shut.

“I’m sorry about that.” Luke was the first to break the silence.

“Oh it’s fine Lukey. The joke was funny and I’m wearing a shirt that shows off my boobs, of course people are gonna look.” You laughed, trying to ease the tension. You could tell Luke was angry, his jaw was clenched and he was gripping his phone so tightly his knuckles were turning white. 

“Lukey, seriously it’s ok…just settle down. Go lay down, I’ll join in one second.” You said patting his biceps before turning around and leaving the room.

You went downstairs to get water for yourself and Luke, but you had to figure out where they kept the cups first. 

“What the fuck, do they drink out of solo cups?” You questioned yourself.

“We actually do, we don’t like doing dishes.” A voice came from behind you. You turned around to be met with a face that you couldn’t put a name to.

“Oh that is wonderful, where do you keep the solo cups then…” You trailed off, hoping he would get the hint and introduce himself. 

“Frank. And you are?” You smiled, feeling less guilty that you were also a stranger to him.

“Y/n, I’m Luke’s friend.” He nodded, reaching forward to shake your hand, which you gladly accepted, blushing.

“Well I can guarantee that all the solo cups are out back right now, but I can bring you out there. We’re pregaming with pong, and I need a partner.” Frank’s offer made you blush more.

“Yeah that would be great, just give me a second. I’ll just meet you out there.” You told him before turning to go back up the stairs.

Once you reached Luke’s room you could hear the opening credits to your favorite movie, Luke probably put it on for you.

“Hey, I turned on The Grinch for us to watch while we wait.” Luke said as you entered the room, not shutting the door behind you.

“What are you doing? Shut the door. I don’t want the guys making fun of us for watching Christmas movies in August.” He finally turned towards you as he finished his thought.

“Lukey I’m gonna go out back and play pong with everyone to pregame for the party, you should come join.” You told him.

“Oh. Um yeah sure give me a second.” He said, a little defeated which made you feel guilty. “-are we gonna be partners again?” His question only makes you feel worse.

“Actually I’m already partnered up with Frank. I just met him, he is super cute and sweet by the way, but I think Dylan still needs a partner.” You smiled at Luke trying to hide the blush on your cheeks from talking about his cute teammate.

“You know teammates are off limits Y/n.” Luke said sternly. You just sighed in annoyance as a response, you never understood why Luke was so adamant on that rule, but you never confronted him about it and just respected his wishes.

“Well I’m going outside, so I’ll see you there.” You said coldly, not even sparing him a glance as you walked out of his room.

***

It was about 11:30pm and the party was at its all time high, you had never seen so many people in such a cramped space before. The party had moved inside after about 11:00 because the night chill was becoming a bit too much, and the neighbors had already called in a noise complaint that night. 

“There are way too many people in here, I’m shocked the floor hasn’t caved in on itself” A voice whispered in your ear, you quickly turned around to find yourself face to face with…

“Frank, hey. I haven’t seen much of you tonight.” You said smiling, your noses were just centimeters away from each other, but there were so many people in the house you couldn’t even separate from him if you wanted to, so it was a good thing you didn’t want to.

“Well I’m not a party guy at all so I have been hiding outside all night and I’m pretty sure the hairs on my arms are never gonna stop being raised.” He joked, making you laugh.

“Well I know somewhere we could go for some more privacy.” You hadn’t meant for it to come out as suggestive as it did so you quickly back tracked. “Nothing inappropriate or anything, but I could just use time away from all these people and I can see that you do too.” You offer him a shy smile, still blushing from your previous statement. 

“Well then lead the way m’lady.” 

***

You had taken Frank up to Luke’s room, Luke had told you earlier that “if you need some time to yourself or you just wanna be done for the night, go into my room.”  so you were taking him up on his offer because you were very overwhelmed with everything happening downstairs. 

“Do you wanna watch a movie or something?” Frank asked you while searching for the remote to Luke’s tv.

“Yeah that would be great, I’m gonna use the restroom quickly, just put whatever you feel like watching on.” You told him before exiting the room and walking to the bathroom down the hall.

Once you were back in Luke’s room you saw Frank on Luke’s bed and the opening credits of a movie I didn’t recognize.

“What movie did you put on?” You asked, getting situated in the spot next to him. He wrapped his arm around you before answering.

“Barbarian. It’s a horror movie that I’ve been meaning to see, but I haven’t really had the time to. Hope my choice is ok.” 

It definitely wasn’t, you could not sit through scary movies. No matter what it was about you always had nightmares after watching them, but you didn’t let Frank know. You decided it is just best to let him enjoy the movie he obviously wanted to watch so badly.

***

You were halfway through the movie, when you started to get really scared. At one specific jumpscare you let out a little yelp and hid yourself in Frank's shoulder feeling tears threatening to fall from your eyes. He was smiling at you until he heard you sniffle and felt some drop on his sleeves.

“Hey what’s wrong? Are you ok?” He asked frantically, neither of you noticing the bedroom door opening.

“What’s wrong is that you forced her to watch a horror movie, and she is obviously not ok, look at her.” Luke yelled as he registered what was going on.

“Shit Y/n I didn’t know, why didn’t you say anything? I would’ve turned something else on.” Frank said while looking into your eyes, wiping your tears as they came down.

“Get out of my room Frank, and leave Y/n alone from this point forward.” Luke said after yanking the freshman off his bed and pushing him towards the door.

“Luke, there is no need for that. He didn’t know.” You said, defending Frank. Luke had a habit of banning people from your life and it always bothered you. 

“Frank lets go, we’ll walk back to campus together.” You said before storming out, ignoring your best friend's pleas for you to stay. 

“Y/n please don’t go.”

***

Like all other times in your friendship when you and Luke got into an argument, you two just ignored the actual issue and acted like nothing had ever happened. It was just a waiting game before everything would spill over.

A couple months later you were preparing for an exam. The hockey season was starting tonight, you wanted to finish your study guide for your growth and development class before tonight because knowing the boys they were gonna force you to party with them tonight.

“Are you wearing my jersey tonight?” Luke asked the second you picked up his phone call, it’s times like these that you appreciate him not liking facetimes because you already know he would pick a fight because of you rolling your eyes. 

“Luke, I already told you I left your jersey at home by accident, I’m just gonna wear a Michigan shirt or something.” You told him, sighing because you knew what was to come.

“Why haven’t you had your mom send it out here yet? You always wear my jersey, I don’t see how you could’ve just forgotten it.” Luke told you with an annoyed attitude.

“Maybe because I’m busy Luke, getting your jersey sent to me isn’t the only thing on my mind these days. Do you not understand that I have to get good grades to stay in school? Not everyone gets a free pass because they’re an athlete.” You told him, getting ready to end the call. He hated when people brought up his athletic scholarship, you knew this because you know how touchy the subject of grades and school is for him, but you still brought it up at times to make a point, as shitty as that sounds. “I have to go Luke, I’ll see you after the game tonight. Good luck.” You hung up the phone right after, not giving Luke the chance to speak, before going back to your work.

***

“Do you wanna wear my jersey tonight? I know you don’t have one of Luke’s.” Frank asked after you had come over to his dorm to help him with his math homework.

“Yes! I probably shouldn’t sound so eager yikes, um yea that would be cool” You said immediately embarrassed by how quickly you agreed.

Contrary to Luke’s wishes you and Frank became very close, he was your closest friend at Michigan other than Luke. 

Frank got up to his closet to grab a spare jersey for you to wear tonight.

“I should probably get going, but I’ll see you tonight. Make sure to sit by the glass so when I score I can dedicate it to you.” He winked before walking the two of you out of his dorm.

***

After the game you stayed around to wait for all the guys, Frank was the first to come up to you.

“Hey, did you have a good time?” He asked, hugging you in the process.

“Yea it was great, I got to meet some of the guys’ girlfriends and they’re all super sweet. It’s nice to talk to people that aren't male hockey players sometimes.” You said laughing.

“Hey we’re not all that bad, but it’s great that you had fun. Did you see the goal I got?”

“Yea, I also saw your celly. That heart was pretty cute, who was it for?” 

“Oh, just some girl.” He laughed out

“Lucky her.” You joked poking his side.

Your conversation was cut short by your best friend grabbing your that was resting on Frank’s shoulder.

“Hey Lukey, you played great!” You told him, moving to hug him. He just smiled at you, not returning your hug, which sent an embarrassed blush to your cheeks.

“Y/n can I talk to you for a second? Alone.” He wasn’t asking, he was telling you. His last word, alone, was directed towards Frank, who just nodded awkwardly and gave you a hug goodbye, whispering to tell you to find him at the party tonight. As you let go of each other Luke grabbed your wrist and pulled you outside, away from everyone else. 

“What the fuck Y/n?” Luke yelled at you, only furthering your confusion.

“What Luke? What could I have possibly done now?”

This was becoming a common occurrence, you doing something to piss Luke off that you never meant to do or even know what you did in the first place and him getting mad at you and yelling at you before going back to pretending like nothing was wrong, you were pretty fucking sick of it. 

“Don’t play dumb, you’re literally wearing Frank’s jersey.”

“Why is that an issue Luke? I don’t have one of yours and Frank offered me one because I had nothing else to wear. He was being a good friend, unlike you have been since I got to Michigan. Do you not want me here or something Luke? Why are you being such a dick towards me?” You shouted.

“You don’t have one of my jerseys because you purposely didn’t bring one, how did you remember to bring both Quinn and Jack’s jerseys, but forget mine? It was obviously intentional.” He said, his ears turning hot as if steam was about to escape from them.

“Do you understand how insane you sound right now Luke? Are you hearing yourself?” 

“Frank only wants you to wear his jersey so he can claim you as his, don’t you see the issue there Y/n?”

“Are you not doing the same thing Luke? You always make me wear your jersey, how is this any different?” 

“Because it- it just is Y/n.”

“No I want an actual answer Luke, or just admit that it is the exact same thing. Your choice.”

There was a tense silence between you two, minutes passed with neither of you saying anything. 

“Well whenever you’re ready to have an actual conversation with me let me know, until then I don’t want to speak to you. No more pretending like nothing is wrong, I want an actual reasoning behind all of this before we can be friends again.” And with that you turned around and walked towards your car to drive back to your dorm, no longer in the mood to party.

***

Two weeks had now gone by since you last spoke with Luke, both of you too stubborn for your own good. You weren’t gonna start the conversation with him, because you weren’t the one who needed to explain themselves. 

Luke was going crazy, he had never gone longer than a few hours without at least texting you, but two weeks of radio silence was enough to drive him mad. His game was off, he was getting more penalties and less playing time then ever in his life. He was taking his anger out on others too, especially Frank. The poor freshman feared the youngest Hughes, walking on eggshells around him, afraid of what he was gonna do next. 

At the three week mark, you were getting restless. Was Luke seriously never gonna speak to you again? It didn’t help that you were going back to New Hampshire for winter break in a few days, which meant you wouldn’t even have the option to see or speak to Luke in person for over a month. 

“Mom I don’t know what to do, he won’t talk to me. I know I’m the reason this whole thing happened, but I had a reason to get so upset right? I’m not blowing the situation out of proportion?” You had called your mom for advice, the only friends you had in college were tied to the hockey team in some form and you didn’t want your personal business being on display for everyone you knew so you decided to call your mom, and then Luke’s mom, who was basically your mom as well. 

“You did nothing wrong sweetie, Luke is the one who started the argument, and apparently does it often from what you’ve told me. I say you don’t initiate the conversation, you need to hold your ground and make him understand that this behavior goes on no longer.” 

You smiled even though your mom couldn’t see it.

“Now tell me about Frank.” She said giggling.

“Mom.” You said sternly before cracking a laugh yourself. “He is really cute, like really really cute, and he is so kind and we’ve been hanging out like everyday since the beginning of the year.” You started, and continued to tell her all about Frank before you both decided to call it a night, promising to keep her updated on Luke before saying goodbye.

***

The next few days flew by and soon enough you were waiting for your uber to take you to the airport. As you stood outside your phone began ringing, your heart sped up when you read the contact calling you.

Lukey Pookey <3

You dropped your phone in surprise and scrambled to pick it up and answer it before it went to voicemail.

“Hello?” You didn’t mean for your voice to sound so weak and vulnerable, but it did, he didn’t answer for a little bit so you spoke up again. “Are you finally ready to talk about what happened? Or should I be expecting another call from you after another three weeks of the silent treatment?” You knew your words were hurtful, you meant them to be.

“Where are you? I want to talk.” He answered.

“Luke I’m about to get into an uber to take me to the airport, can we talk over the phone?”

“No, this has to happen in person. Any chance you can switch to a later flight?” Luke asked, a little hope in his voice, which quickly deflated when you answered.

“Luke I’m not changing my flight just to talk to you, do you wanna meet me at the coffee shop in the airport? That would probably work best for me.” You asked, Luke agreeing and telling you he would see you there.

Your uber arrived shortly after and you texted your mom to update her.

To: Mommy💜

Hey mom, just got in my uber and I’m on my way to the airport where Luke is meeting me to talk.

To: Mommy💜

I’ll let you know how it goes, hopefully we will still be friends afterwards.

From: Mommy💜

Alright princess, good luck with Luke. Love you sweetie.

***

You arrived at the airport and went through baggage drop off and checked into your flight before making your way to the starbucks. You saw Luke sitting in a booth already, waiting for you with your go to drink and a croissant. 

“Hey you beat me here.” You said approaching him, he looked up and gave you a very fake smile.

“Why don’t you sit down.” You quickly took a seat and waited for him to continue.

“I’ve been thinking these past couple weeks, about everything that happened and why I reacted the way I did, and um wow this is a lot harder to say out loud than I thought it would be, but I realized why I’m so protective over you, and why I want you to wear my jerseys and my jerseys only, and why I hate seeing you with Frank and why I hated seeing you with Vincent and any other guy like every.” He paused to let out a shaky breath. “It’s because I’m in love with you Y/n, you are the person I wanna be with for the rest of my life. I love everything about you, these past three weeks without you have been hell and it made me realize that I never wanna spend any time away from you ever again. I don’t want to be your best friend anymore, I wanna be your boyfriend, I wanna be with you. I love you so much Y/n.” He let out a heavy sigh once he was done talking, a weight was lifted off his shoulder as he finally looked at you smiling. His face fell when he saw your expression.

“Luke. What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to be funny or something? Because it’s not working.” You were shocked, if he was being honest then your best friend just ruined your relationship.

“No, Y/n I’m serious, I love-” You cut him off.

“Luke, stop it. Why are you doing this? Are you trying to make me feel guilty for not talking to you?”

“No Y/n I’m telling you this because I love you, so much, and I need you to know and I need to know that you feel the same way.” Tears started building up in his eyes as he looked at you .

“Well I don’t. Luke I don’t feel the same way and I think I should go.” You stood up from your seat.

“No Y/n stop please don’t go.” He begged.

“Have a great break Luke, I think it’s best if we don’t talk for a little bit, until this all blows over and we can talk about everything. I’ll miss you.” You walked out of the coffee shop, ignoring the sounds of Luke’s sobs and his heart breaking.

To: Mommy💜

Hey mom, I just finished up my talk with Luke and it didn’t go very well. I think our friendship is permanently ruined, I’ll tell you more about it when I’m home. I love you. 

note: sometimes confession fics where the guy is an asshole and then the second he confesses suddenly everything is ok and they act like nothing ever happened really piss me off. so here is this angst fic and a reality check for everyone. love ya have a great day!

#ahonice writes #ahonice #Luke Hughes #nj devils #nhl imagine #fanfic #angst #nhl angst

[stromuprisahat]

Remind me again, why is ~he~ here?!

Siege and Storm- Chapter 9

It's not a team effort, Malyen. Army won't judge you as a couple.

Macho lowly otkazat'sya doesn't get to strike (again).

Please do!

This would work as much more powerful statement, if Mal were genuinely concerned for Alina's well-being and her OWN choice, instead of being pissed he's the one, who called dibs on her.

*whispers* That's exactly what's he gonna do...

For allowing you to keep breathing?!

Yeah, me too...

There's nothing more pathetic than an insecure man shouting.

Perhaps maybe insecure man deciding for "their" woman.

A minute of silence for an alternative universe, where Nikolai isn't so unreasonably accommodating, and has actual guards stationed at door, so they rush in after hearing shouting. They see a deserter attacking their Tsarevich, so they step in...

Is acting like a mindless animal supposed to make him look attractive?!

HoW DaRe You fLiRt WiTh My aCcEsSoRy?!

Because seriously- what's his problem here?!

Really?!

That's what's bothering you, Alina?!

I know Alina has some serious issues regarding self-worth, but I'd be more concerned about him acting as if she were his property, and anyone even suggesting she might have different role in the world deserves to be beaten by fists (because control is overrated and true men make a pub brawl out of anything)...

You're supposed to sit by hearth and warm my soup!

Sorry Malaria, but Alina IS THE Sun Summoner, want it or not. You can't just keep ignoring it and hoping she'll just slip into your shadow AGAIN. ... wait... *war flashbacks from Cofton* At least not as long as there are people capable of finding her and dragging her back into the story.

How can you be so SELFISH, Alina?! What about his soup?!

Just when the heroine moves to assume at least ~some~ responsibility (although for different reasons than you'd expect), she's promptly shamed for not thinking about Maaal for one (1) second... I love how he uses position of honour as an insult, because he's the one with full ownership of a public figure.

I know I'm apparently too demanding, but shouldn't he be overjoyed he didn't get shot on the spot yet? And no one seems too concerned about his desertion...

But hey- gf not discussing her decision to stop hiding from expectations placed upon her is obviously the more pressing matter.

Y'no. if his objection was that she completely forgot to negotiate change of his status in First Army with Nikolai (DESER*gunshot*), I'd cheer and fully support him, but his position in her love life and bedroom is apparently more pressing matter.

Also a huge fan of body language here.

What could crossed arms mean in body language? Rude, angry and insecure?! Sounds about right...

Ordinary deserter ORDERS a Prince and Major of the very same Army he fled...?

Yeah, Alina!

Mal wants his sickly housewife back!

Y'no, I wanted to note how quickly Malyen changed his mind about coming back, but then I re-read the end of previous book to be sure, and it's always been Alina. He wanted to get out, get rid of her amplifier and live his happy life in obscurity consequences be damned:

Shadow and Bone- After

His girl refuses to get rid of all of the stuff that makes her different, so he just has to settle for her fancy clothes...

Wow!

Supportive boyfriend here!

But hey- admitting she IS strong would mean giving up his dreams of watching her trudging after him.

He doesn't even have any idea what the Darkling can or cannot do! It's not some sort of professional opinion!

This one's kinda funny in a way- Alina had very similar thought about him and volcra a chapter earlier...

Siege and Storm- Chapter 8

... ashamed ... given up EVERYTHING to be WITH ME ... Don't tell me, Malyen's so blind he never notices what his (rather pointed) remarks do to Alina?!

I thought we both wanted to help Ravka.

No, Alina. He never did. We've been both wrong. He cares only about himself and his ownership of a small, inconsequential you.

This could offer an interesting view into a mind of a soldier so alienated from his country that offers him zero promises for the future, he cares for nothing... if he weren't such an inconsiderate dick to Alina...

Love this aspect of their relationship! SO empowering!

Like... He'd need to be extremely dull, if I wanted to interpret this as anything but clear fucking MANIPULATION. This is psychological blackmailing 101!

And he's supposed to be the supportive boyfriend SOMEHOW...

#Grishaverse #Siege and Storm #S&S Chapter 9 #grishanalyticritical #Malyen Oretsev #Alina Starkov #Zlatá Malina #Nikolai Lantsov #S&B After #S&S Chapter 8 #V #Grisha trilogy #books #quotes #Leigh Bardugo #anti Mal #anti Malina #anti Leigh Bardugo

[obxone]

Different Worlds, Same Island

Edited-ish. ~1.3k words

Being Topper’s sister came with its plethora of issues, including being labeled a kook. You were not a true kook princess, but you were damn close to it if anyone asked your brother, despite how much you protested it.

“Top,” you groan loudly as he parks the jeep outside of Heyward’s Seafood. Rafe and him both watching the front of the store. “You promised to drop me off at the beach.”

“In a minute,” he mutters, not even looking back at you.

Rafe’s gaze catches yours, and he smirks before winking at you. “Relax Sweetheart, we’ll get you there soon enough.”

“Can you not flirt with my little sister?” Topper asks him with a sharp tone. You start to speak to his condescending tone at the word little to remind him he was merely two years older than you. You knew he would flip if he knew how many times Rafe almost crossed the sibling line in the past year.

Rafe ignores him as he continues to talk to you, not even sparing your brother a glance. “We just need to remind a Pogue who he is fucking with, okay?”

You stare at Rafe. “Is this about the boat?”

“Yes, okay?” Top says, annoyed that you catch on so quickly.

You roll your eyes, and it makes Rafe chuckle a little before he turns to look at the storefront just as Pope steps outside. You see Rafe give him a fake kiss before chuckling. You shake your head, sinking back into the leather of the backseat. Pope panics and disappears back into his dad’s store.

Topper shakes his head. “Fucking pogues.”

“Why did he sink the boat Top?” You ask, fiddling with the strap of your bag. “What’d you do?”

“Nothing.”

You exhale roughly. “Liar.”

“I didn’t do anything!” Top snaps. “Rafe did.”

You look at Rafe, but he is looking out the window as Topper pulls away from the curb to drive you to the beach. “Rafe?”

“Don’t worry about Sweetheart.” He does not turn to look at you this time.

Topper groans loudly and pulls the car off to the side. “Out.”

“What?” Rafe looks at him. Anger coating his features now instead of his usual smugness.

“Not you.”

“What?!” You ask, glaring at him in the rearview mirror.

“You are close enough. You can walk.”

You pull your bottom lip between your teeth. “Fine. I’m telling Dad.”

“Of course, you will,” Topper growls as you get out and slam the jeep door. “Next time, get your stupid friends to pick you up.”

“Maybe I’ll just call Rafe,” you quip back, your eyes flashing to the dirty blond guy, who chuckles in amusement. “See you around, Cameron.” You turn on your heel and leave them behind before Topper can say another word. You hear Topper spin a U-turn and head back into town, leaving you walking down the two-lane road.

You glance when a truck pulls to a stop beside you. Pope leans out, grinning at you. “Headed to The Wreck?”

“JJ, actually,” you say. “Top was supposed to drop me off at the beach before I went to JJ, but Rafe was being his usual self, so I got dumped out early.”

“Get in.”

You walk around and climb into Heyward’s truck. “Thanks, Pope. Sorry about at the store.”

“Yeah,” he sighs with a shake of his head. “They know, don’t they?”

“Yep.”

He groans, closing his eyes. “It’s not what you think.”

You shrug, relaxing back into the seat. “Knowing my brother and his friends, he probably deserved it.”

Pope frowns. You see a distant look in his eyes and frown deeply. They had done something horrible if it upset Pope this much.

“What did he do, Pope?”

He is silent for a minute. You start to tell him it is okay; you knew Top could be a jerk, but he beats you to it.

“Rafe and Topper attacked me when I was doing deliveries.”

“How bad?” You ask.

“Rafe’s golf club was used, and they destroyed the order.”

“Oh, Pope,” you sigh softly. “How much was the order? I’ll get you the cash for it.”

“No,” he shakes his head but offers you a warm smile as he pulls into the driveway of the Chateau. “It’s done. Don’t worry about it.”

You study him, and he watches you, waiting for you to say something else. “If you are sure,” you exhale, already knowing he would not take it even if you tried to give it to him. You both get out and head towards where you hear a gun being discharged to see JJ practicing on a teddy bear. “Well…”

“JJ!” Pope yells, and he turns, removing the headphones from his ears. His face lights up when his blue eyes land on you. You lift your hand, biting your lip at the sight of him.

“Hey, Thornton.”

“Hey, Maybank.” You smile, a sense of ease washing over you as you move into the blonde’s arms. He holds you tightly to him. His lips brush your forehead. “What are you doing?”

“Target practice.”

“With a teddy bear?” You ask.

He nods, his hand pressing against your waist. His gaze flickering to Pope. “How did you two find each other?”

“Topper,” you say, pressing your face to his chest. He frowns, tightening his hold on you.

“They know,” Pope says.

“All right, chill, bro. All right?” His fingers press to your skin after his hand finds its way under your shirt. “They don’t know shit.”

“Topper knows I sunk his boat,” Pope says, pacing away and then back.

“How do you know they know?”

You tip your head back, and JJ looks down at you. “They know.”

“You know?”

“Yeah…” you whisper before frowning more. “Mom is pissed. Blamed Top.”

“How do you know they know?” JJ asks, looking at Pope now.

“Because Rafe and Topper posted outside of Heyward’s and mad dogged me.”

“It’s true,” you offer. “I was kind of there.”

JJ frowns as Pope continues pacing, and you both can see the panic unfurling in your friend.

“Will you calm down and get a grip, man? They don’t know shit.”

“They have cameras. They could’ve seen me.”

Pope continues freaking out, and you feel bad for him. You knew how careful he was, his scholarship opportunity is within his sights now. You reach out to him, but you miss as he paces back in front of you and JJ.

“There was no power, Pope.”

“Generator,” you say quickly, cutting JJ off. “We have them.”

He frowns then, and you exhale as Pope rants about his scholarship and vengefully sinks a boat. JJ ducks his head to plant a brief kiss on your lips before he releases you to calm Pope down.

“Enough of the regret, bro!” JJ says, approaching his friend. “They caved your face in. They hit us. We hit them. It’s the law of the jungle.” his hands clasp down on Pope’s shoulders. “If any kook comes up to you and asks if you had anything to do with it, you walk up to ‘em, look ‘em right in the eye, and…”

“Deny the living shit out of it.”

“That’s right. Deny, deny, deny,” JJ agrees before squeezing his shoulders and then pointing to the gun he had laid down nearby. “But just for safety, we don’t go anywhere without protection. Right?”

He pats Pope on the side of his face before turning to you and you frown, not a big fan of that being the only option. He moves back to you, arms wrapping around your waist to haul you into his chest. Pope walks away, shaking his hands to let go of some tension.

“Please don’t shoot anyone,” you whisper, hands on his face. “I can’t lose you, Maybank.”

He drops his head down, so his forehead is against yours. “You won’t lose me, Princess.”

You scoff, trying to get away from him at the nickname, but his arms clamp around you tighter. “Rude!” You cry, and he laughs, burying his face in the curve of your neck to plant kisses across your throat.

#outer banks #obx #jj maybank #outer banks jj maybank #obx jj maybank #jj maybank x reader

[ash5monster01]

Perfect to Love

Pairing: Steve Harrington x FemReader!PlusSize

Warnings: fluff, mentions of bullying, body image issues, fat shaming, angst, trust issues.

Summary: Beth Walker was used to living in the shadows. She had only one friend and anyone else who paid her mind usually bullied her for her size. So she learned to keep her mouth shut, her head down, and her heart closed because she had to accept the fact that she would be nothing more than the fat girl to people. That is until Robin decides Beth needs more in life and that might just include a boy who she never would’ve thought could see her for who she truly was.

word count: 1,326

→ Part 1

Masterlist

"Bertha!" chuckles from teenage boys followed the sneer that came from Colin Matterson's mouth, football captain, and all around douche. Beth recoiled into her self as heads turned to look at her and her peers chuckled. People thought they were clever adding two little letters to her name, instead they were just mean.

"Eat shit Matterson!" Robin stood and yelled to which the boy just brushed off and continued on his way to a seat in the bleachers. Beth felt her breaths coming out in heavy paces but she appreciated Robin for sticking up for her. "Don't listen to him Beth, he's an asshole"

"You know I ignore him" Beth told her, adjusting the strap to her marching band helmet. Robin took notice of how her flute trembled in her hand despite the tough facade she was putting on.

"Still Beth, people like him aren't going to matter by the end of the year" Vickie piped in. Ever since the three had been placed beside each other in the line up they had gotten to know each other. They also learned that Beth was super cool despite being silent most of the time. Things used to not be so bad until Barb Holland passed away, leaving her to be the only bigger girl left in their grade.

"I know, just hurts that he's right" both girls instantly gave offended looks, quickly muttering off how she was one of the most prettiest girls they knew but sometimes those comments didn't hold a lot of weight opposed to the mean ones. Beth knew it was wrong to not think her friends were sincere but if Colin Matterson was the one calling her beautiful things would be a bit different. Being seen at all by somebody new would be different.

"Beth nobody is perfect and you in comparison to Colin Matterson is a thousand times better and I mean it. You have more personality and good qualities in your pinky finger than he does all together" Beth offered a smile because a small part of her knew she was right. Yet after years of opposite comments there was still a small part of her that believed Robin was just saying it to make her feel better.

"Thanks Rob" but Robin knew she still didn’t get through to the girl and that thought frustrated her more than anything. Beth deserved to be seen for the amazing person she was, somebody like that shouldn’t have to hide from the world because of some stupid standard of beauty. It pissed Robin off to no end especially when she knew if Beth looked how people thought she should look she would be the most popular girl in school.

Robin kept this in mind throughout the entirety of the pep rally, walking Beth to her car, and waiting for Steve to pick her up. She was frustrated not only trying to find a way for others to see how amazing Beth was but for Beth to see herself as such. Robin knew what hating yourself could be like, it took years for her to accept being gay. Some things you can’t change and the sooner you learn to accept them the happier you’ll be. Yet since she couldn’t come up with a sure fire way she continued to be frustrated.

“What’s with you?” Robing looked up from the returns she was stacking to see Steve leaned against the counter giving her a confused look.

“What do you mean?” she asked and he quickly chuckled, a shake of his head swaying some stray hairs loose.

“You’ve barely said a word since we’ve gotten here. Normally you’re going on and on about how cute Vickie was at band practice today. You being quiet is weird” Steve told her and Robin finally sighed, falling against the counter like she had finally given up.

“It’s Beth” Steve rose his eyebrows in a suggestive way and Robin shook her head against the counter top, a sign that it wasn’t like he thought.

“Beth Walker, you remember her?” Robin asked and Steve shook his head which only caused Robin to sigh harder.

“She’s my friend and easily the sweetest girl on this planet but she gets terrorized at school, she doesn’t even know how cool she is because of how terrible to other students are to her” Robin explained and Steve suddenly felt guilty for not knowing her despite being a grade ahead.

“Why are they bullying her?” Steve asked, curious as to what reason someone would have to treat a sweet girl badly.

“She’s bigger, kinda like Barb but shorter. They call her Bertha” Steve cringed at the mean name, even he could feel the sting of it.

“That’s awful Rob” he told her and she nodded as she lifted her head from the counter.

“It is and Steve she is so great. Like the coolest chick you’d ever meet. She drives a brand new corvette and the kids still treat her like shit” Steve smiled at Robins defense for the girl, the thought comforting him to know she’d do the same for him.

“Have you tried telling her this?” Robin let out a small groan as she started to pick at a stray string on her shirt.

“All the time but I know she doesn’t listen. I can’t blame her though, when the same people keep building you up and hundreds of strangers tear you down it doesn’t do much. That’s a battle meant to be lost” Robin wished that her words could resonate with the girl but the only way they would is if someone like Colin Matterson finally came around and started saying them. Then suddenly it hit her. “You used to be a dick right?”

“Woah, what the hell?” Steve held his hands up and Robin rolled her eyes.

“You know what I mean Steve, you weren’t the best guy back in the day” Robin defended and he dropped his head.

“That’s way harsh Rob, you know I’m not like that anymore” Robin nodded and began to move around the counter to face him.

“Well yeah, you’re super cool now. But guys like Colin Matterson still think you’re King of Hawkins?” Steve thought about it before nodding, he graduated with the Mr. Popular reputation even if he still didn’t feel like he had it.

“Not that I’m proud of it but yeah, those guys all still think I’m hot shit” Steve said as he crossed his arms. “So what’re you getting at?”

“Meet Beth, hang out with her in public, if people see you with her they might realize it’s not her size that matters” Steves eyes widened, totally not seeing where this conversation was going.

“I don’t know Rob-”

“Please Steve, she’s so great. It doesn’t have to be right away, I can bring her to a movie night or something. She just deserves to be seen for who she is and I can’t help her with that but you can” Steve pressed his hand to his eyes, thinking about it for a moment before turning to her.

“One movie night, then I’ll think about it” he told her as he pointed a finger at her and she began to jump and cheer. “You’re something else”

“And you’re the best Steve Harrington, truly” Steve tried to hide his smile but he couldn’t help it as he watched Robin become so happy over the thought that she could help a friend.

If Robin had claimed this girl was so special maybe it was worth a shot. Hell he never even really thought of Barb as big, it was mainly Tommy and Carol that ever bullied people for things like that. Yet he realized he wasn’t much better never even realizing her when he knew most of her grade because of Nancy. The size didn’t matter to him, but if he didn’t like her and started bringing her around wouldn’t that be just like using her?

a/n: if this is a story you guys would be interested in plz let me know, I am also aware I have not finished my Rooster Series yet but I do have the outlines for the remaining chapters so I wanted to get a head start on this. I think the concept would be cute and I’m a sucker for the fact I think Steve Harrington would be all about plus size girls. I think this could be a cute short little series <3

let me know if you want to be added to the tag list

#steve harrington x fem!reader #steve harrington #steve harrington smut #steve harrington imagines #steve stranger things #steve harrington imagine #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington plus size #steve harrington x fem #steve harrington fanfic #steve harrington fandom #steve harrington series #stranger things imagine #stranger things #joe keery x you #joe keery x reader #joe keery #joe keery x y/n #joe keery imagines #plus size reader #steve harrington x plus size reader #80s aesthetic #80s romance #steve harrington prompt #joe keery fic #joe keery fanfiction #joe keery fluff #steve harrington friends to lovers

[getvalentined]

What’s your opinions of the various ffvii compilation games?

Oh I am a huge proponent of the Compilation as a whole; I know that opinion is rare for someone who's been in the fandom from the beginning, but I'm an insufferable lore gremlin and I just eat up everything the series has to offer. I have three different copies of Advent Children (the original on DVD, ACC on DVD, and ACC on blu-ray) and even still watch Last Order on occasion.

The series itself is really fascinating and staggeringly consistent (I've talked about how the implied timeline of the Jenova Project as presented in-game is so consistent that it matches up with real-world human gestational science), with the exception of the FF7Re series—which I can deal with, since it's canonically on a different timeline and therefore any retcons there are literal in-universe retcons, which is pretty brilliant.

That said, I'mma put ratings for the pieces of the Compilation individually under a cut!

OG FF7: 9/10. would be 10/10 if the English localization were better. Where it all started, still one of my favorite games of all time.

Advent Children (+Complete): 8/10. Not a game, but part of the Compilation! Anyone who says the plot makes no sense doesn't realize that they're watching a sequel that relies very heavily on people understanding the history and characterization of every single character shown.

Last Order: 6.5/10. Also not a game, also part of the Compilation. Love that this is implied to literally be Tseng's coverup of what happened with Zack, presented in anime form. Makes no sense in multiple places as a result, but if you know that's what it is then you can 100% see why it's portrayed that way! Honestly I really enjoyed it and wish more people would appreciate it for what it is.

Dirge of Cerberus: 7/10. The gameplay kinda sucks but honestly the storyline is super good—or it would be, if the entire fucking prologue hadn't been cut from any release outside Japan, thereby leaving the entire issue with DeepGround completely unexplained to all other audiences. Once you know what is going on, the storyline here is fantastic, and I've never really forgiven SE for not releasing the rest of it. I love that Dirge fills in the lore for Vincent that was cut when he was relegated to "optional" in the OG, and that it also helps to clarify why Midgar could have 9 functional mako reactors while every other reactor in the world is either sputtering to nothing or exploding. (It's Omega. Midgar is built over Omega. It's the place where all lines of the Lifestream converge so that Omega can draw it all in and carry it away at the end of the world, and Shinra never discovered that's why the mako well there is so expansive. I love good worldbuilding, and Dirge is a beautiful example of that.)

Before Crisis: N/A. I want this game so bad man where is it give it to meeeee. Honestly tho I've watched playthroughs and read scripts where available, and while I don't think it looks like much fun from a modern gameplay perspective, I have huge respect for it as far as development goes. This is one of the first really mainstream mobile games ever made, it was made for flip phones, and it's super extensive! Also it gave me Veld, who is one half of my favorite ship ever, which means it automatically gets a 7/10 even if I've never played it.

Crisis Core (+Reunion): 9/10. As fun to play as the OG. When I first played this on PSP over a decade ago, it hit me with such an intense feeling of nostalgia that it almost took me off my feet. In spite of the dramatic difference between game mechanics in CC versus the OG, it felt exactly like playing the OG again, and that feeling never really left. Humanized Sephiroth in a beautiful way that pissed off a bunch of fanboys and made me fall in love with him all over again. Also introduced my second favorite FF7 character ever, Genesis, who is one half of one of my core FF7 ships, so A+ on that too!

FF7 Remake (+InterMISSION): 8/10. Had a lot of fun with this one, and it's beautiful, but it doesn't have a lot of replayability in my experience, which is a shame. Would have been 6 or 7/10 if not for InterMISSION, which was a fucking delight.

FF7 First SOLDIER: 6/10. This applies to both the Battle Royale and the title in Ever Crisis. I am not a fan of Glenn & Co. but I love 14 year old Sephiroth and really appreciate that extension of lore and worldbuilding, so it's a decent balance. I love that the opening cutscene for the battle royale literally filled a 20+ year old plot hole in under two minutes.

FF7 Rebirth: 9.5/10. The only things that could make me like this game more would be if Vincent were playable (although I understand why he's not and, in spite of him being my favorite fictional character ever, I agree with this decision), and fewer required minigames. Just cut like one or two. Or fix the controls, maybe. Glide de Chocobo is even more broken now that it's been patched.

#fandom ramble #ff7

[xxwritemeastoryxx]

Phantom

Author: xxwritemeastoryxx

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Fem!reader

Word Count: 4k

Warnings: Nothing that's not Canon. But just in case, mentions of torture

Author’s Note: Its a day early but I dont care. A little bit more of torture. But I keep writing and adding more. 😅 I promise action and more next chapter. Characters might be a little out of character (Tony mostly) because I was having issues writing. My muse has been a fickle bitch lately. As a reminder, please be sure to follow @xxwritemeastoryxxlibrary and turn on notifications so you never miss a fic!

I do not and will not ever give permission for my fics to be copied and posted on other sites. Don’t do it. Don’t be that person that ruins it for me and everyone else.

Feedback gives me life and motivation for future things. While likes are appreciated, reblogs are gold. Seriously, if you enjoyed this in the slightest, please reblog ♥

Phantom Masterlist || MCU Masterlist || Taglist

Every detail about her time as Phantom was sitting in his hand. Her trigger words, the torment and conditioning she had been subjected to, along with notes from her handlers about her missions would be within the pages of the journal. The one thing that kept her from ever falling into the wrong hands without a fight and he now had it. 

She trusted him with the very detailed past she tried so hard to keep hidden from him. Trusted him with the very thing that could be used against her time and time again if allowed. He had it in his hand and he wanted nothing more than to watch it burn. 

"FRIDAY, pull up any footage that may have caught a glimpse of Y/N." 

Tony’s voice had caused Bucky to put everything back into its place before almost slamming the top back onto the box earning looks from the others. He simply shrugged his shoulders before bringing the box to his side. The vibranium keeping the box in a tight hold. 

Unfortunately the only footage found was time stamped two days before her capture. A projected video came up from Tony’s watch. A tourist couple had been recording the vendors area. 

Bucky had moved closer to look at the video footage as it began to play. They could hear the loud environment as the video began to pan over the vendors. People were chatting away and you could hear some laughter in the background. 

Different vendors panned within seconds before a particular stand came into view. While the person behind the camera had been focused only on the goods each vendor had, they had unknowingly caught Y/N on camera. 

Bucky watched as she spoke with a vendor. Watched as she would occasionally take in her surroundings, keeping watch of what could be lurking. A moment later the vendor pointed to something up and off screen. Y/N nodded her head a moment later before handing over cash. It wasn't long after that the person filming had moved past that particular stand and filmed the next vendor. 

"This is how they found her. " Natasha noted. 

"Why didn't we get notified about this clip?" Bucky asked. 

With the recent missions, the data changed the sequence of importance in regards to Y/N.  FRIDAY began. It earned a glare from Bucky. The more the team has cleaned up Hydra, the less information there is on her. Facial recognition scans have not been successful until now. 

"Why don't we take this back to the quinjet?" Natasha offered. She could see the look of frustration and anger growing on Bucky. Her head nodded towards the shop owner who was leaning on the countertop listening with curiosity. 

Bucky shook his head slightly before he turned and walked out of the shop. The sound of the door swinging open and slamming shut had caused the bells to rattle loudly causing the shop owner to flinch as it did.  

"You know how this argument is going to happen, right?" Natasha asked as she watched Bucky through the window. 

A long sigh came from Tony. "Yeah. If she was anyone else, she shouldn't have dropped lower on the priority list. I dropped the ball."

Bucky’s pace back to the quinjet had been quick. Each step he had taken seemed to cause the people around him to open a path for him to pass. He was sure that his stance was probably intimidating but at the moment he was trying to calm the internal storm that was brewing. And endless cycle of questions playing through his head. 

How could she drop on the priority list? 

How could FRIDAY not alert there was a video of her? 

Would she be in Hydra’s hold now if I had known sooner? 

Would I have made it in time to prevent it? 

He didn't even notice the others coming towards him after looking through the apartments. He hadn't heard when Steve yelled out his name to get his attention several times.  Nor did he notice the medium size box that Wanda held in her arms. 

_____

The lies have finally caught up to me. I thought I burned and buried it deep enough. The hurt on Bucky’s face was proof that it hadn't been deep enough. I deserved every reaction he gave tonight before giving me the slightest moment of having a real birthday. I didn't deserve his kindness. If I'm being honest I should be locked away in a cell somewhere. Not currently sitting under an overpass for the night. 

I can't stop seeing the look on his face and it kills me. I hurt him and I betrayed him in a way that there's no going back from. 

Bucky knew he needed a moment to cool off. That up until recently everyone believed that Y/N was keeping to herself and doing a damn good job of it. He wanted to be angry. He wanted to argue with Stark about it all.  But in reality, the blame game wouldn't do any of them any good. 

Once he was on the quinjet alone, he found himself pulling out her journal and flipping through the pages. Part of him yelled that he shouldn't go through it. But the other part had wanted to believe there was something in there she'd leave for him to find. 

His attention caught her birthday entry. As much as he tried to forget how things happened that night, they've haunted him since. Reading that entry however, hadn't brought him any kind of comfort. 

I hope that one day he can forgive me. But I know there's a chance he never will. Life sure does have a way of coming back around and biting you in the ass. I should have done things differently. I should have… It's pointless to think about all the things I could have done. I've made my bed. The least I can do is lie uncomfortably in it. 

"Bucky?" Wanda's voice was soft, pulling his attention from the journal. When Bucky looked up, he found Wanda standing there with a box in her arms. She had a small sympathetic smile on her face. "We found the apartment she used." 

Quickly closing the journal, he set it on top of the box beside him before standing. "Anything?" 

"Nothing that would help us to figure out where they might have gone." She said with a slight tilt of her head. "But I've found things she left behind. I thought you would want to go through them instead of leaving them there." 

As she held the box out, Bucky gently took it from her. "Thank you for grabbing it." He turned and placed the box next to the other. 

Wanda watched as he had done so. "Can I tell you something?" She asked a moment later. 

Bucky’s eyebrow raised slightly as he turned to face her, but he nodded. "Sure." 

"It isn't my intention to make you feel guilt or fear in any way with what I'm about to say." She watched as Bucky almost steeled himself for the inevitable. "While I have never attempted to see into your mind for respect for your privacy, there was a time I saw into hers for a moment. She did not fear many things. Not with the history she had. But she feared for you." She watched as Bucky’s face fell. "I did not understand why until recently." She paused for a moment as she heard the others begin to board the quinjet. "Her greatest fear was losing you by her own doing. I do not know if that fear was centered around what has already happened or if it was rooted deeper than keeping her past from you." 

Bucky could only nod his head as he tried to process the information she had given him. He could now understand why that had been her fear. He understood the possibility of what she could possibly do in the process. Not only to him, but to others and the emotional torment that came with it. 

"Did you know?" He asked curiously. If Wanda had seen into her mind, she must have seen something that gave Y/N away. 

"Not until her party." Wanda responded. "Probably after you had learned the truth. Her mind had been completely open after you returned to the party." She sighed softly. "She was saying goodbye while we sang to her." 

Flashes of memories played through his mind at her words. The fake smile that was plastered on his face as anger and betrayal laid just beneath it. The way Y/N had a smile on her face as their friends had begun to sing to her. 

But he had missed the shift in her eyes that had been clear to Wanda. He had missed the moment Y/N had said her goodbyes through facial expressions. He had been too busy being angry with her. 

Tony cleared his throat getting their attention. The others had been standing off not too far. When Bucky looked towards him, Tony had been rubbing the back of his neck. 

"I adjusted protocols with FRIDAY. Y/N has been prioritized as unchanging number one." He began. "I've also adjusted it so that any and all new information comes directly to you to ensure nothing is missed. If I had known she had fallen on the priority list, I would have fixed it immediately. We all want her back and she would have been back sooner if-” 

Incoming call from Colonel Rhodes. High priority for the team. 

Tony shook his head and mumbled about interrupting him before instructing the AI to put him on speaker. “For someone who was such in rush to leave us earlier, this call sounds like you miss us.” He shrugged slightly. “Or checking in like some overprotective parent.” 

"Ha ha, very funny. If I hadn't left, we'd all be in the dark about this. I have some information that might be of interest for that trip you're on." His voice came over the speaker. 

"Spill." Tony said as he looked over at the others. 

"A convoy with heavy duty machinery was ambushed leaving Germany early this morning." 

"That doesn't sound like anything of use." Natasha noted. 

"It was an inside job." That caused Bucky’s eyebrow to raise as he listened to the call. "It was decided less than 12 hours ago to move the convoy. No one could plan this elaborate of an ambush given that time frame. The information they had, they knew more than they should have." 

"Anything on the team?" Steve asked. 

"That's the thing that's got a lot of people scratching their heads on all fronts." The group looked at each other as if hearing those words had sparked something within them. "Ten soldiers were assigned. When the files were pulled for investigation only nine were found. Both physical and digital copies disappeared. When asked about the tenth soldier, they could only say that she was hand selected for her skills. Any piece of footage they have has been scrubbed without so much as a glimpse of her. Whoever she is, she's pretty damn good at being invisible." 

"Any survivors?" Tony asked. 

"Two fatalities. The others are going to make it out alive. The other mystery is why those two and not the others." 

Bucky’s heart dropped as he processed the information. Three weeks had been too long for her. In that time they had manipulated her mind into being the asset she once was and tossed her back into the fire. 

"They saw her face." He said a moment later. It caused all eyes to turn towards him. He sighed as he looked back at them. "No loose ends. Everything else can't prove she was there. You leave someone alive that knows who you are and the game is over." 

"That makes sense." Natasha said with a shrug. "Can't describe someone you didn't see."

"If it was anyone else who said it, I'd be worried." Rhodes responded. "Now I hate to ask, but how sure are we that this wasn't done willingly?" 

"She fought her way out before being captured." Bucky added. "None of this was willing. Everything she's left for us shows she wouldn't go down without a fight."

“Did she happen to leave any idea where they'd be heading next?" Rhodes asked. 

"I doubt it." Bucky said with a sigh. "I haven't had a chance to go digging through what she left behind." 

"That's if she even had a chance to leave anything behind." Sam noted. "By the looks of things she barely had enough time to leave what she did." 

"If she did leave any indication, Hydra found it while searching her apartment." Steve added. It caused Bucky’s eyes to shoot over to Steve. "With the way the place was ransacked, they might have found what they were looking for. " 

Keep it safe. Keep it hidden.

Bucky had almost mentioned they hadn't found what they were looking for. He had the very thing they were wanting and they couldn't find it. He should have mentioned it. He should have told them about the journal, but he couldn't bring himself to. 

He trusted the people currently standing in the room with him and would gladly watch their backs at any given time. He would put his life on the line for a majority of them without a second thought. But the fear of having that journal fall into the wrong hands stopped him from saying anything about it. 

"Just means we're gonna have to do a wide search while digging deep." He said instead. "We know they're out there and they're using her. With the proper channels, we should be able to find something to get a lead before she's used for anything more drastic." 

"You mean more than killing people?" Rhodes' voice filled the air. 

"Given how Hydra used her in the past," Natasha began before Bucky could. "A few deaths are better than her being used to bring down governments in Hydra’s favor. So yeah, let's get her back before we find ourselves either preventing or fighting a war we couldn't prevent.” 

____ 

Six Months Later

The main conference room walls had been covered in papers taped to the walls. Each paper corresponds to a recent event that involved Hydra in some way. Each grouping of papers laid out the details of another ambush at Hydra’s hands. Each one taking either a piece of equipment or technology. 

Even with all the information displayed on the walls, the Avengers had no idea what Hydra was attempting to assemble. FRIDAY couldn't pinpoint any variations of possible weapons. Nor could the AI predict where they could possibly hit next. 

However, over the last several months they had been able to uncover several new hideaways that Hydra had been using. Each of them had helped to supply information towards the grand scheme of things. But with each thorough sweep, there were never any signs of Y/N. 

With every Hydra captive they interrogated, none of them had physically laid eyes on Phantom. They all gave the same answer in different words but none of them could give locations. Phantom was only accessible through her handler. 

Her handler that they all refused to give up any details about. The captives either went silent and refused to say anything else, or they purposely gave false information to throw off the Avengers. And when they came up empty handed from those false leads, it was Bucky that paid them a visit. 

Bucky practically moved into the conference room. A pillow and blankets found a new home on the couch by the back wall. Only leaving when the missions deemed it necessary. 

As he stood by the conference table going over the new files from their recent raid, Bucky’s mind occasionally went back to Y/N's journal. He had read it cover to cover several times and the small passages that surprisingly made him smile had played on a loop when he felt he needed it. 

This is a little slice of heaven. I found myself actually enjoying a beach day. Last week, I walked past an antique shop that had a globe sitting in view of the window. I couldn't resist and I found myself spinning it. I was reminded how much we talked about doing something like picking a place on a spinning globe and just going there. It's how I ended up in Italy. It's peace. A calm that I haven't felt in months.

He could easily picture her sitting with her toes in the sand as she watched the waves. How he wished he would have been able to see her that day. But then there were entries that stuck in his mind for other reasons.

Out of all the things I've seen and believed in, you'd think I wouldn't be skeptical about psychics. But here I am sitting in the corner booth of a sketchy bar and this woman said she needed to speak with me. That the thoughts troubling me wouldn't last forever. And then she asked for his name. A name that I haven't physically spoken in over a year. Before I could even muster up a fake name to give her, she knew his name. Knew without me even saying anything. She told me he'd come around. That one day he was going to find me and save me from the internal torment that I'm facing. For a brief moment there was hope that sparked within me that maybe one day it would happen. Maybe one day Bucky will let me apologize a million times over. I hope that he can forgive me. But the reality is, after almost a year later, I don't think he will. 

With each entry he read Bucky wondered what would have happened if he hadn't waited so long to go looking for her. Would they be put on a mission together like they used to by now? Or would they be on that vacation he talked about taking with her at one point. 

Each page of her writing gave him a reason to kick himself in the ass for waiting so long. But in truth, he hadn't been ready to forgive her. The day he realized how much he missed her, she hadn't been to a safe house for six months. The day he forgave her was the day he started looking in vacant apartments when they completed missions. 

And now as he stared at the papers in front of him, he knew that no matter how many what if situations he played in his mind, they wouldn't fix anything. The what ifs weren't going to get her back from Hydra. They weren't going to free her from the hold the black journal held over her. 

At first Bucky kept the journal hidden. He didn't dare to open it and read any of the contents the pages held. He hadn't even thought about it until one night his nightmare got the best of him. One where Y/N couldn't be stopped from almost killing her friends. 

Bucky searched through the pages for one command and one command only. While he hoped it would never come down to it, he felt a little better knowing he could stop her from doing something she’d never recover from. 

A sigh passed his lips at the same time Steve walked into the room. 

“That bad?” Steve asked with a chuckle. 

Bucky shook his head. “No. I just…” He stopped for a moment as he looked at the file before him. “I thought by now we would have found her.” 

“We're not going to stop until we do.” Steve noted as he looked at the current spread of papers on the table. “Anything from Mexico?” 

A recent mission to a Hydra base just north of Mexico City provided them with more information than they had gotten in months. Bucky was attempting to sift through it all to see if anything could point them in the next direction. 

“Same as the others so far.” Bucky shook his head. “Intel for everything else but for her.” 

“The guys below haven't given up her handler either.” Steve added. More captives from the base, none of which wanted to speak about the handler. "Nat is giving it a go."

“Whoever it is, they're staying in the dark. They know the blind spots and use it to their advantage.” It was frustrating to Bucky. Frustrating to the team that a good lead would leave them empty handed.

Bucky picked up a CCTV still from the file he had been going through. The stills were deemed priority by FRIDAY for one reason or another. And as Bucky scanned the image attempting to find the reason, his eye caught the top corner of it. 

“What is it?” Steve asked as he caught the way Bucky’s brows began to furrow as he looked at the image. 

“FRIDAY?” Bucky called out to the AI. “Do we have the full clip from camera 5 that was flagged?” A moment later a projected image appeared from the middle of the table. 

Playing now. 

Both Bucky and Steve watched the clip. The camera angle had captured a side room and a hallway. A hallway that Bucky had recognized as he walked through it during the mission. The room in view was empty when he walked into it. 

But as the camera panned the area, equipment could be seen in the room. The sight of it caused his heart to pick up in pace as flashes of memories played in front of him. His fist clenched around the photo in his hand as he tried to push the memories away. He shook his head slightly as he watched soldiers begin making their way down the hallway. 

Several of them were struggling as they walked. Some were knocked down before quickly getting back up. A moment later, Y/N came into view, attempting to fight her way out of their hold. In view of the camera they watched as she threw punches and kicks. At one point she got a few of them off of her before a soldier came and tased her, sending her to the ground. 

Steve's eyes shot to Bucky. He knew what was about to happen given what he was watching. Bucky’s eyes had been fixed on the projection. Steve could see the anger growing within his body language as well as tears well up in his eyes. 

“FRIDAY turn-” 

“No.” Bucky said never taking his eyes off the video. 

It made Steve glad there was no audio attached to this clip. That there was no way for Bucky to hear the torment he was watching on the screen. He wouldn't be able to hear the way she started screaming the moment she was strapped in. 

“Buck,” Steve said the moment he watched a tear fall on Bucky’s cheek. He tried to get his attention away from the screen. 

“If her handler is in this video, I have to-” 

“FRIDAY, run facial recognition through the whole clip and shut this off.” It was Tony's voice that filled the air. Bucky turned towards him the moment FRIDAY shut off the video, shaking his head and ready to protest. “Natasha can be quite persuasive in her interrogations." He walked further into the room. "We were able to piece together what they're trying to make. And in the process, we learned what two things they'll be going for next and where they'll more than likely be hit.” 

“Where?” Bucky asked. The anger he felt didn't evaporate entirely. If anything it was fueling the need to get things rolling. He knew she was going to be the main player and that was his chance to get her back. 

Tony sighed as he looked over at Steve for a moment before looking back at Bucky. “That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Y/N won't be at either of them.” 

“Why wouldn't she be?” Bucky asked with a raised brow. 

“Unless this is another false lead, which doesn't seem likely, given how Natasha obtained the information, but "Phantom" has a new mission she's been tasked with.” When Bucky crossed his arms over his chest, Tony continued. “It's us.” 

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[itjazzbicch]

Reborn

Pairing:  Kenshi Takashi x Fem Reader 

Summary: Traumatized from all of the horrific sights the reader had seen while defending their timeline and facing Titan Shang Tsung, the reader decided to part ways with her fellow champions and Lui Kang, falling off the grid, but when she is found by her close friend, Kenshi, he offers her a new path in life, at first shutting her down, but his words sticking with her and giving her the motivation to find herself again...

Warnings: Kenshi Tower ending spoilers, The reader deals with some mental health issues, Jax is in this fic (colored purple) slight swearing (but that's about it!) The song used in this fic is listed below!

Word Count: 1.5k 

When I was chosen to be a champion, I thought that my life would excel and that I'd achieve things that I couldn't imagine, but as time progressed, I was put to the test. I passed and made it out alive, but I left with scars on my skin and in my mind.

We all had our lives to live. My friends stayed in touch with one another, but I isolated myself and practically fell off the face of the earth. It would be best if my former friends didn't know where I was and what I was doing.

--------

"She's here. I just have this feeling, Briggs."

"Well, I've never met her, so I'll trust your gut on this one-"

Sooner or later, someone was bound to come and find me. Kenshi, being the one to step up, and did not expect to see me in a nightclub, shocked to hear my singing:

"Now it's one more boy and it's one more line

(Holding on for your call)

Taking the pills just to pass the time

(I can never say no)

'Cause I'm gonna be free and I'm gonna be fine

(Holding on for your call)

'Cause I'm gonna be free and I'm gonna be fine

But maybe not tonight”

"She's a performer?" Briggs saw me on stage, dancing in a skimpy dress, the crowd of the club roaring; disbelief was all over Kenshi's face as he shook his head slowly:

"I never even knew that she could sing."

"It's a different kind of danger And the bells are ringing out And I'm calling for my mother As I pull the pillars down It's a different kind of danger And my feet are spinning around Never knew I was a dancer 'Til Delilah showed me how,"

Nothing was stopping me from singing, this being the one thing that made me feel alive, dancing, and finishing off:

"Too fast for freedom Sometimes it all falls down These chains never leave me I keep dragging them around Too fast for freedom Sometimes it all falls down These chains never leave me I keep dragging them around."

Posing then bowing as the crowd clapped and whistled at me, Kenshi was evident in the crowd, wearing sunglasses instead of that red band, but I knew him when I saw him. When my eyes locked on him, I could feel the tension as his attention was locked on me, too.

I didn't know who the guy with him was, but either way, it was time to get out of there.

"Give it up for our Queen, Y/N!" The DJ had to keep exciting the crowd, just my luck, but he wasn't in charge of this place, so I waved to the crowd again before slipping to the back.

Rushing to grab my stuff and my car keys, I knew Kenshi would try and find a way to me. Hoping security would do good at their job, I slipped out the back and heard from the darkness by my car:

"Since when did you sing?"

"Kenshi," I sighed, rolling my eyes and giving up on avoiding him, "I've always sung. Just never told anyone."

"Ah, well, you're good at it," Stepping out of the darkness with that guy, his tone showed his concern for me, "Just didn't expect to find you in a place like this-"

"Who's the guy?" I was standoff-ish with strangers, but I didn't sense any ill intentions from him as he stepped up and introduced himself:

"Jackson Briggs. Takashi and I now work for the OIA. We hoped to speak with you."

Offering his hand to me, I only stared, cocking my eyebrow at Kenshi, "OIA? What the hell is that?"

"The Outerworld Investigation Agency," Kenshi explained, "I'm sure you can puzzle the pieces together-"

"Yeah, and I decline," I spat quickly, my harshness leaving them silent; I rolled my eyes again as Kenshi only turned his head to Briggs, wanting to talk to me alone.

"Y/N," Now that we were alone, Kenshi wasn't going to leave till he got more answers, showing more concern for me, whispering, "We've all been worrying about you. Johnny, Kung Lao, Raiden, even Lord Lui Kang-"

"As you see, I'm fine," I didn't want to have this conversation, trying to shut it down, "It was nice seeing you, but-"

"Y/N-" More stern in his tone, he held me by the shoulders, trying to read me better, "Even I can see that something's wrong and how you changed so drastically. I know we went through a lot, but-"

"No, buts-" I whispered, my emotions starting to rise, "That stuff mentally screwed me, and I don't want to return to that life."

"Have you forgotten that you are a champion?" His words brought tears to my eyes, and I felt as if a fire was burning under me, a mixture of pressure and deep desires, "We're human, and our minds can be fragile, I get that, but you're strong, whether you believe it or not. The realms need you."

"I haven't forgotten," I whispered, giving false hope before crushing the motivation he tried to give me, "I haven't forgotten the pain that being a 'champion' has put me through. The realms don't need me."

The silence between us was eerie. I had him frozen in disbelief, hugging his stiff body and whispering before I walked away:

"I do appreciate the concern, but we all have different fates. I'm sorry if mine doesn't align with yours."

"Wait-" It was becoming difficult not to snap, but I had a soft spot for Kenshi, stopping and looking as he handed me a card, "Just in case you change your mind."

"Sure," I huffed sarcastically, finally escaping the situation, but it stuck with me.

I spent the next few nights wide awake, lost in thought, questioning my entire life. For some reason, Kenshi's words, "Have you forgotten that you are a champion," replayed in my head. Over and over.

Staring at his business card, I relived everything that I went through as a champion, and the one constant circled my mind. I never gave up. I faced death and overcame it, took down a Titan. The mental conflicts had me shaking.

The life I was living now wasn't meant for me; that was a fact that I could accept. Maybe Kenshi was right.

Laying back, holding that card close, for the first time since I parted ways with everyone, I felt some peace, knowing what I needed to do and what was right.

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

"Hey, Takashi," It took a few more days to get myself together, but it was worth seeing the expression on Kenshi's face as his partner Jax brought me into his office, "Someone important is here to see you."

It was hard not to laugh at his hung jaw, giggling through my question, "You still want me to work with you, right?"

Kenshi's shocked expression turned into a small, relieved smile, "I'm glad you decided to come."

"We got a lot of work to do," Jax smiled at us, heading out the door and teasing Kenshi, "Make sure she knows how to do things right!"

"That won't be an issue," He chuckled, and when the door closed, I took Kenshi's hand and gave him a tight hug, confusing him for a moment, "The job's not that bad-"

"It's not that. It's just-; Thank you, Kenshi," I whispered. Kenshi realized what I had been feeling, returned my hug, and rubbed my back softly.

"I've been wanting to apologize to you. I knew that all the horrible things we went through were getting to your head, and I didn't do anything-"

Hearing him say that made me want to sob, but I shook it off, holding his head to mine, finally defeating the demons in my mind:

"You don't have to apologize for anything. That was a battle that only I could fight. Don't worry anymore, Kenshi. I finally remembered who I am."

Smiling more, he was happy for me and proud, "You're going to make a great agent, you know."

"From what I heard, you made quite a reputation for yourself here. I'll make sure to be even better," I teased, making us laugh, Kenshi teasing back:

"Did you go visit Johnny before you came here? You're sounding a little too cocky, just like him."

Laughing and shaking my head, I acknowledged, "No, but I need to go visit the guys."

"They'll be over the moon when you do. Just don't let Cage know that you can sing. He'll try to get you into the music business," He smirked, making me laugh, leaning over to his desk and then placing a badge in my hand, "Welcome to the team, Y/N."

Staring at the badge, I felt a true purpose in my life again, clenching it in my fist, being filled with a new kind of pride, my voice alone showing my newfound loyalty to Kenshi and the OIA, "I won't disappoint you and give you my all, Kenshi." 

2023 © itjazzbicch — do not repost or translate my work. Likes, reblogs, and comments are always welcome 

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[foreverindreamlandd]

Awake My Soul • 5

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x F!Reader

WC: 4.2k

Summary: It’s been 5 years since zombies first began their invasion, and despite everything you’ve been through, you’ve managed to survive up until this point. Now it’s time to face your most dangerous challenge yet….the grumpy, untrusting, fiercely protective Bucky Barnes.

Chapter Note: Forced proximity time!! Y'all might hate or love me for this and honestly I cannot wait to hear what you think LOL. Enjoy ;)

Series Masterlist / Series Playlist

You got to the lookout station fifteen minutes before your shift started, climbing up the ladder to the treehouse-looking structure they built by the front gate. 

The original brick wall was wide enough for anyone to walk along, but this post served as the central spot for those on watch. Hanging from the top of the A-frame roof that covered the small square surface was a makeshift chandelier that Bruce put together, with five light bulbs. One in the center that provided a soft, amber glow in the space for you to see what you were doing, surrounded by four smaller bulbs that correlated with the different sides of the wall. Green was East, Blue was West, North was Yellow, and South was Red. He had managed to create some sort of sensors along the trees that made them light up if someone walked through the invisible barrier.

“The color you’ll most often see is yellow, and that’s usually when it’s one of us returning to camp,” Sarah told you when she gave you the rundown of the watch post earlier that day. “We haven’t had an issue other than a walker here and there. It’s pretty rare thanks to the protection of the fog and the Bog.”

You grimaced. “You couldn’t have thought of a better name for the Bog that didn’t rhyme with fog?”

Sarah frowned. “I’ve actually never used both words in a sentence back to back like that. It’s pretty terrible.” The two of you laughed.

Clint was there when you made it to the top of the post, playing around with his bow. 

When he looked up, his brows furrowed in confusion. “Need something?”

You shook your head. “I’m here to relieve you.”

This time, his brows shot up. “You’re on third?”

“Yelena made me switch.”

He paused. “And Bucky still has this shift?”

Your nostrils flared, and after a beat you nodded.

Clint only chuckled, shaking his head as he stood up. “What’d you do to piss her off?”

“Nothing!” you protested, crossing your arms. “She says it’s going to help us bond or whatever.”

Instead of a chuckle, Clint snorted. “What a fuckin’ piece of work.” He sighed. “Do you want me to switch with you? You can take second shift and I can be here with Buck-”

“No, no.” you held a hand up waving off the gesture. “I appreciate the offer, but you do enough around here and I need to start earning my keep. Besides, she’s not wrong. Bucky may hate me for the rest of eternity, but if I’m going to stay here I gotta get used to it.”

He shook his head, gaze turning sympathetic. “Just give him-”

“Time,” you finished for him. “Everyone says that.” Annoyance rose within you. “It’s been a month, Clint, and the concept of me breathing the same air as him makes the guy angry. I put the people he cares about in danger, and I gotta own that if I want to be part of Shield.” 

Clint’s eyes flashed behind your shoulder, but you were too riled up to notice. “And yes, part of me wishes he could see that I’m not going to burn this place down and that I would gladly die for anyone here, even his grumpy ass. But that’s not going to happen and we all just need to move on and let him despise me for everything I am.”

Your breathing was heavy, but you had finally picked up on the fact that Clint wasn’t mindlessly staring past you, his focus was on something.

Someone.

Dread coursed through you as you turned, knowing full well who was standing behind you.

Bucky’s jaw was locked shut, eyes on yours for a moment before going to the ground.

Clint cleared his throat, making his way to the ladder. “Have a good night, you two.” He muttered a good luck as he started climbing down.

You stood there in silence for a few seconds, and since this was your first watch and you had no idea what you were doing, you were forced to remain there and wait for instructions.

“So…” you started, and that seemed to break Bucky from his spell.

He cleared his throat, moving to one of the corners overlooking the outside of camp. “You can sit wherever,” he mumbled almost incoherently, leaning his back against the vertical wooden post that made up a piece of the wall.

You ran your tongue over your teeth, then walked over to the corner across from his. You stared at him for a moment, waiting for further instruction. When none came, you simply followed his lead and kept your focus on the outside. 

Bucky didn’t say anything for the next four hours.

Just kept staring in the same direction, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. And you found yourself continuously staring at him, eyes flickering over to view his side profile glowing underneath the illumination from the light above. 

It was torture.  

For some reason, you found yourself suffocated by the proximity. He was less than five feet away, and you were certain that if you moved your foot over by just a few inches it would connect with his leg. The idea of touching Bucky at all made you want to set your skin on fire. Your head pounded, the air constricted from your lungs, you couldn’t see straight because all you could think about was how close you two were. Think about what would happen if your boots touched, if he shuffled a few feet closer, if he leaned in and-

“Are you okay?” he asked, brows furrowed with annoyed confusion and your eyes widened at the realization that you had most likely been staring at him for way too long and he could no longer ignore it.

You cleared your throat. “‘M fine.” Your gaze went back to the trees as your face burned, and through your peripherals you watched Bucky follow suit and turn toward the outside.

There was a moment that his thumb started tapping against the wood to some unknown beat, and you nearly spoke up to ask what song he had stuck in his head.

But when you turned to him, you quickly thought against it. Not because he had his normal pissed off at the world expression, but the complete opposite. His jaw had relaxed, his eyes had softened. For the first time since those few good moments you shared before shit went to hell at the Bog, Bucky appeared to be at peace.

It would be the worst thing you could ever do in your life to speak up and put him back in his grumpy state.

So with that, you returned your focus on keeping watch, eyelids growing heavy as the night sky slowly transitioned from black to a deep indigo,then to a soft purple glow as the sun began to rise.

The second Sam was up the ladder to relieve you, Bucky shot up without a word and climbed down.

Sam looked from the ladder to you, a single brow raised. “That bad, huh?”

You sighed, slowly moving to stand, your muscles sore from being in the same position for so long. “Honestly? I thought it was going to be much worse.”

He huffed, then rested a hand on your shoulder. “Look, I told Yelena that this would just be on a trial basis. If you want off this shift-”

“No, Sam,” you said, shaking your head. “You all have done so much for me, the least I can do is suck it up and sit in silence with Bucky for a few hours a day.” 

Please don’t take this time from me, you thought out of nowhere.

All he did was nod in response, then moved to settle himself for his shift.

You watched Bucky make his way across the camp.

Instead of going to the bunks to get some sleep, he walked into the middle building.

Was he really going to get a workout in after being up all night? 

It’s not like it was the time that he normally went to the gym. That slot was usually in the early afternoon after he had gotten some rest and eaten.

Weird…

You, on the other hand, happily and slowly trudged toward your room and passed out as soon as your head hit the pillow, a soft tapping of an unfamiliar beat playing in your mind and lulling you to sleep.

“So there’s this charge they created for the rifle. It’s this crazy blue color and disintegrates anything in its path.” You grimaced as you remembered the sight of ten walkers being turned to dust. “It was like an icy blue flame. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

You looked between Bruce’s contemplative look and Peter’s wide eyes before looking back at the very amateur drawing you put together for them.

Bruce ran his fingers along the center part of the device, his other hand wrapped around the lower part of his face as he considered the development of such a weapon.

“Holy shit,” Peter finally murmured, “I can’t believe that made a ray gun.”

You and Bruce both stared at Peter for a moment and he blushed, focusing his attention back on the diagram.

“I remember hearing them talk about getting the charge to a certain temperature to generate such a concentrated amount of heat. And that all of those things worked together so that it wouldn’t even make a sound-”

“Because of the frequency created by the force of the heat,” Bruce continued, writing a few equations on the paper. 

You nodded. “I just have no idea how they created that charge mechanism….sorry I can’t be more help, Doc.”

Banner shook his head, taking off his glasses to look at you. “Y/n, this is amazing. I would have never come up with something like this.”

“Yeah, like we’ve played around with a bunch of stuff, but who could have thought that tech like this could exist?” Peter added.

You shrugged. “Who would have thought that people would want ray guns during a zombie apocalypse?” 

Peter laughed and you winked at him.

“We definitely have a lot to work with to try to replicate this device,” Bruce continued. “Would it be okay for us to come back to you with any questions when they come up?”

“Definitely,” you said. “You know where to find me…bonus points if you rescue me from watch.”

He chuckled. “Heard about that. Things going as terribly as expected?”

You rolled your eyes. “I mean, he hasn’t said more than a dozen words to me in a week, which I guess is better than him yelling at me four hours a day.”

Bruce’s lips turned down in deliberation. “Honestly, that seems pretty promising.”

“Also, I totally offered to take his spot if he was too miserable and he said no without even pausing to think about it,” Peter added. 

You felt warmth run through you at the admission, and you couldn’t stop the corner of your lip from turning up.

Bruce pointed a pencil at Peter, brows raised and he smiled at you. “See? What’d I tell ya? Give it time and he’ll come around!”

At that, you grimaced. “Maybe, but I wish time passed faster than a glacial pace when we’re sitting there not doing anything for hours.”

“Why don’t you bring a book with you? Or a journal if you prefer writing.”

You gaped at Bruce. “You can do that?”

“Of course! We have a library at our disposal, and we have the light over the post for a reason. As long as you look up every few minutes to check that everything is clear, there’s no harm in it.”

“Fuck yes,” you groaned, head tilting back to the ceiling for a moment before looking back at Bruce. “You just made everything….so much better. Thanks, Doc.”

He smiled. “Anytime.”

You smiled back before looking at the clock on the wall. “Shit, I gotta get going guys, before Lena decides to punish me with burpees for being tardy.”

Peter scowled. “What are you still doing here? Go! Before it’s too late!”

The two of you laughed as you made it out into the hallway.

“Hey, Y/n!” Bruce called, and you turned to find him jogging over until he was right next to you. He turned around to make sure Peter wasn’t paying attention and when he looked back at you, you suddenly felt nervous. “You know you can talk to me, right? About anything?”

You swallowed back the nerves, forcing a smile and keeping your voice casual. “Of course, Bruce. Everything okay?”

He pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded. “Yeah. Everything’s fine. Just…wanted you to know.”

You nodded back, trying to ignore the panic building at the possible meaning behind his words. “Gotcha. Well, thanks Bruce.”

“Anytime, Y/n.”

He turned away and headed back into the lab, leaving you there to deal with the unspoken tension lingering in the air.

That night, you started with your normal routine of relieving Clint a few minutes early and settling into your corner.

You stared outside the wall, doing a quick scan for any unusual activity. Once it was deemed safe, you dug into your pack and pulled out the book you spent hours looking for while browsing the library, nearly buzzing with excitement at the idea of four uninterrupted hours of reading.

It had been years since you had been able to do something like this. Before the invasion, you would spend entire weekends holed up in your room by the window escaping into a world found between the pages of the various tomes you found either at your town library or the personal library your parents had amassed over the years. Then, there were occasionally quiet moments while traveling with your parents and the Eternals, but you could only carry two books with you at a time.

Whenever you found an abandoned bookstore or library, you traded one of the books for a new one for you to read over and over and over again until you basically had it memorized.

The second book, though, was one you would never let go of. It was the one you kept with you ever since the invasion, when your family was forced to run from your home.

You couldn’t help but grab the book from your nightstand, your favorite comfort read, one you knew you could never part with.

Not unless you were forced to.

Not unless you were kidnapped and the small number of items you had were taken from you.

When you escaped from Hydra, you had nothing but a single dagger. It took days of scouring different spots for new weapons and supplies. 

And whenever you found an abandoned bookstore or library, you desperately searched the shelves for one title.

It was never there.

And unfortunately, after hours of looking through the Brookfield library, it wasn’t in their collection either.

You hoped you would find it eventually.

Until then, you had plenty of other stories to keep you busy.

Bucky climbed up the ladder quietly, and though you didn’t look up at him upon entry, you could see through your peripherals that he paused and stared at you for a few moments before claiming his usual spot in the corner next to yours. 

The relief of having some sort of distraction from his silent existence and close proximity nearly made you want to cry as you turned each page, following Bruce’s orders and checking to make sure no alarm was off and that you couldn’t hear anything approaching.

As usual, there was nothing to be alarmed of. The only thing you could see was Bucky’s head turning in your direction every minute on the dot, as if he were counting the seconds until it was deemed appropriate for him to look over again. And the only thing you could hear was the chaotic tapping of his thumb, much different from the beats he created in his mind.

He was restless.

And then, suddenly, not even thirty minutes into watch, he spoke.

“Are you reading Twilight?”

You looked up from the page to find him openly staring at you now, his brows knit together at the realization.

“You know Twilight?” you asked, answering his question with a question.

He scowled, looking away as if already done with the conversation.

For you, however, it had just started.

The corners of your mouth twitched up. “Have you….have you read these before?”

Bucky rolled his eyes, but did turn his gaze back to you. Rather than looking pissed, he just looked annoyed. 

You could live with that.

“I didn’t, because I have taste,” he said. “But Becs - my sister - went through a phase and tried to drag me along every step of the way.”

An ache formed in your chest realizing the existence of a sister, who wasn’t here at camp and that could really only mean one thing.

This wasn’t the time for bummers, though. You were determined to get him to say at least ten more words to you tonight.

“So you’re saying you’ve seen the movies.”

His lips pressed into a thin line and you scoffed.

“You’re telling me that the CGI baby and the weird blue filter used in the first movie didn’t immediately compel you to binge read the entire series?”

That’s when it happened.

The greatest moment probably of your entire life.

Bucky Barnes laughed.

It was a chuckle that only lasted a beat, but it wasn’t something hidden behind a groan of a scoff like before. You had caught him so off guard that he couldn’t help but let out a deep, grizzly, baritone sound of amusement.

And just as Sarah said over a month ago, it was contagious, and you breathed out a small laugh yourself in wonder.

Somehow it got even better, because then he made a fucking joke.

“The werewolves definitely almost pulled me in, but then one of them imprinted on a literal baby and I was quickly turned off by that.”

You nodded. “The whole Nessie thing was a bit of a mess, I’ll admit. But that’s what’s so good about it! It’s bad….but also amazing.”

All you got in response was a grunt of acknowledgement, and you felt a newfound boldness to keep going.

“Okay then, if you’re not a Twihard, what’s your favorite book?”

There was a pause.

“Please tell me it’s some cheesy romcom,” you said.

He glared at you again, once again without any true malice. “The Hobbit.”

“Fuck yes, that’s such a good one! And it’s on the shelves. We could do a book club and everything.”

In a flash, you witnessed Bucky’s eyes lighten with excitement and then immediately switch to a dim, lifeless gaze. “No.”

You swallowed, caught off guard by the emptiness in his voice.

It was more conversation than you had ever dreamed of having, and you knew that if you ever wanted to have it happen again you would have to know when to stop pushing him.

For now, hearing his voice, his laugh, seeing something other than disdain in his eyes, it was enough.

The next evening, Bucky decided it was time to continue the conversation.

“What’s your favorite book?” he asked just as you got to the part where Bella had basically  jumped Edward in the meadow.

You looked up to find him staring outside the wall, but then he slowly turned his head to you when you didn’t respond.

“Is it Twilight?” he asked with a cocked brow.

You hummed, shaking your head. “Top ten for sure, but no.”

Silence. “So…?” Bucky urged.

“Ella Enchanted,” you said finally, closing the book and positioning your body to face him.

He frowned. “Never heard of it.”

“It’s a kids book,” you replied. “And a stellar movie with Anne Hathaway. But it’s been my comfort read since I was, like, ten or something. I even took it with me when we had to leave after this-” you waved your hand around, “-started to happen.”

Bucky nodded in understanding. “Do you still have it?”

You shook your head. “Lost it during the Hydra shitshow.”

“Is it in the library?” he pressed.

Another shake of your head and he nodded again.

“Don’t worry,” you said, “I’m sure I’ll find it by the time you’re done going through the Twilight Saga.”

He scowled, an expression you realized you loved way too much. “There is no way in hell.”

“Come onnnn,” you whined. “For the book club!”

The right corner of his lip twitched. “No way.”

You sighed dramatically, opening the book back up. “You’re no fun, Beefcake.”

He groaned.

You smiled.

The next day, you went to the library to grab New Moon. 

When Bucky got up to the watchtower, his eyes landed on the copy of Twilight resting in his corner.

Even with your eyes glued to the page of your book, you could feel him glaring at you.

“Just suck it up and read it,” you said, still not looking at him. “You can thank me later.”

With one long, dramatic sigh, Bucky picked up the book and sat down, opening up to the first page.

You had to bite the inside of your cheek to prevent yourself from grinning like an idiot.

“Look,” Bucky started, waving the book in the air. “I just don’t understand why she’s so in love with this dude!”

He had been going on for at least five minutes now, you just sitting there listening to him ramble.

“Sure, he saves her from those guys in the town or whatever, but then nearly kills her by driving like an idiot-”

“But he has super enhanced bat senses!” you argued, fighting to keep your face serious.

That was when Sam climbed up, brows already furrowed from hearing actual conversation being shared between you two as he made his way up the ladder.

Bucky ignored Sam and glared at you. “Okay, but what about other cars on the road? I saw that scene play out in the movies. They had to weave and bob around vampire boy and totally could have caused an accident!”

He stood up and you followed suit, giving Sam a nod and a little shrug as he continued to stare at you.

Bucky, on the other hand, continued to talk as he made his way down the ladder. Usually, you would wait for him to race down and run away as quickly as possible, but since he apparently wasn’t done with this conversation, you decided to follow right behind.

“Okay, whatever, he drives like an idiot and tells her that he basically has anger issues and basically that he’s dangerous for her. And in the movie, she like made him follow her into the woods by the school, which was already dumb. In this, though? He drives her to an isolated place a mile into woods where it would take weeks for someone to find her body? And she’s still all heart eyes?”

He got to the bottom, and stood there until you stepped onto the ground before walking alongside you. 

“It’s called love, Beefcake! Sometimes you do dumb shit like go into the middle of the woods with a vampire who is over 100 years old and really wants to drink your blood!”

Bucky shook his head, not stopping as you passed the middle building which had been his normal pit stop after watch. You felt something inside you ignite with excitement, trying desperately to keep your cool even though a part of you was certain that you had fallen asleep during watch and all of this was a dream.

“I can’t believe I let Becca read these when we were younger. I basically gave her the go-ahead to seek out dangerous, blood-sucking bad boys.”

You laughed. “Well, at least now you know to be on the lookout for any pale man who asks you to go to an abandoned field so he can confess his undying love for you. But it’s clear that you hate the book, so just know I appreciate you giving it a try and I’ll return New Moon back in the library when I’m done.”

You looked over just as he clenched his jaw before grumbling something incoherently. 

“I’m sorry, what was that?”

“Youcanbringitwithyouwhenyou’redone.” 

You bit your bottom lip and smiled, slowing your steps to a stop as you approached the front door to the bunk house.

“You got it, Beefcake. Anything to keep book club alive and well.”

Bucky smiled back, crystalline blue eyes locked on yours for three glorious seconds.

And then they widened, his lips turned down, and he looked to the ground as he cleared his throat.

“I should go,” he said sternly, turning on his heel and storming over to his usual destination, the gym.

His body tensed more and more with each step he took, and you saw his hand clench so tightly you wondered if his palms were bleeding from his nails digging into his skin.

You closed your eyes and took a deep breath, memorizing the look of his smile from just a few seconds ago.

Baby steps.

Chapter 6

#Bucky x reader #Bucky x you #Bucky x y/n #Bucky Barnes x reader #Bucky Barnes x you #Bucky Barnes x y/n #bucky barnes #Bucky Barnes imagine #Bucky imagine #bucky fanfic #bucky x female reader #awake my soul #ams #zombie au #zombie apocalypse au

[lu-twilights-pup]

Okay hear me out real fast, maybe like four, legend, and twilight with a s/o who gets injured protecting them BUT doesn’t understand why they are upset cause they are a important heroes and their s/o is just here

Its been a minute lol it i chose to do this with Legend!

D I S C L A I M E R S

fluff, mentions of injury, fluffy fluff.

——

Its had been about 5 hours since you had taken a hit for Legend. A stray bobolink managing to climb a horse and swing about its weapon came hurdling towards the veteran. He had been to focused on covering Wild, unable to hear the clopping hooves over the sounds of battle. But you did.

It was about 4 and a half hours ago that they had finally cleared out the monsters in the area. Miscellaneous bands of Moblins and Bobolinks of varying eras lay strewn about, piled on top of one another.

Now he sat in their makeshift camp, refusing to move from your side as you rested; providing a sharpened glare to those who pressed harder for him to rest on his own. A potion was all you really needed thankfully, and you were ordered to bed rest for the rest of the day and the day following. The gash along your head cleared rather quickly with the magical substance and left nothing short or a few bruises here and there. 

A few to many if you asked the vet. But he had learned early on in his travels to settle for ‘not dead’ when he could. 

You promptly passed out after being healed and settled into a spare bed roll. Legend offered to take first shift once you did, leaving absolutely no room for protest from the others.

He spent his watch starring into the fire, poking it to pass the time. He had hoped that if he didn’t stare you down out right, may haps you would wake up faster. Something about “a watched pot never boils” from Warriors rang in his head. Though he’ll give credit were its due, while time didn’t pass any faster—nor any easier—but it did feel like you had only been out forever, not quite an eternity.

By time he had convinced Four that he would take over the second shift as well, showing no signs of sleeping any time soon, you had begun to stir lightly. The world too bright and too dark all around you at the same time. Slowly the effects of fatigue swirling around your head, blurring together into a nausea, as you came too. The taste of potion still sat on you tongue, sticky and bitter. Your face scrunched as you sat up.

Waking up after a nasty blow always sucked. It was always a different time; a different place than where you were originally hit. You had no idea who else was injured, if you were safe, if you were alone. Your head throbbed with such questions.

“Are you alright? Anything sore?” Legend was quick to come closer to you. You barely made out what he had said, still trying to get the world to stop tilting.

Your voice was hoarse and crackly. “Potion tastes like ass.” Legend searched your face for pain before narrowing his stare.

“Good. Maybe that will get you to be more careful!” He prompted with an eye roll. He plopped down next to you and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Right back at you.” You grumbled lightly, attempting to sit up more, only for him to push you back down gently.

“I’m not the one who ran head first into a Bokoblin swing!” A quiet groan sounded across camp, stilling both of you for a moment. Waiting on baited breath until the sailor turned back over and began snoring once more.

“No but you’re the one who didn't see it and didn't move, so you almost were!” you huffed. “I don’t see what the big deal is, your safe and uninjured aren’t you?” You asked, looking him over, at least as much as you could from your spot on the ground.

“Yes but-“

“Then everything is fine! There shouldn’t be such a big issue.” You said turning away from him a bit, attempting to get up again, only to wince and fall back. Legend barely managed to cushion your fall.

"Such- there- ugh!" Legend let out an ugly laugh, but reeled in his voice before anyone stirred further. He gave you and incredulous look as he scanned your face. "Not such a big issue my ass! You got hit!"

"So did you!" You whispered, pulling the blanket around you tighter as you glared at him. Truly annoyed at his tone. "And so did Wild, and Sky, AND Time!!" gruffly you shifted in you spot. "But you aren't hovering over them when you ought to be making sure they're okay-"

"We already did! And non of them got hit as badly as you did! They got hit and got up, you were knocked out!" Legend hissed at you.

"But I'm fine, they might not have been! You might not have been!!''

“(Name) what are you talking about?!” Legend whispered, actually assisting you in getting up this time around. “You’re borderline concussed, this is not fine!”

“Yes it is!” You stared him down. “If something happened to you then it would be a problem. You’re more important.”

You’re more important.

Dozens of thoughts fly by his eyes. Countless scenarios and questions. Dozens and dozens of reasons why that simply wasn't true. A twinge of guilt that you didn’t think you were that important.

“(Name), what makes you think I’m more- That’s not- (Name), no.” His words bumped into each other and tumbles their way out of their mouth.

“Link, come one. Look at you. You’re a hero. You’re basically the hero. You’re on this quest thing, with all these other big heroes, doing all these amazing things. Saving people, towns, worlds for fucks sake. And I’m…well I’m me." Your shoulders tightened up before you slumped forward in a sulk.

"And I’m kinda just—well I’m kinda just here to tag along. If something happened to me then that’s that; but if something happens to you a whole world loses a hero, people will be in danger, th-“

You made a small 'hmpf' as a hand met your mouth. The faint smell of copper, salt and charcoal filled your nose.

“Breathe.” His voice was small and uneven, like he was holding his breath in hope you would do the same. His brows were drawn together tightly, a deep frown twitched below them.

You took a deep breath from your nose, once then twice before he let go of you.

"(Name). You're a hero, too."

"No, I'm just-"

"You are though. You help us in more way than you even know. You fight with us in battle, and you've seen just as much of this fucked up adventure thing that we have. Maybe this is your first time around—goddess i hope its your only time around—but that's still a time." Legend hand found it's way to your cheek.

"You don't need all the fancy weapons and magic shit we have or then divine intervention or the wagons full of trauma that we carry to be a hero." You smiled pitifully at his last remark. Stinging a bit when you remind yourself of the things he's had to do to get where he is.

You heart squeezed at the thought of being seen as part of the group. You feared going on this adventure with them; that you would forever be placed in the way of civilian, or worse civilian casualty, but you had made peace with it at some point. The chance to see when they see, to travel with such a group, and after becoming closer with them, the bonds you made made that morbid thought worth it.

The relationship you had developed with the prickly veteran drowned out any other fears you and about the whole thing.

"You are a hero in your own right, and you are just as important as the rest of those idiots, I'd say damn near more important. Goddess knows what I would do if we lost you out here. If I last you out here." You didn't notice when the first tears roll down your cheek till he swept them away. "There is no ignoring or refilling your space if you are gone, love" He squeezed your face a bit before allowing you to fall into him in an awkwardly sitting hug.

Just behind you he watched Twilight sit up in the night, alert to your weak sniffles. Though once his eyes met Legend's he nodded and laid back down, turned away in his bed roll.

Legend continued to hold you and rub your back as you clung to him.

"You're important to us, love. We love you, hell I know I do." He mumbled into your hair. Little by little, your sounds faded into the dawn. Your fears put out like the smoldering fire in the midst of the camp, replaced by the suns rays and Legends arms around you.

#linked universe #linkeduniverse #lu #legend linked universe #hall has written

[kasunex]

Hello! I found you in the TCOAAL tag, hope it doesn't bother you lol, I just enjoyed reading your opinions on this game.

Since I saw you questioning Andrew in the Decay route, I wanted to offer you my two cents about it, and why Andrew is so snappy at Ashley there: you can enter the Decay route in two ways, if either of the siblings fails to commit to the other and don't break away from their unhealthy coping mechanism.

If Ashley refuses to let Andrew watch over their parents, she is giving in to her own paranoia and mistrust. Her controlling tendencies towards Andrew stem from her fear that he doesn't really love her (because she is fundamentally impossible to love, that's what everyone told her), and if he has a choice he'll always pick the other choice. No matter how much Andrew commits to her, she is always scared - this is what causes the big fight in the room 302. So her solution is to simply cut out the other choice. She let Nina die, she harassed Julia into breaking up with Andrew, and now, she won't let him talk with their parents. This is the same "Leyley orders Andy around" dynamic that Andrew wants to desperately break free of, and the very reason he despises the nickname Andy - which Ashley keeps using in this route to exercise control: "I love you, Andy. I love you, I love you, I love you". If you choose this option, Ashley ruins their relationship further by caving in to her insecurity, the fear that Andrew would lie to her, abandon her for anyone, and that he really gives her nothing (read: not the all-encompassing love she craves, since she's "no pretty lady he can fuck"... also, sidenote, Ashley's obsession with sex and what it says about her selfworth is fascinating). Of course Andrew would be mad that no matter what he does, it's never enough for his sister, and she will always try every dirty trick in the book to keep him under her thumb.

If Ashley trusts Andrew with the parents, but Andrew accepts their offer to leave Ashley behind and live a normal life, Andrew sinks once again into denial. He is a normal person, really! He could live a normal life! But he is stuck with Ashley. It's all Ashley's fault for pushing him around. It's all Ashley's fault for ruining his life. Andrew is her doormat, and nothing more. Like this, Andrew builds up resentment and resentment, choosing to put all the blame on Ashley's shoulders instead of admitting to himself, like he does if he refuses, that he's just as fucked up as Ashley is. Case in point: in the Decay route he's disgusted when chopping up his parents, a normal reaction which makes Ashley smile, while in the Burial route he's completely detatched, which worries Ashley because this isn't the weak Andy she knows and loves.

So it's not that Andrew in the Decay route is OOC, I think. You, player, simply choose to exarcerbate the issues between the two siblings, whose relationship was already strained by that point, mostly by Ashley still calling Andrew "Andy" which symbolizes her not wanting to move on from the relationship they had as children. The Burial route allows them to say "fuck it, it's us against the world" in their own way: Ashley by accepting that she can slightly let go the leash she put on Andrew because he's her ally, and Andrew by stopping pretending he's just a victim of circumstances.

Sorry for the long rant lol. Have a nice day ^^

No worries at all - in fact I'm posting this publicly so it can be seen by more eyes. It's very well put and does a good job of explaining.

I had my concerns about the route splitting, but I am curious to see how the different routes ultimately play out. Especially because, to be honest, I don't know what the best path forward for these two is.

The part of me that is playing as them, empathizing, thinks they should just embrace their degeneracy and enjoy burning in Hell together - a la Burial - and the part of me that is watching and judging thinks they deserve to drag each other to the grave for all the awful sins they have committed - a la Decay.

Sans the "less incestous" Burial route. That one seems passable.

#The Coffin of Andy and Leyley

[iamsuggestingthatcoconutsmigrate]

Re-re-re (xinfinity) watching Moonlight (2007) and

~ Joseph asks Mick if he's been working out. and we see in later episodes that Mick does indeed workout. So we can assume that unlike other vampire media, they aren't static, they can actively change their bodies, just not age. We also see Mick with longer hair in the 80s than both when he was human and in the present.

~ His PI License is only good for three years. How has he been renewing this every three years for the last 25 years (at least) without anyone noticing he doesn't age. It's not like he could do it online. And it has his picture on it, wouldn't that have been a bit of an issue for him prior to digital cameras in the 90s?

~ "You know, some people even find [vampires] attractive" Beth, with scrunched up nose probably thinking of Nosferatu "really" Mick, the vampire, getting the most disheartened look on his face. Dude, what? If she had said yeah me too were you gonna confess?!?!

~ Beth legit held Micks hand for a good 6 seconds, which doesn't seem like a lot, but surely if it was long enough for her to realize it was awkward it was also long enough for her to realize he was cold. And she thinks nothing of this?

~ I hope the vampire study group gets regularly checked for blood-borne diseases.

~ Mick just made a Spinal Tap reference

~ Maybe my college was unique in having bare classrooms because every room was a multi-purpose room, but why are there so many masks and posters and skeletons? Are all of the classes meeting there leaving their stuff and hoping it doesn't overlap too badly? Is Christian bringing all that and setting it up before every class for ambiance? Is he making Daniel do it???

~ Mick legit just appears in this man's office and starts closing his blinds and playing with his stuff.

~ The way Joseph is just in Mick's apartment when he gets home. Like I get that it's his best friend and Mick probably gave him a key, but I also think it would be funny if Joseph actually owns the building and is abusing his landlord powers

~ Mick it's going to take more than lemons, apples, and coffee to convince people you're human. Like I get that coffee and lemon water are probably things you offer clients, but please tell me you're not just giving people whole ass apples while they cry about their missing person to you.

~ Stop looking so surprised that Khloe's dead, you knew that already.

~ Love how Sophia Myles can't hide her British accent around fellow Brit

~ Christian how many girls have you felt up that you know the difference between an underwire bra and an under-bra wire?

~ I love how this episode ends in My Immortal which samples from Moonlight Sonata, which is also the name of the last episode. Something something it ends where it all began.

#moonlight cbs #Moonlight (2007)

[thatgirl4815]

A few thoughts re. your post about Top/cheating double standards - I feel so bemused bout ppl who say they felt conflicted bout the Sand/Ray love scene cos it was cheating (if nothing else, just listen to the scoring! If you were meant to feel icky about it the music would tell you so! The way it was scored and filmed is 100% meant to convey a sense of romance and love and *fucking finally* - nothing about it indicates shenanigans are afoot!), because at this point literally EVERYONE knows Mew is faking his relationship with Ray - Mew knows it, Ray knows it, the audience has always known it. Just because they haven't explicitly verbalised it doesn't mean they don't know it. The last time they saw each other Ray accused him of still loving Top and Mew didn't deny it, nor did he try to stop Ray from leaving (some ppl might even consider that as good as a break-up...). Now compare that to Top: at the time of the Car Incident, both him and Mew have genuine feelings for each other and are genuinely having a go at making something of it; they are on good terms - they part on good terms. Like you said, yes Boston messes with his head, but that's literally all it takes to get him to cheat. Okay, ppl will bring their personal povs/experiences re. cheating to the table, as is their right, and I get that it's an emotive subject (and one for which I too have basically zero tolerance), but I'm not sure how anyone can say with a straight face that those two scenarios are comparable let alone that what Ray did was worse. I keep seeing ppl watch the Ray/Mew end scene and come away from it happily acknowledging that Mew consciously using Ray explains his indifference to Ray/Sand, whilst simultaneously still condemning Ray because they don't seem able to extend that reasoning to Ray's own behaviour - Mew's not the only one clued in! IMO there's no way Ray would be out there having ridiculously hot make-out sessions with Sand if he believed for one second that Mew was genuinely falling in love with him (or even genuinely trying to). Even when he's high as a kite in ep 8, it's obvious he knows what's up - when your so-called boyfriend (who up until a hot second ago repeatedly and flatly denied having any romantic interest in you whatsoever) recoils from you in private but plants one on you in front of his ex in public...like Ray said, you get the hint! You can argue semantics about cheating and sure, in an ideal world they'd have had that open and honest convo then and there because yes, it's always better to communicate your feelings instead of running away to interrupt a perfectly lovely platonic bestie sleepover, but have they MET these characters??? They're walking disasters! It just fascinates me that you have Mew, the so-called victim of Ray's nefarious betrayal, not only shrugging it off but actively giving Ray his blessing to have as much sweet sweet sex with Sand as he wants, and yet parts of the audience are still like 'I dunno, still feels wrong...'

As far as Top is concerned - like you, my issue with his character isn't so much the cheating, it's how two-faced he is: he's a completely different person in his interactions with anyone who isn't Mew/someone Mew is on good terms with. And to be honest, I like him the best in those scenes! I do believe he's trying to be a better person for Mew, or at least he thinks he is, but as other ppl have pointed out, at the moment it's only performative precisely because he doesn't bother when Mew's not around to see it/won't hear about it. Sand is the obvious example - even when Top's ostensibly offering him an olive branch, his words may be conciliatory but his tone of voice/facial expressions are anything but - they ooze scorn and smarm! And you could argue that he's making progress (not telling Mew about Ray/Sand, or bout him saving Ray from arrest), but to be honest I enjoy the Top that turns on a dime the second Boston or Sand show up (I love his chemistry with both of them - that little Top/Boston scene at the party in ep 8 cracked me up) because that keeps him interesting - you're always waiting for the facade to drop!

Excellent points all around! Your bit about the use of music and tone to highlight the purity and positivity surrounding the SandRay scene in Ep9 is really telling. Like you, I see a lot of people resisting the narratives’ attempts to guide us towards a positive/negative outlook on the plot—not to say people should not push back against these details when the characters’ actions are deserving of scorn, but these details give us a good sense of the characters’ head spaces. They wouldn’t be there if they weren’t meant to inform our impression of these situations.

The entire RayMew talk is so necessary to the conversation of whether SandRay is considered cheating. I won’t fault the pushback to a certain extent, because I can’t say that anything in this show is the most straightforward. But like you said, these characters are messy. In a perfect world, yeah, they’d lay everything out on the table and have the “what are we?” discussion before going forward with other people in any way. But especially for someone like Ray who is so conflicted in his feelings (and so clearly struggling to accept that Mew has never, and will never, love him romantically), that just isn’t plausible. The most important point to me is that MEW DOESN’T CARE. He might as well have said it before with how blatantly obvious it was. Like, what is Ray supposed to think about the status of your relationship (which was never explicitly defined) when you refuse to kiss him in private but make out in front of your ex-boyfriend?

Gonna list a few of your claims here that I connect with a lot because you really said it best:

“…when your so-called boyfriend (who up until a hot second ago repeatedly and flatly denied having any romantic interest in you whatsoever) recoils from you in private but plants one on you in front of his ex in public...like Ray said, you get the hint!”

“IMO there's no way Ray would be out there having ridiculously hot make-out sessions with Sand if he believed for one second that Mew was genuinely falling in love with him (or even genuinely trying to).”

I don’t think anyone is arguing that what Ray has done is the best way to handle the situation objectively (at least, no one that I’ve seen), but just that the circumstances and evidence we’ve been presented with are not 100% aligned for Top and Ray and should thus not be treated as equally wrong. When the characters themselves are not only demonstrating these lack of feelings but calling them out verbally, there’s substantially less room for the “Ray is just as bad as Top” thing. And I do expect to get flack for this but honestly, in my viewing experience, viewing the situations as objectively as I can, what Top did is worse for the reasons you outline. And this is not me saying that Ray can do no wrong. It’s in consideration of what was expressly defined by each couple.

Regarding Top’s character in general; Top is two-faced, and I also enjoy that aspect of his character because it’s the only thing that really gives him any dimension. I wish Mew could see him when he interacts one-on-one with Sand and Boston because I have a feeling that would enlighten him to aspects of Top’s character that he’s hidden away. The funny thing is that Mew seems to have suspected this right from the start, yet he hasn’t ever seen this part of Top.

#thank you anon for putting it so eloquently #I know this discourse is a tricky subject for many people but I think we’ve gotten more clarity on it in Ep9 #ofts #only friends #only friends the series #sandray #raysand #RayMew #TopMew #only friends top #ask #only friends ask #only friends meta

[glassartpeasants]

Holding Onto A Dying Flame

Dabi x F!Reader

Warnings: strong angst, mentions of drug use, death, drug over dose, threats of suicide, childhood trauma, mommy issues, body issues, verbal abuse, SMUT

A/N: I promised you guys a smut fic so here you go. And since I'm feeling generous, i left a surprise at the end. But seriously everything in the warnings is in here so you have been warned

~~~

Loneliness is something you’d wish on no one. Not even your worst enemy. Cause you don’t know how someone can survive on this feeling. 

It was so cold without someone to hold. Without someone to tell you how much you mean to them. You’ve always heard how amazing the feeling is to know that someone cares about you. Someone that loves you and gives up the world for you. But you’ve never felt it. You’ve only heard the stories everyone tells of the one in their life. 

You’ve tried to get close to people, to try having that connection that everyone raves about, but nothing ever works. They either ghost or downright reject you when you ask them on a date. Of course, you knew that no one was obligated to care about you, but you just were so desperate for that comforting feeling that anything would have been better than nothing. 

So when you met him, the only man to show you a small amount of affection, you fell head over heels. You are already so attached to a man who only calls you up for a fuck. Madly in love with a man who’ll leave you on read for days. In love with a man who never fucks you in his own bed. 

Desperate for a man who tells you that he adores you in the sheets but ignores you when he's out walking the streets. Always confuses you with his words and actions and never offers an explanation. 

You remember the day you were walking with him when a minor villain asked for your number. And before you could even get a single word out or anything, a blazing blue light lit the alleyway.  All that was left was ashes as he walked away from you, not looking at you.

You weren’t even dating him at the time, hell, your still not dating him. You were just walking home from having a hookup at a hotel, and you both happened to be going the same way.

He didn’t even say anything when he did it. Just a burning blue flame before walking away, leaving you to stare at the thug's cremated remains.

Another incident is where you were getting robbed by a different villain, and he happened to pass by. You called out to him, hoping he’d help you, only for him to look at you and walk away. Not even bothering to spare you a second glance. 

Thankfully a hero happened to be nearby, so you were saved and still had all your stuff, but the thought of him seeing you in distress and not bothering to help shot a hole in your heart. 

You didn’t know what to do. While you were hurt, you couldn’t just give up the only person to show you affection. Even if it was only for your body.

~~~

“Im prescribing you an anti-depressant. We’ll start with 10mg, alright? Do you want to read the side effects? I advise that you do, Miss (L/N).”

“Okay. Thank you, Doctor.” He hands you a packet and the address to the pharmacy to grab your medication. 

“Would you like me to hook you up with a therapist?” If only you had the money for that.

“No, thank you. Thanks for the offer, though.” You grabbed your stuff and walked out the office door towards the lobby. 

The feeling of a million eyes staring at you was enough to make you want to run back to the small room you had just left. Luckily your boss was somewhat kind to you and gave you the day off for this. 

Looking around, you see that everyone seems so normal. People could be here for entirely different reasons or the same thing you were there for. Even so, you couldn’t help but feel judgment. So you just tried to walk out fast and avoid eye contact with anyone. You just wanted to get your meds and go home.

Stepping inside your car after walking across the parking lot felt like a weight had been put on your shoulders. Knowing that you're just going back to your life but having to take meds to simply make you feel something didn’t sound like something you wanted to do for the rest of your life.

Getting out your key, you go to start the car. Looking up into the mirror to see if anyone’s behind you, a memory hit you once again.

“Mommy where are we going?” You asked as you sat in the back seat looking out the window before at your mom.

“Gonna go beat the fuck out of my cheating ex and his side whore too!” Looking at the dash you see your mother speeding up. Speeds way past the speed limit and fear started taking over you.

“Can you go a little slower please? Your scaring me…” Your mother looked up from the road with an angry expression on her face.

“Not everythings about you! So sit down and shut up!”

‘What if he calls the police?” Your mother slowed down before pulling over on the side of the road. Getting out of the drivers seat she made her way over towards yoru door. Your heart started pounding and without thinking you locked your door just as she tried the handle. 

“Unlock it you little shit!” She banged hard on the window making you think she’d break it. Fear filled your being as you felt tears brim your eyes. It went on like this for two minutes before she finally stopped. Stomping towards the drivers side, she got and started on the road again. She gave you a look that made you curl up closer to the door.

Just then, her phoen rang.

“What is it Manny?” You saw yoru mothers eyes go wide before she let out this ear piercing scream.

“He proposed?! How could he do this to me?!” You turn your head to face outside as you sat in your thoughts. How could she be so in love with a man that didn’t love her back?

The sound of your car door opening made you scream in terror before calming down after seeing who it was.

“Relax, it’s me. I need a lift.” The sound of his voice calmed you but, at the same time, saddened you. Your heart was still beating from the earlier fear, and you tried to talk a deep breath to avoid other thoughts. Thoughts like how he came to you because he knew that you’d say yes no matter what. You never said no to him.

“Okay. Where do you want to go?”

“My house. You know where it is.” He was right. You always had to drop him off at home. It was common for him to just step in your car like he owned it. You locked it all the time, so you don’t know how he gets in before you sometimes. Despite being annoying, it was nice to have his presence in your usually empty car. 

~~~

“Well, here we are. I’ll see you later-” The door shut before you could get another word out. The sound of the door slamming so hard made your finally calm heart pick up its pace once more. It hurt more than you like to admit. Was it so hard for him to say goodbye?

“Okay, let’s just go to the pharmacy. I need to pick the meds up before they close.” With the car driving away, you turn the radio on, and no matter what station you switch to, it was always some stupid talk show. Sighing, you just left it alone on one and tried to tune out the talking as you looked at the road.

The smell of cigarettes lingered in your car as images started replaying in your head. Pictures of him sleeping after sex while drunk. Images of how he once curled up next to you in his sleep. How he turned so calm when he laid his head on your chest, and you ran your fingers through his hair. 

Scenes of his body on top of yours as his lips kissed yours. When his hands ran up and down your sides as he whispered sweet nothings into your ear. The way his body was so warm, and you always felt safe when you were held by him. His beautiful eyes tell you stories that he’d never tell you himself. Remembering his voice as he told you how perfect you were. How you made him feel so good. 

You didn’t notice till you parked in front of the pharmacy that you were sobbing. Your cheeks were wet as tears clinging to your eyelashes. God, this was perfect. You looked like a mess getting something that was supposed to make your life not so messy.

Luck never seemed to be on your side.

~~~

The sun shined against your face as the morning finally arrived. Opening your eyes, you look around and see that, once again, your alone. No one to tell you good morning. With all that in mind, it just made it harder than usual to get out of bed. 

What was the purpose? You didn’t even have work today, so what was to stop you from staying in bed all day? You didn’t even have the meds you were supposed to take. When you went to pick them up, the store said they were out, and you’d have to wait a week. 

You almost jumped over the counter from the sheer anger you were feeling. But you couldn’t do anything. Mother always told you that it wasn’t good to go to bed angry, but who was she to talk?

Always screaming at something. Let it be her kids, exes, god, or the world. Nothing was safe. The amount of times you found her on her knees screaming out as she shook her head violently from side to side. Screaming about an ex that she couldn’t get over. Screaming at you for being so goddamn useless that you were a pathetic excuse for a daughter. Screaming at the sky about how god is nothing but a lie. 

You couldn’t be like her. That's what the meds were for right? Trying to get better to avoid a seemingly never-ending cycle. 

~~~

“These pills are fucking useless! I pay so much for these things and they don’t even work! It's been months, and I don’t feel anything!” You screamed at the half empty pill bottle before chucking it across the kitchen. The bottle hit the wall with a bang before the contents exploded all over the ground. 

“What's the damn point in taking them if they dont work?!” Your yelling echoed the across the house as you try to hold yourself back from screaming at the top of your lungs. You could feel hot angry tears pour down your face as your heart raced. You were about to yell at the broken bottle again when the sound of the door opening stopped you.

“Hey (Y/N) you home?” God he couldn’t see you this way! Wiping yoru tears quickly as you took deep breaths before answering.

“Yeah just in the kitchen!” 

“Alright.” The sound of his footsteps felt like a timer as you quickly tried to pick up the broken bottle and pills that laid scattered on the floor.

“I need to ask a favor from you.” Thankfully as soon as he stepped into the kitchen you were able to throw everything into the garbage can.

“Oh? What do you need?” 

“I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend. This fling won’t leave me alone.” Oh. A fling.

“Okay.” The words left yoru mouth before you even got a chance to think.

“Thanks, I knew i could count on you.” Stepping towards you, he put his hand on your cheek and pressed his lips against yours. 

The warmth his body radiated made you want to push yourself even closer to the man in front of you. It's been so long since you’ve felt his lips against yours that you almost forgot his taste. 

The feeling of his hand leaving your cheek only to slowly glide down your sides as you feel his lips kiss down to your neck. His hands glided underneath your shirt as he covered your neck in love bites. 

“Dabi…” The way he kissed your skin took air out of your lungs as you were so happy just to have him touch you again. It's been so long it felt like. You were simply losing your mind over the way he touched your skin. 

You moved your hands towards his face as you gently caressed his non-scarred cheek. The skin that was untouched by his quirk was always so warm and soft. Every inch of it you’d kiss if he’d let you. You didn’t dare touch his burned skin. The thought of causing him pain was something you’d never dream of. 

The feeling of his fingers dipping underneath your pajama pants and panties made your toes curl in excitement. Who would’ve thought that today you were going to be taken by him?

You could feel him sliding them both down to above your knee before you did the rest and kicked them off. His hands grabbed your thighs and wrapped your legs around his waist. You could feel his cock through his pants as he rubbed up against you. 

Moving your hands towards his pants, you quickly undo his belt. You looked into his eyes, and the way he looked at you had you rubbing your thighs together. 

“Please Dabi.” You sounded so pathetic but you knew he loved it. He loved it when you begged for him to fuck you. When you cry out that he’s too big and that you feel like you might split in half. Crying in overstimulation as he fucks you to the point of not being able to form words. 

The sound of shuffling echoed in your ears as he pulled his pants lower to expose his hard cock. You bite your lip when you feel him line up with your cunt. 

“Beg harder.”

“Please, please, please, Dabi! I need you to fuck me! I can’t stand not being filled with your cock!” Your pleas sounded like music to his ears as he didn’t even give you a chance to say more before ramming his cock into you. 

Grabbing his sleeves as some sort of stabilizer you begin to shake as the feeling of him slamming into your cunt repeatedly made you almost lose balance. He filled you so much. It felt like his cock was exploring every inch of your cunt. You could feel every detail of him, and engraved it into your brain so that even when he wasn’t there, you’d remember what it felt like. 

He laughed at your form as you desperately tried to keep a steady mind. You got so lost to the feeling of his cock inside you that you were always so dumbfounded quickly. But that’s his favorite part about you. Watching you so quickly come undone gave him an ego boost that he always loved. 

You pressed your lips against his once more, and the kiss was much more intense than it was before. Lust is a powerful thing but even more powerful when it's someone that you love. 

You could feel your legs quiver as a familiar feeling started to rise in your gut. You curled your toes harder as you held tightly onto his shirt before going rigid as the feeling of intense pleasure washed over you. 

Even though you were still coming down from your high, he never stopped ramming his cock into you. You could feel him hitting your cervix every time, and even the pain gave you pleasure. Anything gave you pleasure as long as it was from him.

The feeling of his fingers digging into your thighs as his pace fastened made you smile. You were making him feel good. You were the one making him come undone. Your heart started pounding as you held onto his shirt tighter. 

With a few more harsh thrusts and the sound of his enjoyment falling on your lips, you felt him cum inside you. The feeling of being so full and so close to him let your walls down as three words fell from your lips.

“I love you.” You could feel Dabi’s body go rigid before he quickly pulled out of you. He backed away from you, leaving you leaning against the kitchen counter. 

“Pfft, the sex is good, but I can’t ever see myself being with someone like you.” Your eyes widened as he straightened himself up. A smile was plastered on his face. You could hear the faintest laughter coming from his throat. 

He looked at you before laughing a little louder and walking towards the door. You just stood there in shock. Legs still wobbly, and you could feel his cum dripping down your thighs. Your pants were underneath you, but all you could do was watch the scarred man walked towards your door. 

“I think we should see other people.” That's all he said before closing the door, leaving you half-naked with tears rolling down your face.

~~~

What day was it? You lost track. You haven’t stepped outside since Dabi closed your front door. You ran to go after him, but remembering your lack of pants and you tripping in front of the door stopped you. You remember hearing the door lock from the outside. He must have used the key you gave him.

You only looked at the locked shut door before you started bawling your eyes out. Tears pooled against your floor as you felt so pathetic. Sitting on the floor half naked, crying into the night as you feel your legs getting sticky. 

Collapsing to the floor, you curled up in a fetal position before crying even harder. 

What was so wrong with you that he laughed at your face? Were you not pretty enough? Did he find your body disgusting? Why would he say such cruel things so normally?

Your stomach growled loudly as it begged for food. Leaving your bed was like asking to raise the dead. Impossible. Plus, why would you even want to eat food? What if your eating habits caused him to run? You drink enough water, so you should be fine, right?

The only time you even left your bed was to go to the restroom and grab more water. You didn’t even have to leave your bedroom as you had a bathroom in your room. 

You obviously stopped taking those stupid pills. Putting something into your body is pointless if it doesn’t even help you.  You even turned off your phone to stop getting the stupid notifications that a prescription was ready to be picked up. 

Looking at the ceiling as your body was covered in blankets, you could feel tears forming again. You were surprised you still had any water left in your body as you’ve lost count of the amount of times you’ve cried since Dabi walked out. 

Even now, your heart constricted as it felt like your heart was being ripped in two. It hurt so bad that you swore you could throw up. You’ve surrounded yourself with all the toilet paper and tissues you could find. You’ve already gone through a good amount.

Your tears started pouring down harder as the pain in your heart hurt even worse. You couldn’t help but let out a scream of heartbreak and pain. It echoed throughout the house and only made you cry louder. Why did it have to hurt so bad? You couldn’t even breathe from how hard you ever crying. You don’t think you’ve ever cried this hard before or felt this much emotional pain all at once. 

“That fucking piece of shit! Cheating on me with some common whore! Am I not good enough for him?!” Your mother's voice boomed in the kitchen. You and your brother ran out of your rooms to see what could be causing her so much distress. 

“What's wrong mommy?” The sound of your little brother's voice made your heart beat in your chest, and you stood next to him to offer comfort. 

“What's the point in fucking living if no one fucking loves me?!” Your mother screamed once more as she rummaged through a random drawer. 

“Mom, we love you….” The tiredness evident in your voice as how late in the night it was. Your mom found something she clutched in her hand before looking at you and your brother.

“I might as well stab this through my fucking neck and kill myself!” Your mother pushed what you saw to be a two-prong fork against her neck hard enough to see it make dents in the skin.

“Mom, stop it!” You scream at the top of your lungs as you pull your now crying brother towards you. The sound of your brother heaving and gasping for breath as he cried in fear.

“Like you guys would fucking care if I died! You would go live a perfect fucking life with grandma and grandpa!” Tears pricked at your eyes. You had to stay strong for him. You had to be the big sister. You had to be his rock. 

“You don’t need him! There are plenty of other fish in the sea!” You said as you tried to calm down the situation. Your mother only looked at you before throwing the fork harshly on the counter and started stomping towards her room.

“You’ll never know how I feel! You’ll never know real love!” The sound of her slamming her door shut made you flinch as you held onto your brother tighter. His cries only worsened as he held onto you tight. His tears drench your shirt as you try to calm him down and push back your own tears.

“It’s okay. How about we have a sleepover tonight? Those are always fun!” You could feel your brother nod in your shirt as he grabbed your hand, and you both started walking towards his room and getting ready for a sleepover.

You cried even harder as you lay in your bed. God, you really were pathetic. Acting just like your mother over a man that doesn’t love you. You’ve stopped taking your meds just like her. Screaming and cursing at the world just like her. You promised yourself you wouldn’t be like her, yet here you are.

Just then, something inside of you told you to turn on your phone. 

Through teary eyes, you go and grab your phone off the nightstand and turn it on. A random number and text appeared on your phone. Unlocking it and looking at the text, your eyes went wide as if it was from someone you had never thought of.

You sat up and quickly rubbed the tears away as you looked at your phone more carefully. You press the call button, not expecting an answer, only to hear a voice you haven’t heard in years.

“(Y/N)?”

“(B/N)?”

~~~

“I’m so proud of you! You look like a completely different person!” The voices of your friend ran through your ears.

“Thank you!” Putting your things in a box, you see a picture of you dropping out.

It’s crazy. Seeing yourself from all those months ago. You swore that if you didn’t know this was you in the picture, you thought it would've been your mother. Looking at you now, you knew you’d be okay.

The day your brother texted you is the day your life changed. You don’t know what you would have done if your brother didn’t text you that day about your mother's death.

You stopped talking to your mother the day you moved out. You did the same with your brother. Your mother had started to favor and slowly turned him against you. You remember the names he called you as well. So when you moved out you were so happy to finally be free. Your brother was teo years younger so now you didn’t have to see him and talk to him everyday. You didn’t want a miny version of yoru mother in your life.

The day he texted you was the first time you’ve talked to him in five years. So many tears were shed as you both cried into the phone. Your brother apologizing for everything and telling you what lifes been like since you left. He told you that the day before he texted you, your mother had died.

Her death was a shock yet not surprising. You always hoped in some small part of you that she’d get clean but, guess she didn’t want to. That or she was just to far gone. They found her sitting in her bed cold as ice with the needle still in her arm.

And only then did you break down once more and you told him everything. How you’ve been feeling. About how you stopped taking yoru meds. About Dabi. Everything. He was silent through it all before offering up a option that was never in your budget.

“I know a good place for you to get the help you deserve (Y/N).” THe place in question was a mental hospital/rehab center. 

You spent six months in there. Your brother paid for your house bills and the entire time. He even paid for the stay at the hospital. He told you it was the least he could do for treating you like shit all those years ago. And now today, you can finally go home after benign cleared by everyone.

“I’ll keep in contact!” You said as you hugged your friends goodbye and stepped into the car where your brother waited for you. Luckily enough you managed to make friends while in there. You haven;t had friends in years so it was nice to have someone to talk to about fun things. For the first time in forever, you finally felt happy. Happier than you ever were with him.

~~~

A loud knock woke you up from your sleep. Rubbing your eyes you look around and notice you fell sleep watching a movie on the couch. You looked at the clock and yoru eyes went wide. Midnight?! Who the hell knocks at midnight?!

Grabbing the bat from your shoe closet, you look through the peep hole as you clutched the bat tight.

“No fucking way.” Swinging the door open with an open jaw, you couldn’t believe what you were seeing. Someone you hoped you left in yoru past. 

“Dabi?”

“(Y/N).” A big bouquet of flowers in his hand.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

“I came to say i’m sorry. Ever since that night i haven’t been able to get you off my mind. You did so much for me and i took advantage of that. So i was hoping that you might be able to forgive me and maybe we could start over? This time together?” You look at him dumbfounded. You couldn’t find the words to say as your eyes kept going to the flowers then him.

“It’s midnight Dabi. I was sleeping.”

“I know, I just-”

“I’mma stop you right there. It took you six months for this? For such a pathetic half assed apology? After laughing at me and crushing my already vulnerable heart? You must be a fucking didiot if you think I’d ever want to be something with you.” Dabi’s eyes went wide as he just stood there listening to your words.

“I’ve spent six months choosing to better myself and get over the hurt you caused me and you have the balls to give me some dying flower bouquet?” You start laughing hard at his face before an even brighter smile filled your face as you grabbed the door handle.

“I think we should see other people.” You close the door on him, locking it as well before going back on the couch. Grabbing the remote you turned on yoru favorite movie and applauded yourself for remembering to change the locks when you got home.

#dabi x reader #mha angst #mha smut #dabi angst #dabi my hero academia #mha dabi #bnha dabi #touya todoroki #todoroki touya #mha #bnha #tw: suicide #tw death #tw drug use