#part of me wants to make it so different emotions make the bulbs glow differently

[azura-vargas]

Broken Melody

2p Japan x 2p Italy

Luciano hugged himself as the cold wind collied with his body, pulling his scarf near his face. Despite the layers of clothes, he can’t stop shivering. The warmth radiated is not enough as the snow keeps falling above the night sky decorating his hair and the land beneath him. It’s been so long since he takes a stroll to clear his mind and have a moment of peace. He always busies himself with work because it is the only thing that can take his mind out of unwanted thoughts.

In the corner of his eyes, he sees someone sitting alone on the ground near a fountain, curled up in a ball. A small pile of snow-covered his head. As much as Luciano hates interacting, he doesn’t want the stranger to get hypothermia or freeze to death. With this weather, it’s only a matter of time to meet the grim reaper if he stays exposed.

He approached the stranger, and the street light suddenly flickered above him. He looked suspiciously at it but shrugged it off. He kneels in front of the stranger. “Excuse me, but what are you doing alone in the midst of snowfall?” puffs of white smoke were released on his lips as he spoke.

All the street lights flicker for a moment but return to being calm. ‘Is there an electrical problem or the bulbs are just damaged?’ The Italian thought.

The stranger raised his head. His nose and eyes were red as tears glided down his face. “I can’t afford to go home after getting fired for my job. I am the only one my family relies on, and now I failed them.” He said as if he was done with life and ready to surrender in death. Which exactly what he’s doing right now. The pressure and the emotions are eating him whole, making him unstable. He can only think of himself as useless and a failure.

Luciano shakes the man, trying to knock some sense in him. “Sir listen, I am sure your family is waiting and worried about you. Misfortune is part of life, so don’t give up your life. If you die, you will only pass the pain away and make it worse.”

The man widened his eyes as the realization hit him, wiping his tears. Those hopeless eyes were now burning with determination. “Thank you, young man. Words cannot describe how grateful I am.”

A gentle breeze passes them, rustling the trees. Luciano opens his mouth to say something but closes it as he hears a calming melody. “Sir, did you hear that music?”

The man tilted his head in confusion, looking around to see if there was someone beside them, but they were the only ones. “I don’t hear anything.”

“Maybe you’re just tired. Let’s go home.” The man waved him goodbye, and Luciano watched him as he disappeared into the darkness.

Now alone, Luciano sit’s in the fountain looking at his reflection in the frozen water. That melody before seems familiar. He remembered that he had heard something about a tale of spirit when he was a child. Like a mermaid, they attract their prey using their beautiful melody. But they said this one is different. They did not eat their prey. If they don’t, then what did they do?

The winds howl, carrying the soothing tune again. It rings around the forest as if someone is playing a flute. Usually, it is not a good sign when you hear a sound in the forest near midnight, but the tune was so beautiful as if it had been calling him. So that’s what he does. He follows the sound.

The full moon loomed in the sky, surrounded by an ethereal glow serving as a lamp as he explored the forest’s depth. In every step, he leaves a mark embedded in the snow. There’s nothing but a bunch of trees and land covered in snow that can be seen in his vision. Maybe he was getting lost? So he looked behind. His footprints were still there, but why did he seem so far since he couldn’t see a glimpse of the fountain? He never even wander that far.

He decides to go back, following in his footstep. A moment passes. It feels like nothing is changing. Something is not correct. It’s like he’s been repeatedly strolling in this area.

A thick layer of black clouds covers the moon, blinding his vision. As the moon shone again, he saw an old well in front of him. In a movie he watched, he remembered this where a girl with long hair covering his face descended into the well. He ponders if he should peek inside or not, considering the unnatural things happening. First the melody, second the never-ending forest and now a well appearing out of nowhere?. But he does not have a better idea, he tries to go back, but it leads him to the exact place. He breathed deeply, gathering his courage. Maybe this will lead him on how to get out of here or perhaps worse, but either way, he must be prepared for what is to come.

He peeks inside, seeing only the empty darkness. This made him release the breath he’s been holding. He no longer hears the melody. Perhaps the enchantment in this forest is now broken?

Luciano’s breath hitched as he felt a heavy hand resting on his shoulder. His heartbeat hammers in his chest. How come he did not feel any presence behind him or even hear a noise of snow crunching as someone stepped? He slowly swift his head behind, ready to punch whoever touched him if needed.

A man was standing before him. His hair is the darkest Luciano has ever seen, contrasting his skin which is pale as snow. A charming smile decorates his features; however, his red eyes show another story.

“We’ve finally met, Luciano.” The man said, gazing at him longingly as if they’d been long lost, lovers.

Out of instinct, Luciano pushes the man away, creating a safe distance. “Who are you? How do you know me?”

The man frowned but smiled again sweetly. “I am Kuro. I know you because I’ve been keeping an eye on you.”

Luciano feels chills in his body. This man has been observing him. How come he doesn’t even detect it? Many people attempt to assassinate him, and no one even successfully hurt him since he figures it out quickly.

Luciano glared. “What do you want from me?”

“I want you to be my bride.” He said ever so casually with a sickeningly sweet smile.

“What?!” Luciano never raised his voice, but this was surprising for him because he did not expect to hear those words again in his entire life.

Kuro chuckles in his reaction. “I am asking you to be mine.”

“No”, Luciano plainly said. Is this man crazy? They’ve just met, and now he’s asking him to be his? After saying that, he’s been watching him for too long? Who in the right state of mind will agree to it?

Kuro’s expression turned into a hurt one but was quickly replaced by a bone-chilling smile. He unsheathed his katana, and the blade was proudly shining in the moonlight. “It doesn’t matter if you said no. I will have you either way.”

Luciano slowly steps back as the adrenaline pumps up in his veins. The man just asked him to be his, but now he’s planning to kill him because he disagreed? He wants to convince himself that the other was only scaring him so he would surrender, but those bloodlust eyes tell him otherwise.

He needs a distraction for an escape since his knife is no match for a weapon like that. His eyes drift off to Kuro’s clothes. He doesn’t even wear any jackets to fight the cold. “Don’t you feel cold?” An excellent question to buy a little bit of time. His eyes scan the surroundings hoping to find the footprints he left before, but there is none.

“Dead people don’t feel cold anymore as they’ve been cold for a long time.” It is a simple answer, yet it sends a disturbing feeling to Luciano’s heart.

He wants to believe that Kuro was joking; however, he can’t bring himself to when all the proof is before his eyes. In the midst of heavy snowfall, any person should be shaking from coldness, and their faces should be red from it, but he never sees any sign of it against Kuro.

Fear creeps upon him, and he slowly searches for the knife in his pocket. He gets confused when he grasps nothing but air since he never forgets to bring his knife with him. Hell, he even sleeps with a knife near him.

“Looking for this?” Kuro said, smirking as he held a familiar object. It’s his knife.

Luciano gritted his teeth. As much as he didn’t want to, he dashed away. He did not have a better choice. He couldn’t kill a dead.

“Run as much as you want, but you can’t get away from me” The maniacal laughter rings into the forest, causing the bunch of Raven resting on the tree to fly away.

Luciano’s heavy footstep can be heard as he keeps running, not caring where his feet will lead him. The most important thing is to escape from Kuro. He pauses for a moment blinking rapidly. This was the exact place where he was before, this is the same well, but Kuro is not here. He runs again, not wasting his time.

He ran and ran until his feet gave up. No matter what path he takes, it always leads him back to the well. It’s like a maze where there is no exit. Well, it has an exit which is death, and that will never be an option. He never wants to die like this. There are so many things he’s yet to do. He doesn’t want to leave his brother alone. After all, he’s the only family he has, and he doesn’t want to bring him more misery. How would his brother react? His friend? His allies? And his people? Damn, he had so many responsibilities that his death could cause chaos.

Luciano’s heart skipped a beat as a twig snapped behind him. He silently prays that it is not him as he slowly looks behind, bracing for what is to come.

Just as his footprints fade behind, his hope also fades away. Kuro was standing before him. A dangerous smirk was plastered on his face. “Found you”

He approaches Luciano, and Luciano steps backward with every step he makes until Luciano’s back hits the well.

Kuro near his face in Luciano’s ear as he whispered in an icy cold tone. “See you in the underworld, my bride.” That was the last thing he said as his katana pierced into Luciano’s chest decorating the snow beneath them with a beautiful shade of crimson.

Blood fills Luciano’s lungs causing him to cough up some blood. Kuro’s sadistic smirk widened as his eyes were filled with bloodlust. He doesn’t feel any remorse, only satisfaction. He twisted the katana before pulling it out without mercy. The blood gushed out in Luciano’s chest like a waterfall. He then shoved Luciano into the well.

Luciano closes his eyes, embracing the darkness.

Luciano’s eyes shot wide open as he gasped desperately for air as if he’s been drowned. He jolts from the bed, sweat trickling on his forehead. He touched his chest with his trembling hand searching for the wound. He raised his brow in confusion since there was no blood anymore, and he didn’t feel any pain. ‘Maybe it’s just a dream?’ but why does it feel so real?

“I’m glad you’re awake, my love.” Kuro smiled. A black crown was adoring his head.

Luciano froze in place. “No, this must be a dream.” This must be a nightmare playing with his mind.

“This is real, my Queen.”

Luciano looked at him, confused. Kuro did not mention anything regarding being a royalty. “Queen?”

“From this day onward, you are my lovely wife and the Queen of the Underworld.”

#2p hetalia #2p italy #2p japan

[invisibleanonymousmonsters]

two can keep a secret

Character: Jason Todd x Fem!Reader

Summary: What is the difference between a secret and a lie? Jason Todd is in love. But will his relationship survive when Y/N realizes she doesn’t know him at all?

Word Count: 9,500+ [One Shot]

Warnings: Violence, mentions of rape, domestic violence, and murder

She is the first thing he thinks of when he slowly comes to.

Not her face, like some glowing angel that you always see in those stupid movie montages, where the protagonist’s wife or girlfriend tragically died and he’s thinking of her.

No, Jason is thinking about how pissed Y/N’s going to be when he misses date night.

Jason didn’t need to go out to a fancy restaurant or cocktail bar to be content. Doing absolutely nothing with Y/N was more than enough for him. But she deserved more than that – not that she ever said so. Jason was the one who insisted on taking her out every so often. So he sucked it up and did anything to make that woman smile. It didn’t hurt that Y/N was too talented at dolling herself up.

Y/N was probably sitting with her hair curled and her makeup done to perfection (after watching a YouTube tutorial for a look she had been wanting to try for weeks). Or, depending on how much time had passed, she had given up and bitterly changed into her pajamas.

The other unfortunate fact was that Y/N still didn’t know that Jason had a double life. She had zero idea that her boyfriend of a few months was also the infamous Red Hood.

So, yeah, Y/N was going to be pissed, thinking that Jason simply forgot about date night or just completely blew her off.

Just when Jason was fighting the migraine to open his eyes, someone kicked his shins roughly.

“I know you’re awake,” someone sang to him.

Jason blinked and squinted, realizing that his helmet was still intact.

Well, that’s one positive.

He looked at the man standing just a few feet away from him. Decked out in a fancy green suit, horned rimmed glasses, and that stupid little bowler hat.

The Riddler.

Jason always found him to be mostly an inconvenience. But clearly he’d done something to piss off the annoying genius, because this was a lot of effort on his part.

“What the fuck do you want?” Jason growled, knowing his voice sounded even more dangerous with his helmet distorting it.

Riddler smiled and put his arms behind his back. “You have become rather troublesome, Red Hood.”

“Oh, how the tables have turned,” Jason answered with sarcasm.

But Jason hadn’t been interfering with the Riddler for quite some time, so he was still rather confused what was going on.

“Our mutual friend is quite tired of you meddling with his business. Also, it’s not cheap to replace all of his goons you keep murdering.”

Jason tilted his head. “You’re gonna have to be a bit more specific.”

Riddler narrowed his eyes with slight annoyance. “Why the Clown Prince of Crime, of course.” Jason’s body tensed at the name and the Riddler noticed immediately. “He figured if you came back from the dead once before, there’s a chance you could do it again.”

Then the Riddler stopped his pacing and did a dramatic gesture to himself. “Which is where I come in. You see, he thought it would save him some time and effort to simply hire me.” He moved closer to Jason. “He figured if he couldn’t kill you…maybe you deserve a different punishment.”

Jason audible sighed. “Am I supposed to be scared?”

While it sounded like a joke, there was a truth to the question. Jason stopped fearing death long ago. And once you’ve died and come back to life, there’s nothing really that scared Jason Todd anymore. Which was why he had become the ruthless and merciless antihero of Gotham.

Batman would hurt criminals enough to break them. Red Hood would simply kill them.

Though after fighting his family became too much, Jason finally agreed to stop his massacres. But the criminals of Gotham didn’t need to know that. And Jason would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy how much they shook at the mere sight of him.

“Oh, I’m sure we can figure out how to return some fear into that ice cold heart of yours,” Riddler whispered in Jason’s ear before pressing a button.

A swinging light bulb flashed on.

No, no, no, no. no.

Below the source of the light was Y/N, tied to a chair by her hands and feet. A rag was across her mouth and tied at the back of her head. She was only in her underwear and a baggy t-shirt – Jason’s t-shirt. Further proving that she had been ripped from her bed and brought here against her will.

Jason completely controlled his reaction to seeing his girlfriend being held captive just 20 feet across from him. But in reality, his heart was about explode out of his chest.

Not this. Not her. Anything but her.

“What is this?” Jason asked, trying to sound as devoid of emotion as possible. The less she seemed to mean to him, the less Riddler would want to use her against him.

“I think you know exactly what this is, Red Hood.” Then Riddler practically skipped to Y/N’s side, who looked confused and terrified, clearly having no idea why any of this was happening to her of all people.

“Your quarrel is with me, Riddler. There’s no need to involve an innocent civilian.” Jason’s voice was cool and even.

But he ignored Jason and pulled a pistol out from the back of the waist.

Jason couldn’t remain calm any longer. He started struggling against the ties.

“Don’t worry. The fun has just begun. You get these three riddles right and I won’t hurt her – at least…not yet.”

But Jason was looking at Y/N. She was looking back at him, which did little to reassure her. She didn’t know who he was and his helmet wasn’t designed to comfort people.

“Hey, it’s gonna be OK.” He tried to tell her as softly as he could.

For some reason, she nodded. But Jason knew her well enough to see his words had little impact on her. Tears started streaming down her face and her entire body was shaking as she felt the cold metal of a gun pressed to her head.

“Shall we begin?” Riddler asked with a creepily joyful smile.

Jason waited. But as the Riddler was distracted, he was able to maneuver his arms to press the panic button on his wrist to send out a distress signal to the right people. It was his first time using it, always too proud or stubborn to ask for help.

But if Y/N was involved, none of that mattered anymore.

The Riddler’s eerie tone brought him back, “When you have me, you feel like sharing me. But if you do share me, you don’t have me.” He took in a deep breath. “What am I?”

Jason’s chest was heaving with anger. He should’ve been more careful. He should’ve stayed away from Y/N. He was a curse, a disease. Anyone that got close to him just ended up in danger. And he should’ve known better than to think he could be happy without consequences.

“Clock’s ticking, Red Hood.” He cocked the gun. “What am I?”

“A secret,” Jason growled.

“Surprise, surprise. There does seem to be some semblance of a brain underneath that stupid helmet of yours.”

Y/N closed her eyes in relief, causing more tears to escape and slide down her cheeks.

“When you have me more, you can see only less. What am I?” The Riddler asked.

Jason thought on the next riddle as he tried to find one of his knives hidden in his sleeve. But even when he grabbed one, it would take far too long to cut through this thick rope that kept him tied down.

“Darkness,” Jason answered confidently.

The Riddler seemed annoyed now. “One more riddle and then we’ll move on to another game. Or maybe we won’t, if you get it wrong.” He shifted so he was directly behind Y/N and facing Jason as he pointed the gun at the back of her head.

“The person who built it, sold it. The person who bought it, never used it. The person who used it, never saw it.” He tilted his head. “What is it?”

Jason finally found the edge of a knife. He subtly started cutting at the ropes on the back of his chair, praying he could buy himself enough time to get him out.

The Riddler lifted the gun to the ceiling and shot it, causing Y/N to jump and let out a yelp.

“I’m waiting!” He snapped at Jason.

“A coffin!” Jason growled. “Put the gun down and let her go. You’ve had your fun.”

The Riddler laughed. “Oh, you think that this was the main attraction?” He put the gun down, but moved to grip Y/N’s chin roughly.

“Secrets, darkness, coffin,” Riddler listed the three answers aloud. Then he turned to Jason. “What do all of them have in common?”

Riddler moved back behind Y/N and leaned down to whisper in her ear. The feeling alone caused a chill to go down her spine. “You’ve been lied to, my dear. The decision to bring you here was not random at all. That I can promise you.”

“Secrets, secrets are no fun. Secrets, secrets hurt someone,” he sang loudly, his voice echoing in the warehouse. Then he danced back to Y/N and pulled down the rag around her mouth, finally allowing her to speak.

“Red Hood, question for you. How many people have you killed?”

Don’t do this, Jason begged in his mind. 

He didn’t answer.

The Riddler didn’t appreciate this and quickly walked to Y/N, smacking her across the face with the back of his hand.

Jason struggled against his restraints.

Riddler whipped back to him. “Answer the question!”

“I don’t know,” he barked back.

“You don’t know because there’s so many?” Riddler challenged.

“I don’t keep track,” Jason answered quickly, knowing his silence would only cause Y/N more pain.

“More then 10?”

“Yes.”

“More then 50?” Riddler asked with an evil grin.

“Yes.”

Riddler turned to Y/N. “It’s actually 83.”

It was the first Jason had heard the number. But he knew better than to question it.

“You call yourself a hero. But looks to me like you’re just a murderer,” the Riddler cooed with a sneer. 

Jason hung his head in shame. “I’ve never called myself a hero.”

Riddler ignored his comment and turned his attention fully to Y/N now. “Now this next one is for you, dear. And it’s a tricky one.” The Riddler took in a deep breath. “I hurt the most when lost, yet also when not had at all. I’m sometimes the hardest to express, but the easiest to ignore. I can be given to many…or only just one.”

Y/N swallowed, repeating the words over and over again in her head.

“L-Love,” she finally stuttered out, but seemed sure of her answer.

The Riddler smiled at her response. He turned to Jason. “You sure know how to pick ‘em, Red Hood.” Then he shifted his weight. “Or should I say Jason?”

Jason saw the confusion on Y/N’s face from the comment.

“Tell me dear, did you know you were in love with a murderer?”

Y/N was discombobulated by such a question.

But before she could figure it out, the Riddler rushed to Jason and ripped off his helmet. When he saw that Jason was wearing a domino mask underneath, he rolled his eyes. “All you bats and birds are so paranoid!” Then he ripped that off, too.

Y/N’s eyes widened at the sight of her boyfriend.

But Jason didn’t catch it. He was too busy hanging his head, scared to meet her gaze.

“Surprised?” The Riddler asked her with glee.

Her tears started again. But they weren’t just from being scared now. They were tears of betrayal.

“Oh, sweetheart. Don’t cry,” the Riddler mocked.

“You did what you wanted. Now let her go,” Jason growled.

He tugged at his ropes, but his knife wasn’t cutting fast enough.

“Let her go?” The Riddler was baffled. “Who said anything about letting her go? I said I wasn’t going to hurt her if you cooperated. But killing her is the only way I can hurt you, Red Hood. Don’t worry, I shall make it quick!”

With that he raised his gun to her head once again. Y/N squeezed her eyes shut, truly believing this is how she was going to die.

“NO!” Jason screamed.

But right before pulling the trigger, Riddler’s grip was knocked away by a batarang.

Jason felt sick with relief when he turned to see Batman and Robin making their way to the Riddler.

Riddler was not a fighter. He always made a run for it.

But when he turned to do so, he was met with Nightwing blocking his path.

Jason felt someone drop behind him and realized that Red Robin was getting rid of his restraints.

Riddler looked around him with crazed eyes, realizing he was about to be outnumbered five to one. “This is too many vigilantes for my liking. Time for backup.” He pulled out a button and pressed it before Dick could rip the unknown device from his hands.

An explosion erupted in the warehouse, catching everyone off guard.

Tim had just finally released Jason from his restraints when the impact hit.

Jason saw as Y/N’s chair was knocked off its legs, taking her to the floor with it. Her head slammed against the hard concrete floor.  

As soon as the explosion settled, Jason sprinted to her.

When he reached her, she was knocked unconscious. “Y/N! Come on, beautiful. You’re OK. You’re OK.” 

But the words were to convince himself. He felt for a pulse and let out a sigh of relief when it was still strong.

Ever so carefully, he untied the ropes that held her to the chair. He ripped his jacket off his body and wrapped it around her shoulders. She seemed so small like this – so vulnerable. He’d tried so hard to keep her away from this darkness. And seeing her like this was the horrid reminder for why he’d lied to her about who he was.

His family watched with concern as Jason stood with her limp body in his arms. By some miracle, the blast missed all of them. It was used as more of a distraction than as an attempt to take any of them out.

Jason slowly walked to Bruce.

“Take her. Please.” His eyes desperate at first, but then they darkened. “There’s something I have to do.”

Bruce’s jaw tightened. “We had a deal.”

But he still gently took Y/N out of his arms.

“That was before her,” Jason answered as he took a final glance at Y/N.  

“Jason, don’t do it,” Dick urged.

“Keep her safe,” was all Jason said before turning from them and running after the man that had put his love in danger.

“What shall we do with her?” Damian asked coldly as he eyed the young woman he was seeing for the first time.

“We’re taking her back to the manor,” Bruce told his sons.

“Is that wise?” Damian countered.

“He’ll need her. And she’ll need to know everything,” was all Bruce said as he started carrying Y/N to the batmobile.

————————

Y/N wasn’t awoken by people screaming from the streets below or the garbage truck coming too early to throw every neighbor’s trash can around at 5AM. She couldn’t hear the blasting of her window unit air conditioning.

No, instead she heard birds chirping outside and the wind rustling countless trees.

Did she even have a single tree on her block?

She squinted her eyes open and the night came rushing back to her.

Goons storming into her apartment, ripping her from her bed and throwing a bag over her head. Y/N just remembered thinking, “I’m just glad Jason wasn’t here. At least he’s safe.”

But Jason was far from safe. He was Red Hood: the infamous anti-hero that half of Gotham thought was a murderer and the other half swore he was just as much of a hero as the the other masked vigilantes.

How did she not see it sooner?

The random cuts and bruises. Constantly missing dates. Late-night texts when she had already fallen asleep. Always being exhausted when he was present.

But it was easy to ignore all of this because when they were together, things were good – no, things were amazing.

No man had ever made Y/N feel more seen and loved and appreciated. In fact, before him, Y/N had come to terms with being alone for the rest of her life. She made peace with it, had no problem with it.

But then Jason came stumbling into her life. And he didn’t accept Y/N being unloved the way she did. It was the thing that made him get over his own self-hatred and constant need to punish himself. If he wasn’t going to love Y/N for him, then he’d love Y/N because that’s what she deserved.

And Y/N felt that.

But he wasn’t who she thought he was. He had lied to her over and over again. When she was concerned over his injuries, he made up story after story. When she asked where he’d been after skipping a date, he used work as an excuse.

Did Y/N actually know Jason Todd at all?

Or had she only seen what she wanted to see?

Did the man she love even exist?

These were the questions racing through Y/N’s mind as she awoke in a bedroom that she didn’t recognize. Bedroom – if that’s even what she could call it. It felt more like a palace. She’d never slept on softer sheets or a comfier mattress. The room was bigger than her entire apartment. And from what she could see in the ensuite bathroom, it looked like it belonged in a five-star hotel.

Y/N’s observations paused when she saw Red Hood’s leather jacket tossed on top of the fancy chaise lounge on the other side of the room. No, not Red Hood’s leather jacket. Jason’s. It was the only indication that he had been there.

Am I in Wayne Manor? Y/N asked herself.

At least Jason hadn’t lied about that, explaining his afflicted relationship with his family casually a few times. But in a way that always told Y/N he didn’t want to talk about it in depth.

The leather jacket then caused Y/N to look down at herself. She was wearing a white t-shirt and grey cotton sleep shorts. Clearly they were mens. Someone had changed her while she had been asleep – or…unconscious.

Fuck, her head really hurt.

Having enough of being confused, Y/N slipped out of the bed and decided she was going to hunt down an explanation.

The bedroom was placed in a long hallway. Taking a 50/50 chance, Y/N decided to go right instead of left.

She walked as quietly as possible, still feeling uncomfortable in such surroundings.

After she stepped down the most extravagant staircase she’d ever seen, she heard sounds come from around the corner. It sounded like movement in a kitchen.

When she reached a doorway, she saw an elderly man dressed as a butler. As he was cooking, he caught Y/N’s presence from the corner of his eye. He quickly turned and gave her a comforting smile.

“Ah! Ms. Y/L/N, your timing is impeccable. I was just finishing up breakfast.”

But she remained unsure of the situation.

“Oh, I do apologize. Where are my manners? I am Alfred Pennyworth.” He quickly stepped to her and offered his hand. “I am the butler for the Wayne family.”

“So…this is Wayne Manor?” Y/N asked after awkwardly shaking his hand in the doorway, completely forgetting to share her own name. But he cleary already knew it.

He smiled at her. “Yes, Master Wayne brought you here after last nights…theatrics.” Before either of them could discuss the “theatrics” he slyly mentioned, he pulled out a chair at the table in the kitchen. “Please, sit. You must be famished.”

This man hardly looked threatening, so she decided to follow his instructions.

Alfred quickly placed a large plate with a full English breakfast on it, a mug of steaming coffee, and a glass of water. Then he offered her a bottle of advil.

Y/N looked up at him with a curious glance.

“I can only assume your head is aching quite a bit. From what I was told, you took quite the fall from the explosion.”

At least Y/N knew she hadn’t imagined the nightmare. It was real. She quickly took two of the pills and chugged the glass of water.

Alfred didn’t hover, instead continuing to work on more breakfast.

But Y/N’s breakfast was quickly interrupted when Bruce Wayne walked into the kitchen.

He eyed her carefully, hiding his surprise at her being awake. Casually, he went to the coffee pot to pour himself a cup.

“How are you feeling?” Bruce asked her.

Y/N was surprised how genuine his concern sounded.

“Confused,” she blustered out without meaning to.

Bruce smirked. “I meant your head.”

She cleared her throat. “Right. Ummm…just a terrible headache. But I think I’ll live.”

“Good.”

To her shock, Bruce sat across from her. He drank his coffee as his eyes raced across the tablet in his hand.

Y/N took a few bites of food before she had the courage to ask one of the many questions that were racing around her head.

“Where is Jason?” She asked slowly and carefully.

Alfred seemed to tense at the question and hesitated before saying, “Master Jason thought it best to give you some space.”

Y/N didn’t know what to make of his answer.

Bruce seemed to be studying her.

Y/N wanted to shrink under his scrutiny, but fought the feeling and met his gaze head on, as if challenging him.

“He’s in the cave,” Bruce told her evenly.

It seemed no one was trying to hide their family secrets from Y/N.

“I’d like to see him.”

Bruce and Alfred shared a look and what seemed to be a silent conversation.

After a moment, Bruce stood up. “I’ll take you.”

Y/N jumped out of her seat to follow him.

Next thing she knew, Bruce was taking her through a secret passage and there was a dark and dreary staircase in front of her.

Bruce gestured for her to go forward, silently telling her he wasn’t coming with.

As soon as Y/N started down the cold staircase, a shiver went down her spin. The temperature immediately dropped.

When she reached the bottom, she looked around and found Jason sparring with a man she recognized as Dick Grayson.

Jason did a double take as soon as Y/N took a step away from the staircase.

Dick followed his gaze and his face dropped.

The two men shared a look and their sparring ended.

Dick walked to her and gave Y/N a charming smile as he held out his hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Y/N. I’m Dick.”

Y/N forced a shy smirk and shook his hand, but said nothing.

Now it was just Jason and Y/N.

Y/N’s arms tightly held herself because of the freezing temperature of the batcave, and because she didn’t know how this conversation was about to end.

“Hi,” Jason said awkwardly.

“Hi.”

“How’d you get down here?”

Y/N shrugged. “Bruce.”

Jason looked her up and down before quickly turning and grabbing the sweatshirt he had discarded before working out and sparring.

He handed it to her, making sure not to get too close. “Here. It gets fucking frigid in this stupid cave.”

Y/N quickly put it on. But she didn’t miss how Jason tried to keep his distance.

“I’m not scared of you,” she muttered.

He cocked an eyebrow, but she could still see the hurt in his face. “Really? Because you’re not looking at me like I’m the same person.”

“Because you’re not,” Y/N snapped.

Y/N imagined this conversation would be filled with rage. She thought she’d start yelling at Jason and then she wouldn’t be able to stop. She’d tell him how disappointed she was in him, how he was just like every other man who had hurt her. Her hands would be quivering in fists at her side. The anger…it would consume her.

So imagine her surprise when her bottom lip started trembling and tears started streaming down her face. And she could do nothing to stop it.

Little did she know that watching this hurt Jason more than her anger ever could.

He took a step toward her. It was his instinct – an instinct that was so hard to fight in this moment.

“You know…it’s really hard for me to let people in – no, it’s hard for me to let men in. I don’t trust them. I stop doing that a long time ago. But you – fuck – I don’t even know why now. But I did let you in. I really did. I told you things I’ve never told anyone. I trusted you. I…I loved you, Jason.”

Jason looked in more pain than ever before. His eyes watered from seeing the woman he loved breaking down like this. And it was no one else’s fault, but his own.

“But you hid this whole part of yourself. You lied to me. Every excuse you made for your bruises and cuts, you were lying. Every time you canceled a date, you were lying. And I’m realizing that you lied to me about your life more than you ever told me the truth.”

She tried to wipe away the tears, but they were coming down too fast.

“Was the Riddler serious?” She accused. “Have you killed all those people?”

“I have.”

Y/N studied him for a second. A part of her hadn’t expected him to admit it. She was waiting for him to give her another lie. After all, it came so naturally to him.

“Were you ever going to tell me?” She practically whimpered.

“Yes,” he answered quickly. “I just…I didn’t know how. I was scared.”

Was there even anything he could say that would make her hate him less?

Jason ran a hand through his hair. “Y/N, I’m so sorry. I should’ve told you. And I should’ve kept you safe. You almost–” He felt sick. “You were almost killed last night. And it was because of me.”

Y/N’s eyes went dark. “Did you kill him? Did you kill the Riddler?”

Jason’s jaw clenched and his hands turned into fists at the mentioning of the criminal’s name. “No, but I should’ve.”

In truth, he almost had. It hadn’t been hard to catch up to the bastard. Jason beat him to in an inch of his death. But not before he confirmed that no one else knew of Y/N’s existence. No, he didn’t kill the Riddler. But he beat him so badly that he would be in the coma for the rest of his days – unable to speak, meaning no one else would ever know about Y/N.

“I don’t do that anymore. Bruce and I…we have a deal.”

“He’s Batman,” she wasn’t asking. “And your brothers…” she didn’t need to finish.

“I don’t expect you to forgive me.” His head hung low. “I don’t deserve it. And I never deserved you in the first place. I always knew that. It’s probably why it was so hard to tell you. Because I knew the moment I did… you’d see me for the monster I really am.”

Y/N’s eyes were red now and her nose congested.

“You don’t owe me anything. But I just…I need to tell you this before I never see you again,” Jason quickly said, sensing this was their final goodbye. “I love you. I didn’t even think I could love someone the way I love you, Y/N. You…you’ve made me better. And you’re probably the only reason I was able to stop myself from killing that son of a bitch last night.”

It was Y/N’s face Jason saw when he was beating the Riddler. And then he realized, in some twisted way, that such a death would also be on her hands. He could handle having blood on his hands forever. But would never do that to Y/N.

Then Jason’s word turned so, so quiet. “But I also know I can’t ask you to stay after everything I’ve done to you.”

And for a moment, the two of them just stared at one another.

Y/N tried to wipe the last of her tears away once again. “I think I should go,” she mumbled.

“You can’t go back to your apartment. It’s not safe there anymore. Bruce offered to let you stay here for as long as necessary. I’ll leave,” he quickly added. “So you don’t have to worry about being around me.”

“No.”

“No?”

“I’m not staying here,” she said with a surprising amount of conviction. “I’ll stay with friends or something. But I don’t want to be here.”

What Y/N meant was that she didn’t want to be surrounded by the secrets Jason had kept from her. She didn’t want to be reminded of how little she actually knew him.

Somehow Jason seemed to realize that.

He took a cautious step toward her. “For what it’s worth, you do know me. I know you think that’s a lie. But no one sees me like you see me, Y/N. No one.” He pointed up. “Not even the fucked up people that call me their family.”

His words struck in a way she wasn’t expecting. But she made sure he didn’t know that and controlled her expression, staying as emotionless as possible.

Jason sighed, knowing this was their end. “Alfred will take you anywhere you want to go.”

He wanted to tell her more. He wanted to ask – no, to beg – to hold her. Just one last time. But he would never ask that of her. How could he?

So he just watched as Y/N slowly turned and made her way back of the stairs.

Jason wanted to memorize her face as if this was the last time he’d lay eyes on her. But he knew himself better than that. He’d make sure she was safe, add her to his patrol as if it was normal addition to his vigilante life. Y/N didn’t deserve to be at risk for the rest of her life because she made the mistake of loving a man like him.

————————

1 MONTH LATER.

————————

Y/N didn’t realize how hard it would be. She thought she could just go back to the life she had before Jason ever fought his way into her heart. But it took her a month to understand that was never going to happen. She’d never be able to just forget him.

She thought anger would take over and make her hate Jason. Hate was always easier than love. And Y/N was banking on that.

But after everything Jason did, Y/N still couldn’t find it in her heart to hate him.

Because, at the end of the day, they still loved each other.

Despite his secrets and his lies, Y/N knew that Jason had been telling the truth about his feelings for her. He really did love her. She had felt it every day. Even at the beginning of their relationship – before they realized what they were feeling was love – Y/N always felt how much Jason cared for her.

That was why all of this was so hard for her.

Take away the lies, the secret vigilante life, the killing. Take it all away. And Y/N knew she had never met another man that made her feel the way Jason did – or…had.

That was really what Y/N had finally realized over the past weeks. She had thought it was betrayal and fear. 

No. 

She now understood that what she was feeling was a broken heart. 

It was a first for her. One had to be in love in order to get their heart broken. And the only man Y/N ever loved was Jason Todd.

As the understanding washed over Y/N, she was staring out the window. She’d made herself a cup of coffee, but had been so lost in her thoughts that she’d let it grow cold. Then she felt a tickling down her cheek and realized that she had started crying. 

Suddenly there was a quick knock at the front door of her apartment.

Y/N squinted in suspicion at the sound and sloppily rubbed the tears off her face.

She slowly walked to door, but stopped a few feet away, and just stared at it as her heart rate increased.

After Riddler’s men broke into her home and ripped her from bed, she had been anxious and cautious about any and all unexpected visitors. She hadn’t been sleeping. Either she couldn’t fall asleep or if she did, her night was infested with nightmares.

“Y/N? It’s Dick Grayson,” a voice called from the other side of the door.

She let out a small sigh of relief. How long had she been holding her breath?

There was a part of her that was screaming to still ignore the uninvited guest, despite it being someone she knew. But how well did she actually know Dick Grayson?

Except the other part – the part that could admit she missed Jason – wanted to speak to anyone that was from the part of her life she was trying so hard to forget.

Ever so slowly, she opened the door.

“Hi,” Dick beamed at seeing her appear. His smile and eyes were warm and friendly in a way that none of the other boys were.

“What are you doing here?” Y/N asked with a bit of rudeness.

She didn’t appreciate him giving her a scare. Especially because her two best friends that she now lived with were out of town for the weekend.

“I was hoping I could talk to you,” he gave her a shy but hopeful grin. Then he held up a tray of coffee and a paper baggie. “I brought you a latte and some doughnuts.”

Y/N eyed him. Her first thought was that maybe something had happened to Jason. But Dick’s delivery proved that wasn’t the case.

Her only invitation to Dick was a widening of the door and making room for him to walk past her.

This seemed to make him happy though.

Y/N directed them to the little breakfast nook that was flooded in the morning light.

She didn’t waste any time. “Did Jason send you here?” 

“No, Jason doesn’t know that I’m here,” Dick clarified as he slid one of the lattes to her side of the table.

Her nerves were the only reason she picked it up and started sipping, just trying to give herself something physical to do while Dick stared at her from across the little table.

“Is he OK?” She mumbled without looking at him.

Her pride wanted to her to shut up and not ask. But she couldn’t stop the question from spilling out, even though all evidence pointed to Dick having no bad news to share.

“He’s fine,” Dick quickly assured her. “Well…physically, at least.”

“What are you doing here, Dick?” She repeated her original question.

“It should be Bruce here, really. But he…” His words died out and then he cleared his throat. “Well, these types of things aren’t exactly his strong suit. Tim wanted to come, too. But I didn’t want to…overwhelm you.”  

“And what ‘type’ of thing is this exactly?”

Dick took in a deep breath and then leaned forward, placing his forearms on the table.

“You deserve to know the story – the whole story. I’m not here to get you to forgive Jason or to change your mind about leaving him.” He rubbed his face. “But I just want you to know the truth about him before you live with those decisions.”

Y/N’s heart was racing now. She felt sick.

Was she even ready for this conversation?

“So, is that OK?” Dick asked her carefully.

After a moment, Y/N finally nodded her head.

Dick took a deep breath.

He knew where he needed to start. And he wasn’t just about to share Jason’s secrets, he was about to tell Y/N all of their secrets. But it was what needed to be done.

Dick told her about Jason living on the streets, how his dad abused him, and his mother was a drug addict that couldn’t protect her son. Little Jason Todd turned to crime to take care of himself and get enough money to take care of himself and his mom.

Dick smiled as he told her how Jason tried to steel Bruce’s wheels on the batmobile. That was the moment that Bruce knew he couldn’t leave such a desperate child on the streets. Then everything happened so quickly. Next thing Dick knew, Jason had replaced him as Robin and Bruce had a new sidekick.

“I should’ve been there for him more,” Dick confessed. “Jason didn’t just need a home and a parent… he needed a brother, too. And I take responsibility for not really being there for him. If I’m being honest, I was bitter. It was hard for me to see how quickly Bruce could just…”

“Replace you?” Y/N offered softly.

Dick swallowed and nodded.

This was the hard part. Now he had to explain how Jason died, how the Joker tricked a child who was desperate to find the truth about his mother. How a dead boy became a resurrected man.

Dick knew he couldn’t gloss over the gory details. Jason deserved better. He didn’t need to have his secrets protected from the first woman who loved him. He needed to be seen and still loved.

Dick watched as Y/N shifted in her seat, trying her best to compose herself as Dick told her about Jason dying so horribly and then being resurrected. Joker’s maniacal laugh flashed in Y/N’s mind. As Dick spoke, she could almost feel the warmth of the explosion that he’d set for Jason. 

It was all so terrible.

How Jason was able to overcome it all left Y/N in awe of him.

“Jason has never really fully been himself since before…everything,” Dick said. “But it wasn’t fair that any of us ever expected that after what happened to him. I know there’s still so much that he’s never told any of us. And I’m not sure he ever will.”

Dick explained Jason’s rebellion from the family and his war with Bruce. Dick was the one that got emotional now, as his eyes glossed over, remembering how angry and ruthless Jason had been.

“Bruce has one rule: no killing.” Dick sighed and rubbed his face. “Jason thought he was being what Gotham needed. He was tired of watching criminal after criminal beat the system and repeatedly get set free. We eventually had to make a deal with him. We couldn’t stand by and let him continue on the way he was.”

Dick gave her a nervous look. “I can only assume that the hardest thing to wrap your mind around is the–”

“Killing,” Y/N quickly interrupted harshly.

Until now, she had remained quiet but engaged. Never interrupting or adding unnecessary responses.

“Yes,” Dick replied before tightening his jaw.

Y/N couldn’t look at him now. “I know–” She had to pause because her voice was shaking so much. “I know he did it to protect people. And I know – in his mind – that they deserved it, because they were bad people.”

“I might not agree with Jason’s views or his past actions. But one thing is for sure: Jason Todd has never killed an innocent.”

“I just don’t know if that’s enough,” Y/N said with teary eyes.

“I understand,” Dick nodded.

There had been a part of her that always knew Jason was fighting demons. But she could’ve never guessed how bad it had truly been for him.

How could he hide all of this from her?

Y/N couldn’t hold back her emotions any longer. After hearing Jason’s life story, how could she? Tears silently ran down her face. She wasn’t embarrassed to cry in front of Dick. He had such a calming presence about him.

Dick just let her consume everything he’d spent the past hour telling her. He just wanted to be there for her as she processed it.

So he sat there and let her cry. And eventually she got a hold of herself.

“You’re forgetting the most important part of this story,” Dick told her with a shy smile.

“I am?”

Dick nodded. “You.”

She scoffed at that.

“I’m being serious, Y/N.” Dick leaned forward again.

Y/N didn’t know what to say to that. She wasn’t one to share her emotions and feelings freely. So she wasn’t about to open up to her ex’s older brother, whom she hardly knew.

“He loves you, Y/N.” Dick insisted.

“None of you even knew about me,” Y/N tried to argue.

“That’s not true. Just because he didn’t tell us directly doesn’t mean we didn’t know about you.” Dick smirked. “We’re a nosey bunch. When we noticed a change in him – a good change – we did a little investigating.”

Y/N couldn’t find it in her to tell Dick that Jason made her change for the better too.

So she changed the subject to what was really stopping her from running back into Jason’s arms despite all the lies and secrets.

“How did you get over it?” Her voice was so quite that it was almost a whisper.

“Get over what?” Dick squinted.

“The killing.”

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. “Police Officers kill people every day.”

Y/N made a look of disgust. “Law enforcement in this country is corrupt. I figured a man who felt the need to wear a mask and become a vigilante was well aware of that.”

Dick winced. “Why do you think Gotham is so hard to clean up?”

She stayed quiet.

“Soldiers have killed more people on a single tour than Jason has,” Dick continued.

“Soldiers are following orders,” Y/N countered. “Orders from authority whose ethics and motives are often questionable.”

“Exactly.” Dick’s back straightened. “We’ve normalized both of those things. But I can assure you of one thing, Jason has no ulterior motives. There is no systemic prejudice that controls his actions. Just right and wrong, good and evil.”

Then he rubbed his face, wondering if he wanted to say the next part. “When things with Jason were bad – really bad – and I thought I would have to be the one that put him behind bars, the one thing that gave me hope was knowing that Jason had rid the world of evil. That doesn’t mean I condone his actions…but it helps me sleep at night.”

Silence filled the apartment. Y/N was still processing the information. And Dick didn’t want to force her to talk or speak just to fill the silence.

Slowly, Dick rose from his seat.

“I don’t want to intrude any more than I already have,” he told her gently.

There were those classic Wayne manners that both Bruce and Alfred had ingrained in him. It reminded Y/N of Jason. Even though Jason had a dark, sarcastic sense of humor and quite the temper, Y/N couldn’t remember a time when the man didn’t say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ – not to mention all the old-school gentlemanly gestures that always caught her off guard.

Y/N followed Dick to the door.

He hesitated. “Thank you for listening, Y/N.”

She just nodded.

“Like I said when I got here, I’m not telling you what to do. All I ask is that you consider everything you learned.”

She nodded again. “You’re a good brother, Dick.”

He chuckled darkly at that. “Jason would disagree with you on that. I’m lucky if he even calls me his brother most of the time.”

Y/N managed to force a shy smirk on her lips for his benefit.

Then Dick was reaching into his pocket for a piece of paper. He slowly handed it over.

She looked down to see what appeared to be an address. “What’s this?”

“The safe house Jason’s been hiding out in since you last talked.” Then he gave her one final nod. “Goodbye, Y/N.”

————————————— 3 WEEKS LATER. —————————————

Jason had been on autopilot these past couple of months. He let his work take over his life. To make matters worse, he barely added eating and sleeping to that mix. The only reason he managed to get himself to eat was to keep his strength up… so he could keep working.

Right now was the one of the few times his exhaustion was so heavy that he managed to get a couple hours of sleep.

That is until one of the alarms for his safe house went off.

Someone had triggered the sensor for the floor.

It could easily be a homeless person. It wouldn’t be the first time. But that assumption went on the window when Jason heard a polite knock at his front door.

Completely silent, Jason moved out of bed and grabbed the gun that sat on his nightstand.

Quickly he tiptoed to the door and waited, half expecting someone to start shooting. It wouldn’t have mattered, seeing as the door was made out of bulletproof steel.

Without making a sound, he made his way to the peephole.

When he spotted who was on the other side, his body moved on reflex alone. He instantly put the gun on safety and whipped open the door.

His guest jumped a little in surprise.

“Y/N,” Jason gasped.

Once she got over the scare, she seemed to take in his appearance.

Jason looked awful. There were shadows under his eyes. His hair looked greasy from the lack of washing. And because he was “working” so much, his body was littered in more injuries than usual. He stood completely shirtless in black boxer briefs.

But the only thing Jason was embarrassed about was his autopsy scar that was on full display for her.

Yes, Y/N had seen and felt it. But it was always in the cover of darkness. If they had sex in daylight, Jason always found a way to keep a shirt on. It was always effortless and subtle. Plus Y/N was so preoccupied with the passion between them that she never really considered how self-conscious he was about it.

Once again, Y/N was wondering why she normalized things like that instead of pushing Jason to open up about things he was obviously hiding.

She had assumed they were scars from his childhood. He had told her his dad was abusive and his mom did nothing to protect him. Y/N thought the scars were from an incident – an incident that was too traumatizing for him open up to her about.

But they were autopsy scars… Because Jason had died once.

“Did I wake you?” She asked him gently.

“No,” he quickly lied. Then he shook his head, still processing that she was standing in front of him. “Come in,” he hurriedly added.

She game him a grateful nod and walked past him.

Her eyes quickly took in the safe house. It looked like an industrial loft. But what she was really locking on to was the multiple tables covered in weapons and gear.

After all that time of Jason’s vigilante life being hidden, now it was all completely on display for her to see.

“Are you OK?” Jason quickly asked her.

She nodded.

“How is your new place?” He then asked.

“Fine,” she offered.

“Your roommates are OK?”

She nodded again.

“Are you sleeping alright?”

“Jason,” she said it sternly, in a tone that she knew would make him finally stop with the frantic questions. “I came to talk to you.”

This took him aback.

Then he looked around him. There was a fold out table a few feet away from them.

“Here,” he muttered before rushing forward and moving what appeared to be a dozen knives and multiple guns.

He pulled out one of the chairs and motioned for her to sit.

Then Jason seemed to finally realize his state of undress. “I’ll…just give me a second.”

Y/N would’ve laughed at his adorable franticness. But she was too busy feeling nauseous and anxious.

She turned her back to him changing since the loft style gave little privacy. 30 seconds later, Jason was moving back to the table and sitting across from her in a black hoodie and sweatpants.

Y/N gently cleared her throat. Her gaze couldn’t meet Jason’s as she said, “Dick came to see me.”

Jason’s face darkened. “I’m sorry. He shouldn’t have done that. I’ll ta–”

“No, it’s fine.” Then she shifted in her seat. “He came to…uhh…he came to talk to me about you, actually.”

That wasn’t what Jason was expecting.

“He told me everything,” she stated. “I mean, everything you never did.”

The true meaning of her words slowly washed over Jason.

He leaned back in his chair, his massive form making it squeak.

Y/N took in a shaky breath. “Jason…I’m-I’m so sorry.”

He shifted his weight.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, Y/N.” He told her quietly.

Usually Jason’s death and resurrection was a joke. He loved making his family cringe, shrink, and become uncomfortable with his dark humor about it. That was just how he’d grown to deal with it all.

But he couldn’t do the same for Y/N.

A few beats of silence passed between them.

“I miss you,” Y/N finally told him.

Jason’s eyes widened at the confession. “I miss you, too.”

Silence again.

“Was I just part of a cover?” She quickly asked him.

“No,” he immediately answered.

“Was our relationship even real?”

“Yes, Y/N. I promise you that it was.”

Y/N bit her lip. She came here with no plan. And now it was starting to feel very real. She knew what she needed to know and she knew what she needed to say. But she wasn’t sure how to get there.

“Do you still love me?” She whispered.

Jason flinched at the question – not because of the answer, but because she felt the need to even ask it.

He nodded.

“After everything that’s happened,” she began, “what would a relationship between us even be, Jason?”

This was not the follow-up question he was expecting.

“What do you want it to be?”

But what he really wanted to say was it could be anything she wanted. He would do absolutely anything to get her back. Anything.

Still, he didn’t want to push her. So he let her take the lead.

“No more lies,” Y/N demanded. Jason opened his mouth, but she cut him off. “I know you can’t tell me the details of the nightly occurrences from your…other life.”

“It was to keep you safe,” he tried to explain. “The less you know, the safer you are. No one can try to use you for information.”

Y/N nodded in understanding. “I’m saying no more lies about where you are or why you can’t make something. And no more hiding injuries.”

Jason nodded firmly, trying to mask his eagerness.

“But more importantly…No more lies about your past. Dick may have told me everything he knew. But I know there’s missing parts and it’s only his perspective.” Then she hesitated, “And I’d…I’d like to hear it from you.”

Jason felt sick by the idea. He thought maybe he’d gotten out of such a request because of his nosey brother.

“You might not like what you find…” he warned her.

But Y/N was already shaking her head. “You know me inside and out.”

Jason did a weird half shrug, half nod. “I like to think so.”

“Don’t you think I deserve the same?”

Jason knew he had a point. But he loved everything about her. Y/N’s flaws weren’t even flaws to him. They were just what made her the woman she was. And that so happened to a woman he was deeply in love with.

But his sins? They were what convinced him that he was unlovable – a monster.

“You do,” Jason agreed with a mumble.

Y/N struggled to swallow with how dry her throat had suddenly become. “You had made a deal with your family – a deal you almost broke because of me.”

Jason knew what she was really asking. She didn’t even really know what she wanted.

“You want to know about the people I’ve killed,” he said low and even.

But she didn’t answer.

Jason leaned forward on the table and thought over her request. He rubbed the scruff on his jawline and chin.

“One was a man who was trying to rip down the pants of 5 year old girl in an alley of the Narrows.” His expression and tone was numb as he started listing them. “Another was an abusive husband that pushed his pregnant wife down a flight of stairs, causing her to have a miscarriage and almost die.”

Y/N felt sick as she listened.

“The last person I killed was Gotham’s number one human trafficker. When I asked him – with a gun to his head – how he had such a lack of remorse, he said, ‘These sickos are going to find their fun one place or another, I might as well make a buck off it.’”

Y/N could tell as Jason shared these stories that he felt no remorse for his executions.

“Bruce would tell you that every one deserves a chance to change. Or he’ll tell you that we’re not the law, we’re just enforcing it.” Jason shook his head. “But I’ve seen thousands of rapists, murderers, and – god knows what else – get freed time and time again. They may get locked up for a bit, but most of them find their way back on the streets. The system is broken. I know it. You know it. And Bruce knows it.”

Then his eyes darkened. “And before you ask, I wouldn’t take any of it back. Truthfully, I believe the world is a better place without those fuckers in it.”

As harsh as it sounded, Y/N appreciated the honesty. And perhaps there was a part of her that agreed with him. 

Jason was right: she did know the system was broken, just as much as he did. But she wasn’t in a position to execute the same justice as he could.

“Can I ask you something in return?” The softness in his voice surprised Y/N.

She nodded her head.

“That morning at the manor…you said you weren’t scared of me.” He paused. “Were you telling the truth?”

“I wasn’t scared of you – at least, not like you’re implying. I felt–” She searched for the right word. “Defenseless. Because you knew me, but I didn’t know you anymore. Does that make sense?”

Jason nodded. “And what about now? After knowing all I’ve done.”

To his surprise, Y/N reached across the table and gently grabbed one his hands. She held it in her grasp, tracing the lines in his palm. The skin was rough and scarred.

After so long without it, the feeling of her touch caused a shiver to go down Jason’s spine. 

Y/N knew these hands had killed dozens of people. But she also knew that they’d been nothing but gentle with her.

“You’ve never hurt me, Jason.”

“I never would,” he answered quietly, almost with a certain desperation.

She nodded, already knowing that.

“No matter what happens with us, I don’t ever want you to be scared of me, Y/N.”

Then she was crying and jumped from her seat. Without even thinking, she was on the other side of the table, throwing herself onto Jason’s lap, and wrapping her arms around him. Jason pulled her even tighter to him, cradling her face to his neck.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. For everything. I just…I just want you back. OK?”

Y/N pulled away and Jason wiped the tears from her cheeks. She nodded and gave him a teary smile, “OK.”

Their relationship wouldn’t mend itself just like that. They were going to have to work at it. But with all their secrets on the table, they knew what they were fighting. And from now on, they were going to face them together.

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

Yeesh. That one was a lot. 

Let me know what you think!

(If you have criticisms about how I wrote Jason, I’d love to hear them, just don’t be a fucking asshole about it. There’s a right way to give feedback and there’s definitely a wrong way.)

#jason todd #jason todd fic #red hood #red hood fic #jason todd x reader #jason todd reader insert #red hood x reader #red hood reader insert #dick grayson #tim drake #damian wayne #alfred pennyworth #bruce wayne #batfam #batman fandom #batman fic

[princeanxious]

Why would you hide the Villain remus and Janus thing in the tags, I'd read the hell outta Hero Virgil turned Villain

you mean this??? shdbic aaa Yeah I want to write it, but i also want to write a lot of things. xD but this is def one of those things i’d love to write a short-ish one-shot about just so I can write it.

can you imagine? Virgil, young and anxious, manifesting powers of the light and dark variety, able to manipulate shadows and summon electricity with such fine precision because he’s spent so long fretting over accidentally hurting someone with it that he refused to even dare try and step into the hero scene until he was 150% certain that he’d trained his powers to disconnect from his emotions so that he’d never have an outburst that could even harmlessly shock or scare someone. He’s so in control over his powers that its to an insane degree just because he wants to make sure he cant hurt anybody on accident.

(complete ramble continued under the cut bc boy howdy this got so long it might as well be its own short one-shot)

And, he’s worked so in depth with his powers because of course he can’t just suppress them!(Suppressing electricity based powers doesn’t get rid of that energy, it just makes that constantly generating energy stay put and build, which makes it even more dangerous when it’s finally released, so suppression is a no go) So of course not only does he work extensively with learning how to control his powers, but also how to healthily use them and expend his energy safely, effectively, and skillfully as he grows into them. Might as well push your limits of learning just how much your power can do if you have to learn how to exist safely around others by controlling it, right?

So, by default, by the time Virgil is both old enough and confident enough in his powers to consentingly apply for registry to the worlds heroes association, he’s both insanely skilled with his powers, and also insanely talented(the equivalent to a child prodigy, not that many people in charge of the worlds hero association believe that, though.). The people who had been interviewing him believed the same, thinking him to be just another super teenager boasting about his skills when they couldn’t even sense his power, thinking that what little power Virgil did have was not even worth bothering to report anything substantial about the interview. That he’d oughta go try the villain’s headquarters, because at least they take in wandering powerless for henchmen all the time.

Virgil, feeling pissed but not quite enraged yet, because what teenager wouldn’t hate it to be so invalidated and demeaned at being out right dismissed as a threat, let alone considered more of an invalid for not having powers, starts to display his power. 

First it’s the main interviewer’s phone that they’d been glancing boredly at, drained suddenly of all power. Then it’s the landline of that specific room, then it’s the lamp, the computer suddenly shuts off with zero warning and nothing of it turns on. The lamp in the corner of the room goes dark, bulb by bulb, and the printer in the room dies. Virgil’s eyes are glowing violet but he hasn’t moved any more than the annoyed twitch of an eyelid. the light’s overhead turn off, leaving the lights in the hallway still on, leaving the remaining light in the room coming from the single window in the room and the open doorway. 

He reaches up a hand, and snaps once, and shadows swallow up the light over the hallway and the window, acting as a wall from the inside and out. 

Now the only light in the room is his glowing eyes.

The second interviewer is struggling to summon fire from her hands to light the room, but it doesn’t work. The energy she’s using to summon the fire is immediately sapped by Virgil’s force, there isn’t even a spark. The first interviewer can feel Virgil’s power now, it’s bright and burning. It’s like he has a core in the middle of his being like a sun’s core because its storing so much power, and the only reason they can see it now is because Virgil’s using his power. He has so much control that even on a nonphysical level it’s nearly tangible, the way that they can see his shadow powers conceal even the existence of his power, now that they know what their looking at.

In mere seconds, this kid has tipped the world on their head and put the fear of god into them, an undetected yet undeniable threat in the making. 

They watch his eyes tilt with his head, and the distinct sound of the entire building powering down is unmistakable, shouts of surprise and confusion due to the failure of the buildings many fail-safes failing to trigger. And then, with another snap, all power is restored to normal in the blink of the eye, all machines and lights are functioning perfectly, not an irregular shadow in sight, and all at once Virgil reads as a normal human teenager, not a whiff of power to be sensed. He looks pretty peeved, though.

“Maybe I will try my luck at the Dark Side then, at least they care about the people that look to be taken in. Let me know if you changed your mind, I’d love to have a do-over. With a different set of interviewers, mind you.” before he walks out of the interview room, off to blow off some steam legally and safely.

Imagine his outrage when a week later he’s served a summons to court, deeming him a “Threat to Society” and “better left in jail until the court can be convinced of his good nature” because he’s an “out of control juvenile gifted with an unprecedented amount of power that he couldn’t possibly control without strict legal supervision and interference and cannot be trusted to continue to exist as a normal citizen until the W.H.A deems it safe.”

Faced with possible lifelong inprisonment and zero control over the rest of his life because an association of supers think that they know better and that he’s some stupid teenager that was set loose on the world with means to only cause catastrophe and devastation, or freedom at the hands of some ambiguously grey moral decisions every once in a while and being treated as a normal human being even if he has to be a henchman to another super for a while? 

The decision isn’t a hard one to make.

So imagine his surprise when he’s not only accepted into the Dark Side after being respectfully asked to demonstrate the full extent of his power and his control over it, but instead of becoming a villain’s henchmen, he instead gains the full title of Villain(with another Villain(Janus) stepping in to mentor him and show him the ropes of the rules and everything), and even further: Gets his own henchmen assigned to him. 

A pair, Patton and Logan. 

Patton has a partial shapeshifting ability, but it only really lets him turn into a big frog man, making him perfect for doing any of the main heavy lifting for the team, and also perfect for protecting Logan when under attack. He’s built like a himbo and is absolutely 100% a himbo, heart of gold, super strong, buff dad bod, the whole sha-bang.

Logan has a power that is one part linked with memory, one part linked with technology. His brain can retain information like a computer databank, and he can get any misfunctioning technology to work if he can get his hands on it or a connection to it. He avoids all the quirks that interfere or damage real databanks and technology(like magnets, water, and short-circuiting) and can semi-directly connect with devices he is familiar with, without having to hold/touch/look at one.

All together, they have the beginnings of a well rounded team: the brawns, the brains, and the leader with plans and the power to make it happen. Even before finding out their reasons for coming to the dark side, Virgil becomes ride or die for them. (And honestly, they’re also pretty ride or die for him too, not even starting with the fact that they’re both like 26-27 and Virgil is an 18 year old anxious mess that had to make the decision over being the bad guy or losing any and all autonomy for the foreseeable future, which is gonna fuck up any kid and young adult’s brain. So, lowkey adopt him as a younger sibling even though he’s the boss of them and just barely taller than them.(Virgil is a tol lanky boi, and while Logan, standing at 5′9″, is but an inch shorter than Virgil at the start, Virgil still has growing room and peaks at about 6′4″ by the time hes 22. Patton at his normal height is like 5′6″, but frog man height is like 8′3″)

Oh, and they definitely make the Worlds Hero Association regret not taking Virgil’s existence kindly, Big Time.

#sanders sides #virgil sanders #logan sanders #patton sanders #luka writes #luka write this #janus sanders #supervillain vee au #ask to tag

[7demonhoes]

The devildom and hell are not the same part 2

This may have taken forever but I’m actually super proud of it. If you’re interested, I put a link to part 1 below. Also I take requests!!

Description: After giving into curiosity, MC has to deal with the consequences. They couldn’t leave the brothers be, not when they were clearly hiding something from their human. And now, with the demon’s secrets revealed, MC faces a dilemma that could cause them to lose the demon brothers forever. 

Word count: 5,191

Warnings:  Angst, body horror, mention of religion/hell. The demons act like actual demons.

Part 1

I kneel on the edge of the cavern that leads to the pits of Hell, throat raw from my terrified wail. Seven demons stare down at me, the sky beyond them tinged a cloudy red that resembles the blood being spilt far below.

The one that used to be Satan crouches down, moving as if to offer me a hand. It begins the motion. I stare at the arm; veins bulge from skin, its color a faint, sickly green. The hand reaching out towards me is huge, black claws the size of my fingers sharpened to a point, gore under the nails.

My eyes travel past the arm, looking towards the beast’s bare chest. Skin is stretched over muscle, pulled so tightly that it appears as if it will tear and bleed if it is stretched too far. A long, rigid tail snakes around the demon’s leg, swishing excitedly against a pair of bent knees. The tail travels up the entire length of the monster’s back, connecting to two obsidian horns at either side of the monster’s head.

The creature’s facial features are warped beyond recognition into a look of rage. Tight skin stretches over a small nose, dry lips forming a silent howl of anger. The mouth is horrible, its short, sharp teeth gleaming against pale green skin. Rows of teeth line the monster’s throat, reaching far back into the cavernous mouth.

Its eyes are blue-green, and they beg me for forgiveness. The beast whispers my name in Satan’s voice, far too soft to be coming from a hole filled with so many teeth.

“No,” I whisper, because it’s the only thing I can think.

“Why did you come?” The thing pretending to be Levi unhinges its jaw to speak, a forked tongue drooping from its mouth and slithering towards me.

“You’re so afraid,” another voice buzzes, “You’re making me even hungrier.”

“You betrayed us.” Mammon’s voice sounds pained. I can’t bring myself to look in the voice’s direction. When I looked at the figure before, I caught a glimpse of melted gold and burnt skin. “We loved you, you know.”

I could hear the meaning in those words. But not anymore. “Please,” I beg, because it’s the only thing I can do.

“Do not speak like them,” Lucifer rumbles, talons gesturing dismissively towards the Pit.

I stare at the ground, concentrating on the dirt sifting through my clenched fingers. I can’t think while I stare at them. The screams of the tortured souls get louder if I look into their eyes.

I remember the forcefield. I slowly crawl backwards. I need to get away from this place. I need to get away from-

A frail, thin hand with fine black hair rests on my own. If I wasn’t so afraid, I think I would reel back in disgust. “Running away?” Belgaphor whispers.

"I-" my voice breaks as the hand wraps around my wrist and pulls me forward. I stumble to my feet, barreling into hard muscle.

"Honey," Asmosdeus's sweet voice sounds sickly and thick. "You should have done what you were told."

I shiver against him, my arms wrapped around my chest. I stare down at his feet. A clawed hand gently touches the bottom of my chin.

"Don't," I whisper.

The demon ignores my request, forcing my eyes to travel up towards its face. Small, writhing bodies are pressed against the monster's skin, their nude forms stroking the demon.

When I look at the horror's face, the animal that stole Asmo's voice smiles at me. Its mouth splits open at the middle of the bottom lip, revealing a barbed tongue and curved canines.

Its hooded eyes reveal no emotion. Red makeup swirls around the demon's face, highlighting its elegant features. Four giant wings wrap around me, impossibly smooth to the touch.

I watch as it presses a clawed finger to its lips. "I'm sorry, baby," it coos, "but it appears that we have some things to discuss with you."

"...What?" I ask, attempting to reel backwards as the beast reaches for me. The demon places his finger on my tongue before pulling me in an embrace.

I feel a hand on the back of my head, softly stroking my hair. "Sleep," Belgaphore commands.

My vision blurs, my body starting to feel warm and calm. I find it impossible to move, but I'm too tired to care.

As my vision grows black, I hear the beating of wings and feel the soft caress of hot air against my skin.

I wake up in a dim room. Candlelight flickers across the stone walls and floor. Harsh shadow is cast across the other side of the room, so thick that I can't make out what might be lurking inside. Thankfully, I can no longer hear the screams of the damned.

I try to move my arm. To my horror, it pulls against a metal cuff. I look down to realize that I'm strapped to a metal chair by my wrists and ankles. I stiffen, looking wildly at my surroundings. I have to get out of here. What are they going to do to me? Are they going to keep me in Hell, now that I've learned what they are?

I can't help myself. I let out a whimper. I immediately hear rustling from the other half of the room. Glowing, red eyes stare at me from the darkness.

"Human," Lucifer's voice is rough. "I told you this was not information to be privy of." he steps into the candlelight, and I struggle against the chains. "And yet," he says, staring down at me with hunger, "I should have known that you would have meddled either way."

I stare at the figure in front of me. Its-his?- skin moves like ruffling feathers, never standing still. Hands and feet are replaced with the talons of a bird, the skin dry and black. The wings on the creature's back are even larger and more impressive than usual, crumpled slightly so they can fit in the cramped room. Black feathers shine an iridescent purple whenever candlelight flickers across them. Feathers travel from the wings, up the shoulders, and climb towards the demon's face, stopping at the jawline.

Lucifer's facial features are more or less the same. His cheekbones are sharper, his eyes brighter, and his lips are a shiny black. When the demon speaks, I see neat rows of fangs.

"Are you afraid?" The demon asks.

I remember when he almost attacked me in the common room. "Do you want me to be?"

Lucifer takes another step forward and crouches down, his face inches from mine. When I look into his eyes, I see the faces of those he has tortured. "Yes," he whispers.

I feel my heartbeat in my throat. "Why?" My voice is hoarse.

"It is my nature. And it is yours to be terrified of me." He gestures towards his body. "Especially when I look like this."

"Lucifer," I can't look into his eyes anymore. I stare at my lap, blinking away tears. "What is going to happen to me?"

"We will answer your questions. All of them."

"And then?"

He swallows. I glance at him to see his eyes on me. They're soft; if I look past the souls within them, I can see his sadness. "And then we will make you forget."

"Hell?" I guess that wouldn't be so bad. If I just woke up back in the House of Lamentation without any idea of what happened, it would probably be for the-

"No," Lucifer cuts off my thoughts. "You will forget your time in the Devildom."

If I wasn't sitting down, I think I would fall over. "Please don't." I can't forget this place. I can't forget them.

"It has already been decided." Lucifer stands and heads towards the shadows. "I will come back when it is time to say goodbye." He turns to look at me, opens his mouth, closes it with a shake of the head, and drifts away.

I shudder in a mixture of relief and despair when I no longer feel his presence. This place is horrible. I need to get out of here. But what would that do? They would find me, and they would bring me back.

And then they would say goodbye.

Maybe it's for the best. After everything I've seen… If I don't forget, what would become of my sanity? If I look at the demons in their human forms, will I ever be able to see them as the men I loved again?

I stare at the floor, feeling a coil tighten around my heart. Are the brothers truly that different? They've been coming to this place for more time than I can fathom.

And yet, those are human souls they are torturing. Do they ever look at me and think about hurting me? How much do they have to fight against their instincts to not attack me while I sleep?

But they never have. Does that knowledge by itself allow me to trust them?

It's not like I have a choice. They're taking away my memories of this place no matter what I do.

Someone coughs. I look up to see Beelzebub and Belgaphore. They stand huddled in shadow, looking at anything but me.

I eye them wearily, trying not to look away. Belphie looks even more exhausted than usual, the bags lining his eyes a deep shade of gray. His skin is covered in fine hair and rot, maggots crawling around his skin. Beel glances at the grubs, his stomach growling loudly.

"Does it hurt?" I ask.

Belphie raises an eyebrow. "Does what hurt?" His voice sounds sickly. It makes me want to close my eyes and never open them again.

"Your skin."

He shrugs. "You get used to the pain."

I stare at Beel. His eyes look like those of a fly's, each bulb moving in multiple directions. His mouth is half open, drool spilling from his lips. Giant teeth poke holes into his skin, the edges of the white points soaked in blood. His wings buzz each time they quiver.

"We're here to answer some questions." Beel says, "If you want to know anything."

I pause, thinking. It would be a waste to not ask questions, even though the action seems pointless when I know that I won't remember their answers. Still, the longer I drag this out…

Am I really okay with saying goodbye?

"Why do you look like that?" I start, my stomach rolling.

"We naturally shift into our True Forms when in Hell," Beelzebub says. "It's hard to change if we're just in the Devildom, unless we're incredibly angry or we haven't…. come here in a while. The only person who can shift whenever they want is Diavolo"

I swallow, gripping against the chair. "Those people," I whisper hoarsely, "Do they deserve it?"

"People are brought here for different reasons. The book humans use for their religion has some truth in it, some lies."

"For example?"

Belphie sighs. "Killing for safety or self defense doesn't get you thrown down here, but destroying lives for your own well-being does. People never come here based on their sexuality or gender. Stuff like that."

"What about… people who make pacts?"

"Only if you offer your soul. And even those humans don't necessarily end up in Hell."

I frown, thinking. "What will happen to my pacts with you? Once I forget?"

Beel winces. "They won't disappear, but since you won't remember how to use them, the marks will never flare up and show themselves."

A desperate, sad fear twists in my gut. "I don't want to forget you." My voice breaks as I speak, my eyesight becoming blurry.

One of the twins growls. I look up to see Belphie right above me, his lips grinding in an angry snarl. "This is your fault," he rumbles. "If you never asked questions, if you never tracked us…" He kneels down, placing his head on my knees. "Were we that untrustworthy? Was it me?"

"Belphie," I sigh, trying to reach out to him despite the chains. "I was selfish. It was all my fault."

"Can't you stay here instead? What if you just never left? You could live here, with us, and I wouldn't have to-"

Beel walks over and rests a hand on Belphie's head. "Humans can't stay here for their entire lives. It's too dangerous." Beel sighs, walking behind my chair to wrap his arms around me. He's careful to hide his claws. "But it doesn't mean we can't be sad."

My lip quivers. I'm about to speak when Belphie cuts me off. "I can't do this. I can't look at you and know that in a few hours you wouldn't recognize me. I'll- I'll see you later." He gets up, grabs Beel, and drags him out of the room. Before he's engulfed in shadow, Beel reaches out for me.

I desperately try to reach back, but my wrists clang at their restraints.  

I try to fight against the sadness in my gut. What have I done? I can't lose them. Not after all this time.

Before I can second guess myself, I concentrate, bringing the images of Leviathan and Mammon into my head. I imagine all of their forms and desperately force myself to think of each one as the same person.

I close my eyes. "Avatars of Greed and Envy," I speak, feeling the sigils against my palms and over the back of my neck tingle as they flare, "I summon thee as my guides. Be my strength." The sigils burn as I call out to the demons, feeling a familiar pull against my chest. I concentrate on that pull and imagine myself reeling it in.

The ground beneath my feet rumbles. I hear a whoosh and a flutter of wings. When I open my eyes, I find Levi and Mammon staring at me worriedly.

"Why did you summon us?" Mammon asks.

I smile sadly. "I still have questions. And I wanted to do it one last time."

Mammon winces, but doesn't speak. He tries to make him look as small as possible as I study him.

The Avatar of Greed is an impressive, terrifying sight. His blue eyes shine against his dark skin. His body and horns are adorned with jewels, the edges of the golden pieces melting into his skin. His hands are covered in melted gold, his fingers long and slender and decorated with beautiful rings. Black feathers cover parts of his chest and groin, the edge of them dipped in gold.

Burned skin presses against the gold, painful-looking blisters contrasting against the beautiful color of his skin. If Mammon is in pain, he shows no signs of it.

The tips of his bat-like wings are the same. One side of his wings brushes against the stone wall and leaves behind a smooth cut.

I turn my eyes towards Levi, and he shudders. "Don't look at me," he hisses, "I can't let you see me like this."

"Levi," I whisper, "Can you undo my restraints?"

"Won't you run?"

I shake my head. "I won't run away from any of you, ever. I promise." I put power into the words, feeling each of the seven sigils flare. The brothers in front of me gasp as they feel the power of the pacts within them.

Levi steps forward, gingerly reaching down to the cuffs at my ankles. When he moves to undo my wrists, he turns his head to hide his face.

His body is covered in purple scales. His arms and legs are disproportionately long compared to the rest of his body. His claws aren't as long as some of his brother's, but his fangs are the most impressive.

His mouth is huge, his jaw hanging open each time he speaks. Fangs dipped in poison reach towards his bottom lip, a forked tongue occasionally tasting the air. His eyes resemble a snake's, his extra eyelids blinking as he shies away.

Once he's released me from my restraints I rub at my wrists. I slowly stand up, barely coming up to Levi's chest. "Did you get taller?"

"We all do, in this form." He steps away from me.

"It's okay," I say. "Please don't hide. I want to be brave, so that your last memory of me is a good one."

I can tell how much they care through their words and actions. I could never hate them for what they are. They've shown me so much kindness and love.

I wonder if I'll know that something is missing? I've never been appreciated this much in my entire life. Will I feel a void in my heart once I wake up without these memories?

Before Levi or I can realize what I'm doing, I reach out and grab his hand. He jumps as I stroke his claws with a finger, his scales surprisingly smooth. Levi barely moves as I entwine our fingers together.

"Show me," I look at Mammon. He stares where my skin touches Levi's, a mixture of hopefulness and need plastered on his face. "I want to see all of it."  

He stiffens, realizing what I'm asking. "No."

"Please," I take another step closer to Levi. I don't even think he's breathing. "I want to truly accept you all. I want you to know that I understand why you kept this from me, and that even once I forget you that I will never stop loving you."

He opens his mouth, closes it, and then shakily wipes at his eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He nods before gesturing towards the shadows. Levi and I follow him, still holding hands.

I'm completely blind for a few seconds as we walk through the murky black. As the shadows around me dissipate, the sound of tormented souls reach my ears once more.

We stand on the other side of the pit. I look behind me to see a wall of shadow climbing towards the sky. "That wasn't there before," I mutter.

"Welcome to Hell." Mammon shrugs.

"What's it like?"

"There's eight layers." Levi points down to the pit. I glance at it, trying to put on a brave face. "Each one of us controls a layer, but the lesser demons are the ones who do most of the work. We go once a week or so to quell some of our more… natural instincts."

"Eight layers? But there's seven of you."

"The first layer is the pathway to the layer each soul will spend eternity in. The people you see now are those who have just died."

"And every demon needs to come here."

"Yes," Levi nods. "For some, it's almost like a job. Demons who have roles at other places in the Devildom only come here occasionally."

I catch Mammon's apprehensive stare. He swallows. "Aren't you afraid?"

I look down at the black dirt. "Yes. But the fear of Hell seems unimportant when I am so much more afraid of using all of you."

Levi sucks in a breath. "I can't believe you." He looks down at himself. "How could you see me like this and not be disgusted?"

"It's hard." I won't lie to them-- it feels like my instincts are screaming at me to run and hide. "But I know that you would never hurt me."

"But we have!" Levi shudders, "Don't you remember? We have never been fully able to control ourselves!" He takes his hand from my grasp, instead clenching them into fists. "Every time," he growls, "Every time we have ever hurt you it was because we had procrastinated coming here. And we never learned our lesson."

He's shaking, his eyes wide. "And now, you're gone. The first person we've truly cared about and you're being taken away-"

I crash into him, arms wrapping around his torso. He stiffens, hands remaining rigid at his side. The air beside me suddenly becomes hot as Mammon comes closer, coming as close to me as he can without burning me.

"I'm sorry," I sob into Levi's scales. "I'm so sorry. I love you all so much. I-I don't want to lose you."

Mammon tilts his head towards the sky and bellows, a ferocious roar emptying into the air and causing the ash beneath my feet to quake. He snarls, his feathers rippling. "Fuck this," he snaps. "Fuck Hell, fuck the rules. I'm not losing you." His blue eyes meet mine, flames burning within. "We're not showing you Hell. We're getting ya out of this place."

Levi bristles. "But where can we take them?"

I gasp. "Purgatory Hall. Solomon has a trap there. I'll be stuck in a forcefield, and only he can get me out. We'll be able to negotiate."

Mammon nods. "Let's go." He takes to the sky, giant wings flapping impressively.

Levi effortlessly picks me up, cradling me gently against his chest. "Hold on," he says. I tighten my grip around him as he takes off at an impossibly fast speed, the world blurring around me as he sprints around the Pitt and towards the forcefield back to the Devildom.

As we pass through the forcefield, he doesn't slow even as he shrinks in size and his scales recede. He continues to run as he returns to his normal demon form, his face a mask of concentration.

Mammon continues to fly above us, keeping pace with Levi-

A giant, terrifying figure in the sky flies toward him. They both go toppling to the ground in a flurry of wings and roars.

"Shit!" Levi yells, forcing himself to go faster.

"What was that?" I have to scream to hear my voice over the howling wind.

"Diavolo! He must know we're trying to help you!"

I swallow down a thick ball of anxiety. He wanted to kill Belphie for not following his orders when it came to the exchange program; what will he do to Mammon for letting me remember Hell?

Once we reach Purgatory Hall, Levi doesn't slow as we reach the door. He tightens his hold around me as he rams into the door with his shoulder. The wood splinters and falls beneath his weight.

Something screams behind us. Levi swears, heading towards Solomon's room. Just as we reach the hallway, the windows lining the walls all shatter at once.

Levi curls around me and jumps, hitting the ground and rolling as glass embeds itself into his skin. He sucks in a pained breath, releasing me and throwing me towards Solomon's door.

I scramble to my hands and knees and take a few steps forward before looking back. Levi's already standing, his arms spread wide to leave as little of an opening to reach me as possible.

And beyond him…. Is Diavolo in his True Form. He stands at a staggering seven feet, each limb defined with bulging muscle. His wings are so large that the edges poke past the broken windows, the stiff leather riddled with glass. His arms lay tensely at his sides, claws as big as my hand covered in a mixture of blood and strips of dark skin.

I shudder, thinking of Mammon and asking every god I know to let him be okay.

Diavolo snarls, his mouth stretching from ear to ear. A long, pointed tongue is covered with blood, red drool spilling from his horrible mouth. His eyes glow against black eye sockets.

And his skin…. Screaming faces press themselves against it as if trying to escape. The forms convulse against his entire body, hands reaching out and pressing against veined skin in a mixture of desperation and hopelessness.

Diavolo screams, and I cover my ears with a pained gasp as the walls around me shake. Levi steadies himself against the towering beast before him.

"Run!" Levi shouts just as Diavolo charges. I force myself to turn away and spring for Solomon's door as the sound of pained grunts and tearing echoes from behind me. I open the door and dive into the threshold of the room as something hot and wet erupts at my ankle.

I fall into the room and whirl around, staring at the open door as I lay sprawled out on the floor.

Diavolo bangs against the forcefield, his face a mask of rage. I cower beneath him, a small whimper bubbling from my throat.

I look past his hulking form to see Levi crumpled against a wall, his body covered in deep lacerations. I stare at him in shock, thinking the worst.

He coughs, opening an eye to look at me. He smiles when he sees me in Solomon's room before closing his eyes. His chest rises and falls.

I force myself to look at my ankle. The skin is shredded in three different places. I wince, just now feeling the pain as I stare at the wound. I quickly rip a part of my shirt and tie it around my ankle, gritting my teeth through the sharp needles of hurt.

A flurry of wings takes my attention away from my useless ankle. Diavolo turns as the rest of the demon brothers enter the hallway through the shattered windows.

Lucifer carries a bloodied heap in his arms. His eyes glow with an anger so intense I find myself scooting away despite the forcefield between us. He gently sets Mammon down next to Levi, his cold eyes softening as he looks at his brothers.

His eyes drift towards me, then towards my bandaged ankle. He glances at Diavolo's bloodied claws, then looks back at his unconcioUs brothers.

He faces Diavolo. His skin ripples, and with a sudden cry of rage he shifts into his True Form, his eyes almost level with Diavolo's.

A rumbling voice sounds from Diavolo's throat, more growls than words, "How dare you threaten me!"

Lucifer bares his teeth. "You laid a hand on my brothers. You laid a hand on my human."

"They broke the rules! They must face the consequences." Diavolo steps forward threateningly, but Lucifer holds his ground. "Bring Solomon here at once to break the spell."

"No." Lucifer shakes his head defiantly. "You will not harm anyone else."

Satan puts a hand on his shoulder. His skin stretches and pulls as he changes as well. Each brother steps closer to Lucifer, their eyes ablaze as they stand before their king. To protect their brothers.

To protect me.

I can't leave them.

"You cannot defy me!" Diavolo roars.

"No," a cunning smile warps itself on Lucifer's face, "but they can force us." He points a claw at me.

Diavolo gasps and turns to me, smashing against the forcefield with all of us weight. I focus on the brothers instead as they wait. With a grunt of effort, I get to my feet. I close my eyes, taking a deep breath.

I picture the brothers in my head, bringing my favorite memories of them to my mind. I pour everything I have felt over the past few hours-- the fear, the despair, the desperation…

And the love. I imagine golden love wrapping around their bodies and mine, entwining us forever; an unbreakable bond that cannot be forgotten.

I don't have to say the words. I feel all seven pacts burning on my skin, their colors washing me in a hue of seven different colors.

I look at Mammon and Levi. "Heal," I command. Their eyes fly open, skin closing around their myriad of wounds. "Change," I tell them, and their figures warp, the beautiful monster's falling behind Lucifer.

Diavolo screams, whirling around to face the brothers. He charges, raising a clawed hand towards Lucifer.

"Protect yourselves!" I demand, "And don't let me leave you!"

Lucifer catches Diavolo's raised hand. Faster than I can blink, the brothers hold Diavolo down. He tries to get loose and tear away from them, but he's no match for the seven of them.

"This is treason." His voice is full of malice.

"There has to be another way," Lucifer pleads. "There has to be a way to ensure that they don't forget."

"It's impossible." Diavolo shakes his head. He blinks, the rage on his face turning to a look of pensiveness. "Only damned souls and demons are able to witness Hell."

Satan stiffens. "What if-"

Belgaphore gasps. "It could be possible."

Lucifer frowns. "I doubt they'd want that."

Diavolo tilts his head to the side, his eyes turning towards my direction. "I suppose it wouldn't make the exchange program a complete failure." He takes a deep breath, his body shrinking in size until he's in his human form. He crosses his arms, staring at me.

The brothers follow suit, each of them shaking off their demon forms. I watch them, confused. "What are you talking about?"

Diavolo takes a step forward. His eyes no longer hold any anger. "You have two options," he says. "Either you can forget this place and live the rest of your days as a human…"

He pauses. I try to read the brother's faces for a clue, but the only expressions on their faces are those mixed with anxiety and hope.

Diavolo continues, "...or you can live in the Devildom for the rest of eternity. As a demon."

My heart skips a beat. I could be here. Forever, with the brothers.

As a demon.

"H-how?"

"With the correct rituals, it's quite an easy process. But if you do this, you will forever be changed. The human realm will no longer belong to you." Diavolo narrows his eyes. "You are trapped. You have no other choice."

I look at Levi and Mammon, who risked their lives to get me here. Levi shrugs, understanding the meaning of my gaze. "We gave you a way out. Now it's up to you to choose."

I stare at the demons in front of me, picturing their true forms. Do I really want to leave the human world behind? Would I be prepared to give it all up?

And what about my job as a demon? I would have to do unspeakable things…

And yet… could I stand to lose what I have here? I have never felt so loved, so complete until I came here.

I close my eyes. And I feel the decision in my bones.

"I won't forget you," I say.

The brother's eyes go wide, but Diavolo simply nods. Something shuffles from the back of the room. I turn to see Solomon materialize from a corner.

"What. The. Hell." I mutter, staring at the grinning wizard.

"Sup," he replies. He shuffles to his desk, pulling out a small container. He opens it before kneeling before my injured ankle, gingerly peeling off my makeshift bandage. He rubs some sort of cream on it, and the wound heals within seconds. He stands up with a wink, waving a hand in the direction of his doorway. The forcefield dissolves.

"Let's make a pact," he smiles.

I sigh, standing up and squaring my shoulders. Lucifer extends a hand out towards me. I take it. Each brother turns and begins to walk.

I leave my humanity at the door, following the loves of my life into the eternally dark sky of the Devildom.

#thank you so much for reading! #obey me #obey me fic #shall we date #obey me angst

[thewhumperinwhite]

And Then You Kill Me (part 5)

story masterpost

TW for: referenced dubcon; guilt and self-hatred; suicidal behavior; angst and misunderstandings; under-negotiated sexual behavior. Nothing directly nsfw here but it is very much The Morning After.

@whumpitywhumpwhump @favwhumpstuff

----

Usually, the morning after he eats, Karim sits on the roof with a cup of coffee and watches the sun rise.

It’s half indulgence and half penance. He can’t actually drink the coffee, which makes the smell exactly halfway between comfort and torture. And, depending on the…volume, he guesses, of the person he’s fed from, he can only stand the sun for about an hour on a clear day. Though sometimes he stays longer than that, to feel it prickle and burn against his skin. It depends on how much he feels like a thief, how much his mouth still tastes like lies.

This morning, of course, is different.

On the one hand, he isn’t as full as he normally is. It’s cloudy out, but he still needs the sunglasses he borrowed from Diana ages ago, that take up half his face; and he pulls a cap down low over his ears and forehead, too, for good measure.

On the other hand, he didn’t say a thing last night that wasn’t true, and that feels so good he’s almost drunk on it.

There’s warmth in his belly that’s more than blood.

Karim leans forward, cradling the still-hot mug against his chest, and squints down at the street below him. There’s a little shop on the corner, where he goes for batteries sometimes; they sell some simple groceries. Karim’s never had a reason to buy them before. He can’t think of any reason he’d like better than this.

----

Art wakes up with a screaming headache and absolutely no idea where he is.

Which. What he’s learning—what it feels like it’s taking him forever to learn—is that no matter how many times you wake up naked on someone else’s couch and don’t remember how you got there, it never gets easier or better.

And then he does remember. And that’s much worse.

----

Karim pauses inside the door, in the act of setting down the single bag of food and drink he’s bought. He’s just realized that orange juice belongs in the refrigerator, and he doesn’t actually have one of those. He doesn’t eat, and it hadn’t seemed worth the electricity.

Possibly the boy can drink it all in one go? It’s been so long since Karim’s drunk anything that comes out of a bottle, he isn’t actually sure how much—

He’s still standing there, in the doorway, holding Diana’s sunglasses in one hand and the carton in the other, and then a lamp hits him in the side of his head.

It doesn’t hit hard enough to rock him backward, but it does crack in half, and land at his feet in three big pieces.

Karim stares for a moment, down at the wreckage, and then up to the bathroom doorway, where the boy he picked up from the docks is standing. He’s wearing his sweatshirt again, and he’s trembling.

“What was that for?” says Karim. The boy’s face twists.

“We had a deal,” the boy says, and that’s when Karim realizes that the boy is shaking because he’s very, very angry.

“…Huh?” Karim says. It’s the wrong answer, apparently; the boy makes an unintelligible noise and lunges for a ceramic vase sitting on a nearby end table. Karim scrambles to set the orange juice and sunglasses down (Diana likes these glasses, and she’s terrifying when she’s angry) and throw his hands up in surrender. “Woah—Hey wait!” The boy pauses, holding the vase like a grenade. He’s swaying slightly under its weight. Presumably like someone who’s lost about a liter and a half of blood. Karim kind of can’t believe he’s even on his feet right now.

“…I bought you some orange juice,” Karim says, hesitantly. “The internet says it’s good for—”

The boy throws the vase.

“Oh my god!” Karim says, ducking into the kitchen, more by instinct than any actual fear of injury. (He is full of blood and almost indestructible; and also the boy aims like someone who has lost thirty percent of their blood by volume.) “What is your problem?”

The boy gapes at Karim, and has to grab the bathroom doorway to steady himself.

“My problem,” he gasps, sounding like he wants to shout it but is too out of breath. “Did I fucking stutter last night, you asshole?” He presses his hand to his temple and closes his eyes; his head must feel like a rotten melon by now. “What part of dead by sunrise was too fucking complicated for you?”

Karim blinks at the boy. Feels borrowed blood rise into his cheeks.

“Oh, that,” Karim says. “I, um…” He has no idea what to say. “…Sorry?”

His apology—which is half-hearted, admittedly; for once it hadn’t even occurred to him to feel guilty about this—hits the boy like a blow to the stomach, and the boy covers his face with one hand and slides down the bathroom doorframe until he’s sitting in a little heap on the floor. Wearing his still-damp sweatshirt and nothing else, his bare legs splayed out to either side. He looks—small, and less alive, and ah yes, there’s the guilt Karim has been missing.

“—so fucking stupid,” the boy mutters, into his hand.

Karim puts the juice down on the counter. He wants to move closer, but that cannot possibly be what the boy wants right now.

“God dammit,” the boy says, and he turns away from Karim, and climbs forward, easing himself back up to his feet against the wall. “Fuck this,” he says, and then Karim realizes he’s crawling-stumbling-falling toward the door, like he’s going to leave that way, swaying and half-naked.

“Woah,” Karim says, darting out to catch at the boy’s shoulder, “Hold on a s—”

“Don’t fucking touch me,” the boy spits, spinning away from Karim’s touch. His back is against the front door again, like it was when he opened up so sweet and easy under Karim’s mouth and hands—what, six hours ago? Less? The boy is incandescent with rage for a second, his eyes—they’re green, an ordinary alive-person green, shot through with brown, and achingly pretty—almost glowing with it, and then his face shutters like an empty house and he says, voice cold and precise, “Get out of my way.”

Karim hadn’t even realized he was in his way. But the door opens in, so the boy really can’t get out unless Karim moves. Karim holds his hands up instead, leaning back out of the boy’s space.

“Just—just wait a second, okay?” Karim says. He tries to pitch his voice as low and nonthreatening as possible, like he isn’t looming over the boy whether he wants to or not. “Let’s just—can we just talk about this for a second.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” the boy says. He’s supporting himself against the door, but if Karim didn’t already know he wouldn’t guess how unsteady on his feet the boy is; his voice is steady and flat and colder than Father’s basement in January. “It’s my own fault for being so fucking dumb and gullible, fair enough, glad that worked out for you, now back the fuck off.” That last part is said with so much sudden venom that Karim actually does stumble back a step without really meaning to.

“Gullible,” Karim repeats stupidly, like if he can understand just one word of what the boy is yelling at him this will all make sense suddenly. And then—suddenly—it does, and he gapes at the boy.

“Wait,” Karim says. “Do you—you think I was lying?” He almost expects the boy to deny it, except the boy is still giving him that same flat, blank look (with incomprehensible emotion underneath it, disgust and anger and maybe even hurt). “What—why on earth would I have—”

The boy looks at him. There are splotches of color in his cheeks, and his eyes are slightly too bright, and when Karim stares at him he tugs the hem of his sweatshirt down just a little farther, like he’s trying to cover his ass.

Karim takes a step back, dropping his hands to his sides.

“I wasn’t,” he says, nonsensically. “This is—Boy. I swear to you. I did not say a single thing last night that wasn’t true.”

There are big raised welts on either side of the boy’s throat, where Karim’s fangs went into him last night. The boy must have seen them, if he was in the bathroom; his reflection works just fine. They don’t look like hickeys or bruises or anything other than what they are. There’s no way the boy shouldn’t believe him, this one time when he only took what was given willingly, and not even all of that. There’s no way—

“Then explain it to me, asshole,” the boy says, and his voice is shaky with unshed tears. “Explain the world where everything you said is true, and I’m not dead yet.”

Karim wants—Karim wants. Karim wants to reach out and touch the boy. Karim wants to hold the boy gently, wants to wrap him up in something warm and safe until he tells him why he talks that way, why he wants to give his life—this thing he has that Karim doesn’t, that Karim won’t ever again—away so badly his voice trembles like that whenever he talks about it.

“It’s,” Karim says. His Father is always in despair about how bad he is with words. “Well, it’s just—I like you.”

Karim hasn’t told a lie in almost eight hours, now. This isn’t a lie, either.

The boy’s eyes go wide, surprise and then fear and then anger, and then without warning he dives down, flops onto his knees, grabs a shard of the shattered vase, and jerks it toward his own throat.

“No!” Karim grabs the boy’s wrist, too hard; it creaks alarmingly in his grasp, but the jagged ceramic piece falls from his hand and clatters to the ground. He wants to let go—the boy is far too still, his eyes too wide, and Karim already knows his wrist will bruise—but he can’t. There’s too much broken pottery and glass, and the boy is such a fragile thing.

The boy stares up at Karim. He is kneeling wide-eyed at Karim’s feet, and Karim can hear his shallow too-fast breath and his hummingbird heart, and it is almost more than he can bear.

The boy doesn’t scream, though; he doesn’t even call Karim a monster, or any of the other things Karim deserves. What he says, his voice tight, is, “They’ll find me,” and then, soft and desperate, meeting Karim’s light bulb eyes with his pretty dull alive ones, “Please.”

Karim doesn’t let go of the boy’s wrist. He gets carefully to his knees beside him, instead, meeting the boy’s gaze like it doesn’t even hurt.

“I’ve been killing in this city for nine years now,” he says, and there’s fear in the boy’s eyes, but still no fear of him. “They’ve never caught me.”

The boy’s eyes flicker. Karim has no idea with what. But this is the moment. He throws caution to the winds.

“Give me a week,” he says.

The boy stares at him.

“I like you,” he says again. The boy’s pounding heart hasn’t sped or slowed, so Karim keeps going. “You’re—I’ve never met anyone like you.” That’s true, like everything else he’s said, but he knows the boy won’t like it, so he presses ahead, fighting hard not to trip over his words. “I want to spend a week with you. Not to—we can do whatever you want. I won’t touch any way you don’t want me to. I know how to hide in this city better than anyone, no one will know where you are. And at the end of the week—” He swallows; he doesn’t want this to be a lie, but also the thought of it turns his stomach; he makes himself say it anyway. “And at the end of the week, I’ll kill you any way you ask me to. I promise.”

There’s a too-long moment of silence. The boy’s heart flutters painfully, and neither of them blink.

“…a week,” the boy says slowly, after an eternity.

Karim nods, maybe frantically.

The boy pulls his hand delicately out of Karim’s grip; Karim, useless heart pounding, lets him.

“For a week,” the boy says, “you’d better give me the flashiest murder scene in history.”

Karim grins, so hard it almost hurts his face. “Flashy,” he says, giddy and stupid. “I can do that.”

#and then you kill me #vampire whump #emotional whump #blood loss #suicidal whumpee #guilt and self hate #misunderstandings #the morning after #self destructive behavior #sexy vampires #whump #original whump #suicide tw

[dustofbrokenheart]

The Lost Boys: A Thousand Words

Star x Reader

Word Count: 1,340

Summary: Reader spots Star through a camera lens and can’t look away. 

One of the most important things to consider in photography was lighting. Without good lighting, the photo might not turn out, no matter how interesting the composition was.

That could become even more complicated if you decided to shoot at night, but in a bright place, like the boardwalk, it wasn’t an issue. Everything was still lit up to max capacity. The stores all had their lights on, the rides blinked and flashed their colored bulbs, not to mention the lamp posts that were incrementally placed throughout the amusement park.

You were working on a photography class portfolio and decided to center your theme on emotions. It was easy to pick the boardwalk as one of the settings. 

Tons of people, tons of emotion ripe for capturing. And going at night would open up possibilities for different lighting.

Different from the stuff you normally shot during day anyhow.

The flash went off with a noticeable click, some people giving you a wide berth. A group of girls had just come off of the tilt-a-whirl with messy hair and exuberant faces. It could make a good addition to your portfolio.

You’d been at it for about ninety minutes and had already used up a roll of film. The one currently in the camera might have to be swapped out soon; you had already taken quite a few.

Camera slung around your neck, you wandered down towards the t shirt shops.

It was best not to stay in one place the whole time. You had been doing photography long enough to know that people got antsy, suspicious even, when someone kept continuously taking pictures in one spot. Like they were worried about being under surveillance or something.

Photography was a comfort to you. As a kid, you had trouble connecting with other people. You were a ‘weirdo’ so to speak. But when you tried photography, it clicked with you and you’d been doing it ever since.

Peering through the lens, you saw a toddler throwing a tantrum with a popsicle dripping down their chubby fingers. Maybe not the most flattering shot but not all emotions were positive ones. 

Your finger hovered over the shutter button but before you could take the picture, someone else came into the shot, blocking your view.

At first, you were mildly annoyed. Until you got a good look at the newcomer.

She was…mesmerizing.

If it weren’t so sappy, you’d say ethereal. Even angelic. But that was ridiculous—you’d only just seen her. Didn’t know her at all outside of the lens of the camera. You frequented the boardwalk enough but had never seen her around.

She was a great subject though. Despite it being nighttime her skin positively glowed. Her riotous curls were wild and thick. Her cheeks looked soft, her chin delicate.

You took a photo on instinct, the flash going off.

The flash was its usual brilliance but it wasn’t particularly loud. It should have been drowned out, especially since it was so crowded at the boardwalk at that time of the night. Still, she turned and looked you directly. 

You stopped breathing, your lungs frozen. And then she started walking towards you.

Suddenly, you couldn’t stop breathing, your chest hitching in panic as your blood pressure rose. Was she going to yell to you? Talk to you? God. You didn’t think you were prepared for that.

“Hi,” she smiled stopping right in front of you. Her bracelets chimed as she tucked a curl behind her ear.

You waved back awkwardly. “Hi.” The camera suddenly felt heavy around your neck.

“So,” she gestured at the camera. “You’re into photography?”

Not wanting to seem even more stupid, you cleared your throat in a herculean effort to say something. Anything.

“Y—yeah. I am. I’m sorry, were you bothered by me taking pictures? Cause I throw that out—”

“No, no. It’s okay. You’ll have to let me know if it turns out.”

You were quick to nod and it didn’t register that she said ‘if’ not ‘when.’ You were still dazed by the fact she was talking to you at all.

“It’s for a portfolio, actually. I’m in a class and this is part of a final project.”

That seemed to interest her judging by her lips curving up. “A portfolio. That’s cool, I like that.”

As she talked, she began walking. The crowds were thick so it was harder to walk side-by-side and she reached back for your hand to pull you along. You trailed after her like a moth to a flame; a pretty accurate description, you thought.

Her fingers were surprisingly cool to the touch and the difference in temperature only made you further tuned into the touch.  

She asked more about the photos and you were only too happy to talk now that the ice had been broken. You chatted about your theme, how you liked the soft rings of light, even about the group of boys that had hassled you earlier.

“Wait, what did these boys look like?” There was a worried furrow on her brow.

“Like the normal beach crowd, I guess. A few of them had bleached stripes in their hair, some were shaved down to the scalp. But they didn’t do anything serious, only gave me a hard time before stomping off.”

She hummed, sounding relieved. “Good. That’s good. I’m Star by the way.”

“Star,” you repeated. A pretty name for a pretty girl. And very fitting. “Y/N. Sorry I didn’t give my name earlier.”

The two of you passed the games and continued on to the ferris wheel. There were several benches in the area and she promptly seated you at one, sitting down besides you. 

Close enough that her hair blew in your face with the wayward breeze but not so close that it could be construed as…well, something else.

“I think this would be a great place for taking pictures. The ferris wheel isn’t exciting but it is intimate.”

You looked at a group that was coming off the ride and could see what Star meant. They all had a soft, warm look about them. You snapped one and then paused, deliberating. Maybe…

Mind made up, you lifted the strap around your head and passed the camera to her. “Here. Wanna try?”

“Oh. Are you sure? I’m not familiar with these,” she confessed, holding the object carefully, almost as if she were afraid she’d break it.

You easily waved off her concern. “It’ll be fine. Just look through the lens here and press the button on the top when you’re ready to take it.”

Hesitantly, she followed your instructions and raised it eye-level. The flash went off and the whole thing was over in a matter of seconds.

“See? Easy.”

She returned the camera to you with a bright smile, her teeth white. “I can see why you like it. It’s different, looking at people through a filter.”

Heat throbbed in your cheeks. Pretty and perceptive then. Trying to take the attention off of yourself, you told her she could take more, if she wanted.

“Actually,” she handed it over to you again, “I have to meet some people. So I’d better go.”

“Right,” you nodded. She was still cold and it sent tingles up your arms when you accepted the camera. The sensation made up for the disappointment at her leaving. “See you around.”

Her eyes perused you over, not obnoxiously but enough for you to be able to tell. Peering directly at you with a warm expression in her brown eyes, like she had when you first spotted her, she waved her fingers gently and was left without anther word.

You watched her retreating figure for as long as you could but very quickly she disappeared into a mass of faceless people. She had only just left but her feminine scent still lingered in the air. You met briefly, and still knew next to nothing about her, but you were definitely interested.

Maybe she’d come back tomorrow.

You really hoped she did.

_______________

First time ever writing for Star. What even was this? Haha. Just wanted to try something different, hopefully I wasn’t too off with her. Thanks for reading :) 

#the lost boys #the lost boys star #star the lost boys #the lost boys star x reader #the lost boys imagines

[storydays]

Season 1, ep 6,p1

-The Next Day-

You were humming happily, brushing Neo's fur as he groaned happily."Feels good huh, Neo?" You laugh as he looked at you and flopped onto his back, exposing his belly for you to brush. "Ha! Okay, point taken." Suddenly your radio playing music turned into something unexpected. "Good morning, citizens of Republic City. This is Amon. I hope you all enjoyed last night's pro-bending match because it will be the last.' You turned to the radio, your body frozen in fear as the man continued to talk.

"It's time for this city to stop worshiping bending athletes as if they were heroes. I am calling on the council to shut down the bending arena and cancel the finals or else there will be severe consequences." With that ominous message, the radio went dead. You jumped when Neo nudged your arm in concern. Sighing shakily, you smiled even though it didn't reach your (e/c) eyes. "I'm okay, but how do you feel about taking a swim?"

*At City Hall*

You walked in with your Uncle Tenzin and immediately took your seats, Tenzin placing a hand on your shoulder in comfort. "Here we go." You whispered.

*20 minutes later*

The door made a loud bang sound as the Avatar and your teammates walked in. Your Uncle stood up, addressing her. "Korra, you shouldn't be here! This is a closed meeting." "As the Avatar and a pro-bending player, I have a right to be heard. You can't cancel the finals." she stated, walking closer. "I know winning the championship means a lot to you, but as far as I'm concerned, we need to shut the arena down." the Airbending master stood his ground.

"What about the rest of you?" demanded the Avatar. "Tarrlok, surely there's no way your backing down from Amon, are you?" "Actually, Tenzin and I agree for once." "The council is unanimous--we're closing the arena." "No!" Mako cried. "You can't!" agreed Bolin. "(Y/N), what about you? Out of everyone here, pro-bending means the most to you." Korra tried desperately. You looked at her, with a mix of emotions. "Yes, but it'd be selfish of me to want the arena open for my own needs. Part of our job is to protect the innocent, Korra." She turned to Tarrlok, confusion clear in her face.

"I thought you of all people would take a stand against Amon." He glanced at you quickly before turning his attention to the blue eyed girl in front of you. "While I am committed to bringing that lunatic to justice, I will not put innocent lives in danger at stake just so you and your friends can play a game." At that point, Mako had enough. "Pro-bending might only be a game to you, but think of what it means to the city. Right now, the arena is the one place where benders and non-benders can gather in once place to watch benders--" "Beat each other up..in peace! It's an inspiration to everyone!" You couldn't help but laugh at the Earthbender.

"I appreciate your naive idealism, but you're ignoring the reality of the situation." Tarrlok replied coolly. "The reality is: if you close the arena, you let Amon win!" Korra tried once more. "I'm sorry, but the decision has been made. This meeting is adjourned." Before he could bang the hammer, a wire came out of no where and snapped the wooden hammer in half. Everyone watched mesmerized as Lin pulled it back to her suit.

She raised an eyebrow before speaking. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with the Avatar." "You do?" "You do?" "Yeah, you do?" You, Tarrlok and Korra wondered. "I expected this kind of cut and run response from Tenzin, but the rest of you?" You cough to cover your laugh at Lin's jab at your Uncle. "Come on, show a little more backbone. It's time the benders of this city displayed some strength and unity against these equalists." Her green eyes peered at you in particular.

"We must prevent the conflict between benders and non-benders from escalating to into an all-war! The council is not changing its position, Lin." "Now just a moment, Tenzin. Let us hear what our esteemed Chief of Police has in mind." Your Uncle tossed his hands up, as Lin began to talk. "If you keep the arena open, my metal benders and I will provide extra security during the championship match." "As will I." Everyone turned to you in shock.

"But (Y/N)--" Mako started as you held up a hand. "Right now, the lives of the benders are more important than a championship. Korra will take my place, and I will be in the crowd to jump in if needed." Lin looked at you with a hint of pride, and while Tenzin felt pride for you as well, the fear of you being hurt was stronger. "There's no one better to deal with Chi-blockers. Our armor is impervious to their attacks."

"Are you saying that you will be personally responsibility for the safety of the spectators in the arena?" Tarrlok sneered. "I guarantee it." Your Aunt said firmly. "It is hard to argue with Chief Beifong's track record. If she and (Y/N) are confident her elite officers can protect the arena, then she has my vote. I am changing my vote--who is with me?" The Earth, Fire and Southern Water Tribe representatives raised their hands and Tenzin knew he was defeated.

"The arena stays open. Good luck in the finals." Your teammates cheered, while you sent them a weary smile. "And good luck to you, Chief Beifong and (Y/N)." With that you waked off, your hair swishing behind you. Your teammates, Aunt and Uncle watched as you left. Korra turned to the woman next to her. "Thank you--" "I didn't do it just for you. I also did it for (Y/N), he's been different for a while, and I think this will help him."

"A word, please, Lin." The woman followed out of ear shot, but was unaware of you meditating in the rafters. "Tarrlok is playing you, and I don't want to see you (Y/N) get hurt." "I know what I'm doing, and the risks that come with it. As for (Y/N), he's stronger than you give him credit for, he's not that same child he once was." "In that case, I'm going to be by your sides during the match."

You peeked an eye at his figure, waiting for his response, "It's for (Y/N) and Korra. I want to make sure they're safe." "Do what you want. It's not like I've ever been able to stop you before." With that she stalked off, ignoring Korra as she tried to approach the woman. Korra turned to your Uncle with an annoyed look. "What is her problem? Even when she's on my side, she's against me." "I've known Lin since we were children; she's always been challenging."

"What did your father do to make her hate the Avatar so much?" "My father and Lin got along famously...I'm afraid her issues are with me." Korra seemed to have a light bulb moment. "Wait a second, it all makes sense. You and Beifong, Beifong and you....you two were a couple!" You sputtered a laugh, as your uncle replied. "What? How...where'd you get that idea?" "Ha! Your wife." Korra smirked as your Uncle muttered.

"Criminy! I'll have to have a word with her.." "So, Pema stole you from Beifong? I'm surprised our 'esteemed Chief of Police' didn't throw her in jail." Korra mused, looking at Tenzin as he looked back wistfully. "Oh she tried. Anyway, Pema didn't steal me. Lin and I had been growing apart for some time; we both had different goals in life--why am I telling you this?" he sputtered.

Your curious (e/c) eyes glowed slightly in the dark from your hiding spot, as you watched their interaction. "It all happened a long time ago, and we've moved past it." "Apparently Beifong hasn't." Your Uncle clenched his fists. "What do you...? Of course she has. Anyway, this isn't any of your business." He began storming away and Korra could't resist calling out, "See you at home, Mister Heartbreaker!" she laughed, before yelping as you appeared out of nowhere.

"Gah! We should put a bell around your neck, (Y/N)." You chuckle at her. "Sorry, Korra, but you should be more aware of your surroundings. And that is what we're going to work on when we're waterbending." You started to walk away with your hands clapsed behind your back when Korra wondered, "(Y/N), how come you train with the airbenders and I when you're a waterbender?" 'Finally.' You turned towards the girl with a giant smirk on your face. "Well, now you're asking the right questions, Korra. But I'm hungry! Let's go find something to eat! Your treat!"

Your laughter echoed in the halls as Korra chased after you, demanding an answer.

*The next morning*

You opened your eyes to see your Aunt Pema holding a plate of food in offering in front of you. Her green eyes sparkled with motherly concern and love. "Be safe tonight, (Y/N)." She said, sitting next to you before you fell in peaceful silence.

*That night*

You pulled your hair into a high ponytail, similar to Korra's hairstyle, before tightening your armor Aunt Lin gave you for your 18th birthday. "All clear, Chief. " an officer called to her, her intimidating presence powering over yours. She made hand signals before turning her attention to the approaching Airbender behind you. "How is the security sweep going?" "Fine." the Earthbender said dryly."They checked under the stands?"

"Yes, Uncle." "And you have enough officers to cover all points of entry?" With a irritated sigh, she turned to him. "I have the skies, the bay, and every nook and cranny of this place covered. Now leave me alone and let me do my job." You rolled your eyes, and walked away from the bickering adults in search of your tiny companion. "Nevermore! Where are yo--"  Suddenly the (f/c) dragon appeared with a bone in her mouth.

"Ah! Nevermore what is in your mouth?" You yelped, trying to take it out of her mouth. It was comical: you the oh so stotic (Y/N) fighting with a baby dragon. She thought it was a game of tug a war and you were sorely losing. A soft giggle in the corner caught your attention and you looked towards a grinning Asami as she came out of the corner.

"Relax (Y/N), it's a vegan chicken bone. I know how you feel about how much meat she eats." You smiled in relief that your pet hadn't take an actual bone from somewhere else. "Heh, thanks Asami." She then pursed her lips and studied you for a moment while you were chanting silently in your head for her not to say anything about your almost full on confession.

"So, (Y/N) about what you said the other day,--" "What do you mean? I say a lot of stuff the other days." You tilted your head, making you look like a polar bear pup. Nevermore looked at you with a look that screamed, "Tell her the TRUTH," You turned away from the girl, with a hand cupping your ear, "Huh, what's that Aunt Lin? You need to talk to me?" You turned to the unimpressed girl with a grin. "Sorry, Asami; They're calling me, so I gotta--bye!" You left as quick as your feet carried you away.

The dragon looked at Asami who looked at her and they both laughed at your silliness when really Asami wanted to talk to you.

*20 minutes later*

"The anticipation is palpable as we are just moments away from the championship match. Will the Wolfbats' ferocity help them repeat as champs or will the under dog Fire Ferrets serve up a surprising bowl of smack down soup?" You scoff next to your Aunt and Uncle who looked at you curiously, "It isn't a surprise if he says it." You said sassily making them chuckle at you.

"Introducing the challengers, the Future Industries Fire Ferrets!" The crowd went wild as Bolin started doing some silly poses. "Oh it seems the Avatar is filling in for (Y/N) today! But where is the young Councilman?" wondered the MC as your fans began booing and calling for you. Lin smirked and elbowed you from where you crossed your arms. "Seems like someone's got himself a fan club."

Even though you were part Bumi, you were also part Lotus. She was a shy and reserved thing. That's a part of her personality that you got as well. You chuckled bashfully. "Nah, they just like having me for bets." You looked closer at the Ferrets, noting Korra was rolling her eyes at Mako. Nevermore chirped from your shoulder, and you snicker.

"You said it, girl." Pabu started chirping from the ring making Nevermore fly up and breath fire onto Bolin's Earth disk making the crowd cheer in wonder. "And their opponents! The WHite Falls Wolf Bats!" Said team started howling and cheering while you rolled your eyes at their dramatic entrance.

You held your arm out for the baby dragon to land on like a hawk. "Isn't the leader of the Wolf Bats your ex?" Tenzin asked while Lin sent him the stink eye. "Yes Uncle he is. Jerk." You sniffed in disdain. "The champs and challengers face off at the starting line and here we go!" Your left eye twitched as your ex tried to get Korra with some dirty trick.  "Tahno tries to clean the Avatar's clock with some dirty water-boxing. Ming shakes off Mako's attack and returns the favor."

Mako and Korra were both knocked into second and Bolin was soon knocked back after making you wince. "Ahh, maybe I should've made Korra be on guard duty." You face palmed at the girl as your aunt laughed slightly at your misery.

Nevermore chirped from where she was perched on your shoulder, making you bark a laugh.

"Hush Nevermore or no meat for you for a week."

You got a nip on the ear for that.

"Ow!"

[thefatedthoughtofyou]

Late Night Walks and Christmas Lights

(Ao3)

((( Thank you @tinyboop for the ideas!!! Sorry it took 84 years to write it!!!! Love youuuuu!! Also, so sorry this isn't under a read more, on mobile. If i can go in on desktop and add one i will... if i remember! <3 )))

It was almost Christmas. The buildings in the city had been decorating all month. Office buildings leaving lights on in the shapes of trees and snowmen and stars, the smaller buildings had been decked out with lights and little trees of their own. The wind had begun to bite, and the weather man was calling for their first snow this weekend.

Bucky hadn't really done Christmas in awhile. "Awhile" being lenient. He hadn't done Christmas in almost 70 years. And he knew that he'd stared when he went out to shop with Sam. Sam had offered to help him with his Christmas shopping, because Sam was nice like that... and also very good at Christmas shopping.

But Bucky had been staring, at the lights, and the trees, and all the tinsle and gifts and toy sets. Everything was so different now. So big. So in your face and everywhere. It was overwhelming. Sam had swooped in right as Bucky's hands had begun to shake, right on time. Like always.

He'd guilded him through shop after shop, grounding him with a steady hand on his elbow when needed, or a hand placed to the small of Bucky's back. Bucky wasn't sure if Sam realized he was doing that, but he wasn't going to say anything that might make him stop. He'd helped him around the shops and they managed to get most of the gifts they needed.

They'd headed back to their apartment, they'd been living together for almost a year. Neither of them enjoying the hustle and bustle of so many bodies under one roof. Sam had offered to look for places, and Bucky, ever the talkative one, had nodded. Sam had found them a nice place in queens rather quickly. Suspiciously quickly. Bucky didn't mention it. They'd hid their gifts and moved on. Waiting to wrap them til closer to Christmas.

Bucky woke to Sam screaming.

In all honesty,  he hadn't been sleeping. Sam screams at the same time every night, every time it happens, Bucky had begun waking a few minutes before, naturally,  and would wait a few moments after, for the silence or the screaming. If there was silence, he'd drift back to sleep, happy that Sam was getting a goodnights sleep. If there were screams, well, it was different every time, but Bucky always tried to help. And Sam, Sam had actually begun to let him.

Bucky pulls on a pair of black sweats and his blue henley, shoves his feet into his boots and gets up, rubbing at his eyes as he walks down the hall to Sam's room. The screaming has stopped now, Bucky can hear Sam breathing heavily through his bedroom door. Awake then. He knocks twice, the sharp rap of his knuckle.

"Get dressed and meet me in the kitchen." Bucky says, not an order, not a request, something in-between, something that they both understand, however unspoken. Bucky waits by the table. Not five minutes later Sam stumbles into the room, his own boots loose on his feet as he yanks his shirt down over his head.

"Is it far?" Sam asks, his voice low and hoarse, either from screaming or from sleep. Bucky doesn't ask.

"Not too far. But it's cold." Bucky says, a small smile tugging at his lips when Sam groans but follows him to door, accepting the coat Bucky offers with a nod.

Bucky hadn't lied, it wasn't far. Just around the corner. But it had started snowing earlier in the night, the streets and cars all covered in a thin white sheet of sparkling flakes, and the cold air made the walk seem like miles.

Sam pressed into Bucky's side as they walked. Huddling for warmth, Bucky told himself, and he was grateful. He pulled the door of their destination open, Sam gave him a look, Bucky waved him inside and followed him into the warmth under the florescents inside.

"A gas station." Sam said, voice lacking any emotion.

"Yep." Bucky nodded.

"You brought me, to a gas station.  In the freezing cold. At 4 in the morning. " the lack of emotion was mostly for effect now, Bucky could see his lips twitching.

"Not just a gas station." Bucky said, walking toward the back of the small store, keeping his eyes on Sam.

"A gas station, with icees." He pointed his finger over his shoulder, Sam had been following him down the aisle he'd chosen.

"Icees." Sam echoed, voice dull.  Bucky nodded.

"Icees."

"Buck it's fuckin snowing outside and you brought me hear get an icee?" His hands were on his hips now, eyes incredulous.

Bucky stopped. He looked out the window. It was snowing. And he guessed most people probably wanted warm drinks in the winter. He hadn't really thought it through. He raked his eyes over the shop, looking for some way to recover.

"They have coffee too." He offered lamely, with a shrug. Sam stared at him, hands on his hips, not moving, for what seemed like ages. And then his body seemed to melt,  his face soften, arms dropped.  He smiled, wide and bright, and strode toward Bucky.

"I'm just fuckin with ya. Thanks Buck." He patted Bucky's chest as he walked past him to the drink machines. He began filling a cup with the cherry icee, the bright red reached about a quarter of the way up and he switched to coke. He went back and forth, layer by layer, til the cup was full. He popped his straw into the cup and took a sip, smiling around the bright red straw perched between his lips, motioning with his head for Bucky to get his.

Bucky grabbed a cup and started with cherry as well, but he layered his with blue raspberry before popping his staw in. He took too big gulps and then stopped, his eyes falling on Sam, who was staring at his mouth. Bucky involuntary let his lips part, his straw catching on his teeth. Sam gulped and licked his lips before shaking his head and looking away.

"They got anything else in here worth checkin out?" He asked as he walked away from Bucky up a different aisle, his eyes down.

"They uh..." he trailed off, mind wandering. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"They have a pretty good candy selection." Bucky said, finding himself again and pointing to the giant wall of candy behind Sam. Sam's eyes lit up when he spun around to look, Bucky smiled at his feet as he trailed behind him.

Sam kept them in the small gas station for almost two hours, looking at everything from drinks to novelty lighters. Sam bought one for both of them, so 'they could stay warm on the walk home'. Bucky had no problem staying warm on the way home, Sam pressed against him again and he could feel himself flushing from cheeks to toes.

They walked up the steps to their door and Bucky stopped, his hand on Sam's arm, staring at the door. Or rather the light shining underneath it.

"We didn't leave a light on." Bucky whispered. Sam covered Bucky's hand with his own and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I know. But it's okay. Go on." He nodded toward the door and let Bucky walk in front of him.

He turned the knob. Pushed the door open, and felt his heart skip a beat. There were Christmas lights strug on the walls. White ones. Everything was a glowing white. There was garland draped around the kitchen. And in the corner of the room stood a tree. Dazzling in white lights, covered in bulbs of all different colors. Sam pressed into his side again, slowly, looking at him. Bucky knew he was trying to gage his reaction.

"How did you-"

"Did we do okay?" A small voice asked, Bucky knew that voice. He looked down the hall to see Peter's head poking out of Sam's room, his hair sleep tussled, baggy pajama shirt nearly falling off his shoulder.

"I think we did great for such short notice. Personally." Aunt May's head popped out right above her nephews, her hand resting on his shoulder as he smiled up at her, and then both of them, in synch, turned to smile at Sam and Bucky.

"You did great. Thanks." Sam said with a nod. Bucky turned to him and stared.

"What?" Sam asked, having the audacity to sound confused.

"How did you do this?" Bucky asked, staring at Sam and ignoring the muttering from down the hall, hearing a distinct "how did HE do this?", before managing to shut them out.

"Oh we've been planning this for awhile. I texted them when we got to the gas station." Sam said, like it was just that simple. Bucky could hear Peter and Aunt May gathering their things somewhere far behind him.

"It was 4 in the morning. Why didn't you just... wait til i got sent on a mission or something?" He wiped his palms on his thighs,  he could feel that flush creeping up on him again.

"It wouldn't havs been as surprising then." Sam shrugged. Bucky thought he might collapse right there. He didn't know what to say. Or how to say it.

"You two boys have a wonderful Christmas." Aunt May butted in, pulling them both in for a hug, side by side, kissing their cheeks.

"Now. There's two presents under that tree, one from me, and one from Peter. You're not to open them til Christmas." She pointed at them, giving them a stern look. She screwed her face up and seemed to change her mind.

"Or at least Christmas Eve." She smiled brightly, pulled them into another hug and then released them. Peter pounced on them not even seconds later.

"Aww Merry Christmas guys! I hope you like your gifts! Mine's better than Aunt May's but hers is really good too, we're super good at gift giving you're gonna love them! Aahh i wish you could just open them now so we could see your faces!!!" He was practically bouncing up and down. Aunt May detached her nephew and apologized.

"Sorry guys! It was so early when you texted so i made coffee and i made it waaaayyy too strong and it's kinda just now kicking in. Ultimately unfortunate but actually kind of okay cuz now i have the energy to do the rest of my shopping today! So thanks i guess! Bye! Merry Christmas!!" He waved as he walked backwards out the door, they heard him slide down the banister on the stairs and land perfectly.

"Nailed it!" His disembodied voiced called from the hall. Aunt May laughed, a happy, bubbly sound, and then her smile softened. She looked at them for a moment, her hand on the door knob.

"Really though. I hope your Christmas is wonderful you two." She closed the door a smidge and then popped back in.

"Oh! And before i forget, Peter left you a little something extra, for holiday cheer." She pointed toward the ceiling, grinning at them as she pulled the door shut.

Bucky looked at Sam.

Sam looked at Bucky.

Then they both looked to the ceiling together.

Above their heads. Stuck to the ceiling with webbing that was sparkling in the twinkling lights, was a small sprig of mistletoe.

Bucky felt his knees wobble, his eyes falling back to Sam, who was still staring at the ceiling. He looked so beautiful, his skin was practically glowing in the low light of the Christmas decorations. Sam finally lowered his gaze back to Bucky, eyes moving over his face, jumping between his eyes and his mouth in quick succession.

"Ya know. I might be in trouble." Sam said, voice low, his breath ghosting over Bucky's skin, making him shiver.

"What? Why?" His brain was malfunctioning, he could feel it. He was sure soon enough there'd be smoke coming out of his ears.

"Cuz i think Spiderboy might be much better at this Christmas thing than me." He was whispering now, and was he getting closer? Was it hot in here? Bucky was sure it hadn't been this hot a moment ago.

"I thou-" Bucky cleared his throat, his attempt at a whisper being more of a croak.

"I thought you were the best?" Bucky breathed. Sam's hand moved to Bucky's cheek, his thumb moving in a slow, warm, line across his cheekbone.

"He's better." It was less a whisper than a breath, breathed between them like a secret, before Sam closed the distance. His lips were warm, hot almost. They seemed to burn Bucky in the most delicious way. He grabbed at Sam's hips and pulled him closer, flush against him, moaning softly as Sam's tongue brushed his lips.

Sam pulled back first, not far, his head resting agaisnt Bucky's as they stood leaning into each other. He smiled at the small sound of disagreement Bucky made. Bucky's eyes were still closed but he could feel Sam nodding slowly.

"Yeah. He's way better."

Bucky opened his mouth, intending to agree but never getting the chance. Sam dove back in, pressing himself into Bucky until all he could feel was Sam. All he knew was Sam. His whole world was Sam. Sam, holding him tightly. Sam, kissing him deeply. Sam, pulling him closer in the glow of the dazzling Christmas lights.

#my writing #winter falcon #sambucky #request #prompt #requests #ficlet #sambucky ficlet #winterfalcon ficlet #tinyboop #sam wilson #bucky barnes #sam wilson x bucky barnes

[the-pale-goddess]

The Talk - Ethan Ramsey x MC (Tiffany Addams)

And I’ve got nothing left to lose, besides you

I’ve already lost you once, what more could you do?

Warnings: a few curse words, a bottle of wine, just a mere mention of some adult themes? nothing filthy this time – what happened to me???

Author’s note: This fic is the second part of We’ll Talk About It Later two shot based on OH2, Ch 8+9 > the first part: Breaking The Habit (NS*FW)

It’s been an emotional rollercoaster, but... the talk™ is finally here. I’ve put so much work into this and I don’t think I’d ever be satisfied with the result so...I’m just posting the last version and never reading it again lol  

Taglist - none of the tags worked last time, so I’ll post the taglist separately in a reblog

_____

We'll talk about it later.

Tiffany's mind was racing at a speed she couldn't control. She stared out the window the whole ride from her apartment to Ethan's, stealing only occasional glances in his direction. They didn't talk much in the car and she was grateful he didn't push the small talk through. The young doctor was reluctant to burst the bubble prematurely and this soothing silence proved to be a source of cold comfort.

Everything seemed so volatile...She needed them to be real now more than ever. But the fear of another heartbreak was eating her alive. Sure, there's been an evident shift in his behavior. As the walls of his stern professionalism have been gradually crumbling down, the list of their unethical pursuits kept on growing – he let her back in, he confided in her, he was showing her affection, he kissed her twice, he comforted her, he fucked her brains out just a moment ago in his office...But he never said he changed his mind about the nature of their relationship. We'll talk about it later. And later was finally coming their way.

„So...Your friends weren't home?” Ethan was the one to break the silence and Tiffany's stomach jumped.

„Yeah, Sienna & Elijah are doing the night rounds. Jackie's probably out & about. I'm not sure about Aurora.” She tried to keep her thoughts in check by recognizing the neighborhood. They must've been just a few minutes away from his apartment.

„What about Lahela?” Tiffany cocked her brow and looked at him with arms folded across her chest.

„What about him?” Her giggle received a reproving side-eye.

„He's not living with you?” Ethan's hidden agenda behind this question was blatant and made Tiffany laugh even harder.

„No. He's just always around, you know, as a part of the gang. Just like...” Her voice suddenly cracked and she swallowed loud before finishing the sentence. „Kyra.”

Ethan's hand slipped on her knee, giving it a comforting squeeze as they were driving into the underground parking in his building. He parked in his spot and turned the engine off.

„Tiffany...” He took her hand in his, their fingers entwined tightly. They shifted in their seats to face one another. There was something different about his smile, something warmer than what she was used to. „Do you remember your first weeks at Edenbrook?”

„How could I ever forget?”

„I've made the beginning of your internship truly horrible, haven't I?” The roughness of his fingers far removed from the gentle touch of his thumb against her silken skin.

„Well...I wouldn't say it was that horrible. But I have to admit you were extremely demanding and harsh. Not to mention you had a real mean streak.”

„I was an asshole, Tiffany. Let's face it.” She dropped her jaw in surprise, but didn't oppose. „I played on your emotions and pushed you to your limits.”

„You wanted me to be the best doctor I could be, I...”

„You had the potential to be the best even without my supervision. Besides, my motives are not the case here.” He interrupted her with a shake of his head. „The point is...I pushed you hard. And you always pushed back. You have a habit of finding a way through all the mud and the dirt. Everything you've experienced only made you stronger and prepared you for the worst. You can do anything, Rookie.”

„Ethan...” She smiled at him with teary eyes and leaned closer.

„I suppose it's not much of a comfort when your friend is dying and you're more than aware of the grim prognosis...But we'll do whatever it takes to save Kyra. And you'll be the strongest support by her side.”

„Didn't we establish earlier that the idea is to stop me from crying, not make me all weepy again?” They shared a laugh while Tiffany tried to keep her tears at bay.

„We did. I just thought you needed a reminder of how powerful you are.” Without a warning, he captured her lips in a sweet, long kiss. Her heart was ready to jump out of her chest.

„I feel reminded. Your mission was a howling success, Doctor.” She muttered between a few quick pecks on the lips.

„Have you seriously considered a different outcome?” His scoff earned a roll of her eyes.

„Oh, boy...I suppose your ego will be joining us at the dinner?”

„My ego will cook the dinner. Quit complaining, let's go upstairs.” She gave him that look before they finally got out of the car. The you're fucking unbelievable look, the one that always gave him an unhealthy sense of pride. Truth be told, he was justifiably proud of himself this time – shutting Tiffany Addams up is quite an accomplishment.

***

„Jenner's in Providence again?” Tiffany asked while taking her heels off. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth when her bare feet touched the cold marble floor.

„Yes. My father's babysitting him.” With a simple hand gesture Ethan invited her to follow him further inside. He watched her walk by his side in a skintight jacket dress. He noticed the change in her clothing back in the car, but it was impossible to admire it in the dim glow of the streetlamps. He had to catch up.

„I miss this fella and his cute little paws.” She pouted with disappointment as they moved towards the kitchen.

„Don't worry, he'll be back next week.” Tiffany flushed under Ethan's intense gaze. The unspoken promise of whatever could happen next startled them both.

„Is that an invitation?” She leaned on the counter trying not to show how nervous she was. But Ethan looked right through her. He took a step forward, approaching her with a similar trepidation, and twirled a strand of her hair around his finger.

„It is. Mind that Jenner tends to extend his walks – you'll need a pair of comfortable shoes for that.”

„Noted. I'll be ready.” She nodded, cursing herself as a reminder to stay stane. But it was already too late, she was under his spell.

„I need a shower before we start demolishing my kitchen.” Ethan looked her up and down, his eyes were trailing over her curves while his thoughts tormented him with the vivid memory of the silky skin underneath her clothes. „Would you...like to join me?”

Tiffany hesitated with the answer. A part of her demanded immediate answers, the other urged her to throw herself into his arms. She bit her lip so hard she probably bruised it, if Ethan's teeth haven't already done that before.

„As tempting as it sounds...If I'd choose to shower with you we wouldn't be able to keep our hands off each other.” She returned the hungry look and smiled like a wicked witch. „And I came here for that talk you owe me.”

„You're right.” Tiffany could sense the heightened tension in Ethan's voice, no matter how much he tried to hide it. „First things first.”

„First things first.” She repeated after him. „Besides, I freshened up real quick in my apartment. I can actually play the assistant chef while you're showering.”

„Not a bad idea. We're having salmon with tomato sauce.” He moved across the kitchen to get the ingredients. „It's the kind of comfort food that doesn't require much time and energy.”

„I really like the sound of that. Just boss me around, Chef Ramsey.” Tiffany winked at him with a teasing smile, unintentionally testing his patience. He shook his head undefeated, the iconic smirk playing back on his face, his fragile composure still in place.

„You can start with squashing these tomatoes.” He put a bowl of ripe cherry tomatoes in front of her, soon joined by a bulb of fresh young garlic. „And then slice the garlic nice and thin. You'll find all the equipment you need in the drawers on your left.”

„Got it! Just don't take too long.” She waved at Ethan's back while checking the nearest drawer in search of a proper knife and a cutting board.

After gathering all the necessities, she washed the tomatoes and chopped them in halves. When she finished slicing the bulb of garlic into thin wedges, she instinctively moved to the liquor cabinet and started browsing through an impressive collection of expensive wines, allowing herself to pick their poison for tonight.

The search was interrupted by Ethan's footsteps. Tiffany strolled back to reality, experiencing another surge of undeclared anxiety. She glanced at him over her shoulder and the sight had her taken aback.

„Ethan Ramsey in a plain t-shirt and sweatpants? My, oh my...You took the sleepover joke way too seriously.” She hid behind a soft giggle, hoping it would relieve some of the tension.

„You don't think that I move around my house in a suit, do you?” The amused grimace on her face made him chuckle. „Please, don't answer that.”

„Sorry. I didn't mean to make fun of you. I just...” Her eyes scanned his body, admiring the way the tight white shirt fit over his defined chest. „Didn't really expect you to be serving this kind of look.”

„Well.” His hand flicked through his damp hair. „I intend to serve you dinner.”

„Then what are we waiting for?” Tiffany grinned at his response and Ethan shook his head with a slight discomfiture as he guided her back to the kitchen. She took one of the bottles and quickly followed him.

„Peregrine is an excellent choice.” Ethan pointed at the red Burgundy cradled in her arms. She fixed him with a meaningful look and put the bottle on the table, waiting for him to bring the corkscrew and two glasses.

„Yeah, I'm a big fan of high-class red wine.” He snorted with laughter while opening the bottle.

„You picked the one with the funniest name, am I right?” Tiffany bit her bottom lip and laughed along as she walked up behind him, sniffing at the fresh scent of his musky cologne mixed with the shower gel.

„What gave me away?” Her eyes were fixed on the burgundy liquor slowly filling the glass. In spite of the seemingly laid-back atmosphere, neither of them could shake the pervasive tension off.

„Let's just say I'm familiar with your drinking habits.” He offered her a full glass and a cheeky smile, and she readily accepted both, brushing his finger ever so slightly when she reached for her drink. Their eyes immediately locked.

„I can't even disagree with you on that. Would you like to propose a toast?”

They kept on staring at each other for a long while, the maddening silence wrapped around them, closing the distance between their bodies.

„To happy endings and new beginnings.” As soon as their glasses clinked, they dipped their lips into the wine, holding the gaze the whole time.

„We should...”

„By all means, yes. The cooking will take about 10 to 15 minutes, so you can make yourself comfortable in the living room.”

„No, I'm coming with you, Chef.” He raised his brows, a knowing smile lit his face up and he nodded in approval.

Tiffany sat on a bar stool in the kitchen, where she had a first-row view at Chef Ramsey in action. He put a drizzle of oil to a hot frying pan and fried the garlic until it was caramelized. Then, he added the tomatoes and cooked the sauce for a few minutes, trying not to distract his attention from the kitchen maneuvers. With a determined effort of will he maintained his focus, barely squinting at Tiffany, as she watched him hypnotized – studying his face and every move he accomplished with mathematical precision.

„You're strangely silent.” He stole a glance at his companion while seasoning the salmon.

„Shh. I'm watching a cooking show.” A dulcet laughter escaped Ethan's mouth and he found himself distracted for one split second when Tiffany sent him the most charming smile.

He put the fillets in another pan and cooked them until the fish was done. After he chopped and stirred fresh mint and dill through the sauce, he dished up the salmon fillets and served them with a generous spread of the sauce and a side of Greek salad.

The Chef Ramsey Special lived up to Tiffany's expectations and she eagerly praised Ethan's cooking skills during the dinner. They managed to forget about the whole purpose of the visit for the time being, chatting about everything and nothing in particular. As quickly as they finished the first glass of wine after the meal, the odd vexation sneaked up on them again.

„Shall we move somewhere comfortable?” Ethan's offer was greeted with a quiet acceptance. Tiffany strolled to the living room and curled up on the couch. Ethan refilled their glasses and joined her, keeping the safe distance between them. His emotions rapidly skipped from vaguely calm to a nervous wreck. He took a massive gulp of wine in order to gather his courage and looked over the room.

„So...”

„We're really doing this.” Tiffany crooned.

„I suppose we are...” He took a deep breath, thinking of a proper way to verbalize his thoughts.

„I had a really long talk with my dad after you've left the other night. It made me realize what a timorous fool I've been.” He downed his Pinot Noir, holding the glass with shaky fingers.

„That's one way to put it.” She took a sip of her wine, leaning on the big pillow.

„A delusional jackass. A blind asshole...” He continued, his voice was dripping with absolute contempt.

„I think I got the gist, Ethan.” She covered his hand with hers. A rueful smile spread across his face as his thumb brushed her skin.

„Tiffany, I can't even begin to apologize for all the hurt I've caused.” He muttered, deeply ashamed.

„You tore my heart apart. I won't lie about that. All these nights I've been wondering where did I go wrong. I've tried to explain to myself which part of me was so undeserving...” She trailed off, her gaze focused on her half-empty glass of wine. The anguish of rejection was stamped on Tiffany's mind. She felt a stabbing pain, much like an old wound just reopened in her chest. The depth of this feeling was so overwhelming, it made her sick and she found herself near to tears.

„Tiffany.” Ethan squeezed her hand tight, his expression dead serious. „It was never about you.”

„I've realized that soon enough. It was always about you, Ethan. And I really thought I could fix you.”

„But you did fix me.” Her eyes met his again, their gaze reflecting the overflowing wave of emotions that filled the room. „I'm sorry it took me so long to acknowledge all the effort and hope you've put into me. You've fought for me tirelessly even when I felt like giving up on myself.”

„I'd never give up on you, even if it was the right thing to do.” She smiled through fresh tears cascading down her cheeks. Ethan's thumb immediately came to the rescue, wiping them away with a gentle stroke and a reassuring smile.

„Does that mean you accept my apology?” Tiffany bobbed her head in answer and sniffled quietly. Ethan drew closer to her, sighing softly with relief when she allowed their knees to touch and leaned into him.

„It's very rare that I'm wrong...But I'm willing to admit when I am. And I was hopelessly wrong about pushing you away, Tiffany.”

She regarded his features thoughtfully without saying a word. Once he realized it's a subtle sign that she's waiting for him to elaborate on the subject, he pinched the bridge of his nose and pressed ahead with his discourse.

„I always considered love to be a load of bollocks. I never thought it was on the cards for me. Then I met you and I knew right from the start that you will turn my world upside down.” The words stuck in his throat for a second. Her fingers entwined with his, sending an encouraging shiver down his spine as he continued. „I was such an adamant coward, too scared to admit that I'm losing my heart to you. I fooled myself into thinking that running away will solve everything.”

„But it didn't solve anything, did it? The reset button didn't work.”

„I don't remember psychology major on your resume, Rookie.” The corners of his mouth formed a cheeky grin.

„I can't blame you, it was listed as a hobby.” She shrugged her shoulders with a triumphant smile. Ethan studied her face in silence for a moment, as if he was looking for the missing piece of the puzzle.

„That's right, it didn't.” He finally affirmed. „I've been living in denial, making excuses I didn't even believe myself. But it ends now. I'm coming clean. ”

Tiffany freezed, feeling panic-stricken all of a sudden. It was happening. She wrote the script down in her mind, rehearsed it about a thousand times and waited patiently until that very moment to watch it unfold. It was really happening. Deep in her heart she knew what he was going to say. He didn't have to actually say it. And yet, it was crucial that he did.

Ethan imagined he'd be composed. He prepared himself to remain calm. He had it all planned, calculated and revised. The world-beating diagnostician failed to add one variable to his equation, though – the presence of the woman he's in love with. The way her wet emerald eyes penetrated his every thought, or how quickly her unstable breathing caused his limbs to shake. But this was the moment. The ultimate make-or-break decision.

The air suddenly brimmed over with bullish expectations. They gazed into each other's eyes, anxiously anticipating what was about to happen. Ethan inhaled sharply before speaking up, trying not to let the overpowering variety of emotions affect the outcome of the talk.

„I want you. I want to...Be with you.” He reached for her hand again and placed a kiss on her palm, studying the thunderstuck expression on her face. „I want to make us work properly this time. If you would have me back I promise I won't let you down.”

Tiffany freezed up completely as she stared at him speechless for what felt like forever. Ethan held her hand tight, stamping one of his feet impatiently in the hope of an immediate response.

Nothing could possibly prepare her for this. His last words triggered something hidden in Tiffany's memory. Her mind flashed back to the first day of her internship, and that distant thought brought an arcane smile to her lips.

„You can see the future?” When she finally found her tongue, Ethan's jaw dropped on the floor. Those were his words. A quick recollection of their conversation during the very first day of Tiffany's internship splashed across his mind.

„I guess I deserved that.” He chuckled lightly and rubbed his chin. Tiffany's infectious giggle was short-lived as her expression turned into an unsolvable riddle. She looked him deep in the eye, still holding his other hand.

„I can't have you back, Ethan.”

Ethan stopped breathing for a second and his body broke out in cold sweat. He didn't understand. Everything was going according to the plan...Has he misjudged her intentions? Could they really be at cross purposes?

„I can't have you back...Because you've never actually left.” Tiffany closed the distance between them, lowering her voice to a soft whisper. „You're the blood in my veins.”

Time stopped the moment they exchanged looks, allowing the meaning of their confessions to wash over them. They marvelled at each other with a beam of happiness, never breaking the gaze.

„Don't let me down, Ethan.” His face lit up with the most radiant smile she's ever seen on him and it was the only answer she needed.

„I'm never making this mistake again. I've learned my lesson.” He grabbed her by the sides and with one swift movement placed her on top of his legs. His hand traveled all the way up to cup her cheek, while she hooked her arms around his neck and squeezed him in a crushing hug.

„I'll be the judge of that.” Tiffany gently bumped her nose against his and licked her lips. Before she could blink, Ethan's lips crashed into hers with tremendous ardour. The kiss tasted like dry red wine and the longed-for sweet victory. It was urgent and deep.

And it still wasn’t enough.

#ethan x mc #ethan ramsey #open heart #ethan ramsey x mc #my fanfic writing #the talk ™ #tiffany addams

[serenlyss]

Parting Promise

Fandom: The Owl House Rating: G Relationships: lumity Summary: Summer is over, and it's time for Luz to go home. Distressed over the uncertainty of Luz's return, Amity asks her to make a promise... Crossposted to AO3: Parting Promise

So uuhh that new episode huh? I have a lot of thoughts about AOAW, some of which I'm planning more fics around, but for now, have some angst inspired by @frankielucky‘s comic. Be sure to give them and their incredible art some love!

---

Luz sucks in a deep breath as she stands in front of the glowing portal of a door Eda had summoned for her, then lets it out in a single, drawn-out exhale. It stands wide open, revealing a seemingly eternal, softly glowing white void. Nervously, she crosses and uncrosses her fingers to let out some of her anxious energy. Although Luz knows what lays behind it, her inability to see past the silvery veil of light only worsens her anxiety about going home. She’s nervous beyond reason to see her mother again, and to return to the world where she had been shunned. What will her mother say? How will she react, when Luz finally tells her the truth of where she’s been all summer? Will she be angry? Disappointed? The two of them have had their fair share of arguments, but the thought of getting into a serious fight with her mother is… nerve-wracking, to say the least.

She’s already said goodbye. She’d spent the last few days letting everyone know where she’s going and that she may not be returning, but her closest friends had come to see her off personally. They hadn’t come with her to the door; Luz had insisted they not accompany her, and had instead parted with them back at the Owl House. Willow and Gus had come, of course, as had Amity.

Amity. In just about every way, she is Luz’s closest friend, and saying goodbye to her had been the hardest--even harder than with Eda. She’d said her farewells while fighting back tears, and she’d been able to tell that Amity was doing the same when she’d left. Just thinking about it makes Luz’s throat tighten up a little, a constrictive force that causes her breathing to hitch against her will. She swallows back the pit of remorse that forms in her stomach. There’s no doubt in her mind that Amity is the person she’ll miss the most once she’s back in the human world.

Briefly, she reflects on how close the two of them have gotten over the months Luz had spent at the Boiling Isles. Eda had made constant jokes about how inseparable they’d become, and Luz could tell by the knowing looks that she’d occasionally sent her way that she’d picked up on her more… romantic feelings. She wonders if Amity had ever noticed. She wonders if Amity would even be receptive of her silly crush. Not that it makes much of a difference at this point. Luz is going home, back to her real family, to her real life. Amity will go back to hers, the way things were always meant to be. Even if it hurts. Even if it feels wrong. Even if Luz really, really doesn’t want to say goodbye.

She sighs, turning her gaze downward. If there’s anything she regrets, it’s not telling Amity how she really feels. Even if she knows it will be easier this way, it still lingers in her mind, the one piece of business she’s unable to wrap up before she goes. Part of her hopes Amity doesn’t feel sad over this for too long, while the other part of her loathes the idea of the two of them drifting apart. She really hopes this isn’t the last time she’ll ever get to see her.

There’s still a chance, of course. A chance that her mother will see things the way Luz does, that she’ll finally understand why summer camp would have been so torturous. Why Luz feels so much more at home at the Owl House than she’d ever felt in her own house. But there’s a bigger chance that she’ll be shut down immediately and forced back into her normal, boring, sad life, where her interests are pushed aside as childish, and fitting in is all that matters.

She shakes her head. If she dwells on these thoughts for too long, she’ll chicken out and retreat back to the Owl House, where she’s safe, and nothing will be fixed. No, she can’t back out now. Her mother is expecting her. There are things she needs to work out as soon as possible. She steels her nerve, tightening her grip on the strap of her duffel bag, and takes a step toward the bright white void.

“Luz!”

She freezes in her tracks as Amity’s familiar voice calls out to her, her entire body tensing in surprise and dread. Immediately, she feels her emotions start to dredge themselves up again. Why? Why had she come, after Luz had asked her not to? Why did she feel the need to make this as hard as she could? She takes a shaky breath, turning to face her friend and forcing a small smile onto her face. “Amity, you were supposed to stay with Eda,” she chides gently, but her body subconsciously shies away, as though ashamed.

But Amity doesn’t pause in her approach. Luz’s eyes widen in surprise when Amity runs straight into her, wrapping her up in a tight hug and hiding her face in Luz’s shoulder. “I don’t care,” she says shakily, and it’s at this point that Luz registers the tears in her friend’s eyes. Is Amity… crying? “I-I don’t want you to go. I don’t want you to leave me.”

Luz has never seen Amity break down like this, and she would never, in a hundred years, expect this to happen over her, of all people. It takes her a few seconds, but she finally remembers to move her arms, wrapping them around Amity in return and pulling her close. “Hey, it’s not going to be forever,” she reminds her, letting one hand travel up to smooth down Amity’s hair. “At least, I hope not. I just need to clear things up with my mom. She… she’ll understand. Eventually.”

Amity shakes her head against Luz’s shoulder. “You don’t know that,” she insists, her voice wavering and cracking. She’s leaving wet patches on the shoulder of Luz’s hoodie. “You have to come back, okay? It’ll be so lonely with you gone…”

Luz’s heart breaks for Amity. She knows all too well what it’s like to feel alone, to have no one to turn to and no one to confide in. But Amity does have people she can trust, now, even with Luz gone. “It’ll be okay. You won’t be alone, you’ll have Eda, and Willow, and Gus, and Ed and Em. I know your siblings can be pretty obnoxious sometimes, but they still love you,” she says, gently pulling Amity out of the embrace so she can talk to her face to face. “You have so many good friends now that you can go to if you’re in trouble.” She breaks eye contact with Amity, glancing down at the ground sadly. “You don’t really need me anymore, you know? You’ll be fine, I know you will.”

Amity goes quiet, and when Luz looks back up at her friend, her eyes are filled with shifting emotions. Shock, denial, sadness, and finally, anger. “Don’t need you? What are you talking about, you idiot?” she demands. “Of course I need you, you’re my best friend! How could you say that? Aren’t you sad?”

Luz backpedals immediately. “I am sad, I just…” She bites her lip and averts her gaze from Amity’s, trailing off. “I don’t know how my mom is going to react to… all of this. I’m going to do my best, and I really hope that I won’t have to be away for long, but I just don’t know. I don’t know anything.” The reality of the situation is really starting to get to her, now. She can feel the tears starting to come, pooling at the corners of her eyes. She blinks rapidly, willing them to disappear, but it’s pointless.

Amity grasps Luz by both shoulders, prompting her to meet her gaze once more. She looks sad, and scared, and helpless--three emotions that Luz rarely gets to see come from her friend. “Promise me,” she commands, her voice firm and authoritative despite her obvious state of distress. Her fingers shake as they curl into the fabric of Luz’s hoodie. “Promise me that you’ll come back.”

Luz hesitates. She knows better than to make a promise she may not be able to keep, even though she really, really wants to. She opens her mouth to say as much, then pauses. It’s as though a bulb lights up in her head, a spark of inspiration. It’s a half-baked ploy, and probably pretty stupid to make on impulse like this, but it’s the only way she can think of conveying her intentions to Amity. “Give me a minute,��� she says, then swiftly pulls off her duffel bag and lets it fall to the ground.

Amity watches Luz in confusion as she rifles through the contents of the bag and produces a pen. She clicks it open, tongue peeking out of the corner of her mouth, and begins to hurriedly scribble on her palm.

“What are you doing?” Amity asks, unable to see what Luz is drawing from her angle.

Luz has never had to seriously use this spell before. Eda had taught it to her after the Covention, to prevent getting cheated like she had during her very first witch’s duel, but it had been a purely precautionary measure, so that Luz could know how the spell works and how to avoid it should she ever need to. Now, it comes in handy for the first time. She tucks the pen away into her bag and straightens up onto her feet again, holding out her hand. “Ask me again,” she says, drawing her shoulders back confidently in a show of her determination.

Amity blinks, confused. She still can’t see what Luz has drawn, but she obliges nonetheless. “Please, Luz. Promise me that you’ll come back,” she repeats, her voice soft and vulnerable.

Luz feels the tears come freely now, but this time she’s overwhelmed not by sadness, but by warmth. When Amity reaches out and takes her hand, she feels a rush of potent, blind affection for her, for the trust they share. A ring of purple draws itself around their clasped hands.

“It’s an oath,” Luz murmurs, voice quivering.

The light from the everlasting oath casts Amity’s dumbfounded face in shades of pastel purple, and Luz catches the glint of it reflecting off her yellow eyes as she stares back at her, speechless. “Luz…”

But Luz cuts her off, firmly stating, “I will be back, I promise. Even if I have to go against my mom’s wishes, I’ll come back. The Boiling Isles is my home now. I have more of a connection to this place than I do to the house I grew up in. I promise you, Amity, I won’t be gone for long.”

A watery smile comes to Amity’s face, and she tugs Luz into another tight hug. She shifts her grip on Luz’s hand, intertwining their fingers together while maintaining the contact from Luz’s spell. “You better not be,” she replies. “Who will go to Grom with me next year if my fearless champion is missing in action?”

It’s meant to be a joke—Luz knows it is—but it still makes her face flame. “Well, then I’ll make sure to be back by then,” she banters back, and revels in the way Amity’s shy smile makes her heart swell with fondness.

Feeling brave and a little drunk on her giddiness, Luz leans forward and presses her lips against Amity’s forehead in a brief kiss. “Don’t miss me too much, ‘kay? And make sure to text me. Cross-dimensional cell signal is a blessing I do not intend to waste,” she says. 

When she pulls back, Amity’s face is flushed bright pink. Luz can’t help but feel somehow proud that she’s able to goad such a reaction out of her crush. “O-Okay,” she replies lamely. The awkwardness of it only makes Luz’s affection grow. She wonders if Amity knows just how adorable she can be when she lets herself be honest like this.

Luz pulls her hand out of Amity’s grasp. The eternal oath’s light fades along with the contact, and for a moment she feels disappointed, but she quickly pushes that aside. There will be plenty of time to hold Amity’s hand once I’m back for good, she reminds herself, if only to give herself a little boost of confidence for what lay ahead. She picks up her duffel bag and slings it back over her shoulders, then gives Amity the biggest, goofiest smile she can muster. “Well, I’m off! Tell Eda to lock the door behind me.”

Amity wraps one arm around her middle, raising the other up in a tiny wave. “Okay, I’ll do that,” she replies, still teary-eyed, but with a smile on her face.

Luz gives a nod of approval, stepping one foot over the door’s threshold. “I’ll see you soon, Amity. That’s a promise,” she says, her last parting words, and steps fully through the portal, tugging the door shut behind her.

#the owl house #lumity #luz noceda #amity blight #serendipitousfics

[scavengerbird]

A Conversation in a Car

“I know it’s cold out, but I like driving with all the windows down now. I get claustrophobic. And I kind of like the cold, actually, and I know it won’t bother you. It gets a little loud on the highway, but I think we’re mostly sticking to backroads anyway. Would this feel less weird if I had a new car, instead of the same sad scrap pile I’ve been making work since I got my license? If something about this made it feel less familiar, less like going back in time?

Oh god, am I rambling? Wow. Let’s start over.

Hey. It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Almost five years. I’m sorry about that. I never really meant to leave for good, when I moved out of town. Or, well I guess I did, actually. But I never meant to leave you.

I was serious, you know, when I invited you to come stay with me. I think you thought I was just saying it, but I swear I meant it. My apartment’s small, and it’s got something wrong with the bathroom light that makes the bulb blow out at least once a month, and two of the burners on the stove don’t work, but I mean. Mi shitbox es tu shitbox. We’d lived out of each other’s pockets for so long, before. I really did feel like we could’ve done it again. 

But you said no. And that’s okay! You … wanted to stay here. God only knows why. I mean, I can guess, but I really hope I’m wrong, you know? It’s just, I’ve been thinking about it for so long and every time I asked you to come out and visit and you said you were sorry but you couldn’t, you always sounded like you really did regret it. You said there was shit here you had to take care of. And I always thought to myself – what shit? – like, seriously. We both know I was missing you more from the city than anyone in this stupid town would have. And I think Jan could’ve found another waitress for the diner. So, what was here that was so important? I think I never asked because I was afraid of the answer.

It’s him, isn’t it? You stayed for him.

Anyway. I could’ve gotten you a job at the coffee place I worked at when I first moved. Their coffee’s awful, but they have really good muffins. I still go in there all the time for them, so I’m still on good terms with the manager, and they’re always hiring. You could’ve done that until you figured out what you really wanted to do. Or you could’ve done that forever. I wouldn’t have judged you for it.

I think you’d like Tony. My roommate. Ok, actually you guys would probably kind of hate each other, but I think you’d have fun hating each other. You’re both kind of petty like that. And he’s gay, so there wouldn’t have been any of that pressure I know you feel around literally everyone who’s attracted to women, where you’re constantly wondering how bad they want you. 

He actually offered to come with me for this, Tony. For emotional support. I turned him down, but it was still nice of him to offer. It was kind of obvious, how anxious I was about coming home. And of course, he knew why I was coming out here. Tony knows all about you, how much you mean to me. I talk about you all the time.

I forgot how empty the roads are, out here. You’d never see a street this quiet in the city, no matter the time of night. I think it should be comforting, but it’s not. It’s unsettling. I feel like there could be a ghost around every corner.

Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.

I don’t understand the point of you staying here for him. It’s not like it was gonna make a difference to him. Nothing makes a difference to him anymore. Like, do you remember when you asked me if I believed in an afterlife? It was only a few days after… well, After. And I said my whole thing about reincarnation and the law of conservation of energy and how I think it makes sense, and you said you thought that if anything happens to us after we die, it’s got nothing to do with what happened to us in this life. You said you thought if death wasn’t just a final ending, then it was, at most, a slate wiped totally clean.

So, it’s not like you thought he was looking down on – or up at? – you. It’s not like you believed there was anything you could do to get him to forgive you. And I know you didn’t believe in any god so it’s not like you were waiting on their forgiveness either. So, whose forgiveness were you looking for? Why did you think you could find it here? Why not just put me out of my misery and come with me?

Sorry. That was a poor choice of words.

You know every single person I’ve met since moving out there has heard all about you. I don’t know how to not talk about you. You are a story I can’t stop telling, a part of every memory I have. You’re the thing I built myself around. A version of my life where I don’t meet you, or you don’t exist, is not a version of my life. It’s version of someone else’s life, because I am not me without you. The shape of myself is the shape of the hole inside you, I am just the thing filling your edges, and without those edges I have no form.

I think I’m losing the plot a little, here. I’m running out of ways to say that I need you.

And maybe I have no right to say any of that shit, when we haven’t actually seen each other in five years. I know the way your face has gotten thinner and the color you dyed your hair from pictures. I don’t know if you still wear the sweet pea spray from Bath & Body Works. You haven’t been a body I could touch in years. You’ve barely even been a voice on the other end of the phone line. I know that for the most part all we’ve had these last few years were words on a tiny screen, sent and read only in the darkest hours of night. And those messages, meaningful as they were, were sporadic. It doesn’t sound like much, like enough of a thing to be a necessity. But there’s a difference between surviving on scraps and starving to death.

            Our lives have been clinging to each other by the very tips of their fingers. I know that. But it never felt like a permanent state, to me. I always thought we’d find our ways back to each other. I didn’t call you, but I always knew I could. And now…

           Did you stay here to punish yourself? I don’t think you deserved to be punished. I mean, obviously I didn’t think that, or I would have let you turn yourself in when you wanted to.

           I can’t figure out whether or not I owe you an apology for stopping you from doing that. I thought I was saving you from yourself, but maybe I wasn’t. But what was I supposed to do? You couldn’t see yourself that night. They’d have locked you up for sure. I mean you were covered in his blood. You were still holding the knife, for God’s sake, just standing in the hall with it in one hand and my phone in the other, absolutely hysterical. Even if I hadn’t wrestled the phone away from you, what would you have said to the operator when you dialed 911? You were completely incoherent.

           I can admit now that it might have been a little dramatic of me to smash my own cell phone against the wall when you tried to get it back from me, but all things considered, I think I was holding it together pretty damn well.

           I was always good at holding it together. You were the one who was always going off the rails. But I loved that about you, most of the time. Everything was such a huge deal to you. It made life feel bigger than it was.

You made everything exciting, back then. Every petty feud with someone was an all-out war. God, remember when we egged Jenna’s car because she said that dumb thing about how you should try harder in class and stop messing around with guys? What was it? Right, that’s it, she told you if you spent half as much time studying as you did sucking dick then you’d probably get valedictorian. It was stupid, and you knew she only said it because she was jealous about Drew asking you out, and you basically told her that and I don’t even remember exactly what you said but I remember her crying. And then we still had to egg her car, and that still wasn’t enough, because you wanted to slash all her tires but I wouldn’t let you. You always wanted to take things one step too far. I always forgave you though. Every single time.

You know I can’t really remember what happened that night. It’s just kind of a blur. I remember him coming over. My parents were out of town. You weren’t supposed to be there. I mean, we hadn’t planned on it, but you wouldn’t leave when I told you he was coming over and I just let it go. I could tell he was kind of annoyed about it but he wouldn’t say anything. We’d been planning on ‘watching a movie’, but you being there meant we actually had to watch the movie. And then it’s all just flashes: a bottle of vodka, the glow of the TV in the dark room, your head on my shoulder, his hand on my arm, the room spinning – or no, shaking, because I was shaking, or being shaken, my head snapping back and forth, fast.

I know the two of you got into it. Or he and I got into it. Or we all three got into it. But I don’t know what it was about, all the words we said are gone from my memory, totally irretrievable. It’s just those flashes, and then you standing there with the blood and the knife, and him on the floor, so still.

Tony says I need a therapist. I haven’t told him about that night, obviously, but sometimes I say something I think is normal and he gives me this funny-sad look, or little things I don’t mean to talk about slip out. Like that memory gap. I didn’t tell him anything about what I can’t remember, just that there’s something, and sometimes I dream about it. I mean, I kind of had to tell him something, because I still talk in my sleep sometimes and I fell asleep on the couch one day and he heard me saying the word stop over and over. He said that it was creepy as hell, and I have repressed trauma, and gave me the name of some website where you can find shrinks online.

I have not looked for a therapist. Tony brought it up again, before I left to come back here. He said I should consider it for the sake of grief counseling, if nothing else. I told him I had a grief counselor already and his name was Jim Beam and – don’t even say anything, I know that’s terrible, I cringed at myself while I was saying it to him. Tony just shook his head and texted me the link to the stupid website.

I know it’s kind of fucked up that I don’t even fully understand why you killed him, even though I helped you bury his body. I wanted to ask you about it. I almost did, so many times. But I didn’t know how to without making it sound like I was trying to judge you. I didn’t want to bring it up again after the fact, when I knew we were both trying to bury it. There wasn’t any time to ask you anything or try to make sense of it the night it happened.

Do you even remember it that well? After I got you in the shower and turned it on cold you finally stopped crying, but you basically went catatonic. I never told you this, but that honestly freaked me out more than the corpse on my floor. You just sat on the steps, shivering in one of my sweatshirts and watching me try to clean it all up. I had to clap my hands in front of your face to get you to listen when I was asking you to help me get him up off the floor, but I couldn’t have carried him myself. Do you remember that the bedsheet I’d gotten him rolled up in was already soaked through with blood. I didn’t have anything else to wrap him in though.

You didn’t say anything until we were in the garage, and we’d gotten him in the trunk, and I was telling you that we should take him to the marshes, where the ground’s all mud and nothing that sinks down into it is ever coming back up and it’s too wet for anyone to go trekking through for fun, and you cut me off in the middle and just said I’m sorry and God, you sounded so quiet and broken and for the first time in our lives you couldn’t even look me in the eye and I –

I just… I told you to get in the car. I didn’t tell you it would be okay, or that we’d figure it out, or that I forgave you.

I do, by the way. Forgive you, I mean. For all of it, like I said a few minutes ago. I’m sorry I didn’t say it before today. I need you to know that’s the biggest regret I’ll ever have in my life, not telling you I forgave you sooner.

I really did love him, you know. I loved him and you kind of tolerated him for my sake until you didn’t, and then you killed him. You were sorry about it, and I forgave you because the way I loved him has nothing on the way I love you. He was a boy who I would’ve gone to prom with and probably broken up with two months after moving out of here and not seen again until our 10 year high school reunion, if I even bothered to show up for it. It was a moment-in-time kind of love. But you? You’re my forever bitch. I don’t care that every eight-year-old girl in the history of time has pricked her finger and stuck it to some other girl’s pricked finger and sworn to be bestest friends forever ‘til death does them part, when we did that, I fucking meant it, and now I-

I’m gonna need to stop for gas on the way back to my parents’ house. I forgot how far out the marshes are, but we’re almost there, now.

I don’t really know why I thought it would be a good idea to come out here. When I first got in the car, I thought I was gonna head out to the overpass, the one they told me you crashed under. But then I turned left instead of right. I don’t know, I guess I felt like, if any part of you was still around, it wouldn’t be hanging out on the edge of some lonely stretch of highway. I felt like you’d be out here, haunting the thing that never stopped haunting you.

Don’t worry. I’m not crazy enough to go traipsing through the marshes in the dark to hunt down a ghost. I just want to see them, park my car where I parked it that night, at the edge. The last time I really and truly had you all the way with me.

I don’t know now, if I was right about where to find you. I’ve been talking to you this whole time we’ve been driving, and I swear I can feel you here listening. I swear I can hear your voice. Maybe you’re just haunting me.

Oh. There they are. We can’t stay long. I’ve got your funeral in the morning.”

#writing #writers on tumblr #creative writing #short story #sad #fiction

[sinningismywinning]

Do As You Please - 2

   Stepping out onto the street made you question, which vicinity burned your throat more. Inside the congested, smoke-filled bar, or being outside  next to the vomit that lined the pubs pavement. The motion of being pushed forward was enough to make your head spin. Thomas kept his hand politely on your lower back, to ensure you got through the crowd. He wasn’t necessarily man-handling you, but he didn’t treat you like fine porcelain china. Orange bulbs burned brightly outside of every building, you could almost hear the low buzz.

   You didn’t know what time it was, but you knew it must have been late, since even the homeless beggars were finally resting. Tommy stayed quiet until you were about a block away from the Garrison. He didn’t know how to approach your situation. 

   Thomas Shelby wasn’t use to walking women home, unless he were to sleep with them. “Where do you live?” His low voice cut the silence, as he removed his hand from your back.

   You had always tried your hardest to not walk home at night, especially without someone else in attendance. You were so occupied that morning with your thoughts on getting to the pub, that you never thought to consider how you’d be getting home safely. Maybe it was a good thing you had the encounter that you did.

   Tommy wasn’t much of a conversationalist, especially to those that he didn’t know. “I still haven’t caught your name,” his head turned to you. “I’m starting to think you don’t have one,” he quipped. He had been asking you questions but you were too absorbed in your thoughts. Your head was pounding, and quite frankly, walking wasn’t helping. 

   “It’s Y/N,” God your feet hurt from these heels. “I live uh..” Fuck, how much did you have to drink? You had to stop walking. The motion was getting to you. “I live near Talcum Lane.” Your sentence was slow and hesitant. 

   “Aye, you’re not lying to me are you?” He questioned, no longer walking as well. You had no reason to lie, but your behavior obviously made him think otherwise. He didn’t want to intrude and ask too many personal questions, Mainly because he didn’t care, yet, he also didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.

   You felt his eyes on you, and you turned to face him. The glow of a street lamp settled on his features. You were taking into account how sharp they were. Thomas, on the other-hand, was kicking himself for not knowing what he had gotten himself into. “No, I’m not lying, I just think I had too much to drink,” Were you drunk, or was your corset too tight? It was getting a bit harder to breathe, but why would you make that known?

   His eyes didn’t leave you, and his absence of words didn’t help to comfort your thoughts. “Never seen you in Small Heath before,” now it sounded as if he was interrogating. “I would’ve remembered a face like yours.” His words carried no emotion, nor weight. Since you both had stopped walking, he paused to pull out a cigarette. 

   “I try to not go to the pubs, not safe, and I’m always at work. Never home,” you explained yourself. “Hm,” he rested a cigarette between his teeth. He dragged the end across his lower lip to moisten the filter. Seemed well-rehearsed.  Maybe you were staring too much. You turned your head to evade accidentally catching his gaze.

   “Where do you work?” He was too intrigued by you to not ask. “I work at the Tailor Shop 15 minutes West of the Garrison, nicest one in town.” it was low enough to be a mumble, but he heard you. “Tailor shop?” He huffed with a amusement. “What’s someone like you, doing at the Garrison, talking to my brother?” He said taking a drag.

   “I went for the same reasons everyone else does. Stressful day at work.” You turned back to face him. “I can understand that,” It sounded as if your response had passed for his approval. You rolled your eyes, the alcohol wearing off minute by minute.

   “Don’t worry about me being on your hands again,” you spoke starting to walk once more. Just because you felt awful about his shirt, that didn’t mean you’d let him get close enough to walk over you again. You barely knew this man, and now he’s taking you home! “Yeah? Why’s that?” He enjoyed this little game. Most women would get on their knees just from his reputation, you seemed to despise him. He liked it.

   Thomas always wanted things that most people thought could never be his. He was taking more of an incline to you as the night progressed. “Because I won’t be caught dead in a scummy pub like that again,” you said making a turn down the street.

   He finished off his smoke. He threw the bud onto the cobblestone, and crushed the ash under his shoe. He couldn’t help but let out an slick smile as he followed close behind. “What’s wrong with my bar?” his voice got dangerously deep. 

   That was a sentence you weren’t expecting, and damn did it gut you. You wanted the earth to swallow you whole. You wouldn’t have insulted the place if you knew he was the one who owned it. Now at this very moment, you didn’t know who held the most irony in their hands. Him, or you. He waited for the apology. The big ‘Oh dear, I didn’t know! Pardon me!’ Little did he know, he waited for the wrong thing. 

   “Everything’s wrong with it.” You decided to ignore your conscience. It’s not like you’d see him again after this. You were brutally honest, even when it wasn’t needed. “Your pub-hand wasn’t charging people correctly for bottles of booze. I saw him give away whiskey for 2 pence, not 5,” You said waiting for a reaction. You decided to keep going. “And another thing, when’s the last time you kicked people out for over-drinking and ill behavior? I saw at least three grown men sitting in their own vomit.” You stopped walking once again. Your mouth ran and ran. 

   Once again, that rare glimpse of a smirk made its way onto his face, but only momentarily. He put his hands into his coat pocket, fiddling with the watch that sat tucked away inside. How the hell did you understand alcohol prices? He could feel his pistol holstered beneath his coat. He opened his mouth to speak, but it took an additional second for something to come out. “Well, I kicked you out, didn’t I?” his grin fell short as he retorted back to you. It seems you’ve met your match. He nudged you on to keep walking with him.

  “Well I didn’t-” you couldn’t defend yourself. “Your brother was the one who suggested me to go home, not you.” Your eyes met with his as you tried to defend yourself. “Yeah, after you spilled liquor on me.” He gestured to the stain of his white shirt. You felt bad. You really did.

   He saw your face squint up for a moment. Your cheeks burned red. The longer the walk was, the more you were getting to know the stand-off pub owner. “I’m sorry,” it took a lot for you to say that. He just nodded in response. He wasn’t going to treat you differently.

   If you could run your mouth, he’d just show you that he was better at it. A tense silence filled between you both. “Y/N’s a beautiful name,” he broke the space. “Thank you,” your voice was soft in response. Thomas knew to not involve himself with you. You were too naive, too passionate. He wouldn’t  make you a quick-fuck either.

   His mind went on and on about putting you against the side of your own building and tasting your lips. He loved women, he really did. “Do you enjoy working as a seamstress?” He questioned. You did say you needed a drink and didn’t resort to it unless stressed. He just wanted the gap of a walking distance to be filled with words.

   You mindlessly shrugged, seeing your balcony from the upcoming street. You were close to home. “I fell in love with it, but the new owners changed that. I wanted to be a teacher at first, but things just get in the way,” you hummed. Money was what got in the way. He figured it best to not push it more.

   Though he didn’t know you for anything, the thought of you interacting with kids seemed to click. You’d teach them to not take shit from anyone, and hopefully, that mindset wouldn’t get them killed.

   A part of you wanted the walk to be longer. You found yourself growing comfortable in his silence. Was he a good listener? Or did he master the art of tuning people out? He walked you up the first steps to your home. You pursed your lips as you turned from your front door to face him. “Thank you Thomas,” you nodded with appreciation. He never got use to the formality of people calling him Thomas. He didn’t feel the need to correct you just yet. He figured there would be other times to do so, even though you intended of this being your last interaction with him.

   He looked up at the sky. Dark clouds that encased over the stars, so the night wasn’t as bright. “No need to thank me,” praise always made him feel uncomfortable.

   You found yourself looking at him for a little too long. The silence sank in between the both of you. There was a silent attraction. He felt it, and the only reason you picked up on it as well, was due to his bluntness. His head tilted back down to look at you. Your eyes glanced to his lips.

   “Goodnight, Y/N,” he spoke cordially. He took a step back, letting his eyes take you in. There was a lump in your throat. You broke the eye contact first with a small smile, and turned away from him to unlock your door. The moment you stepped inside you couldn’t help but go over the tense silence you just experienced, as you leaned on the closed door. 

   “Oi, fucks’ the matter with ya?” A voice spoke out angrily from your sofa. “Been fuckin’ stayin up worried about ya, and now is when ya decide to stroll on in? It’s four in the fucking morning Y/N!” your brother yelled standing up.

  You walked past the man and went straight to your room. “I’m not a kid anymore, don’t fucking bother with it Alfie!” you yelled back slamming your door. You’d deal with him in the morning.. 

   Alfie had many connections. Hopefully he could tell you more about the reputation of Thomas Shelby. Yet little did you know, he wasn’t notorious for the right reasons.

@captivatedbycillianmurphy​

#thomas shelby x reader #peaky blinder imagine #thomas shelby #tommyshelby #peaky blinders #angst #slow burn #original character

[goth-girlfriend]

Hitoshi~

💜 Hitoshi is a Slytherin, not because he’s evil, because he has determination, drive ambition. Even if he looks so tired and uncaring, he’s is giving 100% to become the best he can. Now, we all know, no Slytherin is complete without their emotional support Hufflepuff. 💜The first time you met him, you weren’t sure, kinda scared, he gave off a slightly intimidating vibe, and well, you had just been assigned a project together. He was staring at you not saying anything, it became a stand off. You swallowed and (great words of all might~) clenched your butt cheeks and kinda loudly blurted out your name. “I’m (L/n) (Y/n)! It’s a strange name for Japan so just call me y/n!” You were smiling with your eyes closed but you felt your heart in your throat and kinda sick. He didn’t care still, “Hitoshi Shinso, let’s just get this over with. If you don’t want to do the work I’ll do it, just tell me.” Well you blurted out again but not as loud, “No! I’ll do my part! What are we partners for if your going to take the work and stress! It’s only fair!” The look he gave you was slightly bewildered before he went back to his normal expression. “If you want.” 💜 After getting your grade you two had made just one point away from a perfect score, definitely the highest in class, so when it came to group projects you had become a lot more attractive to those who wanted an easy grade, but what shook them to THE CORE, was the fact you’d ignore them and plop down right next to SHINSO. “So, another project.” You held out the paper to him with a closed eye smile. You could feel his stare and almost felt like an idiot until you felt the paper leave your hand, you relaxed both internally and externally with a sigh. He looked at you again and then back at the paper reading what you’d given him. Sadly for him, he didn’t know this was your ticket to jump on the friendship Express. Que the montage of different projects and study times in the library to find information. 💜 “Hitoshi! Look! A week of work done with another perfect score!” You ran up to Shinso holding the paper that held your grade, he looked at it and was about to talk until you cut him off, “So! To celebrate! I’m going to treat you to a relaxing weekend!” You linked your arm with his and pulled him with you, he wanted to resist but he’d learned early in the friend ship that it is very much in fact ✨impossible✨ 💜 For the first time, you’d have Shinso come over to your dorm, without class work to back it up. It was completely new to him, a new sight, not he didn’t direct his stare solely to work, but now he walked in head level and looked around noticing small things he’d never noticed before. The wooden book case that had school books messily stacked, while the other shelves were neatly filled with old movies, manga, and little figures, the fairy lights around the doors to the balcony and the curtain of lights that had stars placed behind an ombré blue sheer curtain. The light blue thick duvet that had the pattern of metallic stars and moons, the mountain of pillows, but the one thing he noticed over all, were the plants he could see sitting outside on your balcony. Black prince succulents, a white rose bush in bloom, stems of lavender and lilac, star lilies and regular green plants just hanging from the balcony above you, he notice a stool that had three small cacti. He realized then, there is a lot more to you then what he sees in class.

“Good morning Hitoshi!” You greeted him as you took your regular seat behind his. “Hm?” He barely looked over his shoulder to side he you, “oh, good morning.” You gave him a smile and he didn’t really smile but every now and then you’d see a small quirk in his lip and assumed it meant a smile. So you’d take what you could get from the bed head boy.

“Are you excited?” You asked in a low voice leaning forward on your desk.

“For what?” He leaning back into his seat no longer wanting to strain his neck to look over his shoulder.

“This weekend! I said we’re going to celebrate! It Friday! So tomorrow is the day! You better be ready! Because it’s going to be the works!” You started to cheer yourself on for the celebration you’d planned.

“It sounds tiresome.” He tried to play it off.

“It will be if you resist, so just go with it Toshi.” Your lips pulled into a small smile, eyes filling with a slight glow.

“Alright, tell me when we have time.” He propped he left hand on the back of his neck, he stopped when the teacher walked in announcing class to start.

Incoming Message: Sender:🏵Nerd🏵 ‘Saturday morning, meet me at the door to the dorms! I’ll take care of everything else! Don’t worry about money, or anything at all! I’d say around 8:30? I’ll be there a bit early probably but that me! So I’ll see you at 8:30! Everything is a surprise so just stick with me!’

Outgoing Message: Receiver:🏵Nerd🏵 ‘Alright, but I’d your not there I’m going back to my room.’

Incoming Message: Sender: 🏵Nerd🏵. ‘Don’t worry Toshi! Don’t you have some faith in me? Have I ever let you down?’

Incoming Message: Sender: 🏵Nerd🏵 ‘Exactly! You can’t think of a time! I’m such a good friend! ^-^ 🤍’

✨💜💜💜✨💜💜💜✨💜💜💜✨

“Over here!” I shouted trying to get Shinso’s attention before he could leave.

He turned to look at me, I smiled, his lips turned into a scowl but his eyes held a different feeling, it wasn’t noticeable, but I managed to catch it, I’m definitely the main character of my life.

“Alright, where are we going?” He asked before I even opened the door.

“I told you it’s a surprise! Sooo,” I opened the door, “Just walk with me for now.”

He stepped out and I started to lead the way, we walked in comfortable silence to town making it in a ten minute walk.

“So! I don’t know if you really care for them, but there’s this inside garden cafe place, and I heard it’s really cool, and it’s five star rating, and I know you like coffee so I wanted to bring you here!” I pulled him by his sleeve to a stop so we could face a large white building.

The front sign read “ボタニカルカフェ” Botanical Cafe. He looked at it, the front windows had displays of colorful flowers and types of coffee pre bagged, behind them large hedges to block out the rest.

“Alright I’m interested.” He said and I smiled, “Great!”

I opened the door and let him enter first, he gave me a weird look but walked in. We stood at the door until a lady came and told us, “You can sit in front behind these hedges or go through the back where the patio is.” She had a kind smile and motioned towards the room, it was beautiful, the inside was white brick, and vines were climbing up the walls, wild flowers hanging from the ceiling and rails, a small waterfall that fed into a koi pond, stand and book shelves with flowers and other things, but the best part, were the blue green and yellow budgies flying around and chirping when they would land on a swing or onto an unsuspecting person. They were precious, but I wanted to see the outside, “Where do you want to sit?” I turned to ask Shinso, he looked around and then towards the back, “How about outside?” He asked and I nodded, “Sounds good!”

We walked through the room and I stopped to pet a budgie sitting on a low book shelf it fluffed you and started chirping. I couldn’t stop, it was so cute. But eventually we made it out, and the place was beautiful! It had a mesh roof, but the space was huge! Thick green hedges with different wild flowers, in the center a three tier fountain with two budgies bathing, around it a circle of rose bushes, the floor was made of different bricks, the tables were simple thin cement type benches and tables. So many flower pots and the most beautiful flowers were everywhere! Along the mesh were Edison bulb light, the formed a circle skeins the fountain and then headed out to every corner. But what took it next level were the monarch,Blue morpho, Luna moths and Dragon tail butterfly! They fluttered around and I could help but think how beautiful they really were up close.

“Do you see this?!” I was asking to loudly luckily no one else was there.

I turned to look at Hitoshi, his jaw propped on his hand that leaned on the table, his eyes were lidded and now I could tell he had a faint smile. The corners of his lips were turned up, even if it wasn’t bit, it was nice. I smiled at him closing my eyes for a brief second before opening them to the sight of Hitoshi still smiling but this time he had a Morpho buttery on his hair just sitting there enjoying the rest.

I smiled faintly at the sight, “don’t move.” I pulled out my phone and took his picture sending it to him. He pulled out his phone to look at it, and the smile never left his lips. For that, I’m great full.

“So, what can I get for you two?” The voice broke me out of my staring trance, “Oh! We’ve never been here actually! It’s our first time.”

“Oh! Let me give you two these menus, I’ll be back in a few minutes to get your order, if you have or need change we have these small coin machines that sell butterfly food.” She pointed to a black box by the door and I nodded, “Thank you.”

We looked at the menus and I watched Shinso, he still had the same smile and I couldn’t help but stare, I’d never seen him smile genuinely, but this, this is nice. I feel like I’m over staring, but, you don’t just watch your favorite movie one time right?

“What are you getting?” I nodded at the question before looking at my menu, “No ide- Boba!” I pointed my menu, “Ah, milk tea, the best of both drinks, milk, and tea.” I looked though the flavors and after figuring out what I wanted I asked Hitoshi, “What are you going to get?”

“A coffee.” Simple answer. “Food?” I asked, he only shrugged.

“Alright then.” I mumbled and shrugged, “I’ll order!”

Just as I declared it that waiter asked, “What will you be ordering?” I jumped a bit and smiled sheepishly, “Honey Dew Avon’s milk tea with Mango bubble, he wants a coffee, also two milk bread curry buns and two orders of Takoyaki please.”

We ate and left, after I smothered a few budgies, and kissed a few budgie heads and made Hitoshi take a few pictures.

“Sooo, Hitoshi, tell me something about yourself? You don’t talk much.” I shrugged and stuffed one of my hands into my jackets pocket mimicking him the other hosing my left over boba.

“What is there to know?” He asked looking down at the sidewalk ahead of us.

“I don’t know? Your favorite flower? Color? What you do for fun? Biggest fear? Interests? Dreams? Hogwarts house? Idols? Movies? Anything really, we can both talk, you tell me something and I’ll tell you something.” He side eyed me, a crack of a smile before he started.

During the time I managed to steer us into my favorite shop to buy snacks and drink, followed by an anime shop, and few other places. I ended up buying Shinso a Purple Pearl Echeveria and a small pot of lilac flowers. We carried them back, I held the flowers while he held the Echeveria, I watch him touch the thick leaves? He seemed so amazed by it. But what I liked more than the flower was his smile, it was goofy, his eyes were still lidded but crinkled when he smiled. This is probably the biggest I’ve been seen him smile and will probably ever see him smile. I smiled down at the flowers in my hands, I’m glad, I didn’t know this would make him happy, I just wanted to treat him for working so hard and being a fair partner. But, it definitely makes me feel better knowing he enjoyed it and it wasn’t as forced as he made it seem.

“Well, the suns setting so what’s next before we head back?” His deepish voice pulled me out of my thoughts and I smiled, “Well, I was actually going to end it with a movie, I prepped my dorm because the movie theaters get way to stuffy for my liking, so! Let drop off your new plants before we watch a movie! I have a few good ones picked out!”

***Continued I Ran out of Space***

@milkteeboba I hope you enjoyed this! I’ll tag the second part as soon as it’s up! I got carried away!

#buko no hero academia #my hero academia #bnha hitoshi #bnha shinsou #mha hitoshi #mha shinsou #bnha matchup #mha matchup #bnha blog #mha blog #bnha ask blog #mha ask blog #Hitoshi match up #shinsou hitoshi

[afriendlyphobia]

shut up and kiss me | t.h

pairing: tom holland x actress!reader

genre: fluff

warnings: none

Request? nope but they are open

word count: 1.3k

A/n: Reader got the part of MJ instead of Zendaya in the AU sorry queen. But this literally took so long to write due to no motivation and writers block. maybe i’ll rewrite it so it doesn’t sound like trash lmao

——————————————————————————————————-

“Peter??” You called, hesitantly approaching the darker shadow of a figure before you. “Is that you?”

The figure stepped out of the shadows into the lighted path revealing your friend dressed in a torn spiderman suit. His eyes looked exhausted and his face was bloody and scarred.

“Oh my god.” Your legs seemed to move on their own as you ran into his arms, your own tightly wrapping around his shoulders. “I—I thought you were.....fuck. I’m glad you’re safe.” You stammered out, burying your face into his shoulder.

“MJ..?”

You looked up, your tear stained cheeks almost glowing in the street light. Your heart began to race suddenly as you stared back at your friend. His eyes seemed to sparkle, though you were sure it was only your imagination.

The thought of what was coming next...the kiss...the one that you’ve known about since you first received the script. But somehow you were still nervous. The thought of it would always make you blush or have insane butterflies.

You nearly shook your head to bring yourself back to reality. It was just a kiss. You were no stranger to having roles with the occasional kiss involved. This time it was different, however. None of your kisses had ever been with him.

See, over the course of shooting the Spider-Man movies, you had grown close with the famous heartthrob, Tom Holland. At first it started out as an amazing friendship—one that you could never forget—but since you started shooting Far From Home. Your relationship became more confusing.

A single glance could make you blush. A small brush of the finger would set your nerves on fire. He was your weakness. Your kryptonite.

As cliche as it sounded, you continued to fall harder and harder for your best friend and co-star. But of course you could never tell him. No...how could you ever tell him that during shoot sometimes your imagination ran a little wild? That sometimes you actually believed he liked you back. Sometimes you wished that it was all true.

You inhaled deeply, feeling as if your heart was in your throat.

“Pete..” You lifted your head, looking into his eyes. Your eyes flickered from his gaze to his lips, then back.

He did the same, gaze lingering on your lips a little longer. His hands slid down your waist to rest on your hips. Your heads slowly moved toward each other, tilting in opposite ways.

Your eyes fluttered shut. Your cheeks were burning. Your lips pressed lightly against his.

His body seemed to tense slightly at the contact, but you thought nothing over it as your senses became overwhelmed by his touch, smell, and presence.

His fingers gripped your waist, pulling you against his body tightly. His head tilted to deepen the kiss. It was almost as if he was enjoying it.

In the moment, you had forgotten about the cameras and dozens of people around you. Your imagination ran wild. It was almost to good to be true—

“aaaaaand CUT!!” The two of you jumped apart in surprise from the noise, like you had been interrupted from your own little world.

You glanced at your director, who gave you a thumbs up, then went about calling for a break then a reshoot.

You turned your head sheepishly back towards Tom. A small smile rested on his lips; his arms were folded across his chest leisurely. His mouth opened to say something, but with the sudden realization of what happened flooding into your mind, you mumbled a half-assed excuse and walked briskly away.

You almost broke into a run after you left the set. Walking down the hallway, you looked frantically for anywhere without people—somewhere you could collect you thoughts. Eventually, you opted for a mostly empty janitors closet.

You turned around, leaning against the wall, exhaling loudly. Your fingers intertwined into your hair, tugging lightly out of frustration. “What on—“

Your eyes widened when they settled on a figure that had apparently followed you through the doorway. Opening your mouth to scream in surprise, a hand clamped gently over your mouth.

To your horror, none other than Tom himself walked in the light from the single, half broken bulb. He placed a finger to his lips, then slowly released his hand from your mouth.

“Tom?? What are you doing?” You whisper-yelled at him, bumping your eyebrows together in frustration and confusion. Out of anyone, he was the last person you wanted to talk to.

“You looked upset—“ He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” His eyes looked so sincere—so beautiful. You could of melted on the spot.

“I’m fine..” You mumbled breathily, not looking at him.

“Y/n, are you sure?” He placed a hand on your shoulder comfortingly. “I just want to make sure. I really care about you—“

“Don’t.”

Tom’s eyes widened when you cut him off. You looked up, locking gazes through your slightly blurred vision. The actor opened his mouth to question you, but you put your hand up.

Suddenly, all the months of hiding felt like a waste. Your chest ached. You couldn’t take it anymore. A haze clouded over your thoughts as the words came spilling from your mouth.

“Don’t do that to me.” Your voice quivered even though you tried to sound stronger. “Don’t make me fall more in love with you. Don’t make me want you even more.”

“Y/n...”

As if the floodgates had opened, the tears that had been welling in your eyes finally began to fall.

“I can’t take it anymore! I’m in love with you, Tom!” You brushed your friends hand away from your shoulder bitterly. “But i never told you because i was your friend.”

“Y/n.”

“But i’m selfish.” You looked down as a sob racked through your body. “I don’t just want to be your friend. I want you to myself—“

“Y/N!” You gasped as your back hit the wall behind you. Tom’s hands kept you pinned at your sides; his face hovered near yours. A strange wave of deja vu seemed to wash through your mind.

“Shut up.” He whispered lowly. “Shut up and kiss me like you mean everything you just said.”

Your world suddenly seemed to slow as you looked at him with a shocked expression. But that didn’t stop you from closing your eyes quickly and slamming your lips against his in a whirl of passion, heat, and need.

You melted against his body; your knees began tremble from the amount of adrenaline and emotion burning through your veins.

“Tom..” You mumbled against his lips. Though, you received only a grunt from him. His hands answered you however, grabbing your hips firmly and pulling you against him.

His nibbled at you lower lip, causing you to smile against him, hands flying to become tangled in his soft, wavy hair.

Reluctantly, the two of you pulled away to finally catch your breath. You opened your eyes, meeting Tom’s gaze. You gave a half smile to which he reciprocated.

Leaning down, he placed a soft kiss on your jawline. “Y/n..” he breathed, his warm breath washing over the skin of your neck causing goosebumps to run down your spine. “I love you.” He punctuated every word with a soft kiss trailing down your skin.

His face returned to your level. “I..never told you because i thought i would loose you. But—“ He glanced down at your bodies that were still pressed against each other. “I guess i was very wrong.”

You laughed quietly at him. “We were both wrong.” You smiled, twirling a piece of his hair between your fingers. “But i wouldn’t take anything back for the world.”

“Neither would I.” His face beamed as he leaned down again, pressing his lips against yours again—this time in a softer more sincere manner.

The two of you drowned out the set crew calling your names, getting lost in the scent, touch, and presence of each other.

#fluff #tom holland x reader #tom holland x you #tom holland x y/n #tom holland #tom holland spiderman #tom holland imagine #imagine #tom holland fanfiction #fanfiction #my writing #spider man x reader #spiderman x reader #marvel #marvel x reader #marvel fanfiction #celebrity #celebrity x reader #tooth rotting fluff

[unabashedrebel]

Holiday Cheer

Winters Veil was always a whole ordeal in the Duskhaven residence, even before a certain Sunshine came to brighten things up. Boxes littered the apartment, stacked one atop the next, with some open offering peaks at the brightly colored ornaments and holiday themed streamers. The early days of December only served to stoke the decorating craze as laurels were hung awaiting their bows to be tied, ceramic village houses sat on a bed of cotton waiting to be arranged, and of course a tall tree sat off in the corner of the spacious living room still au naturale.

With the way Kirollis bounced around the apartment spreading holiday cheer and sorting the decorations, it became clear that the lack of work led to a small case of stir craze. He was almost manic in the way he hastily packed the boxes where they needed to go, all in the name of making it easier when the more artistic part of the process came into play. It was as if everything needed to be up to the rogues standards before he began to tackle the once a year tradition.

Soriya, on the other hand, was happy to take advantage of her father's invigorated holiday spirit and decidedly clear schedule. Every year he had gotten like this, and every year she decided not to ask too many questions. Instead she just enjoyed the time they spent catching up on all the Winters Veils they had missed.

“I think this is the last box from storage.” She said as she shimmied through the front door with a brown box in tow.

“Awesome.” Kirollis replied, mulling over aloud a moment later, “That’s gotta be where the star is.”

“You sure you checked all of them?”

The rogue gave her a look. That unspoken form of communication that seemed prevalent every time the other asked a silly question. “Just open the box.”

Sure enough Soriya did just that as she pulled open the top of the box like it was a present from Father Winter himself. Digging her hand in only to pull out a golden star for atop their tree. With a clear of her throat the younger Duskhaven slipped it back into the box without a word.

“It was in there, wasn’t it.”

“...yes.”

A small smirk curled over Kirollis lips as he dug into his own box only to pull out a rope of arcane powered lights. A little something to add a little color and character to their woefully underdressed tree. “C’mon squirt, come help your old man with this.” Surprisingly passing on the opportunity to give her a hard time.

“Someones really in the holiday spirit.” Soriya finally voiced that observation that she had been so hesitant to ask about. Though all the same she joined her father in coiling the lights around their tree. “You know, you never really told me why you love Winters Veil so much. You never really struck me as the type for ugly sweaters and yuletide cheer.”

“Yeah… it was, well, it was your moms favorite holiday.” He confessed. “I guess after a century and a half of putting up lights and decorations it sort of grew on me. She always had this glow around the holidays that always made all the work so very worth it.”

Every time her mother was brought up it was always a tearful affair. Ripe with emotions from the duo who both had hang ups over Nelah Duskhavens untimely death. But this time was different, it was calm, not that the emotion wasn’t there, rather it was celebrated instead of mourned. And Soriya was content to drink in this moment as long as he would allow it.

Kirollis continued, “I think after she passed on it was… well, just one of those things I kept doing to keep her spirit alive. You know, remind myself that she’s not gone so long as she’s in here.” Patting his chest soon after. “I guess it became just as important to me to keep doing it.”

Once more the younger Duskhaven was caught off guard by her fathers candor. It was strange to see him so happy about something that caused him so much pain. It warmed her heart to hear, and a part of her wanted to just let him keep talking as long as he would. After all, the happiness he usually professed surrounded her, almost to the point where she wondered if she was his only source of happiness in the world. It was a reminder, albeit small, that while she currently occupied the center of his universe? She wasn’t the only one who had.

“Is there anything else you do to keep her memory alive?” Soriya asked sheepishly, afraid that if she pressed him to far he would stop talking entirely. The pause he took before answering only causing her heart to sink into the pits of her stomach.

“Well…” Kirollis finally peeped out as he connected the loop of wiring and the brilliant array of colors lined the tree. “Uh, well sure. Yeah, there’s a couple things.” Pointing to the box full of ribbons as to ask for them he continued, “She used to always laugh at my really bad puns.”

“Really?” Soriya questioned with a sneer of a snicker. “-Your- puns?”

“Well yeah. You didn’t think she fell for me just because of my dashing good looks, right?”

“I didn’t think it was the puns.” She confessed.

“How else did you think I found out she was the one?” Kirollis countered with a snicker, mostly at himself. “Your mom was… she had the patience of a saint, lets just put it that way.”

“What else?” Soriya questioned as the pair continued to line the tree with ribbon.

“Nicknames.” He stated without missing a beat. “She loved to give people nicknames. She said it was like your personal greeting to someone important.”

“What did she call you?”

“She always called me Ace when I fucked up. It uh… sort of carried over.”

Soriya knit her brows together as her face scrunched in suit. “You’ve called me Ace before.”

“Maybe don’t fuck up next time.” He replied before poking his tongue out in her direction.

The young monk smiled brightly at the lesser mentioned relationship between her mother and father. Even if she did try and tuck it away and hide it from view. It was almost refreshing how honest and open the conversation had been thus far, and with each passing moment or private concession Soriya was emboldened to ask more about the one thing she was too afraid to ask about: Her mom.

Once the ribbons were finished with, the duo focused on the round little orbs that coated the tree. Though their approach was far more different then the two person job of setting lights and ribbons. Almost at random both Kirollis and Soriya would take a bulb or two before hanging it up on the pine.

The rogue, however, paused a moment as he pulled the golden star from the box. Letting his gaze linger a few moments longer as a fond smile crept up onto his lips. “Your mom used to always put up the star.” He muttered out before offering it over to her, “What’cha say you do it this year?” He posed as emerald tinted orbs drifted toward his daughter.

Her face practically lit up at the offer, in that same glow Kirollis spoke of seeing in Nelah. With a hand placed over her chest looking every bit like it was the highest honor in the world she replied, “I’d love to!” Though she quickly held up her hand to stop him from getting up, “Wait! No stay right there!”

Of course Kirollis obliged, and remained in the same kneeling posture, as Soriya scampered around to his back. “This is easier than getting a ladder.” Soriya confessed as she hopped one leg after another over her dads shoulders.

Snickering the rogue handed the star up to Soriya before standing himself. Using his hands to hold her legs in place and stabilize her as she reached up to the very top of the tree. Carefully sliding the precious ornament into its place.

It had taken twenty-eight years for him to hoist his kid on his shoulders, and he would wait another twenty-eight if he had to for a moment just like this one.

{Art Creds: @the-zombee-cat ❤️}

#you all asked for this #holiday special #kiro & sori #canon #rp #stories #story

[your-official-gingerartist]

My dream begun running within a group of scared and worried friends as well as strangers. We slowed to a stop in a lot behind a huge building- all of us were a pack together trying to keep one another safe from the creature that was picking us off one by one. Everyone was on edge as we stood under the dim lit light in the lot, looking over our shoulders to see if it had come back to take another life from us. Collectively we took a breath and made our way toward a small gas station located behind the building. It looked to have not been used for years covered in cob webs and rust.

I entered pushing the old door aside, the bell above chiming as everyone held their breath at the sound. I accompanied by two others explored the small station not finding much of anything in it. Then as we exited the lights flickered on before the bulbs shattered and sent us all into a panic. Everyone begun to run as a black smoke zipping underneath the plaza of the gas station and took form its eyes locked on one of the members in the crowd. The chase begun again- the creature gained on its target chasing them around the front of the building sliding swiftly after her. Gaining on her at the parking lot full of empty trailer crates. We tried to keep her within the group but from what she saw of the creature it struck terror into her heart, causing her to squeeze through everyone and take off ahead. I lost sight of her so did the others.

Then a scream rang out, and I knew it had made its kill, our group now down 6 people from the start of this sick game it was playing. ( before I started seeing things in my dream I knew I was running from something and people died in the dream, and this was the first person to die that I had visions of, just for context.)

I lagged behind everyone for a moment looking back at where her scream rang out from. A chill went down my spin when I locked eyes with the thing peering from a gap between the trailers. Not wanting to be it’s next victim I turned back around to catch up with the others. I started to run through the parking lot to the building to catch up. They waited inside the door way and closed it as soon as I entered, for now we were safe inside thus splitting into small groups. The building just like the gas station seemed to have been abandoned for a long time. This place seemed like a school/ industrial building it could have been both with the length of the hallways and how big some of the rooms were. I used my phone flash light to illuminate the room- my friends followed behind me scanning the room carefully for anything other than ourselves. We continued searching through desks and cupboards for what I don’t know but after searching for a good chunk of time we exited and begun to walk down the halls.

Time had passed and everyone regrouped to leave, we were exiting through the back way in hopes to not run into it again. Maybe this time our group would pursue a trip into the woods not far from the lot to loose what was following us. I was about half way to the forest when I heard a throated gurgle and clicked right behind- I turned to be met with the creature it took form of a family friend who I know very well. He reached out and threw me away from the group, I looked up from the ground he was already on top of me his hands no longer human they were charred and shape. As he swung I brushed myself through his legs then scurried to my feet and ran. He jerked his head back releasing a snap sound before taking off after me.

I ran as fast as I possibly could distancing myself from him as I skidded around the corner of the building. I grabbed the corner rounding it quickly- the sting of the cement dug deep into my hand from the grip I had in attempt not to fall. I heard a screech follow it slowly gained speed shifting violently between my friend and downed mist. I looked ahead far from rounding another corner of the building I felt death creeping in.

Then a door appeared along the wall out of no where it made me push myself to run faster- I grabbed the handle turning my knuckles white before swinging the door open and throwing myself into the building. I slammed into the wall in how quickly I came into the building collapsing to the ground and scrambling to my feet- it now was in the door way.

Everything went black, the chase still ensued- I grabbed the railing of the stair well and begun to make my way up frantically getting tired and out of breath- it was catching up quickly. I fell hard so close to exiting the top of the stairs so close to possible freedom. The creature looming over me it’s arm drawn back ready to strike. I cried out a plea through the tears that came to my face instantly, I begged with my eyes as I looked into his for some mercy for one last request before death is gifted. It jerked its hand as it swung stopping and widening its eyes.

My heart racing a mile a minute staring at it as the creature stood over me frozen in thought. It was surprised at my plea. And accepted to hear my dying request.

Everything blacked out. And I was now alone in a dense forest walking along a glowing stream. The environment much more quiet much more calm then what it was before. I continued following the stream as a mist begun to come in the further down I followed the stream. Pushing aside branches and looking out to see the stream flow into a larger body of water that resembled a pond. The area was shrouded in dark blue shrubbery and tall trees creating a starry like canopy above. Unknowingly I had been gazing for some time at the canopy lost in it’s beautiful before being brought back by a snort in the distance. The creature taken a different form was sat in the waters up to its chest arms relaxed on the edge of the bank as it watched me make my way over. Almost cautiously I held my breath in fear of my request being cut short with my death as I sat down on the bank next to the creature whose taken on the form of the skeksis general skekvar. He looked up at me gave a friendly snort extending his a clawed hand to aid me into the water. I took it and stepped in a nervous smile came to my face for the water was higher up if I were to sit down it’d been up above my nose.

Skekvar let out a laugh giving a hardy pat to my back as he commented on how short statures a creature I was and often forgets I’d drown trying to sit in water as deep as he could. I chuckled at his words a gave a gentle but nervous smile to him. He gave a snort and grabbed my chin then gently kissed me, skekvar didn’t let go while he whispered a reminder of fulfilling my final wish and that he wouldn’t attempt to kill me till after.. ah yes how comforting, but flustered more than on edge I gave a nod to him. Then some time passed i mustering up the courage to ask if he would be willing to cuddle. He agreed and proceeded to scoop me up into his massive arms holding me in a bridal like style. Then began running his hands through my hair and making low humm sounds while he did. ( I can’t say what happened as the time of day changed to night cuz it’s slightly nsfw. And I forget how old everyone is in discord .w.;; )

I don’t know how much time passed but it must have been the next day in the dream. Skekvar and I were walking through a carnival/ circus area. With a hand on my shoulder he telling me about war times and his many victory’s. A smile on his face having someone to listen to his tales some to which I knew were made to make him out to be out going and admirable. But held my tongue only smiling and shaking my head at some ridiculous tales. He would tell them for hours if you’d let him. I patted his hand not wanting to interrupt then said I would be back to listen to more stories. Then as we parted I could no longer see myself and could only see the creature as skekvar he now alone standing near a tent. spoke allowed to himself conflicted in his decision. Upset he paced around followed by many snorts before an small elderly woman came to him and tugged on his robes. She asked what the matter was and offered to console the large creature. And so she did, not concerned about the fact he was contemplating killing someone or not didn’t faze this old lady XD. But he ended up running off saying he fell in love and gave up hunting down people. And was going to use what left of his magic to help people.

And this is where I woke up. What I took away from it was the creature stayed in one form for too long and slowly became like skekvar mixed with the creatures own emotions. And somehow has magic powers to change things which never came up at all in the dream till the end XD... yeah

#Aww yeah more weird dreams #my weird dreams #vivid dreams #skeksis #skekvar the general #skekvar #the dark crystal: age of resistance #the dark crystal age of resistance #your official gingerarist