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averykedavra · 3 years

Text

i love everybody because i love you

warnings: brief mentions of self-deprecation, self-hatred, and depression

pairings: platonic logicality

wc: 3751

(yeah i’m back with another loose oneshot, sue me, sometimes i think through stuff by writing about the boys. title from strawberry blond by mitski. -avery)

It happened almost every morning. Patton and Logan were the first to wake up and the ones who made breakfast. Logan would talk Patton through the recipe, patiently, reminding him when to take things off the stove. They usually burned almost nothing. Logan nibbled any ruined food just to be nice, and by the time the others stumbled downstairs, breakfast was ready to go.

At first, Logan had done all the cooking. He’d eaten by himself, too--he said he disliked eating with others because of the sound. Even when Patton began to cook with him and reach out, Logan still kept his barriers up, and ate quickly before the others arrived.

Patton understood that. All his kiddos had different quirks and boundaries. Roman was so energetic, always loud, and he didn’t even realize it until someone pointed it out to him. Remus was always twitching and cracking his knuckles. Janus lied without thinking, Virgil panicked at eye contact, and Patton...well, Patton couldn’t stand conflict. It made his stomach go mushy and his shoulders tighten up. Too many feelings, and he got overwhelmed.

They all respected each other’s boundaries, even the ones they didn’t understand.

And with Logan...well, there was a lot Patton didn’t understand. He didn’t want to pry or push him, but Logan was an enigma at times. He’d struggle to communicate, and get upset when things didn’t go the way he expected. Patton often felt he was trying to decode a puzzle--or maybe Patton was just too cowardly to ever ask things up front.

For example, what happened every morning. They’d finish up with the dishes, Patton would thank Logan for helping, and he’d pepper in a quick “I love you!”

Logan didn’t flinch or look uncomfortable. He never told Patton to stop. But he never said it back--he just smiled and said “You’re a good friend.”

Which was sweet, and adorable, and Patton held onto Logan’s words in his saddest moments, but...but doubts still lingered. Was he making Logan uncomfortable? Should he stop? Should he ask? Was Logan just humoring him by even hanging out in the mornings?

Every morning, Patton tossed out a quiet “I love you.” And every morning, Logan smiled and didn’t say it back.

All of Patton’s instincts told him to leave the situation be. But if there was a chance he was hurting his friend, even accidentally, he had to know.

So after an interesting morning of pumpkin-flavored muffins that somehow turned out alright, Patton waited until Logan was done eating. He arranged muffins on a plate and, without turning around, said “Thanks for helping, I love you.”

A small pause, then a response. “It was no trouble. You’re a good friend.”

Patton channeled his confusion. “Why do you always say that?”

“Pardon?” Logan sounded confused, too. Great, now they were in the same boat. “That...you’re a good friend? You are, Patton--did I say something wrong?”

“No! Of course not!” Patton turned slowly around, staring at his hands. “I...I’m just worried that I am. Saying something wrong.”

“I’m sorry?” Logan’s confusion bled into concern. He stood up. “Is everything alright, Patton?”

“I...I don’t know.” Patton shook his head. “I...it’s nothing, I shouldn’t be so worried, but...”

“If it’s worrying you, it isn’t nothing.” Logan stepped closer to him and touched Patton’s hand lightly. “I can get someone else if you would like--just tell me what I can do.”

Patton shivered at Logan’s touch. He wasn’t usually tactile, so this meant he was really worried. No backing out now.

“I...I was just noticing something,” Patton said, trying to keep his voice light. “I always tell you I love you, right? And you never say it back. That’s not bad, I just--wanted to make sure I didn’t make you uncomfortable!”

“Oh!” Logan blinked. “Oh, I didn’t realize.”

Patton sunk his shoulders a bit and stared at the floor. “Sorry. It’s probably a personal thing, I shouldn’t have pried.”

“It’s perfectly alright,” Logan said reassuringly. “When you’re unsure of boundaries, you ask.”

“Yeah.” Patton nodded. “So...is it okay, when I do that?”

“Hmm.” Logan seemed to think it over. “It’s a true statement, from what I can tell. You do love me.”

“I really do.” Patton couldn’t help adding that. He just--he loved people so much. Sometimes he felt love was going to explode his chest like a balloon. “I love all of you guys.”

“It’s very kind of you.” Logan nodded. “Since it’s important to you to say, and expresses your true feelings...no, I don’t have a problem with it.”

“But...” That didn’t really answer anything. “But what about how you feel?”

“I’m impartial.” Logan shrugged. “Again, it’s important to you, and I don’t care either way.”

“But...” Patton started again. He didn’t even know how to articulate anything. “But if you don’t mind it, why don’t you...”

Logan tilted his head, waiting for Patton to finish.

“Never mind,” Patton said.

Logan looked slightly frustrated. “Please don’t keep me out of the loop.”

“Right! Sorry.” Patton should have known that Logan would be hurt without a clear answer. Logan never liked it when people hinted at things without explaining. “I just...why don’t you say you love me?”

Logan raised one eyebrow.

“Okay. That sounded bad.” Really, really bad. Needy and creepy and terrible. “I don’t mean you have to. You don’t owe me anything. I just...it makes me think you are uncomfortable with it.” Or, a nasty voice added in his head, uncomfortable with Patton.

“I see.” Logan’s eyes flickered between Patton’s.

“It’s really nothing,” Patton pleaded. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. I know you’ve never...really said that kind of thing, and that’s okay!”

Logan still looked thoughtful. “This is important to you?”

“Yes,” Patton admitted. “I don’t want to hurt you without realizing.”

“I see,” Logan said again, his voice softer. “Alright. Shall we talk at the table?”

Patton nodded and sat down. Logan sat down across from him, pushing the muffins aside. It was a bit too confrontational for Patton’s taste, but a neutral conversation place did make him feel a bit more at ease. Either could leave whenever they wanted. Patton began to play with his hoodie, and Logan passed him a napkin, which Patton gratefully took to fidget with.

“The others will be down soon,” Patton said.

“If they interrupt, we can continue later.” Logan folded his hands on the table. “I want to make it very clear that you’ve done nothing wrong. If I objected, I would have told you to stop. You know I would.”

Patton nodded. Even if Logan struggled with communication sometimes, he always made it clear what he needed--even through body language.

“I simply...” Logan waved a hand briskly like he was ripping off a bandage. “I don’t think I could honestly say it back.”

“What?” Patton blinked and tried to veer himself away from his instinctive oh-no-he-hates-you panic response. “Why not?”

“Well, I don’t think I love you.” Logan briefly looked horrified. “Oh, that came out terribly. What I mean is I don’t think I love anyone. You’re not extraordinary. I’m not capable of...oh, I’m messing this up already, aren’t I?”

“You’re doing fine,” Patton said quickly. First step in conversation: make sure everyone was on the same page. “So, you’re saying you don’t think you love anyone? So you don’t feel comfortable saying it back?”

Logan nodded.

“But that’s...” That was wrong. That had to be wrong. Logan clearly cared for all of them. “Of course you love people! We’re your family!”

Logan winced.

Okay. Wrong response. Very wrong response.

Patton quickly backpedaled. “I don’t mean...well...I’m confused.” That would be a better place to start. “I’m not really sure how to understand that, since I know you do care about all of us. Can you explain more?

Logan looked calmer again. Thank you, Janus and your conversational tips.

“I suppose...it’s partly due to my function.” Logan steepled his fingers. “I’m Logic. I don’t hold any of Thomas’ love for people.”

“But...” Patton interrupted again. He cursed himself. “Sorry! I’m trying to be quiet.”

“It’s alright, I know you don’t mean to interrupt.” Logan gestured to Patton. “What’s your question?”

“But we know you aren’t just Logic,” Patton said. “You...you’re more than that. You have feelings. If this is part of your issues with that, then...”

“I don’t believe it is.” Logan paused. “Although I’m not the best judge. From what I can tell, yes, I have feelings. My feelings aren’t always as strong or as cohesive as yours, but I do have feelings. Love, however, is a different thing for me.” He paused again. “Perhaps it’s not related to being logic at all. Perhaps this is just the way I am.”

Patton swallowed. “If this is some issue with expressing feelings--if you’re repressing anything, kiddo, we’re going to have words. You’re not...you’re not broken or unlovable or anything like that.”

“Who said I was broken or unlovable?” Logan’s mouth twitched, so Patton knew he was being lighthearted. “I know you love me. I don’t think I am broken. I just don’t do things exactly the way you do.”

Patton thought that over. He didn’t really get it. But--Logan didn’t seem like he was repressing anything. He wasn’t upset or closed-off. He seemed...happy.

Happy, that he didn’t love anyone?

“I don’t think I understand yet,” Patton admitted. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright.” Logan looked to the side. “If you’d like, we can end the conversation here--”

“No!” Patton reached a hand across the table. “No. I want to understand, okay, Lo? If I can understand, I want to.”

Logan nodded slowly.

“So...you don’t think you experience love. Ever?” Patton tugged at his fidget napkin. “Even platonic or familial love?”

“I don’t think so, no.”

“What about love for your work?” Patton blurted out. “Or self-love? Or love for your community, or love for nature, or love for--love for Thomas? What about things you’re passionate about? There’s so much love in the world, don’t you experience any of it?”

Logan, fortunately, didn’t seem too annoyed with Patton’s outburst. He just nodded. “Ah. Yes, I figured that would be the barrier.”

“What barrier?”

“Patton.” Logan’s voice was soft. “You don’t understand because you see everything through a lens of love. That’s just how you are.”

“I...” Patton tried to wrap his head around it. It didn’t feel like a lens, like something he could whip off and ignore. Love wasn’t like his glasses. Love was...everything. All around him.

He loved everything. He loved the people in his life. He loved Thomas. He loved his family. He loved the smell of muffins, the creak of a chair, the memories faded in the corners of his room. He loved himself, when he could. He loved every day of his life.

And it hurt, sometimes. It hurt so much. But Patton couldn’t imagine it any other way.

“Love is just...who I am,” Patton said. “I’m love. I’m morality, but...I’m love for being good. For my friends, for my family, for happiness.” He blinked away a sudden rise of tears. “I’m made of everyone who’s ever loved me.”

Logan’s eyebrows pulled together. “Doesn’t that seem a bit reductionist?”

“No,” Patton said, and he meant it. “Love is what it’s all about for me.”

“Oh.” Logan nodded and laughed a bit. “Yes, I can see why we’re not going to quite understand each other on this.”

“No kidding,” Patton said without thinking. “How could you go through life without loving any part of it? That sounds so...sad!”

Logan blinked.

“I don’t mean to judge,” Patton finished. “I’m sorry. I just...yeah. I don’t get it.”

“You don’t get it,” Logan mused. “Because--because you equivocate love to happiness, don’t you?”

“What?” Patton thought about it. “I mean, yeah, I guess I do. Love makes me happy. Love is the reason I am happy.”

“But those two statements aren’t equivalent.” Logan tapped his finger to his head. “Love can cause happiness, of course, but it isn’t inextricable from happiness. They’re two different things.”

Patton chewed his lip. Love and happiness felt the same--both warm and bright in his chest. “I don’t know.”

“Think of it this way. You love people, right?” Logan looked him in the eyes until Patton nodded. “You’ve loved all your life. Yet, sometimes, you’re sad. Why?”

“Well...” Patton shifted in his chair. “Sometimes the people I love don’t love me back. Or they hurt me. Or they’re having a tough time, or I don’t love myself, or...or...”

Or sometimes, he woke up sad with no reason at all.

“Or sometimes, you’re just not happy,” Logan finished, like he could read Patton’s mind. “No matter what you try to do. Does that mean you’ve somehow failed at loving people? Is it the fault of love for making you upset?”

Patton opened his mouth to say yeah, maybe, then closed it again. He had a feeling that wouldn’t go over well. Think positive, said a voice in his head that sounded like Janus.

“No,” Patton said hesitantly. “It’s not. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Exactly.” Logan smiled proudly. “Thus, if you can be sad despite your love for others, it stands to reason that happiness and love are not equivocal. They have correlation, but not direct causation. One can exist without the other.”

“I...guess.” Patton giggled. “Honestly, you kinda lost me with the big words there, kiddo.”

“Ah, apologies.” Logan paused to sort through his thoughts. “What I’m trying to say is your happiness and your love are different things. They can work together, but they’re individual ingredients.” He looked around. “For a metaphor, let’s take the muffins we made. We use eggs and milk, yes?”

“Yep!” Patton said. “But sometimes we’re out of eggs, so we use a substitute.”

“Right,” Logan said. “Furthermore, if someone is allergic to one of those ingredients, they substitute in a different one. The muffins still turn out quite nice, if a bit different than they would with the individual ingredients.”

Patton nodded.

“It’s the same with love.” Logan shrugged. “At least for me. A happy and fulfilling life can include love, but it can include many other things, too. I’d say despite not feeling love, I still care about people in my life and find joy in what I do, so my muffin works quite well.”

“Well, who am I to muffin your perspective?” Patton teased. Logan groaned. “I...guess that does make sense. I just don’t really still get it. I mean, love is so important, right? All humans experience it.”

“Do they?” Logan asked. “Firstly, I’m not exactly human. Secondly, define love for me.”

“I--what?” Patton blinked. “I mean, I guess it’s different for everyone.”

“Yes, quite.” Logan was back in lecture mode. Even though this conversation was a bit discomforting, it was sweet to see Logan so passionate. “We were taught, as kids, that love is romantic love between a man and a woman. Yes?”

“Yeah,” Patton admitted. “But it’s not just that. It’s familial, and platonic, too.”

“We learned that slowly.” Logan ran a hand along the edge of his plate. “They told us love is finite, or that love is to be earned, or love is heterosexual and heteroromantic. That love and romantic attraction are equal, that love for friends is lesser, that love should triumph over any red flags...we were told a lot of things, Patton. Love is a complex social construct.”

“But we can’t just give up on things because society ruined them!” Patton said. “I mean, Janus would be making us all live as hermits.”

“True,” Logan admitted, smirking a bit. “However, just because we don’t have to doesn’t mean we don’t need to. Since society puts so much importance on love, and is wrong about so many aspects, isn’t it fair to say that love itself might be less important than they make it out to be?”

Patton shook his head. “I hear what you’re saying, but things are important for a reason. Love is what brings us all together.”

“Is that what love is?” Logan sounded genuinely curious. “I want to hear your definition, if you can.”

“Oh. I--I mean, it’s complicated. It’s hard to put into words.” Patton fought to find a definition. How could he explain the steady warmth in his chest, the bright happiness for his friends, the blanket-like safety it brought him? “Love makes me feel...happy. And safe. Love is being safe with people, and trusting them, and wanting them to be happy even when it hurts you. Love is enjoying things and being grateful they’re there.”

Logan nodded and was quiet for a long moment. “So...love is happiness, safety, trust, gratitude, and care?”

Patton nodded.

“Love is an umbrella term for all those things.”

“I guess so!” Patton laughed. “At least for me. It’s probably different for everyone.”

“Then...if love is an umbrella term, is it necessary for feeling all the parts of it?” Logan asked. “I still feel happiness, safety, trust, gratitude, and care. Do I really need to call it love, if those feelings exist regardless?”

Patton opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again. “But love’s, like, a combo of all that. At least for me.”

“A mixture of ingredients,” Logan agreed. “However, ingredients work well on their own. I enjoy boiled eggs and scrambled eggs, not just muffins.”

“Oh.” Patton tried to think about it. This all felt really--weird. He still couldn’t internalize all this. “But...why not call it love, I guess? It’s shorthand.”

Logan sighed. “It would certainly make things easier. However...if I don’t think I experience love, I’m under no obligation to pretend otherwise, right?”

“Right! Of course not!” Patton waved his hand. “It just feels like a...small distinction.”

A smile flickered on Logan’s face. “Thus, me feeling love or not feeling love doesn’t really change anything at all?”

Patton froze. “Oh.”

“It’s just a word.” Logan smiled wider. “Does it matter what I call things, as long as we’re all happy?”

“I...no. No, it doesn’t.” Patton looked up. “I guess I just...what if you’re wrong? What if you do feel love, and this is all part of some repression thing?”

“If it is, I have people to help me figure that out.” Logan shrugged. “Maybe I’ll change. Maybe I won’t. For now, this is how I feel.”

“But what if you do feel love, and you just don’t realize it?” Patton hoped his questions sounded curious and not judgmental. “I’m honestly asking.”

“Hmm, that’s a fair point. I can’t really know for sure.” Logan shrugged again. “A lot of things are like that. How do you know for sure that you’re gay?”

“Well...” Patton thought about it. There were several clues--notably, how much he wanted to kiss dudes--but in the end, it was just something he knew. “I guess it’s just how I am. I trust that I’m right about it.”

Logan nodded. “Then trust me, too. Trust that even if you don’t fully understand, I know myself the best. Maybe neither of us are sure about much--but I’ve got the highest chance of being right about my own feelings.”

Patton stared at his napkin, crumpled in his hands. He felt weirdly...empty. “Yeah. I guess.”

“Is...something wrong?” Logan asked.

Dang it, he was so astute. “I’m just trying to wrap my head around this.” Patton sighed. “It feels so selfish, but--I feel weirdly bad that you don’t...love me back? Ugh, that’s so silly, I know what you meant--”

“We don’t always control our feelings,” Logan said, more kindly than Patton deserved. “You can work through them. Just know that I do care about you strongly, and love isn’t more important than that.”

“Right.” Patton tried to trace the feeling of upset. “I...I guess this is my own insecurities, now. I’ve always been the loving one, and--and what else is there to me? What else do I have to offer, if you don’t...”

“Oh.” Logan leaned forward across the table. “Patton, that isn’t true. You’re so much more than what you can offer people in terms of love.”

Patton tried to sniff away his first tear.

“You cook for us every morning,” Logan said. “You hug us, you support us, you make sure we’re okay. You work to be better. You sat here with me until you could understand what I was saying, because you wanted to respect me and learn from me.” Logan reached out and touched Patton’s hand. “You’re a good friend, Patton. You don’t need to be anything else.”

Patton sniffed again. “I...thanks. I just--I guess I just--”

“Yes?”

“Love’s always been all there is,” Patton spilled out. “I’m supposed to love people. I’m--if I don’t do it right, I’ve failed. I have to love my family, my friends, even if they hurt me--I have to love people or they don’t matter enough.” He hiccuped a small laugh. “I don’t really do religion anymore, but God loves everyone, right? It’s not fair if I don’t love him back.”

Logan’s eyes were wide. He squeezed Patton’s hand. “Love isn’t a transaction.”

“I know,” Patton said. “I’m...I’m starting to know. It’s just--a lot to unlearn.”

“That’s understandable.” Logan spoke so quietly that it made Patton’s tears fall faster. “But please, Patton. Don’t let yourself begin and end with what you love. It’s okay to love things--it’s amazing that you love so deeply--but you’re more than that. You don’t owe anyone any devotion. You’re here, and that’s what I find most important.”

Patton sniffed and wiped his eyes. “I’m...I’m getting tears on your sleeve.”

“I’ll wash it,” Logan said.

“Th-thanks.” Patton hiccuped again. “For...for everything.”

For being so kind. For being so patient. For letting Patton understand, even after so much confusion.

“For being a good friend,” Patton said, smiling through his tears. “You’re a really, really good friend.”

Logan smiled back. “Thank you.”

“And I still love you,” Patton admitted. “Is...that okay?”

“I can’t control my lack of love, I could hardly ask you to control your love.” Logan’s eyes shone. “For what it’s worth, I truly do appreciate it. It means a lot. And for what it’s worth, I care for you just as strongly.”

Patton laughed and wiped at his eyes again. “We’re the closest you come to feeling love, huh?”

“Oh, far past that,” Logan said, and handed Patton the napkin so he could wipe faster. “I care for you too much to ever love you. Love is just a bit of a mess.”

Patton laughed again. “It really is, isn’t it?”

“Completely. I’m so glad I don’t experience that ridiculousness.”

“Aw, but you’re still one of us!” Patton stood up, remembering the muffins. “You’re part of this ridiculousness in your own way, whether you like it or not.”

Logan stood up and cleared his plate, bumping Patton gently in the shoulder. A Logan hug. Not a full hug, but if Patton wanted one, he could get one from Virgil--and besides, this was just as good.

“I’ve accepted that, don’t worry.” Logan smiled. “It’s a pleasure to be ridiculous with all of you.”

And, for a moment, Patton got what Logan meant. His words weren’t an I love you. They were a you make me happy. Said with conviction, like that was what everything was all about.

Maybe it was. Maybe there were different ways to see the world. Different ways to see each other.

You make me happy, Logan was saying.

I’m glad, Patton said back in all the ways he could. You make me happy, too.

#sanders sides #logan sanders #patton sanders #hurt/comfort #ts sides fic #a bit nervous abt posting this one? it's another rambly feelings thing #wasn't sure entirely where i was going with it #but i wanted to think thru some stuff and use the boys as my puppets for that #i'm more of a patton on the scale here dhgshjkls but yeah it's important to get perspective on stuff ig?#listen to ppl and understand them ig that's the thesis here dhgshjksls #also that patton and logan should be friends #also that i'm a huge sap #alright here guys have some small content #may rb later #may?? add to ao3???#i should maybe do that huh dghfsjhsks #(also i was gonna add the aro!logan tag but. only rly implied and not what this fic is fully abt #although that's a rly fair interpretation/reading of this #if u wanna go further i definitely hc patton as aro too #they're aro buddies <3 #anyway yeah enough rambling here dghfsjhsks)#averywrites #long post

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fuckthefireflys · 3 years

Text

𝐈 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃

SUMMARY: you being to see a side to rafe, that made you slowly fall in love with him.

SONG RECOMMENDATION: i found by amber run

CHARACTERS: drake!reader x rafe adler.

WORD COUNT:

WARNINGS: mentions of parental issues/death, mentions of abusive father, swearing, mainly fluff.

A/N: in this, instead of nate and rafe fighting in the ship, the reader and nate managed to convince rafe to leave the treasure and go with them, allowing him to survive. this imagine is set after them leaving libertalia.

﹋﹋﹋﹋

It was six months after the whole Avery mess, your eldest brother was off on some job with Sully and your other older brother was back with his wife, officially retired now. As for you, you were somewhere you never thought you would be, sitting in a hotel room with Rafe Adler.

You and Rafe had been working a few jobs together, he had been hesitant to ask you, but he knew that you were the only one that could help him. Your brothers hated the idea of you working with Rafe, especially since you all tried to kill eachother, but you were a strong believer in second chances. Plus you liked all the fancy clothes Rafe would buy you for your covers.

Little did Nate and Sam know, you and Rafe often had to pretend to be married, as a cover for the fancy events you sometimes had to go to for the jobs. The two of you had definetly grew closer, physically and emotionally.

Your current job involved a rich con man, named Jonathan Waynes, who owned an artifact that Rafe had his eye on for years. After many failed attempts at trying to buy it off him, Rafe gave up and called you, wanting to now steal it from him.

You now sat in Rafe’s hotel room, you at the table and him on the bed, both eating the fancy hotel food he had called up. Never in a million years do you think you would ever been in this situation.

“So, how do you know Wayne’s?”

Rafe asked you, looking up from his food, a slight smirk on his face as he awaited the answer. The two of you had grown closer while working these jobs, and you started to see a side to Rafe you never had before. It was almost as if he had built this wall and was now slowly beginning to break it down.

“Oh, I, uh... I stole from him when I was younger.”

You smiled slightly as the man chuckled, secretly already knowing the answer.

“Really? How much?”

“$350. It was the most I’d ever been able to pickpocket form someone.”

You looked at Rafe, seeing that he was impressed.

“Not bad. If you don’t mind me asking, why?”

You hesitated slightly, not knowing whether or not opening up to someone like Rafe Adler was a good idea.

“After me and my brothers escaped the orphanage, we were pretty much on the run from the police. We ended up in some random town, no money or food, so we had to steal. We knew it was wrong, but we didn’t really have a choice.”

You kept your eyes down, staring at the food on your plate, not wanting to look at the man that sat opposite you.

After a few moments of silence, your eyes met Rafe’s, you struggled to read his face, but caught a glimpse of sympathy.

“I’m sorry you had to do that. It can’t of been nice.”

“Yeah, it wasn’t. That’s part of the reason why we got into treausre hunting, we were good at stealing and we needed the money. God, I would’ve given anything to live like you.”

He chuckled sadly.

“Yeah, well, it’s not all that nice.”

You watched as Rafe stood up, grabbing his and your plates and putting them on the tray they came on before sitting back on the edge of the bed. You hesitated slightly, before walking over and sitting next to him. He looked at you, smiling softly.

“How so?”

“I mean the money’s nice, I guess, not having to worry about anything. But you never did anything for yourself. Everything was handed to you on a silver platter, and I hated it. I wanted to do things for myself, earn things.”

“Is that why you became so obsessed with finding Averys treasure?”

“Yeah. I just wanted to be known for something I did, not my parents. I also wanted to prove to them that I was good enough. I wanted them to see that I didn’t need their money, or their business. They always did underestimate me, especially my father. Hell, I think he might of actually hated me.”

As Rafe spoke, he became more hesitant, almost as if he felt like he was saying to much. You could tell that he’d never opened up to anyone like this before and that he was uncomfortable with it.

“My dad was a dick too. I don’t remember him much, but from what my brothers have told me, he changed when my mom died. He got really depressed and started drinking, which only made him angrier and you did not want to be around my dad when he was angry. Eventually, he gave up and threw us in that God forsaken orphanage.”

He chuckled slightly at your final sentence, wondering how a Catholic orphanage could be described as God forsaken. Rafe would never have told you, but deep down he felt bad for you. He spent his life complaining about it, while you were out there stealing for food.

“A Catholic orphanage doesn’t sound so bad?”

“Oh, it was. You know, the nuns would starve us as punishment.”

“Well that’s not very holy of them.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

You sensed the playfulness behind Rafe’s words and laughed, the gloomy atmosphere being lifted, as he laughed along with you. Looking up at him, you suddenly realised how close the two of you were and honestly, you didn’t mind it.

“I never told anyone that before. The stuff about my parents.”

“Well, Adler, your secrets safe with me.”

He smiled down at you, moving his arm out of his lap and behind you, turning slightly so that he was now facing you. You lifted your legs up onto the bed, so that you were now sitting crossed legged, also facing Rafe.

You looked up at him, suddenly nervous under his gaze, as your eyes travelled slowly to his lips and back to his hazel eyes, his doing the same. The man moved his head down slowly, while you lifted yours, your lips touching. He rested a large hand on your waist, as yours snaked up to hold the side of your face. This kiss was slow, but passionate, something you had both been wanting for a while.

You hesitantly pulled away, not wanting the kiss to end but you were running out of breathe. You opened your eyes, letting them meet with Rafe’s, smiles planted on both your faces.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time.” He muttered, just loud enough for you to hear.

“So have I. I really like you, Rafe. I’ll be honest, I never thought I would, but these past couple months, I’ve seen a different side to you. One that I really like.”

“I’m glad you feel the same.” He smirked before kissing you again, pulling you on top of him and leaning back on the bed.

“You know my brothers are gonna kill you.”

“Yeah, how about we keep this to ourselves for a while?”

“I’m fine with that.”

#imagines #nathan drake #uncharted #naughty dog #uncharted 4 #x reader #rafe adler x reader #rafe adler #video games #fluff

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raindrops-xrosess · 4 years

Text

I have a secret

Requested: Yes by @maybebanks ! thank you so much for requesting

Hi! I have a request for u! Jj x reader where y/n is a kook and her and jj are dating. None of the pogues know that they’re dating but they see jj has a crush on her. Jj always sneaks into y/n’s house and surprises y/n. One day when she gets back from a shower she sees him and screams because he shocks her. Her parents come in because they think she is in danger and then they see jj and the dad gets mad and the mom thinks it’s cute. Y/n sticks up for jj and it’s rly cute💕💕

Summary: The request (I'm so bad at summaries lol)

Warnings: maybe some cringy writing idk

Genre: fluff

Word count: 1.45k

AN: requests are always open unless it says closed in my bio. Enjoy the story <3

~~~

Kooks and pogues. Sworn enemies of the Outer Banks…or at least they should be. However, that wasn’t the case for you and JJ Maybank. You are known all over the Outer Banks as kook royalty, and JJ is as pogue as they come.

You had met when JJ was looking for well-paying jobs off of the cut and your father needed some things done around the outside of your house. He was mowing the lawn right outside your bedroom window on the hottest day of the year at what felt like the crack of dawn.

~~~

It was an early Sunday morning, and you may or may not have been a little bit hungover from partying on the cut with Sarah. That is where you had met the heartthrob that had every female, and some male, pogue, kook, and tour on wrapped around his finger. There was no doubt he was charming, and you tried so hard to hold out, to not give in to those damn eyes, but like everyone else you were trapped in what felt like a trance.

“Hey, do you think you can be a little quieter?!” You yelled as you stepped onto your balcony leading from your bedroom. “God, what year is it?”

“Sure princess let me just find the volume button!” He yelled his snarky comment over the loud noise. Jj quickly turned off the obnoxious machine and made his way over to where you stood. “You’re Sarah’s friend? Right? And Rafe’s girl?” He quizzed you. Any chance he could get to mess with Rafe he would take. And taking his girl? Oh, that would be the sweetest revenge!

No, you technically weren’t “Rafe’s girl” but you and Rafe were kind of something? Maybe? I don’t know you kinda messed around and went to parties together. You tried to stop his drug addiction when you could but he wouldn’t listen. You wanted a real relationship so bad, but not bad enough to fall at the feet of JJ Maybank. He was the fuck and forget type and you were sort of already in that kind of relationship. If JJ wanted anything other than that he would have to work for it.

~~~

And work for it he did. Every Thursday morning he would come by your balcony being extra loud and annoying and you couldn’t help but yell at him. Later the yelling turned into play fighting which turned to feisty flirting. It didn't take long for JJ to want to do something with you but he quickly realizes you wanted something more when he went to ask you out.

“So princess I was thinking we could go to the Party tomorrow at the boneyard like together and shit! What do ya think?” JJ said after climbing a tree to get onto your balcony. This was a common occurrence, him leaping onto your balcony, making his way throughout your room, and toying with your fancy perfumes and fun sunglasses.

“What I think JJ is that once I say yes you are going to drop me like... like yesterday’s newspaper, and I am not a newspaper!” You let out a frustrated sigh. JJ turned around and backed away slightly to give you some space. “I want a real relationship JJ, for once in my life I want something to be real. I don’t want a relationship my parents set up for their damn business gain! I’m tired of all these fake ass kook friends. I want real friends! You and the pogues have such a great friendship, I want that!” You flopped down onto your bed, looking up at the ceiling. JJ stayed silent as he laid down next to you.

“You’re dating Rafe just because your parents are business partners?” You nodded “That’s so messed up!” JJ sighed “Listen, I like you, a lot. Your different than all the other kooks I’ve had the utmost pleasure of meeting.” JJ started to talk in a funny British accent to which you laughed at. “Look as you may have guessed, given by golden reputation I have never been in a real or serious relationship, but I’m willing to change that for you. O-only if that’s what you want of- of course!” He started to stutter nervously. You sat in silence for a moment.

“That would be nice JJ.” You thought for a moment “Do you want to ditch the party tomorrow and do something like just us?” You looked over at him nervously. JJ says up with a smug smile on his face. You followed his actions and sat up.

“You askin me out, princess?” You hit his arm playfully.

“Oh shut up!”

~~~

Flash forward to now where you have been dating JJ for about four months. You had broken up with Rafe and your parents were not happy, but they saw your smile when you would come home from secretly meeting with JJ and they figured there was someone else that gave you butterflies. Your mom was a little more supportive than your dad because, in his eyes, Rafe was the perfect match, but then again he would do anything to make you smile.

Like always JJ would sneak into your room and pick you up for your date or just hang out in your room of your parents weren’t home. This time was no different. You were going out soon so you decided to shower before your date and that is when JJ decided to sneak into your room, knowing your parents were home. As you got out of the shower and walked out in your pajamas and your hair wrapped in a towel, JJ jumped out from around the corner tickling you. “OH DEAR LORD! WHAT THE HELL!” You exclaimed a little too loudly.

”Shhhh baby!” JJ hushed you as he laughed.

“Shit do you think my parents heard that?” That’s when your parents stormed into your room ready to attack.

“What the hell was that?” “Sweetheart are you ok?” your parents voiced their concern. “Maybank? What is this?” Your dad’s eyes stared holes into JJ’s head. You were in front of JJ as he had his arms around you, still holding your sides. He backed away at your father's questions and put his hands up. “You see sir.. uhh funny story really! You know the thing is-” “He’s my boyfriend!” You said before you slapped your hand over your mouth. You let out a chuckle of disbelief. You can’t believe you just said that. “Oh really? So this is the boy you replaced with Rafe?” your father now stared at you, his movements slow and precise.

“Yes, and before you say anything about him being from the cut, he makes me really happy. I don’t feel like an outcast when I’m with him. JJ makes me feel important and loved and when we talk there are so many butterflies in my stomach I might as well open a butterfly farm!” You tried to make your father laugh just a little bit. “He is selfless and kind and gentle, and I hope you can accept him because he really is an amazing person”

“Oh well isn’t this the cutest thing I ever did see! I’m not crying nope not me!” Your mother was always so emotional.

“He makes you happy?”

“Very much.”

“Is he respectful?”“The perfect gentleman.” You said looking back at him smiling and reaching out to grasp his hand.

“Then it is ok with me. Son comes here.” Your father motioned his finger to JJ. JJ quickly stepped up to your father. “You hurt one hair on her head and your dead before nightfall. You understand me?” JJ nervously chucked “Yes sir.” They shook hands and JJ retreated back towards you.

“Do you two have any plans for tonight?” Your mother questioned.

“We were just going to see a movie or something. Why momma?”

“How about JJ stays for dinner? Your father is making baked macaroni!”

“What do you think J?” you looked at him with pleading eyes. Baked macaroni was your favorite. You knew by the look on your mother's face your father had no intension that night to make it but she was trying to get you two to stay in.

“Why not! I haven’t had a home-cooked meal in a while.” “THANK YOU!” You kissed his cheek as your mom excitedly made her way off to the kitchen.

As your father left your room he shouted: “Next time use the front door kid!” “Yes sir!” J shouted back as he saluted to you with a funny face.

“Well know that you met my family... when do I get to meet the Pogues?”

“Soon princess”

~~~

A/N Yay I am so happy I finally got this out! If you want to be tagged in any future fics just sent me a message. My asks are always open if you want to leave a request just know that I take my time when writing so it may be a while before your request is published.

Taglist: @drewswannabegirl @obx-direction-sos @maybebanks @shawnssongs @spilledtee

Some moots:

@tomfreakinghollandneedsaoscar @obxmxybxnk @roxa-sos @thatsme-johnbookerroutledge @poguesrforlife @baby-bearie @surferkie @katie-avery @poguesgold @poguestyleskye @mrsmaybankhere @diverdcwn @rudyypankow @midnightmagicmusings @collecting-stories @overly-b @cognacdelights @tweedlydumbtweedlydoo @maybanksmalfoy @socialwriter

#new fic #new post #new blog #jj maybank #jj maybank x reader #jj x y/n #jj obx #jj maybank imagine #jj mayback x reader #jj maybank obx #jj maybank fanfiction #Outer Banks #outer banks imagine #outer banks cast x reader #outer banks fics #fluff #cute #masterlist #i have a secret

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avery-alpha-varcolac · 2 years

Text

The Dead do Talk

It had been about an hour or so since Avery had left River in his bed. Bloody and passed out. The boy had since dressed and gone. Avery stepped into the shower after to clean himself up. Figuring it was best to clean the mess. As he headed back to his room the hybrid thought he heard voices. He swore he did. But he chalked it up Nico and perhaps a friend. It wasn’t until he entered his room that Avery realized something was wrong. His body froze. Tensed. Every fiber in him screamed as his brown eyes landed on the person in front of him. “Mother...”

The varcolac shut his door immediately. He was confused and thought this to be some sort of magic. Maybe a trick. “This isn’t happening. This isn’t real. you’re not real.” His hand went through his brown locks as he stared at his mother. His dead mother. “It is real my son. You drank the blood of reaper. Now you can commune with the dead. Only until the blood runs out, but I am here. You are not imagining me.” Avery could only think about River. Was this a blessing or a curse for the time? “I- I don’t understand. Why are you here? Haven’t you moved on?” When she had left he was sure she had gone to the other side or something. Not stayed here. “I couldn’t. Not with you being left alone. With your father. I stayed to watch over you. To guide you. To make sure you went through life as I taught you.” He froze as she spoke. He hadn’t done that. He had been cruel and knew if she had been with him she would have seen everything. “And I haven’t.” It was a statement of truth from his lips. “No. My son you have not. I knew after I left it would only be a matter of time before you were able to get away from your father. But I had not expected everything o happen as it did. Avery... My son i am sorry you have been hurt. Scarred. Left on your own. I didn’t mean t-” Avery cut her off as he threw a punch into the wall. “But you did. You took the easy way out. You left and I was alone with that monster.”

Was it cruel? Perhaps yes. But he was hurt. He was still healing. If one could even use that word. His mother stayed silent for a moment as he recovered from the punch. She sat on his bed and patted the spot next to her. “If I had not, he would have used me against you. He was never going to let me leave. Never going to allow you happiness. I needed to go so you could move on. Escape the fate he had created for you. But I was wrong. I should have given you more than I had. Showed you how to live life, not just survive it.” Avery took a seat next to her. Scared to move too fast or else she would be gone. “Would it have mattered? Would my life be any different now? I ruined our family name. I took out most of our bloodline. I became the alpha but at what cost? My life was over the moment you took your last breath.” His chest tightened as he replayed the moment he found her over and over. The tears welling in his eyes as he gripped the bedding beneath him. “I lost everything when I lost you. Who I was, who I was meant to be. My love, happiness, life. You were everything I waned to be. And it was gone.” His body shook a bit as he tried to control himself. However it was short lived. The moment her hand touched his shoulder he lost it.

Bawling as he turned and took hold of her. His head in her shoulder. Everything about her was there. Her touch still as calm and gentle as ever. For the first time in centuries the hybrid actually cried. “I just wanted to be happy! I just wanted to feel what you felt. To know love and freedom. I lost everything. I became him.” The hand in his hair was calming as his mother shushed him and told him it was okay. “You are nothing like him. I have been with you. I saw you grow up. I saw you win battles, fall in love, defend those who needed it. I was there when you said your vows. When you took your husband’s memories. The good and the bad. Avery I have always been with you. You are nothing like your father. You cared for so many people despite the darkness you still hold onto.” This was too much. Avery’s head was spinning. It was moving so fast. There was so much he wanted to ask. To talk about. But he didn’t know how much time he had. Avery needed to make it all quick. “Y-You saw Roman? You know?” It was a bit of a shock. “Of course my love. He was beautiful. Everything I ever wanted you to have in a partner. What you did, leaving him. Avery that was wrong. I know you were scared, I know you feared your father’s wrath through your own hands, but you are not like him.” Pulling away the varcolac scoffed. Eyes red and puffy as he stared at her. “No? Then tell me why I have his anger. His temper. Tell me why is it I thirst for blood of vengeance for everything he put you through. Me. Us? If I am not like my father than how come everything around me crumbles?”

“Avery!” Her tone stern and loud. She only ever shouted when he was losing himself. Rarely had she ever yelled him growing up. It sent him into a silence. Never had he ever spoken out of line with his mother. She was always so calm. “Listen to me. You are not him. You are never going to be like him. He was a cruel man who raped and murdered for fun. For power. He forced you into this world but I welcomed you. Everything I was. Everything you can be, is not born from hate. But from my love. When you came into this world I could ave ended it there. I could have killed myself while you were still in me. I could have slit your throat the first night you spent breathing air. But I did not. I did not because I knew even though you were not born from his love, you were born from mine. Because I knew you were stronger. I taught you everything you needed to grow strong and be a loving man. What your father did was not acceptable. But you choose to let your anger and vengeance fester. Avery, my son, this world is not meant to be abused. It is meant to be loved and cherished. Just as you are. Just as those around you are. Your father let the power get the better of him. You did not. And here you are. Strong. Brave. Handsome. And with plenty of life ahead of you. Do not mistake your feelings for the enemy.”

The last she wanted was Avery going down the same path as his father. An emotionless man who only wanted power to be the best. His deeds in his life were horrid. And Avery was nothing like him. “The only thing I ever loved and cherished was you. You were the only thing good in my life.” He fell to the floor, his forehead touching her knees. Her gentle touch moving through his hair as she comforted him. “And then you had Roman. And then Lucien. And nw you have Nico. You have that fae boy who was here. Such a lovely boy he was.” Avery laughed through the tears he could feel welling up again. “Ya, but he hated me. I don’t know why. I was charming, and I’m good looking, and he just ignored it all.” His mother smiled and lifted the boy’s head. “Avery, you did not treat him the wya he wanted to be treated. That boy did not like you for the same reasons Nico or Roman do. What you did not see was his wanting for a gentle soul. Someone who saw him as a person. You saw him as another Roman or Nico. He was not.”

The varcolac furrowed his brows as he thought about her words. Was it true? Had he treated Oli badly? “What do I do now? I miss you. I want you to stay. Never leave.” For once in a long time, Avery felt small. Like a child that scraped his knee and didn’t know what to do but cry. “You continue. Avery, Remember when you were little and your father was cruel? We’d go to the forest clearing and push that anger away. You’d make me little daisy crowns and pretending you could magic and I would make the flowers grow.” He couldn’t help but smile and laugh. “I always thought I was part witch. That I could be as graceful and loving as you. That the flowers were growing because I was good.”

“Because you are good Avery. You let your father get into your head and beat you down. My son, there is not much time left. Remember, you are my son. You are letting yourself fall into your father’s shoes. Forgive yourself for things that were not your fault. My death, was not your fault. My death was my choice. My way of taking control of a life I had lost control of. You are strong Avery. And with that wendigo by your side you are stronger. You care for him. Maybe not in the same way you care for Roman, but you shouldn’t push him away over your fear. And if by now you haven’t noticed, you are basically bonded to the boy.” The alpha looked confused as he stared at his mother. “What do you mean? Bonded? No we aren’t.”

She stood and brought Avery with her. A smile touching her lips as she felt the magic fading. “With how much blood you two consume of each other, I’m surprised it isn’t stronger. The magic is fading Avery. Please, remember, you are loved Avery. You are my son. What I am, you are. My goodness runs in you. Do not turn down the dark path. Live with love and life. I love you. My son deserves to be happy. Proud. Forget your vengeance. It’ll only bring you pain.” He could see her starting to fade from view. Once more he hugged her goodbye. For what was the last time as far as he knew. “Mother, I love you. I promise I will not fall into the darkness.”

And just like that she was gone. The alpha left standing in an empty room. His head flooded with far too many emotions and confusion. He felt so tired. He was a it dizzy. Landing on his bed the master closed his eyes. Avery needed some time to think and process. This was all too much and he worried what would change when he awoke....

#:Avery self para #kinda shit but also good for him XD

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concealeddarkness13 · 3 years

Text

WHG 15 Post-Games Imposter Syndrome Part 25

This is a couple of days after part 24. I haven’t really proofread these, so I hope there aren’t too many typos! Tagging the collaboration crew: @ratracechronicler, @maple-writes, @pen-of-roses (also thanks for Avery and Haven!), and @thoughts-of-nora!

That morning, I woke up when my phone buzzed. I frowned and looked at it. The number…it was Shine’s number. Shit. What was the Capitol doing now?

I opened it anyway, and I froze, staring at the message. Bring me that horizon. Fly out to the sea.

Tears filled my eyes, and I looked away from the phone. How did the Capitol know about the code? Or, could it possibly be someone from the crew? I sucked in a breath and texted back. Who the hell is using this phone and why?

I sat back, tears falling down my cheeks. I couldn’t sit in here. I couldn’t look at my phone. I stood up and walked to the door and looked out. Just in time to see Avery leaving the apartment, not even with any Peacekeeper escort. What were they having her do? And was there anything I could do to help?

So, I followed her out, sneaking very sneakily. She walked through the Capitol towards a nondescript building, but when she walked down an alley, and I followed her, she pulled a knife on me.

Eh. I hadn’t been trying to be super sneaky anyway. I grinned at her. “Hi! You’re amazing at this! How are you doing?”

She looked confused for a bit before she backed off and started tossing her knife. “We’ve been captured by the Capitol and you’re trailing me, so either you’re part of them and very bad at being a tail, or you’re overly curious for your own good. They already know I won’t make a break again, I didn’t before the Games.”

“Eh. I just want to see what’s going on. What else the Capitol is planning. Their old tricks for me are so boring. And maybe I could help a little?”

She snorted, but she just kicked back against the wall and started walking, but giving me enough room to walk with her. “Come on then, doubt they’ll really care if someone else is there, particularly someone with magic. Gods, they’ll probably be thrilled. Any chance you’re good at researching it? Or have learned anything useful about your boyfriend?”

Ugh. Did she have to bring Bystander up? “Not like I wanted him to be my boyfriend. Actually, he’s a horrible kisser.” I paused, distinctly thinking about how much of a lie that last one was. “But I’m pretty damn good at research, so I’ll see what I can do.”

She smiled, putting the dagger in her jacket pocket. “Really the pretty boy isn’t as great as he pretends to be, huh? Shame, but I doubt they’ll care much for one of their kissing skills. Unless you think he can be bested by undoing his ego?”

“I’ve already tried to hurt his pride enough. I don’t think anything bothers him. He’s told me that he has an unnaturally long life, and he can…hear better than normal? But I don’t know how much truth he was telling.”

“Sadly, the complete truth. Though vague enough to still be close to a lie.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. Mood. “You don’t seem to have fallen for his ‘charms’ though, thank gods for that or else I’m not sure I’d be able to stand you.”

I again distinctly didn’t think about how good he was at kissing. “Oh, he’s a piece of shit.” I shook my head. It was annoying to think about him. “But I can’t stand thinking about him the whole time. I’m curious about this group you’re going to.” Of course I had tried to look up some stuff on what was going on with the rest of the captured tributes. “I haven’t heard about them. What are their goals?”

“Do you want the party line that dragged me into it, or my best guess at the truth? The former is ‘keeping people safe from magical and divine threats against us so people can stay in charge of their own lives’. Hence my research and questions. Somehow I thought that meant they’d never be in bed with the Capitol of all people.”

Huh. Interesting. I nodded. “Especially because the Capitol employs magic threats. And would that mean I’m one too since I have magic? Which means their whole motto is untrue.” I sighed. This was so tiring. “I really love people who think they can save humans from magic.” The Shades said the same excuse.

She nodded as well. “Speaking of, what exactly is your magic like? They’ve been giving us just enough information to keep Haven sated, but I’ve always been a bit more hands on with research.”

It would be prudent to be a little cautious. I didn’t know what they would do if I just gave them everything. I eyed her. “Will they destroy me after I give away all my secrets? If so, I’d like to keep them, if that’s okay.”

“Fair enough, and worth a shot.” Avery took the dagger out of her pocket, rolled the sleeve up on her jacket, and pressed the dagger to her arm. It disappeared into a tattoo, and I blinked and stared. That was so cool! “I’d say it’d be hypocritical of them to do so, but…” She stiffened slightly as we approached the building, and a man was waiting for us. Haven?

“Avery, is there a reason why you’re late?” He was staring straight at me, so I smiled and waved.

“She wants to join us, maybe give a demonstration or two like we were promised.” Avery covered up her arm quickly.

“Indeed? Then it is time we get started, shall we?” He turned on his heel and walked into the building, not waiting for a response. Oh boy.

Avery hesitated and turned back to me. “Last chance to run.”

Oh, I’d mess with him a little instead. The way Avery was acting, it would be fun to mess with him. I smirked. “I’m not going anywhere. Hope that’s okay with you.”

“Just keep your head down, these people are how I ended up in the Games in the first place.” She led me to a small room that looked like an office, with papers and books lying around everywhere. Beautiful! There were so many books!

Before I could go look at the books, my eyes landed on Haven. He was reading one of the papers. Avery headed in. “Wonderful, you’re apparently worthy of an audience today.”

Fun! “I guess I’m just that interesting. So, do we start reading? What are we looking for?”

“Currently, we’re focusing on them and any accounts we can find, some of whom we’ve already met.” She gestured at the photographs on the wall, with people who looked suspiciously like Reine, Aleksis, and Conor in them. And some others I didn’t recognize. “As well as anyone else we—”

Haven decided to graciously interrupt. “Given our guest, it might be better to switch focuses for the day on them.”

Oh, I didn’t mind if they found out everything about the Shades. But I probably wouldn’t be much help. “The Shades?” I crossed my arms. “I’m afraid I don’t know much about them. Especially not any weaknesses.”

“Shame, but you do know something?” He nodded at Avery, and she brushed past me to sit down at her desk and grabbing a piece of paper and a writing utensil.

“I do. I’ve had to deal with Churi enough to know something about them.” But I wouldn’t just divulge information unless he specifically asked.

“What do you know of their origins?”

“They just showed up one day, claiming that our magic was evil, so they took it away and will only give the magic to people they control.”

“And yet there’s you, a sign their control isn’t as strong as they claim.” In the background, Avery was writing down notes and looking through books. Hopefully, I could do that soon.

I cocked my head as a smirk pulled at my lips. “Yeah, I’m a fucking miracle. Or a fucking mistake. Whichever you prefer.”

He frowned slightly. “Is your power any different from what they give to others.”

“Yes.” If he wanted a specific answer, he should have asked.

His frown changed into a scowl, and Avery had to stifle a snicker in the background. “How?”

I still wouldn’t be specific. “It’s diluted with human blood.”

“Interesting difference,” Avery said as she wrote down notes.

“Indeed. A demonstration then?”

I shrugged. It still wasn’t giving away all my secrets. “Why not? You’ve probably already seen videos of me using my magic anyway. I haven’t exactly been subtle about it.” I walked over to the glass of water just sitting on the table, and I activated my magic. The water in front of me flashed, and it was now a pretty crystal flower.

Avery watched the demonstration intently and reached out to touch it afterwards. Her fingers brushed it before she spoke. “May I?”

I nodded and handed it to her after I deactivated my magic. And then I turned to Haven. “Does that satisfy your curiosity?”

“For the moment. Captain, keep an eye on her for the moment.” He left after Avery nodded while she was still staring at the flower and writing down notes.

She examined the flower more closely. “What exactly is this? It’s no longer water or even the more expected ice. Almost…crystalline? And you can do this naturally with no training?”

I turned to Avery. I wouldn’t answer all of her questions. Just some. “Crystal. And it’s as hard as a diamond. I can cut through almost anything with a crystal knife.”

“Is this what people were supposedly able to do before they took it away? And this is what they give people? How does it hold up against a diamond then? And when you say almost anything?” She went and sat back at the desk.

I laughed. All these questions were so much fun! “I haven’t tried it on everything, so I didn’t want to make a claim I couldn’t back up. Not sure how it holds up against a diamond. So, could you answer a question of my own? What’s with the knife tattoo change thing? That’s awesome!”

“Oh that, not nearly as impressive, a bit of old magic.” She slipped off her jacket, revealing multiple tattoos on her arms. Two knives, one looked like fire, and a cool symbol. “I can call upon them when I need them, daggers are particularly useful, as is fire when you’re lacking light. But the uniforms for the arena were covering my arms.”

“The Capitol probably did that on purpose, the jerks.” I leaned over to see what she was reading, and I smiled. Amanda Ginser. I knew that name. “Oh. That’s probably accurate information. That’s the fake name of the person I went to to get my information. Look for books by her. She always knows everything.”

She smiled and pulled out a stack of books by the same author, and I grinned and started looking through them. After a little bit, I glanced up at Avery. Her magic was just so interesting. “So, can you summon anything from those tattoos?”

“Not anything.” She thought for a bit. “I have to know the name of it in this language I’ve been looking into, or well my friend was looking into, I’m nowhere near as good as him at it. But then I have to make the tattoo out of a real object. It’s a rather complex process and we have many failed attempts tattooed on us from it when we were figuring it out.”

I grinned. “That’s so awesome! What’s the weirdest thing you’ve been able to summon?”

“Fire.” She put her hand carefully on the tattoo until a real fire appeared in her palm! Awesome! “We had to perfect getting it so we wouldn’t be burned in the creation and being able to perfectly capture what the magical deemed an acceptable replica…”

“Yeah, that’s amazing! I wish I could do that!”

“Your own ability seems to be far more useful to be honest, and versatile.”

“Eh.” I shrugged. “I have to be really close to the liquid to actually crystallize it, unlike someone whose magic wasn’t diluted.”

She shrugged and put out the fire. “Still,” she didn’t finish the sentence, just went back to reading, so I did too.

After a while, Avery spoke up. “Would you be against one more demonstration? I can literally not tell anyone else about it without putting myself in more danger for what I want to do if that helps.” She sounded casual, but there was an edge of nervousness to her voice.

I grinned with a shrug. “Why not? I like testing my magic too.”

“Consider this a test for us both then.” She relaxed and pressed a hand to the cool symbol tattooed on her arm and concentrated before nodding at me.

I found another water source and activated my magic and crystallized it, this time into a small ship. I looked over at her. “Is that good?”

She blinked a few times, staring at the crystal, before she bit her lip. “Yeah, I…gods you’re so weird.” She stopped touching the symbol and slumped against the desk. “Not weird, just, not what I’m used to dealing with. I can’t get a read on you as easily as I can the others, maybe because you have a different source?”

I couldn’t help her there. I laughed. “I’m fine being weird. It’s more fun that way. Do you need me to do anything else?” Just to show off, I moved my hands and the ship molded into a small, crystal dog instead.

She sounded tired. “A viable way to get away from all this permanently would be nice. But I think I got what I was looking for, sadly I don’t think it’ll be much use to either of our predicaments.” She reached out to touch the crystal again.

A way to escape. My smile slipped from my lips. The message from Shine’s phone number. How trapped I really was. I sat down and started thumbing through some pages. “I’ll work on it.” I kept reading, and I came across a passage that mention hearsay about the Shades manipulating emotions. Huh. It had felt like Churi had done something like that before. “If you want to learn more about the Shades, I’ve been thinking about another ability I think they have that hasn’t been publicized yet.”

“It’s hardly on you alone—” She cut herself off when she looked up at me with wide eyes.

Glad I could help, at least a little. I took a deep breath. “This is just an educated guess, and I don’t know how they do it, but a few days ago, Churi visited me. When he wrapped his hand around my neck and breathed in, it was as if he took away all my emotions except fear. I couldn’t feel anything else, and it took a while for my other emotions to fully come back even after he broke contact. I think they can take away emotions and possibly just choose what to keep. I’m not sure why or how, but that’s what I felt. And this book mentions something in passing about a possibility that they can manipulate emotions. So, other people think the same way.”

“Well, that’s…useful? Can we, Abyss, what can we do with that? It’s…absolutely terrifying.” Her head fell in her hands, and she groaned. “What have we gotten ourselves into? Gods and magic and nightmares from under the bed, wasn’t this all supposed to be children’s stories?” She sounded like she was trying to sound teasing as she tilted her head to look at me.

This had been my whole life. I laughed ruefully. “If only. I wonder sometimes if it would have been nicer to not know anything about this. To just have a normal life without living in fear that the Shades would discover me.” I looked over at her. Better to not dwell on that. “How did you find out about this anyway?”

“I stole a book on magic as a child and broke into Haven’s home to learn more about a week later.” In the most deadpan tone.

Really? Wow! A thief! I loved it. I laughed. “That’s fantastic!”

Her smile grew. “Yes, but that’s a lie, I didn’t break into Haven’s home. I broke into the highly volatile magical area that was being investigated by him and his group and sat in the middle of it until they finally caught me.”

So dramatic! Looked like we’d get along. I smirked. “A woman after my own heart. I wish I could have seen his expression.”

With a fake serious expression, she ticked off on her fingers. “Surprise, anger—lot of that one—, confusion, worry, interest—the most dangerous of course—, and would believe me if I said fear?” Her shoulders were shaking from the effort of not laughing, and, damn it, it was infectious. “I think I watched the extent of all his emotions in under five minutes.”

“That’s awesome.” I leaned back in my chair. This was fun, but I’d love to get up to some mischief. “I wish I could do something like that right now.” And then I had the perfect idea. I eyed Avery. “Does Haven happen to have a hat I can steal?”

“Oh this sounds like a terrible idea. Lucky for you, those are the only ideas I listen to.” She winked and grabbed her jacket, and I grinned and followed her. She was amazing. She kept to the shadows, and there were times that I lost her, and I was right behind her.

No one saw us, and we made it to an office without any trouble. She picked the lock of the door after checking to make sure no one was there, and she opened the door for me with a wink. Hell, she was attractive when she did that. Mischief looked good on her.

It was a neat office, which meant it was boring. The desk was all organized, and the bookshelf mostly had pictures on it. And there was a coat and hat on a rack, but it was just a plain, old hat. RIP.

I sighed and walked up to the hat. “He’s got boring taste.” I snatched it anyway and put it on my head, turning to Avery with a grin. “But I’d say it still looks pretty good on me!” More serious tone. “You’re really good at the whole sneaking thing. Would you be willing to teach me sometime?”

She shifted uncomfortably and bit her lip. “If we ever get a chance yeah, after I’ve gotten out of my own mess. Sell your soul and all that.” She shrugged.

Was she still talking about getting out of the Capitol? I nodded. “Don’t worry. I’m working on it.” I winked. “So, it’s a date.”

She looked confused. Maybe I was wrong? “Working on undoing handing myself—wait what?” She sputtered, and I grinned a little more. She was cute when she was flustered.

I put a finger on Avery’s lips. “Shh. Don’t worry. We can figure out the details later.” With a wink.

“Uhm. Yeah, what?” She winced, swallowed hard, and took a deep breath. “We should, uhh, get back before,” She waved her hand toward the hallway, turning away from me.

I nodded and bowed. “After you.”

I stayed and researched with Avery until she went back. When I was back in my room, I looked at the reply from Shine’s number. This is Shine, and I’d like to meet you, if you can.

I fought tears and set the phone down. I couldn’t respond yet. Who were they trying to fool? Or maybe they weren’t and I had been lied to? They had started with the code, after all. I just didn’t know if I wanted to take the chance yet.

#writeblr hunger games #writeblr

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thebluenoteblog · 4 years

Text

Hateful

Summary: After overhearing a hateful conversation from some girls at a game, you decide that you just can’t handle the endless criticism anymore.

Player: Auston Matthews

Word Count: 1.6k

Requested: Could you do a Auston Matthews one where they have been together since they were 17-18 and ever since he has been in the nhl she has been getting hate and one day at a game she over heard people talking band about her and she can’t take it anymore and leaves and goes to a friends apartment and Auston is worried when he doesn’t see her after the game and she won’t respond to his calls or texts and after her friend tells him what happened he goes over there and tells her how much he loves her

*No offense intended to any nurses, I fully respect what you do. I would run out of fingers trying to count the number of nurses in my family. The goal was to make the girls come off as rude, I wasn’t aiming to offend any real people.*

There was 5.34 left in the first period and since the puck dropped, you’d been doing your absolute best to ignore the two girls sitting in front of you stalking your Instagram. They were both wearing Matthews jerseys, and they had their phones out, giggling and pointing at pictures. You focused your eyes forward. It wasn’t going to ruin your night. You were here for your boyfriend.

One of the girls said a little too loudly, making it clear that she had no idea the team’s better halves were sitting behind them, “I seriously don’t get what he sees in her. Like at all. I mean I bet he has to have other girls, right? Like there’s no way he would ever just settle for someone like her when he has so many options.”

The other girl nodded enthusiastically, “He’s probably got a girl in every city. She’s just too stupid to know it. He’s like up here,” she raised her hand as high as she could, “and she’s like down here,” she put her hand beside the floor.

Out of the corner of your eye you could see all of the other girls shifting uncomfortably in their seats and eyeing you. Were they expecting you to say something to these girls? Tap them on the shoulder and say, ‘excuse me miss, please shut the fuck up?’ No. That would just make everything worse. You were used to this. You had been getting hate like this since Auston played his first NHL game.

“I wish you could get your hand lower than the floor,” the other girl said. “Maybe like somewhere in the basement.”

The other girl laughed.

“What did she just graduate college for again? Like nursing or some shit?” The first girl said, “He needs someone who is actually going to be home to take care of the house and take care of him, not be working like five million hour shifts and then come home smelling like puke.”

You had heard enough. You stood quickly, grabbing your things and without saying goodbye to the other girlfriends you began to make your way through the row to the aisle for your escape. You could hear a few of the girlfriends calling your name but you ignored them. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw the two girls turn around in their seats and watch you leave with wide eyes, their faces pale.

<><><><><><>

“(Y/N), you don’t mean that.” Avery said, pulling your balled-up form into her arms. You mumbled something unintelligible into your knees and she said, “I can’t understand a word of what you’re saying right now.”

You looked up at her, “I do mean it. I can’t do this anymore. I can’t take it. It’s too much, Avery. It’s constant. Every time I post something on Instagram. Every time I tweet something. Now I can’t even go watch him play?” You shook your head, “What’s the point in being with him if I’m going to be miserable all the time?”

“Because you aren’t miserable all the time,” Maddison said from the other side of you, “You smile more with him than you ever do when he isn’t around. Hell, you smile every time he texts you. Its disgustingly sweet.”

“And now it’s going to be over,” you said sadly, staring at the floor as tears ran down your cheeks.

Avery glanced at the TV and saw that third period was wrapping up. She looked over at Maddison and mouthed, call Auston.

<><><><><><><>

Auston walked out of the dressing room, fully expecting to see you standing with all of the other girls, just like you usually were. He scanned the faces, then scanned them again wondering if maybe he had somehow missed you. No. You weren’t there. He knew you had come to the game. You were excited about this match up.

He walked up to the girls, “Where’s (Y/N)?” he asked, eyes scanning the whole room, as though maybe you were hiding somewhere.

The girls all looked at one another. Jennifer was the one to speak, “There were some things said and she left during first period. She wouldn’t answer her phone.”

Auston stared blankly at them, “What kind of things?” he asked.

“Bad things,” she said, “about her. By the girls sitting in front of us.”

Auston sighed, bringing his hands to his face. “Fuck. Do you have any idea where she went?”

“No, she wouldn’t tell us. She just ran out.”

He blinked at her a few times, wanting to say so many things. Things like, why the flying fuck didn’t you stop her from leaving? Or Why the hell didn’t one of you follow her? However, he couldn’t say any of those things to his teammate’s girlfriends and wives, so he just spun away from them and pulled out his phone, dialing her number. It went straight to voicemail. He called two more times even though it was pointless because she obviously had her phone turned off. When he finally accepted that she wasn’t going to answer his calls, he pulled the phone away from his ear and typed out a message, (Y/N) call me when you get this. Please.

Auston was about half a second away from completely flipping out when his phone started ringing in his hand. He quickly answered it without checking to see who it was. “Hello?”

“Auston? It’s Maddison.”

He let out a breath, “Is she with you? Is she okay?”

“She’s… here.” Maddison responded.

Auston didn’t miss the avoidance of his second question.

“Is she okay?” he asked.

Maddison sighed, “Just come over to Avery and my apartment. You need to talk to her.”

His heart rate picked up. That sounded bad. Really bad. “I’ll be there in a minute.”

<><><><><><>

You were sitting on the couch between Avery and Maddison with silent tears falling down your face when someone knocked on the door. You didn’t look up from the floor, eyes focused on the too bright pattern of their living room rug. You felt Avery stand up and shifted to lay your head on Maddison’s shoulder. You were not in the mood to deal with any people at the moment. Unless it was the alcohol delivery man, he could go to hell.

You heard Avery open the door and say, “She’s on the couch.”

There was very little time for you to process who she could have been talking too, or even whether or not you cared before Auston was standing in front of you. You looked up at him through teary eyes and said, “I don’t want to talk right now.”

He crouched down in front of you, “To bad.”

You frowned at him as he pulled your knees away from your chest, “(Y/N), what happened. Why did you leave the game like that?”

Your words caught on the lump in your throat, but you managed to push them out. “I… Auston… I can’t do this anymore.”

His eyes widened, and Avery and Maddison quickly scurried from the room. “What are you talking about?”

“This.” You said, waving your hands around, motioning to everything, “I’m talking about this.”

Auston swallowed roughly, “Babe, tell me what happened.”

“Some girls don’t think I’m good enough for you and I had to listen to them very explicitly talk about it throughout the entire first period before I finally got up and left,” you said. Fresh tears sprung to your eyes at the reminder of the words you had overheard. They weren’t sad tears, they were angry tears.

Angry that these petty, hateful women were going to get what they wanted.

Auston’s cheeks flushed with anger, “Why didn’t you tell them to shut up?”

“Because it would be all over twitter and then it would be something else for people to hate me over. Now I’m a jealous bitch who’s mean to your fans because they’re talking about you.”

He looked down at the couch beside your thigh. He stared for a moment, seemingly trying to come up with the right words to fix this mess. Finally, he looked up at you and pulled you closer to him, kneeling between your legs. “(Y/N), I’m not letting you do this. I’m not letting you walk away from me. Not over this. Not over something that I didn’t do and something that I can’t control. I’ve loved you since I was seventeen. I’ve loved you through everything. You’ve been there for me through everything. You’re everything I could ever want. You think I don’t see what people say? I don’t give a shit. They can say what they want. They can believe what they want or think what they want. We know the truth. We are all that matters.”

You stared at him, eyes softening the longer he spoke. All of the fight left you. You weren’t geared up for battle anymore, you were ready to crawl into bed and let him help you forget the horrible day you’d had in the way only he could. You didn’t have words and you couldn’t have spoken them if you did, so you just wrapped your arms around his shoulders and buried your face in his neck.

“We can make your Instagram private,” he said, arms tightening around you. “I’ll block anyone who comments bullshit on my posts. I don’t know what to do about Twitter, babe. I’m sorry. We’ll figure something out.” He paused for a minute, “I’ll get you a god damn suite at every game, so this never happens again if that’s what you want.”

You shook your head, “That’s a little extreme, Auston.”

He shrugged, turning to press his cheek to the side of your head, “I would do anything for you.”

#auston matthews #auston matthews imagines #auston matthews imagine #hockey imagines #nhl imagines

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halothenthehorns · 3 years

Text

Lily’s POV on being called a Mudblood by Snape

An Excerpt from my Marauders prequal, We Were- Chapter 5: Free

Lily rubbed at her temple in frustration as she strained her mind to come up with the counter jinx for wiggling ears. Surely she'd get points knocked off for using Finite more than five times, and there was an exact one, she just couldn't remember-

"Quills down," a voice called from the front of the room. She sighed and watched her DADA exam fly off. Over a hundred rolls of parchment zoomed into the air and into Professor Flitwick's outstretched arms, knocking him backwards off his feet. Several people laughed. Mary and Ersa came forward to help him to his feet, holding Professor Flitwick beneath the elbows and lifted him back upright.

"Thank you . . . thank you," panted Professor Flitwick. "Very well, everybody, you're free to go!"

Lily stayed in her seat and kept pouring over her scratch paper for the answer still so she could swat herself in the face with it. They still had practical's after lunch, and she just knew this exact thing was bound to come up!

"Erm, Lily?"

She looked around in surprise to see Mary hovering by her desk. Bless and Ersa were standing at the doors impatiently.

"Oh, yes, err, coming," she laughed nervously as she grabbed her bag and realized she'd been the last one in here, she still wasn't used to anyone waiting around for her for once.

Mary had been going out of her way lately to include Lily, and she wasn't going to ask why anytime soon in fear it would end. Ersa and Bless were a tad less enthusiastic, but neither had spoken a word against her as far as Lily knew. She could only guess Mary had told them about what happened, and the fact Lily had been avoiding Severus this past month seemed to have put them in a slightly more easy going mood towards her of late.

"So, how do you think you did?" Mary asked eagerly. "I got all the wrist movements I'm sure, Professor Liz has been great about that, but I'm positive I swapped an incantation or two."

"Yeah, we got really lucky with her our OWL year," Lily agreed. "I can't believe she won the thousand galleon draw and left to travel, I'm so jealous!"

Bless and Ersa actually giggled in agreement, it was a wonderful feeling as they began circling towards the lake. They began taking off their shoes and letting their feet cool in the water as Lily properly answered, "alright, I guess, not as bad as I feared anyways. That question over werewolves was silly, I think, I absolutely missed that. Who's going to look at whether the tails tufted or not when you've got any kind of beast coming towards you?"

The girls laughed in agreement again, and Lily was starting to feel a bit euphoric at how normal all of this felt.

"All right, Snivellus?" Potter's voice once again shattered the peaceful air.

She looked around with everybody else and was not surprised at what she saw.

Potter had, as always, been hovering somewhere near her. Severus wasn't too far off, engrossed in his paper, or he'd just been looking for another fight and trying to follow Potter once more. She grit her teeth, but couldn't seem to force herself to turn away.

It must have been the first reason though, because he didn't react in time. "Expelliarmus!" His wand went shooting a dozen feet away. She grasped her own but forced herself still. Mulciber and Avery were his friends, they'd come along and see this and help him out.

"Impedimenta!" Potter shouted next, and she went as stiff as Severus did when he fell.

'It's not your problem,' she kept chanting at herself. Sev never left them alone, and he never would if she kept stepping in. Somebody had to stop the pattern eventually. He was disarmed now, surely they'd waltz off laughing like braying donkeys.

Instead they began going closer, Potter even looking right at her with a clear challenge in his eye for what she'd do next.

'Don't, don't do it,' but she wasn't sure who she was even hoping for anymore, Sev, herself, or Potter.

"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" Potter demanded.

"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," said Black viciously. "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word."

Several people watching laughed, Bless and Ersa sounded particularly grating right next to her.

Sev was trying to get up, but the jinx was still operating on him; he was struggling, as though bound by invisible ropes.

"You - wait," he panted, staring up at Potter with an expression of purest loathing, "you - wait!"

"Wait for what?" said Black coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"

Snape let out a stream of mixed swear words and hexes, but with his wand ten feet away nothing happened.

Lily got slowly to her feet, heart thudding madly away. 'You're just giving them both what they want,' she tried one last time to stop herself.

"Wash out your mouth," said Potter coldly. "Scourgify!"

Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape's mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, choking him -

"Leave him ALONE!"

Ersa and Bless cringed away from her, Potter had the audacity to look at her again and ruffle up his hair with a smile he'd finally gotten his reward, and Severus didn't even look at her.

"All right, Evans?" said Potter, he sounded like a complete ponce when he made his voice do that.

"Leave him alone," she repeated. She'd never hated anyone so much in her life, she couldn't ever have just one thing without him ruining it. Not her best friend who now hated her because of him, not even any new friends, surely Mary wouldn't even want anything to do with her after this. She couldn't change her ways, she'd never just stand by and let them be so awful to anyone. "What's he done to you?" Maybe one of them would answer, Severus never had.

"Well," said Potter, pretending to have a brain for a moment as he clearly strained himself to think, "it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean . . ."

Even more people laughed this time, like this was funny, their weekly show they'd been lacking this month now back at the best time ever. She wanted to hex every last one of them, starting with this one. "You think you're funny," she said coldly, "but you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."

"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said Potter quickly. "Go on . . . go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

Behind him, the Impediment Jinx was wearing off. Sev was beginning to inch towards his fallen wand, spitting out soapsuds as he crawled.

She was not responding to give him a chance to recover, she told herself. "I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid." Sev was getting ever closer to his wand. Maybe, this one time that she told them both at once she wasn't playing their games, Sev would walk off with her instead of fighting back.

"Bad luck, Prongs," said Black briskly, and turned back to Snape. "OI!"

He'd directed his wand straight at Potter; there was a flash of light and a gash appeared on the side of Potter's face, spattering his robes with blood.

Potter whirled about: a second flash of light later, Snape was hanging upside-down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of greying underpants.

Many people in the small crowd cheered now. Lily swallowed a laugh for the first time herself, the comeuppance for him never listening to her being thrown in his face like that. Instead, she snapped, "Let him down!"

"Certainly," said Potter and he jerked his wand upwards; Snape fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. Disentangling himself from his robes he got quickly to his feet, wand up, but Black said, "Petrificus Totalus!" and Snape keeled over again, rigid as a board.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now, beyond tired of all of this. They eyed it warily, so there were some brain cells left.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said Potter earnestly.

"Take the curse off him, then!"

He sighed deeply, then turned and muttered the counter-curse.

"There you go," he said casually as Severus struggled to his feet. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus - "

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"

Something fell into place, it felt oddly light as it settled around her, this clarity of how he'd always seen her, who he'd really been pretending around all these years. She blinked the fog away for the last time. "Fine, I won't bother in future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."

It didn't feel as good as she'd hoped stooping to their childish levels of using that insult, she didn't feel much of anything right now except that crystal clarity.

"Apologize to Evans!" Potter roared at Snape, his wand pointed threateningly at him.

"I don't want you to make him apologize," Lily shouted, rounding on him, this was normal, this should make her feel back to normal. "You're as bad as he is."

"What?" yelped James. "I'd NEVER call you a - you-know-what!"

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can - I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK." A feeling finally began kindling in her chest like she'd hoped, and it was for him, for Severus Snape, for every goddamn student in this whole castle. She turned on her heel and hurried away.

"Evans!" James shouted after her. "Hey, EVANS!"

She didn't look back.

Instead she moved faster as her façade began to crack, the first one came as she found the familiar steps, and she finally collapsed in her potions classroom without a clue how she'd gotten onto her stool as tears began.

There was no brewing potions, the place was empty for exams and felt cold for the first time without the simmering heat and haze of colors. Her own cauldron was already packed away in her trunk. His was in an unused classroom a few doors over, their love potion to beat all love potions still brewing. Instead she sat at their usual desk, shoulders shaking and coughing so hard it hurt because she couldn't stop the horrible sobs from coming no matter how much she wanted to.

Her hair fanned a curtain around her, it was the only color in her blurry eyes until a pretty flash of rainbow danced about when she swiped at her nose. She moved on instinct, but the clasp wouldn't come loose, and she began seething in frustration she couldn't get it off, he'd probably locked it in place back then and she'd been a fool for too long. She started slamming her wrist down on the desk now, she'd break it into a million pieces before she left that thing in place. She fell off the stool and still didn't stop.

A lifetime later and no seconds at all, she was alone with an overturned desk with no idea why the leg was halfway across the room. Her hand was a swollen, ugly mess from the wrist joint, every one of her fingers looked more like sausages and her arm was tingling unpleasantly, but the blueish tint it was starting to resemble was the only bit of color she cared about.

Trying to move her right arm as little as possible, she got slowly to her feet, using the smooth wood for support and hoping she didn't get a splinter now of all times, her mind only on the hospital wing instead of the rainbow links in all corners. Just one thing at a time.

She made it to the hallway and barely registered Professor Slughorn passing her, but he noticed, his great stomach nearly flattened her as he did a double take.

"Miss Evans! We've been looking all over the school for you, you've missed your Defense practical's!"

"Oh," was all she could think to say to that.

His eyes cast over her, and quantified laughably so when he saw her wrist. He escorted her up to the hospital wing demanding who had done this to her, he'd see them expelled, but she didn't bother to answer. She only listened with the most passive of interests later when McGonagall came by to see her and explain she could retake the DADA exam this summer for free, but she'd have to pay out of pocket for the rest if she missed, as she wasn't excused from them since Madam Pomfrey had already fixed the damage to her arm.

The Matron was kind enough to adhere to her request to put curtains up after a seventh year came in hyperventilating about their final exam, ironically the one time she actually wanted to be alone and the place she'd found a modicum of solitude had people all around, and as always, the worst one of all as night fell.

"Mr. Potter? What on Earth-"

"Won't stop bleeding mam," his voice sounded as cheerfully casual as ever like he was still hailing her in the halls.

A slight creak of bed springs and several uttered charms seemed to prove his point quickly. There was something in her voice Lily suddenly suspected students had been hearing a lot this year, as the usually quiet nurse who always respected the students boundaries of how exactly they'd gotten into their latest magical accident asked in a no nonsense voice, "Mr. Potter, how did this happen?"

"You've never asked that before," his voice was edgy, unsure now, Lily had never heard him actually unconfident before.

"This is Dark Magic Mr. Potter, to not be closing properly! Please tell me, it will help find a solution faster." Silence was her answer, and she gave a resound sigh when it hovered in the air and told in strictest tones, "you stay right there mister, keep pressure now."

Black's voice made her startle, she hadn't realized he was capable of being quiet, let alone here the whole time. "Why didn't you rat out that freak! The only reason I didn't is the last time I opened my mouth you didn't speak to me for three weeks!"

"Like it'll do any good," Potter sounded exhausted, she got the feeling this was not the first time they'd had this argument. "I'm far more concerned where Evans has run off to, can't believe you dragged me down here-"

"You're like snow in July mate! Here, swap out, you're dripping again."

It was so inconceivable, the care in his tone, the human conversation she was living apart from.

"Listen Prongs, all her dorm mates swear on their wand she's not up there, and she wasn't in the dungeons, Peter said some fight went on down there and she's good at avoiding those, right? Shall I go get the map, if you're so worried?"

A smaller pause, she was just lying on her side, staring at the gaudy curtains, hardly daring to breathe. She didn't know what map would be useful, but she was far too hollow to care. Finally, her blasted answer how he always seemed to know where she was so close at hand, and all she wanted was to make the noise stop.

"No, I guess not, won't do any good now. Pomfrey will have me in here the rest of the night thanks to you!"

"Moony and Wormtail will come down here and tell us when she comes up to the common room," his voice was so soothing and gentle. "Just relax back, yeah?" How close had he come to passing out before allowing this? "Far more importantly, what's Snivilius' punishment this time? I am not joking anymore about tying him up and leaving him in the Forest after this stunt." She reached up to touch her ear, just to make sure it hadn't fallen off in shock as he switched gears like that. There was that familiar cruel tone she knew so well.

"We'll have to plan it, make sure Hagrid can't walk in and stop us, might have to wait tell we get back." His voice was in tandem, and her empty stomach clenched.

She was saved from hearing the rest of that by the nurses return. "Here now, let me see how deep it is- oh yes, you're going to have a scar there dear. Start dabbing this on now, and drink up, I'll be back in just one moment."

The curtains did not part enough for her to get a peek out, let alone them in. She already knew the question on Madam Pomfrey's lips, and begged of her in the softest, most pleading voice, "may I have a dreamless potion? Please?" She was spent beyond her years, begging not to have to face the noise again so soon.

Her face was kind and understanding as she nodded and gave her a gentle pat, Lily wondered just how often people asked to stay here.

She'd lost track of the two, but now their voices trickled back through the curtains.

"James, mate, don't fall asleep yet. Come on, drink some more."

"Tastes like I'm sucking on a knut," his voice slurred with exhaustion.

"I'll tell Evans you said that!" His voice had a joking tone she wasn't used to hearing, there was no menace or threat in it. "She might actually talk to you if she finds out you don't swing her way!" Another pause, the slightest sounds of the gulping stopped. "Sorry." She could not even begin to imagine the look on Potter's face for his best friend to sound so genuine.

"I just can't believe she really thinks I'm the same as him! I'd never call anyone that, let alone her! Hurts worse than this bloody cut she really- I, I don't know how to bloody-"

"We've been telling you for years she's up her own ass too much mate," he still sounded more apologetic than anything. "Maybe though, maybe this'll finally get her to ease up some, even she can't come back from defending that?"

The final bell for curfew rang just as the door opened again, and the matron did not sound pleased.

"Mr. Black, I will issue a detention if you linger any farther. Go on now, shoo, off to bed with you while I treat my patients."

There was no rebuttal or argument, just the soft thud of the door closing. It was not even the second most unbelievable thing she'd heard today.

"I'm going to patch this on Mr. Potter, yes I know it stinks but please, no don't scratch! We'll try another salve here in a moment, drink some more, you're so pale love. I'll be back in one shake."

The curtains fluttered again as she was handed the vial. She popped the quark without a second thought, a tangible need to tip it all the way back and escape. The blackness inside her began swirling up, behind her eyes, she was finally just allowed some peace as she sank back to the pillows in the quiet.

She woke up on the first day of the rest of her life still alone. With a painful feeling lodged deep in her heart, but finally a sense of feeling at all she would not ignore, she shoved the pattern aside to see Madam Pomfrey was tidying up. The bed beside her was still rumpled, she was tisking and putting away three chairs that seemed to have moved themselves overnight.

She didn't bother to attend her Potions exam that day, but heard the cheers of delight even from a floor above as fifth years exalted. It went in one ear and out the other as she kept replaying it all in her head. Mudblood, dark spells, had there ever been anyone more pathetic than her? And Potter, James Potter, what a mystery that lunatic was...

Madam Pomfrey finally insisted she leave as dinner came and went, reminding she had to be packed for the carriages first thing in the morning. She didn't bother to correct she already was, she knew she couldn't hide in here forever, she'd have to get back on that train eventually.

Lily had hoped Mary had enough kindness in her not to bother her as she lay curled up in her bed in her night things to feign sleep having missed the Feast, but that was dashed as a tentative touch came to her shoulder.

A part of her wanted to hex the girl away, but she couldn't stand another fight, she'd probably evaporate into nothing. Instead she sat up and didn't care why Mary flinched and wouldn't look her in the eye as she whispered, "he's ah, down at the portrait hole. Said he'll sleep there again if you don't talk to him. He didn't believe me yesterday when I said you weren't-"

"Thanks Mary," Lily told her mechanically, she didn't even grab a robe as she slipped out of the door.

He really was there. She couldn't believe the nerve of him.

"I'm sorry," he said the moment she stepped out, but her hand didn't even leave the Fat Lady's portrait to swing shut on her. Every apology in their past might never have existed in this moment.

"I'm not interested."

"I'm sorry!" He actually tried again.

"Save your breath, I only came out because Mary told me you were threatening to sleep here."

"I was. I would have done. I never meant to call you Mudblood, it just -"

"Slipped out?" There was no pity in her voice. "It's too late. I've made excuses for you for years. Nobody can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends, you see, you don't even deny it! You don't even deny that's what you're all aiming to be! You can't wait to join You-Know-Who, can you?"

He opened his mouth, but closed it without speaking.

"I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen your way, I've chosen mine."

"No, listen, I didn't mean - "

" - to call me Mudblood? But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, Severus. Why should I be any different?"

He struggled on the verge of speech, but with a contemptuous look she turned and climbed back through the portrait hole. She never spoke to him again.

#Harry Potter #fanfiction #Lily Evans #James Potter #Severus Snape

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suffering-and-happy-about-it · 4 years

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The Fallen Fireflies (Favored Ones, Part 15.)

Series description: Many things were surely fucked up in the year 2038, but no-one ever told anyone how all of it went down. What happened before a group of people left for Seattle to handle personal matters? Why did one girl refuse to leave all of it be? And why there were so many dead in the end?

Part summary: Every year, there is a horde of infected coming through the areas near the Jackson settlement. And just like every year, Tommy Miller is about to handle the situatiion.

A/N: If’d play the YouTube playlist, you will notice a really strong shift in the tones. We’re not in the honeymoon phase anymore, babies.

Warning: Infected, Tommy being a brother-in-law you wish for and our favorite golf player appearing for the first time.

Word count: 4.6 K

Tagging: @nemodoren @xxgoldenhour @missdictatorme @peakymarvels @davnwillcome @pickleriiick @jodiereedus22 @gladiosamicitias @tamkashi @eternallyvenus @avengerssstuff @fangirl-inthe-us @avery-miller @mikah-writes @mad-hatter-98 @sadiaafrin99 @flavorishy

Series master list: H E R E

Joel Miller’s playlist for the bonfire occasions: H E R E

Youtube playlists: JACKSON DAYS | SEATTLE DAYS

The spring of 2038, the day of the incident:

Joel kept you awake until almost four a.m., but you were more than okay with it, especially when he moaned your name into the crook of your neck while having you tangled all over himself with you having your fingers entwined with his.

But that was why you were so grumpy when something woke you up in the morning. It was roughly six o'clock, the sky was still dark and cloudy. But it woke you up nonetheless since Joel was still in a deep coma at the time, snoring into the pillow, having his arm lazily thrown over your belly.

When you realized someone's knocking on the house's door, you lazily got up and went to answer it - after putting in Joel's briefs and the shirt he wore yesterday. The air outside was cold and it hit you as soon as you opened up. It was Tommy, looking away.

"Hey, Joel, there's this thing I want to talk to you about... Oh, shit." - Only the last sentence belonged to you. He rose his eyebrows and watched you. Your hair was a mess, your eyes were sleepy and according to your clothes, it wasn't too hard to figure out what was the last activity you and Joel were doing. - "Is he here?" - Tommy got out with serious trouble, almost choking on those words.

"He's sleeping. He went to bed God knows when after talking to Ellie. Wanna come in, have a coffee, and tell me what's going on? Or it's a private matter?" - You asked politely, stepping aside so he could come in. Tommy smiled at you, nervously stepping inside, taking his jacket off.

"Coffee always sounds good. Won't he be angry with me after you'll touch his stash?" - Joel’s brother asked with a quiet laugh, his joking persona was slowly coming back. With a smirk, you turned your head at Tommy when you lightened up the fire under the kettle. - "I know my ways with him, Tommy. He will be angry a bit, but trust me, he'll calm down rather quickly." - You said confidently, preparing a herb tea for yourself.

"You two were a hell of a surprise yesterday, I tell you that, girl. I still can't quite believe that you two can be a thing" - Tommy said quietly, shifting onto a more serious tone. You were a young girl, at least a lot younger than his brother, and Joel was his family - it was natural for Tommy to be curious about what was happening between the two of you. Not in detail, of course, but it could be expected that many people will have a lot of questions. He didn't want either of you seeing hurt when the things wouldn't work out as you anticipated.

"I'm not believing it after a few months of it happening, so, don't worry. You just need to process all of it, it comes with time." - Was you tired-sounding answer, yawning, and stretching your back in the process. That made Tommy lean his elbow into the back of his chair, smiling unbelievably.

"A few months? From that he’d told me, I thought this is a few weeks old, not even that. My brother still has it." - That comment made you turn away at the man sitting at the table. Tommy chuckled, accepting the mug from you. Oh, the coffee was smelling good. It was like a dream coming true.

"He still has what? Something I missed?" - You smiled back, sitting to the table as well to drink your morning tea without having to rush somewhere.

"The manly charm comin’ out of him. Before the outbreak, he was this thirty-something-year-old man with the hot Texas accent and he had a daughter of whom he was takin’ care of. That made chicks goin’ for him like crazy, but, he never asked one to dance with him." - Tommy sighed when reminiscing about the old times. - "I think he's takin’ it seriously with you, so have patience with that ol’ jackass, will you, girl? He won't admit it, but he’d hurt back anyone who would dare to hurt you. He's the... Protector, when he loves someone."

"Yeah, I saw that getting out of hand a lot when he tried to help Ellie. But seems they're slowly finding the way back to each other, which makes me happy." - You admitted back, having Tommy smile. He was Ellie’s uncle just as he was Joel’s younger brother. He knew that Ellie was immune too. He knew Fireflies were after her back in the day. And to see their small family far apart after they took refuge in Jackson was devastating for Tommy. Especially when that was the reason why Joel became a lonely old man... Until a few months back, as you told.

"How's he doin’? He all good?" - Tommy asked, wondering how it came that he didn't hear the door. Joel was one of the most paranoid people he knew - which came hand in hand with being a light sleeper. Your eyes shot wide for a second, but you couldn't tell him you've been fucking until not even whole two hours ago.

"He had some nightmares, so today, he's staying in bed no matter what happens." - You told Tommy in a firm voice, making him understand that not even his ass will get Joel out of the bed that day. Yet the younger Miller bit how bottom lip, making you realized that something has fucked up.

"Well, there are some infected we saw in the norths perimeter and I need someone to go there with me, Y/N. I would very much need Joel by my side if you won't mind." - Tommy told you with a serious face. He was sorry to bring that family idyll to the ground for that moment, but that was just how it was. He couldn't go there on his own.

"Well, would I be enough?" - You asked seriously. - "Listen, I don't have the best feeling about sending him off when he’d be tired and stuff. He's one tough guy and I know that, but two hours of sleep are a bitch. I'm not bad at this either, I got much better since last summer. Joel taught me how to shoot from bow and gun, remember?" - You asked, standing up. Joel wasn't going and that was the end of discussion. But you could go with Tommy, you could do just as much as Joel would. Yeah, it was probably a good idea, since you seemed pretty decent at the moment. You slept a good few hours more than your old man.

"So that's where this started? Jesus, that's... Last September. Wow." - Tommy wondered, drinking the rest of the coffee quickly so you'd have a chance to make something with yourself before you'd venture out behind the gates. The only thing he got as a response to his remark was a grin you hid into your palm. - "See you at the gates in thirty, then." - He patted your shoulder, put his jacket on, and left the house.

You were quite quick with taking some clothes on, making your hair, and preparing things for your backpack, like your knife, quiver with arrows and the hunting bow, and your polo automatic gun in the last place. As a talisman, you put on Joel’s blue shirt, but you pulled the lower hem into your trousers, buttoning it up under your chin. When you were leaving, you put your stuff next to the bed, nuzzling to his back after that.

Joel softly hummed when your palms smoothed his chest and when he got a kiss on the cheek. - "What's happenin’? How much is it?" - He asked, catching your palm to hold you in place.

"Its early, big guy, I just wanted to nuzzle you before I leave." - You whispered back, smiling at the sight of half-asleep Joel. The last comment wasn't making too much sense, so he furrowed at that.

"Where you're goin’?" - He whispered, looking at the clock on the nightstand. Jesus, he wasn't sleeping for too long and he knew he will fall asleep as soon as you leave.

"A patrol with Tommy. Some infected were reported on the north, so well be taking a look at what's that about." - That made him open up his eyes, looking at you. - "Oh no, don't you dare. You went to sleep at four, you're not fucking going anywhere, Miller. You taught me how to defend myself and that's what I'm planning on doing, are we clear?" - You told him with an unbelievable. It was beautiful to know that all he wants is to keep you safe. And that was what you were about to do. In the end, he sighed and nodded. It wasn't making him happy at all, but you were tight. He wasn't physically ready for a patrol at the moment.

"Just be safe and come back, ’kay?" - Joel hummed, kissing your knuckles before leaning his forehead to yours for a small moment. You nodded with a gentle smile, pulling the blanket up again. - "And you should talk to Ellie when she gets back from the patrol, yeah? You’ll tell me how that went. Love you." - You whispered, kissing his forehead before you got up from the bed, preparing your stuff from the ground, and left.

He didn't tell you back, but you saw that smile creeping up to his sleepy face after hearing those words. Before exiting the house, you picked up your gloves and your beanie from the drawer next to the main door and pulled it on. Why was this March so damn cold? You had no idea, but it was snowing again and as far as it looked, it wasn't going anywhere in the nearest few hours.

Your walk through the sleepy Jackson was quite refreshing, making you fully wake up. You loved Jackson very much and especially when everyone was still asleep. As Tommy promised, he was already waiting at the gates for you, getting you some sandwiches.

"Who’s that from?" - You asked with a surprised face. When you inhaled the smell of them, your stomach churned hungrily. These were with meat from Seth, the old ballsack. And it was smelling delicious.

"It's a little sorry for yesterday from that old drunk. Joel was meant to get them, yet I think you can use Seth's apology too." - Tommy answered with a smirk, leading you to the stables so you could pick your horses. These weren't exactly anyone's, they belonged to Jackson, but you had your horse for more than three years at that point.

"How much times did Seth already apologized, Tommy? This wasn't a one-night occasion and it'll come again. We both know it, especially with Ellie being as stubborn as she is." - You smiled at Sadie, petting her neck gently. She was your beloved girl, saving your ass many times. Tommy was leading his horse next to him just like you did.

"That's some truth right ’ere, Y/N. No wonder Joel likes you when you're so smart and he's a dumbass." - He said, leading the horse to the opening gates. Your eyes rolled on their own.

"If I will have to listen to these jokes whole fucking day, you better shut up, Miller." - You grinned before swinging on Sadie’s back, petting her neck again. Tommy’s laugh was the last thing you heard when you were leaving from Jackson, seconds before putting on the hunting mode.

The journey to the location itself wasn't enjoyable at all - the snow kept on falling and there was a blizzard incoming, making you sped up to get to the location. You left the horses far away from the place where the sightings were reported. - "Another year, another horde, what can I say?" - Tommy asked you when you got off the horseback to travel to the town on your own feet. You nodded at that, being extremely aware of every single thing happening around you at the time.

For some time, when you entered the town, it seemed abandoned. There was only the wind howling through the empty houses and rampaged store buildings, the snow was covering almost everything. It took you almost half an hour to encounter the first infected. Both of you crouched, looking at the being from a rooftop.

"There's another one." - Tommy pointed to make you turn around. Without waiting for too long, you took out an arrow and held your breath, going directly for the runner’s head. Tommy, in the meanwhile, picked up a glass bottle and prepared to throw it in the opposite direction. You had to see how many of them are there to think about the tactic and about what you'll do, to even think if you'll be able to do it on your own. You nodded at Tommy, letting out a long breath while releasing the string from your finger, looking at the arrow hit the bullseye.

Not even seconds after that, Tommy threw the bottle into a wall, luring more of them out while you still crouched there so these fucks won't see you. There wasn't that many of them, yet it could be because they divided into groups to roam around the town. You sat there for a while, letting Tommy take this group with his sniping rifle before continuing your journey through the city.

"You're much more enjoyable than my brother." - Tommy said all of a sudden when you stopped in a barricaded shop to look for the last remnants of supplies. At that statement, you chuckled, shaking your head. - "Is that so?"

"Yeah, he's making fun of me all the time, you know? Gets repetitive after some time. Got somethin’ there?" - He asked when he saw you bowing down to pick up something. It was a piece of cloth, yet you could use it as a bandage once you'll laundry it and use disinfection on it.

"Would love to hear how someone can make fun of Tommy the Man." - You chuckled back, walking back to Tommy. There wasn't much in the stores anymore, it was a miracle to have some good find in there. - "Kinda tempting to see, dude."

"Hold your horses with the flirtation, girl. Joel would kill me." - Tommy grinned back, stepping outside again. When the cold air hit your face, you had to close your eyes. There were these small pieces of ice in the air, hitting you at a full cadence. The blizzard was getting closer and closer while the temper was going lower and lower. - "Fuck, this is bad. We either need to take some cover or move our asses to get this place clean."

With that, you were going through the town, shooting on a sight. You and Tommy were quite a good team - while you could kill the fucks silently, Tommy was clever enough to divert their attention somehow. Sometimes you were quiet, sometimes you lost your nerve and just pulled the damned gun out. But you knew that Tommy has your back just as he knew you had his the whole time.

That was until you entered the old warehouse complex. All of a sudden, hordes of infected were coming to you from every direction, making the fence fall. Tommy pushed you behind his back, pulling out the rifle to search for the cause of it. And it was a woman infer the fence, trying to crawl through, certainly being fucked without you. So after you nodded at Tommy, you ran to her to help her on her feet while he started to liquidate some of the infected.

"You good?" - You asked her, looking at her pulling her gun as well. She nodded at you, looking at the horde. - "Tommy, there's too many of them, we need to get inside and get the fuck out of here. We can clear this place out later, come on!" - You yelled at your almost a brother-in-law, already running between the walls of the warehouse, trying to search for some door.

He yelled at you that you're right and turned on his heels to follow you, having that mysterious woman in his back. It was to kill or to be killed, so you took many turns before seeing some door. Both you and Tommy tried to break in while the woman was shooting into the group coming after you. It took you almost four attempts before the door flew open and you pulled the woman in as Tommy closed the door and made sure its barricaded enough.

"Here, did somethin’ happened to you?" - The man got on back his knees, looking at you. You shook your head and laid down with your eyes closed to catch a breath. He was worried that you might have hit something, but you seemed to be all right. The woman was looking at both of you with an unfriendly look. Well, it could be friendly, you didn't know her in the end.

"And who the hell are you, hm?" - Tommy walked to her, offering her a palm to pick her up. She stood up and wiped the sweat off her face.

"Thanks for all of that, by the way. My name’s Abby. And you two are...?" - The woman looked at both of you, leaning her palms to her thighs, trying to replenish at least a bit of energy. It didn't matter who she was or what was she doing there - you were in this together and it was a matter of life and death.

"I'm Tommy and this is Y/N, we’re from a city nearby." - He answered briefly, helping you stand up. - "It doesn't matter now. All that matters is that we have to get away from here. We have horses not too far from ’ere, but I'm scared that there's a lot of ’em now. They must've heard the gunshots." - With that, you nodded, getting up on your knees again. While Tommy and Abby were reloading their guns, you picked up a pipe from the ground. It looked solid enough for you.

"You sure you won't be using a gun?" - Abby asked when you played around with the piece of metal, searching for some way out of the building. You gave her an unsure look, letting Tommy talk for you. - "Trust me, this one is more usable in hand-to-hand combat with a pipe rather than with a gun. She cant aim up close for shit."

"Well, how about me kicking your ass, brother-in-law?" - "Isn't too early for callin’ me that?" - The man pointed out, having you nodding that indeed, he has a point. That was when you found the door and where it began to be painfully obvious, that infected were in there way before you. Abby caught the doors handle, looking at the two of you. Tommy took in a deep breath, shaking the nervosity off, telling her to open up.

You wouldn't be spotted as fast if the infected, some runners and a few clickers to be specific, were calm. But after hearing all there gunshots and groups of the horde moving in the city, it was obvious that there was some prey inside the building. And even the quietest creaking of the door made them turn around almost immediately.

"That crate, get it under the window, we'll cover your back." - Abby nodded at you, seeing you already pulling out the knife. There was a group of fifteen infected, which wasn't that much, yet it wasn't a little as well. While the tall woman started firing with the face of a true soldier, the first sounds of cold metal rang through the room as you swung the pipe into the first infected’s face. It made him fall to the ground, having Abby immediately pinning it to the ground while she put a bullet inside its head.

She was a survivor as much as you and Tommy were, yet you were kind of spoiled by the luxury of having a working town. If she was alone, maybe you could offer her to move in, or at least replenish your supplies before she goes on with her journey. In the middle of Tommy moving the crate, you were grateful that you picked up the pipe because you wouldn't be able to defend a single fuck without it. - "Move it! We’re kinda getting cornered here!" - A loud yell came out of your lips, looking at the next group of infected making their way to you.

"I'm doin’ my best, kiddo. Hold on for a minute!" - An answer came out of the corner of the room, Tommy nodding at you. You sent Abby a quick look - but she motioned you to stay away, lighting something up. In the next second, the woman threw something into the center of the group, making their bodies fly around in shreds. That was just fucking cool, yet you fully realized that another infected had to hear the fucking boom.

"Come on, girls, suit yourself! Take Abby to the horses!" - The man shouted, firing the first bullet from his snipe rifle. You pulled the woman by her arm, taking her to the crate. She, without waiting, boosted you and you helped her up and she then helped Tommy get there as well. As soon as you jumped out of the window, you realized how bad the weather got. You couldn't see a meter in front of you. The air was so cold it made your nose numb and your lips completely dry. But you couldn't wait, so you as soon as you saw Abby follow you around, you ran in the direction where you thought your horses were.

You ran for your life. That evening, you haven't stopped for a single second. As soon as you saw Sadie, you jumped on her back, helping Abby there as well. - "We won't make it Jackson in this, Tommy!"

"There's this house where I and my friends reside, for now, I'll point out the way, yeah?" - Abby asked. Well, it wasn't the greatest idea since it was just a group of strangers, but what could you do in the middle of that fucking blizzard? And you had to move since even if the infected lost your trail for a second, you knew they will find it soon enough again. That was why you listened to the stranger’s direction while you made Sadie ran like a fucking racing horse.

You never felt safer than when you have seen the gates of the house and people with guns standing behind it. As soon as you both rode in, the strange people have closed the gate, setting the infected on fire. You finally had some time to rest, so you took a deep breath before you jumped off of the horseback.

There was a revelation for a second, undeniably, but soon, you noticed something. These people were soldiers, a survivor group, maybe someone religious or something like that. They were looking dangerous, without a doubt. And groups of soldiers don't travel around the country just for the sights, no, they were most likely looking for someone. You tried to send Tommy some kind of signal when you gave Sadie to some short-haired woman, yet he was already chatting with some Hispanic man. And when Abby took her jacket off, your eyes widened. She was fucking buffed. She would strangle someone like you in a matter of seconds.

"Hey, how you're feeling? Any kind of shock?" - The short-haired woman caught up with you. She was almost too gentle to travel with the rest, so, she had some specialization. Drugs, maybe?

"Yea, I'm fine. It was just a close call. Your friend should be glad we found her." - You answered the woman, having her nodding in answer. That was when you arrived in the houses living room - the fire was burning and the french door were half-covered in the snow. The weather was terrible out there.

At that moment, you noticed everyone looking at the both of you while Abby argued with another man from the group. - "What the fuck were you thinking? Did you see the weather?" - The man gritted through his teeth. Something was going off in the room. The atmosphere was shifting somehow and you couldn't tell what was making you more nervous - the atmosphere or the stares of all the people?

"I tried to look for that fucker, Owen. I wanted to find him, but the infected had surprised me before I even got to the power plant." - She sighed back, massaging the back of her neck. - "But these two told me they're from the nearby town, right?"

"Yea, I'm Tommy and this is Y/N. Were from Jackson down there. When the weather settles down, you should come with us and replenish your supplies before takin’ off." - Your brother-in-law leaned his elbow into the counter, smiling at Abby. But she stood in front of you. With your breath held in, you sent a quick look to Tommy to finally tell him that you're not feeling comfortable in there. You'd rather get lost on Sadie in the woods, having to find your way back to Jackson on your own.

"Do you know a man named Joel Miller by any chance?" - Abby looked you deep in your eyes. Tommy’s jaws were more appering as obvious when he stood up and tried not to clench them too much. You didn't even tremble, your eyes weren't looking all around the place, you weren't heavy breathing. Her stare was meant to scare you, but two could play this little psychology game.

"No, never heard of that man." - And that answer would be almost believable if your breath wouldn't hitch in the end. At that, Abby smiled and a smile slowly turned into loud laughter. Jesus, you saved a fucking psychopath, didn't you? Without shadowing a thing, her elbow hugged your throat tightly, starting to choke you when she picked you off the ground. Your palms were trying to make her hand go away, you were kicking all around, trying to free yourself. But it didn't make Abby do shit.

The man tried to free you, yet as soon as he stepped forward, two other soldiers caught his arms, making him kneel on the wooden floor. If he’d move an inch, he'd most likely get both his shoulders luxated. You could barely breathe, yet you couldn't be afraid about passing out just yet. Abby wouldn't let you get outta that so easily.

"I don't know if do you know him, but your little friend does." - Abby told Tommy and pointed her head at a chair nearby. The woman practically threw you on it, then kneeled in front of your brother-in-law to look him in the eyes. - "And you'll watch her scream until you'll tell me where he is. Or until he comes for you. And if he doesn't and if you won't tell me... Hey, we don't wanna kill you. But we will."

You two were in deep fucking shit.

#joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller imagine #joel miller x y/n #joel miller the last of us #the last of us part two #the last of us part 2 #abby the last of us #abby tlou #abby anderson #ellie williams #ellie the last of us #ellie wiliams #may the lord have mercy with our souls #because this is about to go real bad real fast #don't believe me?#just watch

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niall-the-churchboy · 4 years

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The Better One - pt 2 ~ Louis Tomlinson

In which she finally knows she’s enough.

Pt1 is here

Warnings: Swearing and kinda angsty

Word Count: 1500

Y/n had grow up with a bunch of stuff that meant absolutely nothing. She had her own room, her own clothes, but all she had really wanted was to be heard at the dinner table. So, when she was eight, she came up with the idea of jokes. She had never been the funny type, but she believed that if she made them laugh they would at least listen to what she had to say. It worked, for a year or so, and then they eventually became tired of it. She then tried arts and crafts, if her family could see she was good at it they would pay more attention, but again it didn't really work. Eventually, she decided that the only way her parents would pay attention to her was if she got good grades, and that's how it began. Massive amounts of work, almost perfect grades, and a lot of pressure in herself.

All Y/n had ever wanted was to matter, and when Louis came, she didn't even have to try. Louis had been everything to Y/n, her motivation; her rock; the bare reason she smiled. It’s needless to say that when he left, when he chose better than her, everything crumpled.

When she flew back, she took less than an hour to pack her things in a suitcase, and another thirty minutes to take in every single detail of the apartment. She knew it was bad for her, but there was nothing more she wished than to have Louis back with her; hanging christmas lights on the christmas tree days before the trip, maybe convincing him that it was better to stay here, in their cosy apartment as they drank hot chocolate. That's when she remembered, one hand tightly secured in one of the suitcase’s straps, that it was christmas.

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

It took two weeks to find a new apartment in the heart of San Diego, out of LA but still close enough so whenever she wanted she could go back and remember the golden times.

But life in San Diego was one full of misery. Y/n L/n, the girl that used to be so organised and so perfect, was long gone replaced by one who stopped caring. She finally understood that if no one care about her, why should she? She was boring and dull, not intelligent neither beautiful, she was not enough.

Her money became scarce, so she began to eat less, and when the pennies finally finished she moved apartments to an old filthy one while she worked at a coffee shop. If she wasn't a disgrace now, then, what was she?

“Happy first day of summer, Y/n!”, her coworker, a girl with violet hair named Emma, greeted her.

Summer. Had it really been half a year without Louis? The word suddenly had a new meaning, and soon every word would turn out to be just the same.

What Y/n didn't expect was to come home from work--her t-shirt stained with coffee-- and find Avery siting on the small couch. It was such a shock her bag fell from her shoulder earning the attention from Avery.

“Y/n!”, Avery came running towards Y/n, a huge smile on her face as she wrapped her arms around her sister’s small frame.

“I- what are you doing here?”, it felt strange looking at Avery, she wore clean skinny jeans and had her hair perfectly curled and... Avery was pregnant, hugely pregnant.

Guilt came rushing in and Y/n could now only tilt her head down and apologise. How dare she not be there for her sister?

“I looked for you everywhere!”, Avery replied watching as her sister picked up the bag and rushed to the small open kitchen, “And now I finally found you! I-”, Avery looked around, “Your apartment was unlock so I figured I would let myself in. At first I didn't think this could be your apartment but then I saw our picture and...” Y/n turned to look at the picture laying on the counter, a trip her whole family did a long time ago, Y/n was probably twelve at the time.

She looked down, saw the coffee stain and opened the sink tap. “I am really sorry, Avery”, she said as she tried to scrub the stain away, “I was working and I spilled coffee all over my shirt and...”, she looked around her apartment, had she cleaned the floors this week? And the pillows on her couch had not been flattened out, everything was a mess. “I am really sorry for this huge mess, I swear It’s not like this usually”, it was a big lie but Y/n didn’t know what else to say.

Finally giving up on her shirt she run to the small living room at the corner of her open apartment, flattened the pillows and picked up a left glass that was laying on the coffee table, “Please, Avery. Take a sit”, Y/n gestured to the couch and rushed back to the kitchen, “Would you like anything to eat? I’m not sure I have many things in the fridge but there's a marketplace down the street and I could go buy you something right now”, Y/n felt her eyes burn.

“Y/n, calm down, its okay”, Avery was surprised to see her younger sister in this state, realising how thin Y/n looked, “please sit down next to me.” Y/n was unsure, she knew the adequate thing was to invite her sister to eat something, but she was tired and all of a sudden she felt helpless. “I’ve missed you so much”, Avery cupped Y/n’s hands, examining at how her younger sister would nod her head shyly, not daring to look at her.

“I’ve missed you too, and I’m really sorry I-”, Y/n lifted her head and fixated her eyes on her sister’s tummy, “I wasn’t there. I should have been, I didn’t have any right to disappear.”

“I called you a million times”, Avery said, a frown forming in her face as she watched Y/n’s tears run down, “mom did too, but you never answered. For a moment I thought you were--”

“--No”, Y/n didn't let Avery finish, she looked at her sister so vulnerable for the first time ever, “I don't know why I did that..., I’m sorry. I just thought that it was better if I stopped getting in-between people’s lives. I only wanted what was best for you, mom and dad, and Tessa and Louis...”, the last words where barely audible.

“To hell Tessa!”, Avery raised her voice, “and Louis! Look at you Y/n, living here; working at a coffee shop; barely standing on your legs... What about you? Why didn’t you think about what was better for you?”

“Why should I care?!”, Y/n stood up from the couch, tears--no streams-- running down her face, her legs shaking slightly as she looked at a worried Avery, “Why should I care? No one ever did, and that's alright. I’m fine with that, I learned how to be fine with it.” Y/n sighed, a weary breath escaping her lips, “and you should stop worrying, Avery. Everyone is okay, I’m perfectly fine, you’re pregnant! And Tessa is happy with Louis--”

“--Tessa and Louis broke up”, Avery mumbled, aware of the fact that Y/n had to grab the back of the couch to sturdy herself.

“Why?”

“She came home two months ago, angry as ever. It seems that she wasn't what Louis expected her to be...”, Avery shook her head, “but it doesn't matter, I’m so done with Tessa and her stupid ego.”

“Don’t”, Y/n licked her lips, her heart clenching, “don't say that, you know it's not true, Tessa is--”

“--Tessa is bad and cruel! She stole your boyfriend for fucks sake! She had always been mean toward you! How are you not angry about this?!”, Avery couldn't understand how could someone be so empathic that had completely stop thinking about itself. “When did you turn into this?”

Y/n sat down again, brushed down her tears and tried to smile, “I think I’ve always been like this, I just used to be better at hiding it. I’m sorry.”

“Stop blaming everything on you. It harms you, can’t you see?”, Avery cupped her sister’s face, Y/n closing her eyes at the warm feeling of Avery’s hands. “And I know you probably think that you are not enough, but that’s a lie. You are beautiful Y/n, inside out, you are talented, and unique, and you are my sister. I care about you, I’m sorry for whatever reason that made you believe I didn't, but I’m telling you now, I care about you. And I know that a hole bunch of people do too, because that’s what you do, you are lovable.”

Sometimes, what you need are just words to make thing slightly brighter, to give you a small push in the right direction. Now, Y/n wrapped around her sister’s arms, knows she’s worth it, and whatever made her feel otherwise has to get out of her way now, because the true golden times are just about to begin.

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

Yeah, this was shit, I'm sorry I just thought I should at leats update something.

Masterlist is here

#louistomlinson #louis tomlinson fanfiction #louistomlinsonimagine #louis tomlinson one shot #one direction #one direction fandom #one direction fanfiction #one direction preferences #one direction one shot #onedirectionfandom #1d fandom #1dfamily #one direction 2020 #one direction reunion

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ma-gic-gay · 3 years

Note

"Did you kill my brother?"

"What are you talking about, Jason?" Sonny asks his business partner who's clearly found out the truth.

"AJ. Did you kill him?"

"It's complicated-"

"No it's not. Either you pulled the trigger and let out the shot that killed my brother or you didn't, Sonny. I need to know what you did."

"Ava, she-"

"I didn't ask what Ava did, Sonny, I asked what you did. So just tell me already, did you shoot him with the bullet that killed him?"

"Yes. I did, I shot him because Ava made me think that he was the one who killed Connie. She told me that he'd killed her and I was mad. God, I was so mad that I killed him. Ava, she encouraged it, and I shot him because I thought I was avenging Connie's death."

"I can't believe you," Jason snarls at his mentor. "You thought I was dead! I died trying to protect you, and this is the thanks I get? You push my brother to drink again after my grieving mother calls him home because she needs one of her kids alive. He bonded with Michael! He was a part of my family again and you shot him. You killed AJ and didn't tell me for years. I found out about it because of Cyrus!"

"What the hell is Cyrus doing contacting you with that information?" Sonny asks, confused and upset. "And how the hell did he find out?"

"He sent me a tape with the audio of AJ's death, Sonny. I hate that man more than you could believe, trust me. But you hid this from me for years! I've been back so long and you hide from me that you're AJ's killer," Jason shouts, hands running through his hair.

"So did Carly!" Sonny weakly defends himself and he sees that the fire blazing in Jason's eyes softens slightly.

"This isn't about what Carly did! She didn't pull the trigger! She might not have told me that, but at least she didn't kill him. At least there's that. But you? I can't forgive you. You destroyed my mother. Monica, she needed to know one of her kids was okay and then the one that is, you just have to kill him too? Seems to be a pattern of yours, doesn't it?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You kill AJ and the reason everyone thought I was dead was because of you too, because I was trying to protect you. Kristina's been in a car bombing, Michael got shot, Avery was conceived on my brother's grave, Joss lives her life with bodyguards constantly around her, Dev died, Dante got shot- by you!- should I go on? That's just your kids and AJ, not even half of the stuff you've done. Should I go on?" Jason asks, shouting at him now.

"I know you're upset that Sam left you, Jason, but there are better ways to cope with it then by screaming at me," the shorter of the pair attempts to rationalize.

"Upset? Sonny, Sam left and she took my kids with her. Trust me, that doesn't cover the half of what I'm feeling right now. But I'm fine without Sam here, you know what I'm not fine with? You, who is supposed to be my friend, killing my brother and hiding that from me for so long." Jason fires back.

"Don't take this out on me, Jason," Sonny says, trying to impact this conversation somehow.

"What would you do if I'd done something like this to you, Sonny? I covered your ass so many times, I did everything you didn't want to do or couldn't do. Hell, you're only not still calling Carly a worthless slut because of me so don't you for a second act like my anger isn't justified. I raised your kids when you couldn't. When you were having a major life evaluation, I went to prison to protect your kid. While you were upset and angry, I was comforting your wife! I stood by you through everything, Sonny. Everything! I've got a right to anger, a right to being mad at you, and a right to downright hate you right now!" Jason shouts loudly.

"And I'm grateful for that!" Sonny shouts back. "But you're not listening and you're blaming everything on me when I'm not the only one to blame."

"You're the only one who pulled the trigger. Whatever Carly did, she would never do that to me or Michael," Jason reminds him.

"She helped me cover it up for months," Sonny tells him.

"To save your sorry ass so Michael wouldn't have to deal with more bad things! Her not telling the cops that you killed him, and lying to Michael about it, that was for him. Don't think for a minute it's because you're some amazing person because you're a killer of innocent men!"

"Don't you dare defend her and trash me in the same sentence! I did it to protect you, Jason!"

"Does she think I know?" Jason asks.

"Yes," Sonny admits. "I didn't want you to come back and get bombarded with bad news."

"I quit. I don't need your protection, I never have and I never will. You, on the other hand, might need some from me."

At that, Jason storms out of the office and drives over to the Corinthos home, where Carly is. He's got to find out why she did what she did.

He lets himself in and she smiles when she sees him at first, but quickly registers that he's emotionally conflicted. "What happened, Jason? Are you okay?" The blonde asks, rushing over to check him out. "You don't feel hot, so you're not sick. What's wrong?"

"Did you help hide it from me that Sonny killed AJ?" He asks her quickly when they're seated on the couch.

Confused, she says, "No. He said you knew, that he'd told you."

Jason sighs, his head in his hands. "I didn't. In fact, I just found out that he did that a few minutes ago when Cyrus sent me the recording of his death."

Frowning, Carly envelopes him in a hug. "Jason, I'm so sorry. If I had known, I would've made him tell you or told you myself. God, I'm so stupid! I should've known never to trust Sonny when it comes to this stuff."

"You thought I knew and I wouldn't have a reaction? For years, Carly, all I had for a family was you and Michael and Sonny. He killed my brother. You thought I'd just be fine with it?" Jason asks his best friend, hurt. "For someone who prides herself on knowing me, you really don't if that's what you think."

"He told me you were mad, told me you were processing! I didn't bring it up because I didn't want to watch you as your heart broke," Carly tells him, tears flooding her eyes but her far too stubborn to let them fall. "When we thought you were dead, I almost died, Jason. I was going to pull a Carly, I swear to God, and lose it at an inconvenient time. I know I should've been the one to tell you, I know, but I couldn't stand to watch you while you found out such terrible news. Sonny had me thinking you knew already so I thought there was no point to me telling you anyways."

"Believing what he says about me always seems to mess with you, doesn't it?" Jason asks, a small frown on his lips still.

"Yeah, it does," Carly agrees and the two sit there for a few moments in silence, reminiscing about the past. Before their lives were so complicated, when all that mattered was staying out of jail, each other, and Michael. "It always ends up fucking me over."

"That it does," he agrees, smiling softly.

"What are you smiling about? You just got terrible, earth shattering news, Sam and the kids left, and I ended up lying to you for two years. Why are you smiling?" Carly asks.

"Thinking about the what if's of life," he responds. "What it'd be like if not for that night."

"I made several offers for us to leave the country with Michael," Carly reminds him, chuckling. "Mainly after you came home, but still. You and I, we were in such a real life love and we had everything right. Except timing. When you were ready to confront your feelings for me, after an excruciatingly long period of time, I had slept with Sonny. When I had continually told you mine, you weren't ready to deal with it yet. Timing's a bitch."

"If we left the country, you wouldn't have Morgan, or Joss, or Donna," Jason reminds her.

"And you never would've met Sam, or had Danny, or Scout," she counters. "You think we would've worked out, had we done that, had I not slept with Sonny?"

"If I'd let us, probably," Jason admits after pondering it for a moment. "It would've been hard, but I think we would've. Provided, of course, neither of us backed out."

"You were the one who couldn't deal with it," Carly teases him.

"Yeah," Jason agrees, "I couldn't. Maybe what I felt was too strong or something, I don't know."

"Hey Jason?" She asks him a few minutes later, them both in their own worlds, thinking about what if's and their past.

"What?" He asks her, smiling slightly. His eyes give him away, blue and full of so much emotion in so many different forms.

She doesn't respond with words, just kisses him. Their lips intertwine and all feels right with the world for a moment as they're kissing.

But all good things must come to an end and they pull away. "That was-"

"Unexpected," Jason finishes, smiling at her. "Good unexpected."

"Glad we can agree. What's this mean for us?" She asks.

Instead of answering, he initiates a second kiss, a slightly more passionate one but roughly the same.

"Correction," Carly asks when they pull away, "what's that mean?"

"I don't know," he admits. "I don't know everything. I know that felt right, but you're married and I'm single."

"How do we keep ending up in this situation?" Carly asks, laughing. "First with AJ, then Sonny- our first marriage, when I was in love with you for half of it. And now, again."

"You get married too often," he smirks at her. "That's how."

"Well, maybe the third time of this is a charm," Carly smiles back. "It's an expression for a reason, after all."

Jason considers it for a minute. "God help me I'm going along with a Carly plan," he smiles.

"God help us both," Carly smiles before kissing him again.

I just watched you go through all the stages of grief. You ok???

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actuallylorelaigilmore · 4 years

Text

can't stop it all from changing

Penelope and Schneider, ODAAT. Also on AO3.

Deleted scene fic from 4.02, immediately following the collapse of the couch. I miss their S3 levels of intense sincerity and I needed a conversation to happen in this episode that didn’t.

“Well, that settles it, then,” Schneider declared. “Your couch is dead. May it rest in peace.”

What was that? You okay?

Penelope got the text while she was still on the floor, so she knew Schneider heard the couch collapse. The fact that he texted instead of running downstairs immediately was unlike him.

I’m fine, she sent back, dusting herself off.

“I expected better from you, though,” Penelope told her couch once she was standing and could stare down at it with disappointment.

What was she going to do now?

What happened? Schneider asked, when no more information was forthcoming. I’ll be there in a sec.

No, you don’t have to do that! She sent back, knowing it was already too late. Damn it. After the argument they’d had earlier, he was definitely not gonna shut up about the couch now.

She was lucky her Mami wasn’t here, Penelope thought. She couldn’t handle the prayers and the loud Spanish laments or the two of them ganging up on her. She would figure this out.

What if she shoved some really sturdy boxes into the gap? And filled them with something heavy so they could hold the middle up?

No, that was dumb, Penelope. Who wanted to sit on a couch made of bricks?

Maybe Schneider could reinforce the center of the couch with wooden boards and then it would be like it hadn’t broken in the first place. That would be better.

Schneider let himself in as she was nodding along with that thought.

“Oh. My. God.” She watched as her best friend--how was he almost as dramatic as her mom?--crossed himself in the face of her disastrous furniture.

He still wasn’t any better at that. But it almost made her smile, which was nice.

“Penelope. What on earth did you do to it?”

“Nothing! I sat down. It just happened.”

“Well, that settles it, then,” Schneider declared. “Your couch is dead. May it rest in peace.”

She turned away from him to look back at the collapsed mess in the center of her living room. “You’re sure you couldn’t...fix it? With tools?”

“Not even Jesus could fix this couch, Pen. And he built miracles and furniture. It’s time to replace it. But don’t worry--you don’t have to go through this alone. You have me.”

She grabbed hold of the first excuse that came to mind. “Aren’t you busy moving Avery into your place? And speaking of Avery, shouldn’t it be your girlfriend you go furniture shopping with?”

"Avery isn’t the one who needs furniture, Penelope. She’s still sorting through her house. The hard part is figuring out what to combine at my place and what to put into a multilevel storage unit.”

“Besides, this is important.” He grinned. “Important family business. If I don’t help you, there’s no way you’ll unclench long enough to actually bring a couch home.”

“Your lack of faith in me is starting to get annoying,” she shot back.

“I have enormous faith in you!” he argued. “But I also know your weaknesses. Clearly, this is one of them.”

Arms crossed, she stared him down. “If I’m really doing this, I’m going to need you to make sure I go through with it. Okay? Don’t let me talk myself out of it. Make sure I leave with a new sofa picked out.”

“Hey, I’m going to be there every step of the way.”

Penelope nodded, trying to feel comforted by his support.

“I mean literally, Pen. I’m looking up stores right now, and we’re going together. After all, I’ll be using your new sofa as much as you do.”

“No, you won’t.”

He ignored that. “Give me some time to read up, and we will head into a furniture store ready to find you the perfect couch. What good is having a best friend if you can’t take him couch shopping, anyway? ”

Did she have another choice? “All right, Schneider, you win. I could go on my lunch break tomorrow if that works for you.”

“It’s fine by me. My schedule is wide open. After all, it’s not like I have a job or anything. I’ll just be at home, setting a stack of twenties on fire whenever I get bored.”

“Schneider...”

“No, no,” he waved away her guilty expression. “I know what you really think of me, now. The truth may be ugly, but at least it’s honest.”

“That’s not what I think of you, Schneider.”

He shrugged, but she knew the hurt under the sarcasm was real. Sarcasm was one of Schneider’s tells--he didn’t tend to slip into it unless he was defensive or hurting.

Or both.

“Hey, it isn’t. I swear.”

She huffed out a breath and stepped closer to him, grabbing both of his hands. “I think you’re amazing, okay? You may be obscenely rich, but you do good things with your money.”

“Well, dumb things too,” she added. “But also good things. I was just freaking out. I was trying to get you to shut up, and when it didn’t work...I got mean. I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing dumb about my bidet,” Schneider said.

“What is with you and that French toilet? Speaking of that, what happened to your Japanese toilet? Why do you need international toilets anyway?”

“American toilets are antiquated, Penelope! They’re stuck in the dark ages. Both individual health and lifetime maintenance costs are improved by a modern approach.”

“See, I think that’s weird,” she told him. “It doesn’t mean I don’t love you. And you know that already.”

Schneider would forgive her for being mean, Penelope thought, watching his face as she waited. He was still Schneider.

But it hadn’t been that long since his relapse, and she needed to remember how recently he had picked himself back up. She needed to be more careful with his feelings.

“You really think I’m amazing?”

Schneider from three years ago would have aimed the question at her with a grin, probably a flirtatious one. Now he was genuinely asking. His voice was small.

She lifted their joined hands and squeezed. “I do. And I completely trust you to help me find a new couch. Even though I’m scared.”

“Okay.” Schneider smiled. “Cool. I can pick you up on your lunch hour then.”

Penelope nodded. “I’ll bring a change of clothes to work. It’s going to be uncomfortable enough, going to stare at overpriced furniture. I’m not doing that in my scrubs.”

“We’re gonna do much more than just stare,” he said. “We are going to touch, we are going to peruse...we might even go nuts and sit down!” Schneider gripped her hands for one last firm moment before he let go. “But it’s going to be okay, Pen. I promise.”

“If you say so.”

She looked over at the couch that had gotten her family--Schneider included--through so many moments, good and bad, and sighed. “I guess it’s time for this to go out to the curb.”

“You think somebody else is going to want it?”

“For parts, maybe. Could you take it downstairs?”

Schneider’s brow was furrowed, but he nodded. “Yeah, sure. No problem.”

“Thanks.”

Penelope took a seat at her kitchen table, stared resolutely away from the living room, and imagined picking out a new couch.

She pretended she couldn’t feel a wave of anxiety coming on in response.

#one day at a time #odaat #schneider #penelope alvarez #odaat spoilers #penelope alvarez fic #schneider fic #odaat fic #my fic

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etlunainmorte · 4 years

Text

"I have,... something for you." He said as he grabbed something from his bag. You eagerly waited as he searched, and when he finally handed you a pack of popcorn, you couldn't help but smile.

"You bought this, V?" You asked him as the smell of butter reached your nostrils.

"Yes. We haven't finished Endgame, have we?"

"Come to think of it, no, we haven't." You admitted.

V smiled as he reached for his bag once more, producing a stuffed tiger from it and giving it to you, reminding you of,...

"Is this,... did you win this at the carnival?"

V proudly hummed. "I have,... quite a skill with,... should we say,... sniping?"

Oh, God, he remembered! You happily thought. He remembered I have a really bad aim and couldn't win the stuffed tiger at the carnival.

"And that's not all." V said.

"Hmm?"

"I went fishing."

"Oh, you did?! What happened?"

"I caught a boot."

"YOU DIDN'T!"

V laughed, the sound of his low voice sending warmth all throughout your whole body. In fact, you have never felt so warm in your entire life. And when he handed you a single boot from his bag just for laughs, you fell in love with him all over again.

"I - I never thought this is possible, oh my!" You confessed through fits of laughter, however, at this point, the smile on V's face vanished. You noticed this and went silent as he took the boot from your hands and upended it, making a small velvet box the color of your eyes fall from it. Then, he went down on one knee and opened the box, revealing the most beautiful ring with an emerald attached to it.

"(Y/N) (L/N)," V declared. " ... will you marry me?"

***

I See My Future Before Me - The ENDing

***

There really was a wedding, yes. And a most memorable one, at that.

All of your friends and loved ones came to the small, and yet special, event. Together, you celebrated the most important day of your life.

The wedding took place in a small, charming garden where V's favorite flowers bloomed. Kyrie, Lady, Trish, and Patty all helped you to choose the perfect wedding gown. Unfortunately, the ones they chose for you didn't feel comfortable on your skin ( Kyrie's being too covered, Lady's being too flashy, Trish's showed too much skin, and Patty's looked a bit too modern for your own taste ). Nico, Alicia, and Cagliostro all helped with the decorations. Petya supervised the buffet, even helped you and V choose the perfect menu ( from the sumptuous appetizer down to the luscious dessert ), and Natasha volunteered to be the wedding singer ( she made it sound like you don’t have any choice and she even refused to say she's hyped up about being a first - time wedding singer ). Dante, by the way, was thoughtfully shoved to the side by Nero, who knew full well that his uncle would only mess things up and destroy everything should he decide to help with anything, at all. The younger Devil Hunter, on the other hand, was tasked to usher the guests to the venue. Morrison graciously volunteered to call for one of the Ministers from Swan Lane, the neighboring city of Red Grave, where most of the state's churches were. Griffon ( who still swore too much ) and Shadow ( who looked far too old carrying around an Elmo plush ) were forced to take literacy, manners, and etiquette one - oh - one crash courses, courtesy of the haughty Miss Natasha, herself, for the social event. Little Eva was chosen to be the flower girl, and Sister Christina was chosen to be the Matron Of Honor.

And so, on the eleventh of May that one, bountiful and beautiful year, you and V were married.

V, who had his waist - length snowy white hair cut for the special event, waited for you at the arc of azaleas and white roses, his Best Man, Nero, who was wearing his grandfather's coat and tie ( which he honestly detested ) for the event, standing just next to him.

A few moments later, the bride, on the arms of the Best Man, Dante, who was forced to wear his father's coat and tie ( which he honestly detested ), finally came, making heads turn around in awe and wonder.

Dressed in a sheer, form - fitting immaculate, white gown with floral patterns made of silk and lace, and with a long chiffon train that brushed the carpet of flowers that led towards the arc, you walked towards your one, true love, who was waiting for you.

His eyes wide with love and adoration, and his heart pounding with excitement, V watched as you walked, your serene movements and perfect poise catching the eyes of him, and everybody else.

His breath was,... simply taken away. And no one could blame him.

For, now, standing next to him and lovingly looking up at him was the most beautiful bride he has ever seen.

And she will be together with him, at last!

Dante reluctantly, and with a visible pout, gave your hand to V's waiting one, and the ceremony finally began.

Vows of eternal love and devotion were exchanged, rings were exchanged, heavily rogued cheeks were stained with running mascara, manly sobs were heard all over the place, teary eyes were wiped with handkerchiefs of all forms and colors, noses were sniffed unto handkerchiefs of all forms and colors, even the Minister tried so hard to conceal his emotions.

And with that much awaited kiss, the crowd went all wild and emotional with celebration.

There was dancing ( Trish and Lady took the center stage and wowed the audience ), partying ( Nero isolated the pouty Dante and drank whiskey with him, instead ), games ( Patty and Nico managed to beat Griffon and Shadow in almost every game, except for the paper dance, where the familiars cheated and used their powers to win ), photo ops ( strangely enough, people were all drawn to Nightmare because they thought it was a very realistic - looking sculpture, and chose to have selfies with it instead of the newly wed couple, making its multiple photos viral on social media ), and, of course, the much awaited feast ( Petya fed the guests until they were satisfied and beyond, making sure that they would leave the event with bulging stomachs ), and the amazing five - foot ( not five – tier ) wedding cake decorated with fondants of azalea and white roses ( which V, who was secretly a huge cake and sweets fanatic, was gladly able to fully take home with you, the guests being so full because of Petya that they weren't able to partake of the dessert, at all ).

Ahh, truly, it was the most amazing day ever.

And that amazing day was followed by weeks of blessedness, months of fruitfulness, and years and years of prosperity.

All beside your dear, darling, and faithful husband.

However, those years, despite being happy and full, took a toll on your body.

"Happy anniversary, my love." V greeted you that one, sunny morning, kissing you on the forehead and offering you your breakfast in bed.

"What a surprise! Thank you, V." You answered as you allowed him to hold your wrinkled hand.

"Anything for my one, true love." The man whispered to your ear.

However, no matter how happy you looked, no matter how many times you showed him your smile, he knew you were anything but.

And he knew why.

Standing in front of a mirror after that hearty breakfast, the two of you looked at each other's reflection, just like what you've always done every morning since the beginning of your married life.

"You,... look so handsome." You said as you gazed at your husbands features.

"And you, my dear," V exclaimed as he lovingly took your hands in his and placed a tender kiss on them. " ... you are the most gorgeous person I have ever seen."

To this, you chuckled and simply shook your head. "You're lying."

"I'm not!" V chuckled as he tried to kiss your cheek. However, his face fell when you took your hands from him and turned away. "(Y/N)?"

"Yes?" You asked monotonously as you took away the dishes and placed them on the sink.

"Tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong - "

"(Y/N), I know something has been bothering you." V urged. "Tell me, please."

You chuckled and turned to him.

But, your eyes,...

... they didn't look cheerful, at all.

"There is nothing wrong, V."

There was a moment of silence after those questionable words you just uttered, and after those tense seconds, he walked closer to you, tried to hold your hands, and touch your face.

But, still, you wouldn't let him.

With your back still turned away from him, you finally let out those thoughts, those,... fears,... that have been crushing you all those years ago.

"Leave me, V." You simply said.

And this alarmed the poet. "What?! I'm not going to leave you, (Y/N)! I promised you! I will NOT,... LEAVE YOU!"

With tear - stained eyes, you finally looked at him. And this only confirmed V's worst fears.

"Look at me!" You said to him in such a broken voice that wrecked the poet's heart. "I'm old! And wrinkled! And,... not me!"

"But, I love you, (Y/N),..."

"And look at you! Still,... s - still so young and strong and,... "

"(Y/N),..."

"We don't look,... okay together! You can't go on loving,... a grandma like me!"

"Listen to me, please,..."

"V, I love you too, I really do. But, I have to let you go. You still have a wonderful and long life ahead of you."

In a futile attempt to make you listen to him, V tried, once more, to hold your hands.

And you still refused. And this made him beyond depressed.

So, just like that, he left.

And you haven't seen him in three days.

Of course, you were sad upon this separation but, you have to accept that you can't be together with V now. He has a life ahead of him. He could even move on and be with another person should he decide it.

V,... deserved so much more.

But, being all alone,...

... it made you so, so sad,...

And as you woke up that morning without him by your side, you couldn't help but let out the tears of sadness and heartbreak.

Wiping your tears away with your fragile hands, you cried, "I miss you so much, V,..."

"Mom!" The door suddenly opened and in came your daughter, Avery ( now a very proud mother of twins who looked exactly like Dante and Vergil when they were little ), who looked so, so happy despite this dreary situation. She noticed your pitiful state and came forward, giving you a tender hug and a pat on the back. "Oh, mom. Don't cry. We're here for you."

"Oh, dear,..." You went on, letting your emotions out on your sweet daughter. "It's just that,... I missed your father so, so much."

"Oh, mommy,..." Avery sighed. "Alright. You should get dressed. We're going somewhere."

"What? Why? Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise!" She said, taking your hand and making you get out of bed. "Come on!"

And so, you let yourself be led by Avery and her husband, Roman, towards that old garden where you and V got married many, many years ago.

Thinking it was a really bad joke, you said, "You two are gonna give me a heart attack. Please, tell me what's going on."

"We have a surprise for you, mom." Avery said excitedly.

"This way." Roman said, gesturing towards the gazebo where you and V danced on your wedding day.

"What is this, really?" You, being an old and cranky person, asked one more time.

Avery simply rolled her eyes. "I told you! It's a surprise!"

"It's our gift to you." Roman, who was the softer of the couple, answered. Then, with tender hands, he gently led you towards the gazebo.

"Dear, I'm too old for these surprises." You told Roman along the way. "Won't you have any mercy to me?"

"Haha! Well, I'm pretty sure you'll love this." The man made you turn towards the gazebo, and what you saw there made you feel really strange. "Happy anniversary, mom."

The moment you heard the simple greeting from the young man, another man, who looked the same age as you ( or even older ) turned towards you, smiling at you as if you were his long lost lover, or something. It seemed as though he has been sitting there inside the gazebo, waiting for you for a while.

In fact, his gorgeous green eyes never left yours.

"Ahh, can I,... ahh,... help you with something?" You asked the old man as you entered the gazebo.

However, he didn't answer you. Instead, he stood up from his chair, leaning against a metal cane, and took out a very familiar – looking, worn out book. He opened it, and smirked,...

"I,... have no name." His voice, despite it cracking a bit, sounded clear and beautiful. And oh so heartbreaking. "I' am,... but two days old,...

“Just kidding. You can call me, V.”

You giggled at the poem, finally realizing who this man was.

Of course! How were you able to not notice?!

"Y - you're anything but two days old!" You laughed, feeling your tears leave your tired, burning eyes.

The old man chuckled, his beautiful green eyes gleaming with so much mirth and gladness. Then, he went on reading.

"Little Lamb,... who made thee,... dost thou know,... who made thee? Gave thee life,... and bid thee feed. By the stream,... and o'er the mead. Gave thee clothing of delight,... softest clothing,... wooly bright. Gave thee,... such a tender voice,... making all the vales rejoice! Little Lamb,... who made thee,... dost thou know,... who made thee?"

The old man, still relying on his old metal cane for support, walked towards you and softly laid his hand on your face.

To him, you were still,... the most beautiful woman on earth,...

You were crying so much but, still, he went on reading despite his blurry eyes. "I went to the Garden of Love,... and saw what I never had seen: a Chapel was built in the midst,... where I used to play on the green. And the gates of this Chapel were shut,... and thou shalt not writ over the door. So, I turned to the Garden of Love,... that so many sweet flowers bore."

"Azaleas." You said as you laid your hand on his. "And white roses."

"Yes, azaleas and white roses." The man answered as he wrapped you in his arms. "You remembered my favorite flowers, my love."

"Why would I forget about that, V?"

"Ahh,... I'm such a fool,..."

You shook your head as you let the old and wrinkled poet wipe away your tears. Just like how he did it whenever you cried from watching your favorite sad movies. "You're not a fool, V! Never. But,... why? How did you - ?"

"I gave the Sisters to the twins." V answered your obvious question.

"Dante and Vergil?"

"Yes. It's about time I pass them on, after all."

"But, what about you? You'll - !"

"Ssh. It's alright." V hugged you as he rubbed your back. "Power,... means nothing me,... without you by my side. I'd rather wilt away like an old rose in the Garden Of Love than live without you, (Y/N). I love you,... so much,..." Gently touching your cheeks, he, then, said, "May I have the honor of this dance,... my lady?"

And dance, you did. Just like the first time you met in that Grecian balcony.

Now, could you honestly deny this feeling of happiness with him by your side?

You and your beloved poet lived a few more years after that sweet and heartfelt reunion. And during those sweet, and yet short, years, you did everything you could think of to fill your days with happiness and adventure. And love, of course.

The two of you went to the carnival and ate junk food ( meaning popcorn, caramel apples, cotton candies, and such ). V tried so hard to win that stuffed tiger for you again by sniping ( he didn't win the plush, he won the Complete Elvis Presley Album Collection, instead ). You traveled as much as you can to many places ( with Griffon and Shadow as your two personal assistants, always there to remind you should the two of you forget where you last placed your dentures ). You went out fishing ( the boot myth was real ). And you binge watched all of your favorite movies, from LaLaLand, to Titanic, to Dracula ( you purchased digital copies of these and V kept them in his trusty one terabyte USB where he kept all of his poetry audio and eBooks ).

Those few years were simply,...the best years of your life.

But those few years,... were sadly too short,...

For there came a time when V started to forget some things. Little things, yes but, really noticeable ones, nonetheless. Not to mention his already deteriorating body. And this worried you.

Especially during that one particularly cloudy day when, out of the blue, V asked you to watch a movie with him.

"What movie would you like to see, my love?" You asked.

He opened his mouth to answer but, no words came out. You knew he has forgotten. He has forgotten his favorite movie and he was aware of this, as well but, he tried not to show it. And you couldn't blame him. He,... just aged faster than you after giving up the Sisters Of Fate's powers.

He simply took your hand and said, "Anything you wish,... my love."

As much as it worried you, you did nothing but to lead him straight to your humble living room in your small Swan Lane house where you and your family spent a lot of time watching all of your favorite shows and movies. But, not before calling Avery, Roman, Nero, Kyrie, and Nico ( Dante, Trish, and Lady were not able to come that day due to an emergency in Red Grave that they must attend to ). Even Griffon and Shadow were present.

Taking Griffon's hand, you told the loyal familiar, "Come with us, please."

Without a word, the demon nodded and followed you and V towards the living room. Griffon closed the door, but not before seeing the worried faces of your friends and loved ones.

"Come on, Dante and Vergil." The familiar heard Eva, Nero and Kyrie's daughter, say to the little twins as she took their chubby hands, leading them to their play rooms along with Shadow. Griffon turned away and finally closed the door. It was then that he saw you and V already huddled together on the sofa as the poet's favorite movie started playing on the old television.

As carefully as he could, the thoughtful familiar placed the wool blanket, which he has been carrying around since morning for his master, over V's body to protect his body from the cold.

“Thank you, Griffon.” The familiar barely heard V say. “For,… everything.”

Just from the other side of the room, Griffon could hear the weather forecast being broadcasted on the radio. Apparently, a storm really was coming, according to the reporter. And according to the same reporter, the storm came from Red Grave, of all places, where Dante, Trish, and Lady were taking care of something.

But, he's not involved in it this time.

For he,... was needed by the two most important people in his life, one of them needing him the most,...

And so, the movie ensued, despite the bad weather outside.

"There was a boy,... a very strange, enchanted boy. They said he wandered very far,... very far,... over land and see,..."

"Don't be fooled! Evil!"

"A little shy,..."

"Turn away from this village of sin!"

"And sad of eye,... but, very wise,... was he,... And then, one day,... A magic day he passed,... my way,... And while we spoke of many things, Fools and Kings,... this he said to me:

"The greatest thing,...

You'll ever learn,...

Is just to love,...

And be loved in,...

... return,..."

"I - it's Moulin Rouge!" V wheezed as he grabbed your hand in his excitement. Just like the sixth or twenty - third time he's seen it. "My favorite movie. (Y/N), dear, you remembered!"

"Of course, I do, my love." You answered.

For a few more minutes, V's green eyes watched, in awe and wonder, the wonderful colors jumping before him on the screen. He tried to say along the lines he could still remember, and sing along to the familiar tunes of the musical.

However, there was one song you knew V truly wanted to hear.

His most favorite song,...

"On Opening Night, I have to sleep with the Duke. And the jealousy will drive you mad."

"Then, I'll write a song - "

"Christian - "

" ... and whenever you hear it, or sing it, or whistle it, or hum it, then you'll know it'll mean we love one another. I won't get jealous."

"Things don't work that way, Christian. We have to end it."

"I,... want to sing it." V muttered. "Could you,... please,... sing it with me?"

"Yes, of course." You answered without hesitation.

"Never knew I could feel like this. Like I've never seen the sky before. Want to vanish inside your kiss. Seasons may change, winter to spring, but I love you until the end of time.

Come what may,...

I will love you until my dying day.

Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place. Suddenly it moves with such a perfect grace. Suddenly my life doesn't seem such a waste. It all revolves around you. And there's no mountain too high, no river too wide. Sing out this song, and I'll be there by your side. Storm clouds may gather, and stars may collide.

But I love you,...

I love you,...

Until the end of time,...

Come what may,...

I will love you,..."

"The greatest thing,..."

"Oh, God, V!" You held your beloved's hand in yours as your tears flowed out of your eyes. "I love you,... so much,..."

" ... you'll ever learn,..."

"I,... love you,..." V weakly sang, his voice getting softer and softer, his eyes never leaving yours for even a second. "Until the end,… of,… time,..."

" ... is just to love,... "

Griffon's eyes widened at that exact moment. He, then, looked down and took one of his master's hands in his as he heard your heartbreaking sobs.

" ... and be loved in,... "

It was,... cold.

" ... return."

It was then that his own tears fell,... for the very first time.

Griffon, a Demon, cried,... for the very first time.

"Rest well," He whispered as he wrapped an arm around his master's body. " ... Shakespeare."

And there's no mountain too high, no river too wide. Sing out this song, and I'll be there by your side. Storm clouds may gather, and stars may collide.

But I love you,...

I love you,...

Until the end of time,...

"He,... wasn't able to see his favorite scene." You whispered to Griffon, who, like you, refused to leave V's side after the movie has long ended.

"It doesn't matter, sweet pea." Griffon answered, his voice raw with emotion. "He was able to tell you how he felt, and that's what's truly important."

And it truly was the most important thing. V was able to tell you how he felt. You cherished those words from that day onward, always remembering how V lived as a man of honor and dignity, as a loving father, a very supportive grandparent, and as a truly devoted husband.

The mysterious man called V, who was so fond of poetry, of flowers freshly blooming in the morning, of artful grace, and of the simplest things in life,...

... was never forgotten, his name forever etched into his loved ones' hearts.

His smile,... forever in your memory,...

... until the next storm of the following year that finally brought you into his loving arms,...

At last.

***

🖤 @la-vita and @clevermentalitybeliever . 🖤

***

Many years back, in an Alternate Universe,...

"Miss Edwards,..." V called the woman's attention, slightly running to catch up to her before she could drive away.

Avery fortunately ( and finally ) noticed him and removed her helmet, turning her gaze towards him and appraising him from head to foot. In fact, she looked so surprised that a man such as V was trying to have a conversation with her.

Was it his unusual appearance?

"And you are - ?"

"V." The poet answered, taking a deep breath and leaning on his metal cane for support. He, then, straightened his back and tilted his head to the side. "You can call me V."

"Oh. What can I do for you, V?"

"About the commission - "

"Stop. Right. There." Avery pointed at V, cutting him halfway through his sentence. "If you're planning to take on the Poltergeist at my home, then you're making a HUGE mistake."

Huh? "And may I ask,... why?"

"Furniture floating and smashing about. Disembodied voices in the middle of the night. And your skinny, princess ass begging to be fed and given vitamins. Are you goddamn sure?!"

"I would like,... to see myself try." V simply told her.

The woman raised a scornful eyebrow. She knew that Dante was her one and only hope and choice. No other person in Red Grave could do it but him.

But, this man?

"So, will you take on the job, or not?"

"I would like to,... if you would allow me."

Avery furrowed her eyebrows and regarded him like he was some suicidal maniac begging to be fed to the lion. "Alright. I'll expect you tomorrow, then. Move into the house for a week. Bring whatever or whoever you need. You know my address."

"Would a cat and a bird do?" V innocently asked as he playfully twirled his metal cane in a display of confidence. This woman,... must be taught a lesson.

Avery pursed her lips and wore her helmet once more. "Sure. Whatever. I don't care. Just,... get rid of the ghost for me. I'll pay you. That I can assure you."

And with those words, she finally drove away.

Despite the question strangely bugging him, he was, in fact, feeling excited of this new mission. Yes, Dante might consider it as "small fry" but, facing Poltergeists was definitely a welcome change compared to his boring Devil Hunting routine. And he wanted so much to prove that woman wrong about him.

He was about to go back to the shop to pack what little belongings he have when he noticed Nico staring at him with wide eyes and open mouth. Apparently, she has been standing near the door for quite a while and must have heard the conversation between him and Avery. She almost dropped her groceries as she attempted to close her mouth and control her drooling.

Wait, did she look,... excited?

"Whoa, a paranormal investigation!" The Artisan gasped. "Can I tag along?"

"I don't - "

"Come on, man! Ya gotta let me!" Nico strode closer to him, flailing her arms about and almost sending her groceries flying everywhere. "This is like,... a dream come true for me! Okay, how about this: we'll split the pay 70 - 30. But, I'll be happy with nothing, though, if you don't want 70 - 30! But, come on, that's good deal, yeah?"

"Nico, I - "

"Please? I'll drive you on the way there. I will not be a bother."

V felt cornered. The woman looked really excited that he would surely feel guilty if he refused her.

Him, Griffon, Shadow, probably Nightmare, as well, and finally, Nico.

What could go wrong with this simple task of driving away a single evil spirit from someone's home with some comrades? After all, Avery did say he could bring just about anyone.

And what does her house look like, anyway? And what was the reason behind this Poltergeist's ceaseless haunting?

***

THE END

***

🖤🖤🖤

***

#devil may cry 5 #vitale sparda #i see my future before me alternate endings #v x reader #v x you #the ENDing

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labyrinthof-fan-fiction · 4 years

Text

Security Part 1: Breaking Down

Might be a one shot, might become a series, we’ll see.

Summary: Leonard McCoy never wanted to be cut off from the world. He wanted to heal, but the world had other plans for him. So he locked his heart up and ventured into space. And it was all to plan, that is until a certain captain broke through his walls. Followed by a security officer who keeps ending up as his patient.

I do not own Star Trek or their characters.

Original Character: Avery

Mentions of injuries.

Most likely messed up timelines somewhere, but look I love Karl Urban as Bones far too much. There's a solid chance I have screwed up all these medical things, if someone wants to teach me how to Star Trek medical please help.

Leonard “Bones” McCoy was a sensible man, he had his heart broken, so he locked it far away, in space. His past kept him from opening up to people, friendships and romance were the last thing on his mind. Then James Tiberius Kirk entered his life. The kid wore a weakness into the walls Leonard had put up for so long, actually who was he kidding, he knocked a huge hole in them that Leonard just didn’t have the time to patch up. Mainly because he was patching Jim up.

Adventure, wonder, the final frontier! These were the selling points of Starfleet, at least to most. Leonard had one point that sold Starfleet for him: get off this damn planet ‘cause you don’t have anything keeping you here. The irony of his life was maximized by him being stuck on a damn ship, and he hated flying.

All of that aside, he was content in his life as it was now. He had become CMO of the Enterprise, not under the best of circumstances, but it was a step. He could dedicate his time to his mission, healing. His purpose, to heal people. This was his one place he found peace, at least until Jim decided to avoid his routine checks or got himself into a kind of trouble that ended with him lying in a medical bed. Which was more often than not. Leonard knew that he at least would never be bored as the CMO of the Enterprise.

While the majority of his time was chasing down the Captain for injuries, his other time was spent treating the mass of red shirts that came in. Engineers flowed in on the daily for cuts, burns, and the occasional crushed limb. The security officers were frequent flyers in the sick bay, that was if they stayed alive long enough. Leonard had seen more than his fair share of space funerals. Each new planet meant he would sign at least a dozen death certificates. Each certificate signing day was marked with a prescription of scotch that sat in the bottom drawer of his desk. The scotch was hardly a secret, at least from those on the ship. Leonard often wondered how many more planets he could take. Sure, he wasn’t ordering the planetary exploration or writing the letters home to families. So many sons and daughters who would not return home. He knew this was the hardest part of Jim’s job, often Jim received a dose of scotch after a difficult planetary excursion.

There were a few who somehow always managed to come back, typically in one piece. And this is where the secondary destroyer of walls came in. Leonard had made a point of keeping his distance from the security personnel. No doubt they were all decent people, but Leonard was growing tired of watching decent people die for Starfleet. And that was where Avery came in.

She was rolled in on a stretcher, bleeding profusely from her abdomen. She looked up at him and said, “Make this one quick doc, I have a date tonight.”

“Tell that to the hole in your stomach.” He grumbled, running the tricorder over her body to get the full extent of her injuries, pressing a hypospray into her neck.

“Jeez, buy me dinner….first.” She said before falling unconscious. He watched her skin grow paler as Nurse Chapel handed him the autosuture. He began working on closing the wound, keeping his eyes on her injury. All that mattered was closing the wound, he was not filling out more death certificates today. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the skin close cleanly, leaving a tiny scar, but he was proud of his work, even more, he could add a life saved to his small list of things that had gone write today. He stepped back and handed the auto suture to Chapel and took a seat in the chair next to her bed.

He had spent so much time of his day staring at wounds of security officers he had not taken the chance to look at the people he saved. Leonard looked up at the unconscious face of the woman on the bed. She was pretty, he would admit that, at least to himself, not to Jim. If Jim knew he would have them married within the week. Her chestnut hair was wild around her face, ripped out of the tight bun the female security officers. She was new to the Enterprise, a transfer added to replace the security officers lost at the last planet. She looked young to Leonard, too young to die.

He pulled her personnel file up on his pad, a beaming face stared up at him the green eyes lighting up the screen. She had been born in a small insignificant town in the states the same year as Jim. Leonard figured there must be a death wish among the people born in that year. She had graduated as Salutatorian of her Starfleet class, several academy awards were displayed, particularly those in marksmanship and combat. Leonard found himself wondering about the woman on the bed in front of him, who obviously could kick his ass. He set the pad aside and ran the tricorder over her again.

“Am I going to live to fight another day, doc?” She asked softly.

“It would seem that way.” He said, removing the tricorder from her. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’m not going on a date tonight.” She said with a smirk, she began to pull herself up into a sitting position. “Although, the company isn’t too bad here.”

Leonard felt his face warm against his will. “I would like to keep you overnight for monitoring, that was a nasty wound.”

She nodded, a spark in her eyes flickered, she opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by Jim entering. “How’s the patient, ‘doc’?” He asked, obviously he had been waiting for his chance to interrupt.

“Healing.” Leonard answered, rolling his eyes at the Captain.

Jim turned to Avery in the bed, who had sat up taller at the Captain’s entrance, “At ease Ensign.” He said, her shoulders fell as she sunk back into the bed. “That was impressive work today.”

She lowered her eyes to her hands as Jim continued, “Thanks to your actions, the entire planet team from today made it back to ship. You’ll have to teach me your ways with the phaser.”

“It was nothing, I was just doing my job.” She answered, quickly adding, “Captain.”

“It was a damn good job.” Jim said, “Which is why I am promoting you to Lieutenant. Congratulations.”

A small smile graced the woman’s lips, “Thank you, Captain.”

Jim nodded. He turned to Leonard and winked, “As you were.” And made his exit.

“Congratulations, Lieutenant.” Leonard said, looking into the green eyes in front of him.

“Thanks, Doc.” She said, a smile gracing her lips. “So what’s a girl got to do to spend a night with you?”

It was that moment that bricks started to fall off Leonard’s walls. “It would appear that getting stabbed is a good start.”

“I’ll keep that in mind for next time.” She said, closing her eyes and falling asleep.

Leonard knew that there would be a next time and damn did he need a drink.

#leonard bones mccoy #star trek #star trek aos #oc #james t kirk #enterprise #leonard/oc #bones/oc #fic #star trek fic

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inkedsoldier · 4 years

Text

AMOR VINCIT OMNIA - Chapter Five

A/N: Here it is – chapter five of the AMOR VINCIT OMNIA series! Do you still have some tissues within reach? Let’s continue where we ended in chapter four. I hope you enjoy & please let me know what you think about the series so far! Thanks for all the support!

Y/N = Your name.

Y/F/N = Your first name.

Y/L/N = Your last name.

Characters: Sam Drake, Nathan Drake, Y/N.

Warnings: angst, and a tiny bit of a naked Sam.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

Masterlist

Chapter Five

Scar Tissue

Finally, the day he so long waited for is here; the person he loved, his soulmate, was only a few steps away. Fifteen years he had to wait to wrap his arms around you and kiss those soft lips again. He was as nervous as ever to approach you. When Sam is just inches away you stand up and gaze at him, soaking in the warmth of his eyes. This is what you dreamt of, just the two of you, finally together again. After a moment you raise your hand to his face and let the tears fall. Before you can draw in the air you need you melt down into his form. You feel his strong physique and the heart that beats within. Sam’s hands fold around your body, drawing you in closer. He can feel your body shake, crying for the missed time you will never get back. He cups your face and wipes the tears away with his calloused thumbs, before he leaves a soft kiss on your lips. You want to speak, but the words don’t want to leave your mouth. With each touch more tears roll down and Sam makes the decision to kiss you again, to make your whole world fall away. It was slow and gentle, comforting in ways that words would never be. “Don’t go… not again,” you manage to say with a croaked voice. Sam’s mouth turns into a soft smile and nods once before folding you in his arms again and you lay your head on his chest.

The sun rose, filling the sky with shades of orange and pink, when you make your way back to Nate. The first thing you do when you arrive back in the office is give Nate a comforting hug. You still don’t know what to say as you roll your chair towards his desk, but there was a lot to talk about. “I must say, you two are unbelievable,” Sam chuckled when he sat down in the chair opposite of Nathan’s. “My little brother here told me you had stumbled upon multiple archaeological gold mines… and somehow every time managed to walk away… with nothing.” You smile and Nate answers, “Yeah, well, it’s the story of my life, I guess. But you know, I managed to grab a few trinkets here and there. Paid of the car, the house, engagement ring… Engagement ring. I’m married. I can’t believe - Elena, from the stories… that’s my wife. You got to come meet her. Tonight, dinner. At my place. Y/N already promised Lena to come; I can tell her all about you. Shit, we need to tell her all about you.” Sam uncomfortably stands up, “Nathan… I’m in a lot of trouble here.” You are confused by his reply, “What? What are you talking about? What kind of trouble?” Sam clearly didn’t know how to start; you could see it on his face. “Does the name Hector Alcazar ring a bell with you?” “Yes, he is the drug lord. The butcher of Panama, right?” you respond. “Mm-hmm. It’s a funny story, but um… for the last year he was my cell mate. So, this is how I got out of prison…”

You couldn’t believe your ears. Memories of the first time you went looking for Avery’s treasure spooked through your head when Sam spoke about the deal he had made with Alcazar. Avery’s treasure in exchange for his life. “This is bad,” Nate mutters. “No, we just pick up the trail where we left off and…” Sam started. “Wait, trail? Sam, there is no trail. After Rafe, Y/N and I escaped Panama, Rafe took his parents’ fortune and bought up all the land around the cathedral of Saint Dismas. We combed that place for weeks. Avery’s treasure is not there,” Nate told him. “Not that that’s stopped Rafe. Moron’s been digging for years. Still hasn’t turned up squat,” you spoke just hard enough for the brothers to hear. “Not really surprised,” Sam said. “What does that mean?” Nate answered. “Well I just, you know, happened to do a little digging of my own… And uh… Bet you Rafe doesn’t have this. It’s really amazing what you can find on the internet these days.” Sam shows you and Nate a picture of the Saint Dismas cross. “It’s just the Saint Dismas cross,” Nate spoke with a confused look. “Oh, is it? Because the one we found was broken. And hollow. Remember?” Sam smirked. “Holy crap, it’s still intact. Avery made more than one cross.” Nate replied while looking at the picture again. “So, whatever’s missing from the one in Panama…” Sam said. “…is probably still inside this one,” you finished. “Well, all right. Where is it?” Nate asked. “Oh, this exquisite piece is going up for auction in three days at the Rossi Estate.”

The idea that you had to start looking for the treasure again made you anxious. It took everything from you fifteen years ago; Sam, and your unborn child. The possibility that the clue was probably hidden in a second cross made it a bit easier to swallow. Nate was trying to come up with another idea to save Sam’s life, but there was not enough time left to look for a way out of this mess; the only way to get this cross in your hands was by stealing it during the black market auction at the Rossi Estate. You had to get back into the game as a thief. There was nobody else to trust with this kind of matter. Nate decided to go back home to tell Elena that you were going away for a little while to work on the Malaysia job, and to pack the equipment he needed; the younger Drake had to make his wife believe that you both took on the job after all. You also had to pack your bags for the job and the days of travel ahead. You left your motorcycle at the office so Nate could drive you and Sam to your place; Nate couldn’t just show up with a brother he never mentioned. Going home with Sam was strange. Never in a million years would you have thought this could ever happen. Of course, there were times that you and Nate still believed that there was a possibility that he was still alive, but while looking for him every question came back with a negative answer. Everything confirmed that Sam was dead.

Walking to the front porch you hold the key in the palm of your hand. Followed by Sam you think of all the things you want to say to him. Before you unlock the door, you turn around to meet his hazel eyes, “I waited for you to jump off that cliff and come home to me.” His head whipped up at the sound of your voice, “Y/N, I… I don’t know what to say.” Getting inside, you shut the door behind you with a soft click. “Why didn’t you try to reach out to us? You could’ve sent a letter, or something,” you say as you walk into the kitchen area. “I tried. I asked a guard who did some favours for me to mail a letter – to Nate’s P.O. box, but the warden saw it and he busted me up pretty bad. I never saw the guard again.” “I’m so sorry,” you respond visibly shocked. “How did you survive this mess? Nate saw you get shot and…” Sam pulls up his shirt and shows the scars on his stomach, “Yes, he did. Right… there… The doctors – doctors – they patched me up, and they tossed me right back into the cell.” You stepped closer and gently brushed over the scars, feeling the scar tissue of the exit wounds with your fingers. Shaking your head, you pull Sam’s shirt down again. “I really need to start packing before Nate comes to pick us up,” you state as you kick off your leather boots. “If you want to, you can take a shower before we leave. I still got some of your old clothes upstairs.” Sam didn’t know how to respond to that. Why did you hold on to his clothes for so many years? “I know… it’s stupid. But they still smelled like you. I missed you, Sam. I really missed you. Eventually me and Nate stopped talking about you, because the hurt was too much.”

It didn’t take you a long time to finish up packing - you always kept a bag prepared, just in case. The black backpack had seen better days. You took it with you on so many adventures; everything you needed safe inside. You also filled another bag with clothes, shoes and some other stuff you needed the next couple of days. Sam took your advice and went into the shower to freshen up before the hours of travel ahead of you. There were some essentials you needed from the bathroom, so you knocked softly on the door. “Do you mind if I come in really quick?” you asked. Yes, you had seen each other naked, but the whole situation made you rethink everything. “No, it’s okay,” Sam answered. He was still in the shower when you entered the steam filled room. Your lips parted as you inhaled deeply. The water sprayed softly on his hair, as the stream made its way down along his back and thighs. He obviously kept his physique while in prison. You snap out of your daze when you hear the doorbell ring. Rapidly you grab what you need and sprint downstairs to open the door.

“Hey, you ready?” Nate asked when you opened the door. “Almost. Sam’s in the shower, and I just finished packing my stuff. Did you get the plane tickets?” you replied with a small smile on your face. “Yeah, Sully got us three a plane ticket to Rome with a short layover in London. A rental car will be ready for us when we arrive,” he explained as he sat down on the couch. “Sully?” you said with a confused look. “I thought we could use all the help we can get, and he knows the people running the auction.” You hadn’t seen Victor Sullivan in a long time, but he was always there when you needed him. He patched you up when you got shot, or stabbed, and he loved Nate as a son. He is family.

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