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mimitsumi · 2 years

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Potsu potsu

Potsu potsu ポツポツ「Pitter-patter」

— onomatopoeia of raindrops starting to fall; pitter-patter

Where de-aged Katsuki (4 y/o) grew to love the rain because of Izuku

If Katsuki could fight the rain, trust him, he would. That was how much he hated it.

Not only was it wet, loud, and cold, it was getting in the way of his perfect plans.

To him, those clouds and winds spelled nothing but trouble. And when it finally rained, he knew it wasn’t going to be a drizzle, especially with the thunder roaring like that.

With a cheek nestled on his palm, Katsuki pouted as he stared at the window, listening to the endless pitter-patter, hoping that it would stop. A sight of yellow, red, and blue caught his eyes.

There it was, dangling against the window—the All Might fine weather doll that he and Izuku made yesterday.

“Oi, do your thing All Might. Make it stop,” Katsuki demanded, poking it with his other hand.

But the rain went on without any restraints, seemingly getting stronger and heavier with each hour.

Katsuki huffed and looked at his drawing. It was supposed to be a gift but ever since the downpour, the excitement to finish it as soon as possible left him. Even the All Might-shaped cookies by his side that he intentionally saved for later were left untouched.

The rain was such a mood killer.

He tried picking up the crayon again and got papers so he could draw something else to pass the time. But while coloring, the curly mop of green hair on his new piece made him pause.

All it did was make him miss the warmth of the sun on his skin. Of the vast forest where he laughed freely and ran as fast as he could while Izuku chased him.

It reminded him of the moments when it was just him and Izuku against the world.

The only thing that kept Katsuki motivated today was Izuku’s arrival later. But it seemed that he was likely going to be late.

Katsuki glanced at the clock and clicked his tongue when he realized it was almost 4 in the afternoon and Izuku wasn’t here yet like he promised. It was as if the rain kept him from coming over to his room like Izuku always did after their nursery classes. And maybe the rain did.

The rain really ruined everything.

“Stupid Deku. Shitty rain.”

He looked up at the sky again when he heard the thunder rumble, followed by a quick flash of lightning.

The day had been beautiful with clear blue skies yet all it took was dark clouds to obscure it.

He accounted for everything. He even endured listening to the boring news with a gloomy yellow worm to ensure that everything would go well. It said that today would be sunny.

Yet all it took was a sudden rain and everything was already falling to pieces.

Idiots. They couldn’t even do their job right.

Izuku pinky promised him that they would watch the new All Might movie after his classes. Katsuki thought that Izuku would be more bummed out because of the rain.

And with that thought, an idea struck him.

The rain came out of nowhere. He recalled the time Izuku would come back after he just left their house because he forgot his toy. He even forgot his bag once.

Izuku probably—no.

Katsuki knew for sure that Izuku forgot his umbrella.

“Stupid Deku always forgets his things.”

With his mind made up, he had a new agenda for today. A mission of sorts. One that invigorated him more than the initial plans he had.

Katsuki took it upon himself to bring an umbrella for Izuku.

A grin curled on his face. Like the heroes that save people in trouble, he was going to save Izuku from the rain.

He was going to be Izuku’s hero.

But first, he had to get past a villain. That giant yellow worm.

The worm had been watching him like a hawk, complaining about quirk accidents and problem children and how he had his fair share of dealing with them. Katsuki didn’t find it in himself to listen to the rest. All he knew was that the yellow worm was there to guard him and probably eat him if he misbehaved. There was no way it would ever let him out, especially in this bad weather.

Katsuki left his room and hid behind the wall to see what it was up to in the common room.

He had his laptop open, sipping a jelly juice pouch. Once the clock strikes 4, that would be his opportunity to go because he would be getting another one. All he had to do was get the umbrella, be quiet and leave then he would be Izuku’s hero.

He returned to his room and dressed for the rainy weather biding his time.

When it was 4 pm, Katsuki tied his shoes in record time and took an umbrella. He silently left his room and went downstairs, waiting for the giant worm to turn his back and go to the kitchen. Once he was out of earshot, Katsuki sneakily went outside.

Katsuki did it. He got out without the villain noticing.

He couldn’t wait to see Izuku’s surprised face. Maybe receive praise or two for saving him.

Izuku’s meeting with All Might concluded early. They didn’t have much to talk about aside from how he was faring at taking care of his de-aged childhood friend. Fortunately, he didn’t have much trouble with Katsuki.

Izuku knew Katsuki the best, inside and out.

He took long strides, briskly walking the halls when he realized what time it was. He didn’t want to break his promise with Katsuki, knowing what he was like when throwing a tantrum. Just when he was about to round a corner, his phone started to vibrate.

“Is Bakugou with you?” Shouta asked with urgency.

Izuku blinked twice at the sudden call and told him no.

Once his teacher told him that Katsuki was missing, Izuku instantly ended the call and broke into a run. He refused to think about it, considering they were in UA, but the possibility of Katsuki being taken again was the one thing that blared in his mind.

He couldn’t afford to lose him again.

He jumped down from the flight of stairs, softening his landing with his quirk, and ran until he was outside, frantically looking everywhere, thinking where he could be taken.

His eyes darted to the forest where he trained. It was the perfect hiding spot. Without a second thought, he went in, ambling silently. He didn’t want to spook the villain into hurting Katsuki if he was heard. He was thankful that the rain muted some of the sounds he made.

Izuku could only hope that Katsuki was safe.

“Deku!”

Izuku shushed whoever made the noise before he suddenly froze in place, recognizing that tiny voice. He slowly turned to look behind him, blinking twice when he saw it was Katsuki in a yellow raincoat, holding an All Might umbrella.

“K-Kacchan?”

“Who else would it be stupid De—”

“Kacchan!”

Izuku scooped him up in his arms, wrapping them tightly around Katsuki, warm and protective as he rested his chin on the child’s shoulder. He could finally release a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

But Katsuki grunted and lightly pushed him away, picking up the umbrella he dropped when Izuku hugged him, none the wiser to the panic he caused.

“You’re getting us both wet, Deku.”

Izuku sheepishly smiled and apologized as he pulled back.

“What are you doing out here, Kacchan?”

“Stupid Deku forgot his umbrella so I got you one,” Then Katsuki looked down, shuffling his feet on the ground, “... didn’t want you to get sick. If you did, then we can’t watch All Might anymore.”

Izuku’s eyes softened. He didn’t think that Katsuki could get any cuter than this but apparently, he did. He couldn’t help but ruffle his spiky hair, making Katsuki jut out his lips more in a pout.

“That won’t happen because Kacchan saved me!”

“Damn right, I did.”

Izuku couldn’t bring himself to tell him off about his language. Watching that familiar smirk curl on Katsuki’s face was reassuring, relieved that he was safe from harm. He was so worried that he failed to realize how wet he was because of the downpour.

“Stop forgetting your umbrella, Deku.”

“I won’t. I promise.”

In fact, Izuku had an umbrella right now in his bag. He always brought one with him because Katsuki always reminded him to bring one.

But it was so sweet how little de-aged Katsuki did the same and more when he came all the way here just to fetch him an umbrella.

His heart couldn’t take this cuteness all at once.

Izuku took the umbrella from him, “Let’s go back to the dorms, Kacchan.”

Suddenly, Katsuki seized his sleeve and pulled it down, shaking his head.

“What’s wrong, Kacchan? Are you hurt?”

Katsuki shook his head again and just pulled more until Izuku grasped his tiny hand and squeezed, kneeling down to his level.

“You can tell me anything, Kacchan. I promise to keep it a secret.”

Katsuki reluctantly nodded and Izuku remained patient as Katsuki took his time to say what he wanted.

“I don’t wanna go back yet.”

Izuku raised his brow at this. Katsuki hated the rain ever since they were children. He knew that Katsuki would be more than eager to go back somewhere warm and cozy, away from the wet and cold. So his decision to stay outside longer made him confused.

“Why not?”

“Just because.” Then he added, “... the giant worm is scary.”

It took Izuku a moment to realize that he was referring to their homeroom teacher. He chuckled and ruffled Katsuki’s hair once more.

Kacchan’s so cute.

Katsuki pouted and swatted his hand away, “Shut up, Deku.”

Izuku stopped teasing him and gave in to his request to stay for a little longer.

Katsuki used to hate the rain for keeping him indoors, waiting and bored, unable to play with Izuku as they were both forced to stay in their homes to avoid being sick.

But now, Katsuki didn’t want to admit it out loud but he started to love the rain as he got to spend more time with Izuku like he always wanted. He didn’t even complain when Izuku held his hand and dragged him, teaching him the joy of the rain.

They ran through the forest, chasing each other, and then they danced under the rain, splashing around the puddles, sharing laughs and smiles.

And what happened after was the best thing.

Katsuki got to stay wrapped up in Izuku’s arms, leaning on his chest, feeling his warmth on him while Izuku made his head a chin rest again with little protests. They were both bundled up, sipping hot cocoa, watching that All Might movie.

Katsuki couldn’t wait for it to rain again.

// End

#dkbk #dekubaku #izukatsu #decchan #dkbk fic #dkbk fanfic #izuku x katsuki #deku x kacchan

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laly-481 · 1 year

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J'ai publié 129 fois en 2022

85 billets créés (66%)

44 billets reblogués (34%)

Les blogs que j'ai le plus reblogués :

@laly-481

@tundra115

@nightwingsaregoths

@just-one-more-utmv-fan

@aesusen

J'ai étiqueté 68 billets en 2022

Seulement 47% de mes billets ne comportaient pas de tag

#wings of fire - 23 billets

#wof - 21 billets

#my art - 18 billets

#my oc - 11 billets

#undertale - 9 billets

#utmv - 9 billets

#undertale frisk - 6 billets

#frisk - 6 billets

#laly - 6 billets

#wings of fire oc - 5 billets

Tag le plus long : 95 caractères

#also there was a whole story of sunny and undyne exchanging bodies because they acted super ooc

Mes billets vedette en 2022 :

n°5

Wings of Fire - My AU

This post is like, writing all the facts about my AU. I'll reblog it every once a while when I have something to add. This contain spoilers. Also TW trauma and mentions of suicide ? And other thing like that ?

- Glory wasn't named by the guardians. They only ever called her "the Rainwing" (or insults) so the DoD decided to give her a name. Because them naming her glory made no sense-

- Sunny is single. Honestly Tui will have to make a REALLY REALLY great ship to make me change my mind about that.

- Riptide is an aquatic teacher in the Jade Mountain. He teach to any dragon who wants to how to understand the language and can give special lessons to Seawings who don't speak it for some reasons.

- Quinterwatcher.

- Fatespeaker has the same powers as Whiteout. So kind of empathy and weak seer ability. Also she totally know that Starflight love her because she act lile Sunny and it kind of break her.

- Turtle enchanted himself to not love Kinkajou anymore because of Anemone's spell. Sad :') I'm doing it for the angst- (and because it litteraly had no consequences ?!)

- Winter was suicidal back in the Ice Kingdom, especially after Hailstorm was captured, because he was his main reason to keep living. His parents sent him to the Jade Mountain hoping it would help because it's frowned upon to have a kid that kill themself (and let me pretend they cared-). But he's better now :)

- This 🛐(also it traumatized her way more than shown in the book. Because I legit forgot at some point it happened to her. Like it traumatized her so when she got locked up with Turtle by Darkstalker she had a panick attack because she thought she was back on the island where they experimented on her) Credit to @wof-as-humans on this post for this hc and the inspo for the one before

- Scarlet is... Scarlet because she was very young when she had to kill her mother (and become queen). It kind of drove her crazy.

- She also did cared about Peril, and ended up considering her as her daughter. It was an accident thought, she just wanted to use her at first, she just got too attached.

- The colors Rainwing usually have (like for example Jambu is usually pink, he can change it and it change with his emotions but he mostly take the color pink) actually represent their usual mood. Like Gloria's green because she's stressed (with some orange which is irritation, blue so sadness because she's left out due to being the intruder in the DoD prophecy and red/pink but idk so let's go with pink for the love for the other DoD). Kinkajou is yellow for excitement/amusement and pink for love and happiness. Jambu is very pink because he's very happy.

- When Clearsight enchanted Darkstalker so he sleep, they were adults. Because I prefer it that way so does everyone I know in the fandom-

67 notes - publié le 23 février 2022

n°4

Wdym they aren't called the sandwich sisters

69 notes - publié le 16 mai 2022

n°3

I've connected the two dots I've connected them !

115 notes - publié le 1 mai 2022

n°2

Imagine some rainwings, who grew up living only with other rainwings, sometime just forget other dragons don't change colors with their emotions.

Like they'll see a Skywing and spend half an hour wondering what they did to make them angry, only to realise that's just how they look and it has nothing to do with their emotions.

162 notes - publié le 13 juin 2022

Mon billet n°1 en 2022

But what if Darkstalker looked a little more like an Icewing before, but he enchanted himself to be more like a Nightwing.

What if he had purple blood and frostbreath, but he hated it so much he used his power to get rid of it.

What if he used to have a lot more of white scales scattered on his body.

Maybe that hc is like- totally unoriginal, but shut

262 notes - publié le 29 mai 2022

Obtenez votre année 2022 en revue sur Tumblr →

#tumblr2022 #année en revue #mon année tumblr 2022 en revue #votre année tumblr en revue #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #finally did this #this look very funny that i reblog my own blog the most lmao #it's because my reblog blog is just-one-more-utmv-fan

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spnae · 1 year

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Chapter 34 The Talking Dead

(This title has absolutely nothing to do with TWD, no copy-write infringement intended.)

Willow went back out with Xander to place the stones her friends had helped her carve the night before. It had taken them the better part of the morning and into the early afternoon since Xander had to cement them each in place along the wall. Willow would murmur an incantation over each one as he did. By the time they were finished with the sheer number of them, Willow was exhausted.

“Ahh, Will? I hate to break it to you but I think we forgot one. Kinda a big one too,” Xander held up a large rock bigger than his fist.

“No, that’s the ‘catalyst stone’. It gets buried under the entrance to the property. At the edge of the driveway in the middle. I’ll use it tonight to finish the spell. Right now, I think I need a break.” Willow muttered sleepily as she drifted towards the Duplex.

“Wills? Seriously lacking in domestic comforts there. You know, like windows and furniture. What are you doing?”

She sighed wistfully, “You go. I just want to check in on Ruby before I head in for a nap.”

“Don’t be long. Buffy wants to get this little shindig out of the way before the girls leave.”

“I’ll make an appearance. It's just the two girls leaving today. The other two head out tomorrow I think.”

“Yeah well Faith is freaking everybody out with this thing so chop-chop.”

With that the two friends parted ways and Willow made her way down to the basement on her side of the duplex. She knocked on the basement wall, “Ruby? Are you awake?” she asked timidly.

There was a shuffling sound. As Willow continued to descend the stairs Ruby suddenly came into view wearing a Led Zeppelin t-shirt and a pair of sleep pants that hugged her curves a little too well despite how baggy they were on her, “Oh, ehh hey there,” the words came out breathy.

“Oh hey,” she answered.

“How are you feeling?”

“I’ve been better.”

“I bet.”

Ruby eyed the witch critically, “You look beat. No offense. I mean, you’re– humm… Here, have a seat,” she gestured to one of the mismatched chairs nervously. “Is everything alright?”

Willow sat down heavily, “Just witch stuff, you probably don’t want to know.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

Willow settled back into the chair, “I just did a whole lot of setting-incantations; getting ready for a big spell tonight and it sort of took it out of me. I’m headed for a nap but I wanted to check on you first. How’s it going?”

Ruby’s eyes widened momentarily before she let out a little puff of air, allowing herself to relax a little into the other chair, “I’m alright. You were kinda right about the shower and sleep. I actually feel almost normal.”

“Really?”

“Okay, so no. That’s a gross overstatement. Not normal. I’m just– Is there anything I can do?”

“Oh, Ruby that’s–” the look in Ruby’s eyes cut her off and she had to start again. “You just need to focus on getting better alright?”

“I sort of feel like I might start going mad if I don’t do something soon. A project or— Just get out for a bit. Something. I’m not asking to leave, I oddly kinda like it here. Although I’m not really sure where here is. I was still a little out of it when you guys brought me in. I think I just want to get some fresh air.”

“It’s a little sunny out for you right now.”

Ruby grinned, “I didn’t mean now. So what is this place?”

“It’s– it’s my house– or it will be. It needs some work before Xan and I can move in.”

“You and Xan? The smaller big guy? I’m sorry, I just thought–”

“Ohh! Humm I am, I mean– No, it’s not like that. He’s my best friend. He’s taking the second suite upstairs. There’s two.”

“Oh– so eh–”

“Humm yeah–”

“It’s— do you want anything? Ok that’s stupid– all I have is blood. I’m sorry. I just– Trying to be polite and it’s all coming out wrong. Nervous I guess,” Ruby stamared awkwardly.

“I sort of still have a, well not really a girlfriend… I hope not… I mean… I should just stop talking.” Willow blurted out suddenly. Her cheeks flushed and she looked stricken.

Ruby bobbed her head calmly a moment and grinned slowly, “Willow, please. Don’t get me wrong. I think you’re— look I know I’m not in a great state and you know, living dead and all. And now I got a soul too. I'm not really sure what the hell that means… I’m trying to get on with it, yeah, but I don’t think I’m ready to ‘move’ on if you get my meaning.”

“Lauren?”

Ruby swallowed hard, “Yeah—“ she hung her head.

“She was your girlfriend?”

Ruby brought her head up slowly, piercing Willow with her pale gray eyes that nearly seemed to glow, “Never really got that far actually.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

She paused a moment as she curled her feet under her in the chair, “I’d always been the quiet one. Studying, reading. Most outlandish thing about me is my taste in music. I hadn't really given relationships much serious thought; until I met Lauren.”

“Really? Like at all?”

Ruby shrugged, “Guess you’d have to know our parents. They always talked about marriage and having kids like it was our purpose in life. Guess you could say I was seriously repressed.”

Willow frowned, “So what happened?”

“Met Lauren. It was just like we had always known each other; instant friends. I wanted more than that though— I invited her out to hang out with some friends. Hoped it would be kinda like a date, you know?”

“The night you went missing.”

“The night I died. Yeah. She had something she had to do but she was supposed to meet us at the club. She seemed really excited about it too—“ Ruby stood up suddenly, pacing with agitated grace.

“Ruby—“

She held up a hand, “No— I think I need to get this out. Please—“

“Okay—“

It was a moment before she spoke again, “My friends and I were taking a bit of a shortcut through an alley when we were jumped.”

“Vampires.”

“Thought they were muggers— one grabbed me from behind and I woke up alone in a crypt.”

“Giles said he had a call from a ME about a missing body matching your description and a dead medical assistant. We just thought that was you.”

“No. Not me. I definitely woke up in a crypt inside one of the vaults. I had to push the lid off to climb out. Didn’t know what the hell had happened.”

“And no one was around. Not your sire or anyone?”

“No, no one”

“Do you remember anything about the vamp that sired you?”

“I– no actually– they bit me from behind and made me drink from their arm pressed in front of my face… I never saw them. Her… It might have been–” she felt the side of her throat absentmindedly. “Yeah, I think it was a woman. Just a feeling.”

“Huhh, well that’s something I guess. Kinda weird.”

“What’s weird?”

“Not that. That’s actually pretty standard I guess. I’m just trying to figure out if there is any kind of a pattern. Most of the time when vamps are trying to build up ranks or have some kind of a purpose they tend to take an interest in their fledglings. Not that they are super nurturing or anything, just look at Spike and his ex— big yikes. I don’t think most vampires know who sired them to be honest. I’m just pointing out that your sire took enough interest to actually put you into a vault inside of a crypt but then didn’t stick around. It’s probably fairly common really, definitely not unheard of, but it might be significant.”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged dismissively, “All I know is that the others I met were not the brightest bulbs and seemed pretty new too. Not one of them were anything like Spike. He’s got this– power or something that just comes off of him, you can tell he’s older. The others didn’t have that..”

“Fledges…” Willow supplied, “Spike is what we call a Master Vampire. Meaning he’s over a century old and really knows his stuff. Powerful too, obviously.”

“Yeah… I mean when I woke up, all I really knew was that I was way stronger than normal, really confused and I knew that I had never met up with Lauren. I just really needed to let her know that I hadn’t stood her up. I needed to see her.”

“So you went to find her.”

She resumed her seat, “Yeah… I did.”

They were both quiet. Willow wasn’t sure if she wanted to hear the rest of the story but she wasn’t going to stop Ruby. If it would help her to get it out, she would listen.

Ruby turned those eerily bright eyes on her again before she continued, “It didn’t even register to me that it was the middle of the night. She looked so damn cute when she answered her door half asleep. I must have looked like a mess because she invited me right in. I started to explain what happened. Tried to tell her I hadn’t meant to stand her up but then… she kissed me— and I— it was— didn’t know what happened but next thing I knew. God I was so hungry. I’ve never been so hungry before and then— then I wasn’t. And Lauren was dead. I never— I didn’t mean to—“ she choked. Ruby suddenly got up and went to the bathroom sink to splash water on her face.

Willow swallowed a hard lump in her throat. She had already guessed the story didn’t have a happy ending. She puffed out a breath and followed her into the bathroom.

“Ruby—“

“That wasn’t even the worst of it. If you can believe that.” She stood with her hands on either side of the sink. Her shoulders shook as she continued, “The worst part is that I didn’t leave. See I had a moment of clarity and I realized what had happened. That I’d become what my baby sister had been born to kill. But I was relishing it. I didn’t see it as a ‘bad’ thing at the time. I felt so… alive.” She laughed bitterly.

The sound made the hair on the back of Willow’s neck stand up.

“How ironic is that? I actually felt alive for the first time. I drained the girl I wanted to be with of life and somehow I felt alive. Sick—- I actually hung out at Lauren’s, for a bit. Killed her roommate when she came home and caught me going through their stuff… Never gave it a thought… I even took a shower. Took some of her roommate’s clothes and then– then I left.”

“Goddess that’s—“

“Ran into a group of vamps in an old building I went in for the day. One of ‘em started telling me off for killing right off. Saying I should be turning them. Give the Slayers something to fight. I showed them where to find the castle. I showed them where to hit. It just grew from there— It’s all my fault— all of it.”

“How many know?”

She shook her head, “Just the ones that got away. I don’t know how many that was. They were all pretty focused on the kill. I told them to hold off until I got into the castle. That I’d force someone to let them in… that’s sort of where the plan fell apart. Wasn’t a great plan in retrospect.”

Willow stood behind her and gripped Ruby’s shoulders comfortingly, “Ruby, please, don’t do this. You need rest.”

“Been sleeping most of the day as it is.”

“You’re nocturnal and you’ve been through a lot in the last few days. You should be sleeping most of the day.”

“Why do you care so much? Why do all of this anyway? The soul thing I mean. From what I hear there was only ever two and what, now baby makes three?”

“It wasn’t just that.”

“Sheena?”

“Yeah. That and I was able to find an Orb of Thesulah pretty easily this time. It just seemed like the right thing to do.”

“The right thing to do… yeah…”

“Ruby, please. I’m dead on my feet here. You need sleep.”

“Says the girl with a pulse,” she scoffed.

“Come on, let's get you in bed.”

“What would your girlfriend think of that, I wonder?”

“Come on,” she answered as she steered her towards the cot and the pile of rumpled blankets on it. Ignoring the comment.

“Well the good news is that the spell I’m doing tonight should not only keep any unwanted vampires off the property but it should also keep them from finding it again too.”

Ruby sat down on the cot looking at her with interest, “You can do that?”

“Yup. I might not be super strong but I pack a punch.”

“Big things in small packages and all that, yeah?”

Willow smiled warmly.

“Now that’s just not fair. I’m trying to be all remorseful and repentant and then you go and do a thing like that—“ Ruby laughed weakly.

“I humm…”

“No, I know. Still kind of have a girlfriend and I’m a mental case— absolute scum, piece of shit– a monster.”

“You’re not a piece of shit or scum–”

“Tell that to Lauren and her roommate, how about the little Slayer I killed, or how about my baby sister? Pretty sure they’d all tell you I’m scum right about now… and I’m definitely a monster.”

“Technically I guess ‘monster’ is true but you’re not a monster-y monster. You don’t have to be.”

“Right, supposed to dawn a white hat now.”

“Give it time. Apparently killing demons is good for the soul. According to Spike that is.”

“Guess it factors into the repentance angle of things.”

“It definitely does. Spike was evil almost a century and a half before he got his soul and he’s a good guy now. He’ll help you through stuff, he’s actually a surprisingly good teacher. Buffy too.”

“And you?”

“I’m actually going to Rome soon.”

Ruby shifted uncomfortably, “Wow, I know the timing is bad and I came on a bit strong and all but I didn’t think I’d scare you off to a different country,” she sat back onto the cot a little further hugging her knees, “Wait a tic, don’t you live here? I mean the castle, not the under-construction vampire housing.”

“I’m going to be moving in when it’s done. I still live in Rome. I’m just here visiting because of the attack on the castle.”

“Making it hard for me to feel sorry for the castle bit now. Thanks for letting me stay here.”

“It’s nothing. Do you— do you want to come upstairs? I can show you what I have in mind for the place.”

“I’d like that, but aren’t we cutting into your nap time? I’d hate for your spell to go all wonky because I’ve kept you up. You aren’t leaving today are you?”

“End of the week, although I might call work and stay a little longer if they need me. Seems to be a backlog of witchy-work for me here.”

“You can show me round another time then. I’m thinking you’re probably right about getting some rest. You’re welcome to join me.”

“The cot isn’t very big.”

“Might have to look into getting a proper bed in here if I’m staying on.”

“What about your parents?”

“I’d like to see them but— the vampire thing— Even with the soul; I’m not— I feel horrible about the killing; I really do… but I don’t feel bad about being me. I’m—“ she grasped Willow’s hand lightly, “I don’t want to pretend I’m their ‘normal’, introverted daughter anymore because, I’m not—- I just don’t want to— I don’t want to go back to being repressed and hiding who I am. I can’t go back to university and I can’t go back to that house and just live there like I just have a sun allergy and a taste for blood.”

“I barely know you and I’m already really proud of you… and you know you’re welcome to live here— eh, in the basement. I’m totally fine with you staying here while I’m in Rome.”

“Ta. So hum, how about after you move in?”

“Let’s just see how things go. I’m not even sure how long it is going to take to fix the place up.”

“But you’ll definitely be back, yeah?”

“Might be a few months but yeah. I’m definitely coming back. I have a job here and everything.” She found herself leaving off the part about having done the same job remotely for the past year and that she would likely be starting the school year off the same way, but then hastily added, “I work at a library in Rome.”

“Bet you rock the sexy librarian bit,” Ruby bit her lip shyly.

Willow cleared her throat, “I like books. I haven’t seen the attic yet but Buffy says it already has bookshelves, I’m really looking forward to— I’m being-book girl. Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I like books too. I think it’s adorable.”

“I- I better get going. You get some rest,” but Willow still made no move to leave. How many times had she started to leave now?

“You too. Maybe I’ll see you tonight?”

“Humm, yeah I think so, probably. I think we were planning on getting you some of your stuff.”

“Most of it’s at Uni.”

Willow nodded, “That’s probably better anyway. Baby-steps. I’ll talk to Buffy, we can probably hit the campus tonight after the hospital,” she yawned.

“That’s enough of that. You’ve got that protection spell in the works, and you want to check out my little sis? I don’t know much about magic yet, but I imagine it takes focus and for that you need rest.”

“Yet huhh?”

“It’s been an eye opening fortnight. There’s been a lot to wrap my head around and the way I see it, I’m not done. Magic isn’t only very real but it’s sort of fascinating. Now, I get the feeling you and I could talk all day and night; but you need sleep darling. Don’t want you doing subpar poking around in my sister’s head now do we? Now, you can either head back to whatever cozy spot you got in the castle there, or you can snuggle in here with me. Your choice.”

“Ahhh… I’d better.”

“Yeah, I think you’d better,” she grinned lazily as she watched Willow finally retreat off the little bed and towards the stairs. She pursed her lips, “Thanks for the chat.”

“Sure, you’re welc—“ she stopped herself, “No, thank you for trusting me enough to talk to me.”

There was a moment of stunned silence between them before Willow finally turned and left up the stairs.

**************************

Outside, she glanced up into the orchard at the back of the castle as she made her way to the front. Buffy, Xander, Faith, and Callum were setting up for an impromptu going away party for the older girls. Zari and Wendy were leaving today. Faith had this crazy idea of setting up a sort of obstacle course in what was left of the orchard. She had made targets for the girls to throw weapons at, like a weird party game. Willow was certain that the attempt at such frivolity was a mistake but she wasn’t about to argue.

Right now she was too tired. Her stomach grumbled. And apparently hungry too… She sighed as she headed into the kitchen where Spike was sitting at the large dinner table with his injured leg propped on a chair and a large container of blood in front of him.

“How’s Ruby?”

“How— Xan.”

“That and a bit of deductive reasoning.”

“Yeah we had a nice long chat.”

“Get to the bottom of this Lauren business?”

“Yeah… got an update on her body-count too— she’s in rough shape.”

“She opened up to someone. That’s a good start.” He nodded, “What kind of body-count are we talking about here?”

“Three including Deloris.”

“The benefits of youth.”

“Pretty sure it’s just three too many for her.”

He nodded, “Still, it’s a nice low number she can come to terms with over time.”

“She’s lucky to have you.”

Spike rolled a shoulder, unwilling to say more. He wasn’t really sure what he could offer her except experience and he wasn’t sure if that would be enough. He took another drink of blood, “Bloody hell, I’m knackered.”

“I’m surprised you’re even up.”

He let out a long suffering sigh, “Wouldn’t be but for the girls. Figured blood was the next best thing to proper rest.”

“You look a little better.”

“Bones are settling in place nicely. Blood helps, human would be better but this gets the job done.”

“That’s just weird.”

“What is?”

“The way vampires heal, it’s really weird. Like your bones just set themselves?”

“Only partly, depends on the break. Sometimes they require a little ‘nudge’ in the right direction. These breaks didn’t need a whole lot of convincing.”

“Ouch.”

He shrugged and drank deeply from the mug, “What d’you make of all this?” He asked waving a hand around the kitchen at the trays of snacks and drinks Faith had roped Buffy into helping her with.

“Yeah—“

“Bit in poor taste ain’t it?”

“Maybe a little… I’m surprised Buffy is going along with it. Or Callum for that matter.”

“We think this might be some weird coping thing Faith is trying— I don’t get it myself. No denying the girl seems off. Think this is all hitting her harder than she’s letting on. You notice Callum has barely left her side?”

“I just met the guy. I guess I just thought that was kinda normal for them.”

He shook his head, “Sure he’s been here a fair amount, just not like this. He’s nearly moved in… like he’s afraid she’s going to fall apart. What’s more is I think he’s right.”

Willow watched the three of them outside the window and shook her head. “I guess people grieve in different ways…”

“Going off the deep-end and trying to destroy the world after losing the love of your life, that I get— throwing a going away party for the graduating class after losing a student and having one in a coma— I don’t know, maybe it’s just me.”

Willow sat down across from him, “What did you say?”

“I— shit— I didn’t mean to open old wounds, Red. Mouth is ahead of my brain again and ya caught me in a bad moment. I’m just trying to sort out all this nonsense here. Didn’t really know Deloris that well if I’m being honest, but she was a sweet girl. I’m nearly as close to Sheena as I once was with Dawn. I know she’s hanging on but it all feels wrong… doing all this without her here…”

“I get it. Just don’t let Dawn hear you talk like that. Pretty sure you’re back on her ‘favorite peoples list’ in a big way since you came back.”

“Wouldn’t know. Haven’t seen the bit or even talked to her much since Buffy and I’ve been back in it. Thought crossed my mind, more than once, that maybe she didn’t really want to see me. But then why would she be seemingly fine with me regularly shagging her sister?”

“Wow, Spike, you really have a way with words.”

“First time round she was my violent golden goddess and I was the corpse shoved in her closet. We both knew it but it didn’t mean the same thing to the other. Neither of us were exactly gentle. Violent. Toxic. Course everything is different now. No more closet. We talk. Actually talk. And I love it, love her. I like being out in the open with her.”

Willow blinked, stunned, “I—“ she hesitated, then pressed her lips together. “She’s been referring to you as her brother-in-law, Dawn has, I mean, did you know that?”

He had a feeling that wasn’t what she wanted to say but he didn’t press, “Buffy might’ve mentioned it.”

“Believe me, she likes you.”

He nodded, looking at the blood in the container in front of him.

“Thank you,” Willow said suddenly.

He gave her a questioning look, “For what?”

“Understanding. About Tara. Buffy and Xan— they said they understood but I don’t think they really did— not until this past year. Okay Buffy, did but— I mean— more I guess— ok that sounds awful— I just— “

“I know what you mean. Girl has known too much loss already. Look, I really liked Tara, she was always kind. Good to me when everyone else treated me like dirt. She helped Buffy through a hard time when I was too blind to see what she really needed. Means a lot in retrospect. Can’t hardly blame you for goin’ dark really.”

“It still doesn’t justify what I did.”

He shrugged, “Dunno if I’d go that far. I might’ve helped you had I been round.”

“No. You wouldn’t have. You would have helped Buffy and you would have been right.”

“Not sure how I’d react if I lost her the way you lost Tara. If you hadn’t– If I’d come back and found her gone— soul or no soul. Crazy or not… I don’t think it would have been pretty…”

They were both quiet for a moment as they watched the proceedings outside the kitchen window. Spike took another long swallow of blood then spoke again, “You know, by the time I was the age Buffy is now I’d only lost one person I’d loved, not her though.”

“That was random. Who was it?”

“Humm?” He hummed through a sip of blood.

“Who did you lose?”

“My father. When I was ‘bout fifteen.”

“I’m sorry.”

Spike snapped out of his melancholy, “Doesn’t matter now, does it? You look knackered. Did you need something other than a cozy spot to crash?”

“Food.”

He raised his eyebrows, “Well this is the kitchen. Go on, don’t let me stop you. Don’t think they’ll notice if you hit the cheese plate and I think there’s some fruit salad in the fridge. You look a bit peaky.”

“Thanks.”

“Any time, Red.”

“No, really. Thanks, Spike. Humm… William. It really means a lot to hear it.”

He gave her a serious nod, “Just telling you the truth is all. You’re stealing Buffy’s tricks by the way. She almost only ever calls me ‘William’ when she’s dead serious about something.”

She squirmed a little, “Yeah, I know. That’s why I said it too.”

“Message received.” He tipped the blood in a salute and downed it.

Moments later, after Willow had managed to get some food, the girls came down in a storm to eat and celebrate the Level 4 girls completion of the training program. Willow had taken up a seat on Spike’s right and had refilled his blood for him. The two sat in alternating bouts of friendly conversation and companionable silence as the girls swarmed around them in a frenzy before slowly flitting outside.

Willow yawned.

“Bloody hell, go on Red, get some kip, you got that spell going later. I’ll cover for you.”

“Tell Buffy I want to take Ruby with us to the hospital later and then to Ruby’s place near campus to get her clothes and things.”

“I’ll tell her. You go on before anyone else keeps you up any longer would you?”

“I’m goin’, I’m goin’, yeesh.”

Spike chuckled, “I’ll believe that when you’re sawing logs.”

********************

Spike was on the couch watching an old black and white horror movie when Buffy and Faith returned from taking Wendy and Zari to the airport with Giles. Nothing had gone according to plan since the attack on the castle but at least the first two girls were off to their new placements. Wendy to Miami and Zari to Cleveland. Tomorrow would be Ursula and Addison’s turn, they would both be going to Pittsburgh.

Faith made a quick excuse and ran upstairs.

Giles sat himself down gingerly on the other couch, carefully propping his leg up.

Buffy positioned herself on the edge of the couch where Spike was laying on his good side and leaned into him for a kiss.

“How was it?” he asked.

“Fine. They have their contacts lined up and they are supposed to call when they get in.”

“About time something went right.”

“No kidding!” She huffed as she slumped against him.

He let out a brief hiss of pain but waved off the look of concern she shot him. Instead he wrapped an arm around her loosely, pulling her in a little bit more, “Wasn’t braced for that is all. You know I can take whatever you throw at me, Slayer.”

She settled into him a little more, “Has Willow been down yet?”

“Not that I’ve seen but I’ve been dozing since things quieted down, just woke up a bit ago.”

“I’m glad you got some rest. Maybe we should get you back upstairs.”

He raised an eyebrow, “You know, I’ve been thinking.”

“About the demons that did this to you?”

“Well, been thinking about that too but I was talking about the other day actually. Sure did give me some ideas to keep me entertained while I convoless.” He purred seductively.

Buffy thought through their link, How can you even think about sex right now? You can barely move.

He turned his head towards the TV as though he were interested in the movie but answered her with his thoughts. That’s exactly what’s got me thinking, well that and Ruby’s shackles layin’ in the utility room there. Perfect opportunity to let you have your wicked way with me.

“Ah—Ohhh…”

Unless you’re opposed to opening that particular door again. You know I’m not. Don’t get me wrong, Love. I know things are different, lot less fear and loathing between us now, but maybe we should have a little talk. Yeah? Later? Not in front of the Watcher that is. He shot Giles a flickering glance behind her shoulder, “Please?” His voice came out hushed.

Buffy couldn’t help wondering if he was asking because the guilt was eating at him again. Not that it ever left completely, but it came in waves. Sometimes he was almost despondent under the weight of his past and other times it was almost like none of it ever happened. Spike seemed to handle it much better than Angel ever did but still. Since the attack on the castle he had been a little more quiet. They both had, really. Then it had redoubled since Ruby got her soul. Now he was injured and asking Buffy to chain him up? For fun?

“I’m afraid I haven’t had much time to look for that sword in my research. I confess I’ve been a bit busy since Willow and Xander arrived,” Giles interrupted their nearly silent conversation.

Spike cleared his throat, “Think it might be time to reevaluate your priorities.”

“I assure you, Spike, what I’ve been working on is of the utmost importance to everyone in this castle and I am sure even you would agree with that.”

Spike eyed Buffy critically, “This is the thing that’s had your stomach in knots since your chat with Willow?” She nodded stiffly, more surprised by the fact that he hadn’t already asked what was bothering her and comforted by the thought of him waiting for her to come to him with it. “And you don’t have enough solid information yet to worry me about it, that it?”

“Pretty much.”

“You’ll tell me when you’re ready?”

“You know I will.”

“Right then, let’s crack on! Giles, do you have any theories about the sword and why these bastards wanted it so bad?”

“I think it’s likely a sword of power.”

“Neither of us got anything off of it, right Love?”

“No, nothing.”

“I’m not sure that either of you would. Willow may be able to sense something about it though.”

“Red is clocking some serious witching hours on this trip ain’t she? Are we sure that’s wise?”

“She has been through extensive training and is doing exceptionally well since the destruction of Sunnydale. I’m sure she will be quiet up to the task.”

“She’s finishing the boundary spell tonight before we take Ruby out,” Buffy checked her watch, “Speaking of, I should go find her. We have a lot of ground to cover tonight.”

“Should take Faith, make it a proper girls night.”

“Oh right, visiting a coma patient and clearing out Ruby’s place. Totally fun,” she rolled her eyes, “I’ll ask if she wants to see Sheena but I kinda doubt it. She sort of hates hospitals.”

“Yeah well starting to look like one around here,” he scoffed as he gestured to himself and Giles and their matching leg injuries, “The English don’t seem to be fairing very well.”

“Aww is it movie night in the infirmary?”

“Dunno, are you sticking around Rupert?”

“Only because I rather enjoy this film. I haven’t seen it in years.”

“See, classic horror is a crowd pleaser.”

“Just don’t bite Giles when your tummy gets all growly.”

“No chance, it’s Boris Karloff in ‘The Mummy’, not particularly appetizing.”

“So much ewww.”

#fanfic #buffy the vampire slayer #buffy fanfic #buffy x spike #spuffy #bound #spike x buffy

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averagewriter-inthedark · 2 years

Text

Welcome To Avengers Campus | No Way Home AU P.1 (?)

set after the events of SMNWH (contains spoilers)

Marvel Masterlist | Other Masterlists

Characters/pairings: Jacqueline Elizabeth Stark (OC), Tom!Peter Parker (platonic/*adopted son type relationship*), Andrew!Peter Parker (platonic), Tobey!Peter Parker (platonic), Tony Stark (platonic/nephew), Steve Rogers (platonic/best friend), Bucky Barnes (platonic/best friend), Howard Stark (platonic/brother), Natasha Romanoff (platonic/best friend). Pretty much everyone else is a platonic relationship I haven’t decided who would be romantic interest.

Content Warnings: references to Earth-616, mentions of violence and death. Slight cannon divergence (Tony & Nat are alive /the Peters are trapped), Steve slander (sorry) | female oc | This is kinda long just warning you.

Premise: It was supposed to easy spell, but of course things go wrong. Now two Peter Parkers from alternate universes are stuck in a world they know nothing about. Can Strange fix it? Yes, but he needs time. So what better way to pass the time than for the young Peter Parker to give a history lesson on all there is about his world, including it’s mightiest heroes. And much to the one Peter’s displeasure, they are not the type of band he thought they were.

Note: This is an imagine set in an alternate universe where the spell Strange did at the end of NWH went sideways where the other Peters ended up staying in the MCU world. This does diverge from cannon, so keep that in mind. I don’t know if I will continue this as a series but this idea has been bugging me for days so I thought, why not? Anyway read to find out what plays out when the two Peters find out everything there is to know about the avengers.

Link to part 2

Link to final part

—————

“How long do we have Happy?” It was a beautiful sunny day in New York, despite the chaos that ensued just the previous day. The city’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man had his work cut out of him, fighting villains from other worlds and nearly losing everyone he ever cared about because of Stranges’ spell to fix it all.

But like most things in his life, it goes sideways.

Now, there were two other versions of Peter Parker trapped in his world and they didn’t know what to do. Strange needed time and peace to fix whatever went wrong, so he orders Peter to take the two and his friends and find some place to go. The villains had returned to their timelines, and luckily for him—no one forgot about him.

It was just like before Mysterio ruined his life.

So that’s how he found himself on a private plane with Ned, Mj, Happy, and the two Peters. They were going God knows where and Happy didn’t really say anything when they first came to him for help other than he needed to make a call. When he was finished he told them to get in the car and they were suddenly at a private airstrip and buckled into a small plane.

“Not too long,” Happy called from the cockpit. The group had changed into different clothing, and were giving food. Mj, mulching on some chips leaned over her chair to get a better look at the man.

“Can you at least tell us where we’re going?”

Happy hit a few buttons on the dashboard before spinning in the pilot chair. He gave the young Avenger a pointed look. “Let’s just say someone is waiting to see you—all of you,” he looked between the five. “And she asked me to bring you to a place where you guys can remain until Strange has done what he needs to do.”

There was a feeling of dread in Peter (1)s veins, a nervous chuckle falling from his lips. “He-ehe-he, she?” The four all looked at him, confused by his sudden fearful expression. It looked like Mj was the only one to put the hidden implication together, because her eyes went wide and they both shared a knowing look.

Happy nodded, his lips in a thin line as if to say ‘yeah, you’re in big trouble’. “Yes, Peter, she. And she told me to get your ass to her as soon as possible and frankly I don’t want to be on her bad side, so I hope you have what you’re gonna tell her planned.” With that, Happy spun back in his chair leaving him to his thoughts.

“She’s gonna kill me,” Peter mumbled, looking at Mj in fear. The two Peters leaned forward in their chairs, having been seated across from him. Both wore looks of ‘can you please tell us what’s going on?’

“Uhh,” Peter (3) snapped his fingers in front of the boy, gaining his attention. “Can someone explain to us who she is—and why you look like you wanna jump out of this plane rather than face her?”

Peter (1) sighed, shoulders deflating and looking between the two. “It’s a really really long story.”

“We got time,” the older Peter shrugged, “might as well tell us anything you can. We can maybe help you explain everything to her.”

“Yeah—tell us everything,” Peter (3) nodded excitedly, “We don’t know how much time we’ve got and I wanna know more about this world. Oh my gosh is whoever we’re going to an Avenger? The band you were talking about?”

“It’s not a band,” the boy rolled his eyes, making the man pout. “And she’s more than just an Avenger she’s practically THE Avenger. The Avengers wouldn’t exist if hadn’t been for her.” The boy thinks back to the first time he met the woman. She was everything he had ever heard about and more. Peter wanted nothing more than to prove himself to her. Besides Tony, she was someone who always inspired him. Both as a hero and as a scientist.

“You must really look up to her,” Peter (2) comments, noticing the look in the boys eye. It reminded him of how he was with Otto all those years back. There are those idols you never truly forger.

“Oh-oh I do,” he stutters, “which is why I’m really hoping she doesn’t kick my ass the moment we land. I’d rather Tony do it instead because I know I could probably beat him.” This makes Mj snort, the boy giving her an offended look when she starts to laugh. “Hey! You don’t think I can?”

“I’m not saying nothing,” she shrugs. “But continue.”

He leans back in his chair with a pout, turning to Ned. “Do you think I could beat Tony in a fight?” Ned automatically nods giving him a thumbs up.

“Oh for sure, man. You would wipe Tony on the floor—especially with the Iron Spider.”

“Thanks buddy,” Peter (1) smiles to him and gives him a fist bump. When he turns back to the Peters, he sees them still looking confused. “Oh right—right, so the Avengers. Yeah—ugh it’s a long story, and the only way to really tell it is to go back to nineteen-forty-two.” Immediately the two are taken aback.

“You mean to when America joined the war?” Peter (2) wonders aloud.

Peter (1) nods, “Exactly. It all starts there—hang on actually, instead of me rambling and possibly getting things all over the place or wrong,” he starts to press some buttons on his wristband, removing it and placing it on the window seal. “Hey KAREN?”

A robotic voice emits from the wristband. “Yes, Mr. Parker? Is there something I could help you with?”

“Wh-what was that?” Peter (3) points at the band with his eyes wide. Mj motioned for him to be quiet and he snapped his mouth shut, though he still looked rather perplexed by the robotic voice.

“Hello,” the voice greets, making the man flinch since he was closest seated to the windowsill. “I am KAREN, a natural-language user interface created by Tony Stark to aid Peter Parker in his duties as Spider-Man.”

The older Peter felt himself waving at the band, despite knowing no one was really there and it was an A.I speaking to them. “Hello, Karen.”

“Hello, Mr. Parker and Mr. Parker.”

The young Peter takes control again before they could get sidetracked. “KAREN, could you give us a history lesson on everything there is on the Avengers?”

“Of course, Mr. Parker. One moment, please.” A blue imagine projects from the band, expanding until it went from corner to corner on the windowsill up to the planes ceiling the group a very detailed image. The lights dim, so now the whole plane was emitting a blue glow.

“The Avengers, known as ‘Earth’s mightiest heroes,’ are a group of heroes compiled of biologically, technologically, and artificially enhanced humans as well as intergalactic beings. They are the defenders of Earth-six-one-six, tasked with protecting the Earth from terrestrial and extraterrestrial threats against humanity.” Images showed along the projection, portraying pictures of various people in battles before a timeline was drawn and seven faces were displayed on the screen.

“The earliest known information on the Avengers begins in March of nineteen-forty-two. America had just entered World War Two following the attack on Pearl Harbor, and the government was in need of a hero to go against the Nazi science organization known as Hydra. Hydra were led by a man named Johann Schmidt who people called the Red Skull. To combat against Hydra, the U.S government funded ‘Project Rebirth.’ It was led by German scientist Dr. Abraham Erskine and American chemist and engineer Dr. Jacqueline ‘Jackie’ Stark.” The group watched Karen highlight the pictures on the screen. An older man with glasses and a beautiful woman with brownish-red curly hair styled in a classic 40s pinup.

“Project Rebirth was supervised by British Agent Margret ‘Peggy’ Carter, Colonel Chester Phillips, and Jacqueline’s brother Howard Stark—the creator of Stark Industries and the militaries’ leading weapons designer at the time.” The screen highlighted each picture as Karen named them off. “The goal of Project Rebirth was to create America’s first Super Soldier. Together, Erskine and Stark developed the serum that would enhance the physiological and mental aspects of whoever was injected with it. They recruited Steven Grant Rogers to the Strategic Scientific Reserve where he was then selected to be the first recipient of Super Soldier Serum.”

“Wow,” Peter (3) whispered in awe, watching the images change to the before and after comparison of Steve. He couldn’t believe this was a real thing in this world. The concept was unheard of to him.

Karen continued narrating. “During a successful demonstration, Rogers survived the transformation endured by the serum changing his physiology. Unknown to the group of onlookers, Hydra had sent an assassin who fatally shot Erskine, wounded Jackie Stark, and stole the remaining vial of serum. In an attempt to retrieve the serum, the assassin committed suicide to avoid capture and the vial was destroyed. As a result, the government disbands Project Rebirth. Rogers undergoes various tests and trials by scientists to reverse the effects of the serum and Jackie Stark resumes her work alongside her brother.

“As per order by U.S Congress, Rogers travels America to enlist the public to buy war bonds and is dubbed by the media as ‘Captain America’—however in nineteen-forty-three he gets word that his childhood best friend, Sargent James Buchanan ‘Bucky’ Barnes, was captured by enemy forces and declared missing in action. Going against federal orders, Rogers with the help of Agent Carter and the Starks go behind enemy lines to rescue Barnes and his unit. They were successful in their mission, and Jackie Stark is given the name of ‘America’s Eagle,’ by the media after photos of her controlling artificial robotic wings were released. The two would go on to be known as ‘Captain America and The Eagle.’

Peter (1) couldn’t help but smile when the image of Jackie flying with her original wings was displayed on the projector. She looked so young and carefree. “Following the rescue mission, Rogers recruited Stark, Barnes and several men from the unit to a group called the ‘Howling Commandos.’ The goal of the Commandoes was to infiltrate Hydra bases and sabotage operations. They would do this for two years until in nineteen-forty-five when Sargent Barnes is declared killed in action after falling from a train the team was intercepting. Months later, Captain Rogers would also be declared killed in action when he crashes a plane in the Arctic ocean to prevent weapons of mass destruction from hitting their U.S targets. His actions successfully defeated the Red Skull, however the intergalactic power source known as the Tessaract was lost at sea. Captain Rogers body would not be recovered for over seventy years following his disappearance.” Both of Bucky & Steves pictures turn grey with bolded K.I.A under their name.

“After the disappearance of Captain Rogers, Jackie Stark recovers a missing vial of the super soldier serum left by Dr. Erskine. To prevent the formula from being stolen or replicated, she injects the serum with the help of her brother and Agent Carter. Jackie remains hidden from the public following the end of the war, but when it is discovered by the government of her actions, she’s enlisted to infiltrate the last remaining Hydra bases otherwise she would face persecution for violating federal orders.”

“That’s messed up,” Peter (2) mumbles, catching the groups attention. “She helped develop that serum—and didn’t want it getting into the wrong hands! I can’t believe they would force her to be their spy and blackmail her with jail.”

“Yeah,” Peter (3) agrees. “I would’ve said ‘fuck you’ and gone off the grid. The patriarchy can shove it.” Karen shows pictures of Jackie, one of which is her holding a baby boy while a man kisses her on the cheek. There’s a shiny ring on her finger and the woman appears to be in delight.

“America would soon lose another hero. In nineteen-forty-eight while on an assignment in Siberia, Jackie Stark is captured by Hydra operatives.” Peter (3) gasps, a low ‘noooooo,’ coming from his mouth and he frowns at the sight of her colorful picture turn grey with the bolder M.I.A below her name. “Jackie is declared missing in action, but would formally be declared dead in absentia seven years later when officials are unable to locate her location. The truth of what happened to Jackie Stark would not be revealed until almost exactly sixty-two years to the day.” The timeline draws a line, going from 1948 to 2010, where a picture of a man resembling Howard Stark appears.

“In the year two-thousand ten, Anthony Edward ‘Tony’ Stark—Stark Industries CEO and son of creator Howard Stark, was captured in Afghanistan by members of the terrorist group the Ten Rings. He is critically wounded and forced to make weapons for the organization in exchange for freedom. To prevent the shards from entering his heart, Dr Ho Yinsen —who was also captured by the organization, creates an electromagnetic implant to keep Tony alive. Together they develop an electric generator called an arc reactor in hopes to power a suit made of armor and escape their captivity.”

The Peters immediately recognized the circular shaped device, although it wasn’t to the extent like the one Max had stolen. This one was more basic, an earlier prototype compared to its advanced counterpart.

“During their creation of the suit, Stark and Yinsen came across a cryogenic compartment the Ten Rings had hidden in the caves. They uncovered the device, and were able to decode the cryogenic sequencing. When the ice gave way, the compartment revealed to be holding the unconscious figure of Dr. Jaqueline Elizabeth ‘Jackie’ Stark.’”

“No way!” Peter (3) exclaimed, shoving popcorn in his mouth and looking to Peter (1) who was just nodding his head as if to say ‘I know right.’ “So did she still look the same? I mean she was basically frozen—.”

“Shhh Karen’s still talking,” Peter (2) cut him off, also putting some popcorn in his mouth.

“Yes, Mr. Parker, Jackie still appeared the same as she did when she went missing in nineteen-forty-eight.” Peter let out another ‘woah.’ Karen put up a comparison of Jackie from 1948 and 2010. Sure enough, it wasn’t like she hadn’t even gone through time. She still had a 40s look to her, the pin up style with curly hair and bright red lips. Although her eyes looked older, as though they were the only thing that aged.

“It took a few days until Jackie awoke from her cryogenic coma. By the time she did, Tony and Yinsen had completed their prototype and were ready to make their escape. The Ten Rings, however, caught onto their plan and realized the capsule had been opened. In their only chance of freedom, Yinsen was killed while giving the Starks time to escape, and the two were rescued by U.S forces.” A news article displayed the breaking news, ‘Stark Industries CEO Rescued!’ & ‘War Hero Recovered: Americas Eagle Returns Home After Over 60 Years!’

“Once the two return home, Tony shuts down the weapons manufacturing at Stark Industries and begins building armored suits similar to the prototype he created with Yinsen. It’s discovered shortly after that Tony’s business partner Obadiah Stan was behind Tony’s kidnapping, and wanted to develop a suit using the arc reactor.”

“That’s fucked up,” Peter (3) mumbles. “Can’t trust anyone these days.”

“Tony and Jackie defeat Stane with Tony publicly announcing himself as the masked superhero ‘Iron Man.’” A picture of Tony in full gear shows on the screen, and beside him is one of Jackie in an updated version of her robotic wings. “It it not long after the the world discovers that Jackie Stark had been taken hostage by Hydra and forced into a cryogenic coma with the motive of recreating the super soldier serum after samples of her blood had been taken. Before Hydra could successfully brainwash Jackie into doing their bidding, the capsule containing her body was stolen in an ambush by members of the Ten Rings. Hydra was unable to locate the missing capsule, and Jackie remained frozen when the Ten Rings were unsuccessful in cracking the cryogenic sequencing code.”

The timeline line grows, and the year becomes 2012 with a different article showing a picture of Steve Rogers. “In two-thousand-twelve, the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division—commonly known as S.H.I.E.L.D, recovered the frozen body of Captain Steve Rogers. He had been lost in the Arctic sea following the plane crash in nineteen-forty-five. Like Jackie, Captain Rogers was frozen in time due to the physical enhancement from the serum.” Karen shows another side by side comparison.

“Yoooo,” Peter (3) is actually stunned when he sees the pictures of Steve from 2011. Beside him Peter 2 is also in a sense of disbelief. ‘What are the odds?’ They can’t help but think. It was like a one in a million possibility that both of them would be recovered 60+ years after their disappearance.

Across from them, Peter 1 tries to hold back his laugh, knowing it was just gonna get more crazier from there. They hadn’t even got to what went down in 2014.

“Around the same time, American Physicist Dr. Bruce Banner is exposed to gamma radiation in a failed experiment attempting to recreate the super soldier program. The accident leads to Banner transforming into the Hulk—a green, muscular humanoid with god-like strength.” A picture of a man in a lab coat was shown next to one of the Hulk. They could see the facial similarities of the two, but wow the difference in physicality made the Peters jaw drop.

“S.H.I.E.L.D becomes notified of a strange object that had fallen through the Earth’s atmosphere and landed in a crater in New Mexico. The hammer-like object, called Mjölnir, belonged to the mighty God of Thunder, Thor—Prince of Asgard and Son of the Allfather Odin.”

“You guys have Gods—like real Gods?” Peter (2) wonders aloud when the image of Thor reaches his eye.

The timeline extends to 2012. “The two super soldiers are reunited in two-thousand-twelve, when they—along with Tony Stark, Dr. Banner, Thor, former Black Widow Assassin Agent Natasha Romanoff and skilled archer S.H.I.E.L.D Agent Clint Barton—are recruited to the ‘Avengers Initiative,’ under the supervision of Director Nicholas J. Fury.” A man with an eyepatch shows, along with a group photo of the seven beside it. Then it shows a man in green and gold attire holding some kind of scepter. “The team was formed when Thor’s brother, Loki, steals the tesseract from S.H.I.E.L.D —who had recovered the object decades prior and were studying its power. Loki, using the power of the Chitauri scepter holding the Mind stone, brainwashes members of S.H.I.E.L.D—include Agent Barton, to create a device that would allow the extraterrestrial race ‘The Chitauri’ to pass through a wormhole into Earth. His goal was to conquer Earth as its ruler.”

The screen cuts to videos showing the group fighting an army of what looks to be aliens. They could see Tony and Jackie flying side by side together—him in his iron suit and her in her wings, while Thor is bringing lighting to the Empire State Building. Hulk is smashing everything in sight, it’s almost comical to the Peters, while the assassins are on the ground with the Captain. “Agent Barton is recovered, and Loki is defeated after a long battle in New York City. Thor returns Loki to Asgard to face persecution for his crime along with the Tesseract, and the Avengers go their separate ways—promising to return together when the Earth needs defending.”

“This makes me wanna fight an alien even more,” Peter (3) comments, sipping his water and giving the group an excited look. “Are you sure this is real? This sounds and looks like I’m watching a movie.”

“Oh it’s real all right,” Peter (1) replies. “I witnessed this happen when I was still in middle school.” The two Peters both look bewildered by the statement, but don’t question it further.

The timeline then extends to 2014, two years after the Battle of New York. “Two years after the Chitauri invasion and now working alongside S.H.I.E.L.D, Captain Rogers and Dr. Stark uncover a conspiracy within the espionage agency. It stems following the assassination attempt of Director Fury and encrypted intelligence regarding ‘Project Insight’—a classified program involving weaponized helicarriers designed to eliminate threats. Captain Rogers and Dr. Stark are labeled fugitives by Secretary Alexander Pierce—who is soon revealed to be the secret director of Hydra in charge of operating its ranks through S.H.I.E.L.D.”

“With Agent Romanoff, the super soldiers discover that Hydra had infiltrated the organization shortly after scientist Armin Zola had been recruited in the early fifties. They were able to work through the ranks and maintain power with their primary asset; The Winter Soldier.” A picture of a masked individual with a mental arm depicts on the screen.

Peter (3) lets out a low whistle at the image. “Okay he kinda looks badass despite being kinda scary.”

“The Winter Soldier was credited with over two dozen assassinations in fifty years—and was the individual sent by Hydra to assassinate Director Fury. Director Fury survived the attempt, but to keep Hydra under the radar of his movements he along with secret S.H.I.E.L.D operatives declared him legally dead.

“Captain Rogers, Dr. Stark, Agent Romanoff and USAF pararescueman Sam Wilson—nicknamed The Falcon due to his powered wing pack similar to the design of Dr. Starks—discover from mole Jasper Sitwell of the data-mining algorithm created by Zola. When paired with satellites and the weaponized helicarriers, the algorithm could eliminate potential Hydra threats. The Winter Soldier ambushes them, Sitwell is killed for his betrayal, and a fight breaks out leading to the reveal of the assassins identity.”

A familiar face pops on the screen has Peter (3) gasping, pointing his finger up. “Oh my god I knew it!! I just had a feeling like two minutes ago it could be him.”

“James Buchanan Barnes had survived his fall in nineteen-forty-five and was taken by Hydra. Barnes had been injected and tested with a prototype of the serum Zola had recreated when he’d first been captured in nineteen-forty-three. This allowed him to withstand the fall and freezing temperatures, however Sargent Barnes had lost his left arm in the process. Hydra replaced it with a metal prosthetic and brainwashed Barnes into becoming their first Winter Soldier—the action resulting in him loosing memory of the life he had before.

“After escaping Hydra agents, Rogers, Stark, Wilson, and Romanoff with the help of Agent Maria Hill and Director Fury, infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D on the day Hydra planed to launch the helicarriers. The goal was to replace chips in the system with their own so they could control the airships and prevent the weapons from reaching their targets. They were successful, the helicarriers were destroyed and Secretary Pierce was killed. The secrets of both Hydra and S.H.I.E.L.D were leaked onto the internet by Agent Romanoff—resulting in her nearly facing persecution by the government for her past work against America when she was an operative of the Red Room, a program once operated by Hydra that forced girls to become assassins.

“S.H.I.E.L.D was disbanded, and the Avengers would soon come back together to infiltrate known Hydra bases of operations. James Barnes went into hiding and would not be heard of for another two years.”

Happy had came into the room suddenly making all eyes turn to him, “just want to let you all know we’re about thirty-ish minutes out. So you may wanna have Karen start doing double time.” He returns to the cockpit and they all return their attention to the screen which now showed the year 2015.

“I will try to get through this quickly,” the A.I says politely. “Although I apologize if it does not make sense or you have questions. I can always answer them at a later time.”

“It’s okay, Karen,” Mj smiles despite knowing the A.I can’t see her.

“Thank you, Miss. Watson.” Karen displays several images of a very large robot looking guy, a red dude with a yellow gem in his head, a man in a silver suit similar to Tonys, and two young adults standing together.

“The next threat to humanity the Avengers would face was the artificial intelligence android Ultron. After storming a Hydra facility that was housing Loki’s scepter, Dr. Banner and Tony Stark discover artificial intelligence in the gem—using it to complete the ‘Ultron’ global defense program Stark had developed following the battle in New York. Ultron, however believed he had to eradicate humanity and developed a humanoid body containing vibranium—the strongest metal on Earth, the mind stone and synthetic-tissue technology. The Avengers intercepted Ultron before he could upload himself to the new body, and stole the capsule containing it. Tony, Jackie, and Dr. Banner then worked on a way to upload Tony’s A.I system J.A.R.V.I.S to the body.

“With the help of Thor’s energy from Mjölnir, the body now containing J.A.R.V.I.S’ programming was activated. They called the A.I. humanoid, ‘Vision’ and he was the only one able to lift Thor’s hammer—the action proving he was worthy and trustful.”

“Why was that so important?” Peter (2) asked with curious eyes.

“Oh only those who are worthy of ruling Asgard, Thors’ home, are able to lift the hammer—well ax now, he got a new one,” Mj explained making the man go ‘oh.’

“Enhanced Sokovian twins Wanda and Pietro Maximoff aided the Avengers in stopping Ultron from committing global genocide. They had been willing volunteers of Hydra where Wanda developed telekinetic and telekinetic powers while Pietro developed superhuman speed after exposure from the mind stone. The twins had been working with Ultron in the beginning, but fled when they discovered his ambitions.” A video clipped showed the twins performing their powers when they stopped a train in Seoul from crashing.

“The Avengers, Vision, and the Maximoff twins tracked Ultron to the former state of Sokovia, where he’d built a machine capable of lift its capital city above the atmosphere. They are met with the help of Colonel James Rhodes—War Machine, and the last remaining agents of S.H.I.E.L.D led by Fury to assist with the battle against Ultrons robotic army. The Avengers are able to prevent Ultron from committing global extinction, but Sokovia is destroyed and Pietro Maximoff dies from critical injuries. Dr. Banner goes missing as the Hulk, Thor returns to Asgard, and Wanda joins the Avengers at their new base of operation.”

Now the timeline was at 2016, and the Peters were still barely processing all that happened. They couldn’t believe so much chaos had happened in so little time. “Jesus,” the taller Peter mumbled, leaning his head on his hand.

“The events that took place in twenty-sixteen would go onto become known as the superhero ‘Civil War.’ It resulted from the United Nations constructing a panel that would oversee and control all biological, technological, and artificially enhanced beings—after the Avengers were responsible for the deaths of Wakandan humanitarian workers when they were trying to stop a biological weapon from being exposed. The document passing this panel is called the ‘Sokovia Accords,’ named after the state of Sokovia destroyed in the battle against Ultron.

“The team is divided when several members argue against signing the Accords. Steve Rogers is one of many opposing while Tony Stark supports the document—Jackie Stark remains neutral on the stance she was planning to retire like Agent Barton. Romanoff, Rhodes, and Vision support Tony, while Wilson supports Captain Rogers—Wanda stays undecided. The Avengers are soon split and it is at the ratification of the Accords in Vienna that a bomb detonates—killing King T’Chaka of Wakanda and injuring several others. Video surveillance suspects James Barnes as the alleged bomber, and he is soon tracked down and taken into custody. Captain Rogers and Wilson are also taken into custody for going against federal orders when they attempt to arrest Barnes.

Several new photos join the screen. “When the Winter Soldier is activated during an interview, Captain Rogers and Sam Wilson escape from custody to sneak Barnes away after he causes a rampage in the building they were holding him in. Barnes was not in Vienna during the time of the bombing, and they realize the activation of the Winter Soldier was intentional by the doctor assigned to evaluate him. To clear Barnes’ name, Captain Rogers and Wilson recruit Maximoff, Agent Barton—who came out of retirement to assist, and ex-convict with a suit capable of shrinking himself, Scott Lang. They needed to get to Siberia, the suspected location the doctor was traveling to when Barnes revealed there was a whole operation pertaining to Winter Soldiers at an abandoned Hydra instillation.

“Secretary Ross authorizes Tony Stark to assemble a team to arrest Rogers. He recruits Colonel Rhodes, the Vision, Agent Romanoff, New York vigilante Peter Parker—known as Spider-Man,” Peter (1) got a little giddy when he saw his picture on the screen, and noticed how Peter (3) was giving him a thumbs up. “—And newly ascended King T’Challa of Wakanda. King T’Challa is the son of King T’Chaka, and was out for revenge against Sargent Barnes, believing to be responsible for the bombing. T’Challa became the protector of his country they call, the ‘Black Panther.’”

“Ahhh shit,” Peter (3) adjusts in his seat, “It’s about to go down.” Peter (2) rolls his eyes at the antics, but nonetheless leans forward a bit since he is also intrigued by what he was leaning.

“Jackie Stark was not aware of the orders Tony had been given by Ross and was not present during the altercation at Leipzig airport. It was there that Tony intercepted Rogers, the two teams going head to head against one another. The conclusion to this was the arrest of Maximoff, Wilson, Barton, and Lang with Barnes and Rogers escaping by Quinjet. Colonel Rhodes becomes partially paralyzed when he is accidentally shot down by a beam from Vision aimed at Wilson. Those arrested are sent to the Raft, and Romanoff is labeled a fugitive when its discovered she allowed Barnes and Rogers to escape by incapacitating T’Challa.”

“Oh shit,” Ned breaths out, forgetting about what had happened during the Avengers’ civil war against each other. “Forgot about that.”

“Jackie and Tony are sent by Ross to the Raft to get information on Rogers. During the flight, the two uncover the evidence proving Barnes was framed by a man named Colonel Helmut Zemo. Zemo was Baron of Sokovia and part of its intelligence operation where he led the kill squad known as ‘EKO Scorpion.’ The two track Rogers and Barnes to Siberia to assist in Zemo’s capture and clear Barnes’ name.”

Some familiar pictures return to the screen that they recognize as Howard Stark posing beside a woman they assume was his wife. The picture beside it was the man from the one of a smiling Jackie before she disappeared and an older version of the little boy she was holding.

“Upon arriving to Siberia, the group finds the remaining super soldiers in cryogenic stasis had been murdered by Zemo. After words are exchanged between Rogers and Zemo, where it’s discovered Zemo lost his family in the destruction of Sokovia and blamed the Avengers—Zemo plays footage from a security camera dated on December sixteen, ninteen-ninty-one. The footage reveals that under Hydra control Sargent Barnes executed Tony’s parents, Howard and Maria Stark, and Jackie’s husband and son, Owen and Issac Richards—who had been previously believed to have been killed in a car wreck.” Both the Peters appeared shocked by the news, and it continues when Karen then says. “It is also revealed Captain Rogers had knowledge of the event, failing to inform Jackie and Tony about the truth of their loved ones.”

“Ahh hell no,” Peter (3) shakes his head, disbelieved at the revelation. “I can understand the man had no choice cause he was brainwashed, but Steve not saying anything—now that is the definition of betrayal. I would’ve kicked his ass on sight.”

“They did, Mr. Parker,” Karen replies without warning, startling him. “The news of Steve’s betrayal sent Jackie and Tony into rage. A fight broke between the four—with Tony going for revenge against Barnes while Jackie directed hers at Steve. Jackie would go on to later say her anger was at Steve for keeping the truth from her and Tony and did not blame Barnes for what he did because she understood how Hydra worked. She would say that if Steve had came to her with the truth, she would have done whatever to help Sargent Barnes—bearing the man no ill will for his unwilling actions.”

“So it was just Steve she was mad at?” Peter (2) asked looking at Peter (1) who nodded. “Understandable.”

“Yes, Mr. Parker. Jackie Starks anger was directed at Captain Rogers. You have to understand Steve and Jackie were best friends, and Jackie was the one who picked him with Dr. Erskine for Project Rebirth to take the serum she helped create. Howard and Jackie were also the ones who created the vibranium shield Steve wielded. They also had similar experiences having both been frozen over sixty years and were teammates long before they were part of the Avengers. Steve keeping what happened to her brother, husband and son from her was the ultimate betrayal.”

“Yeah, he deserved that ass whooping not gonna lie,” Mj voiced, Peter (1) and Ned nodding beside her.

“So what happened next?” Peter (3) looks at the screen, a map showed above the timeline with smaller pictures of the Avengers. They were scattered globally, and were moving every so often.

“In the fight between the Starks against Rogers and Barnes, Jackie’s wings are destroyed as is Tony’s arc reactor by Rogers, Barnes loses his metal arm in a from a blast caused by Tony reactor, and Steve’s shield is taken by Jackie who also critically wounds the super soldier by shooting him. Steve and Barnes leave the Starks in Siberia when the fight comes to an end.

“Having overheard the conversation between Zemo and the others, T’Challa captures Zemo for the authorities and allows Sargent Barnes to seek refuge in Wakanda where his sister Princess Shuri works to remove the trigger words from Barnes conscious. The Avengers are disbanded and would not face each other again for two years—though those who signed the accords still operated under government authority. During this time, Agent Romanoff takes down the newly instated Red Room while on the run before helping Rogers break Sam and Wanda from the Raft. The four remain in exile while Barton and Lang take deals with the government to be with their families.

“T’Challa returned to Wakanda as the Black Panther and was crowned King before being challenged by his long lost cousin, Erik Stevens. He looses his title in a trial by combat but is crowned again when it’s revealed he survived the fall from the waterfall and stops Stevens from deploying vibranium around the world.”

Shocking Peter 1, he sees the images from what h appened with Toomes appear on the screen, and he brings his hand to his mouth to stop himself from smiling—realizing he really was an Avenger if Karen was gonna put him in their history. “Later that year while under the supervision of Jackie and Tony Stark, Peter Parker discovers the underground arms dealings of Adrian Toomes. Toomes had constructed a powered flying suit from stolen Chitauri technology he called, ‘Vulture.’ Discovering his planes, Parker successfully stops Toomes from hijacking a DODC plane tasked to transport weapons from Avengers tower to the new compound. Toomes is arrested shortly later after an altercation where Peter saved his life.”

The two Peters looked proud at that. They were happy to see how the alternate version of them had managed to do something good even when he was faced with a difficult decision. It showed how he truly was Spider-Man at heart.

The timeline cuts to 2018 and Peter 3 lets out a groan. “I’m starting to think you guys have bad luck every two years,” he points out. “I mean first alien invasion, then S.H.I.E.L.D, then genocidal robot, and then fighting against each other? I mean that says it all—now we got what happened two years later.”

“After being missing since the battle against Ultron, Dr. Banner returns to Earth with the news that the mad-titan, Thanos was on his way to collect the six Infinity stones. These stones consisted of the Mind, Power, Space, Soul, Reality, and Time. The Mind stone was what had powered Loki’s scepter, giving the Maximoff twins their powers and used to activate the humanoid body that became Vision. The Power stone was the source of the Tesseract and had been taken back to Asgard after the New York invasion. In twenty-eighteen, the Time stone was being protected by Doctor Stephen Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme and Master of the Mystic Arts.”

“Oh hey there’s the wizard!” Peter 3 laughs when Strange’s picture shows, and noticies how the man still looked the same as he did now.

“Thanos sent his children, The Black Order, to retrieve the Mind and Time stones to Earth while he collected the Power, Space, Reality, and Soul from their respected location. Thor and his people were attacked by Thanos, and his brother Loki was killed while Thor was lost in space until rescued by a group of intergalactic beings called the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy.’” Peter 3 snorted at the name, finding it funny. “On Earth, Tony, Jackie, Peter Parker, Dr. Banner, Dr. Stange and his fellow master of mystic arts Wong, battle against two members of the Black Order to prevent them from gaining the Time stone.

“Strange, the Starks, and Peter become trapped on the Black Orders spaceship leaving Wong and Banner to inform the other Avengers what had took place. Captain Rogers, Romanoff, Wilson, Maximoff and Vision—who had joined Wanda months earlier, returned from exile to aid Colonel Rhodes and Dr. Banner in the the fight and met with King T’Challa in Wakanda. Shuri offers assistance in removing the gem from Vision without killing him. Having been successfully reversed of the Winter Soldier programming, Bucky Barnes reunites with Steve and joins the fight. On the planet Titan, the group trapped in the spaceship are joined by members of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

“The first battle against Thanos was a major defeat for the Avengers.” The pictures of all in the fight appear side by side, and slowly certain ones turn grey, including Peter 1’s photo making the others look confused. “Thanos obtained all six infinity stones, where with just a snap of his fingers erased fifty percent of all living creatures. On Titan, those dusted away were Guardians Drax, Mantis, Peter Quill and Earths’ Dr. Strange and Peter Parker.” DUSTED appeared in bolder letter under their names, the two Peters not believing their eyes when a video played in the corner showing what happened when Thanos snapped. People were screaming, and bodies dusted before their eyes.

“That can’t be real,” Peter 2 objected, but the look on Peter 1’s face was enough to tell him it was in fact true.

“On Earth, Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff, King T’Challa, Princess Shuri, Nicholas Fury and Maria Hill are among the millions dusted.” The bolded word appeared under their names, and they noticed how just in fact half of the Avengers were dusted. “Those who died included Prince Loki of Asgard, Vision, and Gamora—the adopted daughter of Thanos turned Guardian who the Titan sacrificed in order to obtain the Soul stone.” Instead of dusted, DECEASED was under their name, their pictures a cold grey.

“Jackie, Tony, and the guardian cyborg Nebula were lost in space for nearly a month before being rescued by former Air Force fighter pilot turned Kree warrior, Captain Carol Danvers. Danvers was who the Avengers initiative was named after, following a partnership with Nick Fury in the ninteties. They returned to Earth where the horrors of what happened were finally revealed. It was also the first time in two years that Tony and Jackie were reunited with Steve Rogers.”

“That is actually insane,” Peter 3 said, not believing his eyes. “how—how the hell do you even manage to fix that?! I mean—I mean obviously they did because you’re right in front of us, but that’s just unreal.”

“It would be a very long time, Mr. Parker, before the world was restored to its original way. Five years exactly, when in twenty-twenty-three Scott Lang returned from being trapped in the quantum realm—.”

“Oh my god,” Peter 2 & 3 breathed out, “It’s real,” they both snapped their heads to look at each other, as if to say, ‘woah, okay that’s weird.’

“For Mr. Lang, the five years in the quantum realm was only five hours for the man. Because he was trapped moments before Thanos snapped, Lang was considered to have been dusted with everyone else they had record of. Lang returned to the Avengers compound to the shock of Captain Rogers and Agent Romanoff where he explained that time moved different in the quantum realm, and if manipulated correctly, they could go back in time to before Thanos collected the stones and reverse the snap. The remaining Avengers returned to the compound—with Tony and Jackie developing a system that could accurately map out the quantum realm, and designed a machine fit to travel all of them simultaneously.

“Three teams were formed. Going to New York in twenty-twelve to retrieve the Time, Mind, and Space stones were Captain Rogers, the Starks, Dr. Banner, and Scott Lang. Traveling to Asgard in twenty-thirteen for the Reality stone were Guardian Rocket and Thor, and lastly for the Space and Soul stones in twenty-fourteen were Colonel Rhodes, Nebula and Agents Barton and Romanoff.

“All stones were collected, and a gauntlet similar to the one Thanos had was constructed by Tony Stark. Dr. Banner was the one to perform the snap, reversing the effects it had five years prior. Unbeknownst to the Avengers, the Nebula from twenty-fourteen ambushed the present day Nebula—taking her hostage to Thanos where the plan had been revealed. Posing as the present day Nebula, she uses the quantum tunnel to transport a twenty-fourteen version of Thanos to the present day. Having prepared in advanced, Thanos brings his entire army and the final Battle against the mad-Titan ensued.”

Everyone watched as the pictures of those dusted were restored to color. “Using portals conjured by Masters of the Mystic Arts, doorways from Titan, Wakanda, New Asgard, and Ravenger headquarters opened and the restored allied armies joined the fight—including all Avengers who were lost in twenty-eighteen. The battle came to a climatic conclusion when Tony Stark used the stones to snap away Thanos’ army, but the man was critically injured. He survived, with the help of Doctors Jackie Stark, Stephen Strange, Bruce Banner, and Helen Cho. Other doctors from around the globe offered assistance and Tony Stark made a full recovery just a few months later.”

“The Avengers assembled, restoring the hope the world had all but lost at the hands of the mad-Titan.” The screen showed videos of people returning after being dusted, families reuniting, and of course the news coverage of the Avengers. Tony was seen in a wheelchair with bandages coating half his body, but the man was alive and holding his young daughter in his lap. Jackie was beside him while his wife Pepper was on his right along with Happy and Rhodey. They all looked happy despite the obvious tiredness in their eyes and the fact they had aged while several of their friends hadn’t.

“Wooooow,” Peter 3 smiled, amazed by it all. He couldn’t even imagine being in their shoes, having to fight a purple alien twice and losing half of the world—not to mention going back and time to fix it. Peter 2 was also taking the information in, wondering how the hell they managed to crack the code of time travel. The nerd side in both Peters was flourishing on the topic.

“So that’s it?” Peter 2 wondered, looking at his alternate version. “They all went home after that?”

“Not exactly,” the boy replies, sitting up from his seat while Karen closed the projection and relit the lights on the plane. “The stones had to be returned, so Captain Rogers took on the duty of going back to the times they took them. After he finished he ended up going back to the forty’s to be with Agent Carter—because that was the love of his life.”

“Aww cute,” Peter 3 hums with soft eyes.

“Did him and Jackie ever make amends?” Peter 2 then asked, not remembering if Karen had ever mentioned it.

Peter 1 shakes his head, but then shrugs. “Yes and no, I mean—I think they did? Jackie doesn’t like to talk about it. I know she and Steve talked before he left—because Steve was passing the mantle of Captain America to Sam and Jackie was all for it—so maybe they at least made up a little. I know during those two years before Thanos she refused to talk about him and would snap at whoever brought Steve up.”

Silence overtook the cabin, everyone taking in all the information Karen presented. Of course the kids knew and lived though most of it, but they still didn’t know a lot of the details so much of it was new to them. The Peters could feel their curiosity increase. Both had a lot of questions and were about to ask more when Happy entered from the cockpit.

Peter 1 sits up more, “Are we almost there?”

The older man nods, gesturing to the window. “We’re coming up on the compound so buckle in.” They all did as told. “I take it you didn’t say who you’ll be meeting?” Happy turns to Peter 1, brow raised. “Good to warn them now that they’ve caught up on all her history.”

Happy’s words rang alarms in the Peters head. ‘Of course’ they both seemed to think, ‘how could’ve we have not seen it.’ Peter 2 is the one to look a Peter 1 while Happy returns to the pilot seat. “We’re seeing who I think we are—aren’t we?”

Peter 1 nervously laughs, “ugh—hehe—um,” he looks at Mj for help, but she just shakes her head saying ‘Don’t look at me, you’re the one in trouble.’ “Maybe?….”

“Oh no,” Peter 3 brings his hand to his mouth. “I don’t think I’m ready— I mean— I think I just became her biggest fan after watching all that. How am I supposed to act.”

“Just act like yourself,” Peter 2 tells him with a shrug. “This woman from what I can gather is technically over a hundred years old—“

“Oh she’s a hundred and ten.” Peter 1 received dumbfound looks from the two.

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah she was older than everyone I think. Bucky and her brother were born in nineteen-seventeen, Steve in eighteen, and she was actually born in nineteen-thirteen.” Silence filled the cabin again, the two alternate versions processing it.

“Okay…” Peter 2 eventually finds his voice, “So back to what I was saying, she’s seen it all. I doubt you getting a little excited to meet her would really bother her. Right?” He looks at Peter 1 for help.

“Oh yeahhh,” he waves a hand, “she totally would find it amusing and maybe even give you guys a tour of the compound—-if she doesn’t kill me first.” He scratches the back of his neck, remembering the woman told Happy to bring his ass to her as soon as possible.

“Oh yeah—right.” Peter 3 becomes a little panicked.

Ned suddenly captures their attention, his eyes drawn to what laid below on the ground and excitement in his eyes. “Guys! Look there it is?” They all lean over their seats to look out the windows. It was midday so the sun bright against the glass, and the clouds covering their view parted revealing a true sight to behold.

The large land was covered by multiple buildings, one very large and the others smaller in comparison. There was a very distinct fancy styled ‘A’ on the side of the large glass building—the symbol also pained on the ground of the airstrip they were fast approaching. Vehicles were parked in various locations, and they could see the tiny figures of people walking around the premises.

Happy looked over his shoulder, seeing the groups attention out the window and smiled. He turned back to controls, “I hope you guys are ready because you have a date with Director Jackie Stark, who is all too excited to see you.” The man didn’t bother turning back to see their reactions. “Welcome to Avengers Campus.”

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simpforchuchu · 2 years

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hello ! plz chuuya nakahara with a shy, and kind russian ada s/o(she's the bestfriend of dazai) , she has long soft light blond hair(almost like platinum), a very pale skin and purple eyes thank chuu ! 🇷🇺💖

Chuuya x kind Russian reader

a/n: Hi ! I really love Russian people so much and in love with your accent ahahha Seeing someone writing to me from Russia made me so happy.Sending love from Turkey to you and your country, i hope you like it 🥰🥰

Requests are open, if you want me to write something, just let me know 😊

Sorry for the grammer or spelling mistakes.English is not my main language so...

Thank you and love you 🥰

Warnings: none

The weather was sunny, it was a beautiful day. It was quite hot but not annoying. When you came to Japan from your country, you were very happy because you longed for such hot days, you were enjoying the sun.

You came to Japan to see your best friend. Your best friend, whom you met in a suicide attempt in the city where you came to study at university 2 years ago...

Osamu Dazai...

He was a strange man, but you loved him very much. You didn't have the ability like him, but he taught you to protect yourself, though you didn't have to be afraid of anything when he was around.

It was another day when Dazai talked about his futile suicide attempts and stupid flirt tactics. Moreover, he did not neglect to annoy you. You were laughing at most of them, but he was talking too much.

You were generally pretty sweet and calm, but when you were with Dazai, you didn't need to be so polite.

"Osamu, if you keep talking about any more stupid suicide attempts, I'm going to kill you"

Dazai walked in front of you with a smile and looked at you and started walking towards you without looking back.

"Ah, 'y/n' chan, I always knew you were such a kind hearted person."

You rolled your eyes and chuckled.

Just then, you looked at him in shock when Dazai carelessly bumped into someone while walking on the beach. Both men had fallen to the ground, you immediately bent over them and extended your hand.

"Hey! Are you okay? Um... how about you sir?"

They both got up from the ground grumbling, shaking themselves, and the man they bumped into started shouting.

"You waste of bandages! Look ahead! And what are you doing here!"

You looked at the man in the hat shouting in surprise and were even more surprised to see Dazai laughing

"Chuuya, you should know that the beaches are open to everyone. Besides, you were the one who hit me"

"What?"

Is it Chuuya? This was the man Dazai kept talking about. He was the Nakahara Chuuya he hated so much. They were so focused on their fight with each other that they forgot about you.

After yelling at each other for a while and even grabbing Chuuya Dazai's collar, you quickly jumped in.

"Mr. Nakahara, please forgive Dazai. He's just… oh never mind, we're just apologizing. Please let us go"

You knew Chuuya was a mafia, you were a little scared of him and he looked very angry right now.

Chuuya looked at the blond-haired, pale-skinned, purple-eyed young girl beside him who was calling out to him and calmed down.

Her voice was so gentle and peaceful that even his hatred for Dazai wasn't enough to kill him this time.

Chuuya let go of his collar and put his hands in his pockets. He muttered to himself.

"What could such a beautiful and sweet woman do with Dazai? God, this bastard is so lucky."

A few steps were taken and he called out

"Oi, stupid Dazai. You finally found a beautiful woman to commit suicide with you, congratulations."

Dazai laughed and shook his head as your cheeks turned red at Chuuya's words.

"'Y/n' is a friend who is too precious to let her die with me, but you can die if you want to"

Chuuya rolled his eyes as he continued walking and turned around to give you one last look.

You were still looking at him, confused by what was going on.

"Hey Dazai, he's not like you're talking about at all."

Dazai smiled and put his arm around your shoulder

"I know, dumber.."

#chuuya imagine #bsd #bsd fanfic #bsd imagine #bsd x reader #chuuya #bungou stray dogs #chuuya x reader #chuuyanakahara #chuuya x you #chuuya x y/n #chuuya scenarios #chuya nakahara x reader #chuuya hcs #bsd hcs #bsd fic

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nebulus-frd · 3 years

Note

Jealous and protective Rowan and oblivious Aelin in a modern established relationship au

Hi!!!

Thank u so much for the request. I loved your prompt and also love Rowaelin deeply. Hope u enjoy it ♡

If you liked it or not, let me know. Leave a comment, compliments and especially, constructive critics, are always welcomed.

Wanna request your story? Come ⋆⭒ here ⋆⭒, tell me everything. ----------

The beach. The sea. Them.

Synopsis: Modern AU where Rowan and Aelin finally get a deserved vacation. But he isn't enjoying all the attention given to his wife during the first day of it.

Rated: T

Warnings: implied sexual content. If I forgot anything, let me know.

Words: 1700+ (oneshot).

1/1

It was their first time back at the beach after being married.

The life of a military couple was hectic, to say the least, but Rowan and Aelin were rather used to the chaos. This explained why Rowan found himself alone in bed on the first morning of their vacation. Although his wife had always been a late riser, he knew better than anyone how hard it was to break their routine and if he himself hadn’t take medicine to fall asleep, he wouldn’t probably have slept at all.

Not bothering to properly dress, Rowan moved to the kitchen only to find it empty. Did she go grocery shop? But to his surprise not only was the fridge completely packed, but three sandwiches also topple each other on a plate next to a note.

Good morning princess, did you sleep well? Not even a true love kiss was able to break from the evil medicine spell. I’m training on the beach. Join me… Or not, if you feel like sleeping throughout the entirety of our vacation.

Love,

Aelin Ashryver Whitethorn Galathynius.

Rowan didn’t even feel the smile that broke through him. God, I love her. Of course, she was training. His wife always called him a workaholic and a military freak, only to always prove herself one. The food was warm enough for her not to have left for too long. And in half an hour Rowan found himself heading to their hotel gym.

Where was Aelin?

He had circulated the gym area twice without success in the mission of joining his wife. Could she be at the beach? It wouldn’t be a surprise. Aelin loves the sea, the sunny weather, and the heat on her skin.

Eight years ago, if someone said to Rowan that there were people who loved those things, he would have straight-out laughed in their faces. He couldn’t anymore. He had learned to appreciate each of these unlike anyone else.

Rowan loved the smile Aelin would have while watching the sea, loved the glow her eyes would reflect under the sun’s light, loved the heat from Aelin’s heart.

His wife had changed each perspective he had in his life.

And while at the beach, once again he asked himself how the hell, he was deserving of the woman he married to?

Aelin was coming out of the sea, dressed in a swimsuit that covered a lot more of what he was used to seeing, looking like the sea god herself had descended in the mortal world to bestow her beauty upon mortals. Thus, Rowan was hindered breathless and as soon as their eyes locked up, he could listen to her thoughts through them.

“Are you delight with the view?”

And the smile that broke in her lips made his knees go weak. She pointed to a small pile of clothes at his right and he could recognize the tennis beside it. As soon as they met Rowan girdled his arm around her hips and kissed her.

“Missed me much?” Aelin asked holding a smirk while still in his arms. Her turquoise eyes nailed on his green-forest ones. The only answer she received was a grunt and a heavy head dropping in her shoulder. “You know you could use words, rather than growling like a beast”, which made Aelin feel the smile coming from her husband, she could picture it too: the perfect set of teeth accompanied by two fangs that were borderline not-human, which had left so many marks on last night's activities, she had almost come to the beach in a diver suit.

“I can’t be bothered. There are a lot of more interesting things to do with my mouth… And my tong…”, Rowan’s impure statement was interrupted by the sound of Aelin’s phone ring, it took a moment for the woman to snap out of the mood her husband had put them in. Poor object, it earned a glare that, if possible, would have transformed it into ashes.

“Oh hi!... Yes, of course, I’m coming… Right, next to the bar… Yes, be there in a few”, she said on the phone friendly. With whom she could have made prior appointments?

“Where are you going?”, Rowan asked confused, involuntarily holding her tighter, Aelin didn’t hide the smile at her husband's unwillingness.

“WE are going to a functional training, apparently the hotel holds them every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday”, she said while putting on a pair of shorts and her tennis, Rowan just nodded in answer.

Once they were in the central area, the closer location between the hotel’s pools and the beach, the equipment could already be seen as well as 10 people roaming around it. Soon enough a man came up to them greeting Aelin, too friendly to Rowan’s likeness, although he could only spot the top of his head.

“Miss Galathnyius, it’s good to have you with us today”, the strange said while avoiding looking at Rowan’s side but he did not miss a beat.

“It’s Mrs.” his accented and low voice seemed to reverberate, earning him an alarmed glance from the instructor, as he had taken from his clothes and name tag.

“Yes, of course. Mr. and Mrs. Galathnyius it’s a pleasure to have both of you here”, the smaller man seemed ready to bolt as he alternated his looks from Rowan’s face tattoo and Aelin’s mirth-filled eyes, she just nodded and that was very well what he did. She knew it wasn’t jealousy from her husband, more like his inability to not correct a mistaken person.

Oh, how wrong she was.

…

Half an hour throughout the class, Rowan was calculating how much trouble would he be if he were to beat three civilians. As the training was open to anyone at the beach, around fifteen more people had come to enjoy the activities. Including a group of four men, who seem too inclined to help Aelin with her training.

Which had made Rowan seeing red since he heard the first suggestion in correcting Aelin’s posture during a core exercise. Whilst his wife seemed completed oblivious as not only agreed to a few suggestions and gave tips of her own. Rowan didn’t mind that both were right.

Nonetheless, at each suggestion made by a stranger, Rowan would casually assert his territory. Moving closer to Aelin, helping her with the weights and holding her during an exercise that required it. Of course, there was the possibility that none of the people participating held any second intentions towards his wife and were only trying to be helpful. He seriously doubted it, even though that was what Aelin seem to think.

Usually, Rowan had never been one to bluntly be jealous and if he found it necessary to discuss attitude with someone, he wouldn’t do it in front of Aelin. But he’d gone apeshit when one of the guys from before made a move to touch her while he went to grab for water. Fuck this. He had been by her side every single moment. What’s with these disrespectful motherfuckers?

The man whose hands extended to help Aelin in moving the piece on her waist only caught a movement in corner of his eyes before a mountain of a man was before him. His eyes caught a glimpse of a wicked tattoo on the man’s face, which had been hidden by the cap he was using.

Rowan’s intimidating demeanor and the fucking gold ring in his and hers left hands were more than enough for assholes to grasp the situation.

She is mine, I’m hers. Fuck off.

Either it was the rings or himself didn’t matter. Apparently, with one look everybody understood his warning.

…

However, nine hours later, he’d been left baffled as his wife complained how, after he glued himself to her side, nobody had talked or interacted with her anymore.

“Well, if you weren’t such a territorial bastard today, we could have made some friends that could introduce us to the town”, she said as they had clearly lost themselves while looking for a Japanese restaurant.

“I beg your pardon?”, Rowan answered seeing red all over again just from remembering the previous event.

“Oh, come on, you thought I did notice? You were just asserting your territory for the heck of it”, she said not bothering with more than an eye roll, still searching the street’s name on their map.

“For the heck of it?”, Rowan was bewildered. Aelin thought he was doing that out of leisure?

“You couldn’t possibly be jealous of those guys from the beach, right?”, she said finally dropping the stupid map that had put them in their current predicament and looking straight into his eyes. Whatever she saw there gave Rowan his favorite smile. “You were….”, she laughed, loud and uncaring. Beautiful. “You are unbelievable”.

Like the viper his wife was, she stealthy approached him in that dark alley. “My cranky husband was jealous of some gym dudes?”, her voice was surrounded by arrogance and seductiveness. Reminding Rowan just who he had married with. The most confident, assertive, dazzling woman he had ever met.

Their eyes were locked on each other as she stalked him like a snake ready to consume her prey. His response to her provocation was nothing more than a grunt. “You know what you should have done?... You could have kissed me right there, ravished me, really… And I would’ve said thank you”.

After many years into their relationship, one would think that Rowan had become numb to Aelin’s advances. However, it was very much the opposite of it. He would be scandalized, shocked… And excited, she burned him with bold words and even bolder actions that made his head spin. His calloused hand didn’t miss one second into holding Aelin’s by her backside and his mouth went to her neck.

“Ditch dinner, Fireheart, I will show you what I would like to have done”, Rowan could feel Aelin’s thundering heartbeat, like his own due to their proximity. It would never lie to him, he affected her just as she did him.

“Oh, why, when you say with such gentleness. I suppose we could make something at home”, she smoothed her hand at Rowan’s ringed finger each word, handing him a bright smile by the end. “I love you”, albeit the sentence was said in a soft tone, it swept bothering feelings between the two, such as sea waves that accompanied their evening.

“To whatever end”, he said holding her left hand and as they walked toward the ocean. Free, unrestricted, and vast. Much like their love.

#rowaelin fanfiction #rowaelin #aelin ashryver #fanfic request #rowan whitethorn #rowan x aelin #rowaelin fanfic #rowaelin au #modern setting #they are powerful military couple fight me #jealous rowan #oblivious aelin #throne of glass #throne of glass fanfiction #tog #love them so much #rowaelin oneshot #oneshot

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dontcare77ghj · 3 years

Text

Don’t Touch That Dial

Wanda x reader x Vision

Non-reader POV

It was the middle of the night. Vision, Y/N, and Wanda were all sound asleep in their single beds when Wanda bolted upright at a loud thudding sound.

"What was that?" Wanda wondered aloud. She looked to her right to see Y/N and Vision sleeping. For a second, she questioned if she should chance to wake them up, but when the thuds continued, she turned the light on with her magic.

Stop being silly, Wanda chided herself, turning the light off. But what if it is something? Wanda wondered, snapping the light back on. It's probably nothing, Wanda. She decided turning the light off again, this time for good.

While Wanda was debating waking her loves, she hadn't noticed they had already woken.

"Wanda?" Vision asked, pulling his eye mask off.

"Yes, dear?"

"Are you using your powers to turn on the light?" Vision questioned, staring at the window.

"Yes, dear," Wanda admitted, feeling guilty.

"Allow me, dear." Vision said, getting out of bed as Y/N sat up.

"What even woke you up?" Y/N asked before there was another loud thud. "Never mind."

"What do you see?" Wanda questioned Vision, who was now standing at the window.

"Only your lovely rosebushes and carnations," Vision told her.

"That's all?" Y/N wondered.

"Are you using your night vision, Vision?" Wanda quizzed the man.

"I assure you, my love, I see nothing amiss." Vision promised, turning to face both women. "You have absolutely no reason to be frightened." The android said before there was another loud bang. Vision let out a loud yelp and jumped back into bed quickly.

"You were saying?" Y/N asked, raising a brow while Wanda shook her head.

"Actually, I did overhear a couple of lads at work remarking on a few unsavory characters settling in the neighborhood. Now, who knows what those ne'er-do-wells might be up to? Robbing houses, vandalizing property." Vision suggested.

"Walking through walls. Moving objects without touching them. Causing lightning of sunny days." Wanda teased.

"I did that once, and it was because you scared me," Y/N grumbled.

"Wanda, sweetheart, you can't possibly be suggesting my colleagues were referring to us," Vision asked before there was another bang.

The three jumped, and Wanda caused all three beds to join.

"One of us should really determine the source of that sound." Vision commented.

"That's something we could do," Y/N said, clutching her blankets.

"One of us should." Wanda agreed.

It was more a bang this time that caused them all to jump.

"Oh, this getting ridiculous." Y/N snapped, pushing her blankets down. "I am going to take a look."

"Be careful, Y/N."

"Oh, God."

Without moving from her spot, Y/N blew the curtains open to reveal the tree. Its branches, crashing against the window.

"Well, I think we handled that well," Wanda said, sinking down into the bed.

"Yes, I must say I'm rather proud of myself. And look how you seized the opportunity to redecorate." Vision said, noting that all their beds were pressed together.

"This is better, isn't it?" Wanda asked.

"Mmm." Vision nodded before Wanda pointed her finger, and instead of three separate beds, the three of you were now on one large joint bed.

"Why did it take us this long?" Y/N asked, smiling at how close she was to her husband and wife.

"Wanda, darling?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Hit the lights."

The three pulled the blankets over their heads, and Wanda snapped the lights off.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for my final trick, I bring you The Cabinet of Mysteries." Vision practiced in front of an invisible audience. "Wanda, that's your cue."

"You said "The Cabinet of Mysteries?" Wanda called from behind him.

"I said "The Cabinet of Mysteries."

"Then that's my cue." Wanda agreed and began to wheel a large cabinet into their living room.

"Holy Toledo!" Vision exclaimed, rushing to help Wanda. "Darling, do all the other acts in the talent show have such elaborate props?"

"Are you kidding? Fred and Linda are building a moat and a fully functioning portcullis, and no-one knows why." Wanda shook her head.

"I heard Fred was going to throw Linda into the moat," Y/N said from inside the cabinet. "Can we hurry this along? I'm getting claustrophobic." She added.

"Let's keep going." Wanda nodded, taking her place.

"Yes. Yes. Where was I? Ah, yes, watch closely as I, Illusion, Master of Enigma, make my captivating assistant, Glamour, disappear." Vision rehearsed as Wanda held her hand up and gasped. The two opened the doors, and Vision helped Wanda into the cabinet.

"You really are very dashing." Wanda complimented, breaking character.

"Thank you, darling." Vision smiled. "Fear not, Glamour, for I, Illusion vow, to bring you back." The android said, shutting the doors on Wanda. "Abracadabra." He announced, opening the doors to reveal Y/N standing in Wanda's place. "What's this? I seem to have changed my lovely assistant into another lovely being."

"I saw your assistant in the dimension of the cabinet," Y/N said as Vision helped her out. "To bring her back, I think you'll have to try the spell again."

"So we shall." Vision nodded. He and Y/N closed the doors once more, and Vision held his wand at the ready. "Abracadabra." He said, tapping the cabinet twice, and when the doors opened, this time, there stood Wanda, who was clapping her hands and grinning widely.

"Darlings, you're not at all worried that the audience might just see through this little charade?"

"That's the whole point, sweetheart," Y/N assured her husband. "In a real magic act, everything is fake. Not everyone can do what Wanda does."

"The talent show fundraiser is the most important event of the season, and it's our neighborly duty to participate." Wanda fretted. "Plus, it's our chance to appear as normal as possible while doing so."

"Well, I don't think that should be a problem." Vision joked, gesturing to his undisguised face.

Y/N and Vision chuckled at Vision's joke, but Wanda just stared between the two.

"This is our home now. I just want us to fit in." Wanda admitted.

"Oh, Wand, of course, we fit in," Y/N promised, resting her hand on the woman's waist.

"And if not, then we shall. And we're going to knock the neighborhood's socks off. Especially if the two of you are dressed like this." Vision commented, picking up one of his wife's costumes.

"Oh, that's actually the rest of your costume." Wanda joked, cracking a smile. "Oh, Y/N, we better get going if we want to make the planning committee meeting." Wanda gasped, noting the time on her wristwatch.

"That's me off too, actually." Vision said, pulling on his sweater. "There's a gathering of the neighborhood watch at the public library. After last night's excitement, I want to make sure this town's security is up to snuff." He admitted.

"That's an outta sight idea, Vis." Y/N complimented.

"Real swell, sweetheart. You tell those tree branches whose boss." Wanda teased, leaning up to kiss the man.

"Would you look at us? Wanda, Y/N, and Vision, Westview fitter-inners." Vision smiled before kissing Y/N. "I'll see you both at curtain call." He said, moving to leave.

"Do you have your keys, Vis?" Y/N aked before he left the house.

"Of course." Vision said, pulling on a hat and his glasses. "When have I ever forgot them?" He wondered, causing Y/N and Wanda to share a look.

"Just now, to name one time," Wanda said, floating Vision his set of keys.

"Oh. Perhaps my processors need a cleaning." Vision mused, changing his appearance and taking the floating keys. "Until curtain call!" He exclaimed.

"Until curtain call!" Both women called back.

Y/N and Wanda still had several minutes before they had to leave for the committee meeting. The two moved around the house, putting dishes away, straightening trinkets, and fluffing pillows when there was a loud noise outside.

"Do you think it's the tree?" Y/N wondered as Wanda began to move out the front door.

But Wanda didn't respond as she continued to walk in a trance-like state.

"Sweetheart?" Y/N asked, following after her wife. Wanda moved outside and towards the rosebushes where a toy helicopter sat. "Do any of our neighbors have children?" Y/N asked, receiving no response once again.

Wanda pulled the toy out of the bush and stared at it in confusion.

"Wanda? Sweetheart?" Y/N asked, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Howdie stars!" Agnes exclaimed, suddenly appearing at the gate.

Both Y/N and Wanda jumped as Agnes chuckled.

"Agnes! Y/N!" Wanda chuckled, holding one hand to her chest. "I'm sorry, what did you say, Agnes?" Wanda asked, taking Y/N's hand and clutching it tightly.

"I brought my pet rabbit," Agnes said, holding up a cage with a large rabbit. "For your magic act." She explained.

"Yes, of course! Thank you, Agnes." Wanda nodded.

"We promise we will take good care of him," Y/N added, taking the cage into her arms. "I'll take him inside." She told Wanda.

"I'll come with. I'll lock the back door." Wanda said, following her wife.

"Senor Scratchy just loves the stage. He played baby Jesus in last year's Christmas pageant." Agnes bragged loudly as the two Vision women took her rabbit into their home. "Good morning, Dennis." That was the last thing Y/N and Wanda heard from Agnes as they disappeared into their home.

"You gonna tell me what all that was about?" Y/N asked, putting Senor Scratchy's cage beside the couch.

"What what was all about?" Wanda asked, locking the back door.

"The helicopter." Y/N reminded. "You blanked out on me." She said as they moved back towards the front door.

"I'm having a spacey day, sweetheart. That's all." Wanda assured, closing the front door and stopping Y/N on the porch. "I promise." She said, pressing a kiss to Y/N's lips, taking her hand, and walking back down to Agnes. "Shall we?"

"We shall." Agnes smiled, hooking her arm around Wanda's free one. "So, are you ready to meet Queen Cul de Sac and her merry homemakers?" Agnes questioned the two.

"Dottie, can't be as bad as you say, Agnes." Wanda laughed.

"Wanda, have you met most women? Not everyone's like Agnes or us." Y/N asked, causing Agnes to laugh.

"She's right, you know? You'll notice Dottie's roses bloom under the penalty of death." Agnes told the two, though Wanda scoffed a little. "Can I give you girls a bit of friendly advice?" Agnes asked, stopping in her tracks.

"Is it about how we're dressed?"

"Yes, but it's too late for that now," Agnes said, looking the two over.

Wanda looked concerned, but Y/N couldn't bring herself to care.

Pants were slowly becoming more incorporated in women's daily wardrobe, and Y/N wouldn't be giving them up for anyone.

"Dottie is the key to everything in this town." Agnes continued. "Country club memberships, parties, school admissions." She teased the two.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Wanda shook her head, though there was a smile on her face.

"You get in with Dotties, and it'll be smooth sailing from here on out," Agnes told them. "Just mind your P's and Q's, and you're gonna do just fine." She said assuringly.

"Why can't we just be ourselves?" Y/N asked.

"More or less so," Wanda added.

Agnes stared at the two in confusion before letting out a laugh.

"That's good, girls. Very good." She said.

"Everyone, hurry up, please." A new voice called.

The three women turned to the left and noticed a fair-haired woman leaving a house with a procession of women behind her.

"Hiya, Dottie!" Agnes called. "Your roses are divine!" She complimented, waving a hand.

Y/N and Wanda both followed suit and waved as well. Wanda little more enthusiastically than Y/N's awkward one.

"Well, thank you." Dottie smiled politely and waved daintily.

Neither Y/N nor Wanda knew just what they were getting themselves into.

Y/N, Wanda, and Agnes all followed Dottie and her group to the country club. The three had sat to the side as Dottie's followers meticulously set everything up.

As one woman spoke about the fundraiser's progress, Wanda watched Dottie intently as the woman made her ice tea to her liking.

"The rotary club is finishing the stage set-up as we speak. They've given the gazebo a fresh coat of paint, and they'll be installing the final decorations all throughout the town square. And if you recognize the antique footlights, it's because they're from my store." The lady standing finished explaining with a fake smile.

"And the chairs?" Dottie asked, tilting her head to the side.

The woman seemingly froze at Dottie's question before she forced a smile back onto her face.

"I'm sorry, Dottie. I didn't ask about the chairs." She admitted.

"So you better not ask me if you can chair any committees in the future," Dottie said, grinning at the other women who laughed at her words. "The devil's in the details, Bev," Dottie said, standing as Bev rushed back to her seat in shame.

"That's not the only place he is," Agnes said to Wanda.

"As you all know, the talent show is the sole fundraiser for Westview Elementary," Dottie explained.

"This might help," Agnes said, raising a small flask.

"Do you have any spare?" Y/N asked, leaning over Wanda, but Agnes shook her head.

"In the eight years since I founded our little club, this event has gotten bigger and better every season." Dottie bragged as a woman passed around a tray of biscuits to Y/N, who handed them onto Wanda.

"Say, those pants are peachy keen. Both sets." The mystery woman complimented.

"Do you really think so?" Wanda asked with wide eyes. "The other ladies are in skirts. I was worried."

"Not me," Y/N mumbled, sipping her drink.

"We only have a few hours until showtime. So, a little less cross chatter and a little more focus would be greatly appreciated," Dottie interrupted, causing the three to freeze.

"Okay." Wanda nodded, passing along the tray.

"Those little boys and girls are counting on us. All of this is for the children." Dottie said.

The other women, bar Y/N and Wanda, parroted back the phrase,

"For the children."

Y/N looked very uncomfortable at the chanting women and muttered,

"This is a cult."

But Wanda had been eating her biscuit and parroted the phrase back after everyone else had finished.

Everyone turned to stare at the Vision women, and Dottie looked more than displeased at the two.

"So I want you all to give yourselves a big hand," Dottie started but was interrupted by Wanda clapping loudly. "At the appropriate time, of course." Dottie scolded as you grabbed Wanda's hands and pulled them down. "But first, let's review event etiquette. The dress code is, of course, upscale garden party,"

"The only reason I didn't clap is that I'm afraid to move." The woman beside Y/N leaned over to whisper.

"I don't think I was paying enough attention to clap," Y/N told her. The woman smiled while Wanda lightly hit her wife's leg.

"I actually don't know what I'm doing here." The mystery woman admitted.

"I'm starting to feel that way myself," Wanda admitted. "I'm Wanda." She said, holding her hand out.

"I'm, uh, Geraldine." The woman introduced herself after taking Wanda's hand.

"And I'm Y/N."

"And I'm irritated." Dottie interrupted, staring at the three of you, her features pinched together in anger. "Tickets for tonight are completely sold out. Now you can clap." Dottie commanded. The woman allowed everyone to clap for five seconds before she raised her hand. "And stop."

"How is anyone doing this sober?" Agnes muttered, shaking her head.

Across town, Vision had finally made his way to the library and was rushing inside. Afraid to have missed his chance at joining the committee.

Vision quickly found the group he was looking for, surrounding a table, speaking quietly amongst themselves.

"Pardon me, is this the neighborhood watch meeting?" Vision asked, standing to the left of the group, his hat in his hands.

Everyone turned to stare at the man, all clearly unsure what he was doing there.

"Oh, hiya Vision. Didn't expect to see you here." Norm said. "This is sort of a 'members only' type of deal." He informed his coworker.

"Oh certainly! Right, well." Vision stuttered, rocking back on his heels. "I'll just stay here and be quiet as a church mouse until you open up the floor for new business." Vision assured the assembled group.

"Well, in truth, we were just getting to new business." Herb, his next-door neighbor, admitted.

"Oh, splendid! Could you tell me how often you rotate security patrols?" Vision inquired, pulling up a chair between Herb and Norm. "Do you interface directly with local law enforcement? And what are your protocols for threats such as burglary, graffiti, and reckless driving?" He pushed.

"No Vision," Norm started, but Vision interrupted him.

"I know these are indeed grave matters." Vision nodded.

"New business actually means another round of Danish," Norm admitted.

"Raspberry or cheese-filled?" Jones asked, pulling a box onto the table and sitting it before Vision.

"Oh, neither for me, thank you. I don't eat food." Vision said without thinking.

Vision didn't even register what he had said until he noticed the rest of the table staring at him in confusion.

"What I mean to say is that I don't eat food in between meals but at mealtimes. I'm a regular eating machine." Vision rambled.

There were a couple nods at Vision's reasoning, and Herb even huffed out a short laugh before he leaned in close to the table.

"Hey fellas. Vision here does have a point. Now listen up because I got some top-secret intelligence for you." Herb told everyone who leaned in closer to hear.

"Oh, excellent!"

"You know how Johnson's been braggin' about that treehouse he built for his kids?"

"Yeah?"

"It's a prefab job," Herb informed everyone. The table immediately scoffed at his words and nodded along.

"That blockhead can't even hold a hammer." One mocked.

"I can do you one better." Norm bragged. "You know those bowling trophies Arthur's always polishing? He bought 'em all at a yard sale in Hackensack."

"I knew it! I've never once seen him down at the lanes." Herb shook his head.

Is this how I'm to fit in? Vision pondered. By peddling gossip and stories? Well, if it is to fit in. He decided, nodding to himself.

"I, too have, some top-secret gossip to share." Vision announced. "Norm here's a communist." He declared.

Norm froze for a second as the rest of the table turned to face him. But he didn't have to worry as everyone burst out into boisterous laughter, Norm included.

"Vision, you're a real cut up." Jones complimented.

"You know, I always thought you were kinda square," Norm told him.

"Me? No! I'm as round as they come." Vision said, causing the rest of the men to laugh once more.

"Hey, Vis, card for a stick big Red?" Herb asked, offering a stick of gum to the android.

"Well, hold on a second. Didn't you hear the man? He doesn't eat food." Norm teased as Vision held the gum between two fingers.

"Is gum food?"

"Well, my understanding is that it's purely for mastication." Vision shrugged, turning his head to Herb for began to stutter.

"Oh no, I don't do that!" Herb denied, shaking his head firmly.

"Well, when in Westview." Vision shrugged, unwrapping the gum. "Cheers." He said, raising the stick before putting it in his mouth.

"Who knew you were such a funny guy?" Norm asked.

"And to think you came here all hot and bothered about protocols and nonsense." Herb chuckled. "We actually thought you were serious," Herb said, slapping Vision on the back.

At the rough and sudden movement, Vision accidentally swallowed the gum in his mouth.

Vision could feel the wad of gum sliding down his throat and getting stuck in his internal processors.

"He's funny. All right, so, back to the barbeque." Herb directed the meeting back on topic.

But what none of the other men noticed was Vision's growing panic at the foreign object now stuck in his internal processors.

Back at the country club, it was now only Y/N, Wanda, and Dottie.

Wanda and Y/N had been tasked with cleaning up after the meeting while Dottie sat prissily behind them.

"And this is why you never do a seating chart on an empty stomach," Dottie commented as Wanda heaved a heavy tray of plates onto the table.

"Golly, you're a whiz at all the committee stuff, Dottie." Wanda complimented as Y/N picked up two stacks of teacups. "Thank you for choosing us to help you clean up. I feel so lucky." Wanda commented, taking one stack off Y/N's hands.

"You are." Dottie shrugged as they lugged the china onto the cart.

"I don't like her," Y/N whispered into her wife's ear once their backs were to their host. "Let's just split now."

"Not yet." Wanda denied before turning back to Dottie. "I can't help but wonder if the three of us haven't gotten off on the wrong foot, Dottie. And I'd like to, we'd like to, correct that if we can."

"And how would you do that?" Dottie asked, her face void of emotion.

Wanda didn't have an answer for Dottie as she chuckled awkwardly and glanced at her wife for an answer. But Y/N didn't have one either.

"I've heard things about you," Dottie revealed, rising to a stand. "About you, about your husband, and about your wife," Dottie said, pointing at both women.

"Well, I don't know what you've been told, but I assure you we don't mean anyone any harm," Wanda said as Y/N moved to stand beside her.

"I don't believe you," Dottie said, staring the two women down with a mean glare.

For a minute, the three women merely stared at one another. Dottie glared in distrust, Wanda looked almost scared, and Y/N was glaring at Dottie for threatening her wife, husband, and their life here.

The staring contest was interrupted by the radio crackling loudly before a man's voice came through it.

"Wanda. Wanda, can you hear? Agent Barton, do you read me?"

"Who is that?" Dottie asked, looking at the radio in fear.

"Wanda? Y/N?"

"Who are you?" Dottie gasped, now turning her fearful gaze to Wanda and Y/N.

The voice continued to call for both Wanda and Y/N. It kept repeating their names until a glass shattered.

The glass in Dottie's hand shattered, and the radio silenced.

"Dottie!" Wanda gasped, gazing at Dottie's bleeding hand in shock.

Wanda quickly took the woman's hand into her own as Y/N pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket.

"Pop quiz, Wanda," Dottie said as Y/N wrapped her hand. "How does a housewife get a bloodstain out white linen?" She asked. When neither woman gave her an answer, she answered her own question. "By doing it herself."

And with that, Dottie walked away.

"Wanda, what is going on?" Y/N demanded as Wanda glanced down at the radio. "What was that? Was that you? That couldn't have been you. Why was it calling me Agent Barton?" Y/N questioned her.

Wanda had never seen her wife really lose her cool in all their time together.

Y/N was always the level-headed one of the trio.

"Sweetheart," Wanda said, taking Y/N's face in her hands. At Wanda's touch, Y/N physically slacked in her grip. "You're exhausted," Wanda explained, running her thumb under Y/N's eye. "It's been a long day, and we didn't sleep last night. You need rest."

"I need rest." Y/N agreed, nodding her head gently.

"We have time before the show to go home and take a nap." Wanda determined. "Maybe we can find something for your head at home or some tea? Does that sound okay?"

"That sounds okay." Y/N nodded, smiling at her wife. "You know it's really your fault we didn't get any sleep last night." Y/N teased as she stood upright.

"Of course it was." Wanda smiled, wrapping her arm around Y/N's waist. "Let's get you home."

As the two began to walk away, Wanda couldn't stop herself from looking back and at the radio.

Just what was that?

Wanda and Y/N had gone home and taken an hour for themselves before they had to get ready for the show and bring their props down to the town square.

All of their neighbors had prepared an act. Everyone was performing.

Wanda, Y/N, and Vision were the last act on the agenda. The only problem with their performance was that they were missing a key component.

They were missing Vision.

"I'd hate to go after this guy." Geraldine giggled, staring at what was happening through the curtains while Wanda paced.

"What?" Wanda panicked.

"Oh no, not like that. You guys are gonna be great." Geraldine assured.

"Oh, what time is it now?" Wanda asked, beginning to pace again.

"Wanda, it's been two minutes," Y/N told the woman.

"I just don't know where he could be."

"Wanda, Vision will be here," Y/N promised, stopping her wife in her pacing by taking her hands. "He promised, and he'd never break a promise to us."

"Is that him?" Geraldine interrupted, pointing to a man stumbling up the stairs.

Y/N and Wanda both turned to see their husband stumbling up the steps of the gazebo.

"It looks like he's got a little hitch in his giddyup," Geraldine commented, shaking her head.

"Vis?" Wanda asked, moving towards the man.

"Wanda! Wanda, my little cabbage, you look smashing!" Vision complimented before letting out a groan.

"What have you been doing?" Y/N asked, stepping next to Wanda.

"Not to worry, my little squash, me and the boys were just playing a rather thrilling game of horses with shoes." Vision said before shaking his head. "No, that's not right. Shoe horses. Horse's shoes!"

"Listen, something strange happened with Dottie," Y/N said, grabbing Vision's arms. "And before that. Something strange has been going on all day. It's hard to explain." Y/N told him.

"I was just playing with his shoes!" Vision yelled, pointing his finger at a man walking by in a horse costume.

Both Y/N and Wanda stared at their husband in confusion. He'd never acted like this before.

"What is going on?" Wanda asked a tad hysterically.

"You are!" Geraldine interrupted.

Wanda rushed to the curtains where Geraldine was peeking her head out to see Dottie giving a speech.

"I want to thank you all for coming out to support Westview Elementary, "For the Children." Dottie gushed.

"For the children." The crowd parroted back.

"The whole town's in this cult." Y/N shook her head.

"And for our final act, I give you Wanda, Y/N, and Vision," Dottie announced, politely clapping as she left the stage to sit with her husbands.

Wanda grabbed Y/N's hand and pulled the woman through the curtains.

The two smiled at the audience as they moved to their spot and, at the same time, gestured for Vision to exit.

Except Vision didn't exit. He completely missed his cue.

"Hey! Hey you! You're up, Cowboy!" Geraldine snapped backstage at Vision.

"What?" Vision asked, struggling with a deck of cards. "Oh, shoot! I've got to go!"

Vision rushed towards the stage, and instead of exiting calmly, as they had planned, Vision burst through the curtains.

"Hello, Westview!" Vision exclaimed as Y/N and Wanda exchanged looks. "It's so lovely to be. I'm so sorry!" Vision apologized to a handrail he had bumped into. "Excuse me. I am Allure, and these are my delightful assistant's Illusion and Glamour."

"I am Glamour," Wanda interjected, raising a hand in a flourish.

"And I am Allure," Y/N added, copying Wanda's movements. "And this is the incredible,

"Illusion." The two introduced.

"Whatever they said." Vision nodded along. "Today, we will lie to you, and yet you will believe our little deceptions because human beings are easily fooled. But that's not your fault!" Vision told the audience. "It's because of human's limited understanding of the inner workings of the universe." He shrugged while his wife's once again stared at him questioningly. "Flourish!"

"You don't have to say it out loud, honey," Wanda muttered.

"You just do it. Like we practiced." Y/N added.

"Bah!" Vision waved off the advice. "And now, my wive's and I will delight in your dumbstruck little faces. Flourish!" He called before he was suddenly floating above the stage.

Wanda and Y/N froze at their husband's actions. And they weren't the only ones.

Everyone in the audience saw what Vision was doing, and they all gasped at the sight of him floating.

What was he thinking?

Wanda's head snapped to the audience, and she noticed Dottie watching intently.

Thinking quickly, Wanda pointed at Vision and conjured a wire for him to float from.

Y/N, noticing Wanda's actions, rushed across the stage and moved a poster board revealing the lever connected to the rope and pully.

"Ha! Do you see? He's using a rope!" Norm called from the audience.

"Wanda, what's, oh God! No! Y/N, stop her!" Vision yelled as Wanda began to pull Vision higher, to the audience's delight. "Darlings, let me down! I'm feeling pukey!"

After that line, Wanda finally lowered Vision to the ground as the audience clapped loudly.

"Thank you!" Vision smiled. "What's next? Oh, yeah, this is, this is gonna be great!" He said, moving over to the piano. "A staggering feat of strength!" He bragged, raising the piano with one hand.

The audience gasped and stared at the man in confusion.

"What do you think of that?" Vision asked the crowd.

"Illusion." Wanda gasped, struggling to think of how to fix this. "Illusion, Master of Engima, allow me." She said, wiggling her fingers subtly before rushing across the stage.

Wanda grabbed the piano out of Vision's hand, and it was replaced by a cardboard replica.

"Whoops!" Wanda gasped as she showed the audience the fake back. "You weren't supposed to see how we did that trick!" She teased, causing the audience to clap and giggle.

"That was my grandmother's piano," Jones said in the audience, watching as Wanda threw the piano to Y/N.

As the piano was removed from the stage, Vision turned his sights to the audience before excitedly exclaiming,

"Sherbert! This is my old mate Sherbert!" Vision yelled, moving towards the crowd. "Stand up, Sherbert! Say hello to the crowd!" He demanded, rushing beside the other man.

"It's Herbert. Herb." Herb clarified.

"Pipe down, Sherbie, and pick a card." Vision said, pushing the deck in Herb's direction. "Any card, now put it back in the deck." He ordered, turning his back to his neighbor. "I'm not looking. All right, watch this."

Vision halved the deck and pulled out the King of Diamonds, holding it smugly in front of Herb.

"Is this your card?"

"No." Herb shook his head.

"I beg to differ." Vision scoffed, thrusting the card towards Herb.

"It's not."

"Really?" Vision asked, cocking his head to the side. "Is this your card?" He questioned, pulling out another card.

"Vision," Y/N said from the stage, a fake smile on her face.

But Vision ignored her as he continued to pull cards from the deck.

"Is this your card? Is this your card? Is your card?" Vision kept repeating, showing cards and then throwing them to the side as Herb denied him.

"Sweetheart?" Wanda asked as cards flew everywhere.

"Is this your card?" Vision demanded, pulling out the King of Spades.

"Oh, it is," Herb said, surprised at it finally being pulled out.

"It is what?" Vision asked, staring at him in confusion.

"It's my card." Herb smiled.

"Well, pardon me, Herb. Have it back." Vision scoffed, thrusting the card into the man's hands.

"No, that's not what I meant. You did the trick right." Herb told him as Vision stormed away.

"Well, of course, I did the trick right. I'm Illusion!" Vision exclaimed, rolling his eyes. "Flourish!" He emitted, bowing deeply.

Wanda and Y/N quickly began to clap at Vision's trick', causing the audience to join.

"And now, for my next trick," Vision began to announce.

"He's still going?" Y/N whispered to her wife, who sighed.

"Where's my hat? Who stole my hat?" Vision asked, turning to see his hat on the stage floor, Senor Scratchy hopping out of it. "Oh! Stop that rabbit!" He called as Y/N, and Wanda chased after the rabbit. "I've got to pull a hat out of you!"

"Senor Scratchy's got real star quality, don't you think?" Agnes asked anyone who would listen as Wanda caught him.

"Maybe we leave the poor bunny out of this one, shall we?" Wanda questioned, stroking the rabbit's fur gently.

"That sounds swell," Y/N said, approaching Wanda with the cage.

"Well then, I will just have to pull this hat out of myself!" Vision determined, facing the audience with a grin.

"Vision no." Wanda gasped, staring at him pleadingly.

"I'm doing it."

"Don't you dare," Y/N said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Ah-ha!" Vision cheered. Having ignored his wives pleading, Vision had gone ahead and pushed his hat through his torso.

The crowd didn't clap, and they didn't gasp. Everyone merely stared in confusion, not understanding what they just saw.

"If only we could tell you our secret." Y/N awkwardly smiled as Wanda wiggled her fingers.

The curtains opened behind the three, revealing a set of mirrors to the audience.

The assembled crowd let out sounds of recognition and began to clap, now understanding the trick.

"Is that how mirrors work?" Bev wondered a costume horse head on her lap.

"Shut up, Bev." Dottie scolded the other woman without even turning to look at her.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, for our grand finale." Vision announced as Wanda moved to get the cabinet while Y/N closed the curtains. "I bring you the Magnet of Crysteries!"

"The Cabinet of Mysteries," Wanda told the crowd, a slight snap in her tone.

Wanda was so fed up with how the day had gone that all she wanted was to get the show over with.

But she was so focused on her frustration that she never noticed, Y/N wasn't in the cabinet.

"I will now make my wife disappear!" Vision announced, opening the doors to show the crowd and shutting them before Wanda could enter.

"Are you sure you don't want an audience volunteer named "My husband Ralph?" Agnes called from the crowd.

The rest of the crowd, particularly the women, laughed at Agnes' joke.

"No. Abracadabra!" Vision cheered, tapping his wand on the cabinet door.

"Uh, Vision, sweetheart?" Wanda said from where she still stood.

"Yeah?"

"Hi." Wanda waved, causing Vision to freeze.

"Oh."

"Hiya, darlings," Y/N announced, now standing beside Vision.

"Oh." Both her partners said, now staring at her.

"What's in the box?" The crowd began to chant. "What's in the box? What's in the box?"

"What is in the box?" Vision asked, staring at his wives in confusion.

"What's in the box? What's in the box?"

Wanda pointed at the cabinet, and when she and Vision opened the doors, there stood Geraldine.

The audience all gasped at the woman's appearance before beginning to clap wildly.

"Let's bounce," Y/N said, grabbing Vision's hand and dragging him off stage with Wanda following behind.

Once away from the crowd, Vision immediately began to cry.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so stupid." Vision cried.

"Vis, it is all right," Wanda assured, putting her hands on Vision's chest.

"Vision, it's okay, everything is fine. You're not stupid." Y/N added, taking his hand in one of hers.

"But what is going on with you?" Wanda demanded of him.

"I have no idea!" Vision cried. "I've been feeling weirdy all day!"

"It's okay. We can solve this," Y/N told him soothingly.

Wanda stepped back and raised her hand towards him. She began to scan through Vision's systems and stopped in the middle of his torso.

Vision let out a groan at the sensation as Wanda's eyes widened.

Wanda worked her magic and forced the gum out of Vision's systems.

The gum forced itself up Vision's throat and out of his mouth.

"Disgusting," Y/N said, cringing at the scene.

"Well, would you look at that? That really gummed up the works, didn't it?" Vision joked, the gum that had caused so many problems between his fingers. "I'm not as funny without it, am I?" He asked when neither of his wives responded.

"Oh, honey, no," Y/N said, squeezing his hand. "You weren't funny with it either." She teased.

"Well, you're back to yourself." Wanda sighed, relieved.

"And that's all we really need," Y/N promised, leaning up to kiss his cheek.

"Now, let's get out of here before Dottie, and the planning committee, string us up for ruining the show," Wanda said to the two.

"Don't joke. The cult might actually do that." Y/N commented.

"I'm sorry, what cult?" Vision asked, looking quite concerned.

"I'll explain later," Y/N promised as the three reached the edge of the curtains.

The three tried to inconspicuously sneak away from the show but were stopped with a cry.

"You three, stop right there!"

"Oh, we're dead." Y/N cringed as the three began to turn around with grimaces adorning their faces.

"Nothing, like what the three of you just did up there, has ever happened in the history of our talent show," Dottie told the three.

"Dottie, we are so,"

"Hilarious." Dottie cut Wanda off. "That was the most hilarious act we've ever seen. Wouldn't you agree?" Dottie asked the crowd, who applauded in agreeance.

Wanda let out a relieved chuckle while Y/N grinned victoriously.

"Oh, yes, of course!" Vision exclaimed, playing along as if everything that had just happened was intentional.

"You three, come on up. Come on." Dottie ordered.

The married three all looked at one another before agreeing it was safe to move on stage.

"On behalf of the planning committee, I would like to award you with the inaugural Comedy Performance of the year," Dottie announced, handing Wanda the trophy.

The audience rose to their feet and began to cheer for the three.

Wanda, Y/N, and Vision all giddily grinned as Wanda raised the trophy, and they indulged in their moment.

Wanda heard clapping from the stage side and turned her head to see Geraldine clapping happily.

Y/N, noticing where Wanda was looking, also turned to Geraldine and began to gesture her over.

"Come on." Wanda mouthed as the other woman hesitated.

With a bit more encouraging, and Vision pulling her over, Geraldine finally moved to stand with the three, a smile on her face.

"I do have to ask," Geraldine whispered, turning her head to Vision. "One second I'm backstage, and the next, I'm in a dark cubby hole." She said as the four bowed. "How'd you do it?"

"Oh, a magician never reveals his secrets." Vision said sagely. "He leaves that to his assistants.

"And she's not talking," Y/N told the curious woman.

"Nope. Neither of them are." Wanda added with a sly smile.

"Why did I have a feeling you'd say that?" Geraldine asked with a giggle.

"For the children!" Norm called from the crowd.

"For the children!" The rest of the crowd repeated.

"It's still culty," Y/N whispered in her wife's ear.

The three were in a joyful mood as they walked home. Despite the show not going the way they had wanted it to, everything had turned out okay.

They had fit in with their neighbors, entertained their friends, and no-one was any the wiser about their secrets.

"When did you learn to salsa dance?" Wanda laughed, watching as Y/N and Vision danced down the street.

"I don't remember when I learned to, I just know it was at night, and I read many books on the subject." Vision said as he twirled Y/N out.

"Of course you." Y/N laughed before she took over the dominant role and began to lead. She then spun Vision towards Wanda.

The three continued to dance into their home, their costumes and other items balanced in skilled hands.

"You were tremendous, Glamour." Vision complimented, opening the door as Wanda dramatically fell into his arms.

"As were you, Illusion," Wanda said, grinning up at the man.

"Despite the circumstances." Y/N smiled, entering behind the two. Wanda had moved out of Vision's arms to put the trophy away, allowing Vision to wrap both arms around Y/N's waist.

"Why, thank you, Allure." Vision said, smiling down at his wife. Y/N returned the smile before leaning up to kiss the man.

"I don't know what I was so worried about." Wanda sighed, taking her seat on the couch. "It wasn't so hard to fit in at all."

"And all we had to do was be ourselves." Vision agreed, sitting to her right.

"At least the public version," Y/N smirked, sitting on Wanda's other side.

"And it was all for the children."

"For the children."

"Well, I think the children might need some popcorn," Wanda commented.

"And some coffee," Y/N added as she and Wanda rose to their feet.

"Wanda. Y/N." Vision said, stopping the two of them in their tracks.

"Hmm, what?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

As Vision rose from the couch, his gaze remained focused on their stomachs, causing the two to finally look down.

"Oh shoot." Y/N gasped, noting hers and Wanda's matching bellies.

"Is this really happening?" Wanda asked, a hand on her engorged stomach and her other on Y/N's.

"Yes, my love." Vision smiled, leaning down to kiss Wanda gently as if she would break if he applied too much pressure.

"We're gonna have a family." Y/N smiled, pressing her fingertips onto Wanda's stomach as her husband and wife pulled apart.

"We are, my dove." Vision nodded, grin still attached to his face, before leaning down and kissing Y/N with the same gentleness.

"We're pregnant." Wanda grinned, her eyes slightly glassy before she pulled Y/N into a kiss. Hers more firm than the one's Vision had done.

As Wanda kissed Y/N, there was a loud banging outside, causing the three to jump.

"If that's that damn tree again, I'm going to rip it out by the roots." Vision snapped, storming towards the door.

"Don't touch my tree, Vis!" Y/N exclaimed as she and Wanda followed after Vision.

"I don't see anything," Wanda said as the three searched the yard for the noise.

"What is that?" Vision asked, standing at the gate. Y/N and Wanda moved to see what he was looking at and saw a storm drain cover moving.

As something began to climb out, Vision moved forward and wrapped his arms around his wives protectively.

A man in a beekeeper's costume emerged, a swarm of bees surrounding him.

"No," Wanda whispered as the man's head snapped towards the three.

"We're pregnant." Wanda grinned, her eyes slightly glassy before she pulled Y/N into a kiss. Hers more firm than the one's Vision had done.

When the two pulled apart, it was as if their world was suddenly all the more vibrant.

Their home was bright, and the three were glowing.

"Everything's changing," Y/N said, looking at her partners with a grin.

"It is." Vision agreed, pulling the two women into his embrace.

"All for the better," Wanda told the two.

And it was.

Taglist will be open throughout the series.

@x-uglyprincess-x @imthedoctorlove @loveinnoya @unknownalien3388 @bindythedemon @summersimmerus @buckmesidewaysandcallmesteve @natasharomanoffismywife @mcsteamy4ever @monxpeet @amywinehouseisgod @milleniumloki @buckybarnesplumwhore @kennedywxlsh @drpepperobsessed @madamevirgo @superbsccissorsdeanexpert @itty-bitty-witch @essenceproxima @severusminerva @okkulta @mrscasnovak @niki-is-a-thing

#wanda maximoff #wanda x reader #wanda maximoff x reader #vision x reader #vision x wanda #wandavision #avengers x reader #scarlet witch x reader

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eirist · 2 years

Text

Little Bits and Pieces of Heaven

NAUGHTY OR NICE?

One-shot #: 31

Disclaimer: One Piece (and its characters) belongs to Eiichiro Oda-sensei.

Reminder: I have no beta-reader. Any grammatical and spelling errors are solely mine.

Warning: OOC possible. One shot scribble.

Rating: M (Just suggestive)

Note: One more for the road. Because, yeah, I forgot I had this prompt list! From the Winter Whimsies: Winter/Holiday/Christmas Prompt List. Prompt # 13 - Naughty or Nice.

This is pret-ty straightforward. Merry Christmas!

Summary: Because in all honestly, neither one of them falls under the nice category.

“You in there?”

Nami bent down slightly, drawing the festively designed blanket that covered the entrance of the pillow fort to the side to peer in.

She only got a low grunt for answer. But that is enough to confirm where their swordsman is after he vanished from their party earlier.

The navigator straightened up as she studied the makeshift fort in front of her. No use asking Zoro what he is doing inside it because if you really know the man at all… it’s damn pretty obvious.

Considering how all the Sunny’s library lights are off and the place was only illuminated by the Christmas tree lights… she’s sure the green-haired man had just found his new—but temporary—sleeping spot.

It was probably Usopp’s idea to build the fort. A good decision too really. Luffy and Chopper were so excited for their Christmas party later that night that they went hyperactive and got in everyone’s way and preparations (particularly Sanji who has been slaving in the kitchen all day) instead of actually helping out.

And Nami clearly remembered she delegated the task of baby-sitting them to Zoro, who ‘accepted’ it with grunt and a scowl.

How Usopp ended up baby-sitting them (Zoro included) instead of helping Franky set up the tree in the library, she can only speculate. But from what she heard from Jinbei… Robin took over the Usopp’s task in assisting the shipwright.

That made Nami raised an eyebrow. Oh, she had her suspicions that something is going on between their older crewmates.

The sniper probably intended to join the two younger Mugiwaras in their antics, and ended up looking out and distracting the two, taking over Zoro’s supposedly responsibility.

Which is good, because honestly… the katana wielder is absolutely useless when it comes to Luffy and Chopper and their pleading eyes.

Her eyes scrutinized the fluffy fort. She had no idea where they got all those pillows nor can she recall they had that many on board. There were also blankets from the ship’s storage closet that were tied to the library’s windows along with those that looked like the ones she and Robin bought from the town’s market yesterday.

They were so festive looking—with bright colors of red, green and white and scattered designs of snowflakes, reindeers, decorated pine trees and silhouettes of a fat man in a red ensemble. She and the archaeologist can’t help but think that they are perfect for tonight.

That is… if they didn’t end up part of the pillow fort her childish friends decided to build.

She sighed. She’ll just charge them the total cost of those new blankets.

But she had to admit. Usopp did a good job putting it up. Luffy and Chopper absolutely loved it. It actually held their interest long enough for them all to enjoy a few Luffy & Chopper free hours and finish their preparations for tonight. And apparently… Zoro likes it too. Why else would he sneak out of the party to doze off inside it when he can literally just fall asleep right there at the galley even with their noises.

Nami bent down her knees.

“Make some space Zoro!” That was her only warning to him as she started to crawl inside it.

She heard Zoro huffed in irritation at her demand. “There’s no room for another in here.” He answered back in a snide tone.

“You’re the only one inside!” She retorted as she continued to make her way in. What the hell was he saying? Luffy, Usopp and Chopper were all in there along with him earlier. That means it is spacious enough.

She realized what he meant when she saw him. Of course another person can’t fit in because the idiot swordsman was lying, spread eagled on the whole floor space as if he exclusively owns the place! It wasn’t really that cramp. But since Zoro is a large man, he dominated the whole area of the fort easily (and selfishly, she might add).

She felt her ears heating at that.

So Nami decided to just crawl all over him... making sure to dig her elbows and knees as hard as she could on any available part of him.

She grinned wickedly when she heard an annoyed grunt from underneath her.

“Nami!” Zoro growled as he tried to move from his position. But it was too late. She already had him pinned beneath her. One of her knees dug into his leg as she wriggled her body above him trying to find a more comfortable position while draped all over him. “Oi careful!” Zoro warned and he immediately caught her other knee before it hit a rather sensitive spot.

Her grin immediately turned into a more dangerous smile.

“Ooops…” Nami sing-songed as her face hovered over his. “My bad,” she said in a cheeky and obviously unapologetic tone.

Zoro looked at her irritably. “Damn it woman! Do you really have to do this?”

“Yes because as usual, you’re being an ass.” She emphasized her answer by shifting above him in a totally careless manner… deliberately. Zoro grumbled expletives under his breath. His body maybe tough and hard from all the training he was doing, but when Nami in intentionally moving like she was lying on a bumpy mattress and was trying to beat the lumps in using her elbows and knees… it’s a different story. “Stop it!” He ordered before caging her to him using one arm.

“Hey!” Nami complained. “No need to be so rough!” Zoro bit back a defiant and rather salacious retort on how she sometimes likes it when he’s rough on her. Instead, he wrapped his other arm around her as well, before tackling her to the side as Nami squealed in surprise. “Zoro!” The green-haired man chuckled at her reaction. Yet he didn’t release her even as she tried to wiggle her body to free herself from him.

“Serves you right.”

Surprisingly, she easily gave up and childishly blew him a raspberry.

Zoro just smirked as he looked down her face. It was a bit dark inside the pillow fort, but he can still make out her puffed cheeks and pouting lips thanks to the brilliant Christmas tree lights Franky had set up earlier. He bent down and swiftly stole a kiss from them. And Nami immediately relaxed in his arms at that. He in turn loosened his hold around her. But he still kept her within his embrace, as she tilted her head to look at him. And damn he did not like the way she's looking at him right now.

“So… where are my presents?”

Zoro inwardly groaned. He should have known that was the reason why she was looking for him.

And did she say presents?

Nami was looking at him expectantly then her brows furrowed.

“Don’t tell me you don’t have anything for me?” She gasped exaggeratedly.

Well… it wasn’t like she was expecting something from him. But still… it’s Christmas right?

Zoro gave her a curious look. “Depends… have you been naughty or nice?” She blinked at his question. “What does that have to do with your gifts for me?” “You heard Chopper’s story about that fat guy who slides down chimneys to give out gifts?”

“Yeah,” Nami nodded. “He told us about it in the party earlier!” “Well he has a naughty and nice list.” “…” Zoro looked her in the eye. “Only the nice ones can receive gifts,” he said in an almost somber tone as if he was talking to a petulant child. “You’ve been anything but nice Nami.”

She almost shot up and out of his arms at that. And Zoro laughed at her reaction. “You!” Nami kicked his leg in retaliation. “I can’t believe you Zoro! I’ve been nothing but nice to you this week!” “That’s because you are trying to wheedle a gift from me.”

“Because it’s Christmas!”

“So?” Nami scowled at him. “Look who’s being naughty now? I hope the fat guy doesn’t leave you with any presents!”

Zoro grinned. “Honestly, do you think I’m Luffy? Or Chopper?”

“You don't get a gift from me as well.”

“I really don’t mind not getting one.”

Nami stuck her tongue out at him. “That’s it! If you don’t have anything for me, screw being nice!”

That only made him laugh louder. He didn’t doubt that for a second. Nami’s notorious for being ‘super kind’ when she wants to get something… especially from him.

Like that would work. He knows her too much. Almost like the back of his hands.

He smirked at her again, pulling her towards him, leaving no space between them as their bodies pressed close to each other.

“You are in no way a nice girl,” Zoro drawled as he watched her lips pursed. “But I actually prefer you naughty…” He whispered lowly at her ear before giving her butt a hearty slap, squeezing it a little,, before his laughter rumbled inside the fort again.

“YOU!” Nami stiffened against him, yet he felt her hands grasp the front of his jacket. A sure sign that she liked what he did. “Argh damn it!”

He cut off her incoming rant by pressing his lips against her. Soft, feather light kisses before shifting to light teasing nips that made her sigh contentedly.

“You’re not nice too you know.” Nami mumbled in between their kisses.

“I know.”

“Pirate hunters really not are.”

“Are cat burglars nice?”

“Hmmm…”

Zoro chuckled as she feigned mulling over her answer.

Nami snickered. “Then we are both not getting any presents from Chopper’s fat chimney guy.”

“True.”

They laugh a bit at their inside joke.

“Hey, Merry Christmas.” Nami greeted with a pretty smile on her face. “Merry Christmas Nami.” Zoro returned her smile. “And yeah, I actually have something for you. Even if you haven’t been nice at all.”

“Really now?” She giggled excitedly. She ran her fingers through his hair. “How about we call truce for Christmas?”

“Truce.” He agreed as he tilted her chin with his finger to kiss her again.

“Hmm… how sturdy is this fort?” Nami suddenly asked, stopping him momentarily. Zoro raised an eyebrow at her. “No idea.” “Think we can be a bit naughty here?” Nami whispered suggestively as she hooked a leg on his waist.

The corner of his lips twitched up at her suggestion. “Let’s find out then.”

#zoro x nami #ZoNa #zonami #zonalove #zona one-shots #zona fanfiction #zoro nami fanfiction #zona holiday prompts #zona christmas prompts #roronoa zoro #nami

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lavender-scent · 3 years

Text

BBRae Week Day Five - Sunny Days

AO3 - FF.net

I Know My Heart Can Be So Cold, But I'm Sweet For You.

It was a beautiful sunny day in Jump City. The Titans agreed to seize the opportunity and go out since the city’s villains seemed to want to enjoy a day off as well.

Except for one person.

“What do you mean you’re not going?”

“You heard me Beast Boy,” she sighed, “I’d like to spend the day at home. Why is that so hard to understand?”

“But everyone is going!”

“And I’m not.” Raven gave him her back declaring the end of their discussion.

He wanted to try to convince her more but he heard his communicator vibrating. “Beast Boy, are you coming?”

He brought it closer to his mouth to speak, “On my way, Cy.”

It had been going like this for a while now: Raven constantly refusing every invite from the team and spending more and more time alone. Beast Boy and the others had tried to convince her to go out with them multiple times only to be rejected at every turn.

The whole team gave up eventually except for Beast Boy. It had taken her long enough to open up to them all, especially him, the first time and he didn't mind getting her to do it again even if it took a while.

Their friends believed it was just a phase but he didn’t want to risk it. He was not letting her shut herself in and isolate herself that easily.

“I’m going now but if you change your mind give me a call, okay?”

“Okay,” she said, still giving him her back.

He sighed but transformed into a hawk and flew through her window down to where his friends were waiting.

“What did friend Raven say?” Starfire asked once he got into the car.

“The usual. I want some quiet time by myself, blah blah blah. You should try it, Beast Boy, blah blah blah.” He tried his best impression of her with a frown.

“We’ll give her space. Maybe she’ll come around.” That was Robin’s answer every time.

'Next time there won’t be any “space”', Beast Boy thought to himself. He would get her out of that room. Not today, though. Raven really hated the sun and it was an exceptionally bright day out.

As they got to the park and started unpacking their stuff, Beast Boy realized he forgot something. “My umbrella! I forgot it at home.”

“B, for the last time, it’s not going to rain.”

“But the weather lady said there’s a 60% chance it would.”

“But the sun is bright and shiny today,” Starfire pointed out, “it does not seem that it will be the raining today, friend Beast Boy.”

“You know I hate the rain! Better safe than sorry.”

“What’s wrong, is the little kitty afraid to get wet?” Cyborg teased.

Beast Boy ignored him and transformed into a hawk for the second time. It would only take him a few minutes to grab his umbrella from the tower and be back. Once he got back to the tower he transformed back into his human form.

The tower smelled different than when he left it, felt different. Was Raven performing some sort of a spell? No, he knew when she was practicing spells. The scent always included herbs and old books. This scent smelled… sweet?

“Stop!” he heard a familiar voice.

Raven.

He ran to the source of the sound only to realize there was more than just her pleading voice. It made him run faster.

“Don’t touch her!” Beast Boy yelled when he reached Cyborg’s lab.

What Beast Boy saw was the furthest thing from what he expected. He had had all the worst scenarios prepared in his head, only to find Raven holding what looked like a five year old boy in one arm and a girl that seemed just a little bit older on the other.

“What the-“ before he got to finish his sentence he was cut off with screams.

“BEAST BOY!” the boy and the girl both jumped from Raven’s arms into Beast Boy's.

Beast Boy looked down at the two kids hugging his legs and back to his teammate. She looked like she was barely breathing.

“Raven, you brought Beast Boy!” the girl spoke first.

“It seems like I did.” She said nervously. She walked to Beast Boy and held his wrist, “Can I have a word?”

“Of course.” He followed her to the hallway leaving the two kids alone in the lab.

“What are you doing here?”

“I forgot my umbrella.”

“You do know that it’s not going to rain.”

“But the weather lady said-“

“Enough with the weather lady!” she threw her hands in the air in frustration. “Take your umbrella and just leave.”

“Okay, fine!” After a second thought, he asked, “Wait, who are those kids?”

“They’re my… cousins.” Raven said after she realized there was no way she could hide it any more.

It was obvious she didn’t want him there but he was still confused. Why did she hide that from the team?

“I didn’t know you had cousins?”

“I’ve reconnected with my aunt on Earth a few weeks ago. She had some work here in the city and I offered to take the kids for the day.” Raven answered hoping the investigation would be over soon. “Any more questions?”

“You have an aunt and you didn’t tell us?” Beast Boy paused. “Is that why you haven’t been spending as much time with us lately?”

“I.. I wanted-“ Raven was cut off by a loud noise.

They went back to the lab to find the boy climbing Cyborg computer set.

“James, get down! Raven is going to be mad at us!” his sister – Beast Boy assumed – tried to reach him using a chair but he was far above her.

“James, get down!” Raven ordered.

“I can’t!” James cried. “I don’t know how!”

Beast Boy decided to step in transforming into a moose, holding the little boy with one antler and putting him back down.

“That was awesome!” the boy yelled once the changeling went back to his human body. “Do it again!”

“Yes, Beast Boy do it again!” the girl joined.

“Erica, I believe Beast Boy has somewhere to be.” Raven gave him a glare.

“Right!” Beast Boy found himself forgetting about the picnic. The truth was he wanted to stay with Raven. “Are you sure you don’t need my help?”

“Nope.”

Both Beast Boy and Raven tuned at the sound of something breaking.

“Sorry,” James said, putting back a remote that was now in half.

Raven sighed. “Why did I think bringing them here was a good idea.”

“We still haven’t seen the training room!” Erica reminded her.

“I…” Raven was trying to think of a way to get out of this seeing how James causing chaos in the lab just confirmed that he shouldn’t be anywhere near all those weapons. Before she got to say anything, Beast Boy spoke up. “Who wants to go to the fair?”

“Me! Me! Me!” Both kids held their hands up high.

Beast Boy turned to his teammate. “You think you can give us a ride?”

Raven was caught by surprise. “Uhm, yeah I think I can. But only once.”

She held the changeling's hand with one and Erica’s with the other asking her to hold her brother’s hand as well.

When they got to the fair the kids immediately let her hand go and ran to see all the games they could play.

“That was a close one,” Beast Boy chuckled.

Raven didn’t laugh. “What are you still doing here?”

“Helping you?”

“I didn’t ask for help. I have everything under control. You can leave.”

“Everything under control? Okay then, where are the kids right now?”

“They are right ther-“ Raven looked around to find neither of them within her sight.

“They’re by the big wheel. You’re welcome.”

“I knew that.”

“No you didn’t. Now can you let go of my hand so I can get them some tickets.”

Raven looked down to find that she was indeed still holding his hand. She removed her hand from his and hoped that the hood of her cloak was hiding her blush as he left to go get the tickets.

“Can we please get ice cream?” James asked, running to her.

“Sure.”

“And I want to get on the big wheel!”

“Whatever you want.”

“Is Beast Boy your boyfriend?”

“No,” she answered without thinking. “Wait, what?”

“I saw you guys holding hands,” explained the little boy.

“No, we’re just teammates.” Raven blushed. Why would the kids ask her such a question? Weren't they too young to know about this stuff?

“My friend Lily thinks you guys look great together,” Erica said after she joined them. “She has all these drawings of you.”

“Drawings? Of us?”

“Yeah, kissing.”

Raven tried to change the subject when she saw her teammate coming with the tickets. “Oh look! Beast Boy brought the tickets. Go stand in line for your turn.”

They ran to Beast Boy to get their tickets and went back waiting at the big wheel.

“At least now we don’t have to worry about them getting hurt or killed by Cy.” Beast Boy said cheerfully.

“Yeah, great," Raven replied harshly.

Beast Boy turned to look at her. “Are you mad at me?”

She ignored him.

Beast Boy knew she trying to push him away again. Too bad it wouldn’t work.

“Why didn’t you tell us about your aunt and cousins?”

“It’s stupid.”

“I like stupid.”

“You wouldn’t understand. None of you would.”

“Try me.”

Raven exhaled a long breath. She had a feeling Beast Boy wouldn't be giving up soon. He never knew when to stop.

“I didn’t tell you about my cousins because I didn’t want them to meet you.”

“Are you embarrassed by us??”

“No... the opposite.”

“You’re… proud of us?”

“No! That’s not what I meant. I mean I am proud of you. I just didn’t want them to meet you because I know they would love you more.”

Beast Boy had never been more confused in his life. “People are usually happy by that.”

“I want them to love you. I just don’t want them to love you more than…. More than me.” Her insecurity finally broke through and she looked almost ashamed despite her defiance.

“Rae, I’m sure the kids love you. You’re an amazing person.”

“Yeah That’s how it felt before you came.” Raven knew she was being immature about this but she couldn’t help it. “I know I say I don’t care about fans but it’s always the same. Kids usually like you, guys like Cyborg, girls like Robin and boys like Starfire. No one likes me.”

“That’s not true!”

“Yeah right. How could I forget? Only creeps like the creep.”

Beast Boy gave her a sad look. He hated when she thought of herself that way. That was not who she was.

“Anyway,” Raven continued, “it felt nice to find my cousins and for them to see me as their favorite hero.”

She waited for him to tell her how childish and petty that was, how selfish she was to be hiding her whole family for the sake of being a kid’s favorite. But she heard none of that.

“Then I have to tell them about all the times you saved our asses.”

“What?” Raven gave him a confused look.

“Come on.” He took her hand and went to the kids as they just left the big wheel a little dizzy. “Who wants ice cream?” he asked.

Once they got their ice cream –strawberry for Beast Boy and Erica, chocolate for James and blueberry for Raven – Beast Boy proceeded to tell the kids every time Raven saved the team. He started to sound like a bigger fan than the kids were.

Every time he finished one the kids would turned amazed at Raven and ask to confirm Beast Boy’s story.

They seemed to forget all about the games they were first excited about. Her aunt called to check on them and agreed to pick them up at the fair later on.

Erica noticed a costumes tent that offered face painting as well and asked if they could get one.

“What costume do you want?” Raven asked.

“Yours! ” cheered Erica.

“Me too!” followed James.

Raven was shocked. She thought at least James would want to dress as the changeling or maybe Robin.

Both of them ran to the tent to look for costumes their sizes.

“I’m gonna go pay for them,” said Beast Boy as he walked after them.

She waited for them until they came out wearing blue cloaks and running around her. “Look Raven, now I’m Raven!”

She smiled at them and then looked up to see Beast Boy grinning at her.

They met her aunt not so long after. “I left one Raven only to come back to find two more!”

The kids ran to hug their mother. “We’re helping Raven save the city!”

“Hey, I’m Beast Boy.” The changeling offered his hand.

“Hi, I’m Selena, Raven’s aunt, ” Her aunt replied as she shook his hand. “Raven talks a lot about you!”

“Really?” Beast Boy glanced at Raven to find her face flushed.

“Aunt Selena, aren’t you late for your subway?” Raven reminded her.

“Right, right, I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Thanks for watching the kids! And it nice to meet you, Beast Boy.”

“Likewise.”

Beast Boy couldn’t miss the opportunity to tease her once her aunt left. “You told your aunt about me?”

“You’re a superhero. She already knows about you.”

“Yeah but it’s not the same as from you.”

She tried to stop herself from hitting him because of the stupid grin he was giving her but he was making it very hard.

Suddenly, Raven felt something funny on her nose. She touched it to find her nose a little wet. Then again on her cheek. She looked up to realize it was raining.

She expected Beast Boy to complain, or say he was right. Instead he said, “Want to go on the big wheel? I saved us tickets.”

“You don’t want to go home? It’s raining.”

“No, I don’t mind.”

The ride was quiet at first but then Raven spoke. “Thank you, for today. I admit, I wouldn’t have made it without you. It was... Fun.”

Beast Boy only smiled.

On their wedding night, during one of the many danced they shared as husband and wife, Beast Boy reminded her of the day they spent with her cousins who were now older but still as excited to see their older cousin married. "When we went to get the costumes they asked me to marry you and I promised them, I would.” Beast Boy told her.

“I guess we make great part-rents together.” He moved his hand closer to hers, gently squeezing it, hoping she wouldn’t take it away. She didn’t.

“So you’re saying you’re with me only because you promised my cousins you would marry me?”

She laughed at his attempt at mashing partners and parents together. Then with a thought to his second statement she replied softly, “I guess we do.”

Beast Boy leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead as they swayed to the soft music. “I always knew I’d be with you. After that day I only wanted you more.”

nb: if you liked this check my poolside fic for day 2

also my friend's fic for into the woods for day 3

(@bbraeweek21 )

#somehow maneged to make raven jealous inthis fic too #bbrae with kids has become my favorite thing #bbraeweek21 #fic #day5 #bbrae #bbrae fanfiction

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chococobi · 3 years

Text

Sun in the rain

Pairing: crush!sunwoo x gn!reader

AU/Genre: Highschool!au, friends-to-lovers!au, fluff

Warnings: none :]

Word count: 1.5k

Summary: is it possible for one of the most stressful days to turn into the one of the most special? With the help of your best friend maybe

a/n: I really didn’t know where this story was going but I tried to make it work :) I’m so sorry if there are any spelling errors.

It was a Wednesday morning and you had just woken up from the awful sound of your neighbor's lawnmower.

Looking over, 9:48 displayed on your clock making you gasp in disbelief. You only had 12 minutes to get ready for school. Practically launching yourself off your bed, you ran to the bathroom and got ready for your day.

As you were heading out the door, you grabbed a piece of toast your mom made and booked it out with only 2 - 4 minutes to get to school.

Once you stepped through the school gates, the bell rang making you just in time. You spotted your best friend Sunwoo approaching you as you tried to your breath from all that running.

“Did you see my text this morning? Apparently not hm?” he laughed and brushed some of your hair strands away from your face.

Your face tinted a soft rose colour from his sudden touch. You patted your pockets to find your phone but soon realized you forgot it back at home. “Great, I forgot my phone at home” you said rolling your eyes in annoyance.

“Dummy” Sunwoo whispered under his breath and let out a slight chuckle as you two began walking to your class.

time skip eHE :]

The afternoon came around before you knew it and the school day had ended. Of course with your luck, it was raining on the day you didn’t have your umbrella. You decided to wait by the entrance of the school to see if the rain would stop but as the second grew it only fell worse.

You let out a groan because you not only didn’t bring an umbrella, you also were only in a thin sweater. You didn’t have time to check the weather this morning and assumed it would be a sunny day, it turned out to be the complete opposite. Everyone including Sunwoo had already gone home so you couldn’t ask to share an umbrella either.

Today was already such a mess you thought to yourself so, you decided to just pick up your bag and start sprinting back home. The puddles of water splashed all over your clothes as your feet ran faster than ever. By the time you got home, you were completely soaked. Not an inch of your clothes was dry.

You searched through your bag trying to find your keys but to your total surprise, they were nowhere to be found. You must’ve left them on your bed this morning and your mom had locked the door when she went to work. You couldn’t even call her since your phone was locked inside.

At this point, you were at your peak and completely broke down onto the wet ground. Tears ran down your cheeks like the rain. You were stuck outside your house, completely soaked, on a chilly day, just waiting to catch a cold.

After a few moments of crying passed, you remembered Sunwoo lives a few minutes from your house and could maybe ask to stay for a bit. There was a slight hesitation in you, feeling shy about showing up at his house but it was either that or to catch a cold. So, you lifted yourself off of the ground and again, ran through the rain towards his house.

You soon reached his house and knocked on the door, seconds passed by until it finally opened. Sunwoo’s heart ached after seeing you in this state. You let out a sob and broke down in front of him.

“What in the world happened?” He said taking you inside. He brought you a towel attempting to dry your clothes and hair. All you could do was just sob more. “Wait nono don’t cry, I- wha-“ he panicked not knowing what to do.

Sunwoo quickly ran somewhere and came back, handing you a hoodie. “Here, change into some dry clothes before you catch a cold, follow me”, he shyly said and grabbed your hand leading u into his bedroom-bathroom.

“You can change in there, I’ll be here” he said laying down on his bed. You nodded and stepped into the bathroom. You tried to calm down not wanting to annoy him with your sobbing and changed into his hoodie.

Looking in the mirror, you giggled at yourself because his hoodie looked huge on you considering he was so much taller. The scent on the hoodie was also pretty soothing, it had a soft smell of laundry detergent.

Your cheeks burned a bright red because you’ve never really worn any of his clothes before. Just the thought of it brought butterflies to your stomach.

You walked out of the bathroom with your soaked clothes in hand and spotted Sunwoo who was still laying on his bed. He looked up and made eye contact with you. He could’ve sworn his heart skipped a beat after seeing how small you looked in his hoodie.

“Y-you alright now?” he asked. “Yeah, I’m sorry I caused a ruckus” you replied back still somewhat sniffling. “It’s fine, you can come sit here if you want, oh and what even happened? You came to my door looking like a wet dog” Sunwoo said, patting his bed. You chuckled and walked over hesitantly placing down your wet clothes on a nearby table.

You sat down next to him leaving a small gap between you two and took a deep breath. “Well starting off with this morning, I woke up late and had to rush out making me forget my keys and phone. I didn’t bring an umbrella with me so I got soaked running home but I couldn’t even go inside cause my keys were locked inside. I couldn’t call my mom either, today’s just a mess” you said letting out a sigh.

You were still feeling quite cold from your wet hair and rain so you started to rub your hands together in an attempt to warm up. Sunwoo saw how cold you were and decided to take your hands into his.

“You still cold?” he asked as you nodded feeling butterflies fly around in your stomach once again. “Come closer, you’ll warm up faster” Sunwoo suggested, opening his arms for you to snuggle closer.

Usually, he wasn’t this bold but in the moment he just had a boost of confidence and went for it. You agreed and came closer to him as his arms wrapped around you causing your face to flush red.

Sunwoo realized what he’d just done and started to get nervous again. As you rested your head onto his chest, you could hear his heart pounding like crazy. Your eyes widened and you looked back up at him.

“Sun you okay? Why’s your heart beating so fast?” You asked feeling concerned even though yours was also beating as fast.

“I- uhm.. I’m nervous?” He mumbled quietly. The little nickname you gave him always created a twisted feeling in his stomach.

You looked at him and tilted your head in confusion. “See..uhm I don’t know if-...never mind” he sighed trying to turn his gaze away from you because it only made him more nervous.

“No, tell me” you exclaimed grabbing his cheeks and turning his face to look at you. Sunwoo’s eyes widened at the sudden action as you both realized how close you were.

Now starring blankly into each other’s eyes, it was so silent and his stare just drove you crazy. You couldn’t even think straight in the moment.

He was craving to just collapse his onto yours as the second passed by.

“C-can I kiss you?” you quietly asked still not thinking properly. Without a second delay, Sunwoo crashed his lips into yours. You froze in shock but slowly melted into the kiss. His lips were soft as ever and adding to that, they’re plump so it only made it better.

This was a new feeling you never thought you’d ever feel, it just was so fulfilling. You pulled away feeling breathless and looked into his round boba-like eyes. Your face turned a bright rosy colour causing him to let out an adorable giggle.

“I never knew you were such a good kisser y/n”, “beginners luck I guess” you replied smiling. He let out a small gasp before saying, “it’s your first time too?!” You nodded back smiling even bigger because he looked like an excited raccoon.

Sunwoo then cupped your cheeks with his hands and squished them. “You’re so cute when your face is red like this” he teased so you slapped his hands away and got up.

“Where do you think you’re going princess/prince? You can’t go home, remember?” He said pulling your wrist allowing you to fall straight onto him.

“Princess/prince?!” you slightly yelled feeling your face burn up again for the thousandth time today as you slapped his chest. A smirk grew on his face knowing how shy that name made you feel. “Don’t act like you don’t like that name” he teased making you roll your eyes.

“I’m just joking..the thing I wanted to tell you was that I like you” he admitted snaking his arms around your waist. “I figured, you dummy...I like you too” you replied giggling at how cute he sounded. “I always have”.

Sunwoo always knew how to comfort you the best, I guess you could call him your sun in the rain.

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forthehpfanboys · 3 years

Text

Hate Me Part 2

Pair: Cedric Diggory x Reader; he/him.

Summary: You finally find out.

Warnings: Hints of depression, mentions of bullying and jealousy, angsty~

Notes: This was so highly requested, I hope you guys like it and I hope it lives up to the first one- It’s lowkey painful so have fun. Also, sorry if the ending is fast and for some reason, I almost cried while writing this???

Part 1

~DO NOT REPOST ANYWHERE~

As Cedric was handed the badge, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. As his thumb ran over the engraved letters, his frown deepened. His breath stuttered in his chest when he finally looked up to the head of his house. His professor had stopped him right after Herbology to present him with the fantastic news, but the brunette just felt confused. He made no move to hide his emotions and neither did she. Her cheerful smile had molded into a mixture of confusion and worry over the strange reaction. Her voice was filled with care, like always.

“What’s wrong? I thought you wanted to be a perfect, Mr. Diggory.” Mrs. Sprout’s hands moved to her apron pockets. Her eyes flicked from the badge in his dirt covered hands to his eyes.

“I did, but what, um..” He bit down on his lip, worried to even ask the question. His hand tightened around the badge while he built up the courage to speak again. “What about (Y/n)?”

“Well.. Mr. (L/n) has been lacking in his prefect duties and his grades have dropped tremendously. In fact, he hasn’t showed up to my class in quite a bit.” She put a finger to her lips, her foot tapping quickly against the tile of the green house. “Hmm, I should tell Albus.” She whispered to herself before looking back up at Cedric. It was like she forgot he was there for a second. “Oh well. Hurry along now, you have a lot more to worry about now.” She smiled and gently shooed the Hufflepuff out of her classroom.

Cedric’s blank gaze went from one end of the hallway to the other, where his friends waited for him. They were all grinning, all proud of their ‘Golden Boy’. They cheered for him, high fived each other and shouted congratulations, but when they moved toward him, he darted in the other direction.

The memories of how he treated you played almost on repeat behind his eyelids, nothing knew to him, however. What made him slow his pace down to a walk was the memory of why.

It was the sunny, spring morning when his best friend was declared the Hufflepuff prefect. When you stole his pin, his position, and you didn’t even want it. You didn’t even try, you were just naturally talented, so the headmaster claimed. Dumbledore had also spouted about how he saw fantastic things in you and it made Cedric’s blood boil like a cauldron. You still wore the pin with pride and every day he hung out with you, he couldn’t help but feel robbed.

And that was the same week when your his friends turned on you. They knew just how badly he wanted it and they knew you knew. Except, Cedric was the only one who knew you didn’t want the badge, you didn’t feel worth it. And his friends made you feel far less than worth anything else. They called you names, told you to stay away from them, told you do unspeakable things to yourself and he just sat there- encouraged it, joined in.

He hurt you. He dragged you through hell over a few privileges and a shiny pin. He should’ve realized how horribly he made you feel. He knew most days you sat all alone beneath the Whomping Willow, occasionally comforted by Potter or one of his friends, but most days, you were alone.

Guilt was pumping through his veins like blood. His bottom lip sunk into his teeth when he walked out of the castle and noticed your form sitting underneath the Willow once again. He gripped the pin hard enough for the sharp corners to dig into his hands and he knew the pain as nothing compared to what you were going through.

If he was a good friend, he would’ve been proud of you, supported you through everything, but he acted like a child. He couldn’t believe he got so lost in greed he left you. He missed you right now more than ever. It had been weeks since he last talked to you. It had been longer than that since he sat beside you, heard you laugh, or even hugged you.

Cedric took careful steps when approaching you and even noticed you were sitting on the opposite side than usual. His hands moved to his pockets, leaving the pin abandoned in the sewn robe pouch. He thought about what he was going to say before he opened his mouth.

“Hey, um.. Why are you on this side?” His voice was barely a whisper. He was shaking now.

“Other side is out of rocks.” Your voice was just as quiet. His eyes watched your dirt covered hands dig into the dirt next to you and pull out a small rock before throwing it weakly into the Black Lake.

“I see..” He walked closer and sat down, a few feet away from you. He was worried he was making you uncomfortable. Cedric slowly turned to look at you, his eyes scanning along your messy hair, flushed features and tired eyes. “Are you ok?”

“If you're going to yell at me, please hurry. I have more rocks to dig up and my evening cry session is coming up. So please hurry.” You didn’t even turn to him and that hurt him the most.

“No, no, I’m not.. I..” His words caught in his throat, leaving him silent. When he stammered over everything, you turned to him. He licked his dry lips out of pure worry. You didn’t say anything to him, just stared into his eyes while he tried to find words. Eventually, they came out.

“I’m sorry.” Tears built up in his gray eyes as his head dropped down to look at the dirt floor beneath him. “I’m sorry I left you. I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I didn’t stop them. I’m sorry you have to be alone. I’m sorry and I know I don’t deserve your remorse or forgiveness, but I am truly sorry.” He didn’t realize when the first tear fell down his cheek.

He raised his head to look at you. Your eyes were wide and mouth gaping open. He wanted you to see his remorse, his self hatred, his own pain so you knew it was real.

“I-” You stammered, looking down at your fingers.

“You don’t have to believe just my words alone, let me show you. Let me earn your trust again. I know you're broken and it’s my fault, but the least I can do is piece you back together.” He reached his hand out, the pin in his open palm. “Dumbledore was right. You do deserve this.” He scooted a little closer, slowly. He’d hate himself even more if you flinched away from him. He gently pulled your shirt away from your skin so the metal pin didn’t stab into your chest. You grabbed his wrist just before he could pull himself away.

“I’m going to need time.” You were looking down at the mud, and your voice cracked in the middle, but when you looked up and gave him the smallest hint of a smile, his heart shattered in his chest.

“Of course you will, but I’m not going anywhere this time. Not unless you want me to leave, anyway.” His other hand came to your hand, cupping the cold and dirty skin gently before his thumb rubbed across your skin in a soothing manner. “I didn’t expect an apology right away. I don’t deserve one right now anyway, (Y/n/n). Please, just let me make everything right.” His voice was laced with sincerity, sorrow and sadness.

You nodded slowly, a small sniffle coming from you as tears filled your tired eyes. He stood up, gently bringing you up with him. He brushed the dirt off your robes gently, castling a cleaning spell on the fabric after.

“Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.. Besides, we get the prefect bathroom and I have chocolate frogs hidden away.” He smiled ever so slightly as his hands fell to his sides again. His smile grew when you nodded your head. As he began to walk away, he felt your arms wrap around his waist, hugging him from behind.

“I’m sorry.” You whispered into his shoulder.

“Nope, no more tears or apologies from you. You didn’t do anything wrong.” He patted your hand, pulling you around to his side, where he gently wrapped an arm around your shoulders. “I’m the one who was irrational and pushed away his best friend.”

“Yeah, you were a little bitch.” You let out a soft chuckle.

“I deserve that.”

He felt whole hearing you laugh again.

#cedric diggory x male reader #cedric diggory imagine #cedric diggory #hp x male reader #x male reader #male reader #hp imagine

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malghra · 3 years

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I’m not a bad girl, but I do bad things with you

Darklina Week Day 4: Fairy Tales: Darklina Red Riding Hood / Company of Wolves AU

Title from Talyor Swift's So it goes, Rating: M

Winter had been hard on Old Baghra and Ana Kuya was worried about her, so she decided that Alina should make the trip to her cottage on the other side of the woods to bring her some food and kvas. On her way there, Alina meets a stranger...

Winter had been hard on Old Baghra and the staff at Duke Keramsov's household were worried about her, so it was decided that Alina should make the trip to her cottage on the other side of the woods to bring her some food and kvas. The fastest way to get there was through the forest, but Ana Kuya had warned Alina that the woods were dangerous and that she should never stray from the path.

She'd nodded eagerly, mostly to avoid one of Ana Kuya's lectures on acts of kindness and the importance of community, but behind her back Alina had sulked and pouted. It was one of the first sunny days of the year and she'd wanted to spend it in the meadow with Mal. But now she'd have to spend her day struggling through the forest with a heavy basket.

She took her red shawl from the hook on the door, wrapping it around her shoulders, and decided to go and find Mal anyway. He would go with her if she asked.

They were almost outside the front gate, when they heard Ana Kuya call out to them. "Malyen Oretsev, where do you think you're going?"

They exchanged a look and Alina bit her lip. Should they try to make a run for it? Unfortunately, Ana Kuya was closer than they'd thought.

Mal turned around and answered her question innocently. "I'm going with Alina to bring this basket to Old Baghra."

"And did I tell you to do this?" she asked in exasperation. "You need to stay here."

"But you said the woods aren't safe!" Alina objected. "Mal should come with me, to protect me!"

That earned her an ear boxing, and Mal was sent away to help the young men as they started repairs on the house after the long winter.

By the time Alina entered the forest, Ana Kuya's warnings had already slipped to the back of her mind.

Winter had passed and now that spring was reigning, the woods had never looked more beautiful. The trees were blooming, flower springing up along the path, and the moss and ferns covering the forest floor and scattered rocks were the green of emeralds, drops of dew that had not yet disappeared making them sparkle like the gems they resembled in the sunlight filtering through the leaves.

She took in the enchantment of it all with wide eyes and quickly forgot about the dangers that might be lurking. The trees and brushes were alive with animals awaking after the long lull of winter and the song of birds was filling both the forest and Alina's heart with joy. She hadn't gotten far when she could no longer resist joining them in their singing.

She sang as one would only sing when they are alone, so as was bound to happen, she soon discovered she was not alone at all. The man appeared from a gap between the trees some three feet ahead of her, stopping her in her tracks.

He stood there looking at her, arms loosely crossed over his chest and his head cocked to the left. He was tall and slender, with a shock of dark hair and dressed in black wool and leathers. Alina closed her mouth, realizing she was staring at him. "Good day to you, sir," she called out.

"And good day to you, milaya," he answered as he started strolling over to her. The hairs on the back of her neck rose and she tried to remember what Ana Kuya had said about strange men.

"Please, zolotse, do not stop your singing on my behalf, I was quite enjoying it," he told her, holding her gaze.

His words pleased her, but she could feel heat flushing her cheeks. He blinked slowly, licking his lips and Alina's heart sped up inside her chest.

"May I walk with you for a spell?" he asked, his slate grey eyes open and kind.

Despite herself, she nodded and clutched the basket she was carrying a little closer to her body.

They walked in silence for a while, until he asked, "What's your name, milashka?"

"Alina," she answered breathlessly.

"Alina," he repeated, as if trying to taste it on his tongue, and the way his lips curled around her name sent a shiver down her spine.

"I am Aleksander," he added with a smile which didn't really look like a smile all that much, even if she couldn't decide why.

She glanced over at his face as they walked. He had a sharp and smug look about him, a bit dour even perhaps, she mused, but when he met her eyes or offered her that odd smile, something fluttered deep inside her stomach.

"What do you have inside that basket of yours?" Aleksander asked.

"Food and kvas for Old Baghra. She lives near the bridge three miles south of the creek," she answered him.

For a brief moment, Alina could have sworn that a shadow passed over his face, but then he exclaimed,"But you're taking the long way!" his eyes wide and innocent.

"Of course not," she countered with a smile. "The fastest way is through the woods."

"Yes," he agreed, "It is. Through the woods, but you are following the path."

"Ana Kuya told me not to stray from the path," she mumbled, hating how silly she must sound to him.

He offered her a half-smile. "Ah, you're a good girl, aren't you? I bet you do every little thing your mother tells you to do, now don't you?"

She narrowed her eyes at him, her face flushing with anger this time, and he barked out a laugh.

"Ana Kuya is not my mother!" she spat at him. "I'm an orphan!"

"Ah, I see," he muttered matter-of-factly, and she was oddly grateful for the lack of pity in his voice and eyes.

They walked in silence, until Aleksander muttered her name again, and Alina automatically glanced up at him.

"Why exactly did Ana Kuya tell you not to stray from the path?" he asked her, head cocked to the side again.

"I..." she opened and closed her mouth. "She said it was dangerous," she told him, picking up her pace.

He easily kept up with her. "But why?" he wanted to know.

She bit her lip. She wasn't about to admit that she didn't know why. "It's better if we stay on the path."

He raised an eyebrow. "We? You can stay on the path if you like, lapushka, but I'll bet you I can get there faster than you can."

Her hands tightened on the handle of the basket. She nodded.

"Very well," he said. "Of course, I'll need a prize if I win the bet, wouldn't you agree?"

He held her gaze, but Alina didn't look away.

"What kind of prize?" she breathed, her voice betraying her.

"How about a kiss?" he asked.

Her heart started hammering again, closing up her throat and making it impossible to speak as her eyes dropped to his full lips. She glanced up to meet his eyes and nodded.

"Let me take your basket," he offered.

She handed it to him and then watched him disappear between the trees. She began walking faster, determined to win the bet. A kiss, she thought as her feet carried her down the path. She'd never been kissed before, but she tried to imagine it. She wondered if his lips would feel as soft as they looked.

Perhaps she wouldn't mind losing the bet. Perhaps she wouldn't mind being kissed by this odd but exciting stranger. She realized she'd slowed down again and looked around, taking in her surroundings. To her left, there was a small clearing between the trees which was filled with blue flowers.

Perhaps she wouldn't mind making sure that he won the bet. Perhaps it would be for the best if she didn't take any chances. She abandoned the path and walked into the clearing to pick some flowers and weave them into a crown. That would give him enough of a headstart to get there first.

Alina ended up lingering there for a longer time than she'd intended, singing under her breath and picking all of the prettiest flowers, but eventually she'd made her way to Old Baghra's cottage. It was already getting dark and the wind filled the evening with a menacing chill, but Alina didn't shiver, she had her shawl to keep her warm.

There was no sign of the stranger called Aleksander, so she knocked on the door and called out: "Baghra, it's Alina!"

No answer came.

"Baghra," she repeated a little louder than the first time. She tried knocking on the door again and slowly, it creaked open. As soon as she stepped inside, the warm and dusty, musky air inside filled her nostrils, making her sneeze and cough. A clattering noise came from the far side of the room.

Old Baghra was nowhere to be seen, but perched on the bed in the corner of the hut was her dark stranger.

Suddenly he was on his feet and the door clicked shut. She turned around to find him standing close to her, his eyes glowing in the dusk. It was quiet inside, except for the rattling still coming from the corner of the room.

"What big eyes you have," she whispered, clutching the ends of her shawl around her shoulders.

"All the better to see you with, Alina," he replied.

She was about to turn around to examine the annoying clunking noise she kept hearing, when a chorus of howls rose up all around the hut. She hissed, startled by the sound.

"Those are my brothers," the wolf told her.

She turned to look out the window, but it was too dark to see. "It's getting really cold outside," she whispered. He was standing right behind her, so close she could feel the heat rolling off his body.

She whirled around, clutching his forearms to steady herself. "What big arms you have," she muttered.

He leaned in until his nose was almost touching hers. "All the better to hold you with," he said.

She averted her eyes, her breath catching in her throat, and she licked her lips as her eyes fell on his mouth. She remembered she'd promised him a kiss. She angled her face up until she could press her lips to his.

Outside the wolves started howling again. It sounds like a song, she thought, a joyous song.

His lips parted under her attention and she pulled his soft bottom lip between her own. She felt something wet and warm nudge her lip.

"Your prize," she explained as she pulled away.

He smiled that odd smile, his teeth gleaming in the dark.

"What big teeth you have," she whispered.

His smile grew wider, showing even more of his teeth. "All the better to eat you with, lapushka."

In the corner where the bed stood, the clamouring resumed.

"Did you eat Old Baghra?" Alina asked.

He nodded slowly, raising his eyebrows.

She didn't know how to feel about that. "She was old and ugly and smelly. I bet she didn't taste very nice," she piped up.

"Not really, no," he admitted, burying his nose in her hair and inhaling deeply. "But you are young and pretty and you smell like flowers. I bet you'd taste sweet."

She giggled and objected, "I'm not a piece of meat."

He chuckled softly. "Show me, Alinushka."

She unwrapped her shawl and let it drop to the floor. She could feel his eyes on her as her fingers unlaced the bodice of her dress. He sucked in a sharp breath as it slid down her body and pooled at her feet. After that she removed her chemise and let it join the heap at her feet.

His eyes followed her as she walked to the bed and lay down on it, waiting for him to follow.

He started undressing and she bit her lip as her mesmerized eyes drank in his body. But when his last piece of clothing hit the floor, the man was gone and an enormous black wolf with glowing red eyes was standing there instead.

The wolf leapt up on the bed and even though Alina's heart was pounding inside her chest, she found that she was not afraid. The wolf lay down next to her, placing its huge head in her lap, and whined softly.

She patted its ears and neck and the wolf nuzzled at her belly and her maidenhair. Suddenly, instead of black fur, she was clasping thick strands of dark hair between her fingers. The wolf was a man again.

He pushed her thighs apart and pressed his lips to her most intimate place. His warm, wet tongue nudged her lower lips, slipping in between them.

"Yes, you taste sweet, lapushka," Aleksander told her in a rough voice. His eyes were dark and ravenous, but they didn't scare her.

"Kiss me," she begged him, so he did.

Alina had been warned to stay away from dark strangers, and she had been told that only wicked girls let dangerous men take their precious maidenheads, but she gave hers up willingly and called her dark wolf husband. The blood staining the sheets was as bright as her pretty red shawl, but it didn't disturb her as she slept peacefully under a starless sky, safely wrapped up in the embrace of his tender darkness.

#darklina #alina x the darkling #alina starkov x aleksander morozova #darklinadaily #darklinaweek2021 #fairy tale au #red riding hood au #company of wolves au #i am in love with fanon!aleksander's abundant use of russian pet names

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amindofstone · 3 years

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Match up, No. 8

@hoppingheart said:

Hey c: I would like to ask for a Match up!!

I am female, have green/yellow eyes and brown, long locks.

I am a very calm and balanced person. I love to gain new knowledge and I am a chemist. In general, I am very interested in science, medicine and psychology and our universe. (idk I just want to understand how all that stuff work!)

I'm not interested in a person's appearance, I want to explore and love the inside.

But what belongs to me is a person with whom I can communicate well and it should also be a very calm person I guess, because loud people annoy me. I don't like being around people in general...

I also like reading books and comics and I like to write down my thoughts a lot. (:

It would be nice if a get a male match up and I am 24 years old.

Thanks a lot and have a wonderful day ❤️

a/n: Hey there! I hope that you had a good week. Thank you for requesting and my apologies for making you wait so long. I had a lot to do and hadn´t the time and peace to write honestly. But I managed to work on your request in a few nights. And I really hope you will like with what I came up with. If not and if there is anything that bothers you please tell me so I can work on that and give you what you imagined. Other than that enjoy the little work I came up with. Happy reading, dear!

Match up rules can be HERE.

Warning(s): Maybe grammatical or spelling mistakes since English is my third language and I´m still improving in every aspect (Please have mercy on that.)

!!! Please do not steal my idea or work. Credit me if this is shared or published in any other platform or any other way. Please respect me as the writer and my work. Picture is not mine. Credits to: @mgmgmgdo (Twitter)!!!

· I decided to pair you up with my absolute favorite character. A character that got me curious from the first minute he appeared. The character I am talking about is Trafalgar D. Water Law (Not gonna lie. He gets me screaming whenever he says “room”. Like damn that man has way too much power over me! AnYwAyS….)

· I really think that you match so well. You have so many traits in you that not only resemble his but also traits he would love in a s/o

· Law is a pretty modest and chill person. A man that might be always alone and on his own but a man that holds power and intelligence

· You were in the library of the island that was your home. Your place of birth. An island filled by memories and times of joy and sadness. It was a pretty wealthy island who’s king always tried his best. A island, a kingdom supported and watched over by the revolutionary army since 15 years ago when the previous king used his power to torture his people and only take care of his own good life

· You were the daughter of a pretty well known doctor that not only had the position of the health minister of the kingdom but also was the head of the biggest hospital on the island

· You as his youngest and dearest daughter were having a good relationship. He loved you and always looked at you with pride. His daughter after all took the same path as he and worked in the medical industry. You were a psychologist that was aiming to also become a gynecologist just like your mother. Any person in the island knew and respected you for your intelligence and wisdom. So when it came that you told your father that you wanted to leave your dearly loved island and home he was confused and more so shocked when you said that you wanted to leave with a pirate.

· “I think something happened in the library today? Are you fine my dear?”, it took you some time to convince your parents to let you go and let you grow in your own way but after some time. You managed to do so.

· They let you go but didn´t understood what or how it happened that you wanted to leave with some pirates. Criminals. Murders. Scum’s. When told that there are many more ways to grow you smiled at them and shook your head. “Of course it is possible to grow in other ways but I want to grow in the same way he did. I want to be independent and strong just like him. He amazes me. And I am sure that he can teach me so much more. More than any other person here could.”

· How you meet Trafalgar Law you wonder? Let me tell you that.

· On a warm and sunny spring morning you were in the library looking for a book for your latest studies about the concept of punishment and reward in the process of teaching a child (I could talk hours about this since I had a course in college about it. It´s so interesting!)

· After getting everything you wanted you made your way to your favorite spot in the forest that was close to a cliff with a beautiful view to the more crowed areas of the island and it´s harbor

· You were taking notes when something weird caught your eyes.

· “A.. submarine…? I´m not dreaming.. am I? What is a submarine doing here? Wait does it belong to the marine?! Wait no. It has a black jolly roger so it must belong to a pirate”

· You were thinking whether you should go tell the sheriff of the island or go find a guard to make sure the king knows about this but you absolutely had no motivation to leave your books behind and search for someone. So you kept sitting there while ignoring the pirates that docked at the island

· And you managed to do that. You forgot about the pirates and got back to your studies until a bear asked for the way. A BEAR ASKED FOR THE WAY?!?!?

· “OH mY gOd!! You can speak!? How can you speak?!”, you looked at the big standing bear in front of you with widen eyes. You were scared but also fascinated so you pulled yourself together and apologized for your behavior. “I didn´t mean to hurt you with my words. How can I help?”, you smiled at the bear and assured him that he didn´t have to feel bad for scaring her and introduced yourself and lead him and two other man back to the city.

· When you reached the down town you told them that you will be going back and wished them the best. You were about to leave when one of them, who introduced himself as Sashi, asked you if you could help them get everything they needed since they didn´t knew the place and had to go back to the submarine quickly. You wondered why they were in a hurry but didn´t asked and helped them.

· Although they had you as a guide it still took you some time until they had everything. But nevertheless you had everything you needed and made your way back to the submarine. You had a good time with the people and actually forgot that they were pirates since they seemed to be so nice and respectful.

· At the submarine you helped them get everything inside and got plenty of thank you´s from the crew on board. After everything was on board you wished them the best and said your last goodbyes when a grumpy and annoyed looking man approached you from the forest.

· “Captain? What happened? Why did you leave the ship?”, asked the bear with worry in his eyes. You were confused and looked at the tall man who had a sword in his hand. “We have a problem. The pharmacies here won´t sell me any medical products without a permission paper of the health ministry or a doctor.”, you had a small smile on your lips and wondered what he needed that they didn´t sell him. As far as you knew basic medicines were always sell without a problem. “But did you tell them that you were a surgeon?”, the man looked at the bear with pure annoyance and frustration because of the situation he was in. He talked to him and some other people of his crew and tried to find a solution. You on the other hand were surprised that the captain of these pirates was a surgeon. You wanted to ask him were and who taught him to be a surgeon when the gaze of the man fell upon you.

· “Who are you and what are you doing on my submarine?”, the sudden shift of his voice from annoyance to anger surprised you and left you overwhelmed. “I´m no one special. I just helped your men to get the needed supplies and I will leave now. My apologizes for disturbing Sir.”, you were about to leave when the captain spoke up again. “You are a civilian of this island. Tell me why the pharmacies have such strict rules?”, you stopped in your tracks and turned around. “It´s a long story but as much as I can tell you and you need to know is that without permission you can´t be helped. But what do you exactly need? Usually they sell basic medicines without a problem.”, you asked worried to say something inappropriate and anger the pirate. “I´m a surgeon and I not only need basic supplies but also supplies for surgeries.”

· You had so many questions but help back and just nodded. Without thinking twice you asked for a pen and paper and told them that you will help them. With a simple nod the captain gave a permission that made one of his crew mates to go get you what you wanted. With a pen and a notebook in your hands you stared to write down whatever they needed. The list of supplies was accompanied by a letter by you and a signature of yours. The pirates were confused but didn´t asked what exactly you were doing until the captain took the writing and read the letter. With a raised brow and a smirk he told you that this was faking a document when you simply nodded and told him that this was going to help them. You took the paper back and mad him follow you and let you take care of the supplies. He wasn´t really opposed of the help of someone and clearly made you feel and hear it but there was nothing he could do. He needed all of the things and he absolutely had cero time and patience for waiting for a paper of the ministry. So he obeyed and did anything that was needed.

· “Thank you for helping. Is there a way I can pay you back?”, the words that left the dark haired mans lips made you think about a question that lingered on your mind since a while. “How did you become a surgeon? You´re obviously a pirate. Where did you gained all of the knowledge. And on top of that you seem pretty young for a surgeon. I´m really curious.”, you thought that you crossed a line when he looked you in the eyes with a emotionless expression. “I´m pretty young for a surgeon you say? What about you? You can´t be older than me. And the woman working there called you doctor too, didn´t she?”, with a smile on his lips he approached you and took the huge box out of your hands just to hand you his sword. “Take care of it for me. It´s precious, would you?”

· You were dumfounded and just blinked confused and followed him. Is a sword always that heavy? You wondered while you followed the man that walked past you. And it´s so big? The blade must be long. You were inspecting the sword in your hands while trying to remember your grandfathers knowledge of swords. He told me something about a number of really well known swords. I wonder if this one’s also part of it. You were lost in your thoughts when the voice of the over tattooed man took you by surprise and made you stumble over a none existing stone.

· “It´s just a sword. No more or less. Anyways don´t you wanna tell me what exactly your profession is?”, a bit dumfounded you looked at him then the sword for a few times until your brain realized that he asked you a question. “Well... yeah sure! I am a psychologist. My focus until now is on kids and teenager but I might also get into the studies for adults in the future. At the moment I am doing basis studies for gynecology out of interest but also because my best friend recently got pregnant. But honestly it is so interesting….”,

· You were talking like it was the most normal thing ever. As if it wasn´t something special that would make anyone see a genius in you. A beautiful genius with beautiful warm green- yellow eyes. Law was looking at you with awe but tried his best to keep a monotone look on. He once in a while hummed or nodded to make sure you don´t feel like you are talking to yourself. He was amazed by your passion and was full of joy that he found someone with a mind that was similar to his.

· “…. Although I really found interest in gynecology I honestly wouldn´t stop my work as a psychologist since it´s something I always wanted to do. I just want kids to be seen as an equally competent and smart living being as a adult…. Oh. Look we´re back. Hey Bepo!”

· Disappointment. Law was disappointed in the fact how short the way back to the submarine was. He wanted to hear you talk more about yourself. The wish to hear you do so made him do something that wasn´t like his usual self. “Guys, let´s stay here for today. We will set sail tomorrow. The island seems save and the people are nice. And your bodies need some sunlight. Bepo and the girls are way too sensitive lately.”, the girls of his crew instantly went into a fighting mode and were ready to throw hands if it weren´t for the boys who held them back. The sight of the mad girls and the worried looks of the boys really amused you and made you chuckle.

· “Do you mind having lunch with me? I would like to hear more about your researches.”, he asked while avoiding looking in your eyes. With a bright smile you nodded and asked him if he could tell you something about himself too, what he agreed on.

· Out of just one night it turned into a week the heart pirates stayed what was pretty unusual but didn´t seem to bother the captain a lot. In fact it was him who forgot that they had a plan to follow and reach Sabaody but that was long forgotten.

· With a lot of time and patience the man who kept talking with you managed to get you to join his crew and become a part time pirate how you liked to call it. He didn´t mind that and in fact liked it and called it cute

· It didn´t took you long to get used to your new environment and home. You had a good time and the heart pirates enjoyed your accompany. More so their actual captain that tried to be around you as much as possible. Even when you didn´t talk to each other and had a calm and peaceful silence fill the room you were in, he was happy. He liked and enjoyed it to the fullest. Quiet study sessions were a routine for the two of you. Every two days you would meet up in his bedroom (that was the only quiet place in the whole submarine because the crew is so damn loud and lively. Like basically the opposite of their captain) and have those little study sessions.

· With you being part of the heart pirates a lot of things changed for Law. As the captain who was also in charge for the health of his crew of 20 people he always had a lot to do. But since you came he had it way easier. From the day you put a feet on the submarine you asked for permission to take over the health quarter and the medical files of the crew. Without even having to start a discussion he gave them to you and let you take care of them.

· Law was grateful for you and your decision to join him in his journey. He appreciated and respected you so much that he would sometimes just stare at you when you worked while a tiny smile would lay on his lips. “Captain. Do you like y/n? Cuz you’re staring at her for more than an hour now. Like every day. Are you ok?”, would Penguin say and get a death glare from his captain.

· With months passing Law found out that he indeed liked you. He knew that he was more than just happy when you came to him for his opinion on something. He liked how you would leave his cabin without a word just to come back with a tray of coffee and water. He knew that his heart would start beating faster whenever you would stand at his back and give him a head massage. He knew that the slight pain that would grow in his heart whenever you would give Shashi or Penguin a head massage was because he wanted to be in their position. He knew that he didn´t like how you took care of the guys in his crew because you would touch them and give them a hug after every check up. He would feel sad whenever he would find you sitting between Bepos legs with some of his crew members around you when you told them stories about the universe and gave them astrology lessons they gladly and always took when they were free. You amazed them and taught them so many things.

· He knew and understood all of his emotions but never called them love until he was spending a night on deck of the submarine with you.

· He didn´t sleep for night’s again. He couldn´t sleep for nights but his body told him to do so. It screamed at him to lay down and close his eyes but his mind held him back like any other time too. His mind that told him that he needed to be awake and take care of his people. His mind that showed him the scariest and saddest scenarios whenever he wanted to sleep. His mind that would show him a picture of you whenever he wanted to sleep. His mind that would get his heart to start racing and being the cause of his heavy breathing.

· “Law you should sleep.”, you said walking up to him. You put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. “Law?”, “I should sleep. I know that but my mind is telling me not because it is the only way I can keep my crew save.”, you said nothing. You kept quiet and listened to him. But your silence made him feel like he said the dumbest thing ever. “I´m sorry. I probably sound ridic…”, “No you don´t. I can understand you. Having these thoughts as a captain is accurate and understandable. There are people looking up to you. People who think that their captain will save them and take care of them no matter what will happen.”, Laws gaze that was fixed on the horizon was now drifting down to the water below them. “It´s okay to have these fears but you need to take care of yourself. Your body needs to rest. If you don´t want to do that for yourself then please do it for me and the rest of your crew. Because obviously I am the only one that can´t fight and needs protection.”

· A little smile grew on Laws lips that made him look at your hand that was laying on his. Your small hand that seemed so fragile like fine china. “There is nothing to worry about. I´ll protect you with my life y/n.”

· “I know you will but therefore you need to sleep and rest.”, Law stood on the spot without moving. His gaze now laying on your hand that was softly put on his made him realize how close you were standing next to him. So close. So damn close. He could feel the warmth that radiated from your body. He could feel you. But at the same time it wasn´t close enough. His brain was shut off and his mind was blank.

· Neither he nor did you know how it happened but one thing was clear. You were hugging each other and liking it. Law pulled you close to his body with absolutely nothing being able to fit between you two. The only thing that was separating you was your clothes. “Y/n….”, he was saying your name like he was about to start a sentence. A sentence that couldn´t leave his lips. He was frustrated. He was mad and he hated himself. He hid his face on your shoulder and breathed in your smell while a sentence left his lips you only could dream of.

· “Don´t leave me if you don´t wanna break my heart.”

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herradhighpriestess · 3 years

Text

Love Grows in the Valley of Death

Chapter Nine: The $64,000 Question

As Dr. Wakefield began rummaging through the ugly yellow folders in the rows of tall, grey steel cabinets, each containing four drawers of files, across town in Helena’s kitchen, Tig kept his grip tight enough that his touch brushed into near painful as his eyes bored into her, “please,” he finally growled, his tone reeking of outright, face down begging.

Helena pressed her dry lips together and tried to control her breathing, distracted by his ironclad hold, making it difficult to form words. “Can you pretend you didn’t hear the message or see the flowers?” she managed to stammer.

Tig shook his head before she lapsed into silence. He lifted a hand to pinch her chin with his fingertips as he dropped his face until their lips were a breath apart. “Talk to me,” he demanded on a whisper.

In the space before Helena spoke, her mind whirred with the intensity of the turbine engine of a jumbo jet. “What do I say? Will he end up hurting me?” Helena thought before she stopped being able to think when Tig pressed his lips to hers. His kiss turned urgent, and she felt herself left breathless when he lifted his lips, foreign patience shrouded him as he gave her time to think.

Helena blinked and found herself unable to look away from Tig’s probing, penetrative stare. The press of his body made Helena fight competing lust-fueled thoughts as she cleared her throat. “How do I fit in?” she finally asked.

Tig frowned, unsure of what she was asking, and Helena continued before he could speak.

“How do I fit into your world?” Helena asked as her mind once again conjured the seemingly inerasable image of the skinny, glossy-lipped, spike-heeled, gonorrhea ridden, parasitic whore trying to play with Tig’s stick.

Tig dropped a strong hand to encircle Helena’s wrist, the tips of his middle finger and thumb overlapping. He lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed his lips to the center of her palm. Tig squeezed her smaller hand, free from scars, lines and nails gaudily encrusted with rhinestones before he spoke.

“I should be askin’ you the same thing baby,” Tig murmured on a heady rasp, his exhale a hot tease against her skin.

Helena drowned in the electrical sensation that was ignited the nanosecond he pressed his lips to her palm, the wiry strands of his facial hair, near-singeing where it brushed against her skin.

Helena blinked hard as she tried to collect her flurrying thoughts, she was suddenly a snow globe that had been violently shaken and left to find herself again amongst the falling chunks of artificial snow. “How does he fit in?” Helena asked herself. “How do I tell him that he scares the nightmares away, that since the moment I met him, he filled a space inside me that was empty?” Helena asked herself as her face turned a brilliant, fuchsia hue as she let her mind wander down a sexual rabbit hole.

“Because you’re different,” Helena finally managed and added in a quick stammer as Tig’s hands slid down to rest on her hips. “You’re not like the rest of them.”

Tig squeezed her taut hips, massaging the supple flesh through her jeans. “Who do ya think I am doll?” he asked on a heady tease.

“I think you’re dangerous,” Helena whispered on an exhale as Tig tugged her closer and slid one hand up the length of her spine, his fingertips brushing each of the protruding vertebrate until he could tangle his fingers in the silken fall of her hair.

Tig couldn’t even pretend to deny the veracity of her words as he tugged on her hair until her neck pulled taut and Helena met his unblinking eyes. “Not towards you in any way baby, nothing bad will ever happen to you again,” Tig rasped and crushed his lips to hers, stealing her breath with the intensity of his want.

Helena was forced to surrender in Tig’s embrace, his hands everywhere at once while holding her immobile.

Tig’s strength was equal parts frightening and protective, his physical intimidation was not lost on himself as he settled closer to her.

“I’m not the kind of man you think I am,” Tig whispered as he pressed his lips against her ear and smoothed one hand down her side and cupped a hand under the curve of her bottom.

“What do you think I have wrong?” Helena asked on a low murmur.

“That I’m some kind of monster, inhuman,” Tig growled in a low tone.

“I don’t think you’re a monster,” Helena said softly and lifted a hand to cup his jaw. Tig captured her wrist, keeping her palm pressed hard to his face. Helena shivered as she felt the stubble against her warm palm and could feel his words vibrate against her skin as he spoke.

Helena almost didn’t hear him add in a strangled whisper against her flushed skin over the thundering beat of her heart. “Please don’t reject me,” Tig growled.

As Tig and Helena’s red blood cells bloated and their pupils pulsed with the increase of their collective and rising blood pressure, across town in the Human Resources office at St. Thomas’s, Dr. Andrew Wakefield pulled open a metal drawer and pawed through the folders until he found Helena’s personnel file.

Andrew began to whistle a lively show tune as he opened Helena’s folder on top of the HR secretary’s desk.

For a second Andrew looked like a reptile, so much so, one would’ve expected a forked tongue to slip out from his thin lips and wet his twisted smile as he read her name aloud from the sunny yellow folder tab.

Onassis, Helena.

Andrew skimmed her contact information, most of which he already knew, before he fished his phone out of his pocket and took pictures of each page in the manila file folder.

Andrew replaced the file and easily slipped out of St. Thomas’s before he casually made his way back to his hotel room.

As the prominent and adored Floridian doctor returned to his hotel room, back in Helena’s kitchen, the air had become charged, and Tig found himself closer and closer to losing the mere semblance of control he possessed.

Helena found her voice as Tig began to tug open the top button of her jeans and deftly lowered her zipper. “No, I, I can’t,” Helena began before she trailed off into silence and desperately tried to avoid his gaze.

“Ya can’t or ya won’t?” Tig hissed, his exhale fell from lungs surrounding his heart that began to gallop in its opaque pericardial sac.

Tig never stopped his touch even as Helena unsuccessfully pushed at his hands and incoherently protested. “I can’t right now,” Helena finally spit, her anxiety had melted into vulnerable defensiveness.

Tig tried to lessen his hold but failed as he took a deep breath in through his nose as he softened his tone but fell flat in an effort to blunt the crassness of his words. “I’ll do anything you tell me, just let me fuck you baby,” he grumbled, his words delivered under the growing roughness of his touch.

Helena couldn’t help but laugh nervously once she caught her breath and dropped her hands to close around Tig’s wrists, simultaneously brilliantly blushing at his ragged admission. She shook her head, “I should probably tell you something,” Helena lamely managed.

“Tell me,” Tig said on a rasp as he buried his face in the curve of her neck, his exhale causing her to break out in goosebumps.

Helena danced her fingertips up his forearms and along the curve of his triceps as she tried to formulate a coherent sentence. “I need some air,” she said in more of a shrill tone than she would’ve liked.

“Could we go outside for a few minutes?” Helena asked on a breathy moan as Tig slid a hand to cup over the clothed junction of her thighs, shuddering with the urgent want to sheath himself in her wet center.

“Just a few,” Tig finally conceded on a frustrated groan.

Helena looked past his shoulder as she raised her hands to his chest, feeling his heart pounding under her palm. Tig let her slide along the edge of the counter away from him as he drummed his fingertips on the outside of his thighs.

“Don’t fuck this up,” Tig told himself as he followed Helena outside.

They each settled into the new turquoise chairs that Helena had picked up at the hardware store, the southwestern round chair pads were still stiff with newness but stood out brightly on the sagging porch.

Helena tapped the arm of the metal chair. “I bought these the day I moved here.”

Tig squeezed the cold arms of the matching chair, “from Harvest’s?” he asked, not sure how to have a casual conversation with her when all he wanted to do was fuck her until he forgot how to spell his name.

Helena nodded, “that place is great, I think I’ve been there more than the grocery store.”

Tig nodded and fumbled for his freshly opened pack of cigarettes out of his pants pocket as Helena directed her gaze out at the overgrown yard that needed countless full weekends to clean up and who even knew how many trips back and forth to Harvest’s for mulch, weed killer and topsoil.

Tig was grateful to whoever was on the other end of the incoming call that made his phone buzz in his other pocket.

Helena moved her eyes off a trio of overgrown Meyer lemon trees, their wickedly sharp thorns ready and waiting to rip the flesh from anyone who dared supplant them, to look over at Tig as he frowned down at the caller ID.

“I gotta get this,” Tig murmured, suppressing the anger from his tone that he was being pulled away from her. Helena nodded and watched Tig disappear into the house before he answered the call.

“Yeah,” Tig grumbled tersely as he picked up Clay’s incoming call.

“Where are you?” Clay barked, irritated that Tig had been ignoring a laundry list of calls and messages.

“I’m just working on some things,” Tig benignly answered.

“Well brother, we’re meeting with the Irish in a few hours. Can you break away from your ‘things’ for a while?” Clay added with a chuckle, recalling Gemma telling him what she’d seen in the grocery store aisle with toiletries and over-the-counter products.

Tig walked over to the kitchen counter and stared down at the chipped tiles on the edge and ivory-colored grout lines as he tried to come up with an excuse to not have to leave.

As Tig was trying to come up with an excuse that would hold water to skip out on Club business, Helena’s phone chimed from where she had left it by the stainless-steel toaster.

Tig glanced over his shoulder and could see Helena still sitting on the rear porch, staring out at the yard just as she had been when Clay called.

“Tig? You there?” Clay asked when Tig fell deathly silent as he picked up her phone and glanced at the message preview that popped up on the phone.

“I gotta call you back,” Tig muttered abruptly and hung up on Clay.

Tig clenched his teeth until his jaw popped as he read the first sentence of the incoming text message. Helena’s locked screen kept him from reading any further than the three words displayed on the smudged screen.

“Remember this baby?�� Tig read aloud before another message arrived. Tig squinted down at the small square photo that was too tiny to discern much detail.

Helena flinched when Tig stomped back outside and held her phone out towards her, the screen facing her.

“What is this?”

Helena’s face first drained of color as she swallowed hard and was then replaced with a wave of defensiveness as she reached out for her phone. Tig held it just out of her reach, “tell me who sent this.”

Helena blew out a low breath before she moved her eyes from the rectangular screen to settle on his face. “Fine,” she finally said in a heated tone as she began to flush. “Give me the phone first,” she demanded as she held her hand out.

Tig pressed his lips together. Feeling his salivary glands leak and a trill of excitement stimulate his nervous system as Helena’s indignation at his invasive encroachment into secrets she wanted to keep hermitically sealed in a titanium coffin, buried under three million miles of earth.

Tig’s watched her eyes grow wide as her irises practically vibrated in their sockets. In the center of his brain, his pituitary gland ejaculated hormones that further fanned his lust as her pink tongue darted out to moisten her lips.

Helena felt the tiniest lessening of the electrical heaviness in the air when Tig gently placed her phone in her waiting palm. They both felt a tingling jolt as his fingertips brushed against her open hand.

Tig sat back down on the firm chair pad and watched Helena unlock her phone and read the messages. He watched her eyes move back and forth over the words before she began to speak.

Helena spoke without meeting his eyes, never taking her gaze off her phone clutched in her hand. Her voice grew in strength as she gripped her phone so tight that the skin over her knuckles turned white as it was pulled taut.

“Before I started in the neurology ward, I heard all sorts of rumors about several of the physician department heads and a game they played.”

Tig waited as she gathered her words, willing to give her eons to continue, as long as she would speak only to him.

“Dr. Gatez, with a Z, was the one who started everything. He paid off a guy in maintenance to put cameras in the bathrooms, changing rooms and staff lounges. They had competitions for best pictures and videos recorded. They set aside one department head meeting a month to talk about their other conquests,” Helena said before closing her eyes and resumed leaning back in the metal chair.

Tig didn’t have to wait long for her to continue.

“Besides their surveillance fun, they would often use the footage to blackmail people they found in compromising footage or threaten to release still frames. Sometimes they’d try to leverage more with their threats,” Helena said as she looked down at her phone and reread the simple message and tapped on the photo, enlarging it.

Helena was transported back to the events she had moved three-thousand miles away from as she stared at the screen.

Helena turned the phone’s face towards Tig, she cleared her throat as his eyes fell on an image of her emerging from the employee shower. She positioned her fingers to cover most of her nudity.

“After I was sent this and a few that were similar, there was another message that said I could find out how to keep that picture and more from being circulated to the entire staff.”

Helena settled back in the chair and turned the screen back towards herself as she struggled for a moment to find her words.

“One of the doctors told me that all I had to do was perform a few free favors and I’d get the originals.”

Tig felt himself hit with a simultaneous tsunami on each hemisphere of his brain as he battled vastly different thoughts about what Helena described. Tig was both compelled to comfort her while at the same time he felt a coiled charge of excitement in his body as he wanted to rip her phone out of her hand to see the uncensored image of her wet nakedness.

“He tried to take payment when I said no,” Helena started to say before her voice broke and she sniffed hard. “There was a security guard close by,” she added and pinched the bridge of her nose as a headache decided to start brewing behind her eyes.

Tig finally spoke when Helena didn’t seem like she was going to offer more. “What happened after that?”

“I filed a report with the hospital and police department but of all places the cameras weren’t working was the parking garage and the security guard never got a good look at him. It became my word against the esteemed Dr. Wakefield and Gatez,” Helena spit.

Helena blew out a low breath. “The threats quickly escalated, and I tapped into my trust and left everything behind. I didn’t even put them down as a job reference for St. Thomas.”

Tig left his chair and dropped to a knee in front of her. If someone had been watching, without words, it would appear he was proposing. “Let me in,” Tig breathed as he pulled her phone from her tight grip and set it aside. He gathered her hands and smoothed his fingers over her soft, unscarred skin.

Tig pressed his lips to her palms before he buried his face in her lap. “Please let me in,” he begged.

Helena stared down at Tig’s head, his face pressed against the tops of her thighs, his ragged exhales were hot through the denim.

Tig held himself statue still on the outside while inside his chest cavity, his heart leapfrogged itself with its rapid beating.

Helena lifted her hands and slid her fingertips through his hair, the strands tickling her palms.

Tig closed his eyes and smoothed his hands up and down the outside of Helena’s thighs as she rubbed her fingertips in slow circles on his scalp.

As Helena and Tig remained in silence, across town at the Clubhouse, Piney was eating a second sandwich, the new anti-nausea medication had made his appetite return with a vengeance.

Inside his body, the cancerous cells continued to divide. Piney’s discomfort was trapped behind a narcotic wall that was difficult to maintain, the breakthrough pain made his spine practically bow with its intensity.

Piney lowered the volume on the game show rerun as Cassie brought him an extra slice of pie she had brought from St. Thomas’s cafeteria. As the two of them talked about bland topics and then shouted out their answers to the game show trivia, back on Helena’s rear porch, Tig squeezed her hips until she hissed from the pressure as her whispered words fell around his ears.

“Can I trust you, Tig?” Helena asked. He began to nod his head the nanosecond she was done speaking.

“I need something, “ Helena began and trailed off as she lost confidence in her words.

“Talk to me,” Tig demanded as he snapped his head up to find her eyes on him.

“I want,” Helena began before she paused briefly. “I need to know I mean something to you, I’m not disposable.”

Tig rose to his feet and pulled her up and out of the blue wrought-iron chair to join him. “You’re everything,” he growled and crushed his lips to hers.

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