#the short scenes of Glimmer asking where she is or what she's doing and getting silence or lies in return?

[ericas-spop-blog]

Man, it it weird that Adora spends two whole episodes looking for the First One's secret nuke, only to have the show then act like she innocently stumbled over the Heart, and never once in a million years thought about using it? That the idea of using the First Ones Magic nuke was only ever Shadow Weaver and Glimmer's idea?

#spop #scraps #s4 cinemanarrative dissonance #adora #shadow weaver #to be clear while im frustrated by the absolution of adora here #it's more in the context of 'why implicate her at all then?' #if the story wanted her to be smol innocent bean why have her hunt the weapon? #are these episodes what glimmer is complaining about when she accuses adora of constantly running off? #because it sure seems like adora spent a good fifth of the season's run time working alone on a mysterious personal project #that no one else is aware of #and which is very much focused on *adora* winning the war while cutting out glimmer #but it lacks the framing that would make that explicit? #the short scenes of Glimmer asking where she is or what she's doing and getting silence or lies in return?

[spatialwave]

hiii i love your writing sooo much (first time asking anyone to do something) I was wondering if you could write a scene of Limoreau where Marie tries to make Jordan (who's with the gang) jealous before they get together by making out with another girl at a party

(bonus points if Marie tries to justify herself to the group by saying that she just wanted to ask the girl about the flavor of her lipstick)

the ficlet where marie gets absorbed in the bigender gaze and does anything to get jordan’s attention.

-

jealousy wasn’t a trait that marie was proud to experience, in fact, it left a sour feeling deep in the pits her stomach. her jaw would clench tight until she was sore, nails digging into the palm of her hands until she realized her hands had balled into fists. jealousy was an emotion she wish she could shove away and forget because it made her do crazy things, all because she desperately craved the attention of jordan li.

why them? why the hell did she want jordan's attention of all people? they were an asshole when they first met.

maybe it was the way jordan stared at them when they thought she didn't notice, or how they would text her late at night when they were both restless and unable to sleep. time slowly developed feelings and jordan proved to be nicer than expected... and they were so damn hot.

the only thing was that other than late-night texts or catching gazes with each other, jordan didn't really give her the time of day. unbeknownst to her, they were fucking terrified of rejection, but to marie – she was getting ignored.

and she was sick of it.

that's how she found herself in the bathroom of a party, reapplying dark red lipstick in the mirror and adjusting her top. she ignored the fact that she hated how she was acting, how trying to get jordan's attention was consuming her to the point that she was spending more time getting ready in the bathroom than actually socializing with others. after smacking her lips together a couple times, she was satisfied with her application and took in a sharp breath.

“you got this.” marie said to herself in the mirror, nodding slowly a few times before hastily leaving the bathroom.

the halls were full of people laughing, kissing and chatting — she forced herself through so she could go downstairs and try to spot jordan in the sea of students. it felt nearly impossible, until she spotted the glimmering silver of the necklace that adorned their neck. then, she spotted blonde hair, that had to be cate.

marie ventured closer, thankful that she downed a few shots earlier. her plan was to go, say hi to cate and hope that jordan would be entertained enough to start a conversation. easy enough.

that was until she realized the blonde girl was not cate.

the girl’s hair was shorter, a blunt bob and large, brown eyes. her smile was gorgeous. it was no wonder that jordan was completely enraptured by her, their hand lifted up to brush some hair behind her ear.

sick to her stomach was all marie felt. the shots of tequila feeling like they were finally coming up, settling in the base of her throat. a few stumbled steps back was enough to snap her back into reality, though, she still wasn’t content with what she saw.

an idea flickered in her hazy, drunken mind.

she hadn’t noticed how jordan had already broken off the conversation with the girl. not quite interested in what she had to say, finding the conversation… boring. they’d already found themselves standing deeper in the kitchen and striking up a conversation with luke and cate to better pass the time while downing more beer.

marie, blissfully unaware, instead scouring the room for something — someone — that would catch her eye. brown eyes flickered around the room until her gaze met with someone near the entrance to the kitchen, a taller girl with a beer in her hand. her hair was brown and short, styled in a messy shag. dark olive skin unblemished and perfect in all ways.

after a few beats of uninterrupted eye contact, the muster smirked at marie with interest. that’s all she needed for the liquid courage to do it’s magic.

marie was fully aware how this was completely out of her element, but god, something about this entire situation had her feeling anything like herself.

as jordan glanced around the party from behind the kitchen island, a red cup in hand full of crap beer, they spotted marie. a tiny smirk formed on their lips as their head tilted in curiosity, smile dropping with they noticed her walking over to another figure. just as they were about to turn back and ask cate about ditching the party to go to a club in haste — they saw marie’s hand lift up to rest on the taller girl’s shoulder.

what the fuck?

she smiled up at her with a toothy grin, reaching her half-lidded eyes. they saw the way her chest moved, likely laughing to some stupid joke. ignoring her would’ve been easy if it weren’t for they way they saw how marie was unbelievably close to her. it wasn’t necessary for a simple conversation.

teeth clenched together and cate was quick to notice the anger decorating jordan’s face. blue eyes followed their gaze and — yeah. that was definitely marie making out with a senior.

“wow,” cate murmured, glancing at jordan with a smirk on her lips, “you know her plan is working right?”

jordan had already crushed the red up in their hand, “what?” they snapped in rhetoric response, eyes burning as the girl’s hand touched the small of marie’s back as they kissed with far too much tongue.

“you know what i mean,” cate hummed knowingly as a gloved hand held the can of a wine cooler to her lips, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, “see?”

marie pulled apart from the kiss and instead of looking up at girl, those brown eyes landed across the room onto jordan’s. her cheeks were flushed a deep red and she was out of breath.

“so stupid,” jordan mumbled, but their uncaring tone didn’t match their actions. they pushed themselves away from their position of leaning against the kitchen counter and made way straight for marie.

a masculine hand hooked on her slender elbow and dragged her away, an utter of a “what the fuck?” coming from the female super that jordan bore glares into. marie didn’t dare fight the sudden tugging. it was what she wanted. it was what she had been asking for indirectly.

all she wanted was to feel jordan’s hands on hers. to be told that she’s so damned annoying through mumbles because jordan’s lips were attached to her neck. she got what she wanted.

…

later that evening when dusty’s house was emptying, and marie and jordan were no longer biting at each other’s throats… literally, the group had found themselves lingering around.

marie was in the kitchen, having the last of a bottle of coconut rum, while jordan was getting mad at dusty for only having cheap beer. cate and emma seemingly appeared on each side of her, smirks on their faces.

“i didn’t realize you could be so toxic,” emma said, her eyes heavy and red from the weed she’d smoked, smiling as she pulled herself up to sit on the counter.

“what? i wasn’t toxic,” marie slurred, looking between her two friends as she set down the bottle, “i just wanted to taste what flavour lip balm she was wearing.”

cate and emma fell into a moment of silence before they bursted out into laughter together and at the expense of marie’s defensiveness, clutching their stomachs until they could finally calm themselves.

“it’s true!” marie hiccuped, trying so hard to defend the obvious lie, “…but she wasn’t even wearing any.”

the laughter erupted again.

#limoreau #gen v #jordan li #marie moreau #jordan li x marie moreau #limoreau fic #wordsbyspatial #spatialsanswers

[lena-in-a-red-dress]

Previous Husband AU, Pt 11

((Content warning for violence, abuse, suicide aftermath, trauma, etc))

---

Alex Danvers is on a routine follow up interview when she receives a text from an Officer Sanchez. They've worked together, but Alex wouldn't have called them close. But when the message urges her to return to the station, she wraps up the interview quickly and drives back with her heart in her throat.

Thoughts of Kara hurt, arrested, or worse swirl in her mind, clouding all other reason. But when it's Lena Luthor she finds sitting in a corridor outside one of the interview rooms, Alex's stomach falls.

Kara has told her of Lena's return into her life, and a little of the circumstances that had prompted their reunion. At the sight of the bruising cut on Lena's cheek and the blood spattered across her blouse, Alex's concern bubbles into apprehension, quickening her pace down the hall.

"Lena?" she calls gently as she approaches. Lena gives no indication she hears Alex, her thousand-yard stare distant and unblinking. Alex crouches next to her, careful to avoid any sudden movements, and extends one hand to gently touch Lena's shoulder.

"Lena, hey..."

Finally, Lena jolts, blinking as her gaze flashes to Alex. After a moment, recognition seems to hit. "Alex..."

"Yeah, it's me." Alex retracts her hand from Lena's shoulder, and reaches for her wrist instead. Lena doesn't seem to feel it. "Are you okay?"

Lena's gaze bounces from place to place, landing on Alex only briefly before flicking away. Alex's heart sinks: she knows trauma when she sees it.

"What do you need?" she asks instead.

Blinking, Lena seems to reach for her voice. "Kara... I don't know-- my phone..."

Alex nods swiftly. "Okay, yeah. I'll give her a call." Lena's own phone is likely already in evidence, or else sequestered at the crime scene for processing.

Lena swallows thickly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Alex offers with a gentle smile. She points her thumb over her shoulder. "I'm going to go let Kara know you're here, okay? But I'll stay within view if you need anything okay?"

Lena nods faintly. Giving her wrist a squeeze before pulling away, Alex rises to her feet, already pulling out her cell.

It takes Kara less than thirty minutes to get to the station. Alex hangs back as her sister all but runs to where Lena sits, draped in a NCPD windbreaker. Kneeling directly in front of her friend, Kara ducks her head to catch Lena's gaze. Alex sees Kara's lips move.

"I'm here."

As Alex watches, Lena's chest visibly tightens. Her eyes glimmer with sudden tears, before her shoulders hitch in a quiet sob. Then she cracks completely.

All Alex can do is stand and watch as Lena leans forward into Kara's shoulder, and starts to cry.

---

Kara knows something has happened the moment Alex calls her in the middle of the day, but nothing can prepare her for the shock muting Lena's features when she arrives at the precinct. She takes in the gash on Lena's cheek, its edges held together with a couple of butterfly bandages, but knows there's too much blood splattered at the wrong angles on Lena's clothes for it to be hers.

"Oh, Lena," she says softly, crouching in front of her. She reaches up to brush her friend's cheek. She wants to ask what happened, to know what she needs to do to fix it. But deep down she knows that whatever it is, it's not something that can be fixed.

"I'm here," she says instead.

Lena's gaze focuses on her, and tears suddenly spring to vacant eyes. "He--" her breath catches. "He--"

She can't say it. Her features crumple, and the tears start to fall. Curling into herself, Lena starts to sob, her shoulders quaking in short, heaving breaths. Kara shifts closer, wrapping Lena in her arms.

"I'm here," she says again, becoming a mantra as her friend falls apart. "I'm here."

#supercorp #prev husband au #abuse #violence #suicide #no more active harm-- just the aftermath and recovery now

[dizzybizz]

you have unleashed a demon. i warned you.

i don't think this is going to have any structure whatsoever but i will pretend it does for my own sanity.

i want to start with some behind the scenes stuff bc obviously i do

like i only named guy that because i didn't want to think too hard about names and he has always been a silly little guy. his farms name is sail away farm,,, like the enya song. that's where it came from but really it's a SSS reference cus i will bring other SIs into this somehow. (it was from one of the ai dungeon streams... when julia wrapped up yet another accidental psychological horror story by sailing away whilst listening "to the tunes of enya")

and with remy i had already planned on romancing harvey so i wanted a name i could make a funny shipname of. their shipname is harmy (ironic isn't it ^^). stowaway farm came from some thoughts i had about remy's life before moving to pelican town. where he didn't feel welcome and like the people around him weren't keen on being seen with him. and i just liked the ring it has to it :) the two of them both having farms with "away" in the name was accidental and didn't hit me until after it was too late to change it.

here they are at the character creation screen !!!!

GUY IS MY SILLIEST LITTLE GUY. he's like a hamster or a chipmunk or other small rodents

him asf ^^^^

he's also like ponyo to me, he is very ponyocoded. his theme song would be the full version of ponyo on the cliff by the sea.

he is a biter, a chewer. he's kirby, a chainchomper... he would snack on rocks if he could. he's the breakdancing sims cat. he has bad volume control. he is an octopus, a koala, a monkey. he names a lot of his farm animals after fictional characters. but his hens are named hip, hop, cherry and pop after the lemon demon song. he would take a sip of a joja cola and go "oh, that is vile" and keep taking sips like he needs to confirm it multiple times.

him and elliott are so silly..... their shipname is gull which worked out so well it almost seems intentional. they both got ties to the ocean and beach... we love to see it. they got together the day after elliott's birthday, not only that but it was also right before elliott's 8 heart event. so it was really like guy came in before his book reading, asked him out and then was all "THAT'S MY BF EVERYONE I LOVE HIM SO MUCH" during the reading... he is his biggest cheerleader

he is best friends with emily and shane. and when emily mentioned that she would make a good clown during the stardew fair, he said "this is why we're best friends. we would be the best clowns." and he ate three burgers in a row that day. one day during blackberry season he collected 93 blackberries and was just running around the town with them on his person. him and gus have history together which i will make a whole comic about some day. whilst gaming with abigail he ran into enemies twice and got himself killed. he accidentally bought a pirate sword from marlon. he has died once. he is trying to goad alex into actually shaving his hair off because of that one throwaway comment. HE HAS TWO GARBAGE HATS. (tootsies is SO getting the other one once 1.6 is out)

^ this is what he wore for spirit's eve, called it "farmer in a rush" (he literally just took off his shorts)

i have way less on remy cus he isn't as far along and has had a mostly average time in pelican town so far.

remy is just a big dog who is scared of most things. he is a baby giraffe trying to walk for the first time. he feels very out of place in social interactions. his limbs are too long for him. he is trying his best.

he can come off as very... displeased... his resting face just looks slightly ticked off. really he's a big softie. he has some real unfortunate luck too.. except the night of the egg hunt when he had a fairy visit. he holds onto that little bit of luck there. a glimmer of hope. he had a meteor crash in the middle of his farm, luckily his crops were safe and sound tho, small mercies. weeds damaged his farm the same night the scripted earthquake hit. one day in the mines he got so lost in the dark he had to give up for the day and head up to the surface again, he was one level away from an elevator. he is financially struggling. he names his animals after food. his theme song would probably be cave in by margaux or something.

harmy is a slow-burn, strangers to friends to lovers scenario. they're delightful, i can't wait to see their relationship develop. remy kinda wanted to ask harvey to dance during the flower dance but chickened out (totally not because i only had 3 hearts with him stfu) (also those two pages aren't canon in my headcanon cus i think both of them would be oblivious and dumb as a rock. i just wanted to draw it lol. i think it takes a whileeee for either of them to ever catch feelings.)

he doesn't know many of the villagers too well. he is taking his time settling in fully and is so busy with the farm and mines and fishing and whatnot. oh y'know when sam asks you what his next song should be about?? yeah, remy said trains which has planted the idea that he is a former train kid in my head. and that's something he and harvey can bond over- i think it's really sweet :'). train and plane autism couple. remy has a sweet tooth. he feels intimidated by most villagers. i have a whole hair arc planned for him where he ends up growing his hair out once he really settles in. it's gonna be so epic. he went through 3 of emily's heart events in a row which was wild.

his chest lineup >>>>>

here's an expression sheet i started and will hopefully finish one day

i think that's all for now- I TOLD YOU IT WAS GOING TO BE A LONG POST NO?? ARE YOU HAPPY??? I AM. INFODUMPING IS AWESOME.

i ain't proofreading this are you kidding me.

y'all summoned this. my mutuals summoning my infodump demon with their summoning triangle. feeding my hyperfixation.

#long post #WAHHAHHAHAHAHHAH HMUAHAHAHHAHAHHA HEHEAHGEHGAGH #I AM SO AUTISTIC ITS WILD #stardew valley #sdv #sdv farmer #guyssailawayfarm #remysstowawayfarm #goes without saying but theyre both autistic trans n gay #uhm i think thats all #i am so normal about them #uh #oc #sure :) #i think i have spent like... uhhh probably around 4-5 hours on this?? idk. lost track. actually havent been keeping track.

[sassyduckqueen]

Miraculous: Rise of Anatis Special 5

Hey peeps! I'm alive!! Sorry this took so long. I've been having quite the interesting time. Both good and bad things. Cosplay making took up a lot of the time but it paid off. I'll tell you all about it on tumblr when I post my latest pics and then there was family issues. Long story short, I had to cut my sister off permanently. I don't want to go into detail but please don't be worried. It was a long time coming and I feel like I've made the right choice. I'm doing better since I made the choice as well. Anyway, here's my version of the Miraculous special for Paris. Enjoy :D

Edit: OK so I edited and post this at 6am with very little sleep so there's probably a load of crappy grammar going on(I'll edit it later) but also I forgot to put a spoiler warning on this so here it is!!

Spoiler Warning!! This chapter is set just before Gang Of Secrets and contains some little spoilers for it.

If you guys want, I'll go through my specials and release a timeline for them so you know how they fit into the timeline

==========================================================================

Chapter Five: Miraculous: Tales of Brumus and Lady Ombre

"Hello and welcome," The voice of the news reporter Nadja Chamuck echoed through the basement as in the distance explosions echoed. Standing in front of the tv was an older gentleman with a worried look on his face. Despite his worried expression, he wore a very bright outfit. The shirt he wore was very light purple and he had a bright purple tailcoat that resembled a butterfly's wings. In the middle of his coat was a white triangle and from it the form of a butterfly spreaded out, acting as its collar. His pants and shoes matched his coat and he had loose silver hair. Upon his face was a butterfly shaped mask with the same white triangle over the eye parts. In his hand was a cane and a purple brooch was adorned on the ruffled collar he had on. Next to him was a younger looking girl. She had curly brown hair that was shaved on the side. She wore a faded denim jacket and ripped jeans. Like the older woman, she had glasses but her frames were purple. "Once again, Anatis and Lady Noir were able to defeat him and Paris was saved yet again. Clara, you're live on the scene-"

"Is it ready?" The man asked as the tv signal messed up. He looked down towards a robot that was fixed to the TV and had a face on it. "Can we make the jump?"

"There's a 92.8 % statistical chance of landing in the world where these source images originate," The face on the computer declared with a worried expression as the lighting turned red and an alarm sounded. The two of them looked behind them with panic as the lift came down and opened. A man dressed in rock star garb and a teenage boy dressed in skater clothing ran in. The older man was holding onto a rifle as the teenage boy held a baseball bat. He gestured for the boy to get behind him as he held his gun up, ready to fire.

"I'm sorry! We couldn't hold them back!" The boy gasped, rushing over to the rest of them. "They're coming,"

"We don't have a choice," The woman gasped, looking at the man in purple.

"I understand," He replied with a sombre look on his face. He closed his eyes before opening them and releasing the butterfly concealed in his hand. "Fly, my kamiko and magnify the glimmer of hope that shines in Alya Ceraise's heart,"

The butterfly merged with the younger girl's glasses, causing her eyes to wide as he spoke to her.

"Ubiquity, I am Atlas," He declared as the floor above the lift got destroyed and two figures jumped down. "I am giving you the power to connect to the parallel world we have found so we can find help. With this, I am exposing you to many perils and placing a great burden on your shoulders. Do you accept it for the greater good?"

"I do," Alya declared with determination, giving Atlas a sense of hope. He needed to find a way to find the heroes of the other Paris and from what he had observed from the images and videos they were able to find, one Marinette Dupain-Cheng had a personal relationship with the hero of that world. It just happened that one of her friends was that world's Alya which is how his plan was formed. Using his powers, he would transform Alya into a superheroine that would allow them to cross into that world by connecting with her counterpart. He allowed her to take the power, causing her form to change. From her glasses, a light purple smog spreaded over her body and transformed her into a new being. Her new costume was a purple suit with stars and her body had become something akin to a floating veil. Her hair had turned bright purple and she had a glass mask over her eyes. Her body rose up as she held out her arms, waiting for the command. The sound of a crack was here as the glass in the lift was broken. The two figures jumped over and landed in front of the man with a gun. He began to fire at them, causing Atlas to look at them before he turned to Ubiquity.

"Open the gate and close it as soon as I'm through," He ordered. She nodded and used her power, causing her body to expand. Atlas jumped through as the two figures dodged the bullets. He hoped he could find help.

~Main Universe, Current Time~

Luka gasped as he jolted away, sweat dripping down his skin. His eyes were wide in terror and he was breathing heavily as he shook. Tikki, Snapp and Stingg were looking over at him with concern as he sucked in a deep breath before Stingg flew over with hesitation. Luka didn't seem to notice him as he flopped down onto his bed. His breathing was starting to calm down and he moved his hand to his hair.

"M-Master?" Stingg whispered. "Ar-Are you ok?"

Luka opened his eyes, looking over at the kwami before sitting up and gently cupping him in his hands.

"I'm..." He cut himself off, causing the kwamis to look more concerned. Luka knew why. He wanted to tell them that he was ok but he couldn't. That would be a lie and he wasn't going to lie but he didn't want to worry them either. "It's fine. I just had a nightmare again... by the way, you don't have to call me Master. Luka is just fine,"

"B-But... y-you're my n-new master..." Stingg replied as Tikki and Snapp flew over.

"No, I'm not your master," Luka replied, making Stingg look at him. "I'm your friend and you're my friend so I'm happy for you to refer to me as Luka,"

"O-ok... Luka..." 

"Are you sure you're ok?" Tikki asked, flying over and gently placing her paw on his cheek. She looked at him and her concern grew. His eyes were almost blank like there was nothing in them and then there were the dark circles. "Was it the usual dream?"

"Or Lady Blanche?" Snapp asked, making Tikki glare at him but she knew it was a possibility.

"No, it's fine," Luka replied, giving them a little smile but it didn't reach his eyes. "It was neither of them... I've never had this dream before but it was... strange... it felt like Feng's power and the dreams I had about Lady Blanche,"

All of the kwamis looked at each other before Tikki cleared her voice.

"What did you see in it?" She asked, making him frown as he thought about it. "Luka?"

"There was a butterfly holder in it and they made an akuma," He muttered, trying to recall it. "They seemed afraid of something but I don't know what,"

"How did the dream end?"

"The butterfly holder went through a portal to-" Luka's eyes widened as he recalled one of the most important details. The akumatized was Alya and Alya was currently sleeping over at Marinette's tonight. He quickly jumped up and grabbed his phone, dialling her number but it only went to her voicemail. He hung up and swiped his earrings. "Tikki! Spots on!"

He transformed and turned to the other two kwamis.

"Please stay here and keep hidden," He requested, getting a nod from the two of them before they hid in his guitar case. Stingg seemed to like hiding in there and Snapp was happy to stay with him. Reassured that the kwamis were happy and hidden, Anatis turned to the porthole and opened it. He climbed out of it and swung off into the night.

~At the Same Time in Marinette's House~

"Ah ha! Take that!" Alya declared, jumping up as she finally beat Marinette at the game they were playing. Marinette laughed and clapped her hands as Alya did a victory dance before she sat down and took a slip of her drink. "I can't believe I finally beat you!"

"It only took you a few years," Marinette grinned, making Alya gasp with shock and pretend to be wounded. She couldn't help but smile, happy that her and Alya had reached a good point. Sure, there was a time where she thought Alya would never be her friend again but she had grown so much since having the wake up call as they called it. She had taken her blog more seriously and made sure to get real sources for the things she reported. She had grown as a friend and as a person to the extent where Anatis had even decided to allow her to continue being a member of team miraculous. She had wielded the monkey miraculous on a couple of occasions now and it helped a lot. Not just that but Alya was trying to be a better person overall. She was mindful of how she acted. She had devoted a lot of her time searching for Shadow Moth's identity and was a great help when it came to dealing with the American heroes. She had proven herself enough to allow Marinette to have her round for a sleep over again and it reminded her how much she missed it but also how much she needed it. Especially with the hard time she was going through with her hero life and her civilian life. Luka hadn't been himself recently, especially after the attack and she was trying her hardest to help him. However, he didn't open up to her. She knew why. Luka didn't want to make her worried or stressed out. Sometimes she hated how selfless he was but she also knew she would never change him for the world. As for her hero life, Anatis was still struggling to deal with that future he faced but they were both trying to find a way to prevent it, even though she had no idea what she was preventing.

"Earth to Marinette?"

"Hm?" She replied, glancing at Alya who gave her a look.

"You zoned out there," She replied, making her blink. "You ok?"

"Yeah... I'm just worried about Luka," She admitted, making Alya frown. "He's been so down recently and I don't know how to help him. Everytime I ask him if he's ok, he just changes the subject or brushes off his emotions. Do you think he feels like he can't approach me?"

"No way She replied, gently holding her shoulders. "I don't think Luka feels like he can't approach you. I bet he just doesn't want to worry you. Luka is so selfless that he probably doesn't want you to be burdened,"

"I know but I feel like a bad girlfriend,"

"Trust me when I say you're not," She replied, making Marinette frown. "Marinette, you don't ne-"

Alya suddenly cut off, gasping and screwing her eyes closed as if something just disturbed her.

"Alya?" Marinette asked as she let out a small scream and jumped up, gripping her glasses as she stumbled away from her. Marinette jumped up as she fell to her knees and gripped her head. "Alya?!"

A bright light engulfed her, causing Marinette to raise her arms to protect her before it disappeared, revealing Alya floating in the air, dressed in a new form. Her new costume was a purple suit with stars and her body had become something akin to a floating veil. Her hair had turned bright purple and she had a glass mask over her eyes. She was holding her arms out and the veil was looking closer to a portal. Marinette stared at it before a man in a purple butterfly suit jumped out, surprising her. Without a shadow of a doubt, he was clearly the butterfly holder but it was impossible. Shadow Moth didn't know she was Lady Noire and there hadn't even been an akuma in her room. She also noticed the man's outfit was different to Shadow Moth's outfit. For one thing, he didn't have the peacock miraculous but he also lacked Shadow Moth's butterfly mask. In fact, his design was completely different. However, it could be a trick. She had to be careful. She went to transform but Plagg shook his head at her, making her stop as the man looked around the room before his eyes landed on her. To her surprise, they didn't contain hatred or bitterness like she expected Shadow Moth's to but instead were filled with desperation, sorrow and a small glimmer of hope.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng?" He asked, surprising her. "Forgive my intrusion and please don't be scared. My name is Atlas and I need you to lead me to the holders of the miraculous of the ladybug and the black cat in this world,"

"Anatis and Lady Noire?" She asked, frowning before holding up her hands. "I d-don't know how to find them. I don't know them. I'm just Marinette. I'm just a normal girl-"

"I beg you," He gasped, taking her by surprise. Shadow Moth would never beg. "Please take me to them. I know you have a friendship with them and they are my last hope,"

"Last Hope?" She asked, frowning. "I'm sorry but I can't just call Anatis. I'm not as close to him as you might think,"

He let out a sigh as the floating Alya turned into light before shrinking down. She remained in her akuma form but seemed to be completely Alya. She looked around confused as she leaned on some of the wooden beams that held up the room.

"Marinette?!" She gasped, seeing her before seeing the newcomer. "What just happened?"

"You transformed into..." She gestured to her but didn't know what to call her new form.

"Ubiquity," Atlas explained, making both of them look at him. "In the universe where I come from, Alya Cerasie is one of my allies,"

He turned to look at Alya.

"She connected her power to you in order to open a gateway between our two worlds," He continued, making Alya look at him with an expression of sheer confusion. "I chose her to be my champion as we learnt that you two have a friendship. By connecting with you, it would bring me to Miss Marinette here and I hoped in turn she could lead me to the heroes of this world,"

"Huh?!" Alya gasped before shaking her head. "Is this another one of Hawk Moth's Schemes?!"

"Hawk Moth?" Atlas asked but before anyone could explain, Alya cried out in pain again as she gripped her head before turning back into the gateway, causing Atlas to gasp and step back.

"I'm sorry! They made me open again!" She gasped, struggling as if she was holding something back. "I can't hold them back for long,"

She opened her eyes in pure terror.

"Run!" She shouted, making Atlas gasp and pick up Marinette.

"You can't stay here!" He gasped, looking around the room for an exit. "They are merciless,"

He jumped towards the skylight as Marinette cried out before jumping off the roof as Plagg floated. Ubiquity struggled as a figure stepped through the gateway, holding the robot in his hand. In a way, he resembled Anatis but looked much darker. His costume was almost completely black. He had a red collar, red fingers, red details on his boots, gloves and belt while the rest of the outfit was completely black. Unlike Anatis who had several spots on his costume with yellow halos around them, he had a pattern that resembled two commas on his chest area in a blood red. The pattern was repeated on his mask, arms, zipper and his yoyo. His hair styled the same way as Anatis but had short red tips while the rest of it was black. His eyes were a dark blue but looked completely lifeless and had no light in them. His skin was so pale that he made a corpse look alive which amplified his already terrifying appearance. He glanced around as another figure stepped out of the gateway, dragging their version of Nino with them. She had her fingers to his head, holding a cataclysm to him. Like the other, she resembled Lady Noire of this world. Only like a broken version of her. Her outfit was almost exactly the same, apart from a toxic green panel down the middle of her costume that had black cracks over it. Her mask was black with green cracks over it as well. Her eyes resembled a cat's but they also had black cracks through them. Her braid was thicker than Lady Noire's and resembled a scorpion's tail a little. Her belt buckle still had a paw print but the background had the black cracks in it. Her lips were stained black and her skin was extremely pale. The most concerning part was the black vein appearing below her lip, looking like she's consumed some sort of poison. The guy glanced over with a look of annoyance as Nino trembled.

"Why is he still here? Get rid of him," He asked as he threw the robot head aside, causing the Lady Noire look alike to shrug and push him back into the gateway. She called off her Cataclysm as he glanced around the room. He grabbed a belt that was hung and used it to tie Ubiquity up, causing her to fall onto the ground before he roughly grabbed her hair and pulled her head up so she was looking at him. "The only reason why you're alive right now is because you're still useful to me so be a good girl and don't go anywhere,"

He dropped her head, causing it to hit the ground hard before going straight to the computer and narrowing his eyes. The wallpaper showed a happy couple. He recognized the boy in it as a variation of his civilian self. The evil cat wandered over and looked at the image.

""Oooh, he's cute," She sighed happily, making him roll his eyes before she glared at him. "Unlike you,"

"Of course, he's your type," He stated, moving away and jumping up to her bed. "A weak, sensitive musician. Just as pathetic as you,"

"So what if I like musicians?! At least, they actually have an emotion level unlike you!" She growled as he glanced over at the images by her bed. "Why did bitterfly chose this location anyway? I mean other then Alya been here obviously,"

The villain narrowed his eyes before ripping a picture of the wall and jumped back down.

"Because Little Miss Pink knows the local heroes if this is anything to go by," He replied, shoving the image in her hands. It was a selfie of this world's Marinette with the holder of the ladybug miraculous. He glanced around, noticing the skylight. "They must have gone of that way,"

"I'd rather go out with a bang!" The evil cat grinned, throwing the image to the ground and summoning her cataclysm. She slammed her hand against the wall, causing it to explode out. She jumped out into the night as the evil bug looked towards Ubiquity. 

"You're our ride back," He informed, glaring at her. "Don't move,"

He dived out of the hole and swung off into the city. As soon as he was gone, Ubiquity connected with Atlas.

"Atlas, they tied me and are coming for you," She warned, making the man on the other side of the connection frown. He was running across Paris' rooftops, holding onto Marinette as he did. Marinette was watching him as he did, trying to work out what to do and more importantly, who he was running from.

"You carried out your mission perfectly. Thank you for everything," He replied as Marinette listened. From what she and Anatis had seen with Shadow Moth, he was rude, demanding and evil. This man was the complete opposite so far. "I release you from the power I gave you,"

Back in Marinette's room, Ubiquity turned back into Alya. She looked around confused and scared. Marinette and the butterfly man were missing, there was a massive hole in the roof that had clearly been made by a cataclysm and she had been tied up. She jumped as she heard a knock on the door.

"Marinette, Alya? Is everything ok?" Sabine asked, making Alya panic.

"Uh... yeah, we just started to play a game and there was a jump scare in it," She gasped, scrambling to look for her phone. "Sorry for worrying you, Mrs Cheng,"

"Very well," She answered, making Alya let out a sigh. "Don't stay up too late,"

"We won't!" She gasped, picking up her phone. However, it had been cracked. "Oh shoot,"

She got up and looked around, just as Anatis landed in the room. He looked around, confused and concerned.

"Alya, what happened?" He asked as she rushed over to him.

"I don't know but I got akumatized but it was weird because I wasn't angry or anything," She gasped, making him frown. "I don't remember exactly how but somehow a butterfly man used me to get into the room and then he kidnapped Marinette! And the wall was cataclysmed but I don't remember Lady Noire been around and I woke up tied up!"

"Tied up?" He asked as she pointed to the belt. He picked it up and frowned before noticing the robot head. "Marvok?"

"Huh?" She asked, looking over as he picked it up. "Wait but Max wasn't here?!"

He remained silent before noticing the picture on the floor. He picked it up and frowned deeply.

"Something feels off," He replied, turning to her. "Does Marinette have her phone on her?"

"I think so but mine is broken," She replied before noticing the computer. She rushed over and used it to phone Marinette's phone. She didn't answer, making Anatis frown before he moved her over and typed, bringing up her phone tracker. It was moving very fast.

"She's heading towards the Eiffel tower," He muttered, making Alya frown before he turned to her. "Keep trying to get through to her and I'm going to head there,"

"Ok," She nodded, phoning again as he jumped out of the window and headed into the night. "Wonder how he realised something had happened,"

~Meanwhile~

The evil bug swung through the city as the evil cat followed him, running up the TV station building before he swung up and landed on the roof of it, frowning as he did. His partner landed next to him and let out a dramatic sigh.

"Oh, which way did he go?!" She pouted as he scanned the city. "This place is so big and different to our place that he could be anywhere,"

"Stop being dramatic," He replied, looking at her. "The only difference between here and our world is the lack of burning buildings. This is still Paris and Atlas is still predictable. Lucky charm!"

He threw up his yoyo, summoning the magical bugs that transformed into an item. It fell and he caught it, causing a smirk to appear on his lips.

"Ooo, what useless trash did you get?" The cat girl asked as she stretched and yawned, showing off her fangs.

"A butterfly tracker... kind of..." He replied, holding it up to his eyes. "It tracks the pheromones that butterflies release,"

"Urg, why do you always pretend to have a smart plan?" She groaned, rolling her eyes. "All you have is !"Luck","

She made air quotations with her fingers as he rolled his eyes.

"I don't see you coming up with a plan, Fleabag," He replied as he found the trail. He moved til he saw the butterfly. "Got ya,"

He called off the lucky charm, causing it to disappear in a puff of red smoke.

"It's heading to the Eiffel tower," He declared, taking out his yoyo. "Let's go greet our old friend,"

"Right behind ya, cockroach," The cat declared, jumping off the building as her partner swung into the city.

~Meanwhile at the Eiffel Tower~

Atlas jumped and landed on the Eiffel tower before jumping inside and gently placing Marinette down on the stairs, making her look at him with surprise as he stood up.

"Whatever happens, stay here where it's safe," He instructed before shaking his head. "No one should suffer because of a battle that isn't there,"

"Huh?" Marinette asked as he looked out towards the night sky. A white butterfly fluttered towards him, making him smile and open his cane.

"Thank you for your help, little kamiko," He declared, holding the cane up to it. It flew inside, landing on a tiny perch inside the cane before the top closed.

"That's not an akuma?" Marinette asked, pointing to it. She was starting to conclude that this man wasn't Hawk Moth, an akuma or even a villain at all. He looked at her confused.

"An akuma?" He asked, confirming that he didn't know what one was. She was about to explain but the tower suddenly started to rust, making her gasp and stand up. Before Atlas could react, the rust hit their area, causing the floor to give away. Marinette screamed as she fell but luckily Atlas caught her. "Are you ok?"

She nodded, causing him to look relieved before he rushed over to the stairs, taking cover and glancing over the walls. She did the same and gasp as she saw a twisted version of her hero self, landing on the ground and hiss.

"He got away!" Her reflection hissed, making Marinette narrow her eyes. What was going on? "I thought your lucky charm was supposed to guarantee us victory?"

"Well, it would have done but you didn't think. As usual," A calm but cold voice replied. It was oddly familiar but instead of filling her with hope and warmth, it made her blood run cold and a sense of despair washed over her. Her eyes widened as the owner of the voice landed next to her dark reflection. Like hers, he was a twisted, dark reflection of Anatis. His outfit reflected a Pine Ladybug just as Anatis reflected his name sake but just looking at him filled her with a sense of dread that made her want to puke. Her reflection rolled her eyes.

"You know I prefer intentional harm over your lucky charm," She declared, skipping over to him. "More direct,"

"But not very discreet and even less clever," The evil bug declared, crossing his arms. The evil cat kipped over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, making him roll his eyes.

"Don't be mad, Cockroach. He can't be that far," She declared before letting go of him and cupping her mouth with her hands. "Butterfly! We know you're hiding here!"

"Show yourself!" He shouted too, causing the cat to smirk. However, Atlas didn't come out of his hiding place, making the evil bug frown deeply. "Fleabag,"

"Yes, Cockroach?" She asked, skipping back over.

"You know what to do," She smirked, removing her hand from his and holding it up in the air. A dark bubble began to form, causing both Atlas and Marinette's eyes to widen with fear. The very atmosphere changed and the earth itself trembled. Marinette couldn't believe what she was seeing. How was she amplifying her cataclysm like that? Could it be Plagg's Master Power? Or was it like that because her intentions weren't good.

"Atlas, better show yourself or I'll let her turn this place to ash," He declared, making Atlas frown before turning to Marinette. 

"I'm sorry that you got involved in this fight. Please take care of yourself and as soon as you can, get out of here," He declared before jumping over the wall and running over to them. "Stop! The people of this world haven't harmed you!"

"You know what to do then," The evil cat girl hissed, calling off her power.

"Return the miraculous you stole!" The beetle declared, summoning a large blade before charging at Atlas. He dodged and began to engage in a fight with them. Marinette gasped and ducked down as Plagg flew out.

"Are you ok, Pigtails?" He asked, making her nod before her phone rang. She quickly answered it and saw it was Alya.

"Marinette, thank goodness!" She gasped, the panic leaving her body. "Did you get away from the supervillain?"

"I don't think he's a villain, Alya," She whispered in a hush voice, causing Alya to give her a look. "I think he's a holder of the butterfly miraculous but he's not Shadow Moth and I'm pretty certain he's a hero,"

"What makes you say that?" She asked as the video flickered, confusing Marinette. However, she turned her phone to the current battle, showing Alya the two newcomers. Atlas was struggling to hold back the beetle, who roughly grabbed him and threw him across the pavement and into a car.

"Look around you," Atlas gasped, getting up. "A better world than ours is possible,"

"You think I care about that?!" The evil cat declared, diving at him. Atlas jumped and rolled over of the way before she slammed her hand on a car that was behind him, turning it to dust before she turned to Atlas and grinned, charging at him. He managed to knock her back with his cane but before he could follow up his attack, the beetle brutally slammed his blade into the back of his head. 

"They have the same powers as Anatis and Lady Noire?!" Alya gasped, shocked. "I need to warn Anatis,"

"Anatis is on his way?" Marinette asked.

"The supreme is using you!" Atlas declared, getting Marinette's attention again as the Beetle summoned a new luck charm and threw it at him, trapping his cape with it. He yanked it out and turned to him. "The supreme abuses their powers,"

The beetle threw another weapon at him, sending him flying. Atlas landed on the ground and tried to get up as the bug stalked over.

"You shouldn't have taken what didn't belong to you," He declared, roughly grabbing Atlas around the throat. The cat slinged over and smirked as he tightened his grip. "I'll give you one chance, Atlas. Give back what you took or die and I'll take them from your corpse,"

"I gotta go, Alya," Marinette declared, hanging up. "Plagg, we can't let them kill him!"

"Be careful, Pigtails. They're holders of the ladybug and black cat miraculous from one of the many parallel universes that exist only these two aren't nice,"

"I figured that," She replied before watching them, narrowing her eyes as she did. She wanted to rush in but she didn't know all of the facts. "How come they can use their powers without changing back? Do they have high levels?"

"I don't sense attunement from them but as for the lack of detransformation," Plagg stopped before frowning. "As you know, the transformation draws a lot of energy from both the kwami and the holder but Feng put in a fail safe for those too young to handle it,"

"Yeah, we turn back to us,"

"It seems their miraculous don't have that fail safe," Plagg declared, looking over. Atlas was sent flying across the ground again before jumping and diving out of the way of the cat, who broke the area he had been in. He said something about power being shared before the beetle summoned another charm for himself and charged at him. "No auto-detransformation for them which means unlimited power but the cost for that is..."

"Terrible," Marinette declared, shocked before holding up her hand. "We have to stop them. Plagg, Claws Out!"

She transformed and jumped over, just as the bug sent Atlas flying again. Clearly running out of energy, Atlas tried to get up but the evil cat used her baton to push him back down. The bug stalked over and went to reach for his miraculous but Atlas grabbed his wrist.

"Join the resistance," He gasped, making the beetle look at him. "Everything can change. This world is proof of it,"

The beetle narrowed his eyes as Atlas pleaded.

"It's not too late for you two," He gasped, causing the cat's eyes to widen. However, the beetle didn't seem bothered by his words.

"Give it up, pest," He replied, holding up his hand and summoning his new weapon. "The resistance ends here... with you,"

He went to stab him but Lady Noire threw her baton, knocking his lucky charm out of his hand. He glanced up and narrowed his eyes at her.

"I never thought I would say this," She mumbled before holding out her baton and pointing at them. "But stay away from the butterfly man!"

"Another mangy fleabag?" He asked in a bored tone as his partner went 'hey'. "As if one cat isn't annoying enough,"

"The name is Lady Noire," She declared, narrowing her eyes. "Hand over your miraculous. They shouldn't be used for evil. Only for the greater good!"

"How disguising," He hissed before taking out his yoyo. Three blades appeared out of the end of it before he charged at her, making her gasp. "Here, kitty kitty!"

He smirked evilly, trying to slam his yoyo into her. She jumped back and blocked it, only for the other cat to try and slam her baton into her. He threw his yoyo at her and it wrapped around her waist, causing her to gasp before he pulled her in and spun her around before throwing her towards the beams of the Eiffel tower. Atlas took the chance to jump and catch her before she could hit the beams. However, the beetle saw his chance and summoned a lucky charm that was a car. The cat jumped up and kicked it towards them, causing it to knock into them and trap them against the wall.

"Prosperity," The beetle declared, changing his yoyo into a morning star mace. It dragged across the ground as he stalked over. Lady Noire and Atlas tried to push it off them before Lady Noire held up her hand. 

"Cataclysm!" She declared but before she could use it on the car, it disappeared and the morning star wrapped around her waist, pulling her to the beetle. She went to slam her hand on the mace but he yanked it, causing her to spin and land on the ground. She managed to stop herself from wasting her cataclysm. He smirked and lifted the mace, ready to swing it at her but before he could, Anatis dived at him and slammed his feet into his body, sending him flying. "Annie!"

"Are you ok, kitten?" He asked, helping her up and looking to Atlas. "... So it was real..."

"I'm sorry?" Atlas asked but Anatis shook his head and took out his yoyo.

"I'll explain later," He replied, making him frown. "Prosperity!"

His yoyo turned into a shield, causing him to raise an eyebrow before he saw the other beetle charging at him, along with his cat. He blocked their attack with the shield before the two of them began to fight. Anatis managed to send the beetle flying again, causing the cat to attack him as Lady Noire ran at him. He jumped up, allowing her to slide between his legs before she grabbed his arm and held up her cataclysmal hand to him.

"Easy there, Beetle," She declared, making him look at her. "Other cat, back off from Annie now or your bug gets it,"

The other cat looked at her before holding her hands up.

"Lucky charm," Anatis declared, getting handcuffs. He placed them around her wrists but something felt off.

"You haven't got it in you to hurt me," The beetle declared, making Lady Noire glare at him.

"Don't test me, bug boy," She declared but before either of them could react, he moved his arm and spun her around. He grabbed her cataclysmal hand and pulled it closer to him, making her eyes widen. "Wait!"

"Aww, is the pretty kitty scared to use her claws?" He mocked, smirking before he pressed her hand to his chest, causing her to jolt back. Anatis yelled out but the cat took the chance to slam her body into his. He used the shield to block her as Lady Noire stared in shock at the beetle. He was breathing heavily but smirked as he looked up. "Think that can stop me? Well, now you're out of your power,"

"W-what?" She gasped but he suddenly ran at her and punched her, sending her flying into a building before turning his attention on Anatis. He summoned a lucky charm which was a rocket launcher and fired it at Anatis, causing Anatis to block it with his shield. The other beetle smirked as his shield turned back into a yoyo before he fired again at Anatis. Anatis spun his yoyo and blocked the rockets before throwing his yoyo and knocking it out of his hands. 

"Enough," He declared, wrapping the yoyo around the other beetle. "You're injured and this battle is pointless. Surrender your miraculous and we'll get your medical attention,"

"You think a little cataclysm can stop me?!" He smirked, getting out of the string of the yoyo before grabbing it and pulling it. Anatis was pulled over to him, making him smirk. He punched him, sending him flying into the wall before he jumped up and held out his yoyo ready to fight. The other beetle smirked. "Fleabag,"

"Cataclysm!" The other cat declared, destroying his lucky charm. "Oops!"

"Now you have no lucky charm," He declared, making Anatis narrow his eyes. "Well, I'm assuming that's the case since you haven't tried to summon another one. Am I right? I am, aren't I?"

"Even if you are, we'll defeat you," Lady Noire declared as she landed next to Anatis. "Ready, Annie?"

"... How are they using their powers without transforming back?" He asked, making her look at him. He looked extremely worried, causing her to look at her. "That can't be good,"

"It isn't," Atlas replied, trying to climb up. "But Brumus and Lady Ombre don't care,"

"Brumus?" Anatis echoed before looking over at his counterpart. Brumus smirked and waved at him before calling for his lucky charm. He got another rocket launcher before firing it at Atlas. Anatis jumped down and blocked the rocket before Lady Noire ran at Brumus as Lady Ombre dived at Anatis, causing him to use his yoyo to block her move. Brumus fired a rocket at Lady Noire who jumped at it and knocked it back at him, causing him to call off his charm. Lady Noire jumped into the rafters as Anatis threw Lady Ombre into a wall. She took a deep breath and let out a scream, pushing Brumus back. He used his yoyo to block her attack before jumping out of the way as Anatis charged at him. He dived out the way and spun the mace around, trying to hit Anatis with it. However, Anatis threw his yoyo and wrapped it around the mace before slamming it into the ground, forcing it to turn back into a yoyo. Brumus summoned a helmet and quickly attached it to his yoyo before trying to continue to hit Anatis with it. Seeing her chance, Lady Noire dived at him. However, he saw her and got rid of the helmet before summoning a new lucky charm that was a grenade launcher. He smirked evilly as he pointed it towards her with his fingers on the trigger.

"Lady Noir!" Anatis cried out, running towards her. Atlas quickly released his butterfly and transformed it into a kamiko before releasing it towards Lady Noire. It flew over to her and landed in her baton, opening a connection between them. Time slowed down for her as her eyes widened in shock.

Hey... what are you doing? She gasped in her mind. It was nothing like what it felt when she became Princess Justice. Sure, she didn't remember being Princess Justice but she remembered what the akuma felt like. It had been cold and intrusive. She had been scared and he played on her fear and hurt but this didn't feel like that. It felt strange. Warm and almost like a hug.

Lady Celestia, I am Atlas. His voice echoed in her mind but it wasn't intrusive like how Hawkmoth's had been. He wasn't trying to force her into transforming. He was trying to help her. I want to entrust you with the power to save us from Brumus and Lady Ombre. For the greater good, do you accept the gift I'm offering you, Lady Celestia?

I do. She replied, causing her body to be covered in a light purple smog. When it disappeared, her form had changed. Her costume had turned white. Her hair was mostly white too but there were green highlights in it. She also had two massive wings and was also emitted a brilliant light. There was even a halo over her head. However, Anatis wasn't looking up at her with awe but with terror. All he could see was Lady Blanche. On the other hand, Lady Ombre had shielded her eyes as Brumus had fallen back like the light was hurting him.

"Brace for take off!" Lady Celestia declared, grabbing his arm and then Atlas' before flying off. Lady Ombre lowered her hand, frowning.

"They got away," She gasped before turning to Brumus, who was leaning against the wall. He had his eyes closed and was breathing in heavily. "Cockroach? Are you ok?"

"Do I look ok, you dumb cat?!" He snarled, glaring at her and making her coward away. His eyes were bloodshot and his irises had changed from cold blue and burning gold. He slammed his fist into the wall, cracking it before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. When he reopened them, the cold blue was back. "We need to find them,"

"T-They can't have got far," She gasped. "Maybe we look around?"

"Fine," He declared, rolling his eyes. "Let's go,"

She nodded and followed him as he threw his yoyo and swung off.

~Meanwhile~

Lady Celestia flew down into the catacombs of Paris and into the sewers, fluttering down. She let Atlas and Anatis down before landing on the ground. Atlas was about to call his kamiko back but she shook her head when she noticed Anatis leaning against the wall, refusing to look at her. Instead, he was talking to himself.

"It's not the same," He muttered, making her and Atlas frown. "It's not her,"

"Anatis?" Lady Celestia stated, carefully walking over to her. She gently leaned down and carefully held out her hand, making him look at it. "It's ok. I'm still me. Just with an upgrade,"

He still refused to look at her, causing her to move her wings so they were in his line of sight.

"Look. I have wings and a halo," She grinned, making him slowly look over. He took in her look and noticed the highlights in her hair and that her eyes were still green. Relief flooded his eyes, causing him to hug her. She wrapped her arms around him. "It's ok,"

"I'm sorry," He whispered, making her frown. She gave Atlas a nod, causing him to call off his kamiko and turning her back into her normal form. "You're still you,"

"I'm still me," She responded, just as both her ring and his earrings beeped. Atlas gave them a nod before heading behind a wall. Anatis let go of Lady Noir and moved behind another wall as she did the same. "Claws in,"

"Spots off," He declared, turning back into Luka. He handed Tikki a cookie before leaning on the side and taking a breath. He closed his eyes but opened them when he heard Atlas crying. His heart song sung of pain and loss but dreamt of hope. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry... it just... your world is so beautiful," Atlas replied, surprising both of them. "You help each other. You're partners and equals,"

"Is it not the same in your world?" Marinette asked, frowning. Brumus and Lady Ombre seemed to work together.

"No, Brumus is the leader and Lady Ombre is his sidekick," Atlas responded, frowning as he sat down. "In my world, any form of mutual aid is a crime,"

"But you use your miraculous for good," Luka replied, frowning. "Does that make you a criminal?"

"Yes," He replied, sighing. "In my universe, ordinary people don't know about the miraculous exist. It's a secret. Instead, they all belong to the Supreme. He only uses them to preducate his own power,"

"The Supreme?" Both of them question.

"The title of evil being who rules the world where I come," He replied, making them frown. "There's many legends about him. Some say he's immortal and others say the title is passed down through family members,"

"How did you find out about the miraculous?" Marinette asked, curious.

"Sometimes, he entrusts them to the powerful of my world," Atlas explained, glancing down at the ground. "All of whom have sworn loyalty to him. I too was a part of this corrupt system but I got greedy. In order to get something me and my wife desperately wanted, I stole two. The butterfly and the peacock but I misused them and hurt the people I loved,"

"I'm sorry, Atlas," Luka responded, pressing his hand to his heart.

"No, it was my fault," He replied, frowning. "I thought it was ok but then... she was taken from me,"

"She?" Marinette asked, frowning.

"My wife," He replied, looking up as tears pricked his eyes. "The Supreme killed her to punish me,"

Marinette and Luka went quiet, waiting for Atlas to continue.

"That's when I realised that they would stop at nothing and so I decided to redeem myself and use the miraculous I stole for good," He continued. "So I changed my name and took on the new identity of Atlas. I thought it was suitable as I felt like I was holding the weight of the world on my shoulders and because like a moth, I had no choice but to fly in the shadows in order to give people hope. The perfect identity of a reformed villain and I started to fight back. It was just me on my own at first and it was hard, especially when the cult announced the resurrection of the Supreme and when Brumus turned up but someone had to show them that we must revolt. That a better world is possible provided that power is shared between all. It wasn't long after that I gained allies. Alya Cerise was one of them but the turning point was when an anonymous person joined us. With their money and influence, we were able to get a better hold in the world but it's still far from perfect,"

He went silent for a moment.

"We got close to winning," He declared. "My champion Queen Justice defeated Ikuchi and Orochi.... but then Brumus turned up. He beat my champion with pure brutality and cunning before declaring war on me. Like me, he was alone at first but he was able to sway people on his side, seducing them with his promises and words. That's how he got his team. He promised them what they wanted,"

"And they fell for it,"

"Exactly,"

"This anonymous person... Do you know who it is?"

"No, we don't," Atlas replied, frowning. "The only thing we have to go is that they use the code name Vixen but other than that we have nothing on them. We did have support from the Bourgeois family at one point but Brumus got to their daughter Chloe.... but now that I've seen your world, I know that my dream is not just an impossible utopia and you can help me reach it,"

"You know our world is not all that perfect," Luka replied, looking down at Tikki who gently placed her paw on his chest. "We almost lost recently. The one who has your miraculous... he uses it for evil and then there's the false guardian Su Han. They tried to steal the miraculous. As a result, one of our mentors died and the other lost his memory,"

Luka sunk down onto the ground and hugged his knees as his mind drifted and insecurities crept up on him.

"How can I help save your world when I can't even seem to save mine?" He whispered, more to himself than anyone else but both Atlas and Marinette heard regardless. He didn't say it but both could tell what he was thinking. He was blaming himself. Marinette pressed her hand against the wall as Atlas frowned, feeling his emotions before he stood up.

"Your world is still standing and not burning," Atlas declared, wanting to reassure him. "And your values are pure and true. Your mentors may be gone but they would be proud of who you are,"

"He's right, Annie," Marinette declared as Plagg nodded. "You did your best to save them and you freed Zoe from Su Han's clutches so please don't blame yourself,"

".... Thanks, Kitten," He replied but their words offered no comfort. He appreciated the effort though.

~Meanwhile~

"Urg!! They got away!!" Lady Ombre declared as Brumus and her walked down the street, glancing around. "Why didn't you grab onto that flying fleabag and why did your eyes go weird?"

He didn't reply and continued walking, speeding up a little.

"Hey! Answer me!" Lady Ombre declared, catching up to him and moving so she was in front of him. He pushed her out of the way, making her hiss. "Oh, come on! You must be kicking yourself for not doing that and now you're sulking because they got away! You must fe-!"

"Oh my god! Do you ever shut up?!" He snapped, turning to glare at her.

"Excuse me but I'm not the one who let them get away!"

"Oh yes because every little plan is down to me!" He retorted before shoving her. "Well, maybe if you weren't a lazy idiot, I wouldn't have to pick up your pace!"

"I'm not lazy, you dumb cockroach!" She screamed back, shoving him back and pointing at his chest. "Well, maybe I should just get rid of you since I don't need you!"

"Need me?! You'd be nothing without me!" He screamed, slapping her hand away. "I'm the brains here! You're just the brawn! You're nothing without me!"

"Nothing?! If I was nothing, why bother with me huh?!" She yelled back, getting in his face. "I'd be better on my own!"

"Oh yeah!" He snarled back, getting in her face. "Well, good luck with that!"

"Oh really?!"

"Yeah, really!" He snarled. "You're nobody!"

"I'm not a nobody!" She screamed. "I'll be the one who will take back the butterfly miraculous and the one the Supreme spares!"

"In your dreams, fleabag!" He screamed, making her growl but an akuma fluttered over to them, causing her to notice.

"A kamiko!" She declared, pointing towards it. Brumus jumped back before it could enter his yoyo and quickly swiped it up with it. She suddenly shoved him, making him glare at her. "If you didn't make me so angry, Atlas wouldn't have tracked our emotions!"

"I made you angry?!" He snarled. "You infuriate me!"

"Urg! Why do you always use such big words?!" She screamed, glaring at him again. He laughed wickedly, making her hiss. "Well?!"

"Well, if you weren't so dumb then you'd be able to understand them!" He declared, making her glare at him. "Now shut up! I need to think and check over this butterfly,"

"Why do you need to check over it?!" She asked as he opened his yoyo and took it out, checking it over. "It's a Kamiko, idiot!"

"No, it isn't," He replied, putting it back in and causing her to stare at him. "It feels more negative and dark... but that is something we can worry about later on. Right now, we need to catch up with Atlas,"

"So what do we do now?"

"Luckily for you, I still have my brain intact and a lead," He replied, taking out his yoyo and throwing it up. He swung away, causing Lady Ombre to follow him. The two of them swung through the buildings until they came back to Marinette's place, causing Alya to hide as she was still in the room. Brumus landed in the room first and glanced around as Lady Ombre landed next to him.

"Urg, she escaped," Lady Ombre declared as Brumus picked up his belt and put it back on.

"That isn't our concern," He declared, moving over to the computer. "Atlas opened the portal here for a reason so search around. If we can't find anything here, we'll try my next lead,"

"Fine," She replied, beginning to search. "Hey, Brummy,"

"I told you not to call me that,"

"Whatever," She responded, making him roll his eyes. "Do you think they have a supreme here?"

"I doubt it," He replied, searching through Marinette's things as Lady Ombre did the same, coming across her counterpart's diary. She glanced over and saw Brumus was too busy, searching through other things so she opened it, seeing a picture of her and Alya smiling. Her heart ached as she saw it. "What did you find?"

"Nothing important, Cockroach," She replied, holding it up. "It's her diary. What about you?"

"Nothing," He replied, making her frown. "Time to try my other lead,"

"Well, I'm going to stay and read this," She replied, making him tilt his head. "In case it contains something,"

"Fine," He replied, rolling his eyes. "I'll meet you back here then,"

"Ok," She replied, climbing up to the bed to sit and read it. He rolled his eyes again before swinging out into the night. He moved quickly towards the Seine before dropping down on the Liberty. He glanced around before closing his eyes.

"Blots off," He declared, transforming into his civilian form. In almost every way, he looked like Luka. Same hairstyle, same clothing but instead of having blue and black hair, his hair was toxic green and black and where he wore a blue hoodie in this world, he wore a black hoodie instead. His skin was much more pale and he had thick eyeliner on as well. He caught Tikki and took out a cookie for her from his pocket, placing her on his shoulder as he walked over to the door. He stopped in front of it and placed his hand on it. "Kcolnu,"

The lock clicked, causing him to smirk and open the door. He descended down the stairs and turned on the lights, looking around. 

"How very quaint," He replied, glancing around before closing his eyes for a few seconds. "Hmm, no one is home. We won't be disturbed. What do you think, Tikki?"

"It's nice," She replied, floating up. "Homely even,"

"Enough to make me sick," He replied, walking over to the pictures of the family. He picked up on showing his counterpart, his sister and their mother a few years ago. "He grew up here. No one stole him away in the night,"

With a surprising amount of gentleness, he put the picture back and walked away, heading into the back of the boat. Even in this world, his mother was a tornado of chaos but she seemed nice here. His mother on the other hand... He narrowed his eyes at the thought of her. That witch didn't even try to help him. Not when that cult took him away and not when he returned to Paris after escaping from them. She didn't care for him at all.

"I can only rely on myself," He muttered darkly to himself. As he did, shadows seemed to follow him. "Well, myself and you,"

We are one and so we rely on each other. A dark voice echoed. If anyone had been in the room, they would have either lost their minds or broken down in fear from the voice but luckily, no one was. Luka pushed open the door, leading to his counterpart's room and glanced around before walking over to the bed. He placed his hand on the pillow, causing his eyes to roll into the back of his head for a few minutes as Tikki flew over.

"What do you see?"

"He's plagued by nightmares," He replied. "Pathetic,"

"Anything else?"

"Well, there's other kwamis here and he is almost a perfect reflection of me," He continued, picking up the guitar and strumming it. "He is Anatis and he has magic, just like me but his heart bleeds where mine freezes,"

"Why didn't Atlas just open the portal here?"

"He obviously doesn't know Anatis' identity and was hoping that a girl called Marinette would lead him to them," He replied, playing a haunting melody on the guitar. "A logical conclusion. She seems to have some sort of relationship with him. I saw the pictures in her room,"

"... Will you hurt him?"

"Are you worried about him, Tikki?" He asked, glancing up at her. She plays with her paws.

"I have memories with him too," She replied but the information isn't anything he doesn't already know. Kwamis, Renlings and Spirits simultaneously live in all universes. Technically speaking, so did he. It just worked differently as he wasn't completely a spirit. He was human too. The way they perceive things are different and if they perceive things and memories the same way as Kwamis, Renlings and Spirits do, it would drive them insane. He had the same restrictions as a human in that sense but he was also able to view his counterpart's memories due to his spirit nature.

"I can't promise anything, Tikki," He responded, making Tikki frown. He didn't like to disappoint her but he wasn't going to let anyone win. Not the cult who raised him. Not the family who abandoned him. Not that stupid butterfly and certainly not a version of himself who had everything given to him on a silver platter. "Sorry but if he stands in my way, I will tear him down,"

"I see," She replied, frowning before flying over to him. "Are you done searching here?"

"I am," He replied, placing down the guitar. "Blots on,"

He transformed into Brumus and turned to the porthole. He went to leave but stopped for a moment and took one last look at the room he was in. It was a nice room with a warm bed. His counterpart here had a good life and that made him mad. It was nothing like the life he had back in his world. The cult that stole him kept him locked away didn't exist. His counterpart had it easy. He gritted his teeth and climbed out of the porthole, swinging off into the night. It didn't take him long to get back to Marinette's house. He landed through the hole in the roof and glanced around, frowning. The room appeared to be empty.

"Where did that stupid cat go now?" He sighed, glancing around. The room was dark and he couldn't see her anywhere. He frowned before she suddenly came at him, knocking him down and going to grab his earrings. "Luc-"

She ripped them out of his ears before he could summon his power and restrained him with a spare belt she had grabbed. She stood up and made a shush noise as she held up her finger to her lips, causing him to glare at her but he decided to let it pay out and see what she would do. She raised an eyebrow at him as he glared at her.

"I know you," She whispered before leaning in and wiping his cheek, revealing that he had been wearing makeup. "Make up... of course..."

She straightened up and put the earrings in, causing Tikki to manifest. She glanced worriedly at Luka, who gave her a nod as Lady Ombre walked away and picked up the diary. She ripped out a diary page and held it in her hand as she read it.

"Daggers in," She declared, turning into her civilian form as his eyes widened in surprise. Marinette. She looked very similar to this world's version but more goth. She wore combat boots instead of ballet pumps and a leather jacket instead of a cardigan. His eyes widened though as he stared at her. She was someone who he would never forget. He had first met her before he was Brumus. Before he had power. It had been when he had returned from Paris and had nowhere to go. Despite turning to his mother, she wanted nothing to do with him and let him rot on the street. He was hungry and cold. It had been raining and he was hiding in a doorway near the bakery from the rain. She had come out to put some trash out and saw him. She had put the trash away and headed back in but to his surprise, she came back over and gave him a small loaf of bread with a gentle smile. She had been the only person to ever show him any real kindness. That kindness had stopped him from killing her when she was Queen Justice. She turned to him with a cold look in her eyes as well. "You know me?"

He didn't reply, just glanced to the side as a light blush appeared on his face. Mentally scolding him, he moved his eyes over to her again. Luckily, she didn't seem that bothered.

"Hm, never mind," She replied, holding the page in her hand. "Tikki! Plagg! Reveal yourself!"

The two kwamis transformed into massive creatures with multiple arms and wings. The room around them melted into a different space as Luka glanced around, waiting for the right moment.

"Why fight for a better life when I can just switch with someone else," She explained before looking at him with a soft look. "I'll include you in my wish too,"

He looked at her with surprise, generally not expecting that before she turned back to the god like kwamis.

"Null! Reveal yourself!" She declared, throwing her hand out. However, the symbol of the Supreme appeared below her and both Tikki and Plagg cried out in pain, making Marinette look at them in horror and fear before the symbol surrounded her.

"Only the Supreme defines reality," A voice echoed, making this version of Marinette step back in horror. "And you are not the Supreme!"

The space exploded back into Marinette's room, knocking Marinette back and causing her to hit the mirror, breaking it before she fell to the floor, panting in pain.

"Marinette, is everything alright?!" Her counterpart's mother called through the trap door, having heard her fall from downstairs.

"Yeah! Whatever! Just get off my back!" She shouted back in an angry way.

"Are you sure you're ok?" Her 'mother' asked, causing her to roll her eyes.

"Yes! I'm ok!" She snarled, going to shout more but she looked over at Luka, who was looking at the trap door with a look she had never seen on Brumus' face. He looked so sad and at the same time like he would give up everything just to have a mother ask him if he was ok. It caused her heart to ache to see him with that expression. Her partner who was usually so brutal and cold looked like he was about to cry. She felt bad for shouting. "Sorry, mummy dear. I just..."

She quickly looked around for an excuse, seeing the sewing machine on the ground.

"Broke my sewing machine but it's fine," She continued before she paused as she saw her reflection. The black veins on her face had gotten much worse and she was so much more pale than before. "... It's just slightly damaged,"

"Don't worry, sweetie, we'll take care of it," Sabine replied. "Broken things can always be fixed,"

Sabine paused, making Marinette frown.

"Good night, sweetie," She stated, surprising her. "I love you,"

"I... I love you too, mum..." She replied, hearing her walk away as her eyes filled with tears. If only her real mother felt the same. Luka frowned as her tears fell. His eyes turned a copper colour and he took a deep breath.

"Em eerf," He declared, causing the belt she had tied him up with to let him go before he got up and stood in front of her before leaning down and taking the earrings off her, He put them back in his ears, causing Tikki to reappear. "Tikki... if I was to make the wish... would it work?"

"I... I don't know..." She answered honestly, making him frown and look at her. "The seal on Plagg is powerful,"

"But I am the current Supreme," He answered, causing Marinette to look at him with shock. "Are you telling me that even with my power, the wish won't work?"

"I think you'd have to remove his seal like you removed mine," She answered, making him frown. "And even then I don't know if the fake Supreme has put other spells,"

"F-Fake supreme?" Marinette asked with a confused expression as she wiped away her tears. "I don't understand,"

"The cult that once worshipped the Supreme are using the idea of the Supreme to further their own goals," He replied, looking over at the Paris they were currently in. "Their leader stole the title and used it to keep the rich and powerful of the world in power... but I'm the real Supreme. The rightful heir,"

"Do they know?"

"No," He replied, turning to her. "Lord Fu knew and so did Misha but even they wanted to use me for their own goals,"

He narrowed his eyes.

"That's why they had to go," He replied, making her look at him in more shock. He walked over to her and gently kneel down, cupping her face with his hand. Normally, he would kill her for daring to double cross him but even though she tried to make a wish, she still included him. He knew she could be his greatest ally. Of course, if she failed him, he'd get rid of her too but right now, she might be the only one on his side. "But you... you wanted to include me in your wish and you showed me kindness when no one else would. I know you technically double-crossed me... but you're different from the others,"

"Did you know about the wish?"

"No," He answered, frowning. If he knew about it, he would have used it already.

"... Why didn't they tell us about it...?"

"For the same reason why they didn't tell us that using our miraculous would slowly destroy us,"

"Even though you're the Supreme?"

"Even I'm not immune to the ill effects. It's just slower for me," He admitted, making her frown before he turned to Tikki. "Blots on,"

He turned back into Brumus and looked out at the sky.

"What now?" Marinette asked, wiping her eyes again.

"We find some allies," He replied, surprising her. "We take back the butterfly and we take the miraculous of Anatis and Lady Noire. Once we have them, we use their wish to destroy the cult and rebuild our lives,"

He turned to her but his eyes narrowed as he saw a shadow moving. He threw his yoyo and caught Alya, pulling her out and roughly grabbing her arm.

"You," He growled, making her gasp and struggle to get out of his grip as Marinette turned to her, narrowing her eyes as well. "Where is Atlas?!"

"I d-don't know!" Alya gasped, terrified. He narrowed his eyes and leaned in closer to her. "I swear!"

"Then I have no use for you," He replied, shocking her. "Tóutāi... lead me your power,"

Several deep green veins spreaded from his hand, causing Alya to gasp and drop down to the floor as poison flowed through her before he turned from her and back to Marinette.

"Will you follow the true Supreme?" He asked as Plagg floated over to her. She was looking at him with terror. Well, he could work with fear as well. He didn't need her to sympathise with him or love him. "Or will I have to get rid of you too?"

"I will follow you," She answered. He looked at her and nodded.

"Then get to work," He replied, going back to the cruel person she knew. "We have things to do,"

She transformed into Lady Ombre before the two of them jumped out of the hole in the roof, leaving Alya to die as the poison slowly and painful spreaded across her body.

~Meanwhile in the Sewer~

Luka sighed as he sat against the wall, waiting for Tikki to finish her cookie. He felt terrible and he knew Atlas could feel his emotions too. Wearing the Butterfly Miraculous grants the user the ability of empathy as did the peacock since both were born from concepts related to emotions. As much as he felt down though, Luka couldn't help but wonder about the Supreme. It sounded like that the Supreme ruled the world but Atlas also mentioned rebirth and that there was a legend that said the Supreme was reborn. Just like the Mage in this world. He wondered if the Supreme that Atlas was facing was actually the true one or was it the same as his situation? Was there a fake Supreme in that world just like there is a fake celestial guardian in this world? Is it their version of Su Han or someone else?

"You mentioned the Supreme ruled your world and that there are rumours of him being reborn?" Luka asked. "What exactly did you mean by that?"

"I don't know the full details but while I was in the cult, I learnt that the Supreme is a mage capable of rebirth and resurrection as well as a number of other spells," He replied, making Luka frown. "Though I never have seen his magic... or him actually,"

"Could the Supreme of your world be a fake?" Luka asked, surprising Atlas. The thought had never occurred to him. "We have a similar person here called the Mage and is known as the Celestial Guardian but the current guardian is a fake who murdered the Mage in his past life and used the wish to steal his title. However, he's running out of time. The Mage was reborn and if the fake doesn't destroy him before the ghost festival, the title will be returned back to the true mage. Since your world reflects ours, do you think that's a possibility?"

"It could be," Atlas admitted. "But who could possibly be the real Supreme? What would the fake want to achieve?"

"Probably world domination," Luka replied, frowning. He felt very bad for Atlas. "Regardless, I'm sorry. It must be hard for you,"

"It's ok... realistically speaking, I should be as distraught as you. In my world, I'm hunted relentlessly " He declared, reminding Luka that he can feel what he feels. "No one believes in heroes and everyone is afraid of the supreme and his cult.... I am so lonely,"

"How do you not give up?" Luka asked, looking down. If he was in Atlas' shoes, he'd give up. He's come close to it already but luckily, Lady Noire, Juleka, the rest of his family and his friends refused to give up on him. After all, they care for him and are his support. Something that Atlas doesn't have.

"I hold onto the one thing I have," Atlas replied, making Luka listen even more. "Hope! The hope for a better world! The hope that people can evolve! For a single decision that can change a single lifetime!"

"Is it really that powerful?"

"Of course!" Atlas declared, jumping up. "Hope is the most powerful thing in the world! It can overcome any situation as long as you believe in it!"

"But it seems hopeless right now," Luka sighed, looking down. Tikki gently placed her paw on his arm to reassure him. Atlas frowned a little as he got the impression that he wasn't talking about the current situation but he was an empath, not a psychic. All he could sense is the boy is in some sort of turmoil. On the other side of the wall, Marinette frowned to herself. She knew Anatis was suffering at the moment as much as Luka was. She believed it to be linked to each other. After all, the two boys were both empaths and best friends. If one suffers, the other does too. She placed her hand on the wall and mentally swore she would do what Feng had asked her. She would find a way to destroy their despair.

"Nothing is hopeless," He declared, surprising Luka and Marinette. "Take our situation right now. Brumus and Lady Ombre may seem like they have more power then you but they don't have your strength... because they know nothing of trust, friendship or love,"

"But does it seem impossible to you?"

"Sometimes yes but that's why I hold on to my hope," Atlas declared. "I truly believe that nothing is hopeless,"

"Hope...." Luka whispered, feeling a calming feeling washing over him as he thought over it. Looking at his personal situation, he wondered if hope was something that could help him. He had lost his mentors, he had been attacked by an evil spirit, he couldn't tell anyone his identity and he was desperately trying to stop his coming akumatization, all which was adding to his stress. Even though he knew he had friends and family willing to help, he was scared of being a burden to them. He didn't want to break them so he had been dealing with it alone. He didn't even burden Tikki or the other kwamis with it... but maybe hope could help him. He gently placed his hand on his heart and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and allowing himself to feel the feelings of everyone around him. He hadn't done that in a while and like someone who hadn't played their favourite song in a while, the music of their hearts flooded his senses. Lady Noire sang of worry and love and Atlas sang of despair and loneliness but mixed in with them was a single yet powerful instrument. It was like when hearing a piece of music that seemed to be dominated by several instruments making noise all at once but yet a single flute continues to play an actual tune. Tears filled Luka's eyes as he pushed past the rest of the emotions and listened to the solo piece. It was a beautiful song of freedom, love and belief. He wiped his tears away and nodded. "Atlas?"

"Yes?"

"You came here for my help so allow me to help you," He declared, causing that song to amplify. "Lady Noire, are you ready to fight our evil counterparts?"

"Damn right!" She declared, making him smile before he turned to Tikki.

"You good, Tikki?"

"Let's go!" She grinned, making him smile back before he swiped his earrings.

"Tikki! Spots on!" He declared, causing a red light to fill the area before he stepped out. Atlas and him heard Lady Noire call on her transformation as a green light filled her area before she stepped out. "Alright, our best bet is to investigate where they entered this world. There might be some clues there,"

~Meanwhile~

"So where are we going?" Lady Ombre asked as they ran across the rooftops. Brumus held up his hand, making her stop before she looked around. They were near the Grand Paris hotel, making her smirk. Chloe should be there and she doubted Chloe was a good person in this world but either way, they could easily sway her to their side. The two of them swung over to the balcony and landed in the shadows and moved closer to the balcony door which was slightly ajar. 

"Oh, what a day!" Chloe declared, flopping on her bed as two other girls followed her into the room. Brumus frowned to himself as Lady Ombre raised an eyebrow. One of them he recognized as Sabrina, Chloe's weak slave but the other girl he hadn't seen her before. The way she held herself was unsure as if she didn't belong. "Zoe? Are you good?"

"I... I'm just not used to this," She mumbled, pushing her blonde hair back. She resembled Chloe but seemed a little... older? They wondered if they were sisters. "I mean I'm used to Mum ignoring me but..."

"You're not used to having friends and not being used by an evil cult?" Chloe asked, making the other girl nod before she got up and hugged her?! Since when did Chloe show any emotion?! Wait... could she be good in this world? The thought disgusted both of them. Lady Ombre looked at Brumus and mouthed 'what now?'.  He rolled his eyes and put his finger onto his lips as they listened."Don't worry. You're free now and part of the good guys,"

"But I was evil?"

"And brainwashed!" Sabrina gasped.

"Exactly!" Chloe replied. "But Anatis saved you just like he saved me! Oh, I should get you a life size cut out of him too!"

"I think I'd prefer Lady Noire?" Zoe blushed, making Chloe grin. "If that's ok?"

"Of course it's ok!" She declared, getting up and walking to the door. "Daddy!"

Brumus gritted his teeth in annoyance while Lady Ombre rolled her eyes but he also paid attention. Zoe was part of a cult? Hmm, that could be useful plus he could work out exactly who is an ally from her. He would just need to borrow her for a few minutes and well, he would feel a lot better if he terrorised some people right now. After all, he had been through a stressful situation... and he supposed Lady Ombre wouldn't mind either. He turned to her and gave her a smirk, making her smirk back before they both looked in the room again. Chloe was just about to reach for the door handle, causing him to smirk and his eyes to change colour.

"Flesruoy kcol," He declared, causing the door to lock itself but also the girls to gasp and spin around as he stepped into the light. "Hello, Ladies,"

"Who the hell are you?!" Chloe declared as Sabrina stepped away in fear. He smirked evilly as Lady Ombre saundered in and leaned against him, placing her arms around his neck. Unlike the other times she had done this, he let her.

"Oh, we're just here to borrow... Zoe was it?" He asked, looking at her. Sabrina stepped in front of her as Chloe grabbed her phone. He narrowed his eyes. "Hand her over and I promise we won't hurt you,"

"I doubt that!" Chloe declared, making him narrow his eyes.

"Lady Ombre," He declared, making her smirk.

"Cataclysm!" She declared, slamming her hand on the wall. Cracks spread up the wall, causing the ceiling to give in and fall on them. Sabrina was the most injured with a cut on her head and was dazed while Chloe was trying to push the debris off her. Zoe's leg was trapped beneath some as well and she was desperately trying to get it off her. Both of them managed to do so. Zoe bolted for the door as Chloe tried to help Sabrina, managing to get her out as Brumus smirked evilly.

"Kakos," He declared, holding out his hand. "Lend me your power,"

Chloe's eyes widened as a flame appeared in his hand. He smirked at her before dropping it.

"Oops," He declared as it hit the ground and burst, causing it to spread through the entire room, filling it with smoke. Chloe quickly dialled the emergency services as Zoe tried to open it. Lady Ombre leaned against the wall as Sabrina grabbed a chair. She charged at Brumus and tried to hit him with it. It broke over him but didn't affect him. He instead grabbed her by her neck and picked her up, choking her. Chloe charged at her but Lady Ombre grabbed her in a choke hold as well and summoned a cataclysm ready to hit her with it. 

"Wait!" Zoe gasped, making both of them stop and look at her. "Please let them go!"

"Agree to come with us and we will," He declared, making her nod. "Say it,"

"I agree!" She gasped, causing him to drop the semi unconscious Sabrina to the ground and for Lady Ombre to shove Chloe to the ground. Both of them gasped for air as he grabbed Zoe's arm and pulled her out of the room, followed by Lady Ombre. Chloe tried to grab her leg but she landed a harsh kick to her stomach, winding her.

"Z-Zoe!" Chloe gasped, dragging herself towards them despite Lady Ombre's kick. She managed to grab Brumus' leg as well. He rolled his eyes and yanked his leg free, kicking her back into the burning room. Chloe landed next to Sabrina, who wasn't moving but didn't give up. Despite her now bleeding nose, she pushed herself up and stumbled towards him. "G-give b-back my s-sister!"

"Hmm... no!" He smirked, using his magic to cause the balcony doors to swing close and lock, trapping her inside. Lady Ombre destroyed the lock with her cataclysm, ensuring that they were trapped in there. Zoe looked terrified as he took out his yoyo, ignoring Chloe banging on the door and trying to open it. The two villains ignored her as they jumped off the building and swung off into the city. The smoke started to get Chloe. She coughed and collapsed onto the ground, still trying weakly to open the door....

~At Marinette's House~

"Anatis!" Sabine gasped, jumping up as he swung through the damaged wall. She had found Alya after she decided to check on Marinette as she had been worried about her. It wasn't like her daughter to snap over nothing but to her horror, she found Alya on the ground, a hole in her daughter's roof and her daughter was nowhere to be seen. She had called an ambulance and tried her best to help Alya while they waited but luckily Anatis had appeared. Her expression was extremely worried, causing him to frown before he glanced around and saw Alya laying on the ground. Her skin was extremely pale and she had green veins across her skin, spreading from a wound on her wrist. He rushed over to her and gently picked up her hand as Sabine moved over. "I found her like that and called an ambulance,"

"What do you know about what happened?" He asked, rushing over as Lady Noire and Atlas landed in the room. Lady Noire gasped as she saw Alya on the ground. Sabine explained what she had heard and how she found Alya. Anatis frowned as he examined the wound. Atlas came over and looked over as Lady Noire reassured Sabine that she had done the right thing and that Marinette was safe despite not being in her room.

"It looks like she's been poisoned," Atlas mumbled, making Anatis frown. Could Brumus poison his enemies?

"Brumus must have done something," He muttered, making Atlas frown as he placed his hand on the wound. His eyes turned silver as he did. He closed his eyes and placed his hand onto where Brumus had placed his hand. Instead of a painful sensation, a cooling sensation spreaded from his hand as a golden liquid spreaded through the poisoned veins, turning them from green to gold. Slowly, the colour came back into Alya's cheeks and the golden veins began to dim. She was still extremely weak but she would live. He turned to Atlas, who was frowning. "Did you know he could do something like that?"

"No," He replied as Alya opened her eyes, weakly grabbing Anatis' arm.

"A-Anatis," She gasped, making him look at her with a gentle look.

"Rest, Alya,"

"T-That beetle..." She gasped. "H-He s-said he's the Su-Supreme,"

"What?" Atlas gasped, making Anatis frown as he carefully picked her up and carried her to the futon. Lady Noire frowned but didn't seem surprised. "Lady Noire?"

"It makes sense," She replied, making him look at her. "Annie, you agree?"

"Yeah," He replied, standing up and walking over to them so they were out of earshot of anyone listening in. "In this world, I am the most recent reincarnation of Hao Feng, known as the Mage and the creator of the miraculous. As the mage, we are a source of good and light but the evil Spirit Simme wants to kill us. I believe in your world it is reversed and the Mage is actually called the Supreme. Brumus is the most recent incarnation as well but unlike me, he is a source of true evil. I suspect that is because his version of Hao Feng made a deal with your world's Simme instead of being saved by Finni. As a result, the rest of his lives were corrupt and their powers followed suit. That's why he can poison people. It must the power of his Tóutāi,"

"How long have you known?" Atlas asked.

"I suspected it as soon as I met him," He admitted, making Atlas look at him with surprise. "But when you told me about how your world works, it kind of confirmed it for me. That's why I asked you if you suspected if the 'Supreme' you know of is fake,"

"I see," Atlas replied, thinking. It made sense plus he didn't blame them for keeping the information from him. After all, they didn't really know him. "But does the fake Supreme know that Brumus is the true one?"

"I doubt that," Anatis replied. "Our fake guardian doesn't know that I'm the true Guardian so I imagine it's the same for Brumus. Lady Ombre might not have known straight away but I think she probably knows now,"

"I see," Atlas replied, frowning. "And the young lady? Will she be ok?"

"She will. I was able to heal her thanks to this world's Tóutāi but I suspect that's how she was poisoned to begin with. SinceI can channel my past lives abilities so it makes sense that Brumus can do the same. He probably channelled the power of his Tóutāi," He replied before his yoyo vibrated again. He took it out and saw it was a news reporter on a fire at the Grand Paris hotel that was spreading to the other buildings. "We need to go. Mrs Cheng, can you keep an eye on Alya until the ambulance comes?"

"Of course," She nodded, making him thank her.

"Let's go," He declared, jumping out and swinging off into the night as the other two followed. As they did, they could see the flames that were ravaging everything in their path. Anatis landed on the ground as the fire fighters continued to try and fight the flames but to their surprise and horror, the flames seemed to take the form of a monster with several heads. Anatis frowned as the fire crew couldn't get into the building. Everytime they tried, the fire got wilder. Andre ran up to him. "Mayor?"

"Anatis, Chloe, Zoe and Sabrina are still trapped inside!" He gasps, making the hero frown before throwing his yoyo up and swinging up the roof, followed closely by Lady Noire. The entire roof was on fire, causing it to be extremely hard to see and the smoke did not help.

"L-Lady Noire, I'm going to take to the sky and try to get this fire put out," He declared, making her nod as he took out his magicaron and turned into Astroid. "Ok, Al... I'm gonna need your help,"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, channelling Alpheus' magic. Clouds gathered in the sky and heavy rain fell, destroying the fire hydra and putting out the flames. He flew down as Lady Noire used her cataclysm to break the door, causing fire to explode out. Luckily, Atlas pulled her back before she could get hurt by it. Seeing the room still on fire, Astroid moved his hand, redirecting some of the water inside and putting it out, allowing Atlas and Lady Noire to rush in and carry a very injured Chloe and Sabrina out. Astroid fell over and turned back into Anatis as the two other heroes gently placed them on the ground. Both girls had several burns and bruises around their neck. Chloe's nose looked broken as well.

"Can you heal them?" Atlas asked as Anatis knelt down and checked that they were alive.

"I'm not sure," He answered honestly, gently placing his hand on Sabrina first as her wounds were the worst. He took a deep breath and focused but he couldn't. Instead he felt dizzy and his vision blurred, causing him to grip his head. However, the feeling around him changed as someone gently placed their hand on his shoulder, making him look up as Lady Noire grinned and Atlas gasped.

"Tóutāi?" He asked, surprised before he looked behind him. Sir Rene in his rabbit form waved at him as Tóutāi gently knelt down and took over the healing. Sabrina gasped awake once he had healed her and moved onto Chloe as Sir Rene walked over and knelt down, gently placing his hand on Anatis' shoulder. "Sir Rene, how did...?"

"Feng sent us a message," He replied, making Anatis nod before he looked over at the other two. Lady Noire wasn't surprised but Atlas was shocked. Sir Rene gave them a nod before he turned back to Anatis. "He has a message for you too but he couldn't reach you so he asked me to grab Tóutāi and come find you,"

"It's probably my lack of spiritual energy," Anatis mumbled, making Rene nod. "What's the message?"

"He said to take it easy on the magic," He replied as Tóutāi healed Chloe. "He also said that the miraculous presences before you are the keys to success and while Brumus reflects you in most ways, there is one way he doesn't,"

"Riddles as usual," He sighed, making Rene shrug. "Thanks, Rene,"

"Anatis!" Chloe gasped as soon as Tóutāi had finished healing her. She jumped and rushed over. "They took Zoe!"

"Zoe?" He asked, frowning. "Do you know where?"

"I don't know," She gasped, tears in her eyes. "I tried to stop them but..."

"It's ok," Anatis replied, gently placing his hands on her shoulder. "You did good, Chloe and don't worry. We will save her. Rene, Tóutāi. Can you bring these two down to Andre and the firefighters? Lady Noire, Atlas. We need to catch up to Brumus and Lady Ombre before they leave more chaos in their wake,"

"Of course," All four answered but before Anatis left, Rene and Tóutāi stopped him.

"We will temporarily lend you some spiritual energy," Tóutāi replied as Rene nodded.

"But still try to go easy on the magic," Rene advised, causing Anatis to nod. They held up their hands and he carefully pressed his against them, causing all three to glow gold before it faded. "It will only last for a few hours,"

"But it should help against them," Tóutāi concluded. "I'll check in on Alya too,"

"Thanks, Tóutāi," Anatis smiled before running back over to the other two. "Let's go,"

~At the Eiffel Tower~

"Tell me everything," Brumus ordered, holding Zoe over the edge of the top of the Eiffel tower, ready to drop her. Lady Ombre was sat on the rail, happily watching his interrogation. "You were part of a cult, yes? Tell me about it,"

"I d-don't remember anything about it! Only that I was part of it!" She gasped, terrified. He rolled his eyes as the wind whipped around them. "I swear! They brainwashed me!"

"You don't want to lie to me, Zoe,"

"I'm not!" She cried, tears rolling down her face. "I swear!"

"Fine," He growled. "Who is Anatis' enemy?!"

"H-Hawkmoth!" She gasped, making him smirk. Now they were getting somewhere.

"That explains the butterfly," He muttered, turning back to her. "His identity! What is it?!"

"I don't know!" She cried again. He growled and loosened his grip a little. She screamed and tried to grab onto his arm. "No! Please! I'm telling the truth! No one knows who he is! Not even Anatis!"

"Oooh, a secret identity," Lady Ombre smirked.

"Does he have any allies?" Brumus asked, keeping his grip loose.

"M-Mayura but she hasn't been seen for ages!" She gasped, making him roll his eyes and loosen his grip again. "Wait!! I k-know someone who would help you!"

"I'm listening,"

"L-Lila Rossi," She gasped, making him roll his eyes as Lady Ombre groaned. Of all the people to deal with it, it just had to be that goody two shoes. Brumus took a deep breath and reminded himself that she isn't good in this world. He just hoped that she wasn't as annoying. "I d-don't know if she works with H-Hawk Moth but she h-hates Anatis,"

"And how do you know this?" He asked. "Wouldn't she be on his side?"

"C-Chloe and Marinette told me," She gasped, making him growl at the name of his ex. "I s-swear I'm telling the truth!"

"Where can we find her?" Lady Ombre asked, jumping down and smirking at her. "Speak quickly. I'm sure Cockroach is getting tired,"

"So tired,"

"S-she lives opposite the park! That's all I know!"

"You've done well, Zoe," He smiled, sending shivers down her spine. His eyes moved behind her and his mouth stretched into a smirk. "I just have one last thing for you to do,"

"Brumus!" Anatis' voice echoed, making her feel relieved. Lady Ombre smirked and got ready to fight the heroes but Brumus shook his head, making her look at him. "Put her down!"

"Keep the heroes distracted for me," He whispered to Zoe before he looked back at them. "You really should think about your words, Anatis,"

He smirked before letting off her neck, causing her to scream as she plummet down towards the ground. Anatis dived down after her as his Partner and Atlas charged at him.

"Want me to deal with them?" Lady Ombre asked, making him smirk and hold out his hand, telling her to leave it to him. "Ok,"

"Kakos, lend me your power," He declared, causing a storm to burst into the sky and lightning strikes to aim repeatedly at Lady Noire and Atlas. He laughed evilly before saluting to them. "Don't worry, Atlas. We'll catch up soon! Fleabag, let's go!"

He swung off and headed towards the park with Lady Ombre on his tail. They both landed on the rooftop and looked around, seeing Lila leaving the park as a black car drove off. Seeing his chance, he jumped down and landed in front of her, causing her to jump back in surprise and fall down. She stared at him with shock as he straightened up. Lady Ombre landed next to him and circled her, making her gasp and jump up.

"You are Lila Rossi, yes?" He asked, making her nod as Lady Ombre moved over to him. "I'm Brumus. This is Lady Ombre,

"Hello, pleased to meet you," She smiled, putting on her false persona. The two villains rolled her eyes, surprising her. "So... is there something I can help you with?"

"Oh, I believe you can," He replied, gently letting go of her hand. "I believe we share a common enemy-"

"Brumus!" Anatis called out, swinging over and making him roll his eyes. Lila couldn't help but giggle a little. "Step away from Miss Rossi,"

"Anatis, you have the worst time!" He declared, turning to him and throwing up his yoyo. "Lucky charm!"

A car was summoned and Lady Ombre jumped up, kicking it towards Anatis. He managed to dodge it but Brumus slammed his fist into his face, sending him flying before he threw his yoyo, causing it to wrap around Anatis' ankle. He dragged him back over to Lady Ombre, causing her to kick him towards him. He slammed him into the ground before stalking over. He roughly grabbed Anatis around the neck and lifted him up, causing him to struggle as he choked him before he literally slammed him into the ground again. He kept Anatis pinned with one hand, still choking him and causing Anatis to try and pull his hand off him.

"Lucky charm!" He summoned a knife and caught it, smirking evilly as he did. "Time to get rid of you, Pest!"

Both Lila and Lady Ombre couldn't help but grin excitedly as he lifted it above his head, causing Anatis' eyes to widen in fear but before he could, Lady Noire jumped down.

"Screech!" She declared, activating her power before she took a deep breath and screamed out, sending shock waves from her voice and throwing Brumus off Anatis. He managed to recollect himself and land on the ground as Lady Ombre charged at her before he jolted her, trying to swipe his blade at Lady Ombre. Atlas ran over and helped Anatis up as Lila watched all of it with sheer excitement. Lady Noir blocked his attack with her baton and managed to land a kick, knocking him back before dodging Lady Ombre's attack. 

"Stupid cat!" He growled before smirking and jumping back. "Fine, you think you can handle me! Let's see how you handle this! Kakos, lend me your power!"

He held out his hand, causing massive vines to burst through the ground and charge towards Lady Noire. She managed to destroy them but they kept coming at her. Seeing his chance, Brumus took his knife and moved behind her, going to stab her as Lady Ombre summoned her cataclysm, ready to hit her.

"Lady Noire! Watch out!" Anatis called out, causing her to turn around as Brumus brought his knife down. Atlas, however, let go of Anatis and pushed her out the way, narrowly missing the blade himself and Lady Ombre's attack. He and Lady Noire landed on the ground as Brumus began to stalk over to them, causing Atlas to crawl from him. Lady Ombre stopped Lady Noire as she tried to help him.

"You stupid butterfly!" He snarled, holding out his hand and summoning another lucky charm. This time it was a large hammer and he slammed it down, causing Atlas to jump out of the way.

"Brumus, please. I know you're the Supreme but you don't have to be evil!" He gasped, making him laugh. "I know about the fake supreme and how they are using you for their own goals. You can guide humanity towards the light-"

"Light?!" Brumus snarled before laughing. "I don't care about the light, humanity or any of that crap!"

He slammed the hammer towards Atlas but Anatis threw his yoyo, wrapping it around it and pulling it from his hand.

"Lucky charm!" Brumus declared, causing the Hammer to disappear and a new weapon to appear in his hand. He smirked as he walked towards him, causing Anatis to step back. "Don't you get it, Annie? I can do this all day! There's no beating me! I am the Supreme and you will bow down to me!"

Anatis' back hit the rails as Brumus smirked but Anatis returned to the smirk to his counterpart's shock.

"I'm not giving up hope," He declared, opening up his yoyo and holding it up to the sky as a bright light burst from it. Brumus screeched and covered his eyes, jumping back into the shadows as Anatis held his yoyo high up. He stepped forward, causing Brumus to back away. Anatis stepped closer but Lady Ombre dived at him, causing him to jump back before Lady Noire tackled her. However, it gave Brumus enough time to recover. He quickly attacked and slammed his fist in Anatis' cheek, knocking the yoyo out of his hand and causing the light to disappear.

"Lucky charm!" He declared, summoning a flash bang. He released it, dazing the heroes. With them distracted, he ran over to Lila and threw her over his shoulder, causing her to cry out in surprise as Lady Ombre kicked Lady Noire back and ran over to him. He threw his yoyo and jumped up to the rooftops before jumping down and heading to the catacombs with Lady Ombre following. Once there, he dropped Lila on the floor with little care. Lady Ombre landed next to him and glared at Lila. "Our apologies,"

"Um... Forgiven," She grinned, clearly not impressed with being dropped but not wanting to get on their bad side. She got up and dusted herself down before she walked up to him, circling him before she moved over to Lady Ombre, who hissed a little. "Are you two akumas?"

"No," He replied, surprising her even more.

"So how do you have the same powers as that pest and the fleabag?" She asked, glancing at him as she showed her disdain towards their hero counterparts. "You even have a beetle theme too but you both seem far more fun than they are,"

"I'm glad you think so," He smirks, turning to some of the skulls. He held up his hand, causing a strange shadow-like thing to appear from it and connect to the skull. The skull crumbled to dust as he seemed to absorb it before he turned back to her. She raised an eyebrow as Lady Ombre looked at her nails. "As I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted, I am Brumus, this Lady Ombre and we have an offer for you,"

"For me?" She asked, surprised before she smirked. "I'm listening,"

"I thought you might," He smirked. "We need to get in contact with the one called Hawkmoth and I heard you're the person to go to for that,"

"And why would I do that?" She asked, crossing her arms. "Assuming that I can,"

"You hate him, don't you?" Lady Ombre stated, making her look at him. "Well, me and Cockroach can help you destroy him but in return you have got us in contact with the butterfly man. Capre?"

"Really?" She asked in a doubtful manner. "You can do that?"

"We can," He replied, smirking. "You don't have to but what have you got to lose? It's not like your life will change if you don't but if you do... we will destroy those useless heroes. Surely, that would be worth the tiny favour of getting us in contact with Hawkmoth,"

"And why would I do that?" She asked, clearly not sure. He gripped her chin suddenly, making her look at him as his eyes glowed a little. A light blush came across her cheeks. She didn't realise he was seeing her life.

"I think that's a sweet deal," He stated. "You get to see his fall and reclaim your kingdom of lies while he falls,"

"I'm not-"

"A liar?" He asked, smirking as he let go of her chin. "Of course, you are and why shouldn't you?"

His words surprised her. She was expecting him to hate lies like Anatis.

"The way I see it is that it's not your fault if people are dumb sheep and why shouldn't you take advantage of that?" He asked, making her hear exactly what she wanted. "They're so willing to give so a smart person would take what they have. And why shouldn't you? It's not your fault that they are stupid enough to fall for your lies,"

"And all you want is for me to introduce you to Hawkmoth?" She asked, making him nod. Lady Ombre couldn't help but be impressed at how easily he got Lila to consider. "And in return, you'll destroy the heroes and give me back what is rightfully mine?"

"You can have it all. Hell, we'll even be partners but you have to do me that little favour first," He replied, holding out his hand. "Do we have a deal, Lila?"

"You have a deal," She grinned, shaking his hand before taking out her phone and going through it. "Damn it... I don't have a signal,"

"Let's return to the surface," He replied, making her nod before they headed up there. As soon as they reached it, she got a signal. She pressed the green phone button and held it up to her ear as he leaned on the gate to the catacombs.

"It's me," She stated, walking a little away from him and Lady Ombre. He raised an eyebrow as he heard the other person shouting on the other side. "I know but I have an offer for you that you won't want to miss,"

"Do you trust her?" Lady Ombre asked, making him smirk.

"Of course not," He replied, turning to her. "But the moment she becomes useless to us, we'll dispose of her,"

Lady Ombre smirked as Lila nodded.

"Ok, we'll meet you there in five minutes," She stated, hanging up and turning to Brumus and Lady Ombre. "Do you know where Arc de Triomphe is?"

~At Arc de Triomphe~

"Sir, are you sure this isn't a trap?" Natalie asked as Hawkmoth waited for Lila. She promised that he wouldn't regret it and he had a feeling that it was linked into the dark heart he sensed early. Su Han and Simme had joined them as well as they waited. Simme was playing with some pigeons while Su Han was glaring at Natalie. She was hidden in the shadows in case it was a trap. He was looking at the ground, wondering how long it would take her to get there. "Sir?"

"That is why I have an akuma ready," He replied. "But Lila hasn't let me down yet,"

"But Anatis might have-" Natalie gasped before coughing. Despite not using the peacock miraculous for a while now, she was still extremely sick. "Anatis-"

"If it is a trick, I'll defeat him," Hawkmoth replied, narrowing his eyes as he saw something approaching from the rooftops. He got his cane ready as it got closer before the people suddenly landed in front of them. One of them was holding Lila in his arms. He put her down, allowing her to dust herself down. "Miss Rossi?"

"Hawk Moth," She smirked before turning to the young man and the young lady next to her. Hawkmoth turned his attention to him. He could only be described as a dark reflection of Anatis. "Allow me to introduce you two. Hawkmoth, this is Brumus and Lady Ombre. Brumus, Lady Ombre... this is Hawk Moth. You'll keep your deal right?"

"Of course, Partner," The dark Anatis... Brumus... said, making her smirk in pure delight as he moved past her and circled around Hawkmoth, who could sense a dark vibe off him. His Partner Lady Ombre hissed at Su Han, making him glare at her. "Fleabag, behave... so you're the butterfly man?"

"I am indeed," He replied, a little confused as Brumus moved past him and over to Su Han.

"You're stink of death," He hissed, catching Su Han off guard as he moved on, stopping in front of Natalie. "And Death is following you... ah... now that's familiar,"

He walked over to Simme with no fear, surprising almost everyone there. Apart from Lady Ombre.

"Pigeons? How disgusting," He stated, getting the spirit's attention. "Try Swans. Their souls are so much more delicious,"

"I'll keep that in mind, Dark One," Simme hissed back, completely relaxed much to everyone's surprise. Brumus smirked back before walking back over to Hawkmoth.

"You two. Leave," He declared to Su Han and Natatlie. "I have no interest in those with no futures,"

"How dare-" Su Han stated but Brumus' eyes turned the same colour as Simme's and the sky got darker. "Yo-You're the Mage,"

"No, I'm the Supreme," He declared. "Learn your place, monk,"

His eyes turned back to the lifeless blue before he smirked and shooed them with his hand.

"Leave," Hawkmoth ordered, causing Su Han and Natalie to leave. Lila and Lady Ombre went to but Brumus shook his head, making both girls stop. "What do you want, Brumus?"

"I propose an alliance between us," He stated. "You want to take down Anatis and his mangy cat and I want to take Atlas,"

"Enemy of my enemy is my friend," Hawkmoth replied, smirking as he held out his hand. Brumus took it and shook it. "How delightful. It seems we're going to get along just fine. Do you have a plan in mind or do I have to do that?"

"Humor me. I'm curious as to what you will come up with,"

"Very well," He replied, smirking as he already had an idea. "My plan is simple,"

~Back at the Park~

"Annie, are you ok?" Lady Noire gasped as she waved her hand, getting rid of the smoke. Atlas helped Anatis to his feet and frowned as she walked over. "Where's Lila?"

"They must have grabbed her in the confusion," Anatis sighed before turning to Lady Noire. "I'm alright though. Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," She nodded, causing relief to flood into Anatis' eyes before she took a breath. "But we need to find Lila. She will willingly help them,"

"She will?" Atlas asked, a little surprised. "Why?"

"To put it frankly, she hates us," Anatis sighed, looking down. "She has willingly been akumatized, helped create akumas and I'm sure she's in league with Hawkmoth..."

His eyes widened as he realised.

"That must be why they went after her," He gasped, making Lady Noir's eyes widen as she realised. "They're going to team up with Hawkmoth! We have to stop them!"

"Oh no," Lady Noire gasped as Atlas frowned. The two of them went to jump away but stopped when he cleared his throat.

"I know you want to chase after her but they might have set up a trap for us," He pointed out. Lady Noir made an expression that told him she was considering it and her emotions matched but Anatis' emotions were wild and panicked. He stepped forward.

"Atlas, we have to catch up with them!" He gasped, panic clear in his eyes. "I can't let them team up! I have to stop them!"

Before either of them could argue, Anatis turned and threw his yoyo, pulling himself up onto the rooftops and disappearing into the city. Lady Noir frowned and looked at Atlas before the two of them nodded and chased after him...

~Meanwhile~

Anatis ran as fast as he could, trying to keep an eye out for Lila and his evil counterpart but no matter where he looked, he just couldn't find them. Feeling his panic rise even more as he searched the Eiffel tower for the third time, he slipped down onto his knees.

"No, no, no. I can't fail again!" He gasped as a buzzing sound surrounded him and his panic came down, crushing him. His breathing got heavy as he felt himself being dragged back into that deep ocean that haunted his dreams. He felt like he was drowning as his heart raced and pounded. He gripped his hair as tears rolled down his cheeks. He couldn't fail again. He had failed to save Mila. He had failed to protect Master Fu. He was a failure. He didn't deserve to be the mage. He was-

"Cataclysm!" Lady Noir's voice shouted, causing him to look up as the akuma that had being so close to him turned to dust. Atlas landed next to her as Anatis stared in shock. She dusted her hand and knelt down. He went to open his mouth but she pulled him against her into a hug as he shook. He had nearly be akumatized. Not as Luka but as Anatis. Tears rolled down his cheeks again as she held him. "It's ok, Anatis. I'm here,"

"I-I'm sorry," He gasped as she rubbed his back. Atlas frowned and stepped forward, gently placing his hand on him. He looked up as he wiped his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Atlas. You came here looking for help..."

He paused and then whispered in a small voice.

"Y-you must be so disappointed..."

"On the contrary," He replied, making Anatis look at him in surprise. "It is good to see this world has such a kind soul guiding it. You believe they will team up with Hawk Moth but they still need to find him,"

"What are you suggesting?" Anatis asked, wiping his eyes. 

"Let me try and talk to him," Atlas suggested, making them both look at him like he's crazy. "I know I might not be able to get through to him but there's a small chance and this can also give you a chance to take a step back and sort yourself out, Anatis plus I might be able to learn a bit about him,"

"No, Hawk Moth-" Anatis started but Lady Noir gently placed her finger on his lips, making him look at her before she looked at Atlas.

"Go," She stated, making Atlas nod and jump off. Anatis looked at her. "He'll come back but right now, you're my concern,"

"B-But what if he teams up with Hawkmoth?" He asked, looking down. "Or if Brumus attacks him,"

"Somehow I think he has escaped," She replied, rubbing his back to calm him down.

~At Arc de Triomphe~

Atlas came to a stop on a rooftop and hid behind a wall on it as he approached where Hawkmoth was. The villain was pacing in front of Lady Ombre, Brumus and the girl who the heroes had called Lila. A strangely dressed man was nearby and the shadows near him seemed to move. Atlas frowned as Brumus stood up and seemed to talk with the villain. He could see why Anatis was worried. Brumus was clever and dangerous even without being the Supreme. The Supreme Cult thought they had a leash on him but he suspected he had been playing them for a while. He frowned and moved back, reaching into his cane and taking out a second brooch shaped as a peacock's tail. He had to repair it and it took a lot to find out how but he managed to steal the spell from one of the guardians. At the time, he thought he was stealing it directly from the Supreme and saw it as a f you to him but now he knew the truth. The Cult had killed his wife, not the Supreme and the real Supreme was a young teenage boy who was probably scared and alone in the world. He wanted to reach out and help Brumus realise that he didn't have to be evil. Their world didn't have to be dark but right now, Brumus was one of the villains he was fighting. He would appeal to him once he had captured him and Lady Ombre. He put the brooch on, causing a peacock kwami to appear. Unlike Nooroo, she had a symbol trapped on her mouth.

"Hello there," He smiled as she shied away. "I'm Atlas and I need your help to save the world. Nooroo has told me your transformation words for this moment but I would like your permission to use them. Is that ok?"

The kwami looked at him before nodding.

"Excellent," He replied, smiling as he cupped her into his hands. "In return, I will find a way to get that seal of you,"

She nodded happily, making him smile.

"Ok then," He replied as she floated up. "Nooroo, Dusuu, unite!"

A light purple and blue light surrounded him, turning him into a merged version. He was still wearing his suit but the tail coat had increased to resemble a peacock feathers and he had a cape that resembled a butterfly's wings. His mask was half blue and half purple and in his left hand was a fan. His eyes had turned purple but the whites of his eyes remained that colour. The last thing that had appeared was a peacock feather in his hair. He put his cane on his back and plucked out a feather from the fan. He closed his fist around it and charged it up with his power.

"Now, My Sweet Luci, bring my hope to life," He whispered, placing it into his glove. A blue blob appeared and he began to shape it, turning it into a humanoid form before it dissolved, revealing an exact copy of Atlas in front of him. He gave it the information it needed before glancing from behind the wall. The supervillain that Anatis had called Hawk Moth was still talking to Brumus but he had noticed that Lady Ombre and the other girl had gone. "Ok, Atlas. Approach closer and listen in to the conversation. As soon as Brumus has left, try to make contact,"

"Of course, Inachis," It replied before jumping over and finding a hiding spot that was close enough for them to hear. Atlas frowned as he listened to Hawkmoth's plan before making a mental note to explain it to Anatis. 

"So that's it?" Brumus asked, holding his chin as he thought out the plan. Hawkmoth nodded, making him smile. "I think it would work. That Anatis has such a hero complex that he'll have to try and stop us,"

"Exactly my thoughts," He replied, frowning. "I am disappointed that my akuma couldn't reach him though,"

"You win some, you lose some," Brumus replied, shrugging. "I'll go get the girls and bring them up to speed,"

"Very good," Hawkmoth replied as Brumus jumped away. Seeing his chance, Senti-Atlas jumped over and cleared his throat, causing Hawkmoth to spin around. Atlas, himself, shuddered at the look of the man. He looked awful in his design and judging by Hawkmoth's expression, he was thinking the same thing. "You must be my counterpart? Atlas was it?"

"That is correct," He replied, speaking through the senti creature. "I am here to ask you to reconsider working with Brumus. He is extremely dangerous and working with him will only bring him ruin. I suspect that I know why you're doing this but this is not the way,"

"And what would you know about 'the way'?" Hawkmoth questioned, stepping closer. "You could easily seize control of the world with your miraculous but you are clearly too weak to. I suspect that our motivations are the same but unlike you, I will do anything to bring my Emile back to life. You clearly won't. Otherwise, we would not be having this conversation,"

"So you did lose her too?" Inachis responded, saddened. "We both share that pain but bringing her back and being a villain is not the way to go,"

"So you admit you've given up on her?" Hawkmoth growled, making Inachis shake his head. "You know full well that if we get the miraculous, we can bring her back. Can you truly say that thought hasn't crossed your mind?"

"Of course, it has," Inachis growled, causing the Senticreature to step forward. "I have thought about it but everything comes at a price. If I were to wish for my Emile back then someone else would have to lose theirs. I can't wish that on anyone. It wouldn't cure my pain. It would just pass it onto someone else and the cycle would never end,"

Hawkmoth remained quiet for a second and for that moment, Inachis thought he might have gotten through to him but then a horrible smirk appeared on his face.

"You are pathetic," He stated, making Inachis stare at him. "So what if the pain 'passes' on?! As long as I get her back, I don't care how! I will bend and break everything whatever must be broken until she opens her eyes again! I will stop at nothing to get those miraculous and bring her back! And if that doesn't work then I'll find and force the Mage to resurrect her! I know he has the power to as he can resurrect himself! And you would do the same if you weren't too weak!"

"Having compassion and acceptance is not weak!" Inachis argued back but he knew he was talking to a lost cause. Hawk Moth smirked as a yoyo wrapped around the senti creature's torso as Brumus returned.

"I told you he would turn up," Hawkmoth stated as Brumus stepped forward and went to grab the miraculous of the Senticreature but stopped. "Brumus?"

"This isn't the real Atlas," He stated, glancing around. Meanwhile, Inachis had already jumped across to a different rooftop and snapped his fingers, causing the SentiAtlas to disappear before he jumped off. "A senticreature?!"

"So he has the peacock miraculous?" Hawkmoth answered, frowning. He really was his other world counterpart. He shook his head. "Nevermind that. The plan can still work,"

He opened his cane, allowing an akuma to fly out. He held out his hand, allowing it to land in his hand. He charged it up as Lila stepped forward before placing it into her necklace. The psychic connection opened as he smirked.

"Miracle Queen, not only do I return to you your powers of illusion and mind control but I also give you some extra powers to help capture Anatis and Lady Noir," He explained as she smirked. "Do you accept my gifts?"

"Of course, Hawk Moth," She declared before holding out her arms and allowing the purple smog to engulf her before it disappeared, revealing Miracle Queen. She took out her flute and played a tune on it, causing a ball of light to appear at the end before she threw it into the sky. It burst and in a glow of orange, two giant illusions of Brumus and Lady Ombre appeared. She smirked and turned to them. "That will lure them out then once they're here, we will complete the plan,"

"As you wish, my good queen," Lady Ombre grinned, ready to take them on.

~Meanwhile~

Inachis landed back in front of Anatis and Lady Noir, who had waited patiently for him. Anatis was leaning into Lady Noir as she stroked his hair, humming gently and keeping him calm. To his surprise, Anatis glanced up as he landed in front of him, as if he expected him to land there. It didn't surprise him. He called off the duo transformation and caught Duusu before giving her a cookie.

"I wasn't able to get through to Hawkmoth," He sighed, looking at the sky. "He is too far gone but I was able to learn their plan. He's turned that Lila girl into a villain called Miracle Queen,"

"No, no... how can we defeat her?!" Anatis gasped, jumping up. "Last time, she almost won. I almost killed Lady Noire because of her!"

"Annie, deep breathes," Lady Noir stated, jumping and taking her hands in his. He looked at her and nodded, taking deep breaths as she looked to Atlas. "What else did you learn?"

"Hawkmoth gave her extra powers," He explains, making Lady Noir frown deeply. "From what I heard he's given her four extra abilities. The ability to duplicate herself, to paralyses her enemies, to teleport and to make herself invisible,"

"That makes her even harder than before," Lady Noir admitted as the colour drained from Anatis' face. "But you heard their plan right?"

"I did," Atlas confirmed, nodding. "They intend to lure you two out using an illusion of Brumus and Lady Ombre as akumatized giants. Once you two have split up to chase the giants, Miracle Queen will use her new abilities to capture you,"

"H-How do we even counter that?!" Anatis gasped, looking panicked as he gripped his head. "No matter what I do, I just can't think of a solution,"

Lady Noir gently takes his hands in hers, causing him to look at her as her touch instantly calmed him down. Atlas couldn't help but admire their relationship. He also couldn't help the strike of inspiration for a couple's outfit based on them.

"Maybe we just need a little bit of luck," She hinted, making him nod before he took out his yoyo. He hoped Tikki's guidance would help him.

"Lucky charm!" He called, causing his outfit to change as he summoned the item. The swarm of magical bugs burst into an item that fell towards Anatis. He caught it, causing all of them to look at it. "A scrying mirror...."

"Tikki only ever gives you that when Feng can give you a hint," Lady Noir points out, making him nod as Atlas gave him a confused look. "Spirit stuff,"

"Oh," He replied as Anatis lifted in the mirror so he could look in it. For a moment, he just saw himself but soon Feng appeared behind him with a soft smile.

"I don't know what to do," He whispered. His voice sounded so vulnerable and raw that it tugged at Atlas and Lady Noir's hearts. "Brumus is so much more powerful than I am. He's ruthless and now he's teamed up with Miracle Queen and Hawkmoth given her so many new powers. No matter what, I just can't see a solution. How can I defeat him when I can't even defeat my own enemy?"

Brumus is your reflection in many ways but there is one way where you differ from each other.... Feng's voice echoed in his mind, making him frown. This difference and the miraculous before you are how you overcome this trial...

"But what do I do?" Luka asked, finding himself standing in front of Feng. "It seems impossible and I don't know how to solve your riddles,"

"Nothing is impossible," Feng stated, gently placing his hand on his shoulder. "But I know you're having a hard time right now so I'll give you a hint...."

You're not alone.

Anatis blinked as he found himself back with Atlas and Lady Noir. Both of them looked at him with a little bit of worry. He glanced at the mirror in his hand. Feng had faded away but Anatis could still feel his hand on his shoulder, reminding him that he was not alone. His eyes widened as it suddenly became clear. Yes, Brumus was very powerful and the two of them reflected each other but there was one difference between them. Anatis wasn't alone where Brumus was. Sure, he might have Lady Ombre but that's it for him. Brumus only had one person on his side where Anatis had Lady Noir, his melody, his team and his past lives. He wasn't alone.

"Annie?" Lady Noir asked as he looked around. The yoyo in his hand lit up in his luck vision before he looked up, causing the butterfly miraculous light up then Lady Noir and Atlas. "You good?"

"I'm not alone," He smiled, making them both look at him with confusion. "And I have a plan but first, I need to let Tikki take a break,"

He made the mirror disappear and moved behind a wall where the two of them couldn't see each other. Atlas looked at Lady Noir as a pink glow appeared but she grinned and turned to the wall that Anatis was behind.

"Want to explain?" She asked, making Atlas nod.

"It's simple really," Luka stated from behind the wall as he waited for Tikki to eat her cookie. "Brumus has no one. He is alone,"

"But what about Lady Ombre?" Atlas asked. "She seems devoted to him and aren't they equals?"

"Not quite," Luka replied. "Despite having her as a partner, he is still alone. The reason? He doesn't see her as his partner or an equal. He's exploiting the fact that she is devoted to him but for him, that's as far as it goes. I would even bet that if she failed or wasn't as powerful as she is, he would drop her. It's the same with Hawkmoth and Miracle Queen. He is using them to further his own goal. Anyway, I have a plan that will protect us from Miracle Queen since she is the biggest issue right now. Wanna hear it?"

"We're all ears, Anatis," Atlas replied as the pink glow reappeared and Anatis stepped out again.

"Ok," He replies before clearing his throat. "So first of all, the miraculous of the butterfly has a limited range so we need to get far enough from Paris to be out of Hawkmoth's radius. As we do, we'll pick up Alya. She should be completely healed thanks to Toutai. Once we have her, Atlas will turn her back into Ubiquiti so she can open a portal to the other world."

The two of them nodded as they listened.

"Next, Atlas will lend me the butterfly miraculous. With it, I'll use it to create a second hero with a specially crafted super power that will protect us from Miracle Queen's abilities," He declared. "Next, we'll hide the object in which my Tenshi would have landed in the parallel world,"

"Making it inaccessible to Hawkmoth," Lady Noir gasped, making Anatis nod as Atlas listened in.

"Tenshi?" He asked, making Anatis look at him.

"Kamiko doesn't feel right for me," Anatis explained, making him nod. "With the object hidden, Hawkmoth won't be able to remove your powers in battle,"

"And my power will protect from Miracle Queen's treacherous blow!" Atlas declared, nodding. "Brilliant. Simply brilliant,"

"That's our Annie," Lady Noir grinned, giving him a high five.

"It gets better," He answered, making them look at him. "With our safety confirmed, we'll be able to deal with Miracle Queen and use her to separate Lady Ombre and Brumus. Obviously, she will use her extra powers to try and capture us when we go after the giants. More than likely, she'll send Brumus and Lady Ombre to us so they will lure us to certain areas and isolate us from each other. At that point, Miracle Queen will try to paralyse us. It will fail thanks to our guardian and then I will undo her akuma, dealing with her and Hawkmoth at the same time,"

"What do you mean her and Hawkmoth?"

"As soon as she's defeated, he'll realise we had a plan to defeat them and will run off," Anatis predicted. "Anyway, once we've got rid of her, we can take on Brumus and Lady Ombre separately. Of course, we have to make sure that no one gets hurt so I'll contact the police and let them know that a battle is about to go down. Brumus is brutal and ruthless so we're gonna need to make sure there are heroes on standby in case he tries to destroy buildings or harm anyone. If we can, we should try and naturalise him and Lady Ombre as soon as possible though. For that, I think we should have some heroes with us as well but we'll have Toutai on standby too. They won't hesitate to harm anyone so having a healer nearby would be wise,"

"You have truly thought of everything," Atlas stated. 

"And as a last touch, we'll stay in touch," Anatis smiled, taking out his ear piece as Lady Noir did the same. "The Strength of teamwork,"

~At the Arc de Triomphe~

"You said this would lure them out," Brumus growled, clearly getting impatient as Miracle Queen glanced around. Lady Ombre was clearly bored as well but Hawkmoth shook his head.

"Don't worry, they will turn up," He declared. "Anatis and Lady Noir always turn up,"

As he spoke, the four of them see Lady Noir and Anatis running with a number of their hero allies and Ubiquiti across the rooftops towards. Though Anatis wasn't in his usual form. Instead of his usual hero look, he appeared like a mysterious faerie prince. His hair is purple and black and he was dressed in a black tail coat with purple detail. Its tail resembled the wings of a butterfly and his pants were completely red. He appeared to be wearing a light purple shirt with black dots. He wore black gloves and purple boots. His yoyo was by his side and he had a cane on his back. Brumus narrowed his eyes a little as Hawkmoth smirked.

"See?" He states, gesturing towards them. "They can't help themselves. They always have to save the world,"

"Maybe so but there's more than just Anatis and Lady Noir now," Brumus stated, looking at them. "And Anatis is wearing the miraculous of the butterfly,"

"Your simple two person plan no longer works," Lady Ombre pointed out. 

"On the contrary" Hawkmoth answered, smirking. "Now it will be even simpler to seize their miraculous and the one of the butterfly. As for the holder of the butterfly, what he has done regardless of his universe, I can undo it,"

He smirked as he clicked his fingers, causing Ubiquiti to turn back into Alya. Brumus once again narrowed his eyes.

"Did you poison her?" Lady Ombre asked, confused.

"I did," He confirmed. "Anatis must have found a way to heal her... how intriguing,"

He smirked as he watched Alya apologise to Anatis and his team before they continued. Anatis, The Bee Holder and The Dragon Holder went after the giant Brumus while Lady Noir, the Turtle Holder and the Tiger Holder went after the giant Lady Ombre, causing Hawkmoth to smirk.

"Miracle Queen, you're up," He declared, making her smirk as she took over. She opened a portal for Brumus as the heroes discovered that it was an illusion before doing the same for Lady Ombre.

"See you soon, my dear good Queen," She smirked before diving into the portal as Miracle Queen smirked. Hawkmoth watched carefully as she went ahead with the next stage, using the extra powers he granted her to divide herself into two before the two Queens headed to the locations that Anatis and Lady Noir will be lured to. 

~Meanwhile~

"It was an illusion?!" Ryuko declared as she landed on the ground with Abeille. The two of them turned to look as a portal opened, revealing Brumus. He narrowed his eyes as he stalked over to them.

"Where is he?!" He snarled before throwing his yoyo at them. Ryuko jumped out of the way and charged at him as Abeille spun her spintop.

"Venom!" She declared, summoning her power as Ryuko turned into her Lightning Dragon form, diving at him. He blocked her sword with his arm and threw her into a building as Abeille dived at him. He kicked her, sending her flying before throwing his yoyo. It wrapped around her foot and he pulled her towards him as Ryuko dived back at him. He grabbed Abeille's hand and slammed her power into Ryuko, paralysing her as Abeille gasped before he slammed her into the ground.

"Where is Anatis?!" He growled, lifting her head. She didn't answer so he slammed her head into the ground again, yanking her head back up. "Where is he?!"

"I'm here, Brumus," He declared, causing Brumus to smirk and drop Abeille's head. "And it's Cinnabug actually,"

"I don't care what you call yourself," He growled, throwing his yoyo at him. Cinnabug blocked the attack with his own yoyo before the two of them engaged in a battle. While they were busy, Culpeo jumped down and picked up Abeille, taking her to Toutai who was on standby to heal anyone who might need it. While Brumus and Cinnabug fought it out, Lady Noir, Leatherback and Sabertooth were waiting to ambush Lady Ombre. As soon as her portal opened, Leatherback used his power to trap her. However, she called on her power and used it to destroy it before stalking towards him.

"Leatherback, be careful!" Lady Noir called out from the rooftop. "She can use her power with no limit,"

"What?" He called back as she charged at him with another cataclysm. He managed to use his shield with it but she was relentless, trying to hit him with it. Sabertooth sneaked behind her with his power but she managed to realise he was there. She grabbed him and threw him into Leatherback, knocking them back into a building. She went to slam her hand on it to destroy it but Lady Noir jumped down.

"Screech!" She declared, causing her outfit to change to her upgrade before she released a sonic scream, knocking her back. Lady Ombre used her arms to protect her before she smirked.

"My turn," She replied before using Screech to send Lady Noir flying into another building before she turned it to the building where Leatherback and Sabertooth were, destroying it and trapping them within it. She smirked and turned back to Lady Noir, who was pushing bricks off herself. "Finally, we can have a pawsitively clawsome cat fight!"

She dived at her, causing Lady Noir to slam her baton into her and send her flying before she jumped after her. With Lady Ombre out the way, Atrarus and Phenix Rouge jumped down to help get Leatherback and Sabertooth out of the collapsed building.

"Will they be ok facing them?" Phenix asked.

"The outcome is satisfactory," Atrarus replied, nodding. "But I will keep an eye on things,"

~Back to Anatis and Brumus~

"You think you can defeat me?!" Brumus declared, throwing his yoyo. It wrapped around Cinnabug's leg, causing Brumus to pull him close and punch him. He pulled him back again and jumped up, kicking him into a building before throwing his yoyo up in the air. "Lucky charm!"

He caught the sword that had been created and dived at Cinnabug as he pulled himself out of the broken building. He jumped out of the way, just as Brumus slammed his sword where he had been before he took out his cane sword and jumped at him. Brumus blocked the attack, causing Cinnabug to jump back onto a rooftop. Brumus dove at him again but he sent him flying, causing Cinnabug to rush to the edge of the building. He looked around and didn't see him around but he felt something behind him. He ducked as Brumus went to slice at him, causing his earpiece to fall out before he grabbed Brumus by the arm and slammed him into the ground, unintentionally breaking the earpiece. Brumus smirked and wrapped his leg around Cinnanbug's arm, pulling him down and twisting his arm.

"You are pathetic," He smirked, twisting his arm farther up as Cinnabug called out in pain. "You think you can defeat me?! You can't even defeat your own enemy!"

"At least, I have allies!" Cinnabug gasped, making Brumus growl. "You're alone-!"

"Shut up!" He growled, letting go of Cinnabug's arm and grabbing his hair, yanking up his head. Seeing his chance, Cinnabug activated his spirit eyes and grabbed Brumus' hand, causing his touch to burn him. Brumus dropped him in shock, causing Cinnabug to get up and look at him with silver eyes. "You want to use our magic to fight?! Fine by me!"

His eyes turned a copper colour and he held out his hand.

"Kakos!" He called out, using the power of his past self. "Lend me your power!"

He summoned a fire beast, directing it towards Cinnabug, causing him to jump out the way and into Miracle Queen's path. She dived at him and slammed her hand onto his back to paralyse him but Guardian's ability activated, manifesting itself as two small wings on his back before trapping her in a bunch of feathers. Cinnabug straightened up and smirked, clicking his fingers to reverse her akuma. The akuma escaped from her necklace, turning her back into Lila and destroying the other one. It flew off as it lost its colour. Brumus narrowed his eyes and jumped up, grabbing Cinnabug before he could even think before throwing him into the nearest building, which happened to be the school...

~With Lady Noir and Lady Ombre~

At exactly the same time, the other Miracle Queen was trying to paralyse Lady Noir. Lady Ombre had lured her into a rooftop, causing her to try and use her ability but Guardian's powers protected Lady Noir before Miracle Queen's akuma was undone. Lady Ombre backed up a little, clearly not expecting that. 

"What's the matter?" Lady Noir asked, playfully. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Cheater," She growled, making Lady Noir smirked before jumping off, causing Lady Ombre to chase after her. "Get back here! I'm not done with you, Kitty cat!"

"Catch me if you can!" Lady Noir asked as Lady Ombre dived at her before she jumped over to a building. "Fun fact! Cats actually don't mind water!"

"Why do I care about that?!" She responded, trying to claw her with her claws. Lady Noir jumped out of the way, leading her into the swimming pool area. 

"Well, we are in a swimming pool!" Lady Noir responded as Lady Ombre dived in and looked around before she kicked her and sent her flying into the swimming pool. She managed to recover and dived at her. "Also did you know that viewing one's doppelganger is bad luck? But the question is which one of us is going to be affected?"

"I don't care for your stupid trivia!" She growled. "'It's not like my luck can't get any worse than it already is! Now give me your miraculous!"

Lady Noir jumped up to the diving board, causing Lady Ombre to follow her. She grabbed her leg and threw her down into the pool before diving at her. Lady Noir dived out of the way as she tried to get her.

"Why do you have to have a miraculous you already hold?" She asked, causing Lady Ombre to growl.

"Don't you know?!" She demanded, as Lady Noir hid behind one of the pillars. She dived over and glanced around. "We can make a wish if we merge ours with the Ladybug's,"

"So you need Brumus' miraculous," Lady Noir declared, diving at her again. Lady Ombre blocked her attack and threw her back before kicking her baton out of her hands. "Not mine!"

"Ours don't work," Lady Ombre declared, catching her baton. "But with yours!"

"No!" Lady Noir declared, diving at her and pinning her down. "You have no idea! Merging these two miraculous is too powerful! There would be a great price to pay!"

"Nothing is too powerful!" She declared, throwing Lady Noir off her before she stalked over. "And no price is too great to pay if it would free me from my pain!"

"Your pain?" Lady Noir asked, confused.

"Don't you get it?!" Lady Ombre growled as she stalked over. "There are no awesome girlfriends to inspire me every day! No amazing BBF, let alone a calm and gentle mum or a boyfriend who doesn't think I'm a total loser!"

Lady Noir looked at her with an expression crossed between surprise and sorrow.

"You ready my secret diary?" She asked as Lady Ombre pointed her own baton at her.

"Of course, I read it!" She screamed. "How could I not?! Your life is so much better than mine!"

"It's no-"

"It is!" She screamed as she summoned a cataclysm and went to slam it into her chest but before she could, Lady Noir called off her transformation, turning into Marinette. Lady Ombre stopped and stared at her with shock.

"See?" She stated. Lady Ombre stared at her with complete shock as Marinette stared back at her. "I get it,"

"No, you don't!" She gasped. "Don't pretend to be me! You know nothing of pain!"

"If you read my diary then you know it's not true," Marinette answered. "I suffered too. I was angry as well and scared. I still struggle with this every day but you don't need any magic jewels. Powers didn't change who I was. I changed who I was. I decided to do better and be better. That I could help and fix what was wrong. I'm sure you could as well,"

"... I can't..." She admits, looking down. "It's not just about me. It's about Brumus as well. I want to help him!"

"I admire that but-" Marinette started but she stopped speaking as someone jumped down, stopping their fight. Lady Ombre hissed and held her baton but Marinette sat up. "Sir Rene?"

"You both need to get to Brumus and Cinnabug right now," He declared, making her look at him with concern. "Me and Toutai both sensed something is about to happen,"

"Is Brumus in danger?!" She asked.

"I think so," Marinette declared, holding out her hand. "Truce?"

"Truce!" She declared, giving her back her miraculous. Marinette retransformed after making sure Plagg was ok before the two of them headed out to find where Cinnabug and Brumus were.

~With Brumus and Cinnabug~

Brumus narrowed his eyes and jumped up, grabbing Cinnabug before he could even think before throwing him into the nearest building, which happened to be the school. Cinnabug pulled himself out of the debris and jumped out the way as Brumus dived at him with a sword again. He jumped down and landed on the group before throwing up his yoyo.

"Lucky charm!" He shouted, summoning the magical swarm. Another mirror fell down and he caught it, looking at it with a confused look. Brumus growled and summoned a hammer, driving at him with it. Cinnabug jumped out as he tried to hit him with it before jumping over him. "I wouldn't break it if I were. It would be seven years of bad luck you know!"

"You think it can be any different then it is now?!" Brumus snarled, changing the hammer into a massive sword before charging at Cinnabug, causing him to stumble back as he tried to avoid being hit. "Guess what?! I don't have your nice little life!"

He made the sword disappear and threw his yoyo, wrapping it around Cinnabug's leg. He yanked it, pulling Cinnabug into the air and slamming him into the canteen before he stalked through.

"In my world, I have no family who cares for me!" He declared, using his yoyo to break tables as he stalked over. "No loving mother who would do anything to protect me! No sweet little sister who looks up to me! No rockstar dad who didn't abandon me!"

"You saw my life?" Cinnabug asked. Brumus growled and threw his yoyo at him again. He used it to backhand Cinnabug, sending him flying through the window and back into the courtyard. He climbed onto the window shelf and jumped back into the courtyard. He summoned his sword again and charged at him. Cinnabug looked at him as he stood up before he looked down at his mirror as it lit up as Brumus stalked over. "Then you know we're the same, you and I?"

"Are you kidding?! I'm the opposite to you!" He screamed as Anatis showed him his reflection. "All I've gotten is pain and suffering! That stupid cult stole me from my family and tortured me! When I finally escaped, my own mother refused to help me! No one helped me or loved me! Until I was given a miraculous and finally got my true power as the Supreme! Now no one will hurt me anymore! I'll get rid of them before they can!"

He turned his sword into a smaller weapon and used it to break the mirror in Cinnabug's hand.

"So we have nothing in common!"

"We might be opposites but we do have things in common," Cinnabug stated. "I have had my fair share of pain. My stepfather tried to kill me on more than one occasion and recently I have lost my mentors..."

"I don't care!" Brumus shouted, using his yoyo to hit him again. He grabbed Cinnabug and threw him into the middle before diving at him while summoning a sword again but before he could hit him, a whip wrapped around his wrist and he was suddenly pulled back, causing him to land and glare at whoever did it. Cinnabug looked over as well as a miraculous holder that resembled Khnurn jumped down, glaring at Brumus and Cinnabug. "Who are you?!"

"You do not recognize your own past life, young Supreme?" A calm but cold voice stated, making the hairs on Cinnabug's neck stand up as a man who resembled Feng walked over but unlike Feng who wore peasant clothing and had an easy going aura, this man wore the finest silks and the aura radiating off him could only be described as terrifying. Brumus let out a growl and charged at him, causing Cinnabug to shout out but a knight in all black dived in front of him and slammed his sword into Brumus, sending him flying before he pointed his sword at his throat. Realising that this man would kill him, Brumus held his hands up. The man turned his attention to Cinnabug. "My apologies for the destruction this one has brought to your world. We'll take him back now,"

"I can't let you do that," Cinnabug stated, making the man smirk.

"Oh? You rather risk your world falling into destruction?" He asked. "That's what will happen if he stays. Trust me, I have seen it already,"

"Who are you?" Cinnabug asked, narrowing his eyes. He had an idea.

"I am Huài Shé," He responded, bowing slightly. "The first of the Supremes but somehow you knew that, didn't you, young mage?"

"I suspected," He confirmed as Lady Noir and Lady Ombre jumped in. Seeing Brumus with a sword to his throat, Lady Ombre growled and charged towards them, causing a fourth to appear. He was dressed similar to an assassin and used fans as weapons. He slammed them into her and kicked her into the wall. Lady Noir rushed over to her. The Knight in Black pulled Brumus to his feet as Lady Ombre got up and pushed Lady Noir out of the way.

"Let him go!" She snarled but the assassin-like holder grabbed her. "Unhand me!"

"I highly recommend you don't move, young lady," Huài Shé declared, making her glare at him. "Toutai has quite the talent when it comes to poisons and I doubt you'll be able to do much if you are poisoned,"

"Leave her be," Brumus declared as the Knight pulled him over. "I'll go with you,"

"Of course, you will," Huài shé replied as he turned on his heel. "Toutai, Khalid. Let's go,"

The two lowered their weapons before moving over to where Huài Shé, Brumus and the Knight who Cinnabug suspected to be their version of Sir Rene were before a portal opened up. Huài Shé entered first before the Knight pulled Brumus through, causing Lady Ombre to run over but before she could, a line of fire appeared, making her jump back.

"Brumus!" She called out, causing him to look back at her. "I'll find you!"

He said something but none was able to hear what he said before the two others entered the portal and it closed, making Cinnabug frown.

"Lady Ombre... are you ok?" He asked, causing her to look at him.

"I'm fine," She sighed, making him nod. "I just don't know how I'm gonna find him. What if they hurt him?"

"Were they...?" Lady Noir asked, making Cinnabug nod.

"That world's version of Feng, Toutai, Khnurn and Sir Rene... yep," He confirmed. "I suspect their Alpheus is who started the fire too... speaking of which,"

He held out the mirror and threw it up into the air.

"Miraculous Ladybugs!" He declared, causing the mirror to burst into the magical swarm, spreading throughout Paris fixing everything that had been destroyed. Finally, it came back to the school. It fixed it up and put out the fire before going around Lady Ombre, making her gasp as the black veins disappeared and the colour returned to her cheeks before disappearing. "Tikki believes you can do better and deserves better,"

"I..." She mumbled, looking down before the feathers on Cinnabug's back growled and Guardian appeared. "So that's how you did it,"

"I should give this back," Cinnabug replied, gently gesturing to the miraculous. "Ladies, we'll meet you near the Eiffel tower. Bring Alya. We're gonna need her,"

"Of course," Lady Noir replied, causing Lady Ombre to nod and follow her as she jumped off. Cinnabug turned to the Guardian.

"Do you want to hide behind somewhere?" He asked.

"I don't mind you knowing who I am," He replied, making Cinnabug smile and click his fingers, turning him back into his civilian form. 

"Gabriel Agreste huh?" Cinnabug replied, thinking. He couldn't help but wonder if it was the same in this world. It more than likely was but he would have to find a way to fully confirm. After all, he's suspected Gabriel has been Hawkmoth for ages but he's just never been able to find the evidence against him. He would have to work harder. "Thank you for your help, Mr Agreste,"

"The honour has been mine," He smiled gently. He was completely different from this world's version. 

"Nooroo, Tikki. Divide," Cinnabug declared, turning back into Luka. He caught both of them with one hand as they both looked exhausted before taking a cookie out for both of them. Tikki grinned and began to dig into hers as Nooroo bowed before taking it. The two kwamis began to eat the cookies as Luka sighed softly. 

"Are you ok?" Gabriel asked, gently placing his hand on his shoulder.

"I'm worried about Brumus," He admitted before bringing Gabriel up to speed. "His past lives aren't like mine so I'm worried for him and what they might do to him,"

"I understand," Gabriel stated, nodding. "Brumus may be a dangerous person but he is still a child. I will try my best to find him,"

"Thank you," He replied as the kwamis finished their cookies. Seeing them finish, Luka took off the butterfly miraculous and gave it back to Gabriel, who pinned it back to his shirt. The two of them transformed. Anatis went and collected all the miraculous he and Lady Noir had lent out before saying goodbye to Toutai and Rene before they left. With that done, he and Atlas headed to where the two cats were waiting. When they got there, they saw Lady Ombre had changed her costume a little. However, the real difference was that she no longer had cracks in her outfit and the green was more of an emerald green than a sickly green.

"I'm still going by Lady Ombre," She declared, crossing her arms as Lady Noir shook her head. "I am still Brumus' partner... but I will help take down the fake supreme,"

"I would appreciate the help," Atlas replied, making her look over. "And in return, I will help you find Brumus and rescue him,"

"You will?!" She gasped before clearing her throat. "Of course, you will,"

"It's time," Atlas smiled before turning to Alya. "Alya Cerise, if you allow me,"

She nodded, causing him to charge up his Kamiko before he let it fly over to her and land into her glasses. She transformed into Ubiquity and opened a portal to their world. Atlas turned to Anatis and Lady Noir.

"I thank you for your help," He smiled. "And I'm sure you'll be able to defeat your Hawkmoth soon,"

"Thank you, Atlas," Anatis smiled. "You helped me find something I thought I had lost,"

"Oh?" He asked, a little confused. "What would that be?"

"Hope," Anatis replied. "I know the future is uncertain but as long as I've got hope, my friends and my families, I'll be ok,"

"I'm glad I could help," Atlas replied, gently placing his hand on Anatis' shoulder. "Whatever burdens you have faced... they have not destroyed you. They have made you stronger and I believe you will only grow in power and strength. I hope we might meet again in a more positive situation,"

"I hope so too," Anatis replied, getting a nod of Atlas before he turned and waved to Lady Noir, who waved back. Lady Ombre gave them a salute before walking through the portal with Atlas. As soon as they went through, the portal closed and Ubiquity turned back into Alya as the butterfly escaped and flew off. 

"Well, I'm glad tha- ah!" Lady Noir gasped, suddenly gripping her head.

"Kitten?!" Anatis gasp as a white light overtook her before it disappeared, showing her outfit had changed slightly. Her main outfit had turned space-like, appearing like a night sky of stars. Her hair had turned bright purple. She had several glowing circles on her legs and two on her shoulders with several glowing lines. She now wore a cape and the green details of her outfit were glowing. "Lady Noir?"

"Sorry for the sudden visit," She stated, making the two of them stare. "I'll explain in a moment,"

Anatis went to open his mouth but before he could say anything, an orange portal appeared and a man dressed in a very strange costume stepped out. He had gelled back white hair and purple skin. His main outfit was a dark purple suit with a butterfly in the middle that appeared to be made out of stained glass with a different colour in every part. Anatis narrowed his eyes as he noticed he wore every single miraculous. However, Lady Noir narrowed her eyes, clearly expecting this.

"And you're not getting them here either, Monarch!" She declared, pulling back her fist and punching him back into the portal that closed seconds later. She let out a sigh and turned back to the others. "Sorry about that,"

She turned to Anatis.

"He was planning to try and steal your miraculousness so I had to stop him," She explained. "You see he's-"

"He's the butterfly holder from your world," He stated, surprising her. "And you're the Ladybug of that world,"

"Well, I'm Ladybiquity right now but yes," She replied, smiling. "You're very insightful. I can see you're a great Ladybug. What's your name?"

"I go by Anatis," He replied, making her smile. 

"Well, Anatis, your world is very lucky to have you," She replied, grinning. "Well, he's stopped now so now it's time for me to leave. Bye,"

"Good luck, Ladybiquity," He stated, making her grin before the light engulfed her again. It disappeared, returning Lady Noir to her normal form. She fell forward, causing Anatis to catch her. "You ok?"

"That was very odd," She mumbled before straightening up. Anatis couldn't help but yawn as he finally felt tired. "You should go home and sleep, Mister. I'll take Alya back to Marinette's and then pick up Marinette ok?"

He was going to argue but he yawned again and just nodded, too tired to make a counter-arguablement.

"Ok," He nodded, smiling. "Get back safely and see you both soon,"

"Bye, Anatis!" Alya yelled out as he swung off before she turned to Lady Noir. "What a night right?"

"Yep,"

~At the Liberty~

Anatis climbed through the porthole of his room and dropped his transformation, stretching and yawning as he did. Part of him was still terrified of what was to come but after meeting Atlas and Brumus, he couldn't help but be glad that he was born in this world. Throughout their whole battle, he could sense Brumus' anger and pain. He didn't doubt for one second that he had suffered and he suspected it was more than what he said. However, he also knew that he was lost and there was a high chance that he was too far gone. Part of him was reassured that even if he was akumatized, he would never be like that. He moved to his bed and flopped on it as the kwamis flew over.

"I'm tired," He mumbled to them, causing them to curl up around him. "Good night, everyone,"

They said good night to him but he didn't hear them, having drifted straight into sleep. Bennu, Nepp and Vernn lifted his blankets over him before joining the other kwamis.

~Somewhere in the Spirit Realm on the Parallel side~

"You are quite the supreme already," Huài Shé declared as Luka knelt down before him. Tikki was eating a cookie and he had a cup of tea in his hand. "Already channelling our magic without even making a connection with us,"

"I'm sorry," He mumbled, looking down.

"You mistake my tone for displeasure," Huài Shé stated, making Luka look up at him. "On the contrary, I am impressed,"

"Then why did you stop me?"

"Your present in that world would have ended up in its destruction and ours," He explained, making Luka frown. "And that is something that can not happen. I worked too hard to have my world destroyed. Speaking of which, that cult is using our title to their own gain,"

"I know but they're too powerful," Luka growled, gritting his teeth. "They have most of the miraculous and while I've gotten rid of two of their people, they still have more,"

"In that case, I will teach you how to be a true Supreme," Huài Shé declared as the other four walked over. "All of us will teach you and then you will reclaim your birthright as the true Supreme,"

"You have my thanks, Master Huài Shé," Luka smirked with a dark expression that the other Supremes reflected.

#miraculous ladybug #luka couffaine #rise of anatis #anatis au #miraculous #butterfly miraculous #miraculous world #lukanette #pro lukamari #miraculous paris #tales of anatis and lady noire #marinette dupain cheng

[fratboykate]

Just a desperate anon, politely asking if this was ever posted 👀👀👀 or if it could be added to the potential writer-strike queue if it wasn’t. I am crossing my fingers it wasn’t eaten by tumblr or notes…

https://www.tumblr.com/fratboykate/711128923636908032/papi-we-need-the-stepmom-angst-its-a-matter-of

You must've crossed those fingers really hard because you sent this two weeks ago and are now getting it three whole days before the strike lol. Here's almost 10k of...them. Mom!AU is officially back from the war too.

///

"Do NOT bring those boots into the apartment, Ri. Off by the door. I mean it. You're cleaning it if you track all that dirty slush around."

Kate abruptly halts her twelve-year-old daughter’s hasty rush toward the entrance with a firm yank on the hood of her brightly colored parka and deftly transfers the stroller she’s pushing to Ereka. In the same single, graceful, and fluid motion, Kate skillfully juggles the diaper bag, empty coffee tumbler, and cell phone freeing her dominant hand to dig through her purse for her keys. A palpable imperativeness hangs in the air as they make their way down the hallway because Russell, who currently tries to squirm his way out of the stroller straps, is on the brink of a meltdown. With each passing second, his patience wears thinner, and Kate endeavors to avoid him going nuclear in public.

"And take your brother's boots off too, please. You know where the stroller goes. Don't just leave it blocking the door. Did momma text you back about dinner?"

"No...Any day now would be great, mom."

Kate's eyes narrow with stony intensity as she shoots Ereka a dirty look.

"I’ll leave you out here. Don’t try me."

"Top-notch parenting. I'll be sure to add that to the CPS file I'm compiling."

"Mommy, druck!"

Two-and-a-half-year-old Russell unleashes a series of frustrated hollers from within his rolling prison. His annoyance is palpable.

The boy is an undeniable carbon copy of his mother, a living reflection of Yelena. Kate has never once laid eyes on her son and seen anything other than an unmistakable resemblance to her wife. This moment isn’t an exception. Kate can't help but notice the striking parallels between them. Every feature screams Yelena, from how his nose scrunches when he smiles to his green eyes to his vibrant blonde hair to his Short King status. Even his breathing issues, which lend a raspy voice and a crackling laugh, serve as a constant reminder of the deep link that those two share. Kate could complain about the fact that he also inherited her rotten temper, but instead, she finds herself captivated by this portable embodiment of her darling wife.

"Yes, baby. Riri will get you another truck as soon as we're inside."

"I WANT RED DRUCK NOW! RED DRUCK!"

"Okay, woh. Tone, sir. You're the one who threw it out the car window. You're gonna wait until we get inside and give zero attitude because this is a problem of your own doing."

Russell furrows his brow, a visible display of his discontent, followed by an exasperated huff. The air between them hangs momentarily. This could be the moment when he finally loses his cool. Then…after a beat…

"A druck is a wectangle, mommy."

"It is. What shape is this?"

Kate holds up the face powder she's holding.

"Circle! Cuz it wound. Like this..."

The little boy traces a circle in the air with his plump toddler fingers.

"Good job!"

"Oh my god. Do we live in the hallway now? Open the door."

Kate continues digging through her purse while simultaneously turning to Ereka and contorting her face into a humorous expression. Ereka quickly mirrors her mother's mischievous look, sparking a shared moment of amusement between the two. Laughter escapes their lips, affording them a moment of levity amid the chaotic scene. As their chuckles subside, a triumphant glimmer sails through Kate's eyes — she’s finally found the keys!

"There's no reason this thing should be able to swallow my keys into another dimension. It's not that big."

Kate swings the door wide open with a determined push. Without missing a beat, she dumps the bags that dangle from her shoulders onto the table by the entrance while slipping her waterproof boots off. Once her hands, arms, and feet are free, she heads to the jacket closet to begin taking layers off.

"Ri! Come on! You're smarter than that. Take your boots off first, THEN his. Moving around and look at the mess you're making."

Kate is too busy chastising her daughter to notice Yelena's coat is already hanging in the closet.

"You said to take his off too. I'm doing that and you get mad."

"I didn't think I needed to give you a detailed step-by-step on how to do it right, but I'll be sure to next time."

"Next time, I just won't do it if you're going to scream at me either way."

"There was no screaming. Just pointing out the obvious."

"...while you screamed."

Kate offers a vexed eye roll then strides into the apartment, leaving Ereka to wrestle with the challenge of removing Russell's stubborn boots in the foyer. Kate moves with purpose, her footsteps echoing as she navigates through the familiar space. Once Ereka successfully frees her brother’s tiny feet from the damp shoes, she proceeds to unstrap him from the stroller.

"Riri, druck!"

"I will get you your dumb truck, but I need to take this off you so mom doesn't flip a lid." Ereka tells her brother while deftly unzipping the small, purple coat.

"DRUCK NOW, RIRI!"

The little boy squirms as Ereka wrestles with his jacket.

"I will hide all your trucks if you scream at me again."

A deep frown creases Russell’s face, his features contorting into an expression of displeasure and frustration.

"No! Druck Wuss!"

"Yeah, they're your trucks, but I can also put them on the top shelf where you can't reach them if you don't stop being a brat." Ereka slides his gloves off, stands, and heads for the door a few feet away. Ereka opens the closet and immediately catches Yelena's coat. She hastily hangs her brother's tiny parka, throws the gloves into the corresponding cubby, and stares at Yelena's jacket once more before turning to Russell. "Don't move." Ereka darts to the back of the apartment, disappearing momentarily from Russell’s sight. She returns to the hallway that connects the foyer to the rest of the apartment a few seconds later. "Mama's home."

From her position by the kitchen island, Kate gazes at her daughter with confusion etched across her face.

"What?"

"Her coat's in here, so I went and checked and she's in the room. I think she's sleeping though, because all the lights are off."

Kate turns to glance at the clock on the microwave. 5:28 PM. Yelena is never home before them, let alone before 5:00 PM. At least not unless she's feeling unwell. Kate closes the cookbook she perused for dinner ideas and heads for the bedroom.

"Please keep an eye on him and get him one of the trucks from his chest. Thank you."

Kate tells Ereka as she kisses the top of her head in passing.

"Come on, Russellsprout. Let's get you a truck."

Kate suppresses a smile and instinctively rolls her eyes, a reflexive response to Ereka’s talent for assigning people terrible (and often food-related) nicknames. This might be one of the most annoying traits Ereka inherited from her father and Kate can’t help but find it both amusing and exasperating.

---

Kate enters the pitch-black room, stepping closer to the bed as her eyes gradually adjust to the darkness. The air is nice and toasty, meaning the older woman must be running the small space heater she’s permanently moved to her nightstand. As Kate approaches, she can see Yelena is, in fact, in bed. Her back is turned to the door and her shoulders rise and fall in a slow, steady rhythm. A wave of concern washes over the brunette as she realizes that her wife must be feeling truly awful to be in bed this early.

"Baby...Yel..."

Kate whispers but gets no answer. She debates letting Yelena sleep but can't resist the urge to be close to her wife, even if it's just for a moment. Kate crawls into bed and nestles herself against Yelena’s warm form. Yelena instinctively responds, her body pushing back into Kate’s.

Kate's lips find Yelena's neck, leaving a trail of soft, affectionate kisses. Her arm delicately snakes around Yelena's overgrown midriff, cradling the ever-growing twenty-two-week pregnant belly.

"You okay?"

Kate whispers into Yelena's ear and places a gentle kiss on her earlobe. Yelena softly shakes her head, indicating her disinterest in engaging in conversation at the moment.

The most accurate way to describe Yelena's pregnancy thus far is: miserable. The first trimester was a nightmare, marked by persistent malaise and bouts of morning sickness that had her bent over a toilet for hours on end, leaving her feeling drained and weak. And those were the good days. But that was only the tip of the iceberg. Yelena’s body is rebelling at every turn. Run down any list of pregnancy symptoms (and add a few more most people had never even heard of), and Yelena went through all of them. Her body seems determined to manifest every ailment imaginable and magnify its intensity. The dizziness has become a constant companion. Exhaustion has settled in her bones, claiming all of her energy. Frequent nosebleeds interrupt her daily routine, keeping her perpetually on edge. There’s also the hormonal mood swings that leave Yelena feeling like a stranger in her own body. Crippling headaches punctuate her days with throbbing pangs, constantly forcing her to seek solace in the darkness…like now.

Throughout the madness of this pregnancy, Kate has risen to the occasion, stepping up as a pillar of emotional support and embracing the role of caregiving, devoted partner with unwavering dedication. Day in and day out, Kate has done everything she can to make Yelena's life easier, including taking on the lion’s share of household chores and errands. Additionally, Kate has done everything in her power to anticipate Yelena's needs. She cooks meals to soothe Yelena's queasy stomach, researches remedies and alternative therapies to alleviate symptoms, offers calming teas and massages to ease aches, ensures Yelena stays hydrated and gets enough rest, or is simply around to provide a comforting touch along with words of consolation when Yelena is feeling down about the toll that pregnancy is taking on her body. Kate has become a constant presence by her wife’s side, ensuring Yelena feels loved and cherished throughout this challenging period. Overall, Kate has made it her mission to turn Yelena's difficult pregnancy into a somewhat manageable experience.

With tender affection, Kate runs her palm over Yelena's growing belly.

"I thought we had a deal that you were going to be nice to momma, baby girl. What's going on in there, huh?"

"Your stupid genes...trying to kill me." Kate chuckles, a jovial response to their now recurring conversation. Since Yelena is carrying a baby conceived with Kate's egg and the donor's sperm, Yelena has started to (halfway?) joke that Kate’s genes must be “toxic” to her and that they’re the root cause of Yelena's endless pregnancy woes. "You drive me crazy every day. Why did I think putting a literal piece of you inside me would go any better?"

"I'm sorry. So evil of me. Bad, BAD genes. I'll have a talk with them later." Kate's lips graze Yelena's shoulder, leaving behind a trail of soft kisses. In an instant, Yelena's body surrenders to her touch and loosens up as a result. "What are you feeling for dinner?"

"The last thing I want near me right now is food."

"You need to eat, Yel."

"I need this baby out of me. That's what I need."

Yelena lets out a discontented grumble and Kate's smile blossoms against her skin.

"Three more months. You just have to cook the nugget for three more months and you're done."

"That sounds like forever. Don't like it."

"How about some Mac and Cheese? Would that make it somewhat better?"

"Kate Bishop...are you trying to bribe me out of bed?"

"Maybe. I think there's lobster in the fridge. I think I got some when I went on Monday. If not, I can have some delivered. Lobster Mac. Super ooey and gooey and cheesy and yum."

"Why are you trying to sell it to me like I'm two?"

"It's how I convince your son to eat. Figured it might work on you since you're both grumpy little gremlins." Restless and dissatisfied, Yelena grunts in discomfort and shifts in bed, struggling to find an agreeable position to no avail. Eventually, she ends up half-facing Kate, seeking some semblance of relief in the brunette’s proximity. Kate offers her a warm smile. "That's the face of someone who could do with some ooey gooey cheesy yum in their life."

Yelena's lips curl into a merry smile and she indulges in a slight eye roll.

"I hate that it's actually working."

"My job is to sell things for a living and..." Kate plants a delicate kiss on Yelena's lips. "...I'm good at what I do."

"You..."

The door bursts open, unleashing a flood of light that fills the room. The little blonde toddler charges inside with a whirlwind of energy while proudly showcasing the truck his sister procured for him.

"MOMMA, LOOK! RIRI GOT RED DRUCK!"

Russell hops onto the bed, forcefully wedging himself with determined enthusiasm into the nonexistent space between his mothers.

"Your son...he had the genius idea to hurl his truck out the moving car window on our way here. Blue truck no more."

"Russ...that's dangerous. We don't do that."

"Blue druck went...FRUMMMMMMM"

The little boy offers Yelena an animated demonstration of the flight his toy truck embarked on with uncontainable excitement.

"RUSSPBERRY!"

"He's in here!"

Kate shouts at her daughter, who promptly appears at the door seconds later.

"Sorry. I went to the bathroom and I told him to stay."

"It's okay."

"Did he wake momma up?"

"Your mom woke me up."

"WITH KISSES. It was the most gentle wake-up ever."

"Still woke me up."

Kate shakes her head, purporting to be piqued.

"Come here. There's room."

Ereka's face lights up with a broad smile as she dashes to the bed and jumps onto it, somehow also forcing herself between Kate and Yelena.

"Easy. Momma's not feeling great."

"Sorry. Hi."

Ereka settles herself snugly, resting her chin on Yelena's hip and tenderly placing her hand on the gentle curve of her mother’s stomach.

"Hi. How was school?" Yelena asks with genuine curiosity.

Ereka shrugs nonchalantly, a hint of facetious defiance in her expression.

"Same as every other time you ask."

Kate and Yelena exchange amused glances before bursting into laughter. Yelena leans closer to Ereka, a warm grin on her face.

"Humor me."

Ereka huffs dramatically, her eyes rolling with jocose petulance. A small, roguish grin tugs at the corners of her lips, giving away her underlying amusement.

"Classes are boring. Everyone is stupid. The rules don't make sense. It's always going to be the same thing. So…fine, I guess. Tolerable.”

"Oh, you're going to be a FUN teenager." Yelena responds, her tone lighthearted and teasing.

"If I'm as precocious as everyone says I am, then technically, you could assume I've been a teenager for a while now."

"Yeah, that's it. The moment you hit thirteen, I'm packing your bags and finding you a new place to live, or I'll start graying early.” Kate playfully warns while simulating seriousness.

"Wow. Threatening to rescind my housing for exercising my right to free speech? I'm sure some case worker out there is salivating at the thought of it."

Kate rolls her eyes.

"Mommy, hungwy. I has milk?"

"Have, baby. Can I have milk?"

"Yeah. Can I haves it?” The little boy insists eagerly and with a hint of distress.

Kate chuckles.

"Close enough. But we're having dinner in a little bit, so no milk right now." Kate places a final peck on Yelena's lips and starts to stand. "Mac and cheese for dinner."  

"Yesssss. Can you put bacon in it?" Ereka inquires excitedly.

"If you guys haven't gone through it already, then sure. Last I checked, there were like two pieces left, so not making any promises."

"Tell Lila to make less bacon for breakfast then."

"OR...you could do what I ask and write it on the list when you see we're running low. She already has enough on her plate with you two. You could help out more."

A few times a week, a dedicated housekeeper arrives early in the morning to help with the kids and the upkeep of the house. She quickly becomes a lifeline for the family, offering an extra pair of capable hands and a much-needed boost of organization and support. This arrangement means Kate and Yelena have less to juggle and can focus more of their time on the children.

"You also saw we were running low and didn't put it on the list, so..."

"I did put it on the list when I realized I just haven't gone shopping again. But it wasn't on my last list because YOU, the bacon fiend in this house, didn't put it there."

"Whatever." Ereka grumbles, feigning annoyance.

"Keep her busy...but don't drive her crazy. It's a delicate balance. I'll scream when it's ready. And...I might need you at some point, so don't pretend like you don't hear me calling you when I do."

Kate punctuates her words by tapping Ereka on the shoulder as she stands and walks away.

"I have bad ears." Ereka tries to play it off, but Kate doesn't let her off the hook.

"Not according to the doctor, you don't."

Ereka has gotten so proficient at selective hearing that Kate took her to the otolaryngologist to get her checked, only to prove a point.

Ereka repositions herself to lie on Kate's pillow, her face ending next to Yelena’s. She lovingly presses her head against the blonde’s.

"I like it when you're home early."

Yelena offers a faint smile while keeping her eyes closed.

"Me too."

"WUSS LIKES, MOMMA." Russell exclaims. He has an adorable habit of referring to himself in the third person, which always makes the outlandish things he says objectively funnier.

The little boy clambers up Yelena's body, unknowingly jabbing her sides with the hard plastic of his toy truck. Yelena winces and hisses in pain, prompting her to extend her arms and lift him off.

"Why are all your toys deadly weapons?" Yelena gripes, readjusting Russell so he's lying against her chest and carefully removing the toy from his hand. He immediately snuggles his cheek against hers and allows his entire body weight rest on her. Yelena lets out a groan, a mixture of mischief and genuine fatigue. "You guys are so clingy. Where are we even going to fit a third?"

Yelena fake complains, although deep down, she loves every second of it.

"She can go right here."

Ereke facetiously places her open hand over Yelena's face, covering most of it. Yelena chuckles.

"Yeah. Perfect place to sit a dirty diaper on."

Ereka's chuckles echo around the room as Yelena tries to shake her palm off her face. With a bit of effort, Yelena succeeds in removing Ereka's hand and turns to face her, offering a weak but earnest smile.

"I'm sorry you're not feeling good."

"It's okay. I'll suck it up...but I'm going to complain the entire time."

Ereka snickers and slides impossibly closer to Yelena, their bond evident in their proximity.

"Thank you for a little sister."

Yelena presses a loving kiss to Ereka's temple.

"Are you happy about it?"

"SO MUCH!" Ereka’s genuine excitement and gratitude shine through her words. "...Unless you're lying to me again and it's actually another one of these..." Ereka pokes her fingers all around Russell's body and the toddler giggles uncontrollably. "...in there."

Yelena guffaws.

"Promise it's a girl. For real this time. And she's a very lucky girl to have you as a big sister."

"I think so too."

"We have to work on your modesty." Yelena teases her daughter with a smile.

"I'm the right amount of confident. I know I'm a good big sister. Right, Russpaghetti?"

Ereka looks at her little brother for validation. The boy eagerly nods his head as he pats his tiny hands all over Yelena's face.

"Mama, milk pwease."

"Mommy is working on dinner. No milk right now. Milk later."

"Milk pwease." Russell persists, his fussiness escalating.

"No milk right now, Russ."

The boy begins to fuss and instantly works himself up to the brink of a tantrum.

"MILK, MAMA!” Russell insists, his volume rising.

"No no. Shhhhh...let's all just...Shhh...quiet time until dinner is ready. How about that? That sounds so much more fun and better for my head."

"NO!"

Ereka rolls her eyes at his protest and rises from the bed.

"Where are you going?"

"To get him milk. He's not going to stop until someone does and it'll make your headache worse if he doesn't. Just a little and he'll chill."

"Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah."

Ereka disappears out the door.

"Milk."

"Ri, went to get you some."

“Milk. Okay." Russell acknowledges, reassured that his request is being taken care of.

"So stubborn. Definitely get that from your other mom, not me. Definitely not me."

Yelena pulls the boy close and covers his body in kisses. His sour mood instantly shifts and he devolves into a fit of giggles.

---

An hour later, the foursome sits around the table, settled into their usual seats. Russell is perched in his high chair next to Kate, who patiently feeds him his meal. Ereka is to the other side of Kate, absentmindedly moving the food around her plate, seemingly lost in her thoughts. Yelena, determined to fend off her nausea, takes slow, deliberate bites, willing herself to keep the food down.

"Can I ask you something? And you'll promise you'll at least think about it before you say no?"

"Uh oh," Kate utters.

"I'm serious, mom."

"Me too. I can't possibly see how this is good, so I was bracing."

"Momma, promise you'll at least think about it."

Ereka turns towards Yelena, her expression brimming with seriousness and sincerity. Yelena meets her daughter's gaze, responding with a warm smile that conveys her openness to listen and engage wholeheartedly in anything Ereka is about to share.

"Whatever it is, mom and I will think about it and have a fair discussion before we get back to you.”

Following Yelena’s reassurance, a brief silence fills the room as Ereka gathers her thoughts. Kate and Yelena maintain their focus on her.

"I don't want to go stay at dad's anymore...ever."

Ereka declares confidently. Kate and Yelena instantly exchange worried glances.

"Did something happen?"

"No. Yes. No. I just...it's not that I don't want to see him. I just don't want to sleep over. Or be gone for days. Whenever I'm there, I'm missing here and Russtachio and you guys. And baby sister is coming soon and I'll miss her too. You always end up doing something fun without me and I hate it. Nothing I'm doing there is better than being here."

"Ri, we can't take days away from your dad."

"Why not?"

"It would...be a problem."

"What problem?! Just tell him I can…I don’t know…come hang out during the day for a few hours and then he has to bring me back."

"It doesn't work that way."

"Why not?!"

"Because we have a court-ordered agreement that we need to stick by. He gets you 30% of the time. That's how it works."

"Fuck court."

"Ereka!" Kate and Yelena exclaim simultaneously.

Ereka responds with a nonchalant shrug, seemingly unfazed by their reaction.

"See? That's what happens when you send me over to dad's house. I learn curse words. Bad influence."

"Honey, your dad loves you. You're the light of his life and he loves spending time with you." Kate tells Ereka matter-of-factly, her tone filled with unwavering certainty.

"All they do over there is be angry, argue with each other, and drink until they make up more reasons to keep arguing. Then it usually goes to fighting and breaking things. I hate it."

"How long has this been going on?" Yelena inquires, her voice laced with worry.

"Since I was little. That's what grandma's house has always been like."

"Who argues and breaks things?"

"Everyone. Everyone is always over for dinner and definitely on weekends. Dad and Uncle Billy get into it every time they start drinking. Aunt Viv drinks even more now that she's getting divorced. Her and dad argue all the time too. And then Aunt...it's a lot of people and I don't want to sleep over anymore."

"Ereka, did something else happen that you're not telling us? Something bad?" Yelena doubles down on her line of questions.

"No. I just want to come back home every night. I want to sleep here. Always."

"You can tell us anything. You know that, right?"

"I'm telling you right now!"

"Okay...hey...let's take a breather." Kate interjects, attempting to calm her.

"Ri, look at me," Yelena asks firmly. "Did anything inappropriate happen over there and you're scared to go back? Because if something did, we will..."

"Oh my god! No one like...touched me or did anything weird! Ew. Don't go there. I just don't like them. That's it. Nothing illegal. I mean, I have seen illegal things, but...nothing illegal involving me. I swear. Truly...that's not it."

"Promise?"

"Promise. It's not that. Really."

Yelena nods, her gaze shifting between Kate and Ereka, silently acknowledging the weight of the situation.

"We'll talk about it and get back to you.“

"There's nothing to talk about. We can't do that."

"We'll talk." Yelena insists, her voice firm yet gentle. "Give us some time, okay?"

Ereka nods and Yelena reaches across the table, placing a heartening hand on Ereka's.

"Thank you."

The girl whispers and finally takes her first bite of food, her appetite slowly returning. The table falls into a solemn silence as they continue their meal, each of them deep in their minds.

---

Yelena lies in bed, her hands absentmindedly caressing her stomach. Her eyes remain fixed on Kate, who moves around the bathroom finishing the last few steps of her nightly routine.

"Yel, we can't take this on,” Kate asserts firmly.

"Why not?"

Kate walks to the doorway, rests her shoulder against the jamb, and crosses her arms over her chest.

"Because we went to court for almost TWO YEARS to get the agreement we have now. How do you think it's gonna go over if I call him tomorrow and tell him we're breaking it? Do you really wanna go through whatever that brings up? Now? In the middle of this?"

Kate's hand gestures to Yelena's stomach, emphasizing their current situation.

"My feelings aren't more important than hers. If she doesn't want to go back, we shouldn't force her."

"Yes. You're correct. Absolutely. We should always take her feelings into consideration. But think about it like this, what she's asking is for us to get full custody and he gets SOME visitation rights. Under nebulous circumstances. What is she actually asking for? She gets to see him for two hours every other weekend and then comes home? We don't know what she wants, but whatever it is, I know that we don't have legal grounds to take her away from him. He's gonna fight it."

"And we can fight him."

Kate lets out a tired groan as she switches off the bathroom light. She moves to the bed, slipping under the covers, sitting up, and leaning her back against the bed frame. Her eyes are glued on the darkened TV screen across from her, her mind seemingly lost in serious contemplation.

"You two would fight all day if it were up to you, but *me*...I'm over it. This isn't something that's realistic and as much as I hate making her do something she doesn't want to, no judge is going to take his partial custody away. We don't even have any reason to take him back to court. Nothing's changed."

"She said she's seen illegal things...We should ask what that is."

"Yelena..." Kate turns to face her wife, her expression showing both fatigue and vulnerability. "...I don't have another two years of court in me. I don't have even another second of his tantrums and his shit in my body. I can't do it. Especially knowing we're not going to win. He's been...better???"

"That's a stretch."

Yelena reaches out and takes Kate's hand in hers, intertwining their fingers, and grounding her. Grounding each other.

"It has been better. You can't deny it hasn't. Why do we want to poke the bear?"

"For her. I would poke the bear for her."

Kate's shoulders slump as she exhales a heavy sigh, the weight of their situation bearing down on her. Yelena squeezes her wife’s hand gently.

"What happens when we go through a long, miserable custody battle over this, then she's suddenly sixteen and wants to go sleep at her dad's because we did something to piss her off?”

"Nothing. She goes to sleep at her dad's. Because that's her choice. As long as it's her choice, it's fine. But we shouldn't force her into a situation that makes her clearly unhappy." Yelena takes a beat, thinking. "What if we don't have to go to court? What if we all sit down and talk about it?"

Kate lets out a bitter laugh.

"Yel, please."

"It could work."

"When have you two ever been in a room where the situation doesn't end with me stopping you from killing each other?"

"I can't exactly kick his ass right now, so...different circumstances. I mean, I probably still could, but unless I had to, I wouldn't."

"I love her and I love you, but I'm not doing it. I'm not going to detonate a bomb we don't even need to touch."

---

The next morning. Yelena finds herself perched on a booth in a bustling café, the air filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the animated chatter of the early lunchtime crowd. She grimaces and shifts restlessly, her hand instinctively soothing the spot where her daughter just delivered a formidable fighter-style kick.

"You need to cut it with that."

Yelena mutters, chastising the baby before taking a cautious sip of her decaf concoction. Her eyes remain glued on the café entrance as she anxiously awaits the arrival of the person she's meeting.

Thankfully, Yelena's anticipation is short-lived. The jingling bell above the door heralds the arrival of Tom, who enters the busy room and immediately starts scanning the patrons. Spotting Yelena, he makes his way to her booth. Their eyes meet and they exchange perfunctory nods before muffled, forced greetings escape their lips. Tom drapes his coat over the back of his chair and slides into the padded bench. Yelena's gaze remains fixed on the table, trying to conceal her agitation.

This close to him, Yelena can smell the alcohol on his breath. He doesn't appear visibly intoxicated, yet the unmistakable odor of Vodka taints the air around them, lingering like a cloud and a troubling reminder of his choices. It's barely 11:30 AM. This meeting is already off to a bad start.

"Hi. Thank you for meeting me."

"What's this about?"

"Look, I know things haven't always been easy between us." Tom remains silent and stoic, his expression guarded as he waits to see where this will go. Yelena’s attempts to conceal her unease only amplifies it. She's never been good at masking her genuine emotions or engaging in fake pleasantries, especially in situations like this. "All we've both ever wanted is the best thing for our daughter."

"MY daughter. She's nothing of yours. Ereka is MY daughter."

Yelena bites back her tongue and fights the urge to respond to Tom’s provocatory dig. If they start getting into it less than ten sentences into the conversation, this isn't going to go anywhere.

"All we want is the best for Ereka."

"I know that's what *I* want, yeah."

Yelena's phone screen illuminates, signaling an incoming text. She glances at it briefly. It's from Kate. Aware that her wife is oblivious to the current situation she finds herself in, Yelena decides to ignore the message for the time being, already anticipating Kate's displeasure when she eventually finds out.

Tom's eyes fly to the screen. His expression hardens and he locks his jaw as his eyes zero in on the background image. It's a photograph taken during the pregnancy announcement shoot Kate insisted on having. The still captures Kate, Ereka, Russell, and a pregnant Yelena standing in a vibrant field of fall-colored trees, radiating pure joy. It undoubtedly gets under Tom’s skin.

"What do you want? Why did you call me here?" Tom presses.

"We had a conversation with Ereka last night. More like she had a conversation with us where she made a request. We...I....*I* thought maybe you and I could talk like adults about it and deal with the situation. Parent to parent."

"You're not her parent, so...if there's anything going on with my kid, Kate can talk to me about it."

"Whether you like it or not, the judge granted me legal guardianship too."

"That fucking bitch judge fucked me over. I deserved full custody."

"Tom, I don't want to fight about that. That's not why I'm here."

"Then why are we here? Why is Kate not here?"

"I told you. Because I thought you and I could have a grownup chat."

"The fuck is going on with my kid?"

"I need you to listen to me. Before you respond or do anything, I need you to listen to me. That's all I'm asking for."

"If you don't tell me right now, I'm calling Kate. She'll tell me."

"Ereka wants to modify the custody agreement."

"What?"

"Ereka doesn't want to have overnight visits anymore. She doesn't feel comfortable being in your home, witnessing your family's behavior, and also just being away from us and her siblings. She made that very clear."

"My baby's twelve. She can't want or have a say in anything." Tom pounds his fist on the table violently, rocking everything and forcing all eyes in the room to turn to them for a split second. "If I find out you've been filling my kid's head with crap...I swear to fucking god I will end you."

"Ereka's happiness and well-being should be our priority."

"YOU…" Tom’s pointer finger comes within an inch of Yelena’s face. She musters every bit of self-control in order to not grab it and break it clean. "…don't get to tell me what my priority with my daughter is. She's MY kid and she comes home to me."

"That's not going to happen anymore."

“What? What’s not gonna happen?”

"I'm not forcing Ereka to do something she doesn't want to do."

"Try to take my kid away from me...see how that goes. You already stole my wife. You try to take my kid too and that's the last thing you ever do."

Yelena's demeanor takes on a sharper edge, her expression a mix of fury and defiance. Tom sneers, his eyes narrowing as he fiercely locks his eyes with Yelena.

"Are you threatening me?" Yelena asks, her tone challenging.

Tom leans forward, his voice dripping with venomous assurance.

"I'm telling you what's going to happen if Ereka isn't at my house this weekend. ALL weekend. Just a very clear warning."

"If she doesn't want to go, she's not going to go."

Yelena holds firm, unwavering. Tom's face contorts with rage, his entire body giving off menacing energy.

"If you come between me and my kid, I will fucking end you. I'll fucking kill you."

The remark hangs heavy in the air.

"That's a threat.” Yelena retorts, her voice calm and steady.

"Take that however you fucking want, but Ereka better be at my house at 10 AM on Saturday."

Tom abruptly stands, frenziedly ripping his coat off the back of the chair, and storms out of the café.

---

Kate's fingers fly across the keyboard and the rapid clacking of keys punctuate the silence of her office. She’s fully immersed, pouring her focus into crafting this proposal.

A firm knock on the door jolts Kate out of her flow. She recognizes the cadence of the thumping instantly - it’s her assistant. Annoyance flickers across her face, knowing this interruption will disrupt her momentum.

"What's up, Ash?"

Her assistant pops her head in while offering a courteous grin.

"Your wife is here."

Kate looks at her confused, with her brows furrowed in surprise.

"What?"

"Lobby just called. I told them to let her up so she's on her way. Should I let her in?"

"Yeah. Of course. Yeah. Thank you."

---

A few minutes later, a second knock reverberates through the office. Kate also recognizes this rapping without reticence - it unmistakably belongs to Yelena. The corners of Kate’s lips curl and her face lights up as she watches the door swing open, revealing her visibly pregnant wife standing there.

Their eyes meet and the mere sight of Yelena erases any trace of the stress and preoccupation Kate felt moments ago. She promptly pushes her chair back, eager to greet her wife.

"This is a nice surprise." As soon as the door closes behind her, Kate presses her lips against Yelena's in a tender, affectionate kiss while her hands instinctively come to rest on either side of Yelena's stomach. Kate steals a second kiss. "Hi."

"Hey."

"What are you doing here?"

"I did something...and I could've waited until tonight, but I also didn't know if you were going to get a call or text before that, so I figured it might be best to talk in person."

Kate's smile fades as she reads the somber expression on Yelena's face. Concern fills her eyes as she responds.

"What happened?"

"Can we sit? My back is killing me."

"Yeah. Yeah. Of course."

Kate places an allaying hand on the small of Yelena’s back, guiding her towards the two-person couch opposite her desk. They settle on the sofa and Yelena shifts her body slightly, opening herself up to face Kate directly.

"Not going to lie, I'm kind of very nervous right now. You never just show up at my office, especially not being cryptic."

A touch of humor paints Kate’s voice as she tries to ease the tension. She surveys her wife’s face, searching for answers.

"I talked to Tom."

"You did…what?" Kate asks, aghast at the mere idea.

"I called him and asked him to meet me at a coffee shop earlier. We talked about the custody situation because I don't think..."

"Why would you do that?!"

"Because I don't think she should go back if she doesn't want to."

Kate's voice rises with frustration and disbelief.

"No, no. What you want, what you REALLY want is to 'beat' him. That's what you want...You should've stayed out of my kid's custody business."

"YOUR kid?" Yelena scoffs bitterly. "Are you taking talking points from him now?"

"It was NOT your place to do that." Kate's eyes narrow as she retorts, her tone sharp and accusatory.

"He threatened to kill me."

"Yeah, I'd do the same if someone showed up talking about taking my daughter away from me. What would you do?"

"If I were an incompetent, insane drunk, I would want what's best for my children."

Kate's vexation intensifies, and she stands up, putting distance between them. She walks to her desk and starts to pace in front of it. The room feels tense, the air heavy with unspoken indignation from both sides.

"I asked you to leave it. I told you to leave it alone."

"She shouldn't..."

"You can make unilateral decisions about what kind of jelly you pick up at the store. You don't get to make unilateral decisions about custody shit, Yelena. I can't believe I'm having to even say this to you."

"I was doing what's best for her."

"No. NO, this was your chance to have another pissing contest with him and use her as an excuse. She's not a thing you use to get back at him."

"That's not what happened."

"That's EXACTLY what happened. She's my daughter and you are WAY out of line. Neither of you has claim over her."

Yelena's expression becomes steely.

"I only wanted to fill you in before I went to the police."

Kate's eyes shoot up and widen as she stares Yelena down.

"What are you talking about?"

"He made pointed threats against our family, so I'm filing a police report and requesting an emergency restraining order against him. For all of us. I already called the school and let them know he's not allowed to see her until further notice."

"If you don't wanna be signing divorce papers too, you leave this alone. I'll talk to him and this'll be done. We'll pretend it didn't happen."

"I can't do that, Kate.” Yelena’s resolve strengthens and her voice is firm.

"Yelena, I'm being so beyond serious right now. Drop it."

"I'm sorry, Kate, but I can't in good conscience leave it open for him to harm our family."

Kate's frustration boils over, and she strikes her hand down on the desk.

"WE WOULDN'T BE HERE IF YOU HADN'T PULLED THIS SHIT! I told you...I asked you not to touch it. And what did you do? Go behind my back and blow our entire lives up. For what? FOR WHAT?!"

"For Ereka."

"Don't. Do not use her as an excuse. This is all on you."

Kate reaches for her phone, her fingers negligibly trembling as she taps on the screen. She brings the device to her ear, determined to undo whatever Yelena just set in motion.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling him. Controlling the situation before this gets out of hand."

"Kate, that's..."

Kate interrupts her curtly, her words teeming with aggravation.

"Don't talk to me right now."

The call goes to voicemail. Kate's impatience grows, but she tries once more.

"Katherine."

The utterance of her full name makes Kate glare at her wife, her eyes flashing warning signs that Yelena is willingly ignoring.

When the call goes to voicemail once more, Kate jumps into action. She reaches for her purse and heads to the door, her movements swift and purposeful.

"Where are you going?"

"To find him. And Yelena...if you file that report or a restraining order, you might as well also start looking for a divorce attorney because I'm not playing this game with you. I won’t. We are OVER if you do."

Without uttering another word, Kate stomps out of the office, leaving Yelena alone. The weight of their strained relationship hangs heavily in the air, thickening it with unresolved tension.

---

A few hours later. The front door to the apartment swings open with a burst of energy, and Kate ushers her lively children inside. Laughter and the pitter-patter of tiny feet fill the air, infusing the space with a tangible joy and warmth. Like a conductor orchestrating the symphony of their homecoming, Kate deftly navigates the chaos and issues detailed instructions, guiding Ereka and Russell through their tasks for the evening. As the children settle into their respective activities, Kate makes her way to the bedroom to change into more cozy clothes.

Kate turns the doorknob and freezes in her tracks. Not only is her wife already home, but she’s immersed in an intense flurry of activity. Once a sanctuary of peace, the room is now a battlefield of chaos. Clothes and shoes are strewn haphazardly across the floor, like casualties of a tempestuous storm. Before a symbol of order and serenity, the walk-in closet now stands open, its contents spilling out in disarray, mirroring the turmoil that has taken hold of their lives. The atmosphere crackles with an electric tension, as if the very walls hold their breath, knowing they’re about to witness the unfolding drama.

There, in the thick of the chaos she created, stands Yelena. Her movements are frenetic, driven by an urgency that cannot be ignored. She hastily stuffs clothes into a suitcase, the rustling fabric punctuating the charged silence that fills the room. As their eyes meet, a kaleidoscope of emotions dance across their faces. Upon seeing Kate, Yelena's hands momentarily freeze before she resumes her frantic packing. With firm resolve, the rhythmic zip of the luggage bag serves as an intransigent punctuation mark, echoing with profound finality that pulsates throughout the living quarters.

"What are you doing?"

"When it actually came down to me and him, you picked him." Yelena utters, cold and distant.

Kate explosively thrusts their bedroom door shut and charges over to Yelena, feeling a wave of anger detonate within her.

"I didn't pick ANYONE. I picked sanity and peace. For them. They will always be my priority." Kate crosses her arms over her chest and stares at the floor, mind racing. A long beat and a million thoughts later, she scoffs. "After everything...'you picked him.' If *this*..." Kate spiritedly points around their room. "If THIS is what 'picking him' looks like Yelena, then I'm curious what you think 'picking you' would entail. Because fuck...WOW."

Yelena crams one last pair of pants into the already overstuffed duffle bag that sits next to the hefty suitcase she just filled. Her tense body struggles to force the zipper halves to meet; its bulging shape evidence of her lack of thoughtfulness while packing. The fabric strains against the zipper, resisting her efforts to contain its contents. After a few firm yanks, the metallic teeth reluctantly interlock, sealing her belongings within. Yelena grabs the handle of the large rolling bag before slinging the strap of her duffle over her shoulder, and a sudden surge of adrenaline propels her forward in the direction of the door.

Before she can make her escape, Kate's hand shoots out as Yelena storms past her. Her fingers find their mark, latching on to Yelena's forearm, their grip like a vice, anchoring her in place. Their eyes lock in a fiery exchange, a tempest of emotions brewing within their depths and threatening to consume them both.

"Where are you going?"

Yelena points to the envelope resting atop the dresser. Kate retrieves it, her jittery fingers slowly tearing it open. Inside lies an emergency restraining order against Tom accompanied by a police report.

"I'm keeping them safe. At any cost." The women glare at each other. Kate takes a step back, willingly putting distance between them. Her heart pounds in her chest as she meets Yelena's gaze. They’re now locked in a battle of wills. "I'm taking him with me."

"You're not taking him anywhere."

"We're just going to the Ritz for a few nights. Until we can figure out what's happening next."

"Yelena, my son's not leaving this apartment."

A clash of emotions thunders through the room, their conflicting desires colliding into a torrent of raw feelings.

"If Ereka is YOUR daughter, then that's MY son. That's how it works, right?"

"You're being petty about this?"

"I'm being logical."

Yelena's words cut through the air, her tone shifting to cold and calculated. Each syllable carries a sharpness that slices through their relationship's already fraying threads, leaving an icy tension behind.

"You're not even in the same universe as logical right now."

"Must be pregnancy brain, I guess." Yelena bites back.

Kate’s patience officially reaches its breaking point. She truculently strides to where Yelena stands, her steps exuding steadfastness. In a display of unyielding and assertive belligerence, Kate snatches the duffle bag from Yelena's shoulder, ripping it away without hesitation. With a single speedy motion, Kate hurls the bag several feet away, the velocity causing the already tenuous hold the zipper had to give way. The contents spill out, scattering haphazardly across the floor.

"Sit." The word hangs in the air, pregnant with authority. What Kate uttered wasn’t a request; it was a command and one that left no room for negotiation. When Yelena doesn’t move, Kate's tone grows more forceful, compelling her to comply. "Sit down." Kate reaches into her pocket and pulls out her phone. She dials a number with exigency. "I'm calling Landers, see if he can squeeze us in as an emergency right now."

"I don't need a therapy session. I need to go lie down."

"Bed's right there. Help yourself." Kate snaps at Yelena with a venomous undertone. "Hi Janey. This is Kate Bishop-Belova. I have a bit of a serious situation and I'm wondering if there's any way Joy can see us tonight? It's an emergency...Uhum...Uhum...Yeah. Please. That would be so helpful...Yeah. This number is fine...You're incredible. Thank you...Okay. Talk soon." Kate hangs up. "She doesn't know if tonight will be possible, but she'll talk to Landers and see if maybe tomorrow morning might work."

Yelena scoffs dismissively, her irritation evident.

"This is stupid."

"Yeah, I agree. Everything you've done today is BEYOND stupid."

"I already made a reservation."

"I couldn't give two shits about your reservation. Sit down. You are not blowing up our lives tonight. I'm not letting it happen."

"You're the one who brought up divorce."

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S BEING INSANE!" Kate screams, her voice cracking with emotion. "I can't talk to you right now, or I might say some things that I don't actually mean."

"Then let me go to the hotel."

"You're not going anywhere." Kate's words carry the significance of an ultimatum as she makes for the door. "I need to figure out dinner. What do you want?" Kate asks in an attempt to shift the focus away from their escalating argument.

"Nothing." Yelena's response is curt and indifferent.

"Pizza it is."

With that final declaration, Kate exits the room and shuts the door with a bang.

---

The sound of rushing water fills the air. Kate stands at the kitchen sink, dangling Russell in front of the open tap as she diligently works to wash away the splatters of paint that have found their way onto his tiny hands. The colorful streaks mix with the swirling water, creating a mesmerizing spectacle and carrying away the colorful remnants of his artistic escapade. Lost in her task and the words of the babbling boy, Kate momentarily forgets the apprehension that saturates the apartment.

But then she hears adult footsteps approaching from behind, disrupting the tranquil rhythm of the moment. Kate turns, her eyes widening as she sees Yelena purposefully making her way to the entrance, her duffle bag slung over her shoulder and her suitcase clutched tightly in her hand. A surge of panic courses through Kate, pushing her to act without a moment's hesitation. She swiftly shuts off the water and sets Russell down, his little feet pattering on the tiled floor as he toddles away, overjoyed that his paint-streaked hands are forgotten for the moment. Filled with a sense of impending doom, Kate compels her bare feet to glide across the kitchen tiles as she chases after Yelena.

"Hey. Hey. Was I not clear?"

"I'm not your child, Kate."

"You're acting like it." Refusing to let Yelena slip away unchallenged, Kate corners her wife in the foyer and plants herself firmly mere inches away from her. "Go back to the room. Pizza's going to be here in forty minutes."

"I'm going to the hotel."

"No, you're not."

Kate’s voice hardens, drawing a line in the sand. They glare at each other.

"Are you going to back me up on this?"

"No. You're wrong, so I'm not. I'm still not letting you leave because you're being beyond unreasonable. I'm not letting this get worse than it already is."

Yelena tries to push to the door, but Kate stands her ground, blocking her path with her body.

"Katherine..."

"I'm trying to stop you from fucking up this marriage."

"What if I don't want you to?"

They lock eyes, each searching for answers in the depths of the other’s gaze.

"Now you're just trying to piss me off. I know you too well. Go lie down. I'll send one of them to get you when food is here." Yelena doesn't move. "Who do I call to get rid of that stupid restraining order?"

"You can't end a protective order I requested."

"Then do it. Take care of it."

"No."

Yelena is resolute. Kate takes a measured, deep breath, making a concerted effort to keep herself centered.

"Yelena…”

"We've done it your way for years. It's never worked. It's about time we try it my way."

"I'm not backing you up on this. Get rid of it."

"No." Yelena repeats, somehow even more unwavering.

"You know what...fine. You want to destroy our lives this bad...be my guest." Kate finally relents. She steps back, giving Yelena all the space she needs to open the door and leave. After a beat of stillness, Yelena opens the door and walks out. Kate stands by, flummoxed, her heart heavy with incredulity and heartbreak. "I want you to be so very clear that you're the one doing this. You're the one walking away. Again. You're leaving a second time." Kate's voice quivers with a mix of anger and hurt. That stops Yelena in her tracks. "You said you'd never do that again. You promised and I believed you, so what is this? You promised."

With a heavy sigh, Kate steps away from the entrance, retreating back into the apartment but leaving the door wide open.

---

As Kate attends to the remnants of Russell's mess, the faint sound of the front door closing reaches her ears, stirring her from her thoughts. She turns her head, her attention abruptly drawn to the entrance. Her heart withers at the conclusive thud that reverberates through the air. To her amazement, seconds later, Yelena emerges from the foyer. Their eyes briefly connect in a charged moment before Yelena clenches her jaw tightly and strides deeper into the apartment, vanishing down the hallway that leads to their shared bedroom. Not long after, a resounding boom fills the air as the door is violently slammed shut, further emphasizing the growing chasm between them.

Lost in a maelstrom of emotions that threaten to engulf her whole, Kate's eyes linger on that hallway. Russell takes advantage of her distraction, seizing the opportunity to indulge himself. In a sudden burst of movement, the boy leans forward with a rascally grin and his tiny hands break the water's surface. The cold liquid splashes in all directions, showering the immediate area, including a generous dousing directly onto Kate's face. The shock of the gelid liquid snaps Kate back to reality with a gasp, her senses jolted by the sudden and unexpected intrusion. The temperature forces her breath to catch in her throat while droplets cling to her skin and drip down her face. It is a moment of undeniable clarity, a gentle reminder that life persists even in the midst of turmoil.

At least there's still a way back. It's cracked but not shattered. There's still a way to fix it.

#listen...its fucking 6:10am if you find a typo no you didnt #if there's any mistake or anythign doesnt make sense...no you didnt and yes it does #I'll reread this shit when I wake up but my brain wouldnt let me go to sleep until it was done #ive been staring at this for like twelve hours straight or something #just take it #kymau #kymaup #anonymous #answers

[theowritesfiction]

So, I haven’t been able to stop re-watching the spop finale for several days in a row, and it brings me to tears every time, and I’m trying to understand why it hits so hard.

They really built the characters up so well, though, so perhaps it’s not a surprise. I often find it harder to empathize with the protagonist of a show, I need them to have some serious flaws for me to do so. I think with Adora, it boils down to the same reasons why I love Katara. They’re both the quintessential good girls, but they both have some serious flaws as well.

Adora has a massive martyr complex, which I think ties into her confusion and inability to separate her own identity from that of She-Ra. She believes that she has no worth to other people and even to her friends if she can’t be She-Ra. She is genuinely surprised and can’t answer when Catra asks what does she, Adora and not She-Ra, wants. She believes that everything they’re facing is her own personal cross to bear, but it’s not because of hubris, it’s because she genuinely believes that if She-Ra can’t protect Etheria and her friends, then what good really is she? It’s an interesting similarity of Adora and Catra, that even though their motivations are completely different, the outcome is often the same in that they both end up pushing people closest to them away. And I think a lot of this goes back to Adora’s upbringing in the Horde, and her inability to shake off the mindset that she will only be wanted for as long as she remains useful.

The moment where we see Adora understanding that she’s not coming back from the Heart is one of those that gets me every time. It’s especially painful because at the same time as she realizes that she won’t survive this, we finally see the true hopes and dreams of Adora, not She-Ra – she dreams of herself and Catra, and their life together. And I think it’s the combination of both these things, Adora finally admitting to herself what she wants, and hearing Catra’s confession, that gives her the strength to save herself in the end. Together with the amazing voice acting of those scenes, it’s truly a work of art.

Now, as for Catra, it’s way easier to understand why I became so invested in her. Her redemption arc was something I wanted Azula to have, and something very similar would have worked perfectly for Azula. Catra does a lot of reprehensible stuff throughout the show, however, each and every one of her terrible decisions is set up perfectly, usually through some tragic mistake of her own making – but not always, same as with Azula, there’s a lot of blame to go around.

With Catra, the hardest hitting moment for me might actually be in Failsafe. It’s so incredibly telling that Catra is the first who immediately realizes what Adora is prepared to do, way before Bow or Glimmer realize it, because Catra truly is that one person who knows Adora best. And this time, she’s not going to stick around to see Adora abandon her again, she’s not going to get her heart broken one last time. This time, she’ll be the one doing the leaving. That, together with admitting her feelings for Adora to Melog is probably the most emotional Catra scene for me.

I have also been thinking a lot about the final scene when Catra pleads with Adora not to give up and begs her to stay. And for some reason, I thought that this was the first time when Catra has actually done anything or pleaded with someone not to leave her, but of course, that’s not quite true. It made me remember that scene on the ship, where Catra overcame her pride and begged Adora to stay with her while her chip was removed. And that got me thinking about the importance of that scene in the context of the ending. Was that always supposed to be that important first step of rebuilding their trust without which perhaps Catra wouldn’t have dared to bare her heart the way she did at the Heart of Etheria? It’s an interesting question.

Anyway, I have rambled on far enough. In short, I guess I will never stop getting emotional about Adora, Catra and their ending. <3

#spop #adora #catra #catradora #atla parallels #final spop thoughts

[aprillikesthings]

Now that I've spent a good day thinking about how hot it is when Catra is a terrible person corrupted by setting off a portal, I'm ready to go back to (re)watching her try to be Good lolol

well okay more than one day.

I mean I literally spent the last four? five? days listening to songs off The Downward Spiral over and over while thinking about Catra and practicing my makeup for my Catra cosplay and ordering more of the things I need for it; like literally just staring off into space at work between phone calls thinking about Catra

I'm totally a well-adjusted middle-aged adult, thanks for asking!

Shit where did I even leave off

Oh right

SO HEY if you're new here, I've been rewatching all of the 2018 She-Ra, and I started doing it for fic-writing reasons but predictably I have become deeply obsessed. Anyway these posts sometimes have a lot of asides and commentary and references to other stuff and dumb jokes among a ton of screenshots, also (and it feels odd saying it this close to the end of the show) it's a RE-watch, so there's often spoilers for later bits of the story, also I keep trying NOT to just describe the entire plots of the episodes but I keep failing lol

s5 ep7 Perils of Peekablue

Adora's trying to become She-Ra (without an immanent threat) and then Bow and Glimmer distract her, and then the door opens on Catra and

I literally did a YES YES YESSSS AHAHAH out loud bc this is the point at which Catra just starts OPENLY FLIRTING, as opposed to just uhhhh flirtatiously taunting I suppose lol

like you're SITTING IN HER LAP

Also while rewinding it to watch again I paused it at the most hilarious moment

look at Catra's FACE

help I can't stop laughing but also look at Bow's expression

Glimmer: omg I'm gonna get to see my dad Catra: *gets up and leaves*

But also I make this face when a cat leaves my lap before I wanted them to:

Anyway they're a day out from arriving at Etheria

Adora's trying so hard

BACK ON ETHERIA

YAY IT'S THIS ONE

the intro finally changed!! I can't get a good screenshot but now when Catra (with short hair) and Adora (in She-Ra's new get-up) are fighting they stop much faster and they're both smiling omgggg

and there she is!! with everyone else!!

okay I'm going to take way less screenshots etc of the underwater speakeasy thing because let's be honest: that part of the plot isn't what I'm here for lol

But yeah they're going to the speakeasy thing to get Prince Peekablue who can see to the edges of the galaxy and can maybe tell them where Adora and the others are because they don't know what happened

Oh also Spinarella is chipped and Netossa is realizing something is off/weird about her but doesn't know what

Oh hey! You used to work for Huntara in the Crimson Wastes

Sea Hawk has pissed off approximately half the people in the room it seems (by lighting their ships on fire at some point)

Scorpia and Perfuma are the cutest and I can absolutely see how they end up together

In my fic I originally had Adora talking to some kind of therapist but I wasn't sure they existed on Etheria, and last week I edited that bit so Adora is talking to these two (which makes the conversation more fun AND easier to write anyway)

Perfuma: "Scorpia. You should do things not because you're good at them, but because they make you happy." THAT IS ONE OF MY LIFE PHILOSOPHIES thank you Perfuma you're 100% correct and I tell people this ALL THE TIME

Mermista: "I might've set their boat on fire. Just to see what it felt like."

Sea Hawk:

lolol

YESSSS I love this scene

Perfuma makes a flower, throws it to Scorpia as she sings, and she blushes and tucks it into her hair, these two are so sweet and cute

oh god I forgot that when "Prince Peekablue" get stung by Scorpia they go through the last half-dozen shapeshifts before turning into a (passed-out) Double Trouble.

lolol instead of "cash cow" it's an insult to poor Catra

Anyway they have the info the Rebellion wanted!

Horde Prime is pissed and has blockaded the planet, also half the people at the speakeasy were chipped....and now so is Mermista, though nobody realizes that yet

But also the phrasing of "She-ra stole his little kitten away" is just amazing

But also the last they heard, Adora and Bow and Entrapta had left to rescue Glimmer, do they think Double Trouble is talking about Glimmer here or what

(which. they did. they just also went back for Catra.)

Netossa realizes her wife (and most of the people around them) are chipped D:

And a chipped Mermista is gonna drown them all

oh shit Micah is also chipped

Entrapta gets the comms working!

"The Rebellion's been compromised! Horde Prime has them! We lost, I'm so sorry! We lost them!" --and then the comms go to static

AND CREDITS!

#april rewatches spop #perils of peekablue

[enchanted-lightning-aes]

A Vivid Display

A/N: just a tale of Tegan and Hwan from Lines of A Script to Ignore! a canon scene, where-in Tegan’s bringing Hwan to a decent place. in the actual story, it’ll be from Hwan’s POV. for this short, tho, it’s from the other way around.^^

Word Count: 788

TW: implied romance, the dynamic’s platonic at this point, tho.

***

"Where are we going?" Hwan asks, looking out at a window.

"Just a cool spot close by," Tegan answers, parking her car in an empty space.

Unlocking the doors, she opens one and slips out of the driver's seat. Both of them walk into a pavement. Ahead of them, there's a building with space-themed posters displayed above an entrance. People go in and out of glass doors, which seal open for them to go in.

Beside Tegan, Hwan slows down on her pace. She blinks.

She's been thinking about it for a while. About showing her around Enrevarde and what cool places it's got to offer.

After all, Hwan's been abroad for about six years. There's tons of sights to visit and see how it's different.

Hwan's eyes widen slightly. "This is what you invited me to see?"

"Ah, yeah." Tegan clasps her hands together, slightly averting her eyes from her.

"A planetarium?" Hwan asks, raising her brows. "What the. . . since when did this country have a planetarium?"

"It opened up about four years ago," she explains.

Hwan compresses her mouth slightly. "Huh, it's why I didn't see this place back then."

Tegan beckons her to follow her into the entrance. They enter the building's foyer, greeted by a line of planet figures on the ceiling.

She registered for access to this planetarium. It took a while since she had to fork out some Euros from her wallet. She hopes this might be worth it. However, the look on Hwan's face as she sees what she finds might be worth it too. It's got a ton of space-related things, so she can go wherever she wants.

If she's interested in that, that is.

For the most part, Tegan's doing this to let Hwan have a good time.

"I've also got tickets for a show they're going to put on a projector. Two seats for us. Or one if you'd rather be on your own."

"Okay. . . thank you for that."

"Hey, it's gonna be amazing."

I think you'll like this place, she doesn't add.

When their eyes meet, Hwan merely arches a brow. Then she lifts her shoulder in a shrug.

"I guess I'll explore around to see if check your theory. So, how long are we supposed to be here?"

"Maybe until it gets late."

"You've got to be kidding. It's like you're trying to trick me into a trap."

"Look, I have nothing except honorable intentions," Tegan assures, tossing her hands up. "If this makes it any better, I promise you'll be back home before midnight."

Either way, Tegan chuckles. Hwan adjusts her black jacket, crossing her arms.

Upon inspecting her clothing, she scratches the top of her head.

She used to wear brighter colors, often styling her hair as pigtails. She had braces and glasses too. She heard some bits of how she used to hang out with preppy students. How they stripped her of what she was. How she used to hide certain aspects of herself. How they turned her into a person, who she wasn't glad to be.

It sucks, Tegan thinks, glaring at a corner. Those people didn't appreciate Hwan for who she is.

If Tegan can be someone, who Hwan might be comfortable to be herself with, she'd be more than thrilled. Of course, they're still technically strangers in a way. . . she's willing to wait for it. She needs to get to know her better for them to get there.

As they reach to a queue, Tegan gives Hwan her ticket. They need to wait before getting into the theater to watch.

Some lights descended from above, scattering across the room in different hues. Probably to ensure visitors aren't getting bored.

Hwan just stares around as if she's surrounded by undiscovered colors. She must really adore space, doesn't she? A glimmer fills her dark brown eyes as her lips slightly part.

Tegan's stuck on the spot, floored by the sight of her. Her heart thrums to a steady beat on her chest. She lets out a quick breath.

There's a precious quality in how Hwan's unabashedly enthralled by this. That pure admiration shining in her expression. A rare trait to see in most people, really.

"Ooh! There's a telescope!"

Her voice snaps her out of her thoughts. Right, she's supposed to be her companion, not be distracted.

"Do you. . . do you want to check it out?" Tegan asks, clearing her throat.

"Well, if it's alright with you," Hwan answers, twisting her bag's strap.

"Sure, it's fine by me." Tegan tries to smile.

Hwan gives a thumbs up and she goes towards a staircase. Tegan trails after her, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

Yeah. . . this is going to be a bit complicated.

***

#writeblr #creative writing #flash fiction friday #fff99 #enchant: loasti

[queen-rainy-love]

Part 2. Creampuff and Knight are looking for a spell to turn Clotted back to normal faster. CC & RV are in the living room, just chilling, and Maddie, Clover, and Custard III comes in. They notice small CC and wonder who this is. Rv tells them, they are shock. CC tells them that he’s bored, they show him fun activities, like sword fencing, and etc. CC says he hates it and walks away. They follow him and realize that he actually prefers reading books. Part 3 soon. Lol

Oooo! Can't wait for part 3!

*The scene is set in the Pure Lily siblings' CK home. Cream Puff and Knight were in the mini library while Clotted Cream and Red Velvet were sitting in the living room.*

Knight: What are we looking for?

Cream Puff: It's a counter reverse spell. It has to be in one of these books.

Knight: *picks a book* Well, let's pray we can find it.

*Meanwhile, Clotted Cream and Red Velvet were waiting awkwardly in the living room. Clotted Cream swung his legs as Red Velvet petted Goldie. It wasn't long until Madeleine, Clover, and Custard III walked in.*

Madeleine: My! How fun was that training-*noticed Red Velvet and Clotted Cream on the couch* Oh! Little Velvet! How was your walk? And who's this child? Where did he come from?

Red Velvet: First off...you know I hate that nickname. Second...this is...Clotted Cream.

Clover:...What?

Red Velvet: Long story short...Cream Puff...And spell backfired.

All three: Ooooohhhh...

Red Velvet: Both she and Marble are looking for a counterspell for this. So for now, I'm just keeping him company.

Custard III: Then let us help! My big brother needs us! *pounces over to Clotted Cream* What do you want to do?

Clotted Cream: Well...I-I'm a b-bit bored.

Madeleine: Well then...let's do some activities.

*The five Cookies headed outside. Madeleine tried to get Clotted Cream to sword fencing, but Clotted Cream couldn't lift the medium-sized wooden sword. Clover tried to get Clotted Cream to explore the plants, but Clotted Cream wasn't paying attention. Red Velvet tried to get Clotted Cream to pet all the Cake Hounds, but Clotted Cream just hid behind the general. Finally, Custard III tried to get Clotted Cream to play tea party, but Clotted Cream didn't want to play. At that point, the four gave up.*

Red Velvet: That didn't work...

Custard III: I thought he would have want to play.

Madeleine: Maybe if we encourage him more, then-

Clover: Hold up. *Everyone looks at him* How about we ask Clotted Cream what he wants to do. *Kneels down to Clotted Cream* Sorry for not listening to you, Clotted Cream. What do you want to do?

*Clotted Cream thought for a moment before walking back to the house. The other four followed him. The moment they were back in the house, Clotted Cream rushed to the mini library and came back with a book nearly falling out of his hands.*

Madeleine: You want one of us to read to you?

Clotted Cream: N-no. I-I want to r-read this b-book.

Red Velvet: What is it about?

Clotted Cream: *eyes glimmer* I-it's about a captain who travels all over the world to rescue his wife from her evil mother.

Clover: We see. Can you read it to us?

Clotted Cream: Really?!

Clover: Of course! We want to know if the captain succeeds in his task.

*Clotted Cream smiles before climbing on the couch and starts reading to everyone.*

#cookie run kingdom #crk headcanons #clotted cream cookie #red velvet cookie #knight cookie #clover cookie #madeleine cookie #custard cookie the third #custard cookie iii #cream puff cookie

[fluffleforce-mysdrym]

andromeda and cassiopia please!!

I'm going to do both Of a Feather and the Soulmate story I'm working on:

Of a Feather:

Andromeda - Describe your main characters

Adrestes - skintone cyan, hair a deep midnight blue. At a glance, he'd look to be mid to late thirties, with a few faint lines around his eyes and mouth. He keeps his hair cropped short, a bit shorter than Pelagos' hair ingame. He is muscular without being super buff, and his feathers are the traditional kyrian white with bluish tips. His wings are designed for power soaring, like an eagle's. His eyes are typical kyrian, glowing white. He has a faint smattering of freckles across his cheeks and arms, though few see them because of his armor. His posture is impeccable and so he generally looks even taller than he is because his back is so damned straight and his shoulders squared, even when relaxed.

Liila (alive) - very pale, like she's never seen sunlight pale, hair a very dark crimson that reaches down past her butt when she lets it hang loose, though she usually keeps it up in a messy bun or a long braid over her shoulder. She is a bit short for an elf, and waifish. She's doesn't look as bad as she used to, but she's still a bit underweight, and always looks a little...delicate. Her eyes glow a light blue. She's the elven equivalent of about 28-30, though she looks a little older because of the circles under her eyes and the worn look that she can never quite shake. She has a bit of a slump to her shoulders, and her ears are long and pointed, as most elven ears are.

Liila (dead) - her skin is a pale, light blue with some darker freckles across her skin, and her hair is teal, growing lighter near the tips like most kyrian hair to look like the bottom glows white. She's willowy, with, with the barest hint of muscles. Her wings, when she finally gets them are like a pelican's (thermal glider). She has a few almost grayish-blue spots on her wings that get darker the closer to the tips they get. She looks like she's in her late twenties, early thirties, still bearing that worn/tired look, though it is marginally better than when she was alive. Her eyes glow white with the faintest tinge of green to them, if one really looks.

Cassiopeia - What's your favorite scene so far?

Probably the scene where Liila and Adrestes tell each other they don't dislike each other. The awkward tension that bleeds out little by little, Adrestes being a tiny bit of a show off when he soars off, Liila realizing she likes him.

The other scene I really like is when Pelagos and Kleia go to Nikolon to get help with viewing Liila's memory. I liked writing the part about the scene being a hodgepodge of past and present, of Pelagos examining what they can see while Nikolon struggles to tell if they're playing with him or if this is seriously all they wanted to see.

Soulmate Story

Andromeda - describe your main characters

Drayis - he is very pale, with long, dark hair that he keeps in a ponytail at the nape of his neck. His eyes are brown, and he rarely smiles. He looks a little young for his age, mid thirties. He squints a lot, and has impeccable posture. He usually comes off as a little cold to outright frosty.

Emmi - Emmi is slender and tanned, with freckles everywhere. Her hair is a deep, rich brown with reddish highlights and her eyes are very dark, almost black. She has an athletic body, and looks her age, 28. She's already starting to get laugh lines around her mouth, and her smile is radiant and infectious. There's usually a bit of a glimmer of mischief in her eyes.

Cassiopeia - What's your favorite scene so far?

I haven't really written anything for it yet--still planning it out--but a scene I have in my head is where Emmi sort of gets possessed by a Shade. She walks into the shadows, with them pooling and curling around her while she reaches out toward the Shade hidden within, almost floating, barefoot.

Thank you for the ask :D

#this took so long because I had to look up a reference for Liila and Adrestes' wings #could not remember >.>

[husbandohunter]

Dottore with short drabble “You only ever brought me pain and I’m sick of it.”

Something angsty pls? Thank you!

Tainted Glass [Dottore x Reader/Genshin Impact]

Synopsis: Can you escape the prison you made?

(A twisted Cinderella story. The girl was covered in cinders because she was fatally addicted to drowning in flames.)

Warnings: angst, emotional abuse, violence, death

(A/n): To be honest anon, I didn’t know what the word ‘drabble’ means until I googled it. I uh...hope you don’t mind the length :> 

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

You fell back against the cold hard floor with your arms bent and head turned sideways. The stinging pain spreads across your cheek. It burns. But your mind was still trying to register what had just came into fruition. 

Why?

The thought was so foreign somehow as if you could hardly believe he was doing this. But then the scene plays in your head again. You froze, your gaze enlarged and clueless while staring at the pale ground as it slowly begins to darken in the seeping movement of his menacing, haunting shadow. 

"Insolent woman, you wretch!" He spat in a disgusted tone, "How dare you speak to me in such demanding manner? Have I already told you, only talk when you have something important to say?"

You didn't respond, rather you merely let the strands fall in front of your vision as you gingerly pressed your hand against the place where he hit you. 

I…don't quite understand…

Dottore glowers down at your hunched form. He was never a man known for the virtue of patience. This man, the one who calls him your husband, you learned a long time ago to not meet his eyes as they would signal a hint of dominance amidst his authority, especially during moments like these. You came to feel his eyes instead, they were usually intense and full of wrath, sometimes crazed and curious while looking at his finest creations. He always loved experimenting in his labratory. After all, it was the only thing that could truly make the madman smile.

What is it that I'm missing? Where did I go wrong?

And you would do anything to obtain at least a fraction of the love he had left in his heart. 

He marches onward with heavy footsteps, paying no mind to your well-being, "Tch get out of my sight. I don't have the time to entertain with anymore these theatrics."

At the sound of him leaving you darted your attention towards him, "Wait, come back. Come back, " you plea softly, "Hector…" But he ignores your call. The back of your fiance disappears behind the door and slams it with a resounding thud. He was gone. You couldn't save him.

"No," As a result, you burried your face into your palms and cried.

“I'm sorry.”

…

What is love?

Being raised in one of the most prestigious bloodlines of Fontaine, a life filled with riches since your parents were well known scholars throughout Teyvat, they provided you and your family with everything you needed. From exquisite dishes to priceless jewelry, yet even among those riches you never did find an answer to your question. They were tangibles and short-lasting, eventually leaving you with nothing until the glass of your heart was filled empty. They seemed to have cared more about their fortune along with the brightest child of their family line, your brother, a male heir, someone who fulfilled their expectations where you couldn't do so. And because he was able to give them what they wanted, he was loved.

I see, love is conditional.

Realizing that you possessed no talent to achieve what your brother had accomplished, you came to accept that you were undeserving of their love. Love was for the smart. Love was for the gifted.  Love was for everything you are not. There was no place for your kind and thus you locked yourself up in your bedroom chambers along with your fragile heart where no one would try to find you, picking up the books upon the shelves and getting lost in their fantasies. 

They told you many beautiful things about the world and many reasons why it was so tragic. Because they weren't real. The story begins with a princess who was a kind-hearted soul, deprived from the care of her evil stepmother and dreams of marrying a prince from a land far far away. They often end on a happily ever after with the princes finding her one true love. You've never seen anything like it. Where two people, despite the struggles they went through, loved each other unconditionally.

Unconditional love only exists in dreams.

Or so you thought to believe.

One day a man marched right at the doorsteps of your mansion. He was a student coming all the way from Sumeru Academia and had high hopes of building a business partnership with your father. The man was declined of course, you watched from the garden bushes as he was sent off back into his carriage. He stops abruptly and turns his head ajar to catch your figure, his inquisitive eyes were both striking and sharp. Like thorns of a rose that was ready to prick anyone who dares to come close. Even so, they made a very lasting impression.

Red eyes.

It was the first time that someone had looked your way.

Couple of months later, the government had arranged a grand ball where all nobles would gather and commit to building their social circle. Useless events. There was no reason for you to engage. While your parents were occupied with the latest gossips and your brother surrounded by fathers who were eager to marry their daughters to him, you snuck outside to the balcony and hid away from the crowd. Quiet at last. And as things should be. The moon was your only friend because she was just like you; half empty. Maybe that was why you still had a glimmer of hope for the other half to be filled. 

Part white, you inquired, pristine and untainted. From far away it looked similar to snow. 

"My, how pleasantly surprising."

While the other part was stained with black cinders.

You glanced over your shoulder to see a man leaning against the pillar. His mint coloured bangs were slicked back in a trendy fashion, complimenting the white suit he adorned himself with. The golden chains hanging around his ebony boots dangled and clanged with each step he took forward until the light finally reveals his face.

"You seem familiar," you say while squinting your eyes, "Are you the person my father rejected back in February?"

He quirks one brow and you were afraid if you had offended him. But before you could utter an apology, the man splits his lips into a toothy grin and bursts out into a maniac-like laughter. He was completely insane, you thought to yourself. Though he paid no mind to your discomfort and continued to dwell in his amusement, "Hahaha straightforward, I like it! So what if I am? Is it a requirement to be a noble for me to simply have a chat?"

"And if I may ask why?"

"Hmmm, why?" The man reaches for the balcony and presses his back there. He threw his head backward before drilling his ruby gaze into yours, "I too am not fond of annoying crowds. Those snobbish fools thinking they're above everyone else just because they have a couple of mora when that is all they are worth. It's almost too hilarious for my own good."

You could tell there was disdain in his tone. Mainly towards your father who were one of the many unkind nobles of Fontaine and was only liked because of his success. Gripping your hands upon the stone railings, you looked down at the distant trees below while the wind rustled them apart, "I can't deny that," you say dissapointedly, "It's common for nobles not to associate with lower classes as it could potentially ruin their image. Though I may not have been there but I'm sure you had much to offer in terms of your brilliance, erm, Mister…?"

"Hector," Hector placed a palm on his chest with a polite bow following suit, "Hector Dufour-Lapointé. It is a pleasure to make you an acquaintance Lady (Y/n)."

"You know my name?"

"How could I not?" Hector smirks lazily as he danced around you, "I saw you before hiding behind the rose bushes back in your estate. Quite curious why you didn't attempt to say hello."

He even remembers that too. You fiddled with the fabric of your dress, "My apologies. I'm not use to socializing so much."

“Is that so? I think you're not giving yourself enough credit," he complimented while shrugging, "This is much more entertaining than hanging in that insufferably crowded room, it was an unexpected occurence to meet you here of all places. However, I must say time can fly if I'm able to enjoy myself."

You shifted away from his stare, "You flatter me. We've only been talking for a few minutes."

"I have yet to realize it then" Hector's cheerfulness remains at stance despite your gloomy response. He leans forward like a curious child and tosses you a question, "Then allow me to ask, what brings you out here Lady (Y/n)? I don't see any reason when your family are such highly respected people of Fontaine." 

"I'm not like them!" You retort instantly, causing the man to glance at you with skepticism, "I mean, I have nothing to do with them and they have nothing to do with me. That's just how it is. They already have Clement after all…"

Why am I telling him this?

"Ah your brother I assume. Yes so I've heard much about his genius mind. There were a few instances where he and I collaborated at Sumeru Academia," Hector speaks as if regarding to his unpleasant memories, "Although he never said anything about having a sister."

"We're not that close. And I'm not very fond of him," you confessed bluntly.

"Neither am I," Hector agreed with a scowl, "He claims his position using the knowledge derived from history books but never tries to think beyond the norm. That ignorant mindset of his will surely be his downfall one day."

"Ignorance can lead to anyone's downfall. If they turn a blind eye to the truth, so much can be taken from them," you paused shortly from rambling too much, "That's what I read in books at least."

"As expected of your lineage," he sighs whimsically, "Such avid readers."

"Well my family prefers documents and research. I've gone through them too but I will always love reading fiction."

"Ha! Seems you really are trying to be different from the rest of your family."

Seconds turn to minutes and minutes to hours, you had already forgotten about the cold breeze despite your dress being less than ideal for the outdoors. The man, although he can be a little to blathering at times, was more than what seemed to be on the surface. At first you thought of him as someone here to take advantage of your relations to your father but he seemed so sincere when listening to your stories, so eager while expressing his thoughts and even made you laugh a couple of times. You didn't realize that the clock had already struck twelve as the guests were preparing to leave but you just weren't ready to do the same.

"Until next time (Y/n)," he takes your fingers and pressed a kiss on top of them, though you were more struck by how he addressed you without honorifics, "I look forward to speaking with you again."

A warm smile graces your lips as you cursty, "Likewise Hector. Thank you for listening to me. I know I must have taken a long time."

Hector sneered but you already learned that it was simply his way of expressing amusement, "Hardly. I was thoroughly entertained."

When your parents found out about your meeting with him, they made it clear that you would never see him again. Hector Dufour-Lapointé is what he calls himself but the real name behind this man was Hector Valliere who came from a village hidden in the west of Fontaine. Rumours said that he was chased out of his hometown by an angry mob, claiming him to be a madman conducting unethical experiments on humans. Shortly after his arrival in Sumeru, he abandoned his past identity and replaced it with a new one in order to enter the academy under legal supervision. Associating with a man of a suspicious reputation would only cause harm to your family's name. Though you could barely care much about their reputation. There was nothing for you to benefit from it.

Few weeks have passed and you evetually gave up on the thought of hearing from Hector. They were only fleeting moments, nothing more. Your routine would stay the same as you kept on plucking more books off the shelves, killing whatever time you had. However the activities you used to enjoy somehow lost it's flair and there would be a slight pain in your chest whenever you turn to a page with the princess as she is surrounded by her friends. What exactly changed? Your family still treated you the same. Did you suddenly grow bored from doing the same thing everyday? Why is it that you feel much more lonelier despite being alone for so long? It was hard to tell in a singular perspective. If only there was someone here to give you some insights on things you couldn't see…

A silver bird lands by your front window and you nearly fell out of your chair as it flapped their wings violently. A machine?! They dropped what seems to be an envelope within the thick bushes before taking off and buzzing into the evening sky. You switched off the lock and lifted the glass within a single movement, snatching the piece of paper so that the wind wouldn't blow it away. Hastily you opened it. Both curious and cautious of why would anyone send you mail in such a discreet approach.

Chère Mademoiselle (Y/n),

I can only imagine the shock of your expression once reading this letter. I'm only writing to you since I assume that your father had already told you those nasty rumours about my past. No matter. I trust that you have a good head on your shoulders to not prejudge people using such miniscule details. I wish to speak with you again. Unless you have other plans staying in that stuffy room of yours, meet me behind the clock tower at 11:00 p.m. Don't be late.

Bien à vous,

H.

"It really is him!" The happiness spreads all across your features as you clutched the letter to your chest. For some reason, your heart wouldn't stop racing. It was a simple yet thoughful action on his part but despite how short his greeting was, every word held the weight of a thousand sparks, "I…I can't stop smiling."

And without hesitation, you prepared to leave. No one noticed your absence.

-------

It was only halfway where you realized that Hector didn't give many details redgarding why he planned this sudden event. You caught sight of him standing under the roofs with his hands hidden behind his back. He had on his signature lopsided grin, brows uneven as he glanced at you casually.

"How very punctual, were you so eager that you couldn't wait?" He teases.

"I was surprised when your bird knocked upon my window," you inform, "Is it something urgent?"

"Not at all. I merely wanted to catch up with old times," Hector tilts forward to emphasize his suggestion, "Care to indulge me for a bit?"

You crossed your arms, "Then what is it that you're hiding behind your back?"

"Hmm?" He hums, "You mean this?"

"Ah!"

Roses. A bouquet of bright red flowers were presented to you, nicely wrapped in fabric. In the language of Fontaine, recieving them could mean multiple of things and you couldn't help but feel hesitant despite his thoughtful gesture, "Why are you giving me this?"

"Is it so wrong for me to be a gentleman? I thought it would be best to prepare you a gift after you put all that effort to come out in such a late hour," Hector mused to himself, "Especially when you had to make sure no prying eyes would catch us."

You let out a small laugh before accepting the bouquet, "I wouldn't go as far to say that."

"Oh?" Although it was hard to see, Hector managed to catch a glimpse of your flushed cheeks hidden behind the flowers. A darken smirk climbs onto his face at the inviting thought of what it could mean, "Tell me more."

The whole night you both spent walking around the empty plaza with only the stars as your guide. They paved a silver path reflected in the horizon above, free flowing like one of the many watercolour paintings hung in your chambers, uncertain where they may lead but you followed them regardless. If it weren't for Hector's inivtation you might have never known about the parts of your city due to the restricted lifestyle you lived. He listened to every one of them. The stories you had to tell when there was no one for you to talk to and the complaints about your brother whenever he wanted to snitch on your actions just to get the praise out of your father. You expressed your frustrations when speaking about your incompetences, joy after reading a good fairytale book written by your favourite author, there was so much to say that you were worried if Hector soon grew tired from them.

"Go on. I'm listening."

And your heart flutters again. Suddenly everything felt so light with each step you took, it was as if you walked across the stars in the sky rather than the heavy pavement of the ground you called your home. But even if happiness was a bliss, it tormented you. Because companionship made you realize how poor your were all along. That you had everything yet you had nothing, slowly withering away like the roses you held in your hand. Convinced that your existence was worth nothing more than nothing itself. Doomed to be dismissed and forgotten. Rotting away...Hector stays by your side as you cried softly into the night.

From a distance the bell rings and echoes just like the time before during Fontaine's grand ball. Hector shows you a secret route so that no one could find you.

"Will you write to me again?"

The request was so innocent, purely from genuine intentions and devoided of anything he had in mind. Hector would always laugh in these situations when things have gone unexpectedly yet pleasingly his way but held back knowing that it would be foolish to waste such a priceless opportunity. And so he gave you his smile, one full of secrets where you had mistakened it as a promise, "Of course my dear."

Every night you could no longer fall asleep since he had occupied your thoughts completely. Sometimes you'd dream of him and their tales would unfold similarly to the ones you have read. It gone to the point where the maids would have to wake you up during late afternoons due to the dramatic change in your sleep schedule. Though, you didn't care what they did to you. As long as no one found out about your secret rendezvous.

You never thought that there'd be a day where you would voluntarily give up reading your beloved fairytales. They were now replaced by a stash of his letters that have been accumulated over the past few months. You read them each day, pacing back and forth within the walls of your room, whispering his sentences as if he were the one saying them to you. He made you feel special. You were addicted to this feeling. Eventually you managed to memorize his words by heart. 

The pages of your diary were filled with notes. Like your very own  fairytale carved into reality. From the rose petal, now dried, to the hairpin he snatched from a distracted merchant and a single strand of his hair you found within your cloak after a warm embrace, all of these items, a remnant of the man you loved were taped up in these pages. Sometimes you could even feel his prescence because it was all you needed. It didn't matter if Clement threw insults about how worthless your existence was, your parents could lock you in this prison if they wanted to but they shall never take away Hector from you. Never. You swear it. He was your whole world and the prince who saved you from a life made of aching emptiness. You would do anything to keep him by your side. Anything to gain his affection.

Anything.

"I had a feeling that you were the culprit dear sister."

Your arms stutters as they clutched tightly on the scrolls you took off from the shelves. The light crept into the room like arms reaching out to clutch around your ankles, warning you for trespassing. You turned around dreadfully to see Clement pressing his shoulder against the doorframe with his arms folded and a wicked expression aimed at your pitiful state.

"Why…Why are you still awake?" You say in disbelief, "I thought everyone was asleep."

"Please. Not only are you shameless but hypocritical as well. You truly are a dissapointment to our family."

"Wait," taking a step forward, you stopped him before he makes his exit, "I'll put them back. Just don't tell father about this."

But like your parents, your brother was unkind. Clement doubles over and hugs his torso, cackling through his teeth, "Is that how it is?" He swipes his arm up and you see a parchment paper held between his fingers. 

"No!"

"Ma chérie (Y/n). I must say all this tenacious effort of sneaking in my letters to your window is becoming more and more tiresome. But of course, you are an exception. I want the scrolls you've mentioned the other day at my lair tomorrow evening. Make sure no one discovers this. I'm counting on you. Cordialement! Hector."

"No…" you whispered, feeling the weight of the world fall upon your shoulders as it shattered apart. Hector. If possible, you hoped that the pieces could just crush you right then and there. Your knees felt weak and a fright takes over but despite your turmoil, Clement didn't show a shred of sympathy.

"So this is why you've been acting odd lately. Pathetic," he flaps the paper tauntingly in his grasp, "I can't decide if I should be impressed or baffled by your actions. A secret romance with a criminal and the bloodline of Fontaine's most respected government associates? Even though you've hit rock bottom, you still decided to dig deeper."

"Clement you don't understand!"  Stumbling upon your footsteps, you desperately tried to convey your predicament even if it meant feeding his ego, "Hector is not the man you think. He was shunned by the people of his hometown, treating him as if he were nothing. They…They ignored him! All this time he needed someone to recognize his brilliance, someone to understand." Shakily, you brought your tensed arms to your chest and screamed a silent whisper, "Someone to listen but no one did. He must have felt so alone…"

Clement flinches when you suddenly clutched onto his biceps. When he looked into your eyes, a shiver ran down his spine.

"Hector is counting on me. I'm the only one who can save him. No one else. He needs me Clement, he needs me!" 

"Tch."

An ear-splitting scream of his hand against your face echoes across the room. It knocked you out of your stance and you bumped into the table, grunting while the scrolls to tumbled to the floor.

"Crazy woman, I'm embarassed to be related to you!"

While you were still trying to regain your balance, your brother had already ran off. It wouldn't be long before he alerted your parents, the clock ticking away like sand until the final hour leaves you with nothing but an empty glass. 

"No," despair swallows the strength away from your legs and you crawled towards where he used to stand, "Don't take him away from me…I need him…"

I can't live without him.

I can't live without him.

I can't live without him.

Tears begin to form by the corners of your eyes as you clenched your teeth. This was no time to cry. Balling your fists, you sprinted out of the room, pushing whatever stood in your way as if you were running for your life. 

And if you considered everything else, it wasn't that far from the truth.

-------

"Hector! Hector are you there?" After arriving upon his house, you began knocking on his door aggressively. The lock clicks and you were greeted by an evidently annoyed man gnawing his teeth together.

"Tsk. There better be a good reason-"

"They're coming for us! We have to go. Now. Before it's too late. My father is probably already waking and making arrangements for you to-"

"Enough, I can't even catch what you're saying," He pinches the bridge of his nose while you were still stuck in a frenzy state. He takes a step back and opens the door wider, gesturing for you to come inside, "Get in already. I have a feeling that this will be a long night."

Hector observes intently at the words you tell him.

Not out of concern but akin to the way he watches the insects react when he exposes them to a different environment.

He was a scientist after all. A madman in which you deliberately fell in love with, so much to the point that he was able to feel pity for once. How you trusted him wholeheartedly with all of your vulnerabilities, emotions and secrets like handing him your parts just so he could put you back together again. Tinkering was always one of his favourite hobbies and he couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of pride at the thought of you being completely wrapped around his finger. 

Perhaps that was the reason why he loved you. Because he didn't love you. He loved you in parts.

"It was only a matter of time," Hector sighs. He sneaks his grasp into yours, knowing how much it affects you and puts on an invisible mask of deciet, "I already knew this day would happen long before anyone could have predicted it."

"You did?" With worried eyes you gazed at him, "What shall we do then?"

Knowing he hit the target, his lips begin to curl up towards his ears, showing his sharp white teeth that shone against the dim-litted room. Hector asks, "Do you love me?"

A silly question. You didn't hesitate to answer, "Of course I do. I've said it many times."

"Prove it to me," Forcing his forehead against yours, Hector commands in a dangerously low tone, "Kill your brother and only then you can truly be mine."

Your brain sutters, trying to absorb what he had just said. Kill? As in to take a life? It sounded wrong. But...was it wrong if the life belonged to someone who ruined yours?

Dumbfoundedly, you glanced into the bloody orbs of your lover, his black pupils thinning into knives while burning in the hellfire of his true colours. Hector runs a hand from the scalp of your hair, down to your cheek before gingerly sliding his fingers at your jawline. He pulled you close and whispered into your ear.

"Are you scared?"

Ah, this wasn't about your feelings. This was about him and your future and there could be no future you without him by your side.

You let your eyelids drop and leaned into his touch, "I could never be scared of you Hector. Whether it is within my power or not, I will make sure no one gets in our way. I swear it."

"Good," he continues to have you feed on his affection, "I knew I could count on you."

-----------

The news of your brother's death filled every headline Fontain had to offer. He was driven off a cliff while making a trip towards Sumeru. No one survived. The remains were so crushed to the point that authorities had trouble identifying their bodies. The only explanation they could come up with by observing the leftover tracks was that the horse must have gone out of control and ended up dragging the carriage along with it.

Ha. Serves him right.

Food poisoning. The vial Hector made was very effective. You made sure to bury it away from your mansion.

With no other choice, you became your family's next heir. Hector notifies you that he would be away for several months to solidify a unique connection with a man hailing from Snezhnaya. You didn't think he would arrive at your doorsteps with so much authority. Fatui soldiers followed from behind as the staff paved a way for them to enter. Your father was clearly displeased by his outrageous approach but he knew he was in no place to deny.

"Upon the agreement between Fontaine and Snezhnaya, Lady (Y/n) will become Harbinger Il Dottore's wife," the Duke announces, "This news will be publicly announced at the end of October."

Dottore? Is that what he calls himself?

As if claiming his victory, Dottore shoots your father a devilish smile. You could feel the dining table shake when he kept pressing his fist against the smooth surface, begrudingly congratulating you both for the new engagement. Your mother bursted into tears.

Was it worth it?

You watched both of your parents mourn silently in their own manner. Perfectly knowing that you were the main cause. But you weren't able to feel any sadness because in the end, you now had everything you've ever wanted. 

The inheritance.

Their attention.

But most of all, him.

And when you were convinced that this was your happily ever after, that fairytales were not just beautiful lies for the sake of comfort, you didn't realize  you were already living a life made of beautiful lies conjured by your own mind for the sake of your own comfort. 

"You're nothing without me."

Dried and calloused hands squeezed around your throat as you flailed your legs against the soft fabric of the carpet floor. He encases you in a straddling position, enjoying the sight of your tortured and clenched face. Hector…no, Dottore hated it when you disobeyed him. He despised it when his creations don't work the way he wanted them to and he had no use for things that are broken.

"G-hka--k..-"

"How many times do I have to remind you to not use my birthname. Do those ears of you even function properly? Or must I fix them myself?"

You gasped for air when he relaxed his grip. Vision a blur, you coughed a few times before he pulls your arm so that you lay flushed against his chest.

"Don't forget who saved you dear (Y/n). Because of me you were able to escape that miserable life you've despised for years. I expect the utmost gratitude on your part at all times, it is only fair that I punish you for not meeting my requirements, don't you agree?" Dottore lifts his hand up to pinch your cheeks, pulling your head to stare at your eyes, "After all, there is no one else in this world who can put up with you…but me."

His words were poison in which you drank like a woman starved. It made you feel numb to the pain the more you drowned in their alluring scent, the taste was sweet, a remedy for the bitterness of reality where the man of your dreams was nothing but a cruel monster. You came to believe that the reason why he treated you so harshly was because he was scared of losing you. You were caught in the trap of what seemed to be love and devotion when truly, you were just a toy to be used at a means end. He breaks you and he puts you back together, over and over again, filling in between the cracks formed in your glass heart with the phrases you loved to hear. Just like how he filled the other holes of your life where no one else did. You called it kindness. He saw it as entertainment.

Most people pay attention to the flower's beauty but they never acknowledge the thorns hidden beneath it's blossom.  That is why they bleed. They get hurt. Though, you didn't mind shedding blood if it was for his sake.

Because you would do anything for him.

You would do anything to bring back the memories of Hector Dufour-Lapointé and save him from the Harbinger that ruined his life. Your life. It wasn't his fault. You knew you could change him to what he was before because you were in love with him, that he might still in there. Somewhere.

Right?

…

Please come back.

Time continues to flow like the tears of your dying heart despite yearning for it to turn at the past. Dottore already left the room a long time ago but you didn't. Raising your head away from your hands, you peered at the door in front of you, begging desperately through a chanting record of despondence. 

Come back. Come back. Come back. Come back. Come back. Come back. Come back. Come back. Come back.

Images, they slipped through your fingers, slowly becoming more distant until your mind began to see them as illusions. Dreams. Things that were not real. Telling you that your life was a lie. 

"Come back to me…Hector."

Because the man you loved was withering in your memories and you couldn't do anything to save him.

A dry croak robbed you of your breath as you turned to look in the mirror.

Worthless. You were always worthless, it was what your parents told you since birth. It was what you became when he wasn't at your side because without him, your existence was worthless. You lied for him, you stole for him you, took a life for him. You destroyed yourself for him to point that it was hard to believe you were even looking at yourself.

Worthless. It's who I am.

And despite it all, you couldn't obtain his love.

(Crack).

Worthless things don’t deserved to be loved.

(Crack. Crack).

But what if it’s because I’m worthless, that he won’t love me back?

(Crack).

Your eyes jolted open, causing you to gasp sharply. When the sweet lies dispersed in your head and cleansed you of deceit, everything started to make sene. You came to realize why your wish was impossible all along.

Dottore...no, Hector, the reason wasn't because he didn't return your feelings. Neither was it due to the fact that he hurt you through his actions. Nor when he made you cry or scream for help before feeding you with more lies, thinking he would never hurt you again. It was none of those things.

It was because the man you loved this whole time was someone who could love no one but himself.

"Ha...haha," sucking in your breath, a sinister laugh escapes your mouth, "Hahahahahahaha.....!"

Everything was worthless.

You grabbed a nearby hairbrush and threw it at the mirror, watching yourself shatter into a million pieces.

There was only one thing left to do. 

------

"Ugh, where is it?!"

It was late into the night where every staff had gone to sleep. The Harbinger fumbles with his keys while standing at the door of his basement as he was too busy proceeding with his research rather than considering the thought of rest. Usually he acted upon them on his own will, performing various experiments for enjoyment. However, ever since the Snezhnayan court had requested him to look into the ancient arts of alchemy, Dottore was forced to carry it out before the deadline approached. Otherwise his position as Harbinger would be revoked.

"What a bunch of self-centered blockheads. Can't they understand that it take quality time to get quality results?"

Most of his important documents were stored on the otherside. Half of it came from his father-in-law's library. He had you to thank for that.

"Ah finally," he mutters, though still dissatisfied, "I should have a word with my butler for misplacing them."

Dottore shoves the key into the lock but instead of twisting the knob he noticed something strange. It was old and had yet to be fixed but somehow he didn't have any trouble adjusting his wrist. Then he saw there were a set of freshly made fingerprints upon the smooth metallic surface. However, the only person awake at this time would be him-

An intruder!

Dottore drops everything to the ground and yanks the door open. He skittered down the stone stairs while cursing under his breath. Using the delusion gifted by the Tsaritsa, the Harbinger activated his lazer-like pillars as he took advantage of their glow to light up the unlit room.

"What in the abyss...?!"

Except it wasn't dark.

"All of these scrolls, I recognize them," without sparing a single glance, you spoke nostalgically towards the bookshelves, "It brings me so much memories..."

Dottore clenches his teeth together as his eyes shone an angry red, you were holding a torch dangerously close to his hard-earned collection, "What do you think you're doing?!" He fumed, "Put that out, AT ONCE! Don't make me repeat myself!

"They're precious to you aren't they?" You finally shifted to face him, "More than me."

"What has gotten into you?" He was about to hurl at you until he saw your torch lowering, causing him to retreat. You were strangely noncholant and he couldn't help the feeling of disturbance. Accepting that he didn't have the upperhand, Dottore decided to use a different approach, "(Y/n)."

The sound of your name falls from his lips. You faltered.

"I'm sorry for what I have done. I know I was dishonourable to you, as your husband and lover, and that you didn't deserve to see me so aggressive. You have every right to express your anger, my dear. I was in the wrong."

It was only a mask. You knew it well. But seeing him with softened eyes and a tone so comforting, made you desperately wanting to run into his arms so he could wipe away your sorrows just like once upon a time. To live happily ever after.

Hector.

Dottore runs his fingers through his hairstrands in frustration and sighs, "However the Tsarista needed me to do something very important and I can't seem to fulfill her request no matter how hard I try. It angers me. If I don't finish this, there would be no place for us to stay."

"Hector..." you sniffled quietly. He looks so much like him right now.

"Can't you see I'm doing this for you?" He consoles, yet his weapons still remain, "I only intended to make you happy and there's nothing I won't do to achieve that. How about I show-"

"Enough."

Dottore froze upon your sudden command. He didn't sense a hint of subjugation and it seemed that you had perfect control of your emotions. How very inquisitive. Did you grow immune to the style of his voice? In such a short period of time? The facade he had on was now replaced with a growling animal-like expression. You looked at him dissapointedly. His Harbinger self returned. Hector was no more.

"Ha, you're the same as always. Even before the time you became a Harbinger. The same man that I fell in love with but it is me who will never be the same again," For a moment you averted your gaze as if trying hard to swallow your own words, "Remember when we first met at the balcony? That I told you my favourite books to read are fiction? I knew they weren't real but deep down, I wanted to believe in them anyways. And you know what? They did come true, to some degree..."

As the memories come flashing back, he defenselessly watches your expression contort from sadness to a calm contemplation and finally, enraged disgust, "But you only ever brought me pain and I'm sick of it!"

Swaying the torch to the side, Dottore flinches forward but he didn't dare to come close when your current state was unpredictable to him, "I JUST WANTED YOU TO LOVE ME," you wail, I just wanted to be loved, bringing a clawed hand against your forehead and trembling upon contact, "It's all that I ask for..."

Dottore narrowed his brows. Perhaps he may have gotten too far.

"But I know it's impossible. The world is a cruel place and there's no point in trying anymore. That is why I'm going to set us free."

"...What do you mean?"

You shut your eyes closed and tossed the flaming torch to the ground. A horrified expression takes over his features. It didn't take long for the fire to begin spreading amongst the room.

"NO!" Dottore yelled powerfully, he frantically darts his gaze at all directions as they continued to flicker and blend into his precious documents. You stood still and watched him grab the ones that were intact, savouring the most he could but they slip out of his arms every time he moved. Dottore glances behind him to see a rising cage of hellfire. Then he turns to you.

" 'Til death do us part!" you laughed maniacally.

The madman looked back with angry dismay, "You're out of your mind!"

Abandoning whatever he held in his hand, Dottore spins around towards the staircase. He covers his face with his sleeve and did whatever he could to prevent the fire from touching him. However, he accidentally stumbled on his footsteps and something fell off the heights, knocking him in the face. He grunts painfully.

"That will leave a scar," you smile while he clutches at his injury, "I can break you too.”

Just like how you broke me.

Knowing that you've managed to leave a mark of your existence on him in someway, you peacefully watched your lover wobble between the hell you created. But the hell you knew was not made of scorching heat and thundering flames. Hell was empty. Hell was a void. This feeling was far too gentle to be considered hell. If he can't return your love, then at least let these caging arms bask you in the warmth you’ve always desired.

Lifting your head, you looked towards the ceiling and closed your eyes.

Ah, this cannot be death.

#genshin impact #genshin impact dottore #il dottore #dottore x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact headcanons #genshin impact imagines #genshin impact scenarios #genshin x reader #genshin #genshin dottore #genshin imagines #genshin scenarios #fatui #genshin headcanons #tragedy #angst #genshin impact angst #genshin angst #genshin impact dottore x reader #genshin dottore x reader #nya-writes

[watchmegetobsessed]

TO LOVE AND BELOVED - Part Five (Harry Styles)

a/n: ahh idk why but writing this part took me forever! but its finally here and i can’t wait to see your thoughts on it! i was debating for a long time if part 5 should be the last one, but then i decided to add another part, bc there are two more things i want to include in the story and i couldn’t squeeze them into this part, it’s already the longest so far, so we have one more part left of the story! also, a little warning that part 6 might take a little longer than the prev parts bc im a little behind with my schedule but it’ll try my best!

pairing: CEO!Dad!Harry X Reader

warning: mentions of death, cheating and divorce, sexual content

word count: 12k

SERIES MASTERPOST masterlist

You’ve been feeling like a teenager sneaking around her parents these past weeks. Only that you’re an adult and the parent you are trying to keep your secret romance hidden from is a four year old little girl.

Your birthday was a turning point in your evolving relationship with Harry. Like a wall has been brought down and he finally started reaching out to you. It feels like with every passing day you’re getting closer to him and you can see the progress he’s been making thanks to his therapy sessions and how much he is trying to make a change himself as well.

Stolen kisses and tiny touches have been a usual in your every days whenever Izzy was out of sight for the shortest second. You’ve realized that Harry is an affectionate person, he likes to keep you close and he never fails to bring passion into the tiniest kisses.

With Izzy around 24/7 it’s been hard to find time when it’s just the two of you, but you’ve been waking up early in the morning just to spend that twenty minutes alone with Harry while he drinks his coffee. Sometimes you just sit in silence, trying to wake up for the day ahead of you but sometimes he talks your ears off about anything and everything. In the evening, when Izzy is already sleeping the two of you usually wind off together in the living room or watch a movie in the entertainment room, just enjoying some alone time. It’s not much, but more than nothing and you’ve grown very fond of these little moments with him.

Nothing more has happened than just kissing. Despite the progress Harry has made so far you can tell he still has quite a few conflicts buried deep inside him and you definitely don’t want to rush him into anything he is not ready for. Some cuddling on the couch or short but passionate make out sessions in a corner while Izzy is not paying attention, you haven’t gone further than this.

Now it’s the last day before Izzy leaves to Harry’s mum for the week. He is dropping her off Sunday afternoon and it will leave the two of you alone for seven full days. Well, Harry still has to work during the day, but from the moment he’ll get home, it’s just gonna be you and him.

You had to make a few phone calls so you’ve been locked in your room for a while now. When you come down you find your favorite father-daughter duo on the couch, some kind of Barbie movie playing on the TV, but Izzy is busy with something else. She’s got her water based flooring pens scattered around her, Harry’s tattooed arm laying across her lap as she is coloring the patterns as if it was her favorite coloring book. Before they could notice you, you run back to your room and grab your polaroid camera and returning you snap a picture of the adorable scene. The shutter of the camera makes Harry’s head snap in your way, a smile tugging on his lips.

“Hey,��� he softly greets you. You put the camera and the photo aside to the cupboard near you before joining them on the couch.

“Hi Y/N! Look!” Izzy beams happily, pointing at Harry’s ship tattoo that is now fully colored with yellows, pinks and blues.

“It looks better this way,” you smirk down at her before your eyes meet with Harry’s over her head, smiling at you softly.

Making yourself comfortable next to them, you watch Izzy work on more of his tattoos and you find it such a heartwarming scene, you want to remember it forever. Harry Styles, such an influential, successful and serious businessman, sitting on the couch in his loungewear while his daughter is using his tattooed skin as her personal coloring book. He really is a wonderful human being and the best dad to his daughter.

“Y/N, do you have any tattoos?” Izzy asks, turning to you with curious eyes.

“I actually do,” you answer and you see Harry’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

“You really do?” he asks, his head resting on the back of the couch, turned to face you.

“Yeah,” you nod with a soft chuckle.

“Where?” Izzy asks perking up at the new information.

“Um, it’s right here,” you tell her pointing at the side of your hips, covered with your sweatpants.

“Can I color them?” she asks innocently, but Harry is quick to react.

“Izzy, you’re being a little too nosy,” he warns her as always, and she looks at you with a pouty look.

“It’s fine. Um, yeah, you can color it,” you nod.

Sliding lower on the couch you roll down the waistband of your pants until the tattoo is revealed on the side. You catch Harry’s eyes wander over the skin you are now showing and you can see a slight blush tinting his cheeks. He hasn’t seen this part of your body uncovered yet, he hasn’t even seen you in a bathing suit so far so it’s quite the new thing.

(reference for the tattoo)

The tattoo on your side is a simple yet meaningful one, dedicated to the special bond you and Trevor share. It’s a minimalistic yet beautiful piece of two koi fishes swimming in a circle, one is left blank as while the other one is black so their formation resembles the yin-yang symbol. You got it when you turned twenty, when Trevor was just in middle school, but he promised you he would get the same design when he turns eighteen that will happen in the fall.

“That looks beautiful,” Harry breathes out with a shy smile and you notice how he doesn’t ask about the meaning behind it. Not because he is not curious but because he is insanely respectful and he doesn’t want to ask something that’s too personal.

“Thanks,” you smile at him as Izzy grabs her pens and starts coloring the blank fish.

The rest of the day goes by uneventfully, Harry is clearly trying to spend as much time with Izzy as possible before her week with his mother, but you also notice that he seems to be keeping something away from you, like he is trying to bring up something but he is not entirely sure how to start the conversation.

It’s not until Izzy is put to bed that he joins you on the couch, turning to you with a serious expression on his handsome face.

“What’s up?” you ask with a soft chuckle.

“I was thinking…”

“I could see that,” you tease him, giving his knee a playful squeeze. “I’m listening.”

“Actually there are two things I wanted to talk to you about. I’m not sure which one to ask first.” He purses his lips before sighing and moving his eyes to meet your curious gaze. “So we’re gonna be alone for the next week.”

“Mhm.”

“And I thought that… if you want to, but we don’t have to, it was just an idea—so feel free to—“

“Harry,” you cut his stuttering off, moving closer with a reassuring smile. You caress the side of his face and you notice how you lean into your touch, breathing out through his nose. “Don’t be nervous, alright? Just tell me what’s been on your mind.”

“Would you go out on a date with me?” he then asks and it’s the purest thing you’ve ever seen and heard from him. The hopeful but still nervous look in his eyes makes him appear like a little boy who is asking out his first crush in middle school, afraid of rejection, when that’s the last thing he has to think about when it comes to you, but it’s still cute.

“I would love to,” you smile at him and leaning closer you peck his lips softly. “And what’s the other thing you wanted to ask?”

“Well, I’m driving Izzy over to my mum’s early in the morning and I’m staying for lunch and… if you don’t feel like it’s too much, you could… maybe come with us.”

“You want me to meet your mum?” you ask surprised.

“Well, she wants to meet you as well, but I want you to meet her, yes,” he admits with a nervous chuckle. “Gemma has told her about you and my sister likes to be nosy so she might have added a little spice into the story about us when nothing was really going on.”

“Oh my, what does she think?” you ask with wide eyes.

“Nothing bad, don’t worry,” he assures you quickly. “She just made it seem like we are… dating and all,” he adds with a nervous smile. “But I told her that it’s… I mean that we are not there… yet.”

“Oh, okay. Well, if you really want me there, I would love to go with you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Would love to meet your mum.”

“I was afraid you’d find it a little early for this,” he admits truthfully and you can see that rationality in his thought. “We haven’t really… discussed what we are and I didn’t want to put the pressure on you.”

“Well, do you want to talk about us?” you ask softly, giving him the chance to decline if he feels like the conversation might be a little too much for him.

“I do, but I’m not sure… what to say,” he hums, knitting his eyebrows together. Last time I had this talk I was in my early twenties and I don’t even know how to start,” he chuckles shaking his head.

“Okay, then let’s just agree on some things,” you suggest and he eyes you curiously. “Neither of us is seeing anyone else, right?”

“Is that even a question in my situation?” he snorts, making a joke out of his issues clearly and you’re happy he is able to take it so lighthearted.

“Just clearing the air,” you chuckle. “So we are…exclusive.”

“Seems like it,” he nods.

“And you just asked me out on a date,” you point another detail out.

“I did. And you said yes,” he smiles, an excited shine in his eyes glimmering through his green irises.

“Yeah. So we can say we are dating? Seeing each other?” Harry chews on the terms you offered, tastes them before nodding slowly.

“I guess we could say that.”

“Okay. So… that’s what we are,” you smile at him, giving his knee another squeeze. This time, his hand finds yours and he runs his thumb across your knuckles.

“I think… I’m okay with that,” he breathes out and though it’s seemingly such an insignificant thing, you know how huge steps he has just taken forward.

“I liked the blue one better. With the white sweater,” Heather hums, watching you through the video call. You have your phone propped up on your dresser as you’re trying to figure out what to wear today.

Though you seemed completely unbothered last night when Harry invited you along with them, but now you can feel the slight panic. It’s not even because you and Harry are a thing now, you’d feel this way if you met his mother just as Izzy’s nanny. Grandmothers can be so protective over their grandchildren, you’ve met with quite a few problematic ones while you were working at the daycare and you just want Anne to like you, to trust you with Izzy as much as Harry does.

“Okay, blue it is then,” you sigh, pulling the yellow sundress off of yourself before putting the blue one back with a white sweater.

“So you guys are now official?” Heather grins at you through the screen. “Meeting his mother and all that?”

“Define being official,” you chuckle softly.

“Like, boyfriend-girlfriend?”

“Not yet. But we agreed to be exclusively dating.”

“I still can’t fucking believe that you’re scoring the hottest dad I’ve ever seen. You lucky bitch,” she sighs, sipping on her morning coffee.

“Me neither,” you scoff.

“I’m pretty sure if the mothers who got you fired knew, they would explode. Basically every woman was in love with the man and now you are the lucky woman actually getting him.”

“I guess this is karma for what they did,” you chuckle shrugging. “Alright, I gotta go, because we are leaving soon, but I’ll talk to you soon.”

“You better be! I want a detailed essay about how it went!” she grins, kissing the camera.

“Alright, bye!” you smile before ending the call.

When you get downstairs, Harry and Izzy are already down there, Harry is zipping up her bag while she is dancing around humming to herself.

“Baby, your backpack is still in your room. Can you please get it?” Harry asks her, Izzy nods and runs towards you, stopping in front of you.

“Hi Y/N! I like your dress!” she beams at you.

“Hi! Well thank you!” you smile at her before she runs past you up the stairs. “Hey,” you greet Harry and his eyes snap up to you, his pink lips stretching into a warm smile as he leans closer and kisses your cheek sweetly.

“Hi. You look beautiful.”

“Thank you. So, any tips for meeting your mum for the first time?” you ask, fidgeting with your fingers nervously. Harry reaches out and takes your hands between his so he stops the motion.

“You don’t need tips. I know my mum will like you, she is already so excited to meet you, so don’t worry.”

“If you say so,” you breathe out.

Harry puts Izzy’s stuff in the Rover and soon buckles her into her seat before the three of you hit the road. Harry has a whole playlist for Izzy’s favorite songs so you obviously listen to that along with Izzy’s performance of all the songs, filled with misheard lyrics, but that’s what makes it even better. The car ride is about three hours, which is not that horrible. You need just one bathroom break sometime in the middle and Izzy sleeps through the last hour in the car, allowing the two of you to finally listen to music that’s not from a kids’ show.

“Do you have a song request?” you smile over at him, scrolling through his phone since it’s the one connected to the car, but he has given you permission to play whatever you like.

“Not really.”

“You don’t have songs you like to listen to in the car?”

“Not specifically. Do you?”

“Oh, I have a whole playlist for songs to blast in the car,” you chuckle.

“Really? And what songs are on it?”

“Well, I can just show you.”

You search up your user on Spotify and find the playlist in talk before putting it on shuffle. As the first song starts to play, you peek over at him to see his reaction and you spot the smirk on his lips.

“Black Eyed Peas?” he asks glancing at you shortly.

“Yeah, you don’t like them?” you smirk at him.

“I do, I just didn’t think you listen to them,” he admits with a soft chuckle.

“Are you kidding me? They give me the biggest nostalgia! I listened to them so much as a teenager.”

“So teenage Y/N gave a concert in her bedroom, singing I Gotta Feeling?” he teases you grinning.

“Not just a concert, a whole world tour.”

There’s a short silence, just the two of you listening to the song, you watch the trees and fields rush by you as you drive down the country road. The song changes to another one and you’ve already forgotten about what you talked about, but apparently not Harry.

“What were you like as a teenager?” he asks. You turn to face him and your eyes meet for a second.

“Um, like a normal teenager,” you shrug, not sure what to say.

“There’s no such thing as a normal teenager,” Harry smiles. “What did you do, what were your favorite things?”

“I was… pretty plain, if I might say. I wasn’t a rebel or too much of a geek either. I had like three good friends, we used to hang out a lot by the little lake near our neighborhood, that was like our spot. I liked going on hikes and I watched a lot of documentaries,” you admit with a small smile.

“What kind?”

“I don’t know, anything that was on,” you shrug. “My mom had this phase where she was trying to act like she was just like all the other mom’s from my school, but they were all at least a decade older than her. She was trying to prove that she was this mature, very serious woman who had her shit together and all that.”

“And she didn’t?” Harry asks peeking at you shortly.

“I mean, she did. She turned thirty when I was twelve. Most women barely just got married and started their family at that age but she had been married for eight years and had a middle schooler and a baby already. She really was mature but I could tell that she felt like she lost her twenties because of… me.”

Sighing you think back to the years when you often felt like a burden to your mom. She gave up a lot of things just to give you the life she imagined for you. She worked her ass off to raise you and later Trevor as well, have a career and do all the works around the house. Your dad was working a lot of night shifts, there were entire weeks when you barely even saw him. You don’t blame him, he was trying to provide for his family, but it’s pretty clear he and your mother grew cold over the years and it had a huge part in it.

“Do you… blame yourself for it?” Harry asks softly.

“No,” you shake your head. “It’s not like I had anything to do with being born,” you chuckle. “I just didn’t like seeing my mom struggle so much. So when Trevor was born I was trying to take over a lot of tasks around the house and with him as well. I babysat him a lot, took care of him in the mornings, I picked him up from daycare and later from school… I tried to make it easier for my parents.”

“So this is why you grew so close with him?���

“I guess so,” you nod. “I mean, I surely spent the most time with him,” you add with a short chuckle.

“And do you think this is why you’re so good with kids?”

“What is this, a therapy session?” you ask arching an eyebrow at him, but he just rolls his eyes.

“Just… trying to get to know you. Is that a problem?”

“No, I just… I’m not used to talking about myself so much. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve been in this… talking stage,” you admit with a sigh. “But to answer your question, it might have had some impact on me. I mean, I loved taking care of Trevor. It’s like I had my own baby doll, only that it wasn’t just a toy, it was a real baby I could play with.”

“Did you play dress up with him?” Harry smirks at you.

“I did,” you admit laughing. “I used to dress him as a princess a lot and he seemed to like it! My dad wasn’t really a fan of it.”

For the rest of the ride you listen to your playlist and talk about not just your but Harry’s past too. He tells you about his friends, what he was like in school and the mischiefs he did growing up, that drove his mum crazy sometimes. As you get to his hometown and he points out different places he used to go to when he was younger, you feel so much closer to him, like you’ve just gotten to see another piece of him that was hidden before.

He pulls up to the driveway of a simple townhouse and as you get out of the car you see the front door open and a woman rushes out, squealing in excitement as she runs up to Harry and hugs him tightly.

“Finally! I was starting to get worried!” she breathes out, rocking the two of them to left and right.

“Mum, don’t be dramatic. I texted you when we left and we got here perfectly in time,” Harry chuckles, holding his mum tight.

“You barely just arrived and you’re already picking on me? Typical,” Anne rolls her eyes, letting go of him. You round the car, feeling nervous to meet her. When her eyes finally fall on you, her smile grows even wider as she takes a step closer to you. “And you must be Y/N! It’s so nice to meet you!” she beams, pulling you into a warm hug as well.

“Nice to meet you too,” you chuckle, hugging her back.

“I’m Anne, but I listen to all versions of mum and grandma,” she tells you chuckling.

“Alright, noted,” you nod smiling.

Harry opens the car door of the backseat and unbuckles Izzy who has already woken up from her little nap and the moment her feet are on the ground she runs up to Anne.

“Grams!” She giggles before throwing herself into Anne’s arms who picks her up happily.

“Hi baby, you grew so much! I missed you!” she sighs as the little girl cuddles into her neck.

“Missed you too, Grams. I brought my new toys, do you want to play with them?”

“Of course! We’ll have all the time to play this week,” Anne smiles down at her. “Alright, come on in. Lunch is almost ready.”

Harry grabs Izzy’s things from the car and you all head inside. The house smells good from the cooking food in the kitchen and it’s such a cozy home, you can definitely see Harry growing up here. Above the fireplace in the living room there are a bunch of photos framed on the wall, most of them are from Harry and Gemma, but there are some more of other relatives as well, cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. It seems like Harry has a big family.

Harry unpacks Izzy’s stuff in her room that used to be Gemma’s apparently, he is telling Anne all about everything she needs to know about Izzy’s routines and she is listening patiently, though you’re sure she is more than capable of taking care of her. After all, she raised two amazing children already.

While Izzy shows Anne all her toys she’s brought with herself, Harry takes your hand and pulls you out of the room just to go into another one. Walking in you immediately realize that it must have been his once upon a time.

“You know, I can see your younger version in here, the one I saw in the photos downstairs,” you smirk at him, looking around. There are some old posters and pictures still littering the walls, stickers are covering the side of his wardrobe and dresser, some of them are partially ripped off already, he probably tried to get rid of them once he got older, but miserably failed.

“Yeah? I was pretty cute, right?” he smirks, so full of himself.

“I liked the curly Justin Bieber hairstyle,” you tease him and he gives you an “are you for real?!” look to which you just start laughing.

“Justin Bieber had nothing on me.”

“Yeah, sure,” you laugh before he grabs your hand and pulls you against his chest, wrapping his arms around you. “Your mum is in the next room,” you whisper against his lips as he leans down, teasing you with them just lingering on yours.

“So what? You never sneaked around your parents before?” he smirks down at you.

“I did,” you admit.

“Oh, nasty,” he comments before finally kissing you. However it doesn’t last long, because you hear footsteps coming from outside so you’re quick to move away from each other, just in time when Anne walks in.

“Lunch will be ready in a few, would you two mind setting the table?” she smiles, oblivious what was happening just a moment ago.

“Sure,” Harry nods, rubbing his nose as his other hand finds your waist and he ushers you out of the room.

Izzy helps Anne in the kitchen while you and Harry take care of the table. When everything is done you all sit down and start the feast Anne was so kind to make for you. It doesn’t take long to see the snickering but loving dynamic between Harry and his mother. Anne likes to pick on her son, call him out for basically anything and though Harry talks back, he mostly just lets her tear him to pieces. With love, of course.

“Izzy, please don’t get whipped cream all over the place!” Harry sighs when it’s time for dessert. Anne has made apple pie, one of Izzy’s favorites and she is going generous with the cream on top of her slice.

“You didn’t have problem getting cream all over you when we were making cupcakes, daddy!” Izzy sasses back, making both you and Harry drop your jaws while Anne starts laughing at her boldness.

“That was an entirely different situation, Izzy,” Harry shakes his head as he helps her with the scream before passing it over to you.

“Grams, you should have been there! Daddy, Y/N and I made a mess in the kitchen, but daddy started it!” Izzy giggles, digging into the pie.

“Is that so?” Anne smirks.

“We were just… playing,” Harry explains.

“Oh, I know how you can get when you’re just playing,” Anne chuckles. “Y/N, how do you put up with two kids in the house?”

“I used to deal with fifteen at the same time, so two is not a trouble,” you smirk at Harry who just rolls his eyes, but you see the hiding little smile on his lips.

After lunch Izzy insists on showing you the dollhouse Anne has set up for her in the backyard while Harry helps his mum with the cleaning up.

“We both know your sister likes to exaggerate stories, so I didn’t believe everything she said about you and Y/N,” Anne speaks up as she is washing the dishes and Harry is on drying duty.

“I’m glad you don’t fall for Gemma’s vivid imagination.”

“But there’s one thing she got right.”

“And what would that be?” Anne turns the tap off as she faces Harry, sighing in relief as she smiles at him.

“That you look happy.”

Harry opens his mouth to say something, but then just closes it. He does feel happy, even if he is still struggling to accept it. Anne dries her hands and reaching up she cups Harry’s face in her palms.

“Baby, I haven’t seen you like this for a long time. And I know you think you don’t deserve to feel this way, but you do. And Y/N makes you happy, clearly.”

“Mum…”

“No, honey, just… listen to me, okay?” she asks and he nods, giving all his attention to his mother. “It broke my heart to see you so… lost after what happened to Maggie. And I know that it was the hardest thing you ever had to go through, but you need to move on. She would want you to do the same thing.”

“How do you know, mum? You didn’t even like Maggie when I first brought her home,” Harry points out mumbling under his breath.

“That doesn’t change the way you felt about her. I know you loved her and I would have never wanted anything to happen to her. She made you happy and that’s all that mattered to me,” she smiles with a tired sigh. “And I just want you to be happy again. Whatever you two have going on… don’t let go of it, alright? She is making you happy and you deserve that.”

Harry doesn’t know what to say so he just nods before Anne pulls him into a tight, motherly hug that he returns gladly.

“I’m trying, mum. I’m trying,” he whispers into her hair, giving her a squeeze before letting go of her.

You stay a little longer, Anne makes you tea and Harry soaks in the last minutes with Izzy before he is forced to be away from her. You know he is looking forward to spending some time away from his daddy duties, but it’s clear that he’ll miss her terribly too.

“Alright, baby. Be good and I’ll call Grams to talk to you every day, okay?” Harry tells her, giving her one last hug. Izzy wraps her arms around his neck tightly, her face squished into his neck.

“Okay, daddy. I love you,” she mumbles with a pouty look.

“I love you too. Have a good time with Grams.”

“Thank you for everything, Anne,” you tell her, giving her a quick hug.

“Oh, you’re welcome. It was so nice to meet you,” she smiles, feeling a little touched by the goodbye. “Come back soon!”

“I will, thank you.” “Bye mum, call me if anything comes up,” Harry tells her, hugging her as well.

“We’ll be alright, don’t worry. Tell Mitch and Sarah that I wish them the best!” Anne smiles as you and Harry head out the door.

“I will! Bye!”

Izzy stands at the front door with Anne, waving after you as Harry backs out of the driveway and eventually, they are out of your sight.

Harry falls silent and you don’t have to be a genius to know that he is already missing Izzy. You can imagine what it feels like to not see her every day like he always does, when he is so used to having her around all the time.

“You alright?” you softly ask, giving his arm a short squeeze.

“Yeah, it’s just… It’s the third time I’m doing this, but it never gets easier. The first year we did it I ended up driving up here four times that week,” he admits with a chuckle.

“Nothing to be ashamed of. It’s normal to miss her.”

“I know, it just makes me emotional,” he admits, flashing you a short smile before he turns his gaze back at the road ahead of him.

The drive back home is a lot quieter than the way to Anne’s. You play some music again and Harry hums to it sometimes, but he is mostly just deep in his thoughts and you don’t want to bother him, knowing well he probably needs some time to settle with the thought of an entire week without Izzy.

You get some takeout for dinner before arriving home and eat together before putting on a movie to watch in the entertainment room. One movie turns into another and before you could realize it, you’re dosed off on the comfy couch, cuddled to Harry’s side near midnight.

When you wake up something entirely different is playing on the screen since the original movie has ended long ago. Harry is passed out, his head resting against the back of the couch, one arm curled around your shoulders while the other is resting on his stomach. Rubbing your eyes you check the time and decide it’s better if you both just go to bed before you end up spending the night on the couch.

“Hey… H,” you softly caress his cheek before you brush his unruly curls back from his forehead. He scrunches his nose adorably before his eyes flutter open, taking in his surroundings. “We fell asleep. Why don’t we call it a night?” you ask in a soft whisper. Harry sighs, nodding his head, squeezing you to his side before his arm falls from around your shoulders. You peck his cheek before pushing yourself up from the couch. He shuts the TV off and the two of you head upstairs. For your surprise, his hand finds yours on the way up the stairs, lacing his fingers together with yours.

You pad your way up to the second floor and walking past Izzy’s room Harry stops for just a heartbeat before he follows you down the hallway. When you’re about to let go of his hand to head into your own bedroom, Harry pulls you back gently, making you look at him with slight confusion.

“Do you… Maybe you could… sleep at mine, if you want to? Just a thought…” he breathes out, clearly nervous to speak what’s been on his mind.

“I would love to, but only if you’re sure about it.”

“I’m sure. It would be nice to… wake up next to you,” he adds with a shy smile and you notice how he didn’t say waking up next to anyone, he wants you to be there.

“Alright. Why don’t we both just go and shower separately and then I’ll come back to yours?” you offer, giving his hand a squeeze. Harry nods and leaning down he places a chaste kiss to your lips before letting go of your hand, going your separate ways.

After doing your usual nighttime routine you put on a pair of soft pajama pants and a simple shirt before heading back to Harry’s bedroom. The door is slightly open, the lights are still on. You knock on the door before pushing it open carefully. You’ve only been in here a handful of times and it’s strange to come here with the intention of staying.

Harry is standing by his dresser in a pair of sweatpants and a white shirt, his hair is slightly damp from his shower. As his eyes fall on your figure a small smile tugs on his lips before he glances towards the bed.

“Which… which side do you like sleeping on?” he asks and you can’t hold back a chuckle as you walk to the side that’s clearly not used by him usually.

Harry huffs with a smile before going to his side. You put your phone to the nightstand before getting under the covers, making yourself comfortable in Harry’s silky sheets. He sits to the edge of the bed, checks something on his phone before dropping it to his nightstand and he then joins you under the covers.

It’s a tiny bit awkward at first, neither of you really finding your place in such a new situation, so at first you just lie on your sides facing each other. Harry is clearly about to say something, he is just looking for the right words, so you give him all the time he needs.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he softly speaks up. “Not just because… I would be awfully lonely now without Izzy,” he adds with a cheeky chuckle. “I meant it generally. I’m really happy that you’re here.”

“I’m happy to be here too. Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” you smile at him. Breathing out through his nose he closes his eyes for a few seconds before his green irises meet yours again. Leaning closer he kisses you softly, just another way to tell you the same thing he just said with his words a moment ago. Pulling back he settles his head on the pillow and he pulls you into his arms, making you cuddle to his side similar to the way you fell asleep on the couch earlier.

“Good night, Y/N,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to the crown of your head.

“Good night, Harry,” you hum back, nuzzling your face into his shoulder, making yourself comfortable in his strong arms.

Harry grumbles lowly when his phone’s alarm goes off in the morning. He might be off from his daddy duties this week, but he is still the CEO of his company and work is calling his name. Sometime during the night the two of you got tangled up in each other. Unlike last night, now Harry is the one snuggled up to you, his heavy arm lying across your stomach, his legs mingled with yours under the sheets as you gently scratch his scalp with one hand, running the other up and down his arm across your stomach. You’re not gonna lie, waking up in a bed with Harry is far more blissful and satisfying than you imagined. Even early in the morning he has such an aura that sweeps you off your feet, the man was surely crafted by the gods.

“You’re gonna be late,” you hum, eyes still closed when he hits the snooze button and snuggles back to you.

“It’s set to when I have to get Izzy ready. We still have some time,” he mumbles against the fabric of your shirt.

You stay in bed a little longer until it really is time to get up. Harry’s morning form is so soft yet still breathtaking, even with his hair tousled and his puffy eyes, he still looks gorgeous and you find it slightly unfair how little effort the man needs to be this perfect.

Harry heads to take a shower and in the meantime you decide to start making breakfast while the coffee is brewing.

“Oh you shouldn’t have,” Harry breathes out with a thankful smile when he arrives downstairs and sees the almost ready breakfast and the smell of coffee hits his nose.

“I have all the time in the world this week,” you chuckle as you fill a plate with eggs and veggies before you slide it over to him on the kitchen island. You fix a plate for yourself as well and join him on the stool beside him.

“So… are you still up for the date?” Harry asks shyly, glancing over at you.

“Didn’t really change my mind since yesterday,” you chuckle.

“Would you be up to do it today?”

“So, eager, huh?” you tease him, nudging him with your shoulder and he just shyly shrugs, trying to push down his smile. “Today works fine for me. What do you have in mind?”

“I’m not ruining the surprise,” he smirks at you, sipping on his coffee.

“Alright, then just tell me the dress code.”

“Wear that lilac dress you wore to that birthday party the other week.”

You know exactly what dress he is talking about, but it stuns you that he actually remembers what you wore two weeks ago. He only saw you for a few minutes before you left, yet he still remembered the dress.

“Alright,” you smile to yourself before turning back to your breakfast.

Though you have a few extra sessions booked for the week, your Monday stayed empty and without Izzy roaming around the house you have to realize that you can easily get bored without her. You got so used to being with her all day long that now being home on your own is so weird.

You spend the first half of the day lounging at the pool, something you’ve been dying to do, but you were too busy with a certain little girl. Then you have a nice lunch and after reading the book you’ve been putting away for weeks, you realize that you’ve run out of things to do. So you text Trevor if he wants a ride home after school and of course he does, so after fixing yourself up you drive down to his school.

“Hi there, how was your day?” you ask when he sits into the car, throwing his backpack to the backseat before he buckles himself up as you back out of the parking spot.

“Fantastic, as always!” he fake cheers, making you laugh.

“Want to get ice-cream?”

“You know I always want ice-cream,” he snorts smirking at you.

You haven’t met Trevor ever since things become kind of… romantic between you and Harry, and you didn’t want to tell him over the phone, so now is the perfect time to break him the news. When the two of you are sitting on the terrace of your favorite ice-cream place, your paper cup filled with chocolate and strawberry ice-cream while he chose mango and cookie dough, you finally start the conversation.

“So, I have news for you.”

“Oh my God,” he breathes out, closing his eyes for a second. “Are you leaving the country?”

“What? No! Why do you think that?”

“I don’t know, but last time you said you had news for me you moved out from home. Figured it might be something similar,” he shrugs, returning to his ice-cream.

“Well, no, I’m not leaving the country.”

“Okay, then what is it?”

“I’m kind of… dating Harry. You know, my boss.” You have no idea why you felt the need to add the last part when he has already met him, but you feel a bit nervous. Trevor is like your best friend and he had a bad feeling about Keith when you started dating him, but you ignored it. If he has a similar feeling about Harry now, you are definitely considering them this time.

“Oh!” his eyebrows shoot up. “What do you mean kind of?”

“Well, we haven’t had our first date yet, it’s happening tonight, but things have… changed.”

“So you slept with him?”

“No, I haven’t,” you chuckle nervously. “We kissed. A few times and… we talked about where it’s heading and we both think it’s going to turn into something… more serious.”

“That’s great!” he smiles at you and it seems completely genuine. “See, I told you it’s gonna happen sooner or later,” he smirks coyly, before he licks his spoon off.

“You were just drawing random assumptions because of his looks and wealth, Trevor. But it’s not about that.”

“Oh, I know you’re not a gold digger,” he teases you, making you roll your eyes at him. “So your first date is tonight? What are you guys doing?”

“I don’t know, he didn’t tell me,” you shrug with a small smile.

“Mysterious,” Trevor wiggles his eyebrows at you. “So he is finally ready to get back on the dating scene, huh?”

“Um, he is working on it. It’s a little hard for him, but he’s been changing for the better.” “That’s great. I’m happy for you,” he smiles at you. “Really, you deserve it after that asshole.”

“Yeah, I hope it’ll go well,” you smile back at him with a sigh before you return to your ice-cream.

After dropping Trevor off at one of his friends you head back home. For your surprise, Harry’s car is already parked on the driveway with another one that doesn’t belong to him when you pull up and walking in you find him with Niall in the kitchen.

“Oh, hi boys!” you greet them.

“Y/N! You are stunning as always!” Niall beams, pulling you into a tight hug right away.

“Thanks,” you chuckle patting his back. “What are you guys up to?”

They share a look and it tells you right away you are not supposed to know whatever they were talking about so you just nod smiling.

“Alright, got it,” you chuckle.

“How was your day?” Harry asks, hoping to change the subject smoothly.

“Great! Met with Trevor, just dropped him off.”

“Oh, how is he doing?”

“He is fine, struggling a little with math lately, but he is doing great,” you chuckle.

“So you have a brother. Do you happen to have a sister, maybe?” Niall asks with a coy smile and while Harry just rolls his eyes at his friend, you can’t help but laugh.

“Sorry, no,” you tell him the bad news. “But… I have a good friend and I think you’d like her.”

“A friend? Do you have a picture of her?” Niall beams, already excited about it. Pulling your phone out you show him a picture of you and Heather so he can have a good look at her. You actually think that Heather and Niall would be a good match, she might even be the girl Niall would give up his bachelor life finally.

“When are we having a double date?” he simply asks, making you and Harry laugh at the same time.

“I’ll see what I can do for you.” You let the boys finish whatever they were doing before you arrived so you go to your room, unwinding a little before you have to start getting ready for the date. Around five there’s a soft knock on your door and as you call out, Harry pops his head inside.

“Hi,” he smiles nervously as the rest of his body walks into your sight.

“Hi!” you smile back, putting your book to the side.

“I just realized I never told you the time when you should be ready tonight,” he chuckles nervously. “Is six good for you?”

“Yeah, that’s great.”

“Alright. Then… see you soon, I guess,” he smiles nodding before he walks out of your room. You can’t help a small chuckle at how nervous he seems about tonight, as if he wasn’t still sure about your feelings for him, when you’ve made it clearer than daylight.

You get the best kind of jitters while getting ready for the date. It’s like you’re in high school again and your crush has finally asked you out so you want to look your best. Since Harry already suggested you what to wear, you don’t have to spend an hour standing in your closet, trying to find the right choice. For the makeup you go for a little smokey look and you do a loose bun styles for your hair, remembering the words your mother always told you when you were a teenager.

“A woman’s greatest and most secret weapon is her neck. Men go crazy if you show them your neck and they don’t even realize it!”

You spray some perfume on yourself and put on a pair of nude heels before packing your necessities into a purse that matches your outfit. You finish with everything just in time, a soft knock signaling that Harry has returned. Checking yourself one last time in the mirror you open the door and reveal him standing at the door, wearing a pair of fitted purple dress pants with a crispy shirt on, matching your dress perfectly. And the cherry on top is the bouquet of red roses in his hands.

“Hi,” he breathes out with a nervous smile and his gaze travels down your figure, a blush tinting his cheeks.

“Hi!”

“You look… beautiful,” he smiles shyly and your heart is fluttering in your chest. It’s really happening, you are going on a date with Harry!

“Thank you,” you chuckle softly.

“These are for you. I know it’s weird that I’m picking you up from your bedroom and I’m not giving you this at the front door, but…” he chuckles as he hands you the flowers.

“It’s really nice, thank you,” you smile, taking the flowers before moving into the bedroom to put them in a vase quickly. Harry takes just about two steps into the room and stops with his hands hidden in his pockets as he eyes every movement of yours before you finish with the flowers and let him know that you’re ready to do. He holds out his hand and you take it gladly as you head out of the house.

He doesn’t tell you where you’re going, not even when you try to annoy him and bully him into finally hinting something, but you should have known that he wouldn’t break. He has a four year old daughter who is constantly bugging him, he has endless patience.

When he parks down in front of a modern apartment complex you kind of get really confused, because nothing around seems like the location you’d choose for a date.

“Are you gonna kidnap me and keep me hostage in one of the apartments here?” you ask him with narrowed eyes as the two of you head inside, taking the elevator up.

“It’s not kidnapping, you came willingly,” he smirks down at you.

“That I did.”

When you’re at one of the apartments you are really lost about what he had planned and he finally breaks your suffering and tells you what’s gonna happen as he keys the two of you into the apartment.

“This is Niall’s place, he let us use it tonight. My mum always says that cooking together is a good first date, because food brings people together and you can easily get to know each other,” he explains as you walk into the modern, but definitely very manly home. “I didn’t want to do it at home, because we are always there, so… Niall was nice enough to lend us his place for our date.”

You see that there are two full grocery bags on the kitchen counter and the table is already set for two, you wonder if Harry was here earlier, or Niall did the work for him. Either way, it’s such a thoughtful gesture and a perfect first date.

“Where is he tonight?” you ask with a small smile.

“He is visiting his mother, for a change,” Harry chuckles, knowing well you thought he would be out with a woman probably. “He said he won’t be back until later tomorrow so we can even sleep here, but I thought it would be better if we went home.”

“So what are we making?” you ask curiously as you peek into one of the grocery bags.

“We are going to attempt to make gnocchi with some killer tomato sauce. And brownies for dessert,” he adds with a small smile.

“That sounds great, what can I help with?”

“Let me just quickly pack everything out and then we have to peel the potatoes, yeah?”

“Alright,” you nod, your gaze wandering over to the spacious living room. “Can I look around?”

“Sure,” he nods while he is already elbows deep in one of the bags.

Niall’s place looks like it came right off the pages of an interior design magazine, the furnishing is modern and more on the dark color range, but not too much to make it appear depressing. Right next to his huge TV there’s a floor to ceiling bookcase filled with books mostly about music and art and you realize you don’t even know what Niall does for a living. It just never came up between his heavy flirting sessions.

“I never asked, but what does Niall do?” you ask calling out to Harry.

“Oh, he is a freelancer music producer. Tried to offer him a permanent spot at my company, but he prefers his freedom, like with everything else in his life,” he chuckles. “But he is a good one, we used to make music together when we were younger.”

Just as he says that, you spot a picture of the two of them on the shelves and your lips part in a bit of a shock when you realize that Harry used to have long hair. Leaning closer you inspect the photo better and you feel like you’re looking at two entirely different people. Niall’s hair was bleached blonde which is already enough to make him like another version of himself, but Harry is definitely the biggest shocker. He was rocking some loose shirt with the top buttons left undone, his necklace with the cross pendant peeking out and though the photo ends somewhere above his knees, you can tell that he is wearing skinny jeans, something you never thought you would ever see him in.

“You had long hair?” you ask joining him in the kitchen. Harry’s eyes shoot up to him, then he looks in the direction of the living room, a smile tugging on his lips as he probably remembers what photo you must have just seen.

“Uh, yeah. Yes I did, when I was about 21 or 22.”

“I could hardly believe that was you in the picture, with the long locks and the skinny jeans,” you tease him.

“Yeah, I was a lot different then, but after all, it’s been an entire decade since then,” he sniggles.

“Why did you cut it?”

“Um, I was pretty new in the business back then and had a few assholes telling me that it’s not too masculine and all that. It was a time when I cared more about others’ opinion than I should have so I kind of gave in and cut it.”

“I’m sorry they ruined it for you. But I’m glad you don’t care about others that much now,” you smile at him softly. Harry’s eyes flicker down to his painted nails and ring-clad fingers and you just know what he is about to ask before he even speaks up.

“Does it… bother you? That I paint my nails and stuff?”

“No,” you shake your head confidently. “Not at all. I mean, I never saw you without them, but at this point I think it wouldn’t even feel right,” you add with a small laugh that brings Harry’s smile back as well. Stepping closer you kiss his shoulder softly before turning your focus on the food in front of you. “So, let’s peel these bad boys!”

It’s the first time you and Harry actually work together in the kitchen for more than just five minutes. He is always in control at home, taking over everything with Izzy and you know it’s a good bonding time for them, so you never even tried to push your way into it without their invitation. But now the bonding is all about you and him and so far you’ve been a great team. The cutest thing is that he brought you matching aprons to protect your clothes and you look like you are in some cooking show for sure.

You keep asking questions from each other while working on the food, Harry asks you some more about your childhood and teenage years and he shares stories from college where he had this friend group of five. Niall was part of the group as well and he said he is still in touch with the other boys, but they all do very different things now, the other three are already fathers themselves and live far away, so they don’t get to see each other that much.

You are making the little dumplings while Harry is on duty for cooking them, relentlessly fishing them out of the boiling water once they swim up to the top. When that’s done, Harry starts making the sauce while you take care of the brownies. It all works out well, everything gets done easily and while the dessert is in the oven you start eating what you just created.

“Mm, this sauce is really good!” you hum when you take the first bite.

“It’s my mum’s recipe,” he smiles proudly.

At the beginning of the evening you could tell that he felt nervous, not essentially about being with you, but probably because of the thought of going on a date in general. But as time passed by and he got more and more comfortable in the situation, you could see him loosen up and calm his nerves, so now that you are eating the dinner you made together and drinking a glass of fine wine, talking about anything and everything, you feel like he is actually enjoying something he was probably terrified from before.

When the brownies are done the two of you take advantage of the nice evening weather and Niall’s amazing balcony, moving out to the lounge chairs, munching on the dessert with the skyline of the city in front of you. At one point you start playing a game of would you rather, and after a while you ask each other the most random things, cracking each other up continuously. You don’t even realize and it’s already past ten, you completely talked the evening away, but you don’t regret any of it.

You clean up Niall’s place, leaving it just the way you got it, putting some leftovers into his fridge for him as a thank you for lending you his place before you head out.

Harry keeps a hand on you at all times on the way home, he is either holding your hand over the console, or rests his palm on your thigh above your knee, but either way, he just keeps the physical touch up always. Not that you mind, you are doing kind of the same, enjoying his closeness.

Arriving home you can feel a kind of tension growing, but not a bad kind. You want him. Your desire to go further than just kissing has grown immensely tonight, but you have no idea how he feels about taking it further and you don’t want to push him past his boundaries.

“Want to… sleep with me again?” he shyly asks when you’re going up the stairs.

“Yeah, I would love that,” you smile at him, giving him a quick peck on his cheek.

When you part ways in the hallway he probably expects you to do your night time routine, but you have other plans. Grabbing your polaroid camera you pad your way over to his room, knocking on the door, hoping he is not in the shower yet. When he calls out for you, he is standing at his dresser, the first few buttons of his shirt are already undone, but he is still dressed.

“I just thought that… we could snap a picture as a nice memento of our first date,” you shyly explain to him, holding the camera up.

“Oh, yeah! Okay, how do you... how should we…?” he looks around the room and you step to his dresser, placing the camera to the top of it.

“It’s got a timer,” you explain as you set it up and tell him where to stand so you can check if he is in the frame. When it’s all set, you glance back at him. “Ready?”

“Yeah,” he nods shyly. You push the button and step back to him. “What should we…” he starts, but you already know what you want the picture to be like.

Cupping his face in your hands you pull him down and kiss him sweetly, for the first time tonight. You’ve noticed he hasn’t tried to kiss you all night, being a gentleman, but you’ve been craving it since he showed up at your door with the roses.

He hesitates for a moment, but eventually curls his arms around you, kissing you back softly. The timer goes off and the flash indicates that the photo has been taken. Pulling back you smile at him before taking the photo from the camera, setting it to the side to develop. Harry steps behind you, his arms coming to curl around your waist and you turn in his hold to face him.

“Hi,” you smile at him giddily. “Thanks for today.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” he answers softly, making your heart flutter. You press your lips at his, kissing him hard and passionate, like you wanted all evening. He is quick to return the kiss with just as much passion as you put into it, his hands finding your waist as he slowly pulls you with him until the back of his legs hit the bed. He sits down and pulls you with him so you sit on his lap straddling him, never breaking the kiss as you settle in his arms, his hands roaming up and down your back.

Your kisses move from his delicious lips to his chiseled jawline and down his neck, your fingers working on the buttons of his dress shirt. You want him, you need him, he is all you can think about and the taste of his skin on your tongue is making you lose your mind.

His hands move up your thighs right to your bum, giving it a good squeeze, making you moan against the crook of his neck.

“Fuck,” he growls, throwing the two of you to the bed, getting on top of you before his lips attack yours, kissing you with a demand heatedly. His lips move smoothly against yours, devouring you with every suck and lick, making you dizzy in the head with such little effort.

He starts kissing down your neck, through your collarbone and whatever is showing in your dress on your chest. Your fingers lace through his messy curls, keeping him close to you as you try to control your moans and gasps. His fingers hook under the thin straps of your dress and he is about to pull them down when he stops, breathing heavily against your skin.

Harry lifts his head, his eyes meeting yours as he is panting through his parted lips and you cup his cheeks in your hands.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Talk to me,” you tell him softly, knowing well his mind is probably racing right now.

“I just…” he starts quietly. “I haven’t been with anyone since… Maggie,” he admits in a whisper and your gaze softens on him.

“And I haven’t been with anyone since Keith,” you admit truthfully. “We don’t have to do anything tonight. I’m fine with just sleeping if that’s all you want to do.”

“No, I want to… I want to do things, I just… I’m not used to it, I guess,” he breathes out as you run your fingers through his hair.

“It’s okay. We can take it slow. Whatever you feel comfortable with,” you assure him pecking his lips softly.

“Is it… Is it okay if we just… touch?” He is clearly feeling a bit embarrassed to ask, but you will not make him feel bad for asking for whatever he wants. Pulling him down for another kiss you smile up at him.

“Touching is perfect. It’s all up to you,” you tell him and see the gratitude in his eyes right away.

Removing yourself off of his lap you climb back on the bed, pulling him with you until he is holding himself up above you. Your eyes meet for a second again before leaning down he kisses you slowly, taking his time with you. He is holding himself up on one arm while his other hand finds your hip, gently squeezing it when his tongue slides into your mouth through the kiss. Your hands move down his chest and you start unbuttoning his shirt until it falls open and he shimmies it off with a soft chuckle.

“Let’s get rid of the dress too,” you breathe out, reaching down for the hem of your dress, pulling it up until it’s off, leaving you in only your underwear. You’re wearing a matching set with a strapless bra and as you lie back on the bed Harry’s eyes basically devour you, his gaze running up and down your body several times.

“You’re so beautiful, Y/N,” he breathes out before leaning down and kissing you again, his hand cupping your side before wandering over to your stomach and up to your chest. He runs his hand over your chest, gently squeezing it, making you moan into the kiss.

“And you’re wearing too much clothes,” you grin as you reach down and start undoing his purple pants you ogled him quite often tonight. Harry chuckles as he holds himself up for you to work the button and the zipper on his pants before he takes over the task and gets rid of them himself, leaving him in only his boxer briefs and you have to hold yourself back from gasping when you see the growing bulge between his legs.

You don’t get to eye him for too long, because he is back to kissing you, his body pressing up against yours as you let your hands roam his strong back, his skin burning under your touch. His lips travel down the line of your neck to your chest and his hand snakes behind your back, but he stops before he could do anything with the clasp of your bra. Glancing up at you he gives you a questioning glare, asking for your permission.

“You can take it off,” you softly tell him nodding. His fingers are quick to undo it and a moment later you’re lying with a bare chest underneath him. His hand moves to your chest again and he kneads your breast again, this time with nothing between your skin and his palm. You whimper under his touch, you’ve been so starved to be touched this way and now that it’s happening, it’s hard to control yourself, but Harry doesn’t seem to mind seeing you react to what he is doing.

His lips return to your mouth and while he kisses you with so much passion, he slowly lays himself down next to you, so you’re facing each other sideways on the bed. He pulls you closer to him until you’re flushed against his hard chest and while your hand roams around his shoulders and back, his palm slides down your spine, over your waist until he calms bum, pushing you even closer to him. His clothed erection presses against your thigh and you can’t help but whimper his name at the feeling.

His kisses slow down and his touch loosens on you until he pulls back, seemingly just for air, but you can tell his head is starting to race again, spiraling thoughts taking over his mind.

“Do you want me to take over control?” you softly ask him, pushing his unruly curls out of his forehead. His gaze softens and he nods shortly with gratefulness lacing through his look.

He watches you intently as you push yourself up into a sitting position, he rolls to his back and keeps his gaze on you as you hook your fingers into your panties, getting rid of them before doing the same for him with his boxers. He lifts his hips up as you pull down the elastic material, revealing his hard cock to your greedy eyes. You want nothing more than to taste him, but he said he just wants to touch so you don’t try to overstep his limits, leaving this desire of yours to another time. Instead, you lean down, capturing his lips in a sweet, reassuring kiss that everything is going fine to calm his nerves as much as you can, while you place your palm to his lower stomach, moving down slowly until you find his hard cock, wrapping your hand around his length and giving it a few gentle stroke.

“Fuck,” he breathes out against your parted lips and you can’t push a smile down.

You kiss his lips, his cheeks, his jawline, everywhere around his face while you keep pumping him, spreading some of his precum down his length to help your hand move smoother. Your actions awaken something in him, he grabs your face in both his hands, kissing you hard before he pushes you to your back, becoming the one on top. He parts your legs with pushing a knee between your thighs and while you keep up with your motions, he gets down to action as well. One of his large palms runs down your abdomen, stroking your lower belly gently before it moves to your inner thigh, spreading you even more for him before you feel his touch on your heated and dripping wet core. First, he just teasingly runs two fingers through your folds, testing how wet you are and when he realizes that you are more than ready to whatever he has planned, he moves his thumb to your sensitive clit, drawing circles with the pad of his finger, sending a wave of pleasure up your spine immediately.

“Harry!” you moan his name, running your thumb over the head of his cock that makes him gasp and stop his motions for a moment before he returns to pleasuring you.

He buckles his hips into your touch while his fingers move down from your clit until he is teasing your entrance, just circling around it but not pushing into you. Rolling your hips you signal him that you want the teasing to end and he luckily gets the hint, slowly sliding two fingers inside you, curling them gently and it makes your eyes roll back immediately. He rests his forehead on your shoulder as he starts moving his fingers in and out of you while you try your best to keep up your pumping motion as well, moving your other hand to his balls to give him some of that extra pleasure and he seems to be liking what you’re doing, because your name keeps falling from his lips as keeps fingering you, curling his digits just the right way inside you from time to time.

“Fuck, Y/N, I won’t last long,” he pants, his lips brushing against your neck before he kisses the soft skin above your collarbone.

“It’s alright. Just want you to feel good, H,” you assure him, though you’re getting closer to your release as well.

“Are you close?” he asks out of breath, still holding himself up above you, leaning onto his other arm next to your head.

“Yeah, don’t stop,” you nod, turning your head so your lips could meet for a kiss again.

You can tell he is trying hard to hold himself back, to stretch it out as long as he can. A torturous look tugs on his face and you kiss his temple, wanting nothing more than to see him finally reach the peak.

“Let go, H. It’s alright,” you whisper against his skin and he whines at your words before you feel his cock jerk in your hand and he cums under your touch.

You keep stroking him as he rides his high, gasping and panting your name while he spills his semen onto your naked stomach. His fingers stopped moving inside you as he found his relief, but as soon as you feel him recovering from his orgasm, he goes right back to where he left it, desperately wanting to pleasure you as well.

“Harry!” you moan when he hits a specific spot inside you, tingling your nerves just right, your hands come to clasp onto his broad shoulders.

“Cum for me, babe. Let me see you feel good,” he whispers before his lips occupy your mouth again, kissing you with so much passion and vigor, your senses are starting to overload.

“Fuck, I’m gonna cum!” you gasp feeling your toes curl and Harry picks his pace up, his thumb coming in contact with your clit as he tries to make you reach your high.

And then it finally happens. You stop breathing for a moment, the intensity of it washing over your whole body. It’s been so long since you felt this good with anyone, and just the thought of doing this with Harry probably adds a lot to the equation.

He slows his fingers down, but makes sure to curl them inside you every time he pumps them in, and you repeat his name over and over again until you finally catch your breath. Your gaze meets his, and you see a happy and satisfied shine in his green irises as he leans down and kisses you sweetly, pulling his fingers out of you gently.

“M’gonna get a towel,” he murmurs, pecking your lips one last time before he gets up from the bed and walks into the bathroom while you lie on his bed, totally gone and worn out from your orgasm. Harry comes back with a damp washcloth and cleans up the mess he made on you before gently moving to between your legs, taking such good care of you. He drops the cloth to the floor, not wanting to leave the bed again as he pulls the covers over your bodies, pulling you into his arms.

“How are you feeling?” you softly ask, pecking his toned chest.

“I’m good.”

Lifting your head you search for his eyes, wanting to make sure he didn’t regret any of it, but he seems calm and rested for a change. Smiling up at him you push yourself up a little so you can connect your lips before you snuggle back to his side and let yourself slowly drift off to sleep, listening to his steady heartbeat under your face.

Thank you for reading, please like and reblog if you enjoyed it!

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[imagine-lcorp]

Lost & Found (One Shot)

Request

Could you maybe do something where Lena meets single parent reader at the store when she loses her kid and Lena helps her back to her mom. Her finding a home with them and all that fluffy stuff?

A/N: Hey, my dears, hope you are doing alright. It’s good to be back to present you with another lovely request. This one was particularly good, I really don’t know anything about children but it’s always fun to figure out how to write the haha. Also, did ya know there’s actUally a Superman ice cream flavor? Kudos to the anon that sent this one! Pls enjoy and let me know what you think!! 

- (Y/D/N). Your Dauther’s Name

Lena Luthor x Single Mother!R // Word Count: 2,891 -------------------------------------------------------

There was a time when Lena Luthor used to wonder what made a family a family.

Was it having a mother and a father? She had a mother and a father, although not at the same time. She had a mother, then she had a father... and another mother, but she wasn't quite like the first mother she had. Was it having a brother or a sister? She had only known one brother but even when they shared the same father, he showed her the many ways it didn't matter.

Was it the blood relationship? She had friends that almost feel like family to her even when they didn't share the same blood, but those relationships withered the same way her relationships with her blood family did. Was it sharing a house with someone? She had lived in many houses and apartments. A small house near the ocean, a mansion in the countryside, a little apartment near the university, a penthouse in the city. She had shared each one with some others and yet she could not call them family, not really and not anymore.

So, what made a family a family? Lena had wondered for so long until one day she found you, or rather, found her.

"Have you seen my mommy?" A little voice startled her from her evening thoughts.

It had been one of those rare days when Lena needed to feel less like herself and indulge in some mundane chores. She would give her chauffeur the night off, take her car and drive around the city for a while before going into whatever store or supermarket she could find open. She would take some time to check aisles and products, enjoying the quiet and the fact that most people around didn't put much attention to her. She would ponder about buying a few items just to imagine herself as everybody else.

The little girl standing beside her, however, didn't seem to care about Lena's self-pity.

She looked around, in the detergent aisle of the supermarket she was in, to see if there was any sign of a mother looking for her lost child but the few people near the two of them didn't even bother to notice. She didn't look older than five or six and, fortunately, she also didn't look scared.

"No, sorry." Lena replied, kneeling in front of her. "Do you remember where you last saw her?"

"She was looking for ice cream." The girl said with a glimmer in her eyes. The idea of dessert making her excited.

"Ice cream?" Lena asked with raised eyebrows. "You were buying ice cream?"

"Yeah." She said, showing her big smile with a couple of baby teeth already missing.

She thought it was a cute gesture and even when she didn't know what to do, Lena couldn't leave her.

"Maybe I can help you find your mom but you need to help me too, alright?" The little girl nodded. "What's your name?"

"(Y/D/N). What's yours?"

"I'm Lena." She smiled.

Lena asked her a few more questions about you, your name, the way you looked like, what were you wearing and where was the last place she had seen you. Your daughter was a pretty smart girl, she answered every question as best as she could, with short but very precise words, giving Lena a pretty good idea of who she needed to look for.

She took your daughter's hand in hers and started walking around each aisle, heading particularly towards the freezer section, where Lena supposed she could find the ice cream. The girl kept looking around and would sometimes squeeze Lena's hand every time she found something interesting to look at. She was a pretty carefree child, considering her current situation. It reminded Lena a bit of herself so long ago, when there was no more world to worry about but her own.

However, she worried that, if they couldn't find you, she would have to take her to security and let them deal with a case of a missing child. Lena found that plan less than ideal.

"(Y/D/N)!" You both suddenly heard.

"Mommy?" The little girl turned around, searching for your voice with wide eyes. She held Lena's hand even tighter and in a moment they were both running along the cereal aisle.

Lena was about to tell her to slow down when they heard your voice once again behind their backs.

"(Y/D/N)!"

Lena and your daughter turned around and saw you slid on the floor as you tried to run towards them.

You felt an instant wave of relief once your eyes locked on your daughter. Your little girl came running towards you in a second and you didn't even care she was pulling someone along with her. (Y/D/N) only let go of Lena's hand once she was close enough to jump into your arms.

"Oh, thank goodness, you're alright." You said with a heavy sigh, wrapping your daughter into a hug. "You scared me, love. You know you don't have to leave my side when we're out."

"But I was looking for the ice cream." You heard her say, and you had a sudden urge to throw your child into a bin.

"Ice cre-? Ice cream? I-" Instead you took a deep breath, closed your eyes and hugged her even tighter. You let go of her a moment later, making sure she was alright. "Yes, sweetheart. We're getting you your ice cream."

"Can Lena come with us?" She asked and you finally looked up to catch a glimpse of the stranger your daughter had dragged along.

The woman was standing a few steps behind you, fidgeting with her hands as she observed the scene in front of her.

Lena had felt a wave of relief herself when she saw mother and daughter reunite, and she felt happy she had helped, but she had to admit she felt quite out of place. It was a family moment and she didn't want to interrupt.

"Well, first you have to introduce me to your new friend." You said then and Lena had to raise a brow in surprise.

(Y/D/N) did a little jump in excitement and grabbed your hand. You got up while your daughter pulled you towards Lena. "Lena, this is my mommy."

"It is nice to meet you, Lena. I'm (Y/N)." You looked at her with a smile appearing at the corner of your lips and she felt, without knowing why, so much lighter.

Lena couldn't say no to your daughter's invitation after that. She was curious to find out why little (Y/D/N) was so adamant about buying ice cream. Apparently, she was looking for a very special flavor, the Superscoop Sundae, which was said to be Supergirl's favorite kind of flavor.

You took your daughter's hand in yours this time and while you walked it seemed like you couldn't thank Lena enough for helping your daughter find its way back to you. You assured her this wasn't  a common occurrence. You always tried to keep a close eye on your daughter but she would sometimes get too excited to even wait for you.

"She's chaos compressed in the form of a five year old." You joked. "All this trouble for some dessert, can you believe?"

You started a friendly conversation as you walked to the freezer section and, for a moment, Lena felt like a child again making friends in the playground. You didn't have your guard up, and you certainly weren't suspicious about her. You only knew she had helped you find your daughter and in return you had wanted to share this moment with her as a gesture of gratitude. No hidden intentions behind it.

"I'd like you to have this." You said after deciding it was time for you and your daughter to head home.

(Y/D/N) was finally holding a pint of the Superscoop Sundae in her hands and she was standing near you, waiting for your conversation to be over. You pulled a tiny card out of your wallet and handed it to Lena.

"This is my card, if you ever need it."

You wanted to return the favor and if there was something you could do for Lena you were going to do it with no hesitation. It was the least you could do, you assured her. Then you parted ways, with (Y/D/N) waving Lena goodbye and leaving her with a smile in her face and warm sensation in her heart.

Little did you know that Lena was going to need that favor, more sooner than later.

After another attempt against her life, Lena Luthor was in need of a place to hide.

The DEO and Supergirl had suggested some safe houses for her to use for a few days but since the database of the DEO had been hacked, most of those facilities could have been already compromised. She needed a place no one knew about, a place no one would expect her to be. So, even against her better judgement, she pulled a tiny card out of her own purse.

"So, let me get this straight." You said pacing around the living room of your apartment. "You want me to hide you here for let's say, around a week, right? And, by doing so, I may or may not be in danger? Is that what you're saying?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Yeah, essentially."

Lena and Supergirl spoke at the same time. They were standing there with you in the middle of the room, looking apologetical and waiting for your answer. However, you looked back and forth between the two of them, not believing what was happening.

When Lena called you to ask for that favor, you didn't think too much of it. Instead, you remembered that day at the supermarket, where she helped you and your daughter reunite again. You wouldn't have known what to do if anything had happened to your her that evening and you felt like you owned it to Lena. But this was a whole new thing for you, starting for the fact that there was no way your daughter wouldn't get involved in this. Besides, it was Lena's life, Lena Luthor's life, the life of a multibillionaire genius, in your hands.

"(Y/N), please, don't worry. I know we may be asking too much." Lena said as she fidgeted with her hands.

You looked at her with worry and were about to answer, still not sure about what to say, when you heard a knock on the door. After a second of hesitation, you shook your head and went to answer. As you opened the door, a tiny figure appeared.

Your neighbor next door was dropping (Y/D/N) after the play date she had had with their own daughter. You thanked them and hurried (Y/D/N) inside, not wanting to draw anyone else's attention to your guests.

An excited gasp followed next as your daughter realized who was in her home.

"Mommy! It's Supergirl!" She jumped and ran towards the superhero.

"Hello, little one." Supergirl said as she kneeled in front of her.

"And Lena's here too!"

It surprised everyone in the room when your daughter, instead of reaching for Supergirl, ran past her, headed towards Lena and hugged her legs.

Supergirl looked startled by that, as she was usually the popular one around children, and Lena was a bit taken aback by the gesture. You smiled as you watched Lena pat (Y/D/N)'s head, asking her how she had been since the last time she had seen her and if she still had some ice cream left to share. It surprised you how easy it was for Lena to talk to your kid and it surprised you even more when you found yourself answering Lena's call for help.

"So...I guess I need to figure out what's for dinner tonight, if you're staying." You crossed your arms with a little frown in your face. You really had no idea what to cook for the night.

Three pairs of eyes turned suddenly to look at you and your daughter's eyes were as big as they had been on her last birthday when she got the exact bunny plushie she had asked for.

Dinner had never been as entertaining as it have been that first night. When (Y/D/N) found out Lena was a scientist she kept firing question after question. You were fairly impressed at the way Lena tried to answer all of them and you did your best to keep your daughter from asking anything too inappropriate. Lena was more than thrilled about it all.

"I have a question of my own, Miss Luthor." You said after you had put (Y/D/N) in bed.

"Do you?" Lena said raising a brow. "What is it?"

"Do millionaires know how to wash their own dinner plates?" You heard Lena laugh as you headed for the kitchen, and somehow it was one of the most wonderful things you had ever heard.

You found yourselves falling into a comfortable routine during the days she spent at your house. If at first you had been a bit hesitant about how to treat Lena, after finding out who she really was, you soon found out that millionaires did know how to wash plates and help with the daily chores in the house.

Your daughter was more than happy to have her new friend around the house. For her, Lena was someone else she could play with and the person who knew all the answers because she was a scientist. You felt a little jealous about that but, just like your daughter, you felt happy to have Lena with you. It certainly helped you forget your lives were in dire danger.

"Is she asleep?" Lena asked you one night.

"Yeah, sleeping like the dead." You took a seat on the kitchen table, where Lena had been revising some company documents. "Thank you for the tip."

"You're welcome." She rose from her own seat to pour you a cup of tea. "Reading Greek tragedies never fails to put people to sleep."

You chuckled. "Oh, I believe you. I was about to grab a blanket too. Thanks."

You grabbed the cup of tea from her hands, your fingers brushing against each other. You smiled at her and watched as she took her seat again. She asked you about your day at work, and you asked how things were going with her company. Conversation flowed easily as you moved to different topics.

It amazed Lena how easy she had fit within your lives, so naturally that she almost couldn't believe you had meet the week before. It was for her as if she had known you and (Y/D/N) since the beginning of time.

During those days you had learned so many things about each other. About (Y/D/N)'s collection of rocks and her hopes to get a bunny pet for her next birthday. Lena got used to the melodies of your favorite music and the way you arranged your books. You got to know the many ways Lena's facial expressions could tell you more about her state of mind than her assuring you she was alright.

When it was time for Lena to go back to her life, it felt like she was leaving her heart behind.

"Do you have to go?" Your daughter had asked as she watched Lena stand near the door with her suitcase.

"I'm sorry, honey, but I have to." Lena said with a pang of sadness as she took your daughter into her arms.

"But mommy said you were going to stay." She said with a pout, wrapping her little arms around Lena's neck.

"You know, if you need, you could stay a little longer." You approached them, reaching to stroke your daughter's back, and looking at Lena with hopeful eyes.

"Thank you, but I don't want to cause you anymore trouble. You have already done so much with letting me stay this long."

"No trouble at all." You assured her. "We protect our family. Right, (Y/D/N)?"

"Yeah! Just like Supergirl!" Your daughter cheered.

Lena was speechless for a moment, and you could tell she was having some trouble processing your words. However, it was true. A kind of familiarity had settled among you, and you had to admit it felt as if things were supposed to be this way. You were, without doubt, a little family.

"But I understand you have things to do in the outside world. Come on, sweetie." You took your daughter into your own arms, freeing Lena of her grasp. "Just remember, this Friday is pizza Friday, and someone has to bring the apple juice."

"I want grape juice." (Y/D/N) said.

"Or grape juice, yes, whichever you like." You winked at Lena, who couldn't hide her smile.

With those simple words, you had offered Lena not only your house but a place to stay every time she needed and wanted.

At that moment, Lena found the true meaning of family. It wasn't just a home but the people you got to chose to always come back to. And she had chosen, maybe from the beginning, to come back to you.

#lena luthor #lena luthor imagine #lena luthor imagines #lena x reader #lena luthor x you #lena luthor x female reader #lena luthor x fem reader #Female reader #fem!reader #fem reader #mother reader #single mother reader #parenthood #lost & found #one shot #request #lena x you #mother!reader #mom reader #mom!reader

[nessaxc]

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Date Night || Gojo Satoru

Gojo takes you out to dinner, but the flirty waitress at the restaurant really gets on your nerves, so Gojo is determined to assure you that he only has eyes for you.

~ Words: 2.5k

~ NSFW 18+

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"I'm glad I got to see you tonight, I've missed my princess," he leaned across the table to nuzzle his nose against yours gently, and you returned the same motion with a soft giggle.

"I've missed you too," you replied, "it's about time you made some time for me," you added.

"Well, you know, Tokyo keeps me busy," he told you with a chuckle, "but I had to take my best girl out, I know how lonely she gets without me around," he teased.

You giggled and propped your elbow up on the dinner table, balancing your chin in your hand as you held his gaze. He was smiling and shaking his head at you, mimicking your pose, only he rested both elbows on the table and cupped his face with his hands as he looked at you from across the table.

"You look beautiful in that dress by the way, but what else is new, huh?" he winked and broke eye contact for a moment to admire the dress that perfectly hugged your figure, "I'm glad you wore it."

You giggled again at that and twirled a small section of hair around your index finger, smiling down at your lap for a moment before you looked back up at him.

"I'm glad you wore that suit and tie. You should wear it more often, because you clean up pretty well," you grinned and leaned forward slightly to whisper, "by the way, you're really pretty too."

"Am I really pretty?" he joked and batted his lashes, letting his jaw hang slack with a smirk that tugged at the corners of his mouth over the way you instantly cracked up laughing. He chuckled airily as he continued to look you up and down, and you had to turn away in attempt to hide the deep blossoming of your cheeks.

"Yes, you're very pretty," you said with a soft chuckle when you turned back to him.

..

"Good evening, can I get you anything?"

A young waitress made her way onto the scene before Gojo could respond to you, and she appeared to be addressing just him rather than both of you. She beamed brightly at him and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, letting out a hint of a giggle that you couldn't help but roll your eyes at.

"Some menus would be nice," he grinned up at her and she flaunted her smile right back at him, making it a mission to maintain eye contact for as long as possible and throw in a bat of the lashes here and there.

"I'll go get those for you right now," she bowed her head and smiled softly, but she didn't leave until she'd make a point of leaning towards him slightly to tell him, "by the way, that tie looks great on you, really compliments your complexion."

She was already flirting with him right in front of you whilst being so brazen about it, and it was really taking everything in you not to totally snap. You didn't want dinner to be spoiled by your temper, though, you could already feel yourself starting to lose your appetite because you were red hot with anger right now. You sat there silently and waited for her to leave, gritting your teeth and casting your gaze downward the entire time.

"Thank you very much," he thanked her before she walked away and when he turned back around to face you, he was greeted by raised brows, pursed lips and your eyes glimmering for the wrong reasons. You half-smirked at him and cleared your throat whilst picking at your nails to avoid looking up at him.

"I think she's expecting a tip from you tonight," you managed to make a joke out of it and mustered a small laugh.

He chuckled lightly and acted completely dismissive about it, waving it off as her following some sort of transcript, "It's just service with a smile, Y/N."

He insisted, but you just forced a smile on your face. You fiddled with the cutlery that rested to your side and toyed with the napkin as well, offering yourself a distraction rather than look up at him for the moment.

"Yeah, too many smiles in your direction, though, if you ask me," you sassed, and he laughed loudly at that.

"Babe, something the matter?" he raised an eyebrow curiously, an amused grin on his face. Before you had the time to open your mouth and retort, she soon returned with the menus.

She carelessly laid yours down in front of you while she actually handed Gojo his, making sure to brush her hand over his as she did so. You glared at her but your look went missed, and you were doing a pretty good job of keeping your mouth shut so far, no matter how badly you wanted to tell this girl to back off.

She started babbling on about something that he should try on the menu, ensuring to flash him her smile and bat her lashes some more. She was giggling like he had told the funniest joke, and you were clutching onto a fork tightly with a hand, thinking about digging it deep into her neck. Gojo was a bad influence on you. She brought her hand closer to his so she could flip through the pages and show him exactly what she was describing. You cleared your throat and decided to speak up, because this girl was getting on your last nerve.

"Could you give us a few moments to decide what we're having? Thank you," you gave her possibly the most painfully forced smile you could muster, somehow managing to keep a level head when she withdrew her hand and acknowledged you for the first time since she'd stop at your table. She simply nodded and smiled meekly before walking away, and Gojo’s bright blue eyes shot towards you to give you a look that was nothing short of sheer surprise at how sharp you'd been in your manner of speech.

"Did I miss something?" he cracked up laughing, "My little kitten's got a sharp set of claws, eh?" he remarked before his laughter starting to die down. "I thought she was a rather nice lady," he said with another chuckle.

He scanned over the menu to find a dish that stood out to him. You squinted at him and leaned into him, lightly bringing the menu down to have him look you in the eyes instead.

"Really, Satoru? I wouldn't class the light touches on the hand, the needless giggling and overall acting like a fucking schoolgirl with a crush as just 'being nice'," you snapped slightly, "she's flirting with you, a lot, and I'm sick of it."

"Oh, I see where this is going," he said with a knowing smirk that stretched its way across his lips a few seconds later. You noticed this and your hand targeted your menu in an instant as some form of shield to hide behind to avoid the stares he was giving you, and he lowered your menu down just like you had done to him.

"I think somebody's jealous when she really doesn't need to be," he sang and kept his eyes trained on your face. "So what if she's flirting a little bit? I'm not interested in the slightest," he told you, and you heaved a sigh before he continued, "you have nothing to worry about, my sweet," he said with a smirk, amused with your envy.

"Seriously? You mean that?" you asked, nibbling on your lower lip.

"Course I do," he said, "she could be on her knees begging for my cock and I would say no if that'd make you feel better about it," he finished, and you laughed at that.

"I'm not even feeling that hungry anymore," you said, "she's just so irritating," you huffed, and he looked at you like he was thinking of something until his brain hatched an idea.

"Forget about dinner, I know what will cheer you up, c'mon," he stretched his arm out for you to grab his hand, and you quickly took it in yours. He walked with you until you both reached the closest bathroom - the women's room.

"Um, Satoru, I don't think you're supposed to be in here," you quipped with a short giggle.

"Oh trust me, I am," he cooed. Once the door was closed, he lifted you up by your thighs and pinned you to the wall, his lips attacking your neck in little bites and harsh kisses, not caring about the purple marks he left in his wake.

"Satoru," you gasped his name out, much to his delight.

You let out a soft moan of approval through your own lips as you lifted your hips up in absolute desperation, wanting more of him, and wanting it now.

"I only have eyes for you, Y/N, you and only you," he told you as he continued to cover your neck in wet kisses, and you couldn't help lean your head back to give him easier access. Realizing that you both were still out in the open, he carried you into the bathroom stall, pressing you up against the nearest and sturdiest wall.

He tugged his pants down from his hips and quickly pushed his boxers down to his knees, just far enough to allow his thick and fully hard member to spring up. He nearly ripped your panties down your thighs and threw them to the floor, holding you up with one hand and using the other to glide up your thigh, one finger slipping up your wet folds. He grinned knowingly before he leaned in to growl in your ear, "Look at how wet for me you already are," he hummed, "mm, how bad do you want me?"

Just the slightest touch drove you absolutely wild, and you seemed to forget everything that took place before he brought you in this stall. You keened in the back of your throat and rocked your hips down against his finger, moaning out, "Fuck me, Satoru. I need you so bad. Please!" you cried.

"Well when you say it like that, I don't see how I could say no," he cooed. He grasped his member firmly until he was lined up to your entrance, exhaling loudly as he crouched down to push in. He took his time entering your body at first, watching the pleasure overcome your features. Once you had adjusted to his girth, he set a rough pace, taking you quickly in broad deep strokes that jarred your body and caused your head to slam back into the wall as you surrendered yourself to his movements, hips grinding forward in an attempt to keep tempo. He doesn't waste time going slow, knowing you both needed relief fast.

Grasping his shoulders tightly, you moaned, the volume increasing with each thrust until you were sure you would both get caught.

"That's it, let the whole goddamn restaurant know who's fucking you," he managed to say between his own moans and grunts. "You're doing so good, baby, so good," he praised.

You answered with an even louder moan, shoving your hips forward in a demand for him to go faster, grinding your clit against his pelvis whenever you could.

"Your cunt feels so fucking perfect, squeezing me like this, fuck," he ground out.

He obliged your command, snapping his hips into yours relentlessly, the sounds spilling from your lips urging him on.

"You look so good baby, you always do," he uttered through a pant, "you fucking drive me crazy." He quickly added, "Do you know how beautiful you look when you're all stretched out on my cock?"

One hand gripped onto your hair and he tugged backwards just enough to show you dominance as he pounded into you with no mercy, the sounds of your high pitched moans bouncing off the walls, mixed with his deep grunts and the sound of hot skin slapping against skin.

"Look at you, you're always so fucking pretty, so fucking perfect like this," he told you. His hips moved in the most sinful way, filling you up just perfectly, and he seemed to find that special spot inside you so skillfully, making you cry out in ecstasy.

"You like that, baby? You like how good I make you feel? Good girl, moaning for me and showing the entire diner who's gonna make you come," he hissed into your ear as his thrusts became more erratic, slamming into you again and again as he kept his wild pace up.

"Mmmm!" you hummed. You threw your head back and arched your torso sharply, screaming out in pleasure when your body started to quake with the sensation of your orgasm barreling towards you. His fingers left little purple prints on your hips at how tight he was squeezing your hips, knowing you were both close to your climax.

"Show me how much you like it, come for me," he rasped.

He maintained the angle of his thrusts, continually hitting a sensitive spot within your body until you were convulsing in his arms, orgasm rocking you to the very core. He wasn't far behind, taken over the edge by the tight clenching or your walls around his member.

Exhaling loudly, he relaxed his body against yours as you both came down from your peaks. The wall was the only thing keeping you both up as you wilt, exhausted from your spontaneous lovemaking. Finding the energy to pull back, he kissed you gently, running his fingers through your hair to fix the disrupted locks. You smiled into the kiss, body buzzing from your orgasm and heart glowing at his gestures.

You both cleaned up as best as you could in the stall, he helped adjust the skirt of your dress before moving to fix his own disarrayed hair.

"You had no reason to be jealous, Y/N, like I said I only have eyes for your pretty little face," he nuzzled his nose against yours, and you did the same in return, laughing with each other.

"Thank you, Satoru," you said with a soft giggle when you stepped out of the bathroom stall with him.

"Anything for you, babe," he told you as he intertwined his fingers with yours, walking out with you, "now let's go eat," he started, "we can even put on a little show for her under the table so she knows not to mess with you," he suggested with a loud laugh.

"I like the sound of that," you replied with a broad smirk on your face. That wasn't a bad idea.

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[ageofevermore]

Eighteen | T. Holland

Summary → you’re tired of feeling like the world silences you, but after an interview with sebastian and anthony, you start to wonder if maybe it’s your fault.

Warning(s) → mentions of anxiety, mentions of sexual harassment, mentions of inequality in gender roles, use of the word slut, fluff if you squint 

Word Count → 1.9k

Note → this is a heavier topic, one that might be personal to some. if you don’t think you can handle the subject matter, please don’t force yourself to. this is relatively watered down, but it doesn’t take a genius to see what’s not being said. the ending features boyfriend!tom consoling the reader, so it does end on a fluffy note, but don’t hold out for those few ending paragraphs. 

add yourself to my taglist 

It’s getting hotter in the interviews. A thin layer of sweat sparkles on your skin, and even though the air conditioning has been turned down multiple times, there are too many people in the room to feel any drastic differences. It’s unfortunate for you. Hot flashes are a lovely addition to your anxiety disorder, and press always sets your nerves ablaze. It doesn't matter what project you’re promoting, who you're partnered with, or what you're wearing-- you’re always hot. 

Your cheeks are flushed dangerously when the last interview before lunch is called for yourself, Sebastian, and Anthony. This is your first press tour as an adult. You joined the marvel franchise years ago, when being eighteen felt like the equivalent of turning thirty, and you weren’t blind to the changes of tone. People were harsher to you, more forward. If they weren’t shutting you up, they were hinting at something less then appropriate, usually something sexual. 

The next interview started with a short introduction to the media outlet, and your interviewer. He was middle aged, kind smile, salt and pepper hair. He asked for your names, then he told you his, and one by one he shook your hands. His grip on you was criminal, lasting longer than was comfortable. Sebastian and Anthony we’re oblivious to the few extra seconds of contact between you and him, but it made your skin crawl in a familiar discomfort. 

Your fingers curled into fists, heart high in your throat. The questions started out easy. They were mostly directed towards the boys, like always, but this time you couldn’t find yourself to be annoyed. You had dealt with handsy and sexually charged men before, but he set a fire beneath you. It wasn’t behavior you should tolerate, but being a woman in the industry, inappropriate touches and glances we’re easier ignored then dealt with. When you spoke up you caused drama, made headlines, attracted nasty social media comments that called you a whore. It was easier to just internalize. 

“Y/N.” 

You hummed, looking towards the call of your name. He was smiling sweetly at you again, a predatory glint in his eyes that put you on edge. You shifted your weight closer to Anothony unconsciously giving the hungry man your professional attention and a nod. 

He shuffles through his index cards, but his eyes don’t read the scripted questions his employers have supplied him with. It’s not often male interviews do their own research, usually they’re briefed by a colleague and handed a set of questions and topic point by a higher level employee, but this man doesn’t even read the card before he’s staring you down and opening his mouth. 

“You finally got the Stark suit update,” He says, motioning towards the promo poster that shows off your CGI suit in all of its edited glory. Although the actual costume is breathtaking, the computer effects give it an entirely different, more technologically charged, feel. 

“Yeah,” You nod, a forced smile on your lips as you try to ease the uncomfortable tension from your tone. “She’s finally--” 

He cuts you off before you can give him any explanation for the upgrade. He isn’t the first one to address your new wardrobe, but he’s the first one to leave you antsy and uncomfortable. Sebastian frowns when you’re cut off, but he doesn’t think much of it. He lets the man continue, though a professional sharpness pulls his grin into a scowl. 

“Were you able to wear undergarments underneath it? It’s tight, doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Was there ever a moment where you reflected how much your wardrobe has changed through the years?” He asks, a dirty grin on his lips. 

Sebastian and Anthony are shocked at the blunt, inappropriate construction of his question. The public eye knew nothing of your battles with body image, or health concerns that lead to surgery. Your mind was plagued with doubts and self-criticism, and his invasive, pervy question both infuriated you and broke you apart. 

You stutter to find an answer, heat overwhelming you. Your hand grips onto Anthony’s arm, and you can’t decide whether anger is what burns your skin or anxiety. Are you making a big deal of this? You don’t know. You feel like you have every right to feel violated and uncomfortable, but you’re a young woman in the entertainment industry, isn’t this the kind of ignorant commentary you signed up for? You don’t know anymore. You grew up with people always having an opinion on your appearance, sexualizing you as early as twelve. You’ve carried around pepper spray and  self-defense keychains long before you even had an understanding towards predatory men and sexual assault. You’ve been conditioned by the world and the media to carry on with your day, no matter the broken boundaries or disrespect. You’re tired of remaining silent, feeling like your less than your male counterparts. Women and men should hold no differing values in society, and yet you walk to your apartment with keys between your fingers and Tom doesn’t even lock his front door. 

“I don’t think that’s an appropriate question.” You choke out, voice hard and nowhere near the soft and frilly pitch it usually obtains. You’re livid, absolutely pissed to the point of a quivering cupids bow. You’re humiliated, and horrified. Your feelings are everywhere, but you remain as professional as you can. If you yell, try to defend yourself at all, you’ll be painted as a diva in every media outlet for the next week, subliminally inviting backlash and slut-shaming comments into your social media messages. If Sebastian and Anthony come to your defense, they’ll be sung high-praises. 

The double standards men and women are held to, especially in the industry, is infuriating. 

He stumbles out a response, but his time is already up. For the first time today, you’re thankful these interviews are only ten minutes. He leaves the room, shown out by security, and even then he still sends you a wink over his shoulder as if your glimmering eyes meant nothing. 

“Hey,” Sebastian's voice is soft, his hand on the small of your back. You flinch away from his contact, head heavy in memories you’d rather forget. 

“Sorry,” You mumble, voice trembling with tears that you refuse to let fall. You’ve already been humiliated, you don’t need to further paint yourself as some helpless teenage girl. “I’m sorry. I’m going to go find Tom.” 

Anthony and Sebastian nod tightly. They watch as you quiver in your heels, hands clenched into fists at your sides. They’re proud of the way you handled yourself, though still absolutely enraged that any adult would find it appropriate to address you like that, especially in a professional setting. 

You stumble into the dressing rooms, right into your boyfriend's chest. Your mind is racing, but the minute you attach yourself to him, you break down. Shy sobs break Tom’s heart. He holds the back of your head to his chest, other hand on the small of your back and wrapped around your waist as you cry. You’re trying to stay quiet, but the attention is already on you. Chris and Robert are worried, and Zoe’s trying to act like she hasn’t noticed, but they don’t all watch as you try to console yourself with your boyfriend's warmth. 

“What happened?” Tom’s voice is soft, trying to keep this a private moment. He tries to move the both of you back into a corner, but you panic and squeeze around his waist tighter. “Baby,” 

You and Tom have been dating for six months, and although you’ve shared with him stories of your traumatic experiences as a woman living in LA, he’s never seen anything upset you like this. 

“I’m such a slut.” Your words come out so shy and small, you aren’t even sure you can hear yourself. No matter how  many times you tell yourself that your makeup and clothes don’t give men permission to make passes or feel you up, it’s getting harder to believe that your verbal consent is as strong as your clothes. Maybe you are asking for it, and in a wave of nausea, disgusted with yourself, your arms leave Tom’s waist to pull at the bottom of your borrowed dress. 

You’ve been hit on in sweats before. In ball gowns and crop tops. Somebody’s even pushed themselves against you while you wore Tom’s hoodie, but you still convince yourself that it’s your fault. That you we’re asking for it. 

Tom’s jaw sets harshly into place, and he tilts your chin upwards to meet his eye. His brown stare is hard, only adding to your distress. Maybe he agrees. Maybe he���ll blame you for what just happened. He’s probably going to break up with you. Other guys just can’t keep their hands and eyes off of you. He doesn’t want a slut for a girlfriend. 

“What the fuck did you just say, Y/N?” His tone causes you to flinch, words bouncing off of the dressing room walls. Everyone flinches, hearing only his heavy response. You try to divert your attention, but Tom squeezes your jaw, forcing your eyes back on his. “Say it again.” 

“I’m such a slut.” You sniffle, submitting beneath his fiery glare. Tensions are high as you try not to break down again. Apart from Tom, everyone in the room has watched you grow up, never losing that shy and sweet sense of yourself. You’re an exuberant light, a brilliant scene partner, a rising star who has big things in store for the future. You are many things, but a slut, isn’t one of them. 

Tom looks behind you, glaring straight at Anthony and Sebastion who are both stone eyed and still. They’ve not calmed down any since leaving the production room, instead, it seems their anger has only risen. The sight of you so distraught churns their stomachs. 

“Some asshole tried to make a pass.” Sebastion said in short, words angry and delivered as such. 

Tom’s breath hitched, his arms tightening around you and pulling you closer to his chest. His chin digs into your crown, eyes pinches shut as his hot exhale feels heavy. 

“You aren’t a slut, Y/N.” He doesn’t leave any room for argument, but you try anyways. Tom has no patience for it, and so he tilts your head back and plants his lips against yours harshly and eagerly, desperate to show you love and intimacy. “You. Aren’t. A. Slut.”

You nod, ducking your head back down into his chest as you try to believe him-- try to remember that you never asked for hands around your waist, or cupping your boobs. Wolf whistles, or handshakes that turn into forced frontal hugs. You didn’t ask for any of the harassment, no matter the outfits you wore and what they revealed.  

Tom lowers his voice, whispers melting into your hair, “This isn’t your fault, baby. Please believe me. None of this, is your fault. It’s disgusting and inappropriate, and you don’t deserve to deal with any of it.” 

You sniffle. You can’t tell him you believe him, not yet. Not when your heart is so heavy. Maybe one day you’ll believe him, but that’s just not now. 

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