#the world owes them nothing but they demand something of it anyway

[letoasai]

dp x dc Chronos part 2

Part 1  and Part 3 

The Justice League sat in the Watchtower, some of them at least. The meeting was meant to be a quick one, only certain members in attendance to make sure they were all on the same page after the debrief of the last mission. Not all of them were necessary and most were usually busy. 

Today Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash and Green Lantern were in the middle of wrapping things up when the alert sounded. The siren blared twice before the red lights in the corner of each room flashed in an emergency.

“What in the world…” Flash grumbled but was obviously the first to the controls to look for the problem. None of the main alarms had been triggered, none of the doors messed with. No unusual motion noted in parts of the station that were currently vacant. “Weird.” 

“What is it?” Batman was next beside him, arms crossed as he peered at the screen with narrowed eyes. 

“It’s the sensors.” Flash said. “We’re picking up some kind of  interference.” 

“Way up here? What kind?” Green Lantern asked, he’d moved to one of the wide windows of the viewing deck as if he would be able to see something approaching. As things were, there was nothing but the normal vastness of space with Earth to one side.

“No idea.” Flash said. “Never seen something like this before.” 

“Any idea on a location?” Superman asked, appearing by Green Lantern’s side. 

Flash just clucked his tongue, hitting buttons much faster than a normal person. It was almost an irritation that he had to wait for the computer to keep up with him. “I mean, there’s nothing exactly to track yet.” 

“An anomaly then.” Wonder Woman said, leaning back against the conference table they’d all just been sitting around. “Something natural?” 

“There’s nothing natural about this.” Batman said, tone skeptical as he gazed at the screens. 

“Gonna side with that bat on this one.” Flash said, “It’s more like a warning before anything happens. Something setting off the sensors but nothing else? Feels like it was on purpose.” 

Green Lantern rolled his eyes. “What, like something’s knocking before they make themselves known?” 

Before anyone could even offer their opinion on what they thought of something so ridiculous, a spark of green ripped through the air like lightning. Just as quickly it spread out into an obvious portal. Every member of the Justice League sprang into position, circling the phenomenon to block it in from every direction. Things like this shouldn’t have been possible, but it wasn’t the first time an intruder had gotten creative to get inside the Watchtower. 

Without any fanfare, a man stepped out. They presumed it was a man anyway. He was dressed in mostly shades of purple other than his leather boots and gloves. He was covered by a cloak and hood, but when he looked up, it was hard to say what about him was the most unsettling. The red eyes. The blue skin. The pendulum clock that set back into his chest so far that he could only be missing crucial organs. 

“Who are you?” Superman demanded, quickly trying to assess if there would be a fight or not. 

“How did you get here?” Batman said right after, gravel tone somehow more frightening because he was calm. 

The intruder just gestured with his thumb at the portal behind him. “Thought it was rather obvious.” 

“Your purpose?” Wonder Woman asked, looking relaxed but her body was tense and ready to react in a moments notice. 

“My purpose?” He chuckled quietly. In his hand was a staff they’d almost missed before, the top of it cradling a clock. It seemed to be a theme given the number of watches and clocks he wore. “I’ve come to call in a favor. The Justice League owes me several.” 

“We owe you? Ppfff. Yeah right. We don’t even know who you are.” Flash rolled his eyes.

The intruder turned to the Flash, his brow raised. “Speedster, with the amount of times you’ve dabbled in the time stream, you alone owe me your life a fair few times.” 

“Time, huh?” Green Lantern looked him over. There were a lot of clocks... “Guess that’s your schtick.” 

He chuckled again. “I go by many names, only one will be relevant to you today.” He turned his attention onto Wonder Woman who squared up under his gaze. If she was going to be his focus then she’d take him head on. 

“And?” She arched a brow at him. “What name may we call you?” 

He looked amused, red eyes filled with mirth. “You, Diana, may call me grandfather.” 

The room stilled, the others looking around in varying degrees of confusion while Wonder Woman just paled. 

“Chronos. God of time…” she muttered, making it very clear to the team what they were dealing with. A God. 

“I go by master of time these days, but yes. I am that Chronos. I have a task for you, Diana. One i do not think you will turn down but i’ll give you the illusion of choice.” Chronos said, the minute and hour hands on his staff moving strangely. 

“You’re a god, and you come to us for help?” Batman asked, unimpressed no matter the glowers he was being sent by the others. 

“You are the Justice League, aren’t you?” Chronos looked pleased. “Righting wrongs. Defending Earth. Justice is in the name and everything.” 

He didn’t talk like a god. He didn’t even talk as formally as Wonder Woman herself tended to occasionally. 

“Doing tasks for you is asking for trouble.” Wonder Woman muttered. She’d heard stories, so many stories. 

Chronos shrugged. “Time is messy. Keeping it in line is difficult. Especially when there are those who mess with it who should not.” He was not above verbally throwing speedsters under the bus.

“What do you want?” Green Lantern asked, obviously suspicious but paying very close attention. 

“Simple.” Chronos answered, still looking at his granddaughter. “You will take custody of your uncle for a time. He needs a safe place to rest and live.” 

The silence that followed was loud, no one knowing what to make of that. Wonder Woman herself looked puzzled. 

“Are you claiming a sibling of Zeus needs a babysitter?” 

Chronos hummed. “He is my son though he holds no biological relation to your father, i suppose.” 

“Then how is he her uncle?” Flash asked, with a hint of sass. 

“You can ask Batman how it works.” Chronos mused, saying all he would say on the matter but that was enough. 

Wonder Woman couldn’t fathom what kind of person her grandfather would see fit to adopt. “Are you going to tell me more?” 

“Telling you more would imply you were agreeing to the task.” 

She tsked. “None of your word games. I want to know what i could be walking into.” 

Chronos never once looked threatened or put out, he did however, appear to look a few years older than he had when he’d first appeared. “He recently needed to be removed from his home for his safety. He can easily visit me but staying with me long term at this time is not beneficial to him for health reasons.” 

Superman frowned. “Removed from his home? How old is he?” 

“Sixteen. If that is all you need to know, i will fetch him. It may take some time for him to regain consciousness.”  Chronos said. 

“He’s been hurt?” Batman was frowning at the thought, looking more and more unhappy as the conversation progressed. 

“I did say he was removed from his home.” Chronos said, almost flippantly as he stepped back into his glowing green portal. It remained open, everyone exchanging looks. 

“Diana, is this a good idea?” Superman asked, willing to accept her judgment. Greek gods were more her wheelhouse. 

“Chronos was a titan. Is a titan?” She frowned. “His power is immense for a being thought to be killed.” 

“Something about him is off.” Batman agreed. “He was not worried at all. That is someone aware they have the upper hand.” 

Wonder Woman just nodded her agreement. Chronos was the god of time. There was no telling what he knew. “I’ve never met him before.” 

“Hell of a time for family reunions.” Flash snarked, heading back to the controls to see what readings they could get on the floating portal. It was obvious each of them wanted to study it in their own way. Scans and samples were first on their minds but it was clearly some kind of magic they weren’t familiar with. 

It was almost a shame there wasn’t a single member from JLD currently in the Watchtower. They might have been able to provide answers. 

Before much of anything could be done, Chronos returned, somehow looking several years younger than when he first appeared. In his arms was a lanky teen, cradled carefully as if he were fragile. He was equally a sight that left the League speechless. He wasn’t blue, in fact he looked more or less human other that the freckles that shined. 

Superman was the one to immediately note they were constellation patterned. 

His hair was a stark white that wisped and flowed as if he were under water. His clothes were strange, a detailed variation of an old hazmat suit, all done in black and white. Floating above his head was a crown that didn’t seem to know if it wanted to be on fire or covered in ice. It bobbed back and forth and even did a slow flip in the air but never left the area about the boy’s head. 

When no one uttered a word, Chronos took that as permission to begin the introductions. “Diana, this is your uncle. Danny Phantom. Son of the Stars. The Personification of Balance. The Ghost King. High King of the Infinite Realm.” 

“He’s a king?” Batman frowned. “He’s a boy.” 

“He could be both, Bats. He’s got a crown.” Flash chuckled softly. 

Chronos shared his amusement. “I did say he was only sixteen.” The god paused for a moment as the teen twisted in his arms, his face pressed against Chronos’ shoulder and a hand lightly pressed against the door of the clock embedded into the man’s chest. 

The fact that, even asleep, the boy was comfortable in the gods arms didn’t go unnoticed. 

“Is he injured?” Wonder Woman asked. They’d gone over this already but he didn’t look actively wounded. He seemed to be sleeping only. 

Chronos grunted once. “One form heals faster than the other. He needs rest, ambient ectoplasm which he knows how to get on his own, and food. He can answer your questions if he feels like it.” 

“If he feels like it?” Green Lantern frowned. 

“He’s the King.” Chronos’ lips twitched in amusement again. “If he decides to tell you more, or seek help, that is his decision.” 

“Seek help?” Batman’s eyes were narrowed. “Seek help for what?” 

Chronos approached and shifted the teenager into Wonder Woman’s arms. His crown shifted back and forth but never left the teen. The grip he had on the god wasn’t noticed until he tried to pull away and Chronos needed to carefully extract the boy’s hand. 

Ignoring Batman, he pressed on. “He’ll need to follow up with his doctor by the end of the week. He’ll know how to do that. If he doesn’t, his doctor will come to him. That should be incentive enough.” 

“Does he know you’re dropping him off here?” Superman asked, brows knitted together in concern. The heroes had been expecting a fight, not to be handed a royal teen. 

“He has a fondness for for space, so you might want to let him wake up here.” Chronos said instead, ignoring that question too. He was growing older again, a short, white beard starting to form.

“How long will he need to be in my care?” Wonder Woman asked, noting the boy weighed very little in her arms. In sleep his features were soft, hopefully he was as sweet as he looked. 

“Good luck.” Chronos said, staff reappearing in his hand now, turning back to the portal without giving her an answer. 

“Hey! Wait!” Flash yelled but for once, he was too slow, the god and the portal disappeared. 

Five members of the Justice League just stood in a mild stupor, their attention shifting to the sleeping teen. 

“Well…” Superman muttered. 

Wonder Woman looked at the boy, floating hair and crown moving in tandem. “I’ll set him down. We’ll see if he can answer any of our questions when he wakes up.” 

“You gonna call him Uncle Danny?” Flash asked, not bothering to hide his smile. 

Wonder Woman just ignored him and turned to stride off towards the med-station. -------------------------

------------------------- No idea at all if i’ll continue this. If anyone else wants too, go for it. ^_^

@markus209

#dp x dc #dc x dp crossover #clockwork #justice league #Looks like Wonder Woman is Danny's guardian now #Danny Phantom #wonder woman

[anama-cara]

But wasn't that what every girl dreamed?That she'd wake and find herself a princess? Or blessed with magical powers and a grand destiny? Maybe there were people who lived those lives. Maybe this girl was one of them. But what about the rest of us? What about the nobodies and the nothings, the invisible girls? We learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns. We learn to wring magic from the ordinary. That was how you survived when you weren't chosen, when there was no royal blood in your veins. When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway.

#inej ghafa #soc inej #six of crows #crooked kingdom #inej quote #Crooked kingdom #kanej #grishaverse #book quotes #feminist #strong female lead #kaz x inej #the wraith #the crows #leigh bardugo

[miguel-ohara-wifey]

Coming out to the spiderverse men as Asexual Headcanons

💜🖤🤍

Rating: Fluff, angst, Hurt + comfort, suggestive

Tag list; @alliwriteistrash More spider noir for u

Peter B Parker

-Peter’s a New Yorker, he’s been around every and all kinds of queer people. So when you told him you were Asexual, he had a decent idea of what you meant. There was no explanation needed.

-It made sense, you liked making out with him and general physical touch. But if he slipped his hands under your clothes you’d flinch in terror and say no. You were always guilt ridden when you rejected him. But he didn’t mind waiting if it meant that much to you.

-But now what scared you made sense, it was a matter of not wanting it at all. You were terrified this would mark the end of your relationship. You describe your romantic past as every relationship having a clear expiration date. The minute you said you didn’t want sex, how sexual pleasure wasn’t something you could provide. The man would leave.

-And it didn’t necessarily make any of them bad people, they just wanted physical intimacy with emotional intimacy. Most of your exes were understanding, most. So it’s the endless domino effect of disappointment, followed by the agony of believing to be incomplete. That stopped with Peter as he hugs you in the midst of your bawling confession.

-Wiping away your tears and jokes how it’s stupid to think that would get rid of him. Sex isn’t what he was after with you two, it never will be. Sure he’ll miss it, but not even a fraction of missing you if this was to end. You were relieved, Peter will stay for as long as you’d have him.

“Come on honey, there’s nothing missing with you…in fact we’re all missing out on you being ace-“

Miguel O’Hara

-Miguel found out on the second date, when he would usually put the Rizz on the lady. However as you pushed his hands off your ass. You swallowed your fear, expecting an impending break up. After you told him you were asexual, and what asexual meant.

-He was eerily quiet, this was unusual. He was just thinking and listening with no emotion on his face. With the seriousness sprawled on his face when it came to spider people business and the fate of the multiverse. When you insisted he say something.

-He just nodded, saying okay, and going back to cuddling you on the couch as you were watching Netflix before his advances. Your nose wrinkled in shock. No anger? No disappointment? No confusion? No demands for sex anyway? Miguel just sat casually as you got up. Asking what he’s playing at.

-He answered simply it doesn’t matter to him, if that’s who you are he’s decided to respect that and back off. You almost felt like crying, but the shock dissipated and fell behind your face in place of the tears. He smiles to reassure you, what was the peak of emotional vulnerability, by tone what sounded like a shameful secret.

-To Miguel was nothing different than saying you love pineapple on pizza. Bizarre but not a big deal. After a few moments of awkward silence as that realization hit. You leapt onto his lap, kissing him silly as he reciprocated ten told.

“Of course bebita, alright now I wanna keep watching Derry Girls.”

Hobie Brown

-Hobie had gotten the memo you weren’t into the whole sex thing. It wasn’t a deal breaker for him, you and him would talk if there was an issue, no issue there’s nothing to discuss. A lot goes unsaid but that’s okay. You just get each other that well without words.

-However it didn’t prevent the misplaced guilt you possessed. You felt a cut in your chest that somehow you were deceiving him. In some world some people are owed a coming out.

-You decided to go along with it anyway, so you told him. And he laughed, patting your back. Declaring that’s metal as fuck. “Sex sells”, gender roles, the seduction of monogamy, none of that applies to you by default? Badass.

-Then he’d go back to his smoke, it was quite a Hobie reaction. He lives up to his chaotic appearance. And you by all honesty didn’t know if you were to be mad, impressed, relieved, or all at once. You never quite know with him, and you don’t suspect that’ll change.

-However a burst of tender warmth grew in your ribcage, you never thought of your identity that way. How so much of what makes society fucked you can see by your very genes. You were badass.

“OI! My girl never need no dick or pussy!”

Spider-Man Noir

-Noir needs an explanation on this one, he doesn’t quite understand not wanting sex. Or just never feeling the compulsion for sex. He does the work to be understanding even if the concepts foreign to him.

-He takes notes in what turns into a one on one lecture, he only asks what you’re comfortable with. And always ensures you still like kissing, hand holding, cuddling, activities like that. Hes extra nervous now than he would be usually in any romantic relationship.

-He knows your needs in this area are special, to him sex was never a buzz in his mind like it is for others. Sure he likes pretty women on beer bottles. But he doesn’t act entitled to sex and would never coerce you just because you’re his woman. Whenever shitheads would make comments or jokes, or say how you’re banging on the side and using him for his money.

-No hesitation he’d resculpt there face with his fist. Your relationship isn’t there business. And he certainly doesn’t have money anyone would wanna use him for. What you two have works, even if he doesn’t fully grasp everything. He tries everyday, and never pushes you past your limits.

-Since he literally goes around in a trench coat with a spider costume under it while monologuing to himself like a movie protagonist. You’re safe in the fact he’s not one to care what others think anyway.

“Darlin…you’re more precious than any broad I could take home…”

#miguel ohara #miguel o’hara #spiderverse #spiderverse hcs #hcs #headcanons #Spider-Man noir x reader #peter b parker x reader #miguel ohara x reader #miguel o'hara x reader #spiderman noir x reader #hobie brown x reader #Hobie brown #Spider-Man 2099 #spider punk #Peter B Parker

[aceinejghafa]

From Six of Crows:

“Some people see a magic trick and say, ‘Impossible!’ They clap their hands, turn over their money, and forget about it ten minutes later. Other people ask how it worked. They go home, get into bed, toss and turn, wondering how it was done. It takes them a good night’s sleep to forget all about it. And then there are the ones who stay awake, running through the trick again and again, looking for that skip in perception, the crack in the illusion that will explain how their eyes got duped; they’re the kind who won’t rest until they’ve mastered that little bit of mystery for themselves. I’m that kind.”

This quote says a lot of things about Kaz, but I’m going to focus on one aspect: Kaz doesn’t believe the magic trick. He can’t say “oh that was cool” and forget about it because he needs to know how. He needs to understand how he was fooled, how the trick works, how it fits into his worldview. He can't rest until he figures it out.

Magic is when something happens that we can’t explain. Kaz needs to find the explanation.

But we also have this quote:

“The harbour wind had lifted [Inej’s] dark hair, and for a moment Kaz was a boy again, sure that there was magic in this world.”

“A boy again” — this is suggesting that Kaz’s disillusionment with magic is because of everything that happened to him because of Pekka. Pekka fooled Kaz and Jordie; Kaz failed to figure out what was going on. It seemed like magic, but then it wasn’t. Now, Kaz doesn’t believe that there’s magic anymore. Pekka shattered his belief that things could be inexplicable.

But Inej is the exception to this: she makes him feel like there’s still magic in the world. Kaz can’t explain her (or doesn’t want to).

Now, Kaz often seems to function by figuring out what drives people and using that to his advantage.

“It was a guess. Pekka’s pride in the Dime Lions is plenty predictable. Kid probably has a thousand lions to play with and a giant wooden lion to ride around on.” “How did you even know he had a child?” “I figured it out that night at Van Eck’s house. Rollins wouldn't stop flapping his gums about the legacy he was building. I knew he had a country house, liked to leave the city. I’d just figured he had a mistress stashed somewhere. But what he said that night made me think again.” “And that he had a son, not a daughter? That was a guess too?” “An educated one. He named his new gambling hall the Kaelish Prince. Had to be a little red-headed boy. And what kid isn’t fond of sweets?”

Kaz figures out what motivates Pekka — the explanation for Pekka’s behaviour — and uses that to beat him.

He even does that with his own people, like Big Bolliger at the beginning of SoC:

“You’re lazy. I know it. Everyone knows it. So I had to ask myself why my laziest bouncer was getting up early twice a week to walk two extra miles to Cilla’s Fry for breakfast, especially when the eggs are so much better at the Koperoom.”

That’s how he realises that Big Bolliger is a traitor. He analyses people and figures out how they work, friend and foe alike. That’s why he wins.

But Kaz doesn’t know how Inej works — if he did, she wouldn’t be magic, would she? Kaz trusts Inej to gather secrets for him, even though he can't control her the way he controls everyone else.

And then we have a quote about Inej:

“But what about the rest of us? What about the nobodies and the nothings, the invisible girls? We learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns. We learn to wring magic from the ordinary. That was how you survived when you weren’t chosen, when there was no royal blood in your veins. When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway.”

“To wring magic from the ordinary.” Inej is talking about herself, but that's what she does for Kaz, too — she shows him the magic in the ordinary. She tells him that not everything is ordinary; not everything can be explained; not everything is a magic trick. Sometimes, it’s just magic.

This is why I am obsessed with Kanej. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

#kanej #kaz x inej #inej ghafa #kaz brekker #soc #six of crows #meta #ish

[ranhaitanisgf]

congrats on 2k, hana <3 I would like to request a fluff scenario for "delinquent & class president" & "sneaking out to go on a date with them" with shinichiro <3

— shinichiro sano // delinquent & class president // sneaking out to go on a date

☆ ˎˊ˗ hiii key ! this was sooooo cute omg im sry this took so long my disappearance from tumblr was longggg 😭 i kind of didn't emphasize the class president and delinquent thing tooo much but its there if you squint lolol

☆ ˎˊ˗ wc ; 1.0k+

☆ ˎˊ˗ gn!reader implied

masterlist || 2k masterlist

“...are you sure you want to do this?” 

“why not? you’re always telling me i need to loosen up more, right?” 

“well yeah, but don’t you think this is kinda an extreme first step?” you took a moment to ponder on shinichiro’s words before responding. 

“might as well, to be honest. i don’t really want to be home right now anyways. i’d much rather be with you.” you answered, smiling softly at the boy in front of you. 

in any case, it might have been a bit of a risky move to still be outside your home twenty minutes after sneaking out of your bedroom, but you were completely sure that nobody would notice, so you weren’t too worried. you could tell by his somewhat worried expression that you hadn’t entirely convinced him, but you just dragged him along, swinging your connected hands back and forth. 

“c’mon sano, show me something cool!” 

“hey! i thought i told you not to call me that!” shinichiro whined, tugging you back. you turned around to face him, thinking that the somewhat displeased look on his face was rather cute. 

“call you what, sano?” you teased, making him groan in response

“stop it! you sound so formal and i don’t like it!” you wrapped your arms around his neck, seeming to ponder something for a moment. 

“fine, you win, shinichiro.” the lips you loved to kiss so much turned down into a pout, his hands moving to rest on your hips.

“you couldn’t have gone with something cuter? something like babe, honey, even sweet-” 

“stop, before i change my mind!” you interrupted, rolling your eyes at the cheesy nicknames. “how about, i don’t know, we actually go somewhere?” 

“leave it to me! just say the word and i’ll take you.” shinichiro said, his thumb jerking towards his bike. “this baby can take us to any place you want.” 

you pondered for a moment, swaying back and forth a bit with shinichiro as you weighed different places. 

“hm, what is there to do when sneaking out late? nothing’s open…” you murmured, thinking out loud. “we could go to the park, but if anyone saw me they would definitely think that i’m a good for nothing delinquent-ow! hey, i was joking!” you exclaimed, rubbing the spot on your forehead where shinichiro flicked you. 

“so you’re saying i’m a good for nothing delinquent?! woow, and here i thought you loved me! oh my goodness! what ever will i do?!” you rolled your eyes at the dramatic performance from the boy in front of you, grabbing the flesh of his cheeks and squishing them together, (you found it cute how instead of complaining about it, he just looked at you the most love you’ve ever seen). 

“you knowww i was just joking, shin! now take me somewhere! surprise me with your wily delinquent ways!” your demand was met with a laugh and ruffling of your hair from shinichiro. 

“my wily delinquent ways, you say? hah, i guess i have no choice other than to fulfill your desires!” he teased, leading you to his bike. “this brilliant delinquent mind will think of a place to take you!” he plopped his spare helmet onto your head, bringing the strap under your chin to secure it properly. 

looking at shinichiro up close was something that you would never get tired of; the darkness of night paled in comparison to his eyes, the inky shade so deep that you wished you could drown in it. contrasting the jet black color of his irises, the care and love that you could always find in his eyes was unrivaled, making it seem like you were the only person in the entire world, everything else fading into the background. 

“what’re you thinking about?” shinichiro murmured, finishing clipping the strap for the helmet. it was strange how the two of you could go from teasing and having fun with each other to suddenly being soft and serious, but you didn’t mind it at all. 

“mm, nothing much.” you answered, your lips upturned into a soft smile. you pecked him on his cheek, lips pressing against his skin for a bit longer than necessary before pulling away, taking a seat on his bike. “are we going to go?”

“jeez, and they call me a troublemaker. the real troublemaker is this little goody-goody!” shinichiro teased, seating himself in front of you and turning the key in the engine of his bike. his beloved motorcycle revved to life, rumbling softly in the background. “just so you know-” 

“your bike is loud, shin! save the talking for when we aren't outside of my house still! let’s goooo-mmph?” the boy in front of you turned around quite suddenly, leaning forward and pressing his lips against yours. it was only for a moment, but just that moment was enough to keep more words from forming, your lips tingling as he leaned back again. 

“(y/nnn), it’s not nice to interrupt people, y’know. i was gonna say i love you.” shinichiro pouted, turning back around and promptly ignoring you. 

“wait, i’m sorryyyyy, i love you too!” despite your words, he kept ignoring you, kicking the kickstand back and beginning to drive. you wrapped your arms around his waist, propping your chin on his back as you tried to get his attention. “shinnn, i’m sorry! you have to admit, your bike is pretty loud, okay? hey, say something! i’m earnestly apologizing here!” 

“hmph.” 

“i’m not above tickling you, y’know.” you got no response at that, leading you to slowly poke his sides. you could see him shaking, but there was still no laughter or response, so you amped it up, full on tickling his sides. 

“h-hey! do you, hah, do you want me to crash!?” he finally let out, laughs spilling out as he was driving. 

“all you had to do was respond, so i’m happy now.” you responded, stopping your tickle attack and returning your arms to their position around his waist. he wasn’t going so fast that you had to hold on for any particular reason, but you liked to use it as an excuse to be close to him. resting your head against shinichiro’s back, the scenery of different buildings and cars flew by, the city lights filling your vision. the pretty sights combined with the faint beating of his heart that you could hear filled you with a sense of serenity; it was absolutely perfect. 

yeah, you were pretty damn happy.

#東京リベンジャーズ #東京リベンジャーズ x reader #˗ˏˋ𖤐 hana’s 2k event! ˎˊ˗ #˗ˏˋ𖤐 tokyo revengers ˎˊ˗ #tokyo revengers #tokyo revengers x reader #tokyo卍revengers #tokyo卍revengers x reader #tok rev #tok rev x reader #tr #tr x reader #tokyo revengers x reader scenario #tokyo revengers x reader fluff #fluff #tokyo revengers x reader fluff scenario #shinichiro #sano #shinichiro sano x reader #sano shinichiro x reader #shinichiro x reader #shinichiro sano x reader fluff #shinichiro x reader fluff #shinichiro sano x reader scenario #sano shinichiro x reader fluff #sano shinichiro x reader scenario #anime #manga #anime x reader #manga x reader

[imaginesbygrace]

i'm sorry (Rio)

Masterlist

Forgiving Rio was hard. You couldn’t fault him for his past, because everyone, even you, had baggage. But when that baggage comes knocking and asking for a job—and Rio complies—you can’t help but feel a bit annoyed. 

But still, you tried to be understanding, maybe this was just the kind of thing that girls with criminal boyfriends deal with? Still, he made you feel about this small when he couldn’t bother to stop Beth’s shameless flirting and lingering touches. So, you packed a bag and left. And then stayed gone. 

Rio got nothing more than a short two minute phone call explaining that you were done, why and to never speak to you again. He didn’t think you were serious. Yeah, he could admit that he fucked him, and he fucked up bad—-still, he didn’t think you’d ignore him for this long. 

Rio sent flowers to work and your new apartment. He had Mick tailing you everywhere, fixing any problem or issue to come into your path. He complies with your choice to cut him off, verbally anyway. Rio didn’t contact you once, no letters or calls. Mick followed you at a distance, giving you some semblance of normalcy. He doesn’t go near you. 

He sends food from his grandma, all your favorites because he didn’t want you to miss out on them because of him. Sometimes his grandmother even calls to invite you over, promising that Rio wouldn’t be in attendance and she has been true to her word since. 

It took six months before Rio snapped. He decided he was done sitting around and waiting for you to give him the chance to earn your forgiveness, he’d go find you and get you back before that idea even crossed your mind. 

Rio opted to go without any gifts, but with groceries. He wouldn’t lie and say he wasn’t nervous, he was nervous, finger shaking anxious. It took him five minutes of almost knocking your door before he actually knocked on your door. 

The following fifteen seconds were the longest fifteen seconds of his life. Not that any of it mattered when you opened the door, and Rio was shocked into silence while looking at you. It wasn’t that you had changed since he last saw you, it had just been so long since he actually saw you. 

You tucked your hair, which was still wet from the shower you took before dinner, behind your ear. You were in leggings and a hoodie, comfortable and beautiful. “Hey,” he finally spoke. 

“What are you doing here Rio?” He winced. Rio. He wasn’t expecting an endearing greeting per se, but a Chris would’ve been better than nothing. 

Rio racked his mind for his reasoning to break her demand of separation. The weight of the bags in his hands sucked him back to reality: he has to win you back and actually talking would be a good start. So he lifts the bags, “I was hoping I could cook you dinner.” 

You don’t answer, just lift your eyebrows at him in question. Did he really think you’d just forgive him? Finally, with a small huff and all the attitude in the world you answer him, “You must have confused me with someone else.” This time Rio’s brows lift. “I’m not one of those soccer moms you boss around like trash, Rio. I was your girlfriend and I expected you to treat me as such, with respect and as your equal. And if you think some ass kissing, major stalking, or any of this other nonsense is enough without even actually apologizing—” you took a breath— “-then you got another thing coming.” 

With that said, you slammed the door shut in his face. So he tried again the next day. This time, speaking the moment the door swung open. “I’m sorry.” Rio sighed softly. “I ain’t mean to hurt you like that, you’re more important than some old side piece. Business aside, I’ll have Mick do all the drops and have someone else meet with them if they need something,” He promised.” You don’t say anything and he takes it as his chance to continue.

“I brought food again. I owe you dinner, and so much more. Please, mama, give me the chance to earn your trust back.” You stared up at him for some time and Rio’s heart dropped lower and lower with every passing second. Just as he was about to take a step back and apologize, you turned around and walked back inside—leaving the door open. Rio smiled at the empty space where you had stood and quickly followed behind.

#imagine #imagines #rio imagine #rio imagines #rio x reader #good girls imagine #good girls imagines #manny montana imagine #manny montana imagines

[writingintheshadowsforever]

Imagine returning home to reconcile with Riri and Shuri

There was nothing Riri hated more than having to track a fellow student down for her money. All of her clients were repeated users of her services these days. Which every single one of them knew the routine, so she shouldn't being going through this right now.

Especially with a guy named Atticus Nelson.

Everything about him matched his name. He was a textbook nerd. If someone looked up the definition of nerd there would be a picture of him. He was tall and scrawny with a mop of brown hair on his head. A pair of wide circular black rimmed glasses on his face, and he had little to no fashion sense.

The first time he came too her asking for her assistance with a robotic project. He was tripping over his own words, and it only got worse when she rose an eyebrow at him in irritation.

Nope there was no logical reason in the world to explain why she was currently hunting down Atticus for her money. The nerdy boy was two days late with his payment, and she let it slide longer than usual. Because she genuinely thought it was possible he forgot to Venmo her. Atticus was one of the few kids who really didn't need her to do his work, but he came to her anyway to take some of the load off his own back. The kid was crazy enough to do a double-major and take all advanced classes. His workload was four times the size of hers, and any other student at MIT.

The amount of times he was caught sleeping overnight in the library had to set a new record. At one point the librarian actually considered just giving him his own key. So yeah Riri gave him the benefit of the doubt until she couldn't.

"Yo Atticus wait up" she called out to him trying to keep the underlying tone of anger out of her voice. The last thing she needed was him getting spooked and trying to run.

Atticus came to a stop glancing over his shoulder to see who had called his name, and when his eyes landed on Riri. His entire face lit up with excitement, and something else she couldn't place. Why was he so happy all of a sudden.

"Riri my favorite little helper. What's up?" He asked her a gleaming smile adoring his face.

Riri grimaced at the nickname feeling mocked. "Don't call me that alright we ain't cool like that especially. When you owe me money."

He cocked his head to the side playing dumb. "For what?"

"Atticus don't be stupid where's my dam-" Riri cut herself off taking a deep breath. She didn't like the sudden change in his demeanor. It had been going on like that for a few days now ever since the rest of the student body seemed to catch on to. The fact that you were gone rather or not it was just a break, or for good remained to be seen. But she really hoped some of these kids thought they could get away with stiffing her, or shorting her with money just because you weren't around anymore.

"You turned the essay in three days ago, and I know for a fact you got an A plus. So you owe me fifteen hundred. Cough it up now" she demanded.

"You don't think you can give me like a friendly discount or something. I was thinking five hundred."

Riri gave him a fake laugh before her expression went stoic. "The discount for friends is actually eight-fifty, but we aren't friends."

Atticus dug a hand into his pocket and pulled his phone out, and Riri released a sigh of relief. The last thing she wanted to have to do was force him to cough the money up. Unlike you she was definitely afraid of getting caught breaking the school's strict code against violence.

Riri's eyes drifted down to her own iPhone waiting for the ding, and to see the notification of payment pop up. Seconds ticked by but it never came up, and when she glanced up at Atticus. He was still standing there regarding her with uncertainty.

"You really are hopeless without y/n here to fight your battles huh" He commented with a tiny smirk.

It took all her self-control not to explode, and sock him in his pointy nose. She could hear her mother's voice in her head telling her to keep her cool. It was the only thing saving Atticus at the moment. If you were there he wouldn't have even dreamed of saying something like that to her. Maybe that was the problem Riri got to comfortable with you fighting her battles when she didn't need you to. Now you weren't here to do it anymore, and now guys like Atticus thought they could get over on her.

"Atticus I promise I'm about to become your worst nightmare in the next five seconds. If you don't send the money" Riri threatened with a look that could kill.

His confidence faltered as he flinched taking a step back, and his smirk vanished. Good he was intimidated maybe now he would find his common sense.

Nope.

Atticus fixed his posture trying to poke his chest out but failed. "You won't touch me your scholarship would be revoked the second you did" he shot back.

"Well then I guess its a good thing I'm not on scholarship". You said had sneaking up right behind him without either of them noticing.

Atticus let out a yelp swinging around eyes widening in fear at your presence. Riri was as equally shocked by you showing up, but hid it better than he did. Her face stayed neutral but her heart was going a hundred on the inside.

"Atticus please tell me you're not giving my girl any trouble with her money?" You asked cracking your knuckles just for show. "Buddy I'm pretty sure I'm in the doghouse with her, and if blacking your eye will increase my odds of an early release. I will gladly do it."

It worked Atticus started fumbling with his phone in a rush to send the money. His fidgeting was so bad the iPhone slipped out his hand and hit the ground. If it wasn't for the sturdy case the screen would've shattered.

"I'm running out of patience, and my fist is hungry" You sang.

"No no no stop I'm sending it alright" he begged.

"It's eighteen hundred now" Riri threw in staring down at him.

He gawked at her.

"Since you wanna try and play somebody."

Atticus picked his cellphone up and sent the money before scampering off. You watched him run away wondering how things would've played out if you hadn't shown up. You knew Riri didn't need you defending her, but it was less risky for you.

Speaking of Riri when you turned back to finally address her. She was already walking right past you without so much as a hi or thank you. "Aye Ri slow down and just hear me out" You pleaded with her having no problem matching her speedy pace.

"The way you heard me out before dumping me." She fired back not stopping or looking at you.

"Riri please I wasn't in my right mind okay, and can you really blame me?"

She paused but didn't look back, yet you still took the opportunity to constrict an arm around her waist, turning her around and pulling her to you.

"I know you didn't outright lie to me, but an omission of the truth is still a lie. If I ever found out something about your dad that you didn't already know. I wouldn't hesitate to tell you no matter who asked me not to." You told her talking so fast it was a wonder she could actually keep up with your words.

But she did the anger in her eyes was replaced with guilt as you reminded her of. The part she played in the events that took place, and tore the two of you apart.

"I'm sorry y/n it was just a lot, and I didn't know how you were going to react. I figured coming from Shuri it would be easier for you to deal with." Riri admitted not meeting your eyes.

"Finding out someone who you love and lost had a whole other side of them you didn't know about sucks. There was no way to ease me into that news or soften the blow. I was going to lose it no matter how you or Shuri handled it." You replied taking a deep breath before continuing with an apologetic tone. "But I'm sorry you got caught up in my warpath when I'm pretty sure you did your best to protect me. I'm sorry I hurt Riri and I don't care what I have to do to make it up to you I will do it."

Her eyes lit up with disbelief as she finally looked in yours. Your mother was right about your track record with apologizing. It was something you hardly ever did, even when you knew you owed it to someone. It was a psychological thing sometimes all people wanted from others who wronged was an admission of guilt. You knew that and in the past held back apologizing to just drive them crazy.

"Wow did y/n Stevens just apologize" Riri said turning her head in different directions. Pretending to make sure you had been addressing her, and not someone else.

"Ri stop it I was talking to you" You laughed squeezing her side.

She jerked away from your prodding away holding back laughter. "Alright its just I didn't think you even had those words in your vocabulary. I don't think I've ever heard you apologize before."

"Well someone reminded me that apologizing is important if you want to build and maintain a healthy relationship with someone. And that its the mature thing to do" You said.

"And who might this person be because I need to meet them like asap. If they can convince your stubborn ass to do something."

"My mother and if you mean it I'll take you back home with me next time I go" You answered without hesitation. A grin spread out across your face when her body tensed in your arms.

Your mother wasn't exactly a hot topic so it was no wonder you mentioning her threw Riri off her game. In the past whenever she brought your mom up. You either shut the conservation down almost instantly, gave her vague answers to her questions, or redirected her curiosity to something else. Riri just came to the conclusion that your mother was a touchy subject, and figured you had a bad or at least a complicated relationship with your mom. But that couldn't have been further from the truth, you were hesitant to talk about her. Because of the mountain of guilt that hit you for not visiting her for so long. It was easier to ignore. If you didn't talk or think about her for too long.

"Your mom as in the woman who gave birth to you. The woman you acted like didn't even exist before you left. Wait is that where you disappeared to you? Riri asked putting everything together.

You gave her a nod. "Yeah the truth was easier to hear, and to accept coming from her I guess. My father might've kept something like that from me, but he would've told my mom."

"Wow so you not on bad terms with her or anything?"

"Nope I just missed home more than I let on, and didn't want to admit it. My mom would've saw right through me so I avoided her too" You admitted sheepishly.

Riri gave you the same scolding your mother had when you told her the truth making you throw your head back with a groan.

"Ri don't start I don't wan-"

"Naw ma you really need to work on this whole tough girl act. You don't got to walk around keep everything bottled up inside-"

"Yeah yeah I know I'm emotionally damaged-"

"See that's the problem you not-"

"Riri" You exclaimed to put the bickering to an end. She raised an eyebrow at you not liking the way you shut her down. "Sorry but you seem to be forgetting there is one more person I owe an apology. Is the Princess still around?"

Riri didn't answer you right away answering your question partially. If Shuri had gone back to Wakanda already she would've say so with no hesitation. But you wanted to know where she was, or at least how to get into contact with her. And Riri wasn't sure if it was a good idea unbeknownst to you. She didn't even think you were going to come back, and told Shuri to just go home. But the Princess figured you would cool down and return for answers, so she stuck around.

"Ri come on I promise to not lose it this time please" You begged.

"And you got manners all of a sudden oh yeah I'm going to have to meet this woman" she joked.

"Oh please you're the same way around your mom" You threw back.

"I'll reach out to Shuri to let her know you're back, and we'll just go from there" she suggested ignoring the dig.

It wasn't the answer you wanted but you understood why she wanted to do it that way. "Sounds good so does this mean we're good?" You asked leaning down to press your forehead to hers.

Riri moved her head back shaking her head with a scoff. "You really thought you were going to get off that easy huh."

One Day Later

It didn't take long for Shuri to get back to Riri after the young girl left a voicemail telling her of your return, and you wanting to reconcile with her.

Shuri called her only five minutes after missing the initial call to apologize for not picking up. The message had been a lifesaver considering Okoye had shown up from Wakanda insisting. It was time for Shuri to just give it up, and come home. Even though M'Baku took over the throne to save Shuri from that pressure. She was still the Black Panther, and her country was still on bad terms with the other nations. So the elders were nervous about her being away from so long especially on undisclosed business.

Shuri decided from day one when she had guessed your heritage to keep your existence a secret from everyone except. Okoye who surprisingly agreed with to do the same.

Riri suggested the two of you meet up somewhere in public to put both of you at ease. Shuri was fine but Okoye did insist on tagging along after hearing about the first meeting between the two of you. The Princess knew the guard's presence would worry you a bit, and just hoped you didn't run away.

The chosen location for the meetup was none other than Starbucks. It was public and it made Okoye happy as this was the first time the woman was finally able to visit the popular coffee chain, and truly enjoy it. She was at the counter putting in an order when you walked in, and you were able to locate Shuri with no problem.

Even in civilian clothes the Princess stood out amongst all the other young adults occupying the lobby. She gave off a powerful aura that demanded attention, and put you on edge. You were too caught up in your raging emotions and theories to notice last time. But this time you felt it wondering if it was the effect of her being the Black Panther. You still managed to stand tall as you made your way over to the table, and took a seat across from her.

"I gonna be honest I thought you would tell me go the hell. After the way I treated you last time, and all those things I said" You told her.

Shuri lifted the shades revealing her brown eyes, and let the glasses rest upon her head. "Oh believe me the thought crossed my mind, but then I put myself in your shoes, and realized your reaction was normal. I was foolish to believe you would just accept my words at face value."

"But it wasn't just face value you had proof." Your fingers started playing with the gold chain around your neck. "I gave the ring to my mom."

Her eyes lit up with curiosity as she sat up a bit more with twenty questions on the tip of her tongue. After finding you truly were the daughter of Erik Killmonger. Shuri did another deep dive on his past looking for your mother, but came up empty-handed. The only girl she could connect to your father was the one who helped him pull off the museum heist with Klaue. And she had been murdered by Killmonger, and while Shuri didn't think much of her cousin.

She still gave him the benefit of the doubt, and refused to believe he had killed the mother of his child. Shuri came to conclusion that he did everything in his power to make sure both of you had been hidden making it impossible to connect either of you to him.

"We can talk about her later for now there's something I want to say. You said relaxing the muscles in your face to kill some of the tension.

Shuri gave you a nod folding her hands together, and placing them on top of the table. She was trying to play it cool, but you could see her muscles tightening.

"I'm sorry Shuri for what I said about you and your brother. The accusations I made you turning your back on me were out of line" You started. Shuri could tell you wanted to say more and motioned for you to continue.

You took a deep breath choosing your next words carefully. "I didn't know T'Challa but all I ever heard about was good things. Its a known fact he changed Wakanda in so many ways, and made it his mission to help others. It couldn't have been easy to hear me suggest otherwise so I'm sorry for that too."

"You're right it wasn't easy and I had to remind myself that I didn't react any better. When your father showed up in Wakanda, and did the same thing. I refused to believe a single thing he said about my father until my brother opened my eyes up to the truth." Shuri said in return thinking back to that faithful day.

The Rivers of Wakanda

"Why are we doing this again? Shuri asked T'Challa standing beside him on the boat.

"Because it was his dying wish to be put the rest this way, and honoring his last request is the least we can do Shuri." T'Challa said staring ahead at the calm waters before them.

"I just don't understand why you feel like we owe him anything after what he did" Shuri grumbled under her breath. She crossed her arms over her chest pouting like a five-year old.

"Killmonger actions were the result of our own father's mistakes Shuri, so we do indeed owe him" He snapped at her fixing her with a hard gaze.

His little sister flinched letting her arms drop to her side where her hands clenched forming fists. "How can we be so sure of what he said was the truth. He could've been lying brother."

"He was not Shuri" T'Challa demanded in a booming voice that had her taking a step back. He had turned his body around so he was facing her fully now practically towering over her. His outburst cause fear to flare up inside of her, and he hated it.

T'Challa took a few deep breaths before speaking again gently clasping Shuri on the shoulder. "Baba told me the truth in the astral plane dear sister. He left the boy behind to cover his own tracks, and hide our uncle's disloyalty to Wakanda."

"No father wouldn't do such a thing" Shuri cried shoving him away from her. At least she tried to T'Challa didn't budge a single inch instead he wrapped his arms around Shuri to pull her to his chest. Tears fell from her eyes matching that of a rushing waterfall as she sobbed into his chest. "Our father was a good man sister, but alas he was not perfect." He whispered the wind carrying his words into the sky and beyond.

"My father was buried in the water" You said in a whimper-like voice with glistening eyes. As she recounted the memory to you.

Shuri cursed herself for giving up what had to be a painful revelation for you. She was trying to avoid talking about Erik's death too much, but she got too comfortable and let that slip. "Its what he wanted" she murmured.

You held back the tears and cries that wanted nothing more than to break free. "My mother told me you were telling the truth, guess he didn't have it in him to lie to her too. Shuri I'm sorry for everything I said alright and if it's possible I want to put all that behind us."

Shuri didn't even need to think about it. She nodded "if you want I can finish telling you what happened with your father-"

You held up a hand cutting her off. "I don't want to hear the rest of the story." Your head dropped as you stared at the floor hiding the pain in your eyes. "My father was a loving and caring man. He protected me. He raised me with a firm but gentle hand, and he was a good man. I want to continue to remember him that way. I'm not ready to see him any other way at least not right now."

In all honesty, you weren't sure if you would ever be ready for the truth, but all you knew for sure was that today wasn't the day. When you looked back up making eye contact with Shuri. A moment of understanding passed between both of you. If someone had given her an option all those years ago to not know about T'Chaka's miatakes. She would've made the same choice, and she found herself feeling grateful you didn't want the truth.

"So we're good?" You asked with a hint of nervousness finally acknowledging the bald woman sitting at the table right behind Shuri eyes focused solely on you.

"Yeah little cousin we're good" Shuri replied with a tentative smile. Things had gotten off to a rough start, but progress was finally being made. "Maybe we can talk about you coming to visit Wakanda next?"

Her words stunned you for only a second, but the chuckle that left your mouth had Shuri frowning. In disappointment and confusion her offer was far from a joke.

"There's no need for that Shuri" You told her pausing contemplating your next words. In the end you couldn't find a nice way to say what you were thinking so you were blunt. "Its not really a good idea either when you really think about it."

Shuri leaned forward placing a hand on top of yours, and squeezing it. You jumped at the physical contact but made no move to pull away. "No one knows the truth about you, and we can keep it that way" she promised.

"That doesn't change the fact my family doesn't seem to have a good track record with Wakanda. My grandfather was murdered for betraying the country, and while I don't know what happened to my dad. The end result was still his death, and you can't tell part of the reason you sought me was to make sure I wasn't following him my father's footsteps."

She looked away in shame or guilt maybe both at your last statement indicating. The thought did cross her mind especially when she realized your father had attended the same college. "Y/N-

"It's okay, Shuri. I get it you wanted to keep history from repeating itself. You gave me the truth, which is more than what my father got from anyone, and I'm grateful for that. But that doesn't make Wakanda my home, or Wakandans, my people. My heritage is the only connection I have to that place, and that's where it ends."

Shuri had assumed once you came to your senses you would want to at least visit Wakanda to see your father's burial sight. So your utter dismissal of her offer had her reeling to find the proper response.

You turned your hand around to fold it around hers. "You don't owe me anything else Shuri, and I'm sorry if you expected me to have this feeling of longing to see Wakanda. America is my home and I know it's not as beautiful but I grew up here. My life is here."

"I know but Wakanda is your birthright-

"Nope that right there is what got my dad killed. I have no right to the throne nor do I want it. Seriously Shuri you don't have to worry about me anymore" You reassured her.

"If this is it then what happens now? Shuri asked releasing your hand to settle back into her chair.

You shrugged your shoulders. "I got a degree to earn, and you got a country to protect."

"I mean but we're still family" Shuri pointed out seeming a bit overwhelmed all of a sudden.

"Yeah" You prompted.

"I don't know about you, but I don't exactly have a lot of that left. At least not blood relation, " Shuri corrected, thinking of the woman sitting behind her, ready to jump at any sign of danger. And Nakia her unofficial sister-in-law even though the relationship took a turn for the worse. When she didn't reach out after T'Challa's death. Even M'Baku, Aneka, and Ayo came to her mind the way they stood by her when she was ready to go to war. A nation more powerful and with more soldiers than what Wakanda possessed.

"I would like to have a relationship with you y/n maybe even learn about who your father was. Before he was consumed by vengeance, and I can tell you about my family in return if you wish. Brother always believed things could've been different with Erik if we had found out about it earlier. Maybe we can have that" Shuri said.

"I'd like that" You answered with a smile.

It wasn't the ending either of you expected, but it was the start of a new beginning.

Tag List: @lizlil @darkmemesworld @rhayanm @aliives @angel-bi666 @agustdeeyaa @liliana-byers @sp5derzworld @marice23top @filmsbyhyuna @shuriswhore @vevethirst @londyn-loves-u @iwillbeabitch @klackyb @ziayamikaelson @taleiak @awolfcsworld @shinsousliya @mbakuetshurisprincess @youralphawolf72 @mxyx-rx444 @simpin4pixels @deliciousfestsalad @quintessencewrites @alistair-mooncrest

#marvel imagine #black panther imagine #shuri x reader #riri williams x reader #riri williams imagine #erik killmonger imagine #erik killmonger #shuri

[rainisawriter]

A Helping Hand – Cobra (PSF #11)

PSF Ficography | H&F Flash Ficography

Genre: Fluff, slice of life, romance

Prompt: Sweet Tooth (@flufftober) / Would you rather… pumpkin spice or cinnamon? (@slumberpartybingo Fall Flash)

Word Count: 2,729

Pairing: Reader x Cobra

World: High&Low

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

You entered the diner, enjoying the warmth it offered against the cold wind outside. The usual suspects were chilling at the table in the center of the room, eating the omelet that Naomi had made them while they argued about some TV show the three of them were watching.

You approached the booth in the corner where Cobra sat, flipping through a wrestling magazine. He sent you that soft smile that was reserved only for you as you sat down across from him.

“You’re late,” he spoke softly, eyes falling to the ring on your finger. He had given it to you for your birthday as a promise that he would always love you. Though you had sworn to never take it off, he still felt surprised and happy every time he saw it on you.

“Sorry. You know how Hyuga is,” you shook your head, tugging off your jacket. “A lot of people are gambling around this time of year, trying to win big before December finally gets here. It’s only going to get busier and he’s only going to get more demanding.”

Cobra did not like the fact that you worked for Daruma’s gambling hall, but you had known Hyuga long before you ever crossed paths with Sannoh. He had considered, on more than one occasion, asking you to quit working for him but he knew that you were, above all else, loyal.

“You don’t need to apologize.” He held his hand out and you smiled, setting yours against his own. “Just promise me you won’t gamble again.”

Your smile turned sheepish, a laugh passing your lips. You had only gambled once in your life after you had gone drinking with the Daruma babies one weekend. You were on a hot streak, actually, but you refused to quit while you were ahead and ended up losing everything.

You had started out with twenty bucks, turned it into ten thousand only to lose it all and walk away with just twenty cents to your name. The Four boys hadn’t done much better, either, and Hyuga was pissed when he found out. You were pretty sure he was just upset that you hadn’t blown it all at his gambling hall instead, honestly.

“I learned my lesson, I swear. I’ll never gamble again.”

He chuckled, nodding his head. “Good.”

It was pretty late by this point, so the boys slowly filed out of the diner until it was just you, Cobra and Naomi left. It was strange when the diner was quiet, but you didn’t hate it. Everyone needed a break from the rowdy Sannoh boys every now and again.

“Are you kidding me?” cried Naomi, sounding distressed.

You glanced over at her, seeing her begin to pace back and forth as she talked to someone on the phone. 

“There must be some way… can’t you reschedule? Ah, no, I… yes, I understand… I’m sorry about that, but…” She pinched the bridge of her nose, clearly frustrated but trying to remain polite. “Yes… yes, I understand, Nakamoto-san. Good night.”

You exchanged a concerned look with your boyfriend before addressing her. “Everything alright, Nao?”

“No, not at all.” She ran a hand through her hair, continuing to pace.

Cobra leaned forward, brow furrowed in concern. “What is it?”

“You remember how I was asked to help provide snacks for the elementary school’s autumn festival, right?”

He nodded.

“The job was supposed to be split between me and Nakamoto-san, the head of the PTA but she just told me that something came up and she can’t help. There’s no way I can do it by myself! What am I going to do?”

You frowned, standing up to comfort her. “It’s alright, Nao. I’ll help.”

“You will?” She looked at you hopefully. “Are you sure? I know you’re really busy with Daruma…”

“Don’t worry, Hyuga owes me some vacation time anyway,” you grinned. 

“Are you sure he’ll give it to you?”

“Nothing is ever a sure thing with him, but I’ll find a way to get out of work.” You gave her a reassuring look. “I’m not very experienced with baking, but I know how to follow a recipe. If you write down everything I need and how to make them, I’ll happily help.”

“Thank you so much!” She threw her arms around you, hugging you tightly which you returned without hesitation.

Cobra felt butterflies in his stomach as he watched you. You were willing to blow off your responsibilities with Hyuga to help Naomi, to help a member of his family. The amount of happiness that brought him was, quite frankly, embarrassing. 

“I’ll help, too.”

Naomi looked between the two of you with glassy eyes. “Thank you both so much! I’ll get to work on the lists and recipes.” And then she disappeared into the back.

Cobra approached you with a warm smile, wrapping his arms around you. “Thank you for helping her. Let me know if Hyuga gives you a hard time.”

“I’m always happy to help your family, Jun.”

He hummed, brushing his lips against your own. “They’ll be your family, too, one day.”

You chuckled, looping your arms around his neck, fingers playing with the hair at his nape. “I don’t think so. I’ll always be Daruma and, well… we caused you guys a lot of trouble at one point. They may be willing to put up with me because of you, but I doubt they’ll ever view me as part of the family.”

His brow furrowed in concern. Had one of the Sannoh boys said something to you? Thinking about it, he hadn’t really discussed it with the others. You just started dating one day and he started to bring you around without asking how everyone felt about it. He knew Yamato didn’t trust you at first, but did he still feel that way?

You poked the spot between his brows. “If you keep frowning like that, you’re gonna get premature wrinkles.”

His lips formed your name but you cut him off, knowing what he was going to say.

“It’s really not a big deal, baby. I went into this relationship knowing that they most likely wouldn’t accept me and I honestly don’t blame them for it. As long as I get to be with you, that’s enough.” You tugged him closer until your lips met.

He didn’t hesitate to kiss you back, but his mind was partly elsewhere. It was enough for you, perhaps, but not for him. He wanted them to accept you, to love you like he did. He didn’t just want to be your boyfriend, he wanted to be your everything like you were to him.

Having his family accept you and love you was important to him.

“Okay, this should be everything.” Naomi returned with a small stack of papers, pausing when she saw how close the two of you were. “Am I… interrupting something?” The sly smile on her lips said that she already had her answer.

You laughed, pulling away from him. “We were just keeping each other company until you returned.”

“Sure,” she chuckled, handing you the stack. “I printed out the recipes for you. Each one has a full list of everything you’ll need to make them and if you have any questions, I’m just a phone call away.”

“Nice. When do they need to be made?”

“The festival is tomorrow afternoon,” she winced, running a hand through her hair. “We need to start working on them tonight if we want to make it in time… I’m sorry, I should have told you that first… it’s probably too short notice, right?”

“I’ll make it work and yes, I’m sure.”

“Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome,” you replied, turning to look at Cobra and holding out your hand. “Up for some late-night shopping?”

“Sounds fun.” He slid his hand into your own, fingers lacing together.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

As soon as you returned home, you started to look over the recipes while Cobra put away anything perishable. None of them seemed too complicated so you felt confident that you could make them with little to no problem, especially with Cobra at your side.

“What are we making first?” He leaned on the counter beside you, peering at the recipes. 

“What do you think?”

“We should probably choose whatever takes the longest to make so we can get it out of the way.” His eyes scanned through pages before tapping the one for the Sakura Mochi. “This is the longest, so let’s start with it.”

“Okay, let’s see. We’re supposed to soak the sweet rice for at least an hour and soak the sakura leaves for fifteen minutes.”

“Easy,” he grinned, grabbing two bowls and filling them with water. “We have to wait for them to soak, so which recipe is next?”

“Purin! We have to combine the sugar and water into a saucepan. Medium heat until the sugar has dissolved.”

Cobra did as you ordered without question, enjoying how domestic this all felt. He could definitely get used to this and was already making up excuses in his mind to get the two of you cooking together again.

For the rest of the night, the two of you worked together to bake the various treats requested by Naomi and you felt as if you were making pretty good time, all things considered. You did end up getting into a flour fight with Cobra because he kept trying to steal some of the finished treats, unable to fight his sweet tooth.

You were proud to say you had won that fight, though the messy kitchen was a reminder that you both had lost the war.

You yawned as you looked at the final two recipes, trying to decide which one you wanted to make. You had messaged Naomi about your progress and she told you that there were plenty of treats between the three of you. You should have gone to bed since it was nearly five in the morning, but you wanted to make one last thing first.

You hummed, thoughtfully. “Hey, Jun?”

“Yes, love?” He glanced over at you from where he sat on the couch, looking half-asleep.

You leaned on the counter, smiling at how cute he looked, even with bits of flour stuck to his blonde locks. “Would you rather have pumpkin spice cookies or cinnamon cookies?”

He thought about it for a moment, shifting to a more comfortable position. “I’ve never had pumpkin spice cookies before but I know you like them. I choose those.”

“What if you don’t like them?”

He hummed, closing his eyes. “I’ll like anything you make.”

“Such a hopeless romantic,” you teased softly, walking over to cover him with the blanket. You brushed the hair away from his face, fingers lingering on his cheek longer than necessary.

It didn’t take long for him to fall asleep, though you really couldn’t blame him. All you wanted to do was sleep, as well, but you decided that making these cookies was more important. He had worked hard and, though he did attempt to swipe a few treats, he had mostly behaved.

Cobra was a man who loved sweets. More than anything, he wanted the sweets that you had made with your own hands because, to him, they tasted all the sweeter. You had honestly always wanted to bake for him, but you had just never gotten around to it for two reasons.

The first was because Hyuga kept you so busy that you rarely had the time or energy. The second, which was probably more important, was because you were afraid. Afraid that they would come out terrible and he would hate them, yet he would still force himself to eat them because he loved you.

You slapped both of your cheeks at the same time, shaking your head to wake yourself up. You were going to make these cookies for him and he was going to love them, not just because you made them yourself, but because they tasted amazing.

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

Cobra woke up several hours later, the apartment still smelling like sugar, pumpkin and various other sweet flavors that made his mouth water. He expected you to be asleep in the bedroom but you weren’t. You had fallen asleep at the island, the other half of your body draped over the countertop, arms acting as a pillow.

All of the treats had been wrapped up or placed in containers, ready to be picked up by Naomi. He glanced at the clock. There were still a few hours left before she was due to arrive so he had time to clean up. Before doing that, however, he wanted to take you to the bedroom. That couldn’t be a comfortable position to sleep in, after all.

He brought you carefully into his arms and you shifted closer to his warmth, mumbling incoherently in your sleep about pumpkin sugar cubes and honey tea. With a chuckle, he placed you gently in bed, bringing the covers over you so you wouldn’t catch a cold.

“Sleep well, love,” he whispered, pressing a lingering kiss to your forehead. It took a while for him to get the mess cleaned up and he was sure he had missed some flour somewhere, but that was a problem for the future.

There was a knock on the door and he headed over to open it, drying his hands with a dish towel.

“Good morning,” greeted Naomi, looking tired but pleased. 

“Morning.” He stepped aside to let her in. “We got everything done and ready to go.”

“Thank you so much for the help. You two really saved me.”

“Don’t mention it. We were happy to help. Do you want some coffee?”

“I wish I could stay for one, but I have to get these to the school.”

“Do you need help?”

“No, I’ve got it,” she smiled gratefully, packing away the containers into the reusable bag she had brought with her. When she picked up the final container, she paused, a smile coming to her lips. “Pretty sure this one is for you.”

His brow furrowed as he took the plastic container from her. An orange sticky note sat on the lid with his name written on it next to a cute little heart. When had you made these? He realized it must have been after he fell asleep and he couldn’t help but smile, warmth filling his chest.

“I’ll see you later,” said Naomi as she headed for the door. “Thank you again!”

“Be safe, Naomi.”

Once she was gone, he grabbed one of the cookies from its container, taking a small bite. It was his first time trying a pumpkin spice cookie so he was a bit weary at first, but the flavor exploded on his tongue. Maybe he was crazy, but he felt as if he could feel every ounce of love you had poured into them.

With a smile, he returned to the bedroom, sliding under the covers and pulling you into his arms. You didn’t hesitate to snuggle further into his chest, adoring the way he smelled and how warm his body was.

“What time is it?” you mumbled.

He glanced at the clock on the bedside table, brushing his fingers through your hair. “It’s almost nine.”

“Shit, Naomi will be here soon.” You tried to sit up but he tightened his grip, keeping you in place.

“I already passed them along to her. Go back to sleep.”

“You didn’t give her the cookies in the plastic container with the blue lid, did you?”

“No, love,” he answered softly, unable to hold back his smile. “You didn’t have to make them for me.”

“I wanted to. I hope they came out tasting good,” you muttered, looking up at him tiredly.

“They taste amazing.”

“Do you mean that or are you just saying that because I made them?”

“I mean it.” He cupped your cheek, leaning down to rub his nose against yours. The gesture was cute and sweet, but it left you feeling embarrassed. “Thank you for making them.”

“If you want… I can bake for you more often?”

“Please,” he replied quickly before clearing his throat, color rising to his cheeks. “I’d really like that.”

“Consider it done, then,” you laughed, snuggling closer to him and closing your eyes. 

───── ⋆⋅🍂⋅⋆ ─────

-> High&Low/Rampage Taglist: @kiraaaeon, @simpforchuchu, @star2fishmeg, @thatpoindexterpixy @manhwabtch

-> General Taglist: @asterhaze, @mrskenpachizaraki

#flufftober2023 #day 11 #high&low #cobra #high&low cobra #hino junpei #slumberpartybingo #fallflashspb #RFO - PSF #RFO - PSF23 #fanfiction #fanfics #reader insert #sannoh rengokai #rains ficography #RFO - SPB

[queenlovesbooks]

Amita Suman as Inej Ghafa

“Maybe there were people who lived those lives. Maybe this girl was one of them. But what about the rest of us? What about the nobodies and the nothings, the invisible girls? We learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns. We learn to wring magic from the ordinary. That was how you survived when you weren’t chosen, when there was no royal blood in your veins. When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway.”

“One minute he made her blush and the next he made her want to commit murder.”

coloring by @pinkinnards

[petition to save the show in the source]

#pinkinnards #shadow and bone #grishaverse #six of crows #my edit #my edits #young adult books #gif resources #inej ghafa #amita suman #save shadow and bone #save six of crows #kanej #kaz brekker #jesper fahey #alina starkov

[lcvescountdown]

six of crows & crooked kingdom by leigh bardugo

“Maybe there were people who lived those lives. Maybe this girl was one of them. But what about the rest of us? What about the nobodies and the nothings, the invisible girls? We learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns. We learn to wring magic from the ordinary. That was how you survived when you weren’t chosen, when there was no royal blood in your veins. When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway.”

#six of crows #inej ghafa #the wraith #my graphics #character aesthetic #books #reading #books and reading #grishaverse #netflix shadow and bone #ketterdam #six of crows aesthetic #aesthetic #leigh bardugo #kaz brekker

[bestgrishaversequotes]

longer quotes under the cut!

"The blood you spill is the blood of kings," seethed Dunyasha. "You are not fit for such a gift."

Inej almost felt sorry for her. Dunyasha really believed she was the Lantsov heir, and maybe she was. But wasn't that what every girl dreamed of? That she'd wake and find herself a princess? Or blessed with magical powers and a grand destiny? Maybe there were people who lived those lives. Maybe this girl was one of them. But what about the rest of us? What about the nobodies and the nothings, the invisible girls? We learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns. We learn to wring magic from the ordinary. That was how you survived when you weren't chosen, when there was no royal blood in your veins. When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway.

Inej raised a brow and slowly wiped the blood of kings on her trousers.

(Crooked Kingdom, chapter 35)

--------

When she turned to him, her eyes were bright with anger.

"He was going to break my legs," she said, her chin held high, the barest quaver in her voice. "Would you have come for me then, Kaz? When I couldn't scale a wall or walk a tightrope? When I wasn't the Wraith anymore?"

Dirtyhands would not. The boy who could get them through this, get their money, keep them alive, would do her the courtesy of putting her out of her misery, then cut his losses and move on.

"I would come for you," he said, and when he saw the wary look she shot him, he said it again. "I would come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together - knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting."

The wind rose. The boughs of the willows whispered, a sly, gossiping sound. Kaz held her gaze, saw the moon reflected there, twin scythes of light. She was right to be cautious. Even of him. Especially of him. Cautious was how you survived.

At last she nodded, the smallest dip of her chin. They returned to the tomb in silence. The willows murmured on.

(Crooked Kingdom, chapter 12)

#grishaverse #round 5 #inej ghafa #six of crows #crooked kingdom #kaz brekker #kanej

[thefairyhills]

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ* A COLLECTION OF QUOTES THAT LIVE IN MY HEAD RENT-FREE.

as the title says, this is a list of quotes from books, movies, song lyrics, videogames, pinterest posts and anything else that has been stuck in my brain forever, for one reason or another. a part 2 may or may not follow. adapt any gendered terms as needed!

❝ to love is to destroy, and to be loved is to be the one destroyed. ❞

❝ there are no men like me. only me. ❞

❝ the heart is an arrow. it demands aim to land true. ❞

❝ give me back my girlhood, it was mine first. ❞

❝ stories connect us to our past. they shape a people in profound ways. without them, we are lost. ❞

❝ everyone loves strength, but do you love me for my weakness? ❞

❝ i wish that i could say i am a light that never goes out, but i flicker from time to time. ❞

❝ just between us, did the love affair maim you too? ❞

❝ when the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway. ❞

❝ death doesn't discriminate between the sinners and the saints. ❞

❝ when they shattered our spirit, we became sharpest at the break. ❞

❝ she didn't want to be loved for her petals, she wanted to be loved for her thorns. she knew if someone loved her flaws, they would love her whole. ❞

❝ to love someone is firstly to confess: i'm prepared to be devastated by you. ❞

❝ love speaks in flowers. truth requires thorns. ❞

❝ because saving the people you love isn't stupid. it isn't even a choice. ❞

❝ don't go where i can't follow. ❞

❝ whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same. ❞

❝ it takes grace to remain kind in cruel situations. ❞

❝ there's some good in this world, and it's worth fighting for. ❞

❝ the water hears and understands. the ice does not forgive. ❞

❝ i am my scars. ❞

❝ that's the thing about pain. it demands to be felt. ❞

❝

it's not your fault i ruin everything. and it's not your fault i can't be what you need. ❞

❝ i'm not interested in being polite or heterosexual. ❞

❝ the flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all. ❞

❝ you were the one who wanted to win. and i just wanted a sister. ❞

❝ you know how scared i am of elevators. never trust it if it rises fast, it can't last. ❞

❝ i am not ruined. i am ruination. ❞

❝ all my flowers grew back as thorns. ❞

❝ if i can't have love i want power. ❞

❝ i came out to attack people, and i'm honestly having such a good time right now. ❞

❝ anger was better than tears, better than grief, better than guilt. ❞

❝ i'm meaner than my demons. ❞

❝ i love her, and that's the beginning and end of everything. ❞

❝ you are haunted, like every other holy thing. ❞

❝ my skin has turned to porcelain, to ivory, to steel. ❞

❝ innocence died screaming, honey, ask me i should know. ❞

❝ what is infinite? the universe and the greed of men. ❞

❝ i could never hold a perfect thing and not demolish it. ❞

❝ how could somebody ever love me? ❞

❝ you don't get to destroy someone and decide how ruined they're allowed to feel. ❞

❝ i am afraid of you. in loving me, you hold a knife at my throat. in loving you, i tell you exactly where to cut. ❞

❝ because i take things away from stupid, evil old men. it's what i do. ❞

❝ they deserve to lose everything. and i deserve to have all their stuff. ❞

❝ tell me, if he handed you a bloodied hand, would you take it, just because it was his? ❞

❝ hell is empty and all the devils are here. ❞

❝ i desire the things that will destroy me in the end. ❞

❝ i have tried loving less but that hurts just the same. ❞

❝ wanting was enough. for me, it was enough to live for the hope of it all. ❞

❝ the only heaven i'll be sent to is when i'm alone with you. ❞

❝ i could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; i would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. i would know him in death, at the end of the world. ❞

❝ these violent delights have violent ends. ❞

❝ we love with claws and teeth and the blood is just proof of how much. it's feral. and it's relentless. ❞

❝ feelings that come back are feelings that never left. ❞

❝ good for you, you're doing great out there without me. god, i wish that I could do that. ❞

❝ if i could hold you for a minute, darling, i'd go through it again. ❞

❝ i don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch. ❞

❝ i don't like that falling feels like flying 'til the bone crush. ❞

❝ and logically, you're the last thing i should have on my mind, but i want you there sometimes. ❞

#rp prompts #rp memes #rp starters #rp sentence starters

[desi-bookworm]

In honour of International Women's Day (stfu I know I'm late), here is a list of some of the my favourite book/fanfic quotes by (badass) female characters!

“Maybe there were people who lived those lives. Maybe this girl was one of them. But what about the rest of us? What about the nobodies and the nothings, the invisible girls? We learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns. We learn to wring magic from the ordinary. That was how you survived when you weren’t chosen, when there was no royal blood in your veins. When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway.” ~ Inej Ghafa, Six of Crows (ILY)

"I’m away for a week and the castle turns into an orgy! What a load of queers.” ~ Marlene Mckinnon, ATYD (on my dam knees for her)

She smiles at him. “Really? Because I heard “I have a small dick” which, I have to admit, is a weird thing to whisper in a girl’s ear, but hey, whatever gets you off I suppose.” ~ Mary Macdonald, Choices (my girl deserved so much better </3)

"He had no idea where the stereotype of dumb giggly blondes came from. Ever since he'd met Annabeth at the Grand Canyon last winter,when she'd marched toward him with that Give me Percy Jackson or I’ll kill you expression, Leo had thought of blondes as much too smart and much too dangerous." ~ Technically Leo Valdez but it's about my queen (icon, muse, literal goddess) Annabeth Chase

Happy International Women's Day!!!!

#womens day #percy jackson #riordanverse #booklr #mauraders #percy jackson and the olympians #rick riordan #grishaverse #feminist #womens rights #fictional women #annabeth chase #leah is our annabeth #marlene mckinnon #inej ghafa #mary macdonald #happy women's day #empowerment

[grishaverse-chaos]

inej for the character game!!

tysm for the ask!!

why I like them: she's so fucking iconic omg, she has so much strength and resilience and integrity

why I don't: actually I think anybody who doesn't like inej should be executed. HOWEVER I flip back and forth trying to decide whether or not I like her characterisation in the show, particularly in s2, and overall I think it's Not Great

favourite episode/scene: that one deleted scene with her and jesper!! it's actually a crime that it wasn't in the show holy shit

favourite season/movie: I hugely prefer her book characterisation tbh, especially in crooked kingdom

favourite line: “what about the nobodies and the nothings, the invisible girls? we learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns. we learn to wring magic from the ordinary. that was how you survived when you weren't chosen, when there was no royal blood in your veins. when the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway” is legitimately the best grishaverse quote EVER and I think it really sums up the entire series

favourite outfit: ooooh I love her outfit at the very end of s2, in the scene where we see her as a pirate!

otp: honestly I can't say anything other than kanej, they're really cute and such a good ship in the books as well

brotp: NINEJ I love them sm

headcanon: she and kaz are both total workaholics so they always have to gently nudge each other into taking breaks. idk I think it's cute

unpopular opinion: I'm not sure I really have any?

a wish: look she deserves a happy ending okay, she deserves to do whatever the hell she wants and not be beholden to anybody but still know that she has a home and a person to come back to!!!

an oh-god-please-don't-ever-happen: what if... she's away at sea... and then she comes back to ketterdam and can't find kaz... bc he pissed off the wrong person and now he's dead... and she has to live with the guilt of not being there bc she should have been there and she could have saved him and now he's gone. anyways. would be fun just for the angst of it all tbh

5 words to describe them: resilient, caring, driven, principled, conscientious

my nickname for them: idk I just call her inej? it's not really a name that's easy to shorten lmao

give me a character and I will answer...

#mayhem.txt #answered #maia 🌼 #inej ghafa

[lenievi]

I think the galaxy owes me one. All right, ...I was like you once ...so completely blinded by duty and obligations that I couldn't see anything past this uniform. And in the end, what did it get me? An empty house (Kirk, Generations)

I still haven’t watched Generations, but I have thoughts anyway

I know that we all have our own interpretation, and mine is “Kirk has always yearned for home, love, the simple life, even family” but his duty held him back. His orders, his obligations, his ship, his crew – those were always the most important. He could never give any of his partners his all, he could not even promise his friends not to send them to death – he killed Gary, he send Spock on a suicidal mission, he sacrificed Spock in Return to Tomorrow, he would do the same with McCoy if the script demanded it. His uniform was everything.

I’m going to assume that after TMP, Kirk was still doing stuff in space, missions, surveys, but more and more he had to just sit behind a desk and do nothing. And suddenly he had a lot of time to think, and when he couldn’t go out to space and make a difference, maybe he could try what he always wanted - the simple life. So he packed up to Idaho to ride horses. And there he met Antonia.

He was almost 50, and he was offered a chance at what he’s always wanted but could never have. He bought a house, got a dog, and for two years, lived with Antonia. And I like to imagine that for a time, he was happy. After a long time, he got a chance at happiness and he enjoyed it.

But then something or someone dragged him back to Starfleet (or rather, to Starfleet Academy where he would oversee new cadets). And he knew that if he went back, he would hurt Antonia sooner or later, because he would never be able to be with her the way he could for the last couple of years. So he broke up with her, but it was something he regretted. But he buried it deep, and continued with his life. Celebrated his 52th birthday. 

And suddenly another of his regrets was thrown back into his life - Carol and David, his son.

And then Spock died. And then he was brought back, but David was killed and the Enterprise destroyed. Then TFF and TUC happened. He spent seven years wallowing in what ifs and “my son I never knew”, and he couldn’t deal with the world moving on, moving forward. But he could at least still be out there making a difference.

But then they retired him for good. They decommissioned the Enterprise, and he stopped being the captain. And a few months later they told him to give his blessing to a new ship. Enterprise-B. With a new crew. The first starship Enterprise without James T. Kirk in command in thirty years.

And he sacrifices himself and gets stuck in some time anomaly and is presented with the last time when his life was simple. When he was happy. And he wants to stay. Badly. But it’s an illusion. It doesn’t matter. It isn’t real, and it’s long gone. An empty house. 

An empty chair, he truly yearns for.

He’s not the Captain anymore.

So he leaves the “paradise” and makes the last difference, and dies to help the Captain of the Enterprise. 

This vessel, I give, she takes. She won't permit me my life. I've got to live hers. (Kirk, The Naked Time)

#yeah anyway #tos nonsense #headcanon times #jim kirk #in some way i like it's kirk on his own #not because of 'i would die alone' but because he never considered himself a hero #he was just a guy doing his job and he died in the line of duty #but he also never got to live his life #idk if it's worth posting but i'm posting it anyway

[lucky-clover-gazette]

it's dangerous to go alone

(formerly known as this is our get-along fic)

two years after shadow and vio's evil takeover, the gang reunites for dinner. this is a multi-chapter continuation of the oneshot "thank darkness for that," which introduces a corruption-type au that's actually super chill. definitely read the one-shot before following this one!

chapter 3 of 7: the dungeon (4950 words)

Vio blinks tears out of his eyes as he surveys the group, all of whom look… well, bewildered is the best word he has for it. Not angry, not hurt, not even annoyed—just, varying degrees of confused. Like they’ve just now realized that there’s something real between the Kings of Hyrule, that they’d been so close to losing it before and fought so hard to keep each other close. That maybe, as hurtful as it’d been, their betrayal hadn’t been without good reason. That they’d had something to lose, and they’d been scared, and they chose the best of several bad options to preserve the love they’d found against all odds.

Or maybe they are just annoyed. Vio’s never been good at reading people, anyway.

read the full chapter on ao3 or under the cut:

There appears to be a sword to Vio’s throat.

He hears himself mutter incoherently, wincing at the cold steel against his cheekbone. The world slowly comes into focus, and after a few rapid blinks Vio can identify the immediate threat. “Hey! Stop!”

Green scowls above Vio and holds his blade steady. Vio can tell now that he’s seated in a chair… and judging by the stiffness of his arms, also tied to it.

“What did you do?” Green demands. Vio’s mind races—how does Green have his sword? Where are they? Where is Shadow?

“I didn’t do anything,” Vio says, experimentally shifting his lower body. Yes, he is most definitely tied to this chair. “Why did you tie me up?”

Green rolls his eyes. “I didn’t.”

Vio wants to assess his surroundings, but that’s not really possible with a blade to his throat. “Green, put it away, I need to see where we are.”

“Looks like the castle dungeons,” Zelda says, out of Vio’s line of sight. Vio doesn’t know if he’s relieved.

“Is everyone here?” he asks Green, refusing to be intimidated despite the power imbalance between them. Green seems to notice this, and his grip on the sword tightens.

“Yes,” Green says, “everyone’s here.”

“Hi!” Red calls, somehow chipper as always.

“You did this,” Blue echo’s Green’s sentiment, and Vio pretends he’s not there at all. Green, Zelda, Red, and Blue—that just leaves…

“Shadow?” Vio asks softly, unsure if he wants a response at all. Whatever—whoever—brought them all here, maybe they only wanted the four Heroes, and the Princess… maybe they left Shadow alone, maybe he could help them—

“Here,” a familiar voice says from behind Vio. “Tied to a chair, but here.”

Vio raises an eyebrow at Green. “We’re the only ones restrained, and you want me to believe you four had nothing to do with it?”

Vio can feel Shadow shifting around behind him, their chairs positioned back-to-back. Shadow moves a little too violently, slamming his head against Vio’s and causing Green to reflexively withdraw the sword.

“Ow,” Vio groans, wanting to rub his head but unable to do so.

“Sorry,” Shadow says sheepishly. “Wrong headbonk.”

Vio is so close to smiling at that, but maintains his grimace instead. “Put it away,” he tells Green again. “You know I’d never tie him up like this.”

Green considers this, his eyes searching Vio’s. “Fine,” he says after a beat, withdrawing the blade. “But I’m the only one here who’s armed.”

Vio nods, finally able to move his head freely. Zelda’s assessment of the space is correct—they are most definitely within the Hyrule Castle dungeons, a long underground system of rooms used for miscellaneous purposes. The stone floor and peeling wallpaper are dead giveaways, if the slight scent of mildew in the air wasn’t already enough. “Shadow?” he calls, craning his head backwards. “Does this room look familiar to you?”

“No, Vi, sorry. Also, are you okay? And do you know what’s going on?”

“Somewhat and no,” Vio sighs, trying to take better stock of the area. Green stands with the others, none of whom appear to be armed, in a large storeroom full of miscellaneous furniture. Wardrobes, desks, statues, sinks... random items of varying quality, all coated with a thick layer of dust.

“I recognize some of this stuff,” Zelda says, lightly kicking a velvet ottoman with her kitten heel.

“Probably got shoved down here when they stole the entire castle,” Blue says, crossing his arms.

Ah, yes. Vio remembers this room now, from their initial move-in two years ago. One of the first things he had done was call for the removal of Zelda and the original Link’s furniture from the castle’s main floor.

“More or less,” Vio admits, his ability to run a hand through his hair once again limited by the restraints. Really? I can’t even fidget now?

“Okaaaay,” Zelda says, really drawing out the middle of the word. Vio doubts she suspects them of planning this—she’s way too close with Shadow for that—but still, the cynicism is her voice is unmistakable. “But you can’t explain why we’re here. Or what knocked us out. Or why only Green got his sword back.”

“Or why we’re tied up,” Shadow adds, his voice cold. “Zelda, you can’t seriously think we’re behind whatever this is.”

She avoids him, continuing to stare Vio down. In a way, Vio is actually glad Shadow can’t see what’s going on, because the look on Zelda’s face would have him hurting for a week.

“Only Green got his sword back?” Vio asks, dodging Zelda’s interrogation entirely.

“Yeah,” Green says, still holding it in front of him. “Blue almost grabbed it first, but Red intercepted.”

“And how long have you all been conscious?”

“Only a few minutes,” Red answers, easily the least suspicious of the four. “This is all so weird. I think our soup may have been drugged.”

“Yeah, no shit,” Blue says, rolling his eyes. “By them.”

“It was the soup,” Shadow confirms. “I… hold on, can you at least turn me around so I can see everyone?”

Zelda looks to Green, who just shrugs. “Yes,” she says, her voice slightly apologetic. “One second, Shadow.”

Vio can hear his husband’s sigh of relief. Even in this bizarre and potentially dangerous predicament, he still cares what the others think of him.

“Thanks,” Shadow says as Zelda turns him around. Vio cranes his head to face him, trying and failing to muster a reassuring smile. Hylia, it’s torture not to take his hand...

“How do you know it was the soup?” Green asks, motioning to Shadow with his sword.

“ Hey, ” Vio says sharply. “Get that thing away from him.”

Green narrows his eyes at Vio, undoubtedly recalling his previous threat of banishment. He has too much to lose, Vio knows, between his ranch and his business and Zelda. He lowers the sword completely, although Vio can’t help but notice the implicit refusal to disarm himself completely.

“How do you know the soup was drugged?” Blue asks Shadow, picking up where Green left off.

Shadow shrugs. “You all ate it, and then passed out.”

“But you didn’t?”

“I ate the soup, but it didn’t do anything to me. I got knocked out the old-fashioned way.”

Yet again, Vio wishes he could fidget. He thinks best when he’s doing something with his hands, or when he can tie up his hair. Anything but just sitting here restrained, unable to even comfort his husband—

“So whoever drugged us,” Zelda says, “must have realized it didn’t work on you, and… what? Whacked you with a blunt object?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Harm towards Shadow Link,” Blue mutters to Red. “Sounds like someone’s getting banished.”

Vio has the strongest urge to bare his teeth.

Zelda ignores the snide comment and turns to Green. “I really don’t understand. Who would do something like this?”

As if answering her question, a small television comes to life in the corner of the room. It’s an ancient Sheikah device, something Vio had dismissed as a broken artifact rather than a functional object. But it’s definitely working now, its screen casting a sickly green light through the dark room.

“Hello, esteemed guests,” says a familiar voice, causing Vio and Shadow to immediately lock eyes. There’s no way it’s—

“Tingle Tingle Kooloo Limpah!” exclaims the man himself, who stands uncomfortably close to the camera with a deeply off-putting smile. Like, even more deeply off-putting than usual.

Vio gasps. What the actual—

“Fun times ahead, gang!” Tingle exclaims, although his sinister tone of voice indicates otherwise.

“I… what?” Shadow asks in a choked voice.

“He can’t hear you, dumbass,” Blue says, and Green shushes them both.

“You see, I’ve been working on this plan for some time now,” Tingle says, each word echoing through the cavernous space. “Ever since I watched the Kings of Hyrule steal the throne from under their allies’ noses, and I thought to myself, ‘well, why can’t I do that too?’”

Vio’s jaw drops. This can’t possibly be happening. Tingle is harmless! He’s… he’s not nearly as smart as Vio and Shadow, as capable, as—

“So I played the long game,” Tingle explains. “I gained the Kings’ trust, kept my plan on the back-burner—much like the delicious pumpkin soup I prepared for you this evening—until the time was right to finally strike. And now you’re all here, trapped within the devious dungeons of Hyrule Castle, surrounded by dangerous foes you have no hope of surviving!”

Vio watches Blue grab Red’s hand, taking the other man by surprise. He then turns to Shadow, whose expression of betrayal is so foreign that it makes Vio’s heart ache.

“Sooooo if you’re wondering how I actually plan to take the throne,” Tingle says, “it’s actually a pretty neat scheme: trap you six in a scary murder dungeon, knowing that the Kings’ guests already have a two-year grudge against them. Make sure Your Majesties start out at a huge disadvantage. I don’t care if you guys actually kill each other—if not, I’ve set up enough monsters and traps to get the job done. I just know that when I stop by in a few hours and discover your bodies, and I tell the whole kingdom of Hyrule that the scorned ex-Heroes and ex-Princess murdered the Kings and perished in the process, they’ll be so stricken with grief and confusion that they’ll have to accept me as their ruler!”

Tingle laughs maniacally, shaking the camera in the process. Vio and Shadow lock eyes again.

“Oh, and King Shadow can’t use his powers,” Tingle adds. “I’ve gotta make a special soup for that, I’ll just knock him out with a big spoon or something.”

“I don’t think he ended up going with the spoon,” Shadow says, his eyes looking upward. Vio winces, noticing the nasty bump poking through Shadow’s dark hair. If Vio gets through this alive, he is going to strangle that tiny green bastard with his bare hands…

“He can still shapeshift, though,” Tingle says brightly. “Couldn’t figure out a way to nerf that one—see? I’m not a total genius.”

Green turns to Vio. “You know, he kind of sounds like you.”

“Not the time,” Zelda scolds him, while Blue releases a short laugh.

“Anyway, that’s about it," Tingle says. “Sorry it had to be this way—except no, I’m really not. Have fun!”

The TV shuts off on its own, leaving the room in stunned silence. That is, until Blue walks up to Vio, somehow grinning despite the circumstances.

“How does it feel?” he asks, and Vio knows exactly what he means. He sees the irony in the situation. Tingle’s bizarre plan has certain similarities to what he and Shadow had done to the others two years ago: convincing them to give up their connections to the Triforce, only to leave them high and dry and cheat their way into power… because it had been cheating, with Shadow’s shapeshifting, they both know it. But the things they had done with their power—uniting the Light and Dark worlds, healing the land of Hyrule, separating the state from a deeply flawed church—had always felt like it made up for their less-than-legitimate ascension.

But they had gotten cocky, obviously, somewhere down the line. And now here they are, powerless, at the mercy of the same former allies they had once betrayed in a chillingly similar manner.

Vio doesn’t think of Hylia very often anymore—doesn’t address her in his head, doesn’t see himself as one of her Chosen Heroes. But in this moment, he has to hand it to her: Well-played, Goddess. Well-played.

“You need to untie us,” Shadow urges the others, “right now.”

Blue opens his mouth, but Green cuts him off. “Fine. You two know this place the best, you’re our best chance out of here.”

“And we’re not going to consider just leaving them behind?” Blue demands as Green cuts Shadow free. “They did this to themselves.”

Shadow stands, shaking out his arms and legs. Green seems to hesitate and Shadow rolls his eyes, extending his sharp nails like a cat. He swipes at Vio’s restraints, startling his husband in the process.

“I forgot you could do that,” Vio mutters as Shadow offers him a hand. He takes it and allows himself to be lifted to his feet, then pulled into a very tight hug. They stay like that for ten seconds, twenty seconds… until Green finally clears his throat.

“We need a plan,” he says, returning his sword to its scabbard. Vio and Shadow separate and join the group in a circle formation. “I don’t care about stopping Tingle from taking the throne,” Green continues. “I just want to get out of here and enjoy my normal life on the ranch.”

“You might not have a normal life to enjoy, if Tingle takes the throne,” Zelda counters. “Shadow and Vio know what they’re doing. I know what I’m doing, as their advisor. Hyrule would probably be a nightmare with Tringle running it.”

“Whatever,” Green says. Zelda shakes her head, clearly wanting to say more, but deciding against it.

Red sniffles, clearly trying to put on a brave face. “Guys, a plan?”

“Well, we first need to escape this room,” Vio tells the group. “Once we can pinpoint where we are, within the dungeons, we’ll be able to determine a way out.”

“I’ll check for doors,” Zelda volunteers. “Green, you can help.”

Vio nods at them, more comfortable in this position of relative authority than he’s been all evening. He’s a planner, always has been, and his success record speaks for itself.

For the sake of Vio’s ego, Tingle doesn’t count.

“He mentioned monsters,” Blue says, his eyes scanning the space. “Nothing in here, which means we’re probably supposed to escape this room at least. Green’s got his sword, but the rest of us…”

Red smiles, probably happy that Blue seems to be playing along. “We’re in a room full of random stuff, I’m sure we can find some weapons!”

“There’s nothing here,  just a bunch of stolen furniture.”

“We can be creative,” Red insists. “Improvised weapons are fun!” In demonstration, he grabs a fireplace poker off a nearby couch. “See?”

Shadow and Vio exchange a look, then shrug. “I have an idea,” Shadow says, a mischievous grin on his face. He walks over to a small table and grabs one of the matching wooden chairs, hoisting it up for Vio’s approval.

“Seems a bit impractical,” Vio says, holding his chin in his hand. He wants to ask his beloved husband why a fucking chair is his weapon of choice, but doesn’t want to waste any more time than they already have.“Here,” he says, crossing over to join Shadow. “Hold it steady.”

Shadow raises an eyebrow but does as he’s told. Vio grabs at one of the chair’s legs and pulls, muscles straining with effort. He knows he can do this, he just…

A loud crack startles Vio out of his concentration. Blue stands a few feet away, shit-eating grin on his face, offering Vio a chair leg identical to the one he had been trying to break free. “Your Highness,” he says with a flourish.

Vio feels himself blushing from embarrassment, and anger, and just— really? Blue had to make him look so unimpressive in front of Shadow? His husband?

“Aw, babe,” Shadow says, using one of their rarer petnames. “It was your idea, that’s what counts.” He ruffles Vio’s hair and takes the improvised weapon from Blue without a word of thanks.

Vio grabs the chair leg from Shadow’s hands and breaks it in half against his thigh. Now it’s Shadow’s turn to blush as he accepts the jagged wooden stake.

“You guys are weird,” Red says, wrinkling his nose. “Blue, what’s your weapon?”

“Just like I told the guards: these hands.”

“Okay, but you need a real weapon.”

“Fine,” Blue says, grabbing a snow globe from Zelda’s old desk. “You happy now?”

Red answers with an unironic hum of assent, and Vio starts to wonder if he and Shadow aren’t the only gay people in the room. Green had mentioned something at the dinner, hadn’t he?

“Found a door!” Zelda calls from across the room. Vio, Shadow, Red, and Blue run over to join her and Green at the furniture chamber’s single exit.

“It’s locked,” Green says. “We already checked.”

Vio tries the door knob anyway. No luck.

Red cocks his head. “Do we have to find a key?”

“Don’t think so,” Blue tells him. “Look up.”

They all do, noticing an oval-shaped switch above the doorframe.

“It looks kind of like an eye,” Shadow observes.

Vio nods. “I’ve seem this kind of thing before, in books. I think we’re supposed to shoot it. If I only had my bow, I could—”

“You should get a weapon,” Red whispers to Zelda. “Anything you can grab.”

Zelda nods, and wanders back into the sea of furniture. Vio clears his throat indignantly. “I said, if I only had my bow—”

Blue throws his snow globe at the switch, glass smashing against metal. Liquid drips inside the eyeball, causing it to close, and a loud… noise?… plays through the room. It’s a short melody, only a few notes, completely unknown to Vio but also strangely familiar.

“Do you guys hear that?’ Vio asks the group. Zelda shakes her head, but everyone else—all the various Links—nod. Vio fidgets with the scrunchie on his wrist. “Weird.”

“Got a weapon!” Zelda announces, brandishing something small in her right hand. “Fountain pen. Pointy.”

“That’s…” Green begins to say, but then stops. “You know what, sure, that’s great.” He puts a hand on the door knob and turns to the group. “Everyone ready?”

Vio feels Shadow take his hand and gives him an uneasy smile. “Yeah,” he says, and Shadow nods.

Red holds his fireplace poker in front of both him and Blue, who now truly only has his hands to defend himself. “We’re ready,” Red says, and Vio has to hand it to him—he can be fierce when he wants to be.

Zelda twirls the fountain pen in her hand. “Open it, Green.”

And so he does, and everyone braces themselves for the worst: monsters, traps, fire, ice, electricity or poison gas. But outside the room, they only see an empty hallway, silent and seemingly free of environmental hazards.

Vio almost expects Blue to volunteer him and Shadow to test the hallway’s safety, but… well, they’d all held the Triforce of Courage at some point, hadn’t they? Except for Zelda, whose divine wisdom would probably have kept her out of this situation if she were acting alone.

They all step out together into the hallway, weapons drawn, incessant bickering turned to nervous silence. Compared to this, Vio thinks he might prefer the bickering.

“What’s at the end of the hall?” Shadow asks between gritted teeth. The group keeps formation as they sidestep to their left, ignoring the obvious dead end to their right.

“Does anyone feel kind of silly?” Vio asks as they continue this awkward manner of movement. “I think we can just walk like normal.”

“Your funeral, nerd,” Blue says, but it’s not with the bite Vio would expect. It’s almost playful, the same kind of tone he’d use to tease Vio before he…

“As much as I hate to admit it,” Green says, “I agree with Vio,”

Red gives him a thumbs up, peering down the dark hallway. “Breaking formation in five, four, three, two… one!”

The six separate and collectively hold their breath.

Nothing happens.

“Well, that’s nice,” Red says, holding his hands on his hips. He walks into the dark with that ever-present smile. “Maybe we just have to— FUCK! ”

“Red!” Blue shouts, immediately running to his aid. Out of the corner of his eye, Vio sees Zelda and Shadow making eye contact.

“Hylia, I hope not,” Shadow mutters to her. Zelda covers her mouth to hide a smirk.

Vio and Green follow Blue to Red, who sits on the ground and shoves them away. “Guys, I’m fine! Just ran into a wall. It was closer than I thought.”

“Glad you’re okay,” Vio says, and means it. Red beams.

“We need some light,” Zelda says as she and Shadow join the group. “I can’t see what’s on the wall.”

“If only Miss Fairy were here…” Red says as Blue helps him to his feet.

“I can take a look,” Shadow offers, gently parting the group. “I have Dark World night vision. More a biological feature than a magic power, so Tingle’s potion shouldn’t have affected it.”

“What do you see?” Vio asks, wrapping his arms around Shadow from behind. He feels Shadow’s body relax in his arms, and thanks the darkness for hiding the act of physical affection. If Blue teases him about his relationship with Shadow one more time, he might just start teasing him back about Red.

“It looks like some kind of puzzle,” Shadow says slowly. “A big padlock on the door, and four… keyholes?  But they’re, like, bigger. Vertical. You could fit, like, a sword in there. Four of them, actually.”

“So...” Vio hears Zelda say, “four swords?”

“Oh. Yeah.”

“Well, I’m holding onto mine,” Green tells the group. “At least, unless we all find ours.”

“Sounds like we just might,” Vio says, stepping out of the dark. He hears a small disappointed noise from Shadow when he tears himself away.

Blue pinches the bridge of his nose. “I want to make sure Shadow Link was telling the truth.”

“ Just Shadow, ” Zelda, Vio, and Red correct him in unison.

“Fine, Shadow, whatever.”

“Go ahead,” Shadow says, motioning towards the dark corridor. “You can feel for the padlock and keyholes.”

They watch Blue disappear into the darkness, and Vio can see on Green’s face how torn he is between him and the others. To think that all the times they’d brunched together, Green had still been so bitter about Vio’s betrayal… he’d disguised it pretty well, but still. If Vio had known Green was still so angry, he probably wouldn’t have gone for Zelda’s dinner party idea in the first place.

I should be more like Shadow, Vio reminds himself. Shadow, who clearly believes in his heart that they’ll all come around eventually. Shadow, who had somehow managed to heal his relationship with Zelda, the same person he’d kidnapped, usurped, and tricked into giving up her Triforce of Wisdom. Shadow, who’d forgiven Vio for his own manipulations, and had stood unwaveringly by his side ever since.

 “Shadow’s right,” Blue calls reluctantly from the darkness. “Feels exactly how he described.”

“No surprise there,” Zelda mutters, loud enough so Shadow can hear. Vio decides that if they survive, he’s going to find a way to thank her for being Shadow’s #2 defender—maybe send her an edible arrangement or something.

Vio’s still #1, though. Always.

The second Blue passes the threshold between dark and light, Vio hears that weird melody again. Judging by the looks on the others’ faces, so do they.

“Must mean something’s happened,” Vio tells Shadow, who nods. “Oh, Zelda, it’s that noise again.”

“Well, now I just feel like I’m missing out.”

Two edible arrangements, Vio amends, for all her troubles.

“I think it’s clear what we have to do,” Green says, leading the group to the other end of the hall. He motions to three doors on the wall, across from the one they entered through. Vio frowns. Had he missed those? He could have sworn they weren’t there before…

“It’s pretty obvious,” Green continues, “that this whole dungeon is some sort of puzzle. We discovered the keyholes at the end of the hall, realized we need to find the three remaining swords, heard the weird noise, and look! Three doors have magically appeared! I wonder what could possibly be inside.”

“Maybe our swords,” Red says thoughtfully. Blue looks like he wants to mock him for missing Green’s sarcasm, but ends up just nodding instead.

“Whatever we do,” Vio says, “we definitely shouldn’t split up.”

“I disagree,” argues Blue, surprising no one. “We don’t have a lot of time. There are three doors and six of us—if we split into teams of two, we could be back here with all the swords as soon as possible.”

Green considers the conflicting viewpoints, and then turns to Zelda. “What do you think?”

“I think we should split up,” she admits, cringing as the words leave her mouth. “I know it’s not the wise thing to do, but...”

“Nah, you’re right,” Shadow cuts in. “I see what you’re saying, Vio, but Tingle was pretty clear about the importance of urgency. If he gets enough time to take the throne, that’s going to be a giant mess for us to deal with when we beat this thing.”

When , Shadow’s voice echoes through Vio’s head. When we beat this thing.

“I’m okay splitting up,” Red says. “I trust you guys.”

Vio sighs at that, holding up his hands in surrender. “Fine. We can split up. Which door should we take?”

Blue raises an eyebrow. “You mean you and Shadow? You’re not going anywhere together. You might be the smart one, but we’re not stupid.”

“Blue…” Green mutters it warningly, but also doesn’t correct his implied accusation.

Vio takes Shadow’s hand and holds it tight. “We’re not going to betray you again,” he says. “But we’re about to enter what I assume are dangerous situations, and my husband and I need to have each other’s backs. Not to mention the multiple threats you’ve made against him, Blue—I’m not leaving anyone alone with Shadow, not until this is over and we’re all safe.”

Red, Blue, Green, and Zelda exchange uneasy glances. Shadow sighs.

“Vi, I think they’re right about this too.”

Vio scowls, turning his head to face his husband. “Shadow, you don’t owe them anything. You don’t need to prove anything. I want you alive, and me alive, and going along with the group to win their favor isn’t worth the threat it poses to our well-being.”

Shadow sighs again, gently sliding his hand out of Vio’s. He takes Vio’s face in both hands, pulls him in close so their foreheads touch.

“I trust Zelda,” Shadow says quietly, although the others can absolutely hear him. “You know she wouldn’t hurt me.”

“But I have to protect you,” Vio argues, his face growing pale. “I already almost lost you once, I can’t go through that again.”

Shadow chuckles. “Well, to be fair, you were the one who was going to kill me in the first place…”

“Shadow. Please.”

Shadow gives Vio the smallest smile and pulls him in for a kiss. Vio can hear Blue’s exaggerated gag, followed by someone elbowing him the gut, but it doesn’t matter. Nothing matters except him and Shadow, because that’s who he chose two years ago, and he has not once regretted it since.

“I fought for you too, you know,” Shadow says, this time in a voice low enough that Vio knows it’s meant only for him. “I will always fight for you. For us. And right now, I really think our best chance of getting out of here alive is splitting up. This is our castle, Vio—whatever’s in those rooms, chances are we put it there. It’d be unfair to the others to make them go in blind, even if one group will be doing that regardless.”

Vio takes a long, deep breath. Hylia, he thinks, why me? I mean, I know why me, but I swear…

“If you’re talking to the Goddess in your head again,” Shadow interrupts, “I’d suggest you find a more productive way to wish me good luck.”

Vio sighs and kisses his husband. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” They remain forehead-to-forehead, lost in each other’s eyes, because when it’s the two of them together they may as well be the only ones in the room—

“Red’s with me,” Blue says, yanking Vio by the shoulder. “Green, you take His Majesty. Zelda, you can have… the other one.”

Vio scowls at Blue and reaches for Shadow again. “Please be careful,” he says, and Shadow nods.

“I will. You too.”

“I love you. I know I just said it, but I want it to be the last thing we say, before we go, just in case…”

Shadow’s face softens. “Of course, Vi. I love you too.”

Vio blinks tears out of his eyes as he surveys the group, all of whom look… well, bewildered is the best word he has for it. Not angry, not hurt, not even annoyed—just, varying degrees of confused. Like they’ve just now realized that there’s something real between the Kings of Hyrule, that they’d been so close to losing it before and fought so hard to keep each other close. That maybe, as hurtful as it’d been, their betrayal hadn’t been without good reason. That they’d had something to lose, and they’d been scared, and they chose the best of several bad options to preserve the love they’d found against all odds.

Or maybe they are just annoyed. Vio’s never been good at reading people, anyway.

“I guess it’s you and me,” Green tells Vio as Shadow takes Zelda’s side. “How about Door #1?”

“Whatever,” Vio says, avoiding his eyes. He wants to turn to Shadow, see what door he and Zelda have chosen, but no… he must preserve that final moment, just in case it’s their last.

Now you listen to me, Vio tells—not asks—the Goddess in his head.

It will not be our last.

#my writing #four swords #four swords manga #vidow #vio link #shadow link #red link #blue link #green link #zelda four swords