#thinking today about all that i had to give up or leave in pursuit of actually being happy

[sameoldloneliness]

"like a wild animal gnawing off a leg to escape the jaws of a trap, i force myself to find new places to call home. inescapable choices to deal with inescapable tragedies. i just worry that i only have so many legs to stand on, and one day i'll fall and hit the basement of loneliness."

what is the nature of sacrifice?

fake out - fall out boy // atonement (2007) // the year in ugliness by arabelle sicardi // 14 lines from love letters or suicide notes by doc luben // crazy rich asians (2018) // the perks of being a wallflower (2012) // symphony no. 2 in c minor, or the resurrection symphony - gustav mahler // myself

#musings about intense convos with friends #thinking today about all that i had to give up or leave in pursuit of actually being happy #not just people and places but also ideas about myself and the world #fall out boy #atonement #arabelle sicardi #doc luben #crazy rich asians #the perks of being a wallflower #gustav mahler #webweaving #compilation #parallels #idk folks notes app poetry made itself into a post again

[reiderwriter]

♣️ To Warm a Lonely Night ♣️

Chapter 6 of That's What You Get

Pairing: Spencer Reid X Reader

Prev. Chapter || Next Chapter

Word Count: 4.6k

Summary: With a few days of leave ahead of you, you wake up in Spencer's apartment with absolutely no plans to leave. All in the pursuit of regaining your memory, of course.

Warnings: none, but there is one sexually explicit-ish sentence at the end (which may or may not be a spoiler for the next chapter, who knows 👀).

A/N: Ahh! I can't believe we're halfway through! This one is mainly fluff, and I hope you love it because it's building to something more next Chapter tee hee. It's a bit later of an upload today because I've been so busy at work, so please forgive me lol 🙏 And please, please, PLEASE let me know in the comments/reblogs/through an ask what you think about it! It'd would make my week 🩷

True to his word, Spencer provided you with a toothbrush, toothpaste, wet tissues to remove your make-up with, a generous amount of pajama options, and a warm bed. You had shyly accepted everything and readied yourself for bed in a matter of minutes, half of you cursing your stupidity at landing in this situation and the other half of you jumping for joy at being back in the same bed as him.

He was right about there being a possibility that the two of you jumping into bed together - again - could jog some memories for you. The only solid memory you had of your marriage was, after all, waking up the day after. So you’d thrown on the plaid pajama bottoms and oversized sweatshirt that surely must’ve been big on him too, and slunked back into his bedroom.

He was already there of course, folding down the covers to his bed and climbing in, trying to make it seem more comfortable and appealing by removing the stacks of books that were strewn across it.

“Sorry, don’t get much use out of that side of the bed,” he said, noticing your eyes on him at that moment.

“You don’t? After everything you said, I assumed that you had… frequent visitors.” You looked up at his face to gauge his reaction, delighted by the flush of color that greeted you there.

He cleared his throat and turned away, shelving another set of books. “It’s not… I’m not that great at picking up women if you hadn’t already guessed that, Y/N.”

“I don’t know, you managed to get me to marry you in the span of less than three hours, Spencer, so I’d say you’re plenty good at it.”

“That was the alcohol, though.”

“It wasn’t.” You let the thought hang in the air between you, having mumbled it so quietly you weren’t sure if he even heard you. You cleared your throat and tried again.

“I mean, can you imagine if some random guy had tried to pick me up and marry me this weekend? Hotch would’ve had to arrest me. Or worse.” You laughed a little to ease the tension of your sudden almost-confession. What the hell were you thinking, blurting out something like that?

“Thank god you got me, then, right?” Spencer smiled back at you, sitting up on the edge of the bed facing you.

“Yeah. Thank god.” You moved towards him then, awkwardly asking which side you should sleep on, and he quickly moved over for you, letting you climb up into the bed as he returned to the door to shut it and turn the lights off.

You listened to his footsteps as he returned to the bed, pulling the covers up and over himself, trying not to confuse his movements with your heavy heartbeat. He didn’t reach out to you, and so you didn’t reach out to him, the two of you awkwardly facing each other in bed, not touching in even the smallest of places.

“Goodnight, Y/N.”

“Goodnight, Spencer.”

–X–

You hoped that you would wake up tangled up in him, that his arms would be wrapped around you, his legs buried deep between your own. You hoped that his breath would be warm on your neck, that he would take the plunge and give you a good morning kiss, and that he would pull you closer into him, suggesting that the two of you not move for another hour at least.

Instead, you woke alone, the bedsheets still warm as you heard the sounds of running water soundtrack your morning. Spencer was gone, and he hadn’t bothered to wake you.

Of course, this was his apartment, and you knew exactly where it was since your brain had finally kicked into gear two minutes into consciousness, but the overwhelming disappointment had you almost frustrated to tears.

So much for trying to jog the memories of your wedding.

You cautiously climbed out of bed after hearing the shower switch off, following the dying trail of steam to the bathroom just as he emerged from within.

“Y/N. You’re awake, good morning.” He greeted you, almost too naturally for a man wrapped in nothing but a white towel. You stared at him a minute too long, your gaze raking down his body, doing everything it could to deny your brain's pleas to pleases look back at his fucking face, for god’s sake.

“Sorry, forgot to bring clothes, not used to this sharing a space thing,” he said awkwardly, shifting from foot to foot a little, before giving you one of those tight-lipped smiles you loved seeing.

“Shit, um, sorry, I’ll just head back to the bedroom.” You start walking in that direction, then automatically change my mind. “No, you need to get clothes, I’ll stand here.” You nodded at that last decision, sticking by it and boring a hole into the floor with your rapid attention to it,

He smiled at you again, ruffling your hair as he passed you on his way back to his own room, leaving you alone with your already sinful thoughts, to gently rest yourself against the wall and convince yourself that you could persist through this temptation.

He emerged a few minutes later, and, with some grace and fucking decorum finally, you looked up at his eyes and started talking cohesively.

“Spencer, why didn’t you wake me? We were supposed to see if this could jog a memory for either of us right, that’s the whole reason I stayed over.”

“Sorry, it must’ve slipped my mind.”

“Spencer, you have an eidetic memory,” you deadpanned, crossing your arms as you waited for his real answer, blocking the doorway to the rest of his apartment with a stern look.

“Okay, I give up. You just looked too… Too happy. Resting there tucked into my arm. I didn’t want to wake you up, because I’ve seen how you get on cases after you’ve had only a couple hours of sleep and I don’t want to be on the other end of that.”

You laughed at him then, not knowing whether his words were truthful or not, and trying your best not to profile him.

“Would you mind if…Spencer, would you mind if I stayed a little longer?” You grabbed his hand and held it as you said the words, trying not to use the way his body stiffened to inform any decisions you were about to make.

“What for?” He asked, genuinely curious.

“We only have seven days, right? And, let’s be honest, most of them are going to be spent on some case or the other. I was hoping we could spend these precious few moments free from work trying to get our memories back.” You smiled up at him hopeful, squeezing his hand just a little.

“I, um… Sure. I have some tickets to a thing this weekend, though, but I can cancel.” Your heart jumped into your stomach and your face dropped as you did your best to backpedal.

“No, wait, Spencer, if you have plans, that’s okay, I can go home.”

“It was just this stupid book fair thing. It’s okay, I didn’t even have anyone to go with.” You almost laughed at his obliviousness.

“Spencer, it’s not stupid, and now you have someone to go with.”

“I do?”

“Yes. Your wife, now where is it?”

–X–

The book fair had turned out to be an accidentally amazing first date. Which was, you’d realized after driving home to change clothes and freshen up, exactly what it was going to be. A date. Another - accidental - date.

He’d picked you up a half hour later, and together you’d driven the 45 minutes to the fair. It was more of a book jumble sale, a collection of vendors, antique dealers, indie bookshops, and exhibitions coming together to celebrate vintage, used, and second-hand books. Spencer was excited, of course, but you felt like a kid in a candy store, ooh-ing and aah-ing at every special edition, basking in the smell of old books, and desperately seeking out the most obscure titles you could find.

You’d made a game out of it with Spencer, sharing a laugh over titles including “Ducks and How To Make Them Pay,” by W. Cook and “An Essay on the Art of Ingeniously Tormenting; with Proper Rules for the Exercise of that Pleasant Art,” by Jane Collier. Walking through the aisles of stalls, you let your hand slip into Spencer’s, not letting yourself think too hard about it.

You’d probably held his hand at some point on your wedding night, you thought to yourself, so maybe it would help. Your justifications were unwarranted, though, as you knew you weren’t letting him go until you absolutely had to.

“Spencer, look at that!” You gasped excitedly, pulling him over to a stall decorated in an array of plushies, some old and worn, some newer, showcasing children’s books from the last century. He trailed after you with a stumble, your excitement having pulled him a little too quickly, his long limbs not able to move as gracefully as you’d somehow managed to.

“Oh my god, isn’t this adorable?” You asked him, squeezing his hand a little bit as you perused the titles. Titles you remembered from your own childhood were there: Judy Bloom, the Babysitters Club, and some Enid Blyton. You talked his ear off about each childhood memory you had with each of the books when you’d read them, asking if he’d read them, too.

“I’m sorry, I’m just so excited about books for some reason,” you apologized to the kind-looking old man running the store, shyly flushing at the run-on conversation you’d been having in front of him.

“It’s fine, my dear, isn’t that why we’re all here? To be excited about books?” He smiled as he looked at you over his glasses, and you pulled Spencer further down the table, noticing that as you went further to the left, the books seemed to get older. You spotted it then, wedged tightly between two piles of other children’s classics, but you pulled it out swiftly, still not dropping Spencer’s hand.

“Spencer look! Anne of Green Gables! I loved this book as a kid, it’s been like 20 years since I last read it.” You beamed up at him, and he smiled down at you as well.

“I’ve read it, too, though only a few years back, I’ll admit. I went through a phase of reading a lot of children’s books after Henry was born to see which would be the best gifts to get him.”

“And did you?”

“Oh, yeah. Got him a whole box set, but I’m not sure if he’s read any of them yet.”

“Perfect, then this one’s for me.” You said quickly, before turning back to the vendor and asking him how much for the book. He gave you the price, a reasonable one for a vintage book. Before you could pull out your money to pay, though, Spencer had dropped your hand and pulled out his own wallet, handing over the money before you could even insist he didn’t have to.

“Spencer! You didn’t have to do that!”

“I know. I wanted to.” The look he gave you had your stomach doing somersaults, as you felt the blood race to your face.

“That’s one very sweet boyfriend you’ve got yourself there, my dear,” the old man said, handing the book back over, having wrapped it, and placed it in a paper bag. Before you could stutter out an explanation, Spencer was sending you further into a tailspin with his own reply.

“I’m her husband, actually. We’re newlyweds.”

“Ah, my apologies, I didn’t see a ring, so I just assumed.” You looked down at your left hand then, before Spencer wrapped it in his again. You’d taken the ring off after you’d woken up that first day, and not wanting any questions about it, you’d placed it in your bag and then in your jewelry box when you finally returned home. You had shown it to Penelope though, in a romcom-drunk fit of giggles.

With another thank you, you quickly left the stall behind, this time Spencer being the one to take action and pull you excitedly onward.

“What did you do with that ring?” He asked, genuinely curious. “And where did we even get it?”

“It’s in a jewelry box at my house, I didn’t… I didn’t want anyone asking questions, you know.” You felt a small tension between you then, as you suddenly acknowledged the circumstances of your relationship. You were doing the adult version of “playing house,” and neither of you was sure when the game was going to come to an end.

“And no memories, remember? We probably picked it up on the side of the road somewhere, or maybe it’s a souvenir from the chapel?”

“No, I only caught a glimpse of it, and it didn’t look like costume jewelry or something we could get for cheap.” You looked at him puzzled before an idea came to you.

“What if I send a picture of it to Penelope? See if she can come up with anything for us. I’ll tell her one of my college roommates is getting engaged and she’s bragging about the ring, so I wanted to know what it’s worth?” It was a white lie, of course. You still weren’t sure about telling Spencer about Penelope being your witness, not sure how it would go over with him.

“You think that’ll work?”

“Oh yeah, Penelope’s big on girl drama. I think she actually coined the phrase ‘I support women’s rights and I support women’s wrongs.’”

“No, Y/N, about the ring, do you think she’d be able to find it?”

“Spencer, you’ve worked with Penelope Garcia for over a decade, and you’re still doubting her?”

–X–

True to form, Penelope found the ring for you in under 24 minutes, along with a list of stores in the immediate Las Vegas area where it could be purchased, and a follow-up mention that the transaction was nowhere in either of your credit card histories, so you must’ve paid cash.

Which only begged further questions, because where the HELL had you gotten 30k in cash?

“Spencer, holy shit.” You shouted out as he pulled up to his apartment, the two of you finally calling it quits at the book fair after you noticed the sun was beginning to set.

“What? Did you not want to come back here with me, I can drive you home if you want?”

“No, Spencer it’s not that, it’s the ring. It retails for $30,000, Penelope found it. Where the hell did we get that much cash?”

“Cash?”

“For a transaction that large, we must’ve paid cash, right? I haven’t had any cold calls from my credit card company asking me to watch my back, and I certainly don’t have that amount in my regular bank accounts.”

“Oh, right. Well, we were in Vegas.” He shrugged and exited the car, but something about the words rang in your head a little as you followed him in, and you gasped realizing what it was.

“That’s it, Spencer! We went to a casino, we must have! You did your card trick magic and whatever and then boom! Wedding ring!” You smiled at the discovery as he pushed open the door to the apartment building for you, letting you bask in your discovery.

“It’s not magic, really, it’s just math.” You gave his arm a light punch at the stupid words and followed him back up to his apartment.

“Well, then, I want to do a lot more math with you, Doctor Reid.” You wiggled your eyebrows a little, and he burst into laughter in front of you, having finally reached the door to his unit.

Pushing the door open, he left the doorway empty for you to make your decision. Were you really going to follow him back into his apartment again? After making yourself a temporary guest the night before, and forcing the man to spend the entire day with you, you didn’t want to push your luck, but oh god how you wanted him to invite you to stay and never leave. Is this why people got married?

“After you, Mrs. Reid.” His words made the decision for you, and you stepped over the threshold swiftly, letting his hand on the small of your back guide you.

“Since we had takeout last night, I was maybe thinking I could cook today? That is, unless you wanted to go home?” He muttered the words a little shyly, and you found yourself squirming at his cuteness, pushing down the overwhelming urge to kiss him.

“Yeah, I could eat.” Was all you managed before he pulled you into his kitchen and started preparing the pasta dish Rossi had taught you all to make only weeks prior.

–X–

You finished off the pasta quickly and just sat together talking for a while before he returned to the kitchen again for a second and bought out a bottle of wine and two mismatched wine glasses.

“A lecturer got me this when I guest lectured in their class last year, but I don’t drink that much. Do you want to share it with me?” You nodded and grabbed the glasses from his hands, letting him prepare the drinks for you.

“This is kind of like the bar, right? All the books, and now the drinking. It could probably lead to some memories, right?”

“Yeah, it probably could.” He held his drink out and you chimed your glass against his, finally taking a sip as he returned to his seat next to you. At some point, you had migrated from the dining table to the sofa, back in the same seats you’d occupied the night before.

“Let’s play a game,” you said, taking another sip for confidence as he turned to look at you with a questioning stare.

“I have a pack of cards and a chess board, but I’ll warn you I’m not the most fun to play with-”

“Not that type of game, Spencer. I mean like… twenty questions or something?”

“Oh, right, Um, how exactly do you play twenty questions?”

“Is that your first question?”

“Is that yours?”

“See you’re already great at it.” He rolled his eyes at you and shifted himself closer to you on the couch, letting his hand rest gently behind your head. A breeze blew through the room, and you shivered slightly, huddling closer to him, too.

“Okay, so question 1. What’s your favorite book?”

“War and Peace. Or at least it’s the book I reread the most often. What about you?"

“Probably something by Austen. There’s just something about an Austen hero that has me melting.” You let your hand trail up his leg, and you saw him drop his gaze to follow it’s path. “Your turn, Spence.”

“Oh, right… So, what… what is your dream date?”

“I don’t know. Maybe a trip to a cute cafe or… I don’t know, a book fair?” He laughed at that, and you asked your next question.

“Did you think you’d ever get married like this?” You took a deep breath after asking it, not sure if you wanted to hear the answer to that.

“No. I didn’t… I guess I didn’t ever think I would get married. I’ve been alone this long, you know, it seemed that I’d be alone forever, you know.” The words cracked your heart, and you let your hand fall from his thigh to his hand instead. “I’m sure you didn’t so I won’t waste my question on that.”

You laughed a little before answering, “Yeah, I… I didn’t expect it to happen that way. I was picturing more church, white picket fence, 2.5 kids, and growing so old together that we die like that old couple in The Notebook.”

“You want kids?” He asked, almost a little too quickly to be casual about it.

“Yeah, I guess I do. What about you?” Your heartbeat burst into your ears as you let the question sit between you, Spencer considering the question for a while before speaking again.

“I didn’t think about it before… with everything going on with my mom, I guess I was a little afraid about passing on my problems to a small child, but…” He let his head hang for a second, before grabbing his drink again and taking another sip.

“But now what?”

“I don’t know I just… I think it would be really nice. I love spending time with Henry, and Jack, but it’s different when it’s your own, right? Someone to make the world better for.”

“That’s a really beautiful way to put it, Spencer.” You smiled at him, and he matched your gaze, returning your smile. Your game was left abandoned between you then, the questions fizzling out as you just sat, halfway to being in his arms, and looked at him.

“It’s getting late again. And you drank, too, you should probably stay here again tonight.”

“I probably should.”

“And we should probably go to bed now, you never know when we’re going to get called in on an emergency case again.”

“You’re probably right.”

You talked your way around in circles there on his couch, but when you finally crawled into bed together, neither of you feigned the distance of the night before, instantly reaching out to hold each other as your breaths synchronised into shallow breaths.

–X–

Frustratingly though, he was gone again when you woke. You stretched yourself out on his bed, just to be sure, but he was gone. You found him this time in the kitchen, though, making you breakfast.

“Good morning, Spencer.” You walked up to him, grabbing him from behind and letting your head rest on his back, no longer shy with your physical affection. Well, still a little shy. You hadn’t kissed him again yet, and you had no plans to, waiting to see if he’d go that extra step all by himself.

“Good morning. I wasn’t sure what you liked to eat, and honestly, that pasta dish from yesterday is the only thing I really know how to do, so I hope you like pancakes?”

“I’m in love with pancakes, Spencer.”

“That’s a weird way to put it, but great.” You cursed yourself and pulled away from him, grabbing some plates from his cupboards for the two of you. You settled down to eat together, and before you knew it, the morning was drawing to a close.

“So, what’s the plan for today?” He asked you, leaning on the doorway to the bathroom as you brushed your teeth.

“Plans? You want… you want to spend today together as well?” The question had taken you off-guard. You really thought you’d overstayed your welcome, but here he was, asking what was next.

“Yeah, if that’s… if that’s okay with you. You still don’t remember much, right?”

“Right. But, uh, I was kind of planning on running errands today. Laundry, grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions. It’s not going to be like yesterday.”

“Well, then I guess we’re running errands. You need to drop by your house to pick up clothes?” You nodded your reply, finally washing the toothpaste from the side of your mouth.

“Perfect. You can get ready and we’ll go from there.”

–X–

A couple of hours later and a drive to the nearest supermarket, you were surprised at how true to his words Spencer was. He’d followed you to the dry cleaners, and helpfully advised you on which items were best hand-washed vs. laundered by taking a look at their material percentages. You’d accompanied him to his opticians, where he picked up the refill for his contact lenses - while wearing the eyeglasses that you secretly found very, very hot. And now here you were, the picture of domestic bliss in the aisles of a supermarket, arguing over which milk you should buy.

“What if we get called on a case? You don’t want bad dairy in your fridge for a week, trust me.”

“Spencer, I’m telling you, I’ll use it. I drink like a liter of tea a day, and I like mine pretty light.”

“Okay, but it’s your contaminated fridge, not mine.” You scoffed and laughed at him again as he pushed the shopping cart from behind you, trapping you between his body and the handle.

“Spencer, what are you doing?” You rolled your eyes at his childish antics, turning around to face him as he leaned closer.

“What? I like pushing the cart.”

“You like pushing my buttons. Come on, I thought you were supposed to be helping me with the errands today?”

“I tried to help. In fact, I offered some very sound advice on which milk to buy, but I was heartlessly ignored, and now I’m pushing the cart.”

“Okay then, Mr. Tragic Hero. Fruit aisle next, please. I’m going to buy enough perishable goods to really piss you off.”

The stares you got in the supermarket were worth it for that small moment of happiness with Spencer, gently tickling your sides as you practically ran through the supermarket with him, not caring that your groceries haul was about to look like an ingredients challenge on Hell’s Kitchen. Or maybe Gordon Ramsey’s Kitchen Nightmares instead.

He was there next to you, and he was smiling. That’s all you really wanted for that moment.

–X–

After a day of errands, pulling up to your house left an almost empty feeling in your stomach. The groceries had been your last stop, but it had taken you almost two hours to complete them just because of the sheer chaos you’d caused between the two of you, your multiple faux-stand-offs over food choices. You’d since argued over instant coffee brands, apples vs. oranges, the longevity of a pack of Doritos, and more. It was probably the most romantic second date you’d ever been on.

He turned off the engine of the car and immediately began grabbing things from the trunk, grabbing paper bags to deposit within your house. He managed to get all of them in his arms before you even unclipped your seatbelt.

“Spencer, let me help, you can’t carry all of that on your own.”

“I can. Just unlock the door, it’s fine.”

“Okay, but if you break something, you’re driving back to the store alone to replace it.” That was all you said as you led him into the tiny apartment you called home.

“You can put the bags on the counter, I’ll unpack everything later.” He followed your directions quickly, then stepped back into the passage, readying himself by the door to leave.

“Thanks for staying with me again today, Spencer. I really enjoyed having company.”

“Me too. Even if…Y/N, even after all of this is finished, do you think we could… do this more often?” He asked, grabbing your hand and pulling you a bit closer to him in the doorway. You let yourself fall into his arms, not caring which of your neighbors was suddenly out and about to witness this.

“I think I’d like that.” Your lips were inches from each other now, and you stilled yourself completely, not wanting any sudden movements to get between you and the kiss you had been begging for silently since Saturday night. He tilted your head up and leaned down, closing the gap as his arms tightened around you.

His lips were sweet, warm with a hint of the sweetness from the morning's pancakes still, and you wanted more of him. But as his lips slid over yours again, his tongue seeking entrance to your mouth, your stomach dropped with an intense feeling of deja vu.

All of a sudden you felt his hands on your body, his lips trailing down your neck, his cock buried deep inside of you, and his voice low and husky in your ear.

With the force of your entire will, you pushed him away with the whole weight of your body and slammed the door shut in his face.

You had successfully restored part of your memory.

--X--

🏷 Pt. 1 @w-windyy @multifandom-on-the-side @reidandhotchsgirl @babybluecakes @hugyourlungs @prentissesredtanktop @reidscaffeine @bethanyhaas01 @average-sunflower @academiareid @sailortongue @daddy-dotcom @anniewhalelover @abbyshmaby @isabel-ffl-xoxo @sujan39 @frxcless @bluestuesday @busy-buzzing @breadbrobin @maxinehufflepuffprincess @l0v3cam @booksandwonderlands @myescapefromthislife @ferrjulie @scoobydoopoo @aelinismyqueen @littlesingingbean @jamiemuscatosslut @xohoneybun @anchovy89freya @dysphoricsanity @ghostheartbeat @casss2111 @rebloggiest-reblogger @wishyoudaskme @imawhoreforu @academiacoffeelover @softservepunk @andiebeaword @r-3dlips @wakaladjarin @ratbastardchild @mcira @danika1994 @stargurl99 @whovianwholikesgirls @its-not-too-late-for-coffee @doriantomybasil @shqwqrma

#spencer reid #criminal minds #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid fanfic #spencer reid smut #mgg #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds fandom #spencer reid x self insert #spencer reid x y/n #spencer reid x reader smut #spencer reid x you #spencer reid x oc #spencer reid fluff #spencer reid criminal minds #criminal minds fluff

[duckywuckypookiepie]

Literally typing this on my phone as I’m about to go eepies, AND I NEED TO GET THIS OUT THERE

DRAGON DAN HENG AND HIS PRECIOUS TAIL

OH MY LORRRRRDD

update: this went in a completely different section than what I anticipated. It barely talks about his pretty tail that I totally want to wrap around me and never let me go

Warning???? Talks of bebe’s and families

Imagine you guys get back to the astral express, Dan heng in tow still in his semi dragon form, the one that doesn’t have the tail but has the ears and the horns. So relieved that he had came back with you guys to the express, you refuse to leave his side, too afraid of the possibility of losing him, something that could’ve easily happened in the xianzhou if Dan Heng had wanted it too

So you stay with him in the archive room, bringing your own blankets and pillows as to not impede his space. As your trying to sleep however, you can’t, mind too overwhelmed about everything that happened at the Luofu. Knowing now that Dan heng was a long life species, you couldn’t help but think about you’re inevitable parting, wether it be due to a difference of goals in the future or to you dying, especially of old age.

You had dreamed of getting old with him, having your own family, little Dan hengs running around the express. It was something you had always spoken about to him on nights were all you two did was bask in each others company. There was always an air of sadness to him whenever you mentioned it. He’d change the subject moments later but never seemed told you outright he didn’t want that too. You just assumed he did but thought it was too early in your relationship to think about and that he wasn’t ready for it yet, which you totally understood.

You open your eyes and gaze longingly at the man laying next to you, clearly tired from the things that transpired just early today. It was really late and you were also ready to knock out but your mind just would not let you. You had never noticed the distance Dan heng had cautiously placed you in until today. You truly did not know that much about him and his appearance during your expedition was the catalyst you needed to realize that. He hadn’t even told you the xianzhou was his homeland, even when you had gone to check on him before you, March, Welt, and Stelle had departed.

Blue eyes greeted your own as your lover shifted in his half slumber. Quickly closing your own eyes as to not alert him of your staring, and thus your troubling thoughts, it was to no avail as he had already caught a glimpse of your sad gaze.

“Darling, are you okay?” He whispers to you, voice heavy with sleep, and hands soft against your cheek.

You don’t answer, futilely pretending you were fast asleep. You knew he didn’t believe it, but you did it anyways on the hope that he would be merciful tonight and just drop the subject. But ever the patient and attentive boyfriend that he is, he refused to let it go. Moving closer towards your face, he doesn’t let up in his pursuit.

“I know you’re awake… Talk to me, I know you have a lot to ask me….”

No response

Cradling your cheek, he lets go and opts for you to to be brought closer to his chest, your hearing filled with the sound of his beating heart.

His voice was the smallest you had ever heard it before, “…I know I have a lot to apologize for so please….. I’ll answer any question you ask with honesty… I promise you.”

He nuzzled his nose into your hair, clearly tired of the silence. It was his way of gently nudging you to respond to him. You sigh as you give in to him, never one to deny your lover of anything.

Bury yourself further into him, you voice the thing that’s been plaguing you the very moment he revealed himself to all of you, “I just don’t understand why you didn’t tell me… or well, I do… it’s none of my business but it just.. it hurts”

He grips on to you tighter as he hears your voice waver. Before he can speak, you cut in, ever-so the understanding girlfriend he had. “No, don’t answer that.. I have no right to ask that of you. It’s your story not mines and it isn’t fair to ask… im just hurt is all” you whisper, eyes shining with tears he can’t see.

He softly says your name, the hand which had subconsciously started massaging your hair stops to try and pull you away from him so he could see your face. You put up a fight and that’s when he gets the crushing realization of your tears. You hear him let out a defeated sigh as he clutches you tighter to his body.

You break in his hold

Quiet sobs rack your body and you feel so pitiful. You hadn’t wanted him to worry, he had enough on his plate and you didn’t want to burden him by serving him more things to think about and so you tried to keep quiet, even in this moment you so desperately held your breath.

But nothing could escape the ears of a dragon

Apologies fall from his heart and make its home into yours. At this point he too was in tears as he lifted you onto his lap, still tightly clutching at your figure.

“Shhh, calm down baby. What can I do for you hm? Tell me and I’ll do it… cmon, you gotta calm down, breathe darling breathe” he coached you into it, steadying your breathing as he was truly worried at your panicking state.

He wraps his tail around you, the blue appendage naturally manifesting at his lover mates turmoil. It flicks to and fro at your side, an illumination at his own anxiety over the situation. As you gradually calm down and tire, so does his tail, which now comfortable rests around your hips, though his arms haven’t let up on their hold you either. He was a greedy dragon after all.

You’re tiredness gets the ahold of you and your body slumps further into his hold. You effectively melt into him as he continued to hold your shape, making sure all of you, your mind, body, and spirit, remain intact.

“I’m here baby.. For whatever you need I’m here,” he kisses into your forehead, “and if you don’t need anything but for me to hug you right now, we can do that too. We can just rest and talk about this whenever you feel up for it hm? Does that work for you baby?” He gently lifts your chin to look up at him and this time you don’t fight back.

Sweet blue eyes, prettier than all of the skies in the galaxy, meet your blurry gaze for the first time tonight. He coos at your red puffy eyes, rubbing at them clear your last remaining tears. “Hi pretty baby,” he smiles, “there you are”.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were Vidyadhara?” You pout at him grumpily, “if you did, I wouldn’t have said all of that stuff and made you-“ the waterworks had already started to come out again and so dan heng shushes you as he wipes them all away.

“If it’s about when you told me you wanted a family, yo don’t have to worry about that okay? “, he grabs your face and squished your cheeks. Your pout further deepens

“I- I want a family too… when I reincarnate, I was immediately thrown into the sins of a person whom I had bit a single recollection of.. I had no one and it’s something I desperately want… I want a family. With you. No one else but you… you who found me lost and wandering. When I was drowning in the mistakes of another… don’t apologize for dreaming of having a family with me.. I was never anything but glad that you also wanted me in the way that I wanted you” Dan Heng confesses to you. He opened himself up to you, and while it wasn’t an overwhelming amount of information, the fact that he was opening up in general caused your heart to soar.

It was now your turn to wipe away the tears coming from your blue-eyed lovers cheek.

“I love you” you softly, and tearily, whispered to him

“I love you always” he whispered back to your lips

And so that’s how you slept the first night you learned the of his truth. Body’s and hearts entangled.

When you woke up the next morning, you remembered something important

“I didn’t realize you had a tail??”

#honkai x reader #honkai star rail #dan heng #x reader #dragons #Dan heng dragon #dan heng x reader #imbibitor lunae #softfortheloveofmylifedanheng

[kiwiana-writes]

Six(ish) Sentence Sunday

I tripped into a new WIP document again, whoops. This one is even more self-indulgent than usual (which is fucking saying something) aaaaaaaaaaand I already had a wee cry writing the end of it—and yes, the end was almost the first thing I wrote. I'M SURE IT'S FINE. I also made a moodboard for Inspiration Weekend earlier today, and while I think the snippet below will give pretty much everyone a good GENERAL idea of what I'm doing here, the moodboard + a couple of other little meta hints will be enough for those in the know to figure out more SPECIFICALLY what I'm doing here (and therefore why I had a weep writing the ending).

“It’s called NORA.” Henry barely spares Alex a glance, heading straight for the controls; he and NORA know each other well enough by now that she hums to life under his palms. “Navigational Oscillation of Relative Astronomy. And before you ask, no, I didn’t come up with the name. I’d tell you to take it up with the Time Lords, but…” he trails off as Alex gasps loudly, realising too late that he forgot to warn the man before opening the doors.  “It’s… bigger! On the inside! From the outside it looks small, but then inside… all this space!” There’s something odd about the way Alex is holding himself—his too-bright expression as he looks around, the way his palm presses to the centre of his chest instead of over his heart—but Henry doesn’t have time to figure it out, nor to hold this stranger’s hand through a fairly basic level of dimensional transcendentality. His Alex is running around out there somewhere, wearing god-knows-which of his dozen faces and liable to return to NORA at some point. And if he finds out Henry’s here… He knows exactly what will happen if Alex—his Alex—finds him. Henry’s not an idiot, and his diary is almost full.  But that’s a problem for another time. Right now, he has a job to do. And this man who invited himself along, with the right name and the wrong face, is nothing short of a distraction.

Is tagging still borked? Who's to say.

Tagging @agame-writes @affectionatelyrs @anincompletelist @celeritas2997 @cha-melodius

@clottedcreamfudge @cricketnationrise @dumbpeachjuice @everwitch-magiks @firenati0n

@getmehighonmagic @happiness-of-the-pursuit @heysweetheart-writes @hgejfmw-hgejhsf @indestructibleheart

@inexplicablymine @jellibuns @junebugclaremontdiaz @leaves-of-laurelin @littlemisskittentoes

@lizzie-bennetdarcy @magicandarchery @matherines @myheartalivewrites @ninzied

@nocoastposts @nontoxic-writes @notspecialbabe @orchidscript @piratefalls

@read-and-write- @rmd-writes @sherryvalli @ships-to-sail @smc-27

@sparklepocalypse @stereopticons @tintagel-or-cockleshells @welcometololaland @whimsymanaged and, as always, anyone who wants to play! (If you take the open tag please tag me so I can see!!)

#six sentence sunday #kiwiana-writes #fic: like loving the stars themselves

[briannajade12203]

Zoros Training Session (18+)

Zoro x female reader. NSFW DNI if you are a minor

Warning: Pet names, face fucking, swearing and unprotected sex.(This is just a fantasy, please use protection lol)

Word count: 2,584

This is my first time writing like this so please go easy on me lol. I’m just hoping at least one person can enjoy.

Today as you rode the waves on the Thousand Sunny, your surroundings seemed more peaceful than normal. Instead of his normal antics, Luffy was passed out on the deck of the ship. Ussop, Chopper and Franky all sitting gathered around for a game of cards. Nami and Robin sat in lounge chairs soaking in the sun, sipping on fruity drinks Sanji made them as he was working in the kitchen. Since he was out of sight, you figured Zoro was up training in the crows nest during his free time. Everyone was at ease, besides you.

It had been 8 months since you agreed to join Luffy’s crew. As much as you loved it, you couldn’t help but miss the little things about life before you became a pirate. Like being able to walk down the street without worrying if someone was after you due to your captains large bounty. Or going to your favorite little spot on the edge of town looking out into the sea for hours, but most of all you missed sex. It has been so long since you’ve felt someone’s body pressed up against yours, their hungry hands tracing every inch of you leaving the feeling of excitement behind.

Normally if it were any other day you would have indulged in the moment with the rest of the crew, but today other things were heavy on your mind. Out of all the people on your crew, only one man peaked your interest. Zoro. You couldn’t tell exactly what it was about him that drove you wild. It could be his determination and loyalty to his captain, his nonchalant idgaf attitude. Or maybe it came down to something more simpler than that, more primal. When it came down to his physical appearance, everything about him had you weak in your knees.

As you sit there letting your mind wander, you can’t help but think. “Would he even be interested in me?” After debating it for some time you give out a sigh and say fuck it. You get up and make your way up to the crows nest. As you make it to the door you hesitate to reach for the handle. Instead, as if you had some sort of instinct you lean forward and press your ear on the door. Expecting to hear the usual grunts and groans of his regular work out, you were more than shocked to hear him moaning. Not only was he moaning, but it was your name. “Oh Fuucckk y/n, I bet you would feel so good wrapped around my cock.” Hearing those words made your core feel hot. You back up, completely taken aback by what you just heard. A million thoughts racing through your mind but the most prominent one was “open the door”. And just as your brain thought of it, your body followed in pursuit. You open the door to find Zoro pantsless sitting on the floor against the wall stroking his hard cock. Immediately, you guys make eye contact.

“It’s about time you came in” he says with a sly grin. “Wh-what do you mean by that?” You say trying to keep eye contact and not stare at his hand wrapped around his hard dick. “Don’t play dumb with me y/n, I heard you eavesdropping outside the door”. His confession makes you beat red in the face. As you begin to try to defend your actions he stands up and walks over to you. On his way over, you can feel his eyes piercing every bit of your exposed skin. Especially keeping his attention on your large breasts squeezing into a bikini top one size to small.

As he stands in front of you, your brain renders itself useless. You can’t manage to let the words in your brain escape to your mouth. Instead you stood there staring into his eyes as you felt the wetness growing inbetween your legs. “What? No words princess?” He reaches up and grabs your jaw. Trying to think of the right thing to say, the truth slips through your mouth. “I want you Zoro, I want you buried deep inside me!” with those words Zoro didn’t hesitate. He grabbed the back of your neck pulling you into a rough sloppy kiss, navigating his tongue around yours as if he were a professional. You couldn’t help but let a little moan out with his forcefulness. He releases you from the kiss using his hands to grab each side of your head. “All you had to do was ask y/n, but just a warning. I won’t go easy on you”

Zoro picks you up with ease, placing his rough and calloused hands tightly on your ass as your legs wrapped around him. He walks you over and places you on the workout bench. His same lustful stare burning straight into your soul as you try not to squirm under him as he stands tall above you. Zoro grabs the base of his cock with one hand, and uses the other to pull at your bottom lip. “Open.” He says under his breath, sounding more like a growl. The way he was acting you didn’t dare hesitate to do what he says, you’ve never seen Zoro like this before. Zoro was normally stern, that was nothing new. But this, the way he was talking to you, the way he was acting, you couldn’t help but crave him more and more. As you part your lips for him he doesn’t give it a second thought before shoving his cock straight to the back of your throat. The feeling of his member was so warm, it was so thick you could feel his pulse. You were so busy focusing on him you didn’t realize your eyes were tearing up, or the gagging sounds you made as his cock stayed deep in your throat. “ Mmmm, Are you gonna let me fuck your pretty face y/n?” Zoro says placing his had on your cheek wiping your tears away with his thumb. You manage to release a muffled “mmmhhmmm” while trying to focus on your breathing. Zoros lustful eyes still stared down at you, this time he was taking in the beauty of your sweet mouth around his cock. The pleasure was already immense and he hasn’t even started fucking your mouth. “Fuuucckkk that’s my girl” he groans with a smirk growing on his face.

Zoro removes his hand from your face and uses it to tightly grip your hair into a makeshift ponytail. As he begins to thrust in and out of your mouth you can’t help but let tiny moans loose every time he hits the back of your throat. Your eyes begin to scan his body. Intently staring at his abs as your eyes work your way up to his muscular chest taking quick shallow breaths. You look up at his face and you feel a sense of pride seeing his head thrown back and his mouth gaping open. “OH-MY-FUCKING-GOD-Y/N” Zoro says with each thrust as he grips your hair tighter. You could tell he was close by the way he started to pick up the pace and pressure, the harder he went the more tears began to fall from your eyes. Without warning his thrust became faster and faster until he forced himself as far as he could into the back of your throat, releasing his hot sticky cum deep in your mouth with a low groan. Zoro pulls his cock out of your mouth leaving a string of his cum and your saliva stretching from your mouth to his tip. Without a word your mouth follows the string of your guys mixed fluids onto his cock. You swirl your tongue around him making sure to get every last drop.

“I never knew you were such a good girl” Zoro says with a sexy laugh as he wipes the bit of cum sitting on your chin. “I’m only a good girl for you” you barely manage to get the words out through your shaky breaths. “That’s what I like to hear, now stand up.” You stand up, you’re so close his cock presses against your stomach and you can feel the heat coming off of his body. Zoro reaches his hands around your back and unclasps your bikini top revealing your plump breasts. Staring down at you half naked he begins to mutter a few curse words under his breath.

In one swift motion, Zoro leans down, cups your breast’s and places one in his mouth. The feeling of pure ecstasy as his tongue swirls around your sensitive bud makes you cry out. “Oh Zoro! Your mouth feels so goo-“ before you could finish, Zoro reaches up and places his hand over your mouth. “You have to keep quiet princess” he says muffled while his mouth was still on your breast. You started to squirm at the anticipation of what’s going to happen next. You can feel the wetness continuing to build in between your legs as Zoro toys with your body. He begins to take his free hand, rubbing from your breast all the way down to your navel. His hands kept going back up and down but every time his hand went down, it would get a little closer to your pussy. “Please Zoro, I can’t take it anymore. I need you, please give me your cock. I - I can’t take it anymore” with that being said he releases his mouth from your breast revealing a smug look on his face. “Am I making you that crazy y/n?” He says in a teasing way as his hands travel down to the waistband on your shorts.

Zoro doesn’t hesitate, he pulls your shorts and panties down in one quick move. You kick your clothes to the side, beginning to blush as you can feel him devouring you with his eyes. “Fuck” he says heavily eyeing your now completely bare body. He leans forward, grabbing his dick at the base as he begins to squeeze it between your thighs. Zoro begins to pick up his pace, rubbing himself against your sensitive clit. You tilt your head back enjoying the pleasure that only he can give you. He sees this as an opening and leans forwards leaving little nibbles in the nape of your neck.

“Ple-please Zoro mmhhp - I need you so bad” you say between soft moans as he continues working your body, grinding against your clit in almost a teasing way. “Are you sure you can take it?” Zoro says in a cocky tone. Seeing you begging this way was is certainly an ego boost for him. He stops moving in between your thighs, you can feel tears of frustration forming in your eyes. Zoro leans down a bit licking from your collar bone to your ear, sending shivers down your spine. “Stop teasing me, please I’m begging. Just take me already” he lets out a slight chuckle at the state you are in right now. He’s never seen you so desperate before, but he really enjoyed seeing this side of you. “Ah, so needy. But I guess since my pretty girl asked so nicely I can help her out.”

Zoro lays you down on the floor and places your legs on his broad shoulders . He begins to glide his tip along the wet folds of your entrance making you whine out in anticipation. “ I love how wet you are for me” he says as he slowly glides his cock into your entrance, making sure to go little by little so you have time to adjust to his size. When he finally bottomed out inside of you, both of you couldn’t help but moan at the feeling. “Oh Zoro!” You say while biting your hand trying to keep quiet. “Damn baby girl” he says while pushing his hand on your lower stomach. “You feel how deep I am?” He finally began to thrust in and out of you, keeping a slow pace at first until he began to speed up. Every thrust going deeper than the last until his tip kissed your cervix.

You’ve never felt this good before. Yeah, sure you’ve had sex here and there, but those times were nothing like this. The pure ecstasy you feel in this moment can’t be compared to anything. With his pace quickening, the pleasure became more intense. Your core began to feel hot and tingly, and you could feel yourself tighten around him. Zoro could feel it too. He released a low groan at the sensation, then he leaned forward pinning your body in half with his hands placed pushing on the back of your thighs, he began to hit all the right spots to bring you closer to your release. “Yeahh baby- just like that” he says with a shaky breath. You could tell he was close too. “Are you gonna cum on my cock princess?” There was no way the rest of the crew couldn’t hear how he was pounding you right now. The pornographic noises leaving the two of you, the smacking sounds of his hips slamming into yours. But both of you didn’t care, all that mattered in the moment was the orgasm that was approaching you.

“Yes, Uhhh fuck baby I’m gonna cum!” You moan, now trying to grind your clit against him. Zoro notices, he lets go of one of your thighs and begins to circle your puffy clit with his thumb. This sends you over the edge. That warm knotty feeling in the pit of your stomach explodes, sending waves of pleasure all over your body as you tighten around his cock, digging your nails into his hips as his thrusts begin to become more sloppy. You could tell he was close too. “Shit y/n!” Zoro says as his shaky breath begins to quicken. “I don’t know how much more of this I can take. Let me cum inside you” his eyes stare into yours looking for confirmation. You can only manage to give a small nod as you recovered from your own release. With your approval he beings to slam as deep as he could into pushing hard against your cervix, you couldn’t help but gasp. He pulls out and pushes in one last time holding himself deep as possible as if you are pulling him in. His hot cum spills inside of you, coating your walls. The sensation makes you both shudder pleasure.

You both laid there for a moment as he remained inside of you. You could feel your juices mixed with his cum spilling out of you and all over him. The sight began to make him hard again. “You wanna go again?” You say with a small laugh as you look up at him. Zoro gives you a smile and pulls away from you. Letting everything spill out. He leans over to grab a towel he was saving for after his workout. Using it he gently cleans the mess the two of you made on yourself and the floor. Zoro sits down beside you and pulls you into him, planting a sweet kiss on your forehead. “I think we should continue this another time. That is, if you’re up for it?” He says muffled as his face is resting on the top of your head. “Oh yeah definitely, but only if you let me take charge next time”. He lets out a little laugh “Whatever you say sweet thing.”

#zoro smut #smut #first smut #zoro x reader #one piece smut

[stargirlaveblog]

7Seals

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Chapter 8

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•Previous Chapter: Chapter Seven

•Next Chapter: Chapter Nine

• New chapters every Thursday

•Content: Levi Ackerman × OC female. Slow Burn! Canon verse!

• Word Count: 2.7k

• Warning: This content may not be suitable for all readers. If you've watched all of AOT then you will understand that the show handles heavy subjects such as abuse, racism, violence, and other heavy subjects. This fanfiction will also have the same heavy themes. Chapters with heavy themes will be marked with * at each chapter.

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Boulevard of Broken Dreams -  Green Day

0:12 ━❍────── 4:09

↻ ⊲ Ⅱ ⊳ ↺

VOLUME: ▁▂▃▄▅▆▇ 100%

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Levi's Perspective

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The relentless September sun beat down on us as we observed from the roof. Iris stood beside me, clearly uncomfortable in the afternoon heat. Her black hair clung to her face, and she fidgeted with it incessantly.

She couldn't seem to sit still, a habit that grated on my nerves. Perhaps if she focused on functionality instead of treating it like a fashion show, she might find some relief. I couldn't fathom how she managed to avoid getting that mess caught in her ODM gear with its considerable length.

My attention was fixed on the squad's training below, a specific few chosen the night before. As I watched, it became painfully apparent that incompetence ran rampant in the regiment. The veterans, in particular, displayed a lack of commitment to training, acting as if it held no significance. Little wonder that so many of them met their end outside the walls.

I observed several soldiers halting during their laps after practice—an embarrassing display. The captains failed to address the issue, allowing indiscipline to fester unchecked.

"They all lack discipline," I groaned, my frustration evident. "Looks like our selection will have to suffice for the time being."

She didn't utter a word, just observed the training below. But was she truly present? It seemed like her mind had been wandering, neglecting her duties.

If I had known how easily this woman gets distracted, I might have thought twice about choosing her for my squad. Yet, the decision wasn't entirely mine; Erwin had been insistent on Iris leaving Wright's squad.

"Pay attention. Tell me, who performed best on the ODM gear today?" I grumbled at her. "In order."

"Eld. Then Gunther, Petra, and Oluo last," she replied hastily, her words sounding rehearsed, like everything else she said.

"Wrong," I retorted, rolling my eyes at her response.

"Gunther, Eld, Oluo, and Petra," I corrected her. "Petra lacks speed, and Oluo treats it like playtime."

"Right," was all she could muster in acknowledgment.

"If you don't watch out, Gunther or Eld might take your position," I warned her.

She laughed as if I were joking. It fueled my irritation further; the glare I shot her wiped the small smile off her face, replacing it with fear.

"You think I'm kidding?" I stated sharply. "If you don't get your act together, you'll be asked to step down. I'm giving you a month until they're formally invited to join the squad."

"Yes, right, sir," she responded with a salute.

"Meet me after dinner. We'll go over your training plan from there," I instructed. "Don't be late."

I descended from the roof, deliberately avoiding the impending conversation with her. Today, I was too weary to entertain her nonsense. My desk awaited me, stacked with a mountain of paperwork demanding attention before I met with Erwin.

My role was a relentless cycle of paperwork and subpar soldiers—a wearisome existence. How was I to aid Erwin in reshaping the regiment before our next expedition, a topic he incessantly brought up? The whims of that curious fanatic could lead us all to our demise. Erwin's relentless pursuit to reclaim Wall Maria, despite insufficient funding for meals, was a reckless gamble.

"Hey. You," a voice echoed behind me as I strode down the hall.

I saw no reason to halt for anyone other than Erwin. Ignoring the voice, I continued my focus on the tasks at hand.

Before my hand could touch the doorknob to my office, another hand covered it, obstructing my entry.

My eyes met his, recognizing Alexander's presence.

Not this shithead.

"I was talking to you," he asserted, attempting a threatening tone. The look in his eyes meant nothing to me, but it was familiar.

His effort to intimidate was feeble, distinct from the thugs I'd encountered. However, his eyes bore a stain of something darker.

I responded with a blank stare, well aware of his desire to provoke a reaction, as he had since my arrival, tossing empty promises my way.

Glancing at his hand barricading my door, I knew removing him myself would escalate into conflict, resulting in more paperwork. He was already wasting my time.

"Move," I uttered lowly. "You're in my way."

"You don't get to call the shots around here," he retorted, our eyes locked in an unyielding stare. "You haven't earned anything above ground. We don't roll like y'all did down there. Up here, we don't steal. We work hard for what we have."

"Is there a point to this?" My voice dripped with annoyance.

"I want you to stay the fuck away from my squad," he growled. "Remove Iris from your squad and move on to the next."

"I asked for the point of this nonsense. Not your wants. I'm not a damn genie. You want change? Go talk to Erwin," I dismissed, my patience wearing thin.

"I'm not asking. I'm telling." Alexander closed the distance between us, jabbing his finger into my chest.

More paperwork sounded appealing at that moment.

Without hesitation, I grabbed his finger, swiftly twisting his arm behind his back, and pinning him against the wall. I applied pressure, pushing his arm further up his back as he grunted, attempting to break free.

"Resist, and I'll break your fucking finger," I warned coldly. "This is how it's going to go."

"You can't do this." he defiantly stated.

"Wrong. I'm going to do whatever the fuck I want. And you? You're going to watch and let it all happen," I chuckled, tightening my grip. I moved his arm even higher, causing him to yell out in pain. "You're an embarrassment to the regiment if you can't get out of a measly position."

"Levi," Erwin's voice broke from behind me.

I released Alexander's arm, watching him stumble to catch himself.

"What's the meaning of this?" Erwin asked, his gaze shifting between Alexander and me.

"Just comrades being comrades," I stated, crossing my arms and observing the disheveled rat before me.

"Bullshit," Alexander yelled in frustration.

"Language," Erwin chided. "You're dismissed, Wright. Make sure to go to the infirmary to check your arm. I want a full report of the incident on my desk by tonight."

After dismissing Wright, Erwin headed straight to my room, and I had no choice but to follow him.

"You're early," I remarked.

"You were late," he replied, tapping his wrist.

Did I really spend my whole time bickering with that rat?

"Care to explain, Levi?" Erwin inquired.

"Not really,"

"Wasn't an option," Erwin retorted.

"Fine," I replied, walking to my desk and taking a seat. I watched Erwin make himself at home, preparing tea, as I began explaining the recent events.

"Sounds like someone's had their hands full," Erwin commented, handing me a cup of tea.

"Since I just explained the bullshit to you, can I skip the incident report?" I asked, hoping to cut through the bureaucracy.

"No," he said firmly. "We need this for the records."

All I could manage was a scoff.

"This Iris girl is more trouble than she's worth. It's starting to piss me off," I expressed my frustration to Erwin.

"What was your reasoning for this, Erwin?"

"I'm surprised you don't know," Erwin chuckled. "It's highly inappropriate for a superior and a subordinate to be romantically involved, especially in the same squad. Not only is it unfair, but it's extremely unsafe in this circumstance."

Erwin took a moment to pause, sipping his tea.

"There's more, but at the moment, I need to see how this plays out," he finished.

"Is this another one of your gambles, Erwin?"

"It's crucial you keep an eye on her, Levi," Erwin stated. "Nothing must go unnoticed."

He ignored me. What a classy man.

"Is this why you called a meeting today?"

I grumbled, my eyes flickering from the stack of untouched paperwork to Erwin.

"No, we have other matters to attend to," Erwin said. "You're going on your first mission."

"Iris isn't prepared enough," I quickly stated, my gaze intensifying as I thought about her readiness. She's too slow, she can't keep up with me on her ODM gear. Not to mention her skills are still juvenile.

"Alone."

"Where?"

"The underground."

The knock on the door disrupted our conversation.

Who could it possibly be now?

"What?" I barked at the door, irritation evident in my voice.

"Aldridge. Reporting for duty."

Of course, it's her.

"Come in, Iris!" Erwin called cheerfully, inviting her in like it was his office.

"Commander," Iris saluted, her long black hair falling slightly in disarray as she closed the door behind her.

"How are you?" Erwin inquired. "That's a nasty bruise you got there. How'd you get it?"

"Oh, I fell," she laughed, her violet eyes avoiding my scrutinizing gaze.

"You fell?" I questioned, my eyes narrowing, observing the growing bruise on her face.

Another lie fell from her lips.

"It was a mishap during a sparing session. Clumsy me," she chuckled, her hand lightly brushing against her hair.

"Well, I'm glad to see that your bruise isn't causing you any harm. What can we do for you?" Erwin asked, seemingly unaware of my sharper observations.

"Levi wanted me to stop by after dinner," she said, her eyes flickering briefly towards me.

It's Captain.

"Right," I grumbled, my gaze shifting from her to the neglected paperwork. "Do the paperwork before tomorrow. Then we will discuss your training plan. You're dismissed."

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

The damp, dimly lit streets of the underground were a stark contrast to the starry nights I got so used to. Lanterns flickered, casting a feeble glow on the worn cobblestone paths. The echoing sounds were no longer the laughter of children playing, but hurried footsteps fleeing from potential dangers.

In this twisted version of home, people didn't approach you to share thoughts on their beliefs; they reached out desperately, seeking aid in a world that turned harsh and unforgiving. Months had passed since my departure, and the return was a solitary one. No one by my side, just the heavy burden of my own existence.

Down here, no one recognized me. But then again, they never truly knew me. I was the thug, the supposed monster, a sheep raised by wolves who ultimately joined the pack. The underground had shaped me, molded me into another one of its ruthless denizens.

Erwin's decision to send me on a mission to this forsaken place caught me off guard. Did he truly trust me after what transpired a few months ago? Perhaps he believed I'd stay true to the cause, but trust was a fragile thing, and I wondered if Erwin's faith in me was well-placed. Was this another one of his stupid gambles?

Walking these streets in Survey Corps uniform would be suicidal. Erwin might think it was an effective approach, but he didn't comprehend the underground like I did. A uniform here was a beacon, a signal to every cutthroat that a soldier had wandered into their territory.

If answers were what Erwin sought, it would have to be done my way. Captain Levi was set aside; I was just Levi— the one who grew up in these treacherous alleys.

My first destination was one of my most reliable clients. A man who dealt in drinks but traded in information. His bar was a hub of secrets, and if anyone had the lowdown on what was happening in the underground, it was him.

When I entered the dimly lit establishment, I was greeted by the familiar scent of cheap alcohol and the low hum of conversations, ones that could cost your life.

"What can I getcha'?" The bartender's voice cut through the dimly lit atmosphere, a stark contrast to the gloom outside.

"Black tea," I muttered, keeping my head lowered.

"Sorry, sir, but I ain't got that," he replied.

"Cut the shit, Rick. I know you got some stashed away for me somewhere," I retorted, lifting my head to meet his gaze.

"Well, I'll be damned," Rick chuckled, a genuine smile spreading across his face.

"I thought you were gone for good. Should've known you'd be back."

He moved around the bar, gathering the necessary items to prepare the tea. As he worked, he continued to speak, curiosity evident in his eyes.

"Now tell me, how did you manage to escape those Royal cocksuckers? There's lots of rumors floating around since you've been gone," he inquired.

I accepted the tea from him, taking a sip as he prattled on about the underground gossip.

"Ya know, boy, " he remarked, cleaning a dish, "you look healthy. I couldn't even tell that was you under that cloak. That's a nice one you got there. Did you get that from above, from one of those fine merchants?"

"That's the point, Rick," I replied, deflecting his question. The less information he had, the better. I leaned against the bar, savoring the bitter taste of the tea.

"So, you gonna tell me how you ended up getting outta there or what?" Rick's gruff voice broke through the ambient hum of the underground bar. "Cause people are saying you died, others are saying you're locked up. But my favorite one is that you're a Royal cock sucker now, living it big in Wall Sina."

Rick was a good man, an old man, but a good one. After Kenny left me, Rick was there. He let me work for food or even a place to sleep at times.

"I'm on a mission for Commander Erwin," I replied quietly.

"A mission?" His eyebrow quirked up. "I'll be damned. The rumors are true. Did the little ones join too?"

All I could do was shake my head in agreement.

He let out a low whistle and smiled.

"I'm proud of ya, Levi. Ya got them all out of here."

I watched the joy brighten his face as he continued to talk. It wasn't going to last long, though.

"Now are they down here too?" he inquired.

Again, I shook my head.

"Well, where are they?" he pressed.

"Dead," I replied.

There it went, fading just as fast as it came. His eyes filled with remorse as he waited for me to speak.

"Titans," is all I said to him. He should get the message.

"My condolences," was all he could offer.

A moment of silence passed by until he was back to himself, putting on a fake persona after the grim news.

"Now, how can I help, Levi?" Rick's raspy voice cut through the murmur of the dimly lit underground bar.

"What do you know about the black market dealers selling ODM?" I cut straight to the point.

"Now, you know just as well as I do that's some dangerous stuff right there," Rick said, wiping down the counter.

"I know it's a lot, Rick. Thought you'd be the best," I explained.

"Let's just say things have changed. They know better than to crawl up in here, especially knowing you could be here," Rick replied.

"That won't last long when word gets out I'm in the Survey," I said to him. "You got what you need to protect yourself?"

"What did you think I did with your old stash as a kid?" Rick chuckled.

"Very well," I said. "Where do they go now?"

"Mal's prolly'. That's where the MPs gamble. Been nothing but pains in the ass," Rick said.

"Thank you, Rick," I said, leaving more than the tea was worth on the counter.

"Levi, you know it's not this much," he protested.

"Don't make me change my mind, old fart," I said, pulling my hood lower and heading out.

Mal's wasn't far, two streets over, and I was already through the door. The bar was filled with men in suits, uniforms, and cloaks. How times have changed since I last graced these grimy floors. There wasn't a trace of the rugged men that ran rampant in the underground.

"What can I getcha, sweets?" Her perky voice spoke out.

"Sit,"

"Now look, you're in my bar—" she stopped when I threw the bag of coins on the table. Her hand quickly reached out to grab it, but mine was faster. I lifted my hood a bit so she could see my eyes as I took back the money.

"Wow," she said. "You really do got your mama's eyes."

"Sit, and you'll get this at the end," I said, shaking the coin bag.

"But ya act like that damn old man," she remarked, complying with my request. "Now what can I do for you, sweetheart? Didn't expect to see you so soon."

"Who's been doing the ODM trades?" I asked her.

She looked around, assessing the crowd. Her voice lowered as she leaned over the bar. "Well, who do you think, babe?"

Her head tilted towards a loud group of men in the corner, gambling as more military police scum walked in.

Of course, it was the MPs. Who else would have access to the latest gear? But how did they manage to get ahold of Scout gear? I scanned over each of the men, none of them I knew, but I memorized each of their faces.

"About dame time. Welcome back!" one of the men yelled my way.

Shit. They noticed me. How, though? I've never seen these men a day in my life. Never once seen them down here before today.

"Oh, shut up." A woman's giggle followed behind the man's voice as they walked past. The green cloak flowed behind the man as he had his arm wrapped around a woman in an MP uniform with blond hair.

"Here. I got what I wanted," I said to Mal as I threw the coin bag towards her on the table, keeping my eyes on the MPs.

"I know your momma's proud of you," she said to me as she dismissed herself from the area.

"One whisky and whatever the women wants." The familiar voice said.

The green cloak was a give away, but who in the Scouts would be dumb enough to do black market selling in the underground? It wasn't until the man turned when I realized who it was.

Alexander.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

#aot x reader #attack on titan #levi ackerman #levi aot #aot #captain levi #levi attack on titan #snk levi #levi x reader #shingeki no kyojin #levi ackerman x reader #levi #levi angst #levi x you #snk #ackerman #aot fanfiction #levi fluff #levi ackerman fanfiction #levi ackerman x you #levi ackerman x female reader #levi ackerman x oc

[spicywhenspeaking]

If I'm There: Chapter Nine

read from part one

Noah and Natalie meet in high school and developed a relationship through their love of music and art. Falling in love, innocent and young, they think nothing can keep them apart. However, sometimes in the pursuit of your dreams the things we love the most get left behind

warnings: mentions of alcohol abuse

As I’m scrambling to get out of bed I check my phone and see I have several missed messages. 

Kyle: you skipping today?? Tried to wake you up. 7:30am

Maggie: Hey girl ! Late bell just rang! Where are you? 8:05am

Noah: tried to catch you after 1st, did you leave class early? 9:30am

I finish throwing on my clothes tripping over my jean leg and respond to Noah’s text. 

Natalie: I just woke up. Slept through my alarm. 10:05am

Natalie: I missed my test. 10:05am

Noah: Fuck. Natty, I’m so sorry. 10:06am

Natalie: can you come get me? 10:06am

Natalie: my moms passed out. she can’t drive me. 10:08am

Noah: Of course. Give me 10 minutes, I just need to get out of Spanish real quick. 10:09am

Natalie: I had Senor Gomez last year, if you tell him you’re coming to get me maybe he’ll just let you leave. 10:09am

Noah: wow. Okay, I said it was for you and he practically shoved me out the door. 10:13am

Noah: I’m on my way. 10:15am

Noah gets to my house 15 minutes later. I missed Econ and Art but I’ll be able to make it to anatomy to turn in my project. I rush downstairs and out the front door when I get his “I’m here” text. On the drive to school Noah continues to profusely apologize for getting me home so late last night. “Noah, you didn’t do it on purpose and I’m the one that overslept. You can’t blame yourself for me not hearing my alarm.” I say, trying to calm his nerves. Despite having some frustration about what happened last night, it’s not like Noah planned for us to be stuck in traffic. “I agreed to come to the show. I knew there was a chance I might get home late. I’ll talk to my Econ teacher and maybe they’ll let me take it during my free period.” He reaches across the seat and squeezes my knee. “I should have paid more attention to the time last night, leaving so late was my fault.” I cover his hand with mine, “I forgive you Noah. I’ll talk to Mr. Mattson before I go to my anatomy class. I’m sure it will all work out.” Noah pulls into the senior parking lot and puts the car in park. Before I unbuckle my seatbelt he’s leaning over and kissing me tenderly,  “I know I’ve apologized an annoying amount but I’ll say it again. I’m really sorry Natty.” Laughing softly I kiss him back and we exit the car. Holding hands he walks me to my Econ class and we agree to meet after school so he can drive me to work. 

I walk into the class and Mr. Mattson looks up from his lunch to greet me “oh hello there Natalie, we missed you this morning. Is everything okay? Unlike you to miss class.” I run my fingers through my hair and take a deep breath. “I know, I’m so sorry for not being here this morning. I woke up with a horrible headache and just couldn’t get out of bed for a while.” A big fat lie. “ Is there any way I could make up the test?” I plead with him. “I have my last period free, could I take it then?” He thinks about it briefly before slowly nodding his head “okay, I’ll make an exception this once.” He looks up to me with a more serious look before continuing “only because you have such a high average and I’d hate for something like this to affect it.” I let loose the breath I didn’t know I was holding and feel so much relief. “Thank you so much!” 

I make my way to Anatomy and turn in my project, the rest of class goes by fast and then I head to Mr. Mattson’s class to take my test. 

After the test, I walk to where Noah and I usually meet and find him in a less than friendly looking conversation with my brother. A few people are staring and I’m hoping I can get to them before anyone throws a punch. 

“I knew you would fuck up her life somehow, you realize with out good grades she’s stuck here” Kyle fumes at Noah. I'm honestly stunned by Kyles words, does he actually care about my future? “I already talked to your sister about this Kyle and apologized to her.” Noah barks back. “ I don’t owe you any explanation. Dick” he finishes. “Fuck you Davis.” Kyle pushes Noah back harshly and I move faster to approach and step between the two. Noah is taller but Kyle is bigger and stronger. “Stop it.” I look at the two of them. “This is fucking embarrassing, both of you are acting ridiculous.” I turn to Noah “can I talk to my brother and meet you at your car?” He hesitates but then nods sharply and heads to his car and I turn to Kyle.

“I don’t understand what your weird protective bullshit is Kyle, but you lost the ground to tell people how to treat me after trying to choke me out last spring” I say and he bristles. “I apologized for that,”  He whispers harshly. “I just - you care about school, grades, making a better life for yourself and he cares about making music, becoming a rockstar. You can’t let him distract you from everything you’ve worked for.” I roll my eyes. “You barely apologize if we’re being honest and you just don’t like Noah so you don’t want me around him.” I continue, “we’re dating Kyle, not engaged to be married. You’re talking about the future like I have to decide right now. I'm happy, can I can't just be happy?”

He’s trying to even out his breathing and calm down, apparently something he’s been working on in therapy. “Okay. Fine. Be happy. For now. But I don’t want to hear your shit when it all falls apart Natalie. It will. And you’ll expect me to care because I love you.” He moves closer. “He isn’t thinking about your future sis. I know you think you’re in love and it’s all going to be sunshine and fucking rainbows.” I flinch at his tone. “But you want to go to college,you want  stability, a real fucking life. He wants to play music to thousands of adoring fans around the world. How does that work out well for you?” He’s looking into my eyes, looking through me. “It’s fun now, but you are going to get hurt.” I push him further back “screw you Kyle. Worry about your own life” I turn to walk to where Noah is waiting by his car.

I know Kyle is just trying to mess with my head. But why is it working? He’s not entirely wrong though, college has always been my plan, art school and then…well I don’t know exactly. Maybe I’d be an illustrator, graphic designer, or I could sell my prints at a farmers market until I’m 80 and live in a shack. But, why does it even matter right now? Senior year just started, we have plenty of time to figure all of that out. I must look like I’m thinking really hard because as I approach Noah’s car he says “maybe you want to give that ol’ thinker a break for the evening Natty.” He taps his own head to emphasize his point. “Just forget whatever he said, it was probably only meant to hurt you or confuse you or piss you off.” He comes over to my side and opens the door for me to climb in. “Come on, I’ll take you to work and then maybe after you could come over?” He winks and kisses me on the corner of my mouth. “Oh, it’s a tempting offer indeed.” I tease him. “We’ll see” I wink back at him. I’m obviously going over and he knows it. 

Laying down in Noahs’ bed at the end of the day,  I can't help but replay the conversation I had with Kyle after school. What would happen if I got into art school across the country? Would Noah and I try long distance? Would he follow me and play music there? I should talk to him about it. Turning over in bed to face him, I'm met with his sleeping face, snoring softly. I run my finger down the slope of his face and sigh. I guess it can wait until morning. 

But, when morning comes I’m awoken to my phone sounding off over and over with the ringtone I set for Kyle in 7th grade. “Why is the Imperial March waking us up at 7 in the morning. On a Saturday.” Noah grumbles from behind me. I grab at my phone half asleep and answer. “Hello” my sleepy voice rasps out. “Natalie-". I sit up at the sound of my brothers cracking voice on the other end. “It’s mom- she- I found her this morning.” Trying to remain calm even though my sleepy thoughts are creating the worst possible scenario. “What happened Kyle?” I managed to get out. “I thought she was asleep- well passed out but you know. I tried to move her to her room and she -“ he broke off as I hear his breath catching. It sounds like he’s coming down from a panic attack. “She what Kyle!? What happened to mom?”

love love love ya! thank you for reading!

Next chapter here!

short chapter today womp :( posting a fluffy one shot to make it up to you <3

taglist : @lma1986 @cookiesupplier @notingridslurkaccount @blackveilomens

divider from here

#noah sebastian #Noah Sebastian fanfic #noahsebastian #Noah Sebastian fic #Noah Sebastian fanfiction #fanfiction #real person fanfiction #bad omens fanfiction #bad omens fanfic #bad omens fic #bad omens rpf #bad omens smut #lovers to strangers #angst #fluff #my fic #noah sebastian x ofc #bad omens cult #bad omens #bad omens band

[happenstnces]

⠀CRIMSON CLOVER ✧ E. PRENTISS

✧ based off of this prompt.     emily prentiss x gn!reader ! 

syn. it may be your job, but you’re getting sick and tired of patching her up. warning ! intentional lowercase, swearing, mentions of blood, alcohol, & smoking, suggested smut, enemies to a little more than friends, slight hurt/comfort & angst. wc. 2.4k 

      ೃ⁀➷ masterlist ! add yourself to the taglist here

            the first time you met her, you immediately knew you could never get along.

            getting her to sit down at the foot of the rig was a struggle on it’s own, she kept insisting that she was fine, that it was just a scratch, and she made it nearly impossible for you to just do your damn job. she huffed the entire time, rolling her dark eyes as you fired through the list of routine questions, acting as though you tending to the gash in her forehead was nothing more than an inconvenience.

            “seriously, i’m fine.” she snapped, shrugging the hand you had on the top of her head away. you quirked a brow, “you need stitches.”

            “no, i don’t. it doesn’t even hurt,” she raised her hand to prod at the open wound, but you were quick to catch her wrist before she could make contact and inevitably give herself an infection. “oh, i didn’t realize the fbi gave out medical degrees.” 

            you dropped her hand back to her lap and cocked your head in annoyance, hoping to god she would just shut up and sit there. “when you work in a hospital that isn’t on wheels, i’ll start taking medical advice from a nurse.” she muttered.

            she wasn’t even sure why she said it, she didn’t have any particular hatred for paramedics, in fact, she often found herself very thankful for them. part of her felt bad for being so rude to you, you were just doing your job, but in her defence, getting clocked in the head with a two-by-four had slowed her down and allowed the unsub to escape; leaving her unwillingly sat in the back of an ambulance while the rest of the team followed in pursuit.

            “perfect. next time you need a hospital on wheels, i’ll remember you said that.” you made sure your tone matched hers, infused with clear irritation, while trying to just scrape being professional. it may be petty, but your day hadn’t exactly been going your way, either. “and i’m not a nurse.”

            “are you done yet?”

            “did i say i was done?” 

            she bit her tongue, stewing in her annoyance until you snapped your gloves as you pulled them off. “there. now i’m done.” she narrowed her eyes at you, “thanks.” if she had only waited until she was a few more feet away, you would have missed what she mumbled beneath her breath as she strode towards the black SUV parked a little up the road.

            “smartass.”

            you didn’t see her for some time after that, either she had been extremely careful in the field (which sounded rather unlikely), or she had requested you specifically be removed from the rotation of paramedics that are first on the bau’s beck and call.

            in all honesty, you wouldn’t put it past her—hell, you had even thought about requesting it yourself. the next time you saw her, you internally groaned, rolling your eyes when her back turned to you.

            “please, roll your eyes harder. i don’t think they got a good look at the back of your skull.” judging by the smirk on her lips, she must’ve thought that was quite clever. you didn’t respond, keeping your eyes trained on the bloody knuckles cradled in your hands, brows knit together in annoyance. you didn’t have it in you to bicker with her right now, quickly making friends with silence.

            “what? no snarky remarks for me today, sunshine?” she prodded, raising her leg beside her, foot tucked into the crook of her knee. you hummed, but said nothing. the quicker you could patch her up, the quicker you could continue with your day. “you bruised the bone.” you disturbed the lull that had snaked its way between you.

            “no, i didn’t.”

            “really?” you pressed ever so gently on the knuckle of her pointer finger, watching as she winced and swore and tugged her swollen hand from your grasp. “ow!” your brows raised knowingly, pursing your lips as if to silently say i told you so. “what did you do?” she was hesitant to slip her hand back into yours waiting open and patiently. “nothing, yet. if you don’t let me do my job, my story might change.”

            you held her gaze for a second, as if to solidify your threat, but it quickly dissolved into a small smile that mirrored hers. “what did you do?” you changed the topic; maybe if you got to know her, your distaste would soften. you highly doubted it, but it was worth a shot, right?

            “punched someone.” she said nonchalantly, “a few times.”

            you let out a sharp puff of air from your nose, a sorry excuse for a laugh, and reached for the medical tape beside you. “i’d hate to see what they look like.” you were both silent again, and you didn’t speak until you had taped her hand and told her she was free to go.

            “stop getting hurt, i’m sick of fixing you.” you called as she began to walk away. she turned on her heel and took a few steps backwards, biting back a laugh. “oh, no! what am i to do without my favourite nurse?”

            you curled your lips downward, trying to hide the smile tugging at the corners of your mouth. “still not a nurse.”

            much like before, a few weeks passed before your paths crossed again—this time, it wasn’t in the middle of your workday. you were walking home from a game night with your friends when she came stumbling out of a bar a few paces up the sidewalk, hand cupping her jaw as she cursed, rather loudly.

            “fucking christ!” you weren’t going to say anything, hoping you could seamlessly pass by, until she spit a mouthful of blood in front of her boots, wiping the corner of her bleeding lip with the heel of her hand. 

            “prentiss?” you called out, stopping a few feet away. she looked up, and if you had been looking a little closer, you would’ve caught the relief that momentarily flashed across her face. “oh, hey.” she shook her stiff hand out, the once swollen and bloody knuckles reduced to faint green and yellow blots, wobbling on unsteady legs as she did so.

            you scoffed, already wishing you could go back in time and keep walking. “what happened?”

            “bar fight.”

            “jesus,” you muttered, wryly chuckling in disbelief. “i’m starting to think you’re purposefully looking to get injured.” she smiled back at you, wincing when the movement stretched the open cut on the corner of her lip. “fuck,” she hissed. “guess i can’t stay away,” she spat another mouthful of blood on the pavement, “where else am i gonna find a nurse with such an attitude?”

            you cornered her with your gaze. “you’re making it really difficult to want to help you.” again, that cocky, shit-eating smile lit up her face. “c’mon, what other patient do you love as much as me?”

            “oh, love is not the word that comes to mind when i think of you, prentiss.”

            “emily.”

            “what?”

            “my name. it’s emily.”

            you nodded firmly, just once. “okay, emily. do you want me to look at that split lip, or what?” her smile only seemed to grow. “it sounds like you really want to. i dunno, i think you do love me. just a little bit.”

            you nudged her with your shoulder as you began to walk forward again, silently beckoning her to follow, and it’s only when she was behind you did you let your sheepish smile present itself to the cement. you were quick to reel it in, turn your head over your shoulder, and nod up the sidewalk, an indication for her to come with you. “i don’t need you telling everyone i neglected an injured fbi agent. you coming, or are you too busy spitting up your teeth?”

            she giddily smiled and began following the ghost of your footsteps, lighting a cigarette after a few blocks of silence. “are you seriously smoking right now?” she cluelessly looked at you, cigarette hanging from the intact corner of her lips, “oh, sorry. want one?”

            “no, i don’t. i can’t believe you smoke.”

            “why? tons of people do it.”

            “yeah, and it kills tons of people—people who aren’t already in danger because of their job. you’re like a walking death wish.” 

            you came to a halt in front of the door to your complex, watching as she tossed it to the ground and stomped it out with the toe of her boot. “technically, i’ve died already.”

            “i’m sorry, what?”

            “don’t be. it was kinda cool, i guess. i don’t know.”

            your lips smoothed into a small frown. you didn’t ask her to share, you didn’t want to prod.

            she briefly explained how she had been put in witness protection after the doyle case as you made your way up to your apartment, finishing her story once you sat her on the lip of your bathtub and began rooting through your medicine cabinet. “i’m sorry that happened to you.” she shrugged it off as if it was nothing more than an insignificant, bothersome part of her week, like getting stuck in traffic or the grocery store being sold out of her favourite snack.

            you watched her gently prod at the cut with her thumb, looking down at the dried blood smeared across her hand in confusion. “is this from me?” she looked up at you, brows furrowed in drunken uncertainty. she didn’t remember there being this much. “stop touching it.” after gathering what you needed, you sat cross-legged on your toilet seat and grabbed her by the shoulders, tilting her towards you.

            “but yes.” you were cautious to grasp her jaw, ever so gently slanting her head to the side to get a good look, “damn, whoever you fought got a few good swings in. maybe you’re not as good as i thought,” you tried to lighten her confusion with a joke, only her intoxication blurred the line between harmless poking and genuine disappointment.

            her face fell slightly. “emily, i’m kidding.” she hummed. she was silent for a long while, glassy eyes inspecting your bathroom as you dabbed the dried blood off her chin with a washcloth. “you’re not obligated to do this, you know.” she quietly confessed.

            “to do what?” she grabbed your wrist and pulled your cool fingers from her face, turning her head straight to look at you. “to keep fixing me.” you let out a shallow, calm sigh, shaking your head. “if we’re still talking in technicalities, i am.”

            you raised your hand to keep going, but she stopped you again, bloody fingers twisting around your own. “but you’re not. you could’ve kept walking. why didn’t you?”

            “why didn’t i keep walking?”

            she nodded, “i know you don’t like me.” and while there was a kernel of truth in her statement, you weren’t exceptionally fond of her, you couldn’t help but find her snarky attitude a little charming. “i can’t let you walk around like this. who’d trust an fbi agent that looks like they got their shit rocked?” 

            again, you tried to bring your conversation back to lighthearted territory. “you’re deflecting.”

            “and you’re profiling me.” 

            this seemed to shut her up for a moment, enough time for you to wipe away the blood that had trickled down the column of her neck. you started to clean along the length of her forearm when she stopped you again, prying the washcloth from your hand and placing it on the edge of the bathtub beside her. “seriously, why are you helping me?”

            you held her eye with your own slightly pointed. “can’t i, just…be nice to you? why do you think i have ulterior motives, or something?”

            “because you’ve never been just nice to me.”

            “you’ve never given me a reason to be.”

            again, this seemed to stun her for the time being. whether it be the intoxicated mind-lag or not, she sat wordlessly and inspected your face as you began rooting through the first aid bag again. “i don’t have the proper stuff to stitch your lip,” you whispered, mostly to yourself, trying to think of a quick temporary fix until the morning.

            “you can kiss it better.”

            “ha-ha, knee slapper.”

            she nudged your ankle with her foot, bringing your focus back to her face. “i wasn’t kidding.” this time, it’s you that was stunned to silence for a beat.

            “you’re drunk.”

            “i’m sober enough to know what i’m saying.” she cocked her head, fingers splayed along the small of your wrist. “i see the way you look at me. i know you want to.” she leaned ever so slightly, enough so you could faintly smell the cigarette smoke lingering on her tongue.

            your eyes flicked from her own, her lips, then to her eyes again. “i don’t kiss my patients.” 

            “no? not part of your specialty?” she smiled, bottom lip slipping between her teeth. then she tipped her chin up, brushing her lips warily against yours. when she felt you start to kiss her back, your hands flying to cup her face in your hands, she poured a little more faith into her movements and kissed you like she meant it, like your lips against hers was the thing she’d been unknowingly missing.

            “do you want me to stop?” she clarified between soft lip locks, hands trickling down your sides. “no.” and then your lips connected again, moving in perfect synchronicity, slow and gentle as you map out exactly what the other favoured. when you part your lips, emily hesitantly swiped her tongue across the bottom one, asking for permission.

            you opened your mouth a little wider, your tongues rolling against one another as you explored each other’s mouths, hands roaming over clothed skin and shallow breaths swapping between you. 

            the next morning you’d awoken to an empty bed, naked body twisted around the cold, stark-white sheets you had found yourself entangled in the night before. it wasn’t until you fully sat up did you notice it; the small crimson blotch in the middle of the pillowcase beside you. it was impossible to miss, it made you grit your teeth and whip your head around in search of the source.

            instead, at the end of the trail your clothing created, a sticky note on the bathroom doorframe anticipated your attention.

             morning, sunshine.            did you know the coffee place down the             street does a nurses discount?            i’d check that out if i were you.             - emily.

           you scoffed. 

           you were right, you could never get along.

an. mean lesbian emily number one in my heart forever <3 this is borderline ooc but idc this was a lot of fun to write :-) 

tglist. ( open ! you can request to be added or removed here ) @mylilenbyheart​ @storiesofsvu​ @mickey-gomez​ @daffodil-heart​ ​

#marla writes #emily prentiss #emily prentiss x reader #emily prentiss x gn!reader #emily prentiss x you #emily prentiss imagines #emily prentiss drabbles #emily prentiss fanfiction #criminal minds #criminal minds x reader #criminal minds imagines #criminal minds drabbles #criminal minds fanfiction #bau x reader #bau imagines #bau drabbles #mw: crimson clover

[multifan2022]

Cyclone x MavsDaughter part 3

Part 1      Part 2      PART 4

MASTERLIST

Hangman had been looking and waiting for anything he could take to Cyclone to get an advantage over the others. Any error in judgment that he could exploit, and he thought he found it. After finding a picture of Maverick and a man who very closely resembled Rooster he dove knee deep into research. Scouring the internet until he found an Obit for one Nick ‘Goose’ Bradshaw. He also found an old Instagram page that he saved many pictures off of before heading to Cyclones office. 

He was walking on cloud nine, thinking he had all the evidence he needed to get the two biggest competitors taken out of the running. But when he lifted his hand to knock on the glass all his hopes died. Because the door swung open and there you were, cheeks flushed and eyes wide as you looked up at him. The smell of sex and sweat wafted out of the room behind you and you knew that Hangman could read all the signs. There was a pit in the bottom of your stomach as you watched him think all the things you were scared people would say. 

Jake went to open his mouth, to say something along the lines of “Sleeping your way to the top again?” when Cyclone stepped up behind you asking what was wrong. When his eyes landed on Jake his spine straightened and the slightly soft look in his eyes turned steely. Jake's mouth was dry and he took notice of how close the two of you were standing. How pink your cheeks and neck were. That Beaus hair was just slightly out of place, like it had been messed up and someone tried to hand comb it back into place. It was a look Jake knew well, both on himself and on the women he sent packing. 

“Lieutenant Seresin, inside.. Now.” 

Jake didn't move as you practically sprinted from the hall, Cyclone having to repeat himself to get him into the office. The door slamming shut and the Admiral stomping gave him goosebumps. This was not how he thought his morning would go. Once Cyclone was in front of him, he leaned on his hands on the desk, looking the younger man directly in the eye. He could tell Jake was nervous, and that was good. That's how he wanted him to feel. He knew plenty of flyboys like Jake. 

Ones that unfortunately would throw others under the bus, or leave them behind in pursuit of his own glory. He knew that if the blond was coming to his office it was because he thought he had damning evidence on someone. Jake's previous commanding officer had warned him about this. And unfortunately Cyclone's own actions may have just given him the upper hand. But he was sure as hell going to try and squash that. “Sir.. I have some thoughts..” Jake tried to start, but a hand was thrown up and a sigh escaped from the Admirals lips before he could really get going. 

“I didnt bring you back here for your thoughts Seresin. I brought you back here because you are a damn good pilot and I would hate to see that go to waste because your mouth writes checks you can't cash. Whatever you think, you think. You're wrong. You're going to walk out of this office, and we are both going to forget that we saw each other today. If that becomes unclear between the two of us, you will be sent packing so fast that not even Commander Kazansky will be able to stop it. Are we clear?” 

Jake blinked twice, staring up at Cyclone like he was lost or confused. Only to jump up and nod when the man was forced to repeat himself. When he was allowed to leave, he did so quickly but with attitude, stomping his feet and huffing the entire way to training. 

~~

You could tell tension was high as you all took turns in the air, and then made your way back to your seats. Hangman had been shooting death glares at you, while Rooster was giving you those stupid puppy dog eyes. Your dad was standing up repeating the same question “Why are you dead?” over and over all day. You knew it was a good question, one that needed answered but damn was it annoying. Now he was looking at the Rooster, completely passing over you and your team. He had yet to speak to you directly since the flying incident. 

Phoenix spoke, trying to defend not only her team leader, but her friend. “Sir, he's the only one who made it to the target.” Mav shook his head “A minute late. He gave enemy aircraft time to shoot him down, he is dead.” Rooster's voice was deep and simmering with anger just underneath as he spoke. “You don't know that.” The tension in the room jumped up another notch as Hangman spoke, your fists clenching together at the sound of his voice. 

“You're not flying fast enough! You don't have a second to waste.” You started to just tune the three of them out, they always got in this little circle of whos dick is bigger. It was getting exhausting listening to them go around and around each other every day. In the air, in the classroom, even in the damn gym.  You didn't really start listening again until you heard Hangman say “A MAN flies like Maverick here, or a MAN does not come back.” Jake smiled and looked between you and Phoenix “No offense intended.” Surprisingly it was Bob who leaned forwards and scoffed, “Yet somehow you always manage.”

Jake unsurprisingly continued “I don't mean to criticize, you're conservative. That's all.” Maverick tried to stop him but he just kept going. “We're going into combat son.” You scoffed this time, both you and Rooster were older than him. “On a level no living pilot has ever seen. Not even him, and Not Valkyrie.” You watched as Jake turned and must've given your dad a look, because realization passed over Mavs features as he turned to look at you. You put all the pieces into place just as the next words came out of that cocky mouth. “Its no time to be thinkin about the past.” 

Everything happened in slow motion for you after that. You didnt know Rooster well. But you knew Bradley like that back of your hand, and that would be who he always was when Goose was mentioned. The little boy who watched his mom fall apart and only be able to partially rebuild herself after her husband died. The teen boy who had to turn to his uncles instead of his father to ask questions about puberty and girls. The young man who was deeply in love but didnt know how to show it, or what to do. Who was so scared of hurting someone the way his mom was hurt that he punished not only himself, but his loved ones by walking away. 

“I cant be the only one to know that Maverick flew with his old man.” 

You didn't make the choice to speak, but you heard yourself calling out to Bradley as Maverick told Jake to stop talking. You knew it wasn't going to work, but you called his name trying to get his attention anyways.  Your legs were already pushing themselves up as Jake tried to finish his statement. “Or that Maverick was flying when his old man..” Rooster was out of his seat, his arms reaching past you as you moved in front of him. He was so tall, that even at your height he still managed to shove the man behind you. Everyone was yelling, you were trying to push Bradley back while Coyote pushed Jake back. It took you, Phoenix, Bob, and Payback all to hold Rooster back. 

Your hands were on his cheeks, trying to direct his attention away from Jake as you spoke. “Bradley, this is what he wants.. He wants to rattle you, get in your head and make it so you can't fly this mission. He's weak minded and scared that you are better than he is. Don't let him win, walk away. Let's go.” Bradley couldn't look down at you, he could feel the coldness of your ring on your finger but your voice was clearing up the haze of anger in his mind just a little. Just as he was about to nod his head and give in, Jake chuckled. 

“Well if it isn't Little Miss Nepotism herself speaking.. Daddys right here, so you can't run off and tell him.. What are you gonna do, tell your hubby and have me kicked off the team?” 

Dropping your hands from Roosters face, you turned, and watched as the gathered men near Hangman stepped back. Other pilots often said that Y/n and Valkyrie were like separate people. That your facial expressions when you were in fight mode were scary, and you guessed by the way the others took a step back from you that they were right. You crossed the short distance, getting right into Hangman's face, thankfully hes only a few inches taller than you.  The smile that worked its way onto your face set Jake on edge. You both knew what he was playing at. 

That he knew why you were in Cyclones office, and was planning to out you right here. What Jake didn't know was you didn't need anyone to fight your battles. “Sure.. I could turn you into my husband for harassment, maybe get you sent home.. Or I could just shoot you out of the sky myself and be done with it.” Shock crossed his face for just a moment as he stood there silently for once. Everyone was genuinely shocked, they had never really heard you talk so maliciously to anyone besides Mav. 

The room was so silent that one could've heard a pin drop. Maverick and Rooster were breathing heavily as you and Jake glared at each other. “You're all dismissed.” Mav said, trying to keep his voice from shaking. He watched as you took two steps back, placing yourself between your Ex boyfriend and the one who was trying to hurt him. He had to remind himself that you were married now, there was no chance for you and Bradley. Jake left first, a few of his friends leaving behind him and as soon as the doors closed you rounded on him. “Fix this, whatever it is, before it gets someone killed.” 

That was all you said before storming out yourself.

~~~~

The next morning you felt better, you had taken a long and extremely hot bath after Beau had gotten home. He had cooked dinner, put Emery to bed, loaded the dishwasher and then brought you a glass of whiskey. He didn't ask to get in behind you, just crouched down next to the tub as you told him about everything that had happened. He had shaken his head, and told you how worried he was that this group wouldn't be able to complete the mission. You had gotten a good night sleep but of course when you woke up fate had other things planned for you. Two texts changed literally the entire plan of your day.

AbsentMav- “Team training beach day. Sleep in. Be there at noon. Bring coolers and towels.”

EmsTeach- “Hey Cap! Sorry for the short notice but schools canceled today :(“

Sighing you made your way downstairs, shocked to see Emery watching cartoons and Beaus' truck gone from the driveway. Deciding that Emery could just go with you wasn't as easy as you thought it should be. Sure she knew Penny and you were should the woman would watch her, but Maverick would be there.. You hadn't even told him who you were married to let alone that you had a 9 year old.. But you shrugged to yourself and went to pack Ems bag. As soon as she realized she was going to work with you she was squealing and running around to find her sandals and favorite big bug sunglasses. 

Your nerves spiked like crazy as you pulled up to the hard deck and parked. It was easy to see you were the last to arrive and would have everyone's attention on you. Hell you already did, because Beau had removed the top and doors off your jeep the weekend before so Phoenix, Bob and Fanboy were all close enough to see the wiggling little person in your back seat. Bob smiled shyly and waved at her as she screeched for you to hurry, pulling a chuckle from Fanboy. 

Maverick and Rooster's eyes were glued to you as you got out and walked to the backseat. Their eyes widen as they watch you pull the dark haired girl from the booster seat in the middle. They watched as you crouched down, fixing her hair and pulling a hat over it. Rubbing in sunscreen before handing her the sunglasses back and strapping a little backpack onto her back. You held her hand as she skipped and waved at everyone that looked her way. When you got to the group you took a deep breath and looked at Maverick. “School was canceled, I was gonna ask Penny if she would watch Emery while we do whatever exercise this is.” 

Maverick nodded, watching without speaking as you walked towards the deck and talked to Penny. He had completely forgotten Rooster was even there until he heard his voice. “I didn't know she had a kid..” Maverick could see the devastation on his god son's face. The woman he had always dreamed about, the one he had left, whose heart he had broken was truly moved on. Shrugging he tried to make the blow land softer, “Maybe she's a step kid?” He could see Rooster shake his head as the two of them watched you kneel and smile up at your daughter. Giving her instructions to stay on the deck until you came back for her. Then promising ice cream and a full beach day afterwards. “Nah, she always wanted to name her daughter Emery.. She picked it out her freshman year.. Outta some book or something..” 

Emery laughed and watched with Penny as the whole group figured out how to play Dogfight Football. They laughed at how Rooster was developing a burn, how you had somehow talked Hondo into giving you his extra Navy football jersey to help keep the sun off you. You could hear her precious little giggles every time you or Nix or Halo tackled one of the guys. Everyone was laughing and having a good time. You even laughed when Hangman pretended to bite the ball and act like it was a grenade. You even helped your dad up after he fell, earning a genuine smile from him for the first time in over 20 years.

You all booed as Maverick said he needed a minute but kept playing. You didn't even notice when a khaki covered figure stormed up and stood next to the chair Mav was slouched in. None of you noticed to busy cheering on Bob and telling him to run as Cyclone stepped next to Maverick. “What is this?” Beau asked, taking in your long legs completely unhindered by shorts of any kind. The way your ass looked in your bathing suit and the shirt you had covering your body. He wanted to know more than anything who it belonged to.. But as everyone dog pilled and tackled Hondo he got a quick answer. “Dog fight football. It's an offense and defense at the same time.” 

“Whose winning?” Beau asked as he watched you run and jump on Coyotes back trying to tackle him. He almost chuckled as Javy just kept running with you holding onto him. It warmed his heart to see you having fun. To see you with aviators your age, doing something normal. “I think they stopped keeping track a while ago.” The two went back and forth for a moment before Cyclone sighed and went to walk away. Just as he turned though, a little voice screamed and changed how the rest of the day would go. 

“DADDY!” 

~

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~

~

@luckyladycreator2 @winterrebel04 @millieb-3199 @xoxabs88xox @archaeologydigit @topgunruinedme @lillyrosenight @blessednotluckyme @scorpiomindfuck​  @bregarc @person-wholikes-reads @hangmandruigandmav @beaner-life-23 @hotch-meeeeeuppppp

#beau cyclone simpson x reader #beau cyclone simpson #Cyclone x reader #cyclone x you #beau simpson #Beau Simpson x reader #beau simpson imagine #top gun imagine #top gun maverick

[enkvyu]

#DCD0FF ┈ scaramouche (wanderer) x gn!reader ; genre/trope: an angsty christmas special! ; wc 3000+ ; warnings: just an unrequited love fic... mentions of happy people idk

[6:44pm] gingerbread lingers in the air, despite the fact that you had shoved your pathetic attempt of a house in the bin a while ago.

still, the scent remains amidst the twinkle of christmas ornaments and the rustle of golden tinsel.  like a mockery of fate, it hangs around from early night when you had given up waiting, to the current midnight when the flicker of christmas lights along the neighbourhood was beginning to fade.

it seemed that this christmas, you would have to spend it alone.

"i'm so sorry!" you had replied. "i already have plans for the night."

some of your friends, like zhongli, had hummed thoughtfully. "i see. it is always nice to spend this festive season with your loved ones. it is a shame i couldn't spend it with you, however."

some of your friends, like zhongli, had hummed thoughtfully. "i see. it is always nice to spend this festive season with your loved ones. it is a shame i couldn't spend it with you, however."

"there's always next year." you found yourself apologising again, though in your heart you knew the situation would only repeat. "and i'll see you at the new years party." 

“new years, hm? then i suppose i will have to settle for seeing you then. have a wonderful christmas, name.”

hu tao beams from his right. "we'll be seeing you there! have fun with your special someone!"

others, had been a little less understanding, their whines and protests dragging on into the day.

"can't we see each other even for a second? please, please?"

"klee, name has already told you they'll be busy." albedo had interjected, appearing at her side, attention only partially directed at the conversation. 

the child pouts, fists balled at her side. "that isn't fair! i wanted us to sing jingle bells, all three of us! and to decorate the christmas tree, and to see all the christmas lights! then, we were meant to stay up to meet santa and leave gifts for him!"

"i'll still be there." albedo points out.

"it's not the same."

you laugh. "i'm sorry klee, i'll make it up to you next time."

"you said that last time. you were meant to make it up to me today." klee sniffles. "are you a liar, name?"

"alright, klee, that's too far." albedo frowns. "you have to say sorry."

"it's okay! besides, i'm the one in the wrong." you crouch down to talk face-to-face, gently wiping away the stray tears fallen on her cheek. "how about we go fish blasting on new years, hm? we can go to every pond and lake in teyvat, we'll do it for however long you like."

"really? what about santa?"

“your big brother albedo will invite him!” pointedly ignoring albedo’s gaze, you keep selling your point. “we’ll have so much fun, you’ll see.”

albeit still a little upset, klee snorts up the last of her outburst and nods. 

“i pinky promise this time." you wrap your pinky around hers and gave it a tight squeeze.

"you pinky promised this time. don't break it okay?" she repeats in a small voice.

you nod, standing back up. turning to albedo, you also give him a soft smile. "sorry i can't make it either, to your christmas party."

"it was sucrose's idea, i think that apology should be for her."

"still, i would have wanted to spend christmas with you."

"why can't you?" his eyes startle you in all its clarity as he turns, question capturing you on the spot. his clipboard seems almost disregarded in his arms. 

"i have plans!" you blurt out. “i’m… busy.”

albedo looks at you and for a second, you’re sure he can see right through you. "a significant other?"

the chill from dragonspine is chased from your body, a prickling red flush hot in its pursuit. "no, no way, nothing like that!" after a pause, you awkwardly rush to finish the sentence. "not yet, anyway."

he smiles in return at your confession before leaning down to face klee. "come on, we shouldn't bother name anymore. they have things to do." and then to you, as klee scurries away excited at the prospect of another adventure, he wishes you luck.

“i’ll deal with the santa.” he turns, waving back slightly before ushering klee inside.

some friends already knew the man in your heart, and their invitations are gateways for jokes.

"coming to my christmas party, name?" yaemiko had suggested, before her hand flies up to her mouth. "oh wait! i forgot you have better things to do, and better people to see."

"what's this? you won't be coming?" ei perks up, eyes flickering above the book at her lap. "after all our preparations?"

yaemiko interrupts you before you can even defend yourself. "name here already has plans."

"with who?"

your face warms rapidly. "it's nothing."

"nothing? you're not coming to our party, for nothing?"

"stop it." you whine, burying your burning face in your hands. "you already know why i can't come, yaemiko."

"all the more reason why it's so very fun to poke at it."

"what? what is it? stop leaving me in the dark, you two."

"shall i do the honours?" yaemiko asks.

"ei, i made dinner plans with someone tonight. so, i can’t make it."

"oh?" the god replies. "and who is this person?"

you ignore the sly fox's chuckle, and press onwards to answer. "someone... special. someone i, someone i like."

yaemiko gasps dramatically before snickering. "blush any harder and you might come down with a fever, dearest name."

you cup your cheeks and scowl at her. "you're awful."

"and so is your love life. really, name, how long have you been pining for this man? and for this to be the first move you make is really something else."

"what she's trying to say," ei interrupts, aware of the murderous expression on your face. "is that we hope you have a good time with your special someone. though we will miss you, we hope for the best, really."

and some friends had known since the very beginning.

"eager?" tighanri asks, the very first words to leave his mouth as you enter his abode. when you don't reply, he turns to you. "it is today, right?"

"right." you groan into your hands. "should i postpone it after all? leave it to another day? what if i'm not ready after all, what if he doesn't even feel the same way as me and i look like a complete fool after everything i've done to prepare?"

"name, he would be completely stupid if he doesn't appreciate you. and you know if it doesn't end well, collei, cyno and i are joining everyone else to watch nilou perform tonight. no one will say anything if you sneak in."

you look up at him and smile. "thanks, tighnari. i don't know how but you always say the right things at the right time."

'it's called impeccable timing, i just so happen to have it. speaking of, here's the icing you wanted, for the gingerbread houses."

you inhale in the scent of sugar. "that smells really good."

"i know." turning his back to you, he begins fussing around his area. "i've been told i could make a killer wife."

"yeah?" you poke a finger in the bowl. "who said that?"

"collei."

placing your finger on your tongue, you hum in appreciation. "she's not wrong this icing is delicious. you could sell this, honestly."

"are you offering?" he turns around with a smirk.

"i can pay with friendship?"

he laughs, shaking his head. "i don't need that."

you stick a different finger in the bowl and eat that too, closing your eyes at the taste.

"do that again and the bowl will be empty before it's night."

"i'm not eating that much."

"here."

your eyes widen, bowl completely forgotten as you look at the wrapped present in tighnari's hand, adorned with a bright red bow.

"this... this is..."

"my present to you." tighnari replies, a smile on his face. "merry christmas name, i hope tonight goes well."

all these holiday wishes, abundant in counting, yet there was still a hole in your heart from where a special someone had yet to say it. you find your mind blank aside from a single, daunting thought, the blanket you had hastily placed over your shoulders failing to keep the cold as the hours went on.

you replay the memory of your invitation to him over and over and over again, struggling to find any indication that he may just be late, may have just been caught in some last minute mission, that he would still be coming because he had said yes. you find that the invitation had been so causal, such a fly away suggestion, that he would have no choice but to assume it was an offering as friends, as comrades, rather than lovers. but that was alright, even if he came to your doorstep as a friend, because at least that meant he had come, because at least that meant you hadn't sat in your own home, more alone than any other day, for hours on end, waiting for the soft thud of his footsteps up to your door.

because at least that meant he hadn't stood you up.

you had definitely just been stood up.

the frosty breeze outside causes your nose and ears to tinge. you rub your arms as the cold settles in, but even the chill from the night wasn't enough to suffocate your thoughts. the crunch of snow, the whistle of the wind, the scuttering of cats as you near a little too close, all these things were not enough to erase the meaningless thoughts in your head.

it had all been so promising, the progression of your relationship, the final moment of courage that made you ask, the smile that he sent you, so full of adoration though now you can only wonder if it had all been your imagination. as the snow rains on, you wonder if you’ll forever associate the light sprinkling of white to this very moment, where the disappointment is enough to submerge you. 

well, tighnari had said you could always join him, if all went wrong.

"a christmas night alone for you, name?"

you look up, squinting at the rush of snow. a single figure stands in the distance, something about his posture so familiar to you. at last, you place a name to the face and you huff a cloud of steam into the air.

"scaramouche, no, the wanderer." you reply, his name dry on your tongue. "i wouldn't be mocking me if you were doing the same."

he shrugs, closing the distance between the two of you. you find him wearing a red scarf, and the very sight of it reminds you of someone else. "i choose to spend my christmases alone, though i don't think that would be the case for you."

"how can you be so sure?"

he smirks, the gesture so natural to him. "you've been crying." when you rush to rub at your eyes, he chuckles, loud and unapologetic. "rubbing it will only make it worse, don't you think?"

"shut up, wanderer." 

“not in the mood to talk? that hurts me, especially on a beautiful night like this.” 

you huff, letting the cold from your fingers settle into your burning eyes. “whatever. just leave me alone.”

silence, though not the type you like. you wonder why you can’t here the sound of his footsteps leaving you like you were so sure he was going to do. after all, the relationship between the two of you had never been close, simply friends of friends, sparing one another a nod in acknowledgment and maybe a few snarky remarks. 

when you look up, he’s still standing there, illuminated by streetlights. 

“why aren’t you leaving?”

“what kind of person would i be to leave a crying woman alone out on the street?”

“the same type of person you’ve always been.” you sniffle, cold.

the gesture isn’t lost on the wanderer, and with a sigh, he begins to unravel his scarf. you frown, backing away slightly. 

“what do you think you’re doing?”

without a word, the wanderer takes a step, and then another until he’s right in front of you. catching your eyes, he huffs, the steam blowing over your face, before slinging the scarf around your neck. 

at his touch, you fall silent. 

“so.” he begins. “who was the one that broke your heart?”

“it was no one.” you do a poor job at avoiding his eye. 

“i’m not a patient person, name.” 

again, you ignore him, shuffling into the scarf around your neck. though it hurt your ego to admit it, the world around you definitely felt warmer. 

with a tsk, the wanderer jabs a finger at your forehead and pushes back, forcing you to look up with a yelp. your eyes meet, and an insult raises to your tongue. “what the fuck! let go of me.”

“answer the question. who stood you up?”

you shake yourself from his touch and wiggle backwards, placing distance. “it was childe, if you have to know. jesus, wanderer, your finger is cold as shit.” 

“childe?” the wanderer repeats. “childe? you’re all sad and moopy because of childe?”

you glare at him. “shut it. i don’t need you to criticise my love life.” 

finally, a loud laugh escapes his throat. he even throws his head back, though you were almost positive your confession wasn’t even the least bit funny. that doesn’t stop him though, a hand wrapping around to clutch at his stomach, his laughs quickly becoming gasps of air. 

“yeah, yeah, laugh all you want. no really, thanks for that. it’s really helping.”

the wanderer peeks up at you through one eye, the most vibrant smile you’ve ever seen on his face still remaining. “oh you have no idea how much that made my day!”

“i think i have a rough idea.”

“you’re hilarious, name. what made you go ahead and fall for childe?”

“your heart is as cold as your fingers, wanderer. besides… i didn’t say i liked him.”

“you didn’t have to. the red on your face is enough.”

your heads cover your cheeks again, cursing your body for being so expressive. “whatever. now let me leave.” 

“hold on.” his arms stops you from walking past him, his gaze lingering at your waist before he pulls back. when he turns to face you, you don’t step back despite the proximity. it felt like a challenge, like he was daring you to back down. “you’re really spending the christmas alone? seriously?”

“it doesn’t concern you.” 

“well i’m about to make it concern me. spend the christmas with me.”

this time, it was your turn to laugh. “you’re kidding me, right? we barely know each other. and you totally laughed in my face, like, a second ago.”

“you just did the same thing to me just now.” he points out. “it cancels out.”

you hold your ground. “i am not spending the christmas with you. what, are you asking me out right now?” 

“why? getting nervous?”

“as if. you’d have to be the last person on teyvat for me to go on a date with you.” 

“that’s harsh.” his breath fans over your face as he laughs. “i would have gone on a date with you if you asked.”

“well, i’m not.” 

he hums, and something in his gaze changes, like a gear clicking into place. “but i am.” 

you hate that his words leave you flustered, blaming it on the fact that his suggestion had been absurd and abrupt and not the fact that he was looking at you the way you always hoped childe would. “wanderer, don’t joke. i’m really not feeling that right now.”

ignoring your words, his fingers creep up your arm, leaving a warm trail, dragging upwards to tuck a stray strand of hair behind your ear. “well, you’re not the worst thing i could pick up on a chirstmas night.” 

“woah, you really have a way with words, huh.” your heart beats faster, a betrayal to your mind. even as you speak, you find yourself enchanted by the way he looks at you, like he was holding you in the palm of his hand. 

“not pushing me away?” his fingers drift up your cheek, and you shiver. 

then, his hand finds purchase on the top of your head, fisting a handful of your hair and yanking it up. you yelp, hands flying to the spot of pain, words of protest already on your tongue, your mind telling you that you knew it, you knew he was up to no good, when his words cuts through the panic and freezes you.

‘look.” he says, his tone somewhere between disinterest and humour. “what’s above us, hm, name?”

you study the green above the both of you in a daze. “mistletoe.”

lighter this time, he lowers your head so he can look at you, fingers caressing your head slightly as if it will erase the pain. and it does, in a wonder that only christmas can bring, you find yourself speechless. the boy in front of you doesn’t register, though you can’t miss his degrading smile and the way his head is tilted for your response. you can’t move however, unsure if moving will break the moment, unsure on why you are so hesitant to end the situation when you really should be ending it, unsure on the warmth blossoming in your chest. 

with another hand, the wanderer swipes a finger under your lip before letting it drop to pull you closer by the waist. “not protesting anymore? i always thought the snarky part of you was your only redeeming factor.”

you open and close your mouth, then open it again. 

“i guess your stupidity has it’s own charm.” he snickers. “you’re bright red.”

“i’m bright red?” you squeak. 

“mhm.” leaning in, he finally closes the distance. 

and when your lips meet under mistletoe, it isn't the soft caress of his tongue that you notice but that he didn't quite taste like gingerbread.

merry christmas everyone! whether you celebrated yesterday, or you're celebrating today, or even if you don't celebrate at all, i hope you all have a wonderful day with friends and family !! ☆ i'm a little busy so sorry for the draft (again) !!

#genshin x reader #genshin ff #scaramouche angst #scaranation #genshin angst #wanderer #wanderer angst #scaramouche imagines #genshin imagines #genshin hcs #scaramouche #zhongli #hu tao #albedo x reader #albedo #klee #tighnari #tighnari x reader #yae miko #raiden ei #childe angst #childe ff #childe x reader #scaramouche x reader

[spookymystery67]

I Wish I Could Walk In Heels

AN: Didn't have time to re-read this chapter today, so sorry if it sucks. But Ada is in it, so that's a plus. Anyways, enjoy.

TW: violence, language, ummm typical Resident Evil stuff, ect. I didn't re-read so sorry. By this point, most of you should know I suck at TW's. My apologies.

Chapter 9:

September 29, 1998-

"That's what you're wearing under that coat? And I thought the shoes were bad." You said in disbelief.

She had taken her trench coat off to cover Leon with it. She was wearing a pretty red dress that clung to her figure with spaghetti straps holding it up. It was gorgeous. But so impractical that it confused you on how she was just walking around and killing zombies in that.

"What? Do I look bad?" She asked sarcastically.

"You know very well you don't look bad. I was just surprised. Aren't you uncomfortable?" You asked.

"Not really. It's hot down here. If anything, you should be uncomfortable." She motioned toward your hoodie.

She was right. It was weirdly hot down here. But you didn't want to take off your hoodie. Bloodstains be damned. This hoodie has been your protection against zombie bites. You really don't want to leave any flesh bare at the moment.

"Yeah, I am. Thanks for noticing. Can we go now?"

"Hang on, I have to call in and update H.Q." she told you. 

You waved her off and stood to the side, pretending not to hear the one sided conversation.

"I'm right outside of the facility, in pursuit of Annette …. If it's not on her. It must be in the NEST…. I have someone that can lead me to it." She briefly glanced at you, before looking away.

"Once it's in hand, I'll call for extraction." She finished, putting the radio away.

"Ready?" She asked. You glanced at Leon before nodding. "You can run, Annette. But you can't hide." She muttered.

"Alright. So doors a bust. But a vent leading toward the NEST is this way." You said, glancing at your map.

"After you." Ada said.

You both make it to the vent and you tilted your head in thought. How do you get past the giant fan?

"Any ideas on how to get in there?" You asked her.

"I may have one." Ada said as she grabbed a gadget from her purse thing wrapped around her left shoulder. Holster? It held her gun too.

She aimed and held the button, making the fan spin faster and faster, until it exploded and broke, giving us room to get through it. You gapped in disbelief. Who makes this stuff?

"Candy from a baby." Ada said smugly.

"Huh. I want one." You joked.

"In your dreams." She smirked, tucking it back in her holster and climbing up the ladder.

You climbed up after her and the two of you made your way through the long-winding tunnel.

"So, the plan is to get to Annette, see if she has the G-virus, and if she doesn't, go search the labs?" You asked.

Ada nodded. "She would have moved any virus sample left over the week. Which means it's best to get her to tell us directly so we wouldn't have to search the whole lab. But we will if necessary."

"Okay, but what is the FBI going to use the G-virus for?" 

"Evidence."

"Couldn't you just take pictures of the underground lab that we are currently standing in? Or take the files? Or look at the city above us and see all the zombies walking around? Is that not enough?" 

"It's more complicated than that." Ada snapped, done with that conversation.

The more you think about the things Ada had said, the more it doesn't make sense. Why would the FBI specifically need the G-virus? Why not any of the others? Plus, wouldn't the files laying around the entire lab be enough evidence to take down Umbrella? The emails exchanged between employees? Were you just overthinking it?

You and Ada reached the end of the vent. She used her device to make the fan spin and explode. Once the exit was clear, you climbed down. Neither of you knew exactly where to find Annette, so you just continued to make your way deeper into the NEST toward the lab. You were carefully avoiding zombies here and there as you went. 

You'll see what you encounter first. The lab or Annette.

As you finished that thought, you paused in a hallway when you saw the Tyrant standing there, coming out of nowhere, and slowly marching toward you both. 

"How the hell did it survive?" You asked as you and Ada quickly ducked and ran around the creature, continuing in the direction you were heading before.

"I'm not sure. Let's just keep going, but at a much faster pace." Ada said.

So that's what you did. Running through the maze of vents and halls, deeper and deeper into the NEST.

You and Ada went through a doorway and onto a catwalk. You ran across the catwalk and made it to a small elevator that would take you up a floor to the next catwalk. As you went down the catwalk, you saw Annette in another room through a glass window that was likely used for observations of some kind.

"Got you now." Ada said, both running through the door to the direction that Annette was just seen. "Always been good at running, Annette. I'll give you that."

Ada must know more about Annette Birkin than you did. It sounded like they had interacted in the past. You wondered what happened in those moments that garnered such hatred between the two. 

Ada began using her fancy hacking gadget to unlock the door when you heard the familiar stomps of the Tyrant. You really hated those things with a burning passion.

"Ugh." You huffed.

"Persistent bastard, aren't you?" Ada snarked.

She quickly switches something around with her gadget and pulls the lever, finally getting the door to open. Just in time as the Tyrant was right behind you. 

You ducked into the room quickly, avoiding a hit from the Tyrant. You don't see Annette. 

"Try to avoid him while I get this vent opened." Ada explained.

"Sounds like a plan." You agreed.

Ada quickly got the fan to come off, but the vent didn't fully open. You huffed and slid through the gaps and Ada followed soon after as the Tyrant went to grab her. You landed on your feet, but fumbled and tripped as you lost your balance, making you land roughly on your bruised and scraped knees that haven't really had the chance to heal the last few days..

"Fuck!" You huffed as you slowly pushed yourself to your feet. "That was close."

"Yeah. I don't think we're in the clear." Ada said, glancing over your figure as she saw you wince in pain. She raised a brow in silent question, but you just waved her off. You'll survive.

You both ran down the hall and up a set of stairs toward the direction you think Annette had gone. You approached a locked sliding door that you realized you needed a pass to get through. 

You glanced at Ada. "That thing wouldn't happen to work on this door, would it?"

"Sadly, no. Let's look around."

Looking around, you came across a room with something shining at the bottom. Could be useful.

"Hey, maybe this is something." You said as you walked down the slanted floor to grab the item from the floor. It was a pass on a wristband.

"That's exactly what we needed. Good job." Ada praised. You couldn't help but smile slightly as you handed her the pass. Feeling slightly awkward, you looked at your surroundings and away from Ada.

The room was slanted, like it was on a hill. Charred remains lie on the floor. And- Oh. Wait.

"This is the furnace room." You deadpanned. This was a trap.

"Looks like it." Ada hummed, realizing what you had. 

"We should-" you motioned to the exit.

"Yeah." Ada nodded in agreement. You both began to make your way out, but the large metal doors to your exit slid down quickly, locking you in. A metal slot slid open, showing Annette's face.

"Bravo. Gonna burn us alive now?" Ada deadpanned.

"You'll never get your filthy hands on the G." Annette said. Her eyes moved to you. "And you. Just passing through?" She asked sarcastically.

You shrugged sheepishly and huffed an uncomfortable laugh. "Well, uh, things changed."

"You want the G too? Or did she trick you into working with her? She's good at that." Annette said.

"I'm not the only one after it. You realize that." Ada said, changing the subject.

"Then you won't die alone." Annette said, she looked at you. "You shouldn't have decided to work with her." She told you as she shut the metal slot, the furnace was activated seconds later.

Ada quickly began to do her thing with the device as the room got hotter and hotter in the span of seconds as fire burned at your feet.

"Hey, Ada? I don't mean to rush you but I don't really feel like being burned alive at the moment." You nervously said.

"Almost there." Ada reassured, sweat began to form on the both of you. The heat felt a hundred times more intense thanks to your thick hoodie that was meant for the cold and bitter air above ground.

She finally got the door to explode and you both quickly ran out of the room. You turned back and saw the furnace room had stopped working. Good riddance.

"That bitch knows what she's doing." Ada admitted.

We walked to the door that needed a pass, and it immediately opened.

"Visitor clearance confirmed. Your ID is authorized until OCTOBER FIRST. Please return before this date." A computer voice said.

"Not gonna happen." Ada said. You finally took off your jacket revealing your dark purple t-shirt, and discarded it. It was covered in blood and mud stains anyways. It was time to let it go.

"Finally gave up on it?" Ada asked as you both ran down the hall.

"It was too far gone. There was no saving it. Plus, it's really hot here."

Once again you appeared on another catwalk and ran in the direction you thought Annette went. The large room seemed to be some kind of indoor junk yard. You both paused when a spot light turned on a ways away in front of you.

"Enough, with this cat a mouse game." Ada demanded, glancing over to the window of the control room where Annette stood. She was as tired of this bullshit as you were.

"The game is over. You lost." Annette said.

"Tell me, is your husband still alive? Or did you kill him? So you could take credit for G." Ada asked.

"Interesting theory. What, did she not tell you?" Annette asked, pointing to you as she began pressing buttons and activating something. "Your new friend was there. Didn't she mention it?"

You looked around nervously as mechanisms began to hum to life. Maybe you should move.

"You don't cooperate, I'll get a sample from the NEST." Ada said simply.

"Over my dead body." Annette snarled, activating a lever.

You quickly jumped to the ledge just outside of the path of the giant, metallic claw that was swept across the catwalk. Ada wasn't as lucky in avoiding it as you were. She grasped at the safety bars, attempting to prevent her fall, but the bars fell apart from the damage to the catwalk the claw had caused.

You gasped as she fell with a scream and ran to the edge of the catwalk. You looked down the debris filled room to see a glimmer of red. You heard her yell in pain.

 Yay. She's not dead.

"Ada? You okay?" You shouted.

"Uh, no!" She yelled back. You sighed as you began to look for a ways down.

"Hang on, I'll find a way down." You told her as you glanced at the control room. Annette was still there.

"She's not who you think she is. You know that right?" Annette asked you.

"Maybe. But I'm not just gonna leave her there." You said as you made your way to a ladder leading down towards the metallic junk.

"It won't matter in the end. You'll both die before ever leaving NEST." Annette said, making you pause at the ladder.

"What makes you say that?" You questioned hesitantly, not sure if you wanted to hear the answer.

"William." Annette simply said as she walked off. You heard a distant, loud, roar and a shiver ran down your spine. Right. William.

"Fucking shit. I forgot about him." You muttered as you climbed down the ladder. You have been lucky enough not to cross paths with the mutated William. You suppose your luck would run out soon.

You reached the floor and set off to the direction Ada was laying. You walked around a pile of debris and saw Ada laying on the ground. A piece of sharp metal was lodged into her leg.

"Oh. Yeah, I can see how you're not okay." You said as you kneeled beside her and took your bag off to grab the first aid kit.

"Yeah? What gave it away?" Ada snarked.

"Hmm, well the scream of pain kinda rang some alarm bells. But hey. It could have been worse. You could have been impaled by that." You said, pointing to the large piece of metal not too far from where she landed. Big enough to impale her torso.

Ada shivered when she followed your pointed finger. "Yeah. This I prefer." She sat up, careful not to disturb her injury.

"Me too. I've been traumatized enough, thank you." You said, reaching into the med kit to grab the gauze, bandages, and medical tape. "Do we disinfect the wound when we pull that out?" You weren't sure how to treat stab wounds.

"Yes. I don't want an infection." She grabbed the kit and looked through what you had. "This will do." She handed you the bottle of disinfectant from the kit. "Here, I can bandage myself up. You can pull the shrapnel out."

"C- can we switch jobs?" You asked, not really wanting to hurt her.

"I can't pull it out. And I can't walk like this." Ada sighed.

You hesitated, hand drawing closer to the shrapnel. "I don't really want to hurt you." 

"You killed a man not that long ago. You can pull out some shrapnel." She deadpanned.

You flinched, but tried to ignore the comment. "Yeah, well, he was an asshole. Which you are kind of being right now. But you're in pain, so I'll allow it." You weakly joked, hand hovering over the metal.

"Thanks." She snorted.

"Just this once though." You said as you quickly pulled the metal out of her leg.

"Bitch!" Ada yelled in pain, irritated with the lack of warning. You tried not to laugh. It wasn't funny. She's in pain. 

Eh, it was kind of funny.

"I deserve that." You said as you grabbed the bottle of disinfectant and bandages from her.

"You do. I can patch myself up." Ada said grumpily, grunting in pain every now and then. She moved to take the bandage away but you slapped her wrist away.

"Just stay still and shut up." You demanded.

"Wow. You have wonderful bedside manners." She sarcastically stated.

"Yeah, and my parents wanted me to be a doctor." You laughed. You? A doctor? Yeah right.

Ada actually chuckled at the thought. "I haven't even known you a day and even I know that you would have been a terrible doctor."

"I fully agree. But, look at how well I just patched you up." You grinned, proud of your work.

Ada examined the wound. "Well, I'm not bleeding out. So good job, Y/n." 

"Careful. You almost sounded grateful. It will ruin your badass FBI persona." 

"You're right, we can't have that." Ada snarked back.

You changed your position from sitting on your knees to sitting with your legs crossed in front of you. Ada sat across from you.

"So, want to try walking around? Or do you want to wait for Leon to inevitably show up. He's probably already up and looking for us." You said.

Ada thought for a moment. "Let's wait for him. We're gonna need his help with finding the G." 

"Alright. You're the boss." You shrugged.

"Oh, am I now?" She asked.

"Well you know more about this covert mission stuff than I do."

"I don't know, you seemed to have held your own before I even got here. You got into the NEST before I did. Even got past Annette…" She complimented before trailing off. "And you know what happened to her husband, William?" Ada asked curiously.

You sighed and nodded. "Trying to butter me up for information? All you have to do is ask, Ada."

"Alright. What happened? Did you see?"

"Unfortunately. He was cornered by some men in combat gear. They were after the G, which seems to be the common theme for the past few days…" Your voice faded as your thoughts overcame your mind. 

"And?" Ada urged.

"And he decided that, rather than let them get away with it and die from his gunshot wounds, he should inject himself with the G-virus instead. So, we might encounter a mutated William Birkin while down here. Have that to look forward to." You weakly stated as you fiddled with a piece of metal, eyes gazing into the distance.

"So he caused this outbreak? Not Annette?" 

"From what I've seen. Yes. William did start this. Although Annette clearly had a part in it too. My guess is that the men in combat gear didn't get too far. Must have somehow spread in the chaos." 

"Hmm. Possibly. Thank you. For telling me." Ada said.

"You'd find out one way or another. Not that it matters much to your mission."

"No. But it is nice to know. I like to get to know everything I can. So I won't go in blind." Ada told you.

"That makes sense. I did the same thing before coming here. I was still unprepared. Nearly got lost because I didn't snag a map."

"How did you get out?"

"Annette, actually. She helped me out."

"She just, let you go? That doesn't sound like her."

"Well I obviously didn't tell her that I was investigating Umbrella and stealing information to show everyone how sketchy the company is. I think she had more important things to deal with than some girl that one of the scientists snuck in."

Ada goes to respond, but is interrupted by a familiar voice. "Ada? Y/n? Where are you?"

"Over here!" Ada yelled.

Leon came running around the corner. "There you two are. I was getting worried there for a sec." 

"We were waiting for you, slow poke." You teased.

Leon huffed a laugh. "What happened?" He asked, gesturing to the wound on Ada's leg.

"I fell." Ada deadpanned.

"More like you got thrown off the platform, but yeah." You muttered. She threw you a half-hearted glare and you raised your hands in mock surrender.

"So, what now?" Leon asked.

"Get yourself out of here. While you still can." Ada said. 

You raised a brow. She made you wait for him, claiming that he could help with finding the G-virus, and now she wants him to leave. What? What's her play here?

"I'm not just gonna leave you. Not like this." Leon told her.

"You don't understand. The situation is worse than I thought." Ada said, almost helplessly. 

Pathetically. 

She was not like this just moments ago. What's her play- Oh. She knows Leon's type. The knight in shining armor. She wants to use that to her advantage. She knows he won't leave her. Funny, you almost forgot that this was the same person who would have left you for dead in that cell if you weren't useful to her mission. You shouldn't have been so surprised. You shouldn't have let your guard down. You were an idiot.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily. You protected me. Now it's my turn." Leon said. You stood and crossed your arms, watching the scene from a distance.

"Didn't realize we were keeping score." Ada joked, referencing earlier. Leon helped her up.

"Grab my shoulder." Leon said.

"Don't push it rookie." Ada defended, slapping his hand away.

"Okay. Just trying to help." Leon said.

"You wanna help? We have to get to the NEST."

"NEST?"

"Umbrella's lab, remember? Right beneath us. That's where the virus samples are. You up for this?"

"Think I can fit it in my schedule."

You sighed and groaned loudly. "Alright, I've seen enough. Let's go love birds. Watch your step, Ada." You turned to walk ahead to the exit.

"Why are you in such a hurry?" Leon asked, following behind you and a limping Ada.

"I've been in this situation for a week now, Leon. I want to get this shit show over with and get the hell out of here. And I can only do that after I uphold my end of the bargain." You said, leading them toward the direction of the cable car.

"Even though we failed to save your friends?" Leon questioned. You paused in your step and shut your eyes in frustration.

"Why do you both keep bringing them up? How am I supposed to move on when you're just reminding me of my dead friends every five minutes. Stay out of my business and I'll stay out of yours." You snapped. They just kept prying, and you were over it.

"Woah, okay. I shouldn't have brought them up. I am sorry, though, about your friends." Leon said, face looking like a kicked puppy once more. How are you supposed to be angry at him when he looked at you like that? Damn your soft heart.

"Sure you are. You didn't know them. To the both of you, they're just two more faces of the thousands of dead that you've already forgotten. So please, focus on this mission so we can all go our separate ways when it's over. And hopefully never see each other again." You told them. 

You were over it. Over the fake sympathies and Umbrella and this entire city. You're tired. You didn't want to do this anymore.

"The cable car will take us further down to NEST. This wristband is our ticket to ride." Ada gestured to her wrist, breaking the silence.

"Nice. Where'd you get that?" Leon asked.

"Y/n found it."

"You're welcome." You said dryly.

"Anyway, we're almost there." Ada told him as she limped after you.

You walked through a door and held it open, Ada and Leon walked through. Or in Ada's case, limped.

She folds over in pain. "Ugh, this damn leg."

"Let me carry you." Leon insisted.

She shook her head. "No. That'd only make me feel worse. How's the shoulder?"

"Worse than it looks." He brushed off.

"What a pair. Both got one foot in the grave." Ada snarked.

You finally made it to the cable car door. "Here we are." You said.

Ada limped forward and used the wrist band to unlock the door.  It unlocked and you walked in, immediately going to sit on one of the benches, not bothering to even try and figure out how to work the cable car. Ada sat on a bench further down the cable car, which was slanted and had stairs for some reason. Interesting design choice.

"This may be a one way ride. So be prepared, you two." Ada warned.

"Not like I have a choice. Unless you're giving me the option to leave too?" You asked for across the car.

Ada shook her head. "We'll need you, Y/n. You know where to find the G. Or, at least, where to start."

Oh, so Leon got a choice and you don't? You doubted she needed you. You really did. So why was she keeping you here? What could you possibly add to the mission?

Leon started the cable car and it began its descent further into the NEST. 

"This tram is bound for NEST. Do not exit until the final destination." A computer voice said.

"You know what I was thinking? I can't wait for the FBI to raid Umbrella headquarters and take those bastards to justice." Leon said. 

Yeah, if only.

"I agree… But to be clear, you're not working in official capacity. This is a federal case. Once we get the G-virus, I'm back on my own." Ada told him.

Leon seemed a bit annoyed by this and turned around to look away. You couldn't really tell what he was thinking.

"Hey, Leon. Trust me?" Ada asked.

He walked up the stairs toward her. "You trust me?"

Ada huffed a laugh. "Honestly… If I didn't you'd probably be dead."

"Right." Leon scoffed.

"What about you, Y/n?" She asked, taking your attention from looking out the windows.

"What about me?" You asked, not really paying attention to the conversation.

"Do you trust me? Trust us?" Ada repeated.

You looked at her and Leon, pausing for a moment, before shaking your head. "No."

"No?" Leon questioned, confused and curious.

"No." You repeated. "I barely know you both. We've been together for five, maybe six hours. I don't trust that easily. Especially strangers." 

"Smart. I don't blame you for that. But for this to work, I need you to trust us. Trust me." Ada tried.

You hummed. "Yeah, well, I'll try not to ruin your plans. How about that?" 

You could meet in the middle and work together, but trust? That's a stretch. It's a lot to ask for. You've been disappointed and betrayed by those you've trusted before. In return you've always been careful when it comes to that. Hell, it took a couple weeks before you even fully trusted Ben. Especially when he started dating Katherine. 

A pang in your heart. No. Don't think about them. Survive now, grieve later. 

"Why don't you trust us? We've saved your life." Leon said.

"Yes. And I thank you for that. But in case you've forgotten, which I haven't, you also threatened to leave me for dead in that cell with Ben's body if I didn't cooperate. Not exactly a good first impression."

Ada nodded in reluctant understanding. "Look, I thought I might need yours and Y/n's help… and I was right. If you both can secure the G-virus I can make sure what happened in Raccoon City never happens again."

Leon sits next to her. "Ada. You said it yourself. It's a federal case. I don't have the authority-"

"Look at me." Ada interrupted. Leon went silent and she huffed. "I'm a liability now. If I'm gonna finish this case, you both are the last hope I've got."

Ah, so that was her plan. Make us do her dirty work.

Leon looked conflicted. "I'm not just gonna leave you here. What if you're attacked? What if you need help-"

Ada kisses Leon. She kisses him. For a good few seconds. You grimaced and turned to look out the windows, never a fan of PDA. 

Didn't they just meet each other? Must be another manipulation tactic. Kiss the man to shut him up and get him to listen.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. I gotta see this through. And I want to see you again." She placed a hand on his thigh. "I got plenty to live for. Trust me." 

Is that flirting? Is she flirting?

Really fucking awkward. Oh wow, look at that. The building structure is amazing. You could give Umbrella a point for cool underground labs. That leaves them at -99. 

"Now arriving at NEST." The computer voice said.

"Go. Please. We don't have much time. You're gonna need this." She took off the wrist band and gave it to Leon.

"Okay." Leon said, ready to be the hero. "You coming, Y/n?" Leon asked you. 

You glanced at Ada and saw her look at you pleadingly. You rolled your eyes and walked over to her.

"Fine. I'll do your dirty work for you, seeing as you're incapable at the moment. But after this, I don't want to see you ever again. I don't really appreciate being manipulated." You said quietly, so Leon wouldn't hear from the doorway.

"I haven't been manipulating you-" Ada started.

"You have. And Leon too. You know it." You shrugged. "It's fine. I'll get you your G-virus. I just better not find out it has landed in the wrong hands because of you. I really don't want a repeat of Raccoon City, Ada. I don't want to have a part in that again. You can understand that, can you?" You questioned.

"I understand. You can trust me, Y/n." Ada said. 

You looked her in the eye and studied her face. You were conflicted. It was odd. Every single part of you wanted to trust her, but you knew you couldn't. That you shouldn't.

"We'll see. Stay safe, Ada." You said as you turned and walked away from her.

"I'm counting on you both." Ada said.

"I know." Leon responded. You just went out, not wanting to stay there anymore.

Time to go get the G-virus.

#ada wong #resident evil #ada wong x reader #resident evil x reader #claire redfield #jill valentine #leon kennedy #idk what else to tag #raccoon city

[suseagull04]

Thanks to the lovely @firenati0n @zwiazdziarka @wordsofhoneydew @hgejfmw-hgejhsf and @heybuddy-drabbles for the tags!

I've shared a lot of words today for the WIP Tag Game, so I'm going to post them all here so everyone who wants to can see them... And there may or may not be a high school AU snippet at the end!

Scrabble/Bananagrams AU:

He can't believe this.

He had thought he was the best at Scrabble and Bananagrams. Even factoring out the fact that he’s fluent in two languages, he usually manages to defeat any opponent he's up against.

But that was before he met the infuriating Henry Fox.

He's a friend of June's that she's invited along with a bunch of her other college friends for game night, and he's… well, he doesn't think Henry is used to losing, Alex will put it that way.

Alex has been playing this game for ages, though. He will win, no matter what it takes.

Bookstore oneshot:

“Remember, H, we only have an hour before we need to leave for the inauguration.”

“Of course, of course,” Henry dismissed Alex's worries with a wave of his hand. “I just want to get the new collector's edition of Jane Austen’s works. It has all of her writing, Alex. All of it in one place! Can you imagine anything better?”

Yeah, he could, actually: the way Henry looked when he was talking about this stuff was better than any book Alex could think of. His eyes were shining, his smile nothing short of brilliant. Alex would bring Henry into a bookstore every day of the week if it meant he would smile like that.

Baker Alex, writer Henry:

There's nothing quite like finding the perfect place to write, Henry mused.

He had been unable to focus on his work that morning, too distracted by… well, honestly, everything. He loved his beagle, David, but he had constantly wanted attention, which Henry was only too happy to give him, of course. Plus, there were dishes to be done, vacuuming to do… Henry could make all the excuses in the world not to write, but the fact remained that he wasn't writing as he should be.

So he had packed up his laptop and googled cafes in the area, looking for a good place to get some writing done. 

High school AU:

At last, her most promising source of distraction that day showed up. Alex brought over a guy who was slightly taller than him and said, “Henry, this is my sister, June.”

“Lovely to meet you,” Henry greeted her, sticking out his hand. She shook it, entranced by his accent from the moment he spoke. Not that that meant that a certain Jewish friend of hers was driven from her mind, though. “This seems to be a lovely party. I especially like the decorations. Jane Austen is my favorite author, you know.”

At his words, June's brain went into overdrive. She had never thought she'd meet a guy who liked Jane Austen. “Mine too! She's just incredible. No one writes like that anymore.”

“True, and it's such a shame. The ability to get that descriptive with prose, the complexity of the plot and how she immediately gets you immersed in the plot with such eloquent dialog… she's unmatched, that's for sure.” June grinned. She had never thought meeting a prince would be so fun, that a boy the same age as her brother would want to talk about Jane Austen, let alone actually like her work. There were certainly no guys like that in the States. 

I'm pretty late to the game, but tagging @anincompletelist @14carrotghoul @inexplicablymine @happiness-of-the-pursuit @raysletters @rockyroadkylers and @read-and-write- in case they have anything they want to share- and open tag for you if you want to play too! If you take the open tag, please tag me, I'm always eager for more fic snippets!

#rwrb fic #firstprince #fanfiction #rwrb #writing #alex claremont diaz #prince henry rwrb #rwrb fanfic #rwrb fanfiction #firstprince fanfiction #firstprince fic #red white and royal blue fic #red white and royal blue fanfiction #redwhiteandroyalblue #red white & royal blue #henry fox #henry fox mountchristen windsor #suseagull04 writes #june rwrb #june claremont diaz #tag games #wip wednesday

[quinloki]

Family Ties

Fem Reader x Donquixote Doflamingo

23 Chapters - 60,812 words

Version with images can be found here.

CW: Language, violence, blood, moral ambiguity, murder, sexual themes and situations 18+ only

Summary: "It is in love, and murder, that we are sincere." He states, breath tickling your lips as he leans closer. "And I adore your sincerity, (Y/N)."

Modern Mafia AU style story - sorry, I don't really know what else to say about it ^^;

Chapter 1: Trouble

Working a lot of odd jobs, meant working a lot of odd hours, and most of the time it didn't bother you, but today was an eighteen-hour day and you put in time in three jobs. It had been long, and both your mind and your body were effectively exhausted. Peeking at your phone as you walked, you realized it was more like a 24-hour day, since it was already past midnight.

Ugh, I've been up since 4am, today was nuts. You grumble internally.

You kept your monologue internal so you could keep your senses external. Walking home this late wasn't super safe, but you're also not exactly easy pickings, so you weren't terribly worried. A dropped guard though, is no guard, so while you might have looked distracted, you weren't.

You hear a low groan from ahead of you, and the shifting of clothes and back-alley trash. It wasn’t loud, but you were on alert and there wasn’t much other noise around here at this time of night. Making yourself quieter than you had been, you crept into the alley and took in the scene.

A man in a nice, if not torn and bloody suit, is propped against the wall of building, breathing ragged puffs into the cooler air. He’s tall with blonde hair, sunglass – at night? What a choice. ­­– and an old flintlock gun in his hand. It’s hard to see in the dark, but from his posture, he looks beat to all hell.

You slip closer, softer than the air, and put a hand over his flintlock and his mouth at the same time, staring into his eyes well as you could against the glasses. He jerks, but he doesn’t make a sound, and you don’t feel him struggle against you. Taking a closer look, you realize he isn’t just beat all to hells, he is hurt enough to be on the edges of death.

Looking around for signs of whoever is on his tail you then lean in close and hiss in a whisper. “Fight me on trying to help you and I leave you to die.” You warn. “If you lean on me, think you can stand?”

You didn’t move your hand from his mouth or his firearm yet, but he nods without any real hesitation. “Your pursuers,” You whisper, releasing your grip and bracing to help him to his feet, pointing with your chin as you spoke. “In the alley or main?”

He points to the alley and lets out a low grunt from behind clenched teeth as you get him on his feet. “Alright. Stuff your questions and your voice, now move.”

He towers over you. You were short by normal standards, and he had to have two feet on you easy. But for all he leaned into you, you pushed back, giving as much support as you could physically muster. You would’ve fireman carried him, but something told you that unless he was completely unconscious there’s no way he was going to suffer being hauled around like that.

You stop from time to time to listen, and then adjust your course or get off the main street entirely. You were making your way to your friend’s clinic, it was closed but locks were just a suggestion, and the doc wouldn’t press charges against you anyway.

"Where?" His voice was deep, but as soft and quiet as you imagined it could hope to be.

“Somewhere safe and discreet to stop the bleeding.” You pause, listen, and catch the first real sounds of actual pursuit so you push him a little faster. “After that depends.”

He seemed content with that answer, and you could feel him trying to push him body to move faster.

It only took a couple of minutes to reach the clinic. You prop him against the wall. “Don’t fall down big guy,” You whisper, pulling out your lockpicks and opening the door almost as fast as if you’d had a key. It was no surprise, you practiced on this door for years with Law’s permission. He’d meant for you to be able to come in if you had an emergency for yourself, but that wasn’t your problem right now.

You get the big guy in, and the door shuts quietly behind you both. Setting him on the exam table, closing interior doors and making sure there was no way for light to spill into the front of the clinic before turning on the room’s light you go about gathering supplies.

"Why?" That rumble of a voice was nice. You appreciate him keeping his noise making minimal as well.

"Bored." You snort derisively. You speak quietly, barely above a whisper, the room wasn't soundproof, but it was brick with a heavy door. You don't look at him as you move around the room. With the supplies gathered, it was time to prep the station and then clean everything. "You like that suit?"

"Not sentimentally." He states flatly. His tone suggests he does like it for more practical reasons.

You bite back a laugh. "Strip what you can and lay down."

"You're a doctor?" His voice was like thunder and velvet, you would almost hate to hear it when he's at full health, you imagine it'd be easy to get swept away by that voice.

"Field medic if anything." You answer. "You're in the loving hands of someone with practical experience but no degree." You finish prepping as he lays down with a restrained groan, his suit jacket, tie, and undershirt on the floor. "We can compare scars la... ter." You turn toward him after scrubbing your hands and see the extent of the wounds.

At least three bullet holes and two gashes. Bruises and scrapes too, but those weren't your problem. With this level of hurt he's probably got a fracture or two at the minimum.

"Anything I can't see?" You ask, cleaning up the absolute mess his torso had become. "Stabbed in the back? Shot in the leg? Those pants are kind of blood-colored, I don't want to waste time hunting for holes."

"One back wound." He replies. "Left leg outer thigh."

Concise, you appreciate concise. You glance down and see the tear and the blood, pulling the tear you rip the pants a bit and clean the area up with the towel. "Lucky bastard, the shot's shallow, it'll be easy to fix. I'll get your front patched up and we'll look at that back wound. I don't wanna go flipping you over and over."

You hand him a clean towel. "You look like a tough bastard, but I don't thief the doc's meds, so if you have to, bite this and keep as quiet as fucking possible if you don't want your friends to come in uninvited."

You go to work. You'd assisted the doc before, and you'd actually patched yourself up a few times too. Not because you were full of bullets and had pissed people off, but you got into fights and accidents and hospitals weren't cheap. Plus, time around the boys meant patching Pops' crew often enough, and those cheeky bastards never wanted to admit that anything hurt.

This guy could've won their fights though, he was using the towel as a pillow, and the harsh light of the room was enough for you to see the outline of his eyes through his glasses while you work. He does grunt and twitch a time or two, but he is impressively stoic.

"You lost a lot of blood, mister." You remark. Rambling while you worked helped you keep focus. "I can't fix that either, but at least we're plugging the leaks. I bet with that suit you're wearing you can get proper care later, but I feel like your friends out there are the clingy types. And pretty well-prepared too, to do all this, you don't strike me as a guy caught off guard much."

There was a silence at first, and when you were between wounds a single word. "Traitor." There's a weight to that word that almost sinks your soul down to your feet. If that traitor survived tonight, you had a feeling he wouldn't survive many more if this man had his way.

"Explains the wound in the back then. Tough luck." You pat his chest as you finish up the last wound and raise an eyebrow. This guy is solid. Handsome bastard too, especially if he can look this good while being in this bad of shape. You swallow and refocus. "Let me deal with your leg, then you can turn over."

Moving closer to it you pull the fabric a little more to make more room. "At least I hope we can turn you over after this. I'm not exactly a power lifter, and you're a touch bigger than me."

A bemused chuckle fills the air and you smile. A sense of humor, and being able to appreciate that humor, are good signs in situations like this.

His muscles ripple as he turns over and crosses his arms in front of himself, resting his chin on them. You took a moment to appreciate what this man did to maintain his body and felt a swift pang of guilt that your stitches weren't better.

"Do you know who I am?"

"Trouble." You answer and earn another smooth rumbly chuckle. You clean the wound on his back, just barely to the side of his spine, and are getting ready to stitch it. "And Trouble, I don't want to know any other name you have, and there's no reason to give you mine."

"I'd like to properly thank you for all this."

You grunt. "This ain't over yet, and if it goes bad then you'll just have to appreciate our time in my friend's clinic."

You resist the urge to slap his ass when you finish. He's not one of the boys, and you're not looking to make friends with Trouble - so there's no need to be cheeky.

"Get dressed, I'm going to go out the front and at least pretend to be locking up so I can see if your friends are around." You pull the gloves off and toss 'em in the wrong bin specifically so Law'll know it was you. "After that we can make our way to Q's, since the cabbies hang out there, and get you a lift to wherever you want.

"Then you'll be someone else's problem, Trouble."

#Family Ties #donquixote doflamingo #doffy x reader #doffy one piece #one piece smut #one piece fanfiction #modern mafia au #reader insert #doflamingo x reader

[widefuturesss]

Hey chi. I might b asking something you can’t answer and not in this space. But i been dealing with a grief I can’t seem to recover from or live with. If u were born an orphan, but committed to liberation, had done all this work you’ve done, only to be betrayed by ur community and maimed along the way. And now u crippled and everyone pretends they didn’t see nothing. What would u do? Who would u read? Where would u draw from if u had nowhere to turn to?

Hey dear, i've been thinking alot about forgiveness, accountability and what it mean to just cut someone off... I know I definitely got my own positions. I can feel your pain and I hold it with me. I think water is asking you to release the pain of your injury, they are saying that you survived, you need only the humility of releasing your inner judges, the inner voices who even question the depth of your own injuries... have compassion for yourself in your crippled state, tend to your body and be reborn in your mourning, and mourning can be very sacred, it can and should be celebrated. You have a sacred lust for life and liberation, you are committed to liberation, liberation for yourself and therefore others. So speak up within your release, centre yourself. Let them keep pretending even as you speak, real recognise real and you most definitely cannot fake real!!!!!! Bigger histories know and feel your position. See the bigger picture, give your destiny grace to shine thruu.

I would seek out ancestors, even as an orphan, you have them. I would start thanking ancestors I cannot name, literally "i thank ancestors i cannot name". I would use my imagination as a route for new possibilities. Create your own ensemble, dare to imagine a an immaterial collective, a collective beyond the linearity of time. You would be surprised at how this should actually birth in your life and more beautyfully dis time. Accountability is a meditation, today i thought to myself, chai, i should leave it to Chineke to judge, to judge me, to judge others... who am i to judge others when i too be hurting people? who am i to judge myself when people be hurting me? - Maybe this is surrender?

I think of beautyful Alice Coltrane who had to surrender to grief.

I think of JP who hopes she's SHE in the face of bs respectability politics.

Then I look to Maya Angelou who said she can only aspire to be a christian, she can only aspire towards holiness, she knows that life has been a hell of a journey in the pursuit of joy, pleasure and freedom. She knows she was 'crippled' once. She knows she's done some painful things also. Life na dual state. Give and Take.

Waywardness has been my awakening and source for language.

I made this when I was at a point of no return

I thank jah you asked me these questions... I too have had something to say and I can only answer from my position.

Bless u

[pickinglilahs]

Blackeclipse for the soul

The real reason there had to be two moons over break AO3 link if you prefer to read there Part 22; Part 23; Part 24; Part 25; Part 26

For breakfast, they asked the elves for another picnic and took it, along with Remus' new cushions, to the Shack. By 9 o'clock, the 3 of them were snuggled up and munching on an assortment of fruit.

They had to stay inside the Shack this Full, even with most of the student body absent. There was too much of a risk that someone would be wandering the grounds. So, they wrestled and played downstairs.

By the time the Full set, they were covered in dust and dirt. They brushed off and sent cleaning charms at each other before sitting down for a late lunch.

The cushions were stored in a chest to keep them clean, and the empty basket was shrunk to fit in James' pocket. They made their way back to the castle, where Poppy was waiting for them in the Entrance Hall.

She gave Remus a once-over, before nodding and sending them on their way. So, they returned to Gryffindor Tower, took turns showering, and lounged on the bed to wait for the feast to start.

~~~

Remus was taking his time packing up, waiting for everyone to leave so that Regulus could take the cloak off. Unfortunately, he wasn't the only one waiting around.

Snape was lingering off to one side of the room. Remus, not wanting to deal with him today, made to leave; they could find some other empty classroom.

Naturally, as Remus neared the door, Snape cut him off. The room was empty now; the door swinging closed on its own.

Remus could feel Regulus' hand tighten around his wrist, but he just shook his head. "I don't want to deal with this today, Snape."

Sneering, the greasy git cut right to the chase, "I know what you are."

"What I am?" Remus laughed, not even hesitating. "And what am I, exactly?" The best way to deal with Snape was avoidance, he was almost certain the boy was trying to make him give something away.

"You're a werewolf." Snape managed to look both disgusted and gleeful. "Don't even try to deny it, I've been watching you."

Regulus' invisible hand disappeared from his wrist as Remus smiled pityingly at the other boy. "You've been 'watching me'? And you think I'm a werewolf?" Remus brought his voice down at the end, making his disbelief—and slight concern for the boy's sanity—clear.

"I know you are! You used to disappear every Full Moon, but now you just get tired which is a side effect of the Soulbond. You weren't at the castle during break, but you also weren't on the train. Those days also happened to be Full Moons. Not to mention your scars are indicative of a werewolf's tendency for self-mutation when locked up for transformations. The only thing I can't figure out is why you aren't mutilating yourself anymore. Even with the Soulbond, you would still need to spend time in the Hospital Wing and acquire new scars."

Remus blinked at him. Sticking with his avoidance tactic, he kept his voice soft and pitying, "You really are obsessed with me, aren't you? I can't imagine why. I always thought you were after James because of his pursuit of Lily." Remus paused, exaggerated his revelation, then, "Though, I suppose if it was James you were after all along, it would be natural to come after me because of our bond."

Snape was sputtering now, face turning red.

"Have you confronted Regulus as well? Is he a vampire? Or maybe a Siren? He is beautiful enough."

"This is not about Potter," Snape snarled. "This is about you being a disgusting monster."

He couldn't hide the flinch at that. He was a monster, and even if he could walk away from this without confessing, Snape could still tell people.

How many people would believe him?

Even with James and Regulus helping with the symptoms, he was still absent while the moon was up. Deciding this conversation needed to end, Remus sighed.

"What is it you want Snape? Are you going to run to Dumbledore? Tell the whole school I'm 'a big bad monster'?" He made sure to keep his tone mocking and discrediting.

Snape paused; Remus was getting to him. There was uncertainty in his posture now, even if his face was still set.

Remus took it and ran. "Look, I'm flattered by the attention, really, but why do you think they'd let a werewolf into a school full of children? I'm sure the board of governors and the Wizengamot would have something to say about that."

The spark of righteousness in Snape's eyes faltered.

"I suppose I can't stop you from telling the whole school, but I doubt anyone would believe you. Seeing me during the next Full Moon is all it would take for people to know you're lying."

A plan was already forming in Remus' mind; so, when Snape started to sputter again, he gave the git one last pitying look and stepped around him, knocking into Regulus.

He must have positioned himself in between them just in case. Remus smiled and rolled his eyes to himself as he went to the door, feeling Regulus' hand close around his wrist once more.

Down the hall, Remus glanced around and pulled Regulus into a broom closet.

It was occupied.

By James.

He was tucking the map away as Regulus shed the cloak. Remus threw locking and silencing spells at the door, sighing as James pulled him into his arms.

"What happened?"

Regulus' answering growl came as he too wrapped himself around Remus from behind, "Snape knows."

James stiffened and Remus was quick to add, "I don't think he'll tell, but we are going to need some polyjuice."

He could feel both boys' confusion and quickly went on, shifting around so he could see Regulus as well, "In that book you gave me for Christmas, it says they did a study with polyjuice. The person who changes into the werewolf isn't affected by the moon at all. I assume that, should anyone really look at that study, it will become illegal for anyone to turn into werewolves trying to hide their status. Not that there are a whole lot of people who would be willing to do that to help people like me but..."

James had already caught on. "Sirius."

Regulus seemed about to ask, but understanding lit his face as well. He shifted gears, "We don't have time to brew it."

"We don't need to; Slughorn has some in his office." James' pranking brain was whirling; eyes unfocused and hands twitching against their backs like they were working with something only he could see.

Once he started muttering to himself, Remus laid his head on Regulus' shoulder. "This might take him a minute."

He could feel Regulus' chest moving with a silent chuckle. He brought a hand up to brush Remus' hair behind his ear, dropping a kiss to the top of his head before resting his chin there, "How are you feeling, Moonbeam?"

Remus hummed, considering. "Exhausted, but more from the conversation than the Full, I think."

Remus felt Regulus' hum more than he heard it. As dysphoric as his height made him, Remus loved when Regulus held him like this.

Still, he turned his head into Regulus' shoulder, grousing, "It's not fair that you get to be so tall."

Regulus huffed, "Well it it's not fair that you hardly ever bleed; so, I think we're even."

An annoyed, disgruntled sort of sound came from Remus as he nuzzled further into Regulus' shoulder.

It was then that James snapped back into himself. He tightened his hold on both boys and grinned. "Lunch?"

Remus and Regulus rolled their eyes, allowing James to herd them out of the closet and towards the Great Hall.

~~~

Operation Discredit Snivillus

Regulus stays during the week randomly

Steal Aquire polyjuice from Slughorn

Warn Dumbledore of Snape and ODS

Tell Kinzie (and Siri)

Diversion Prank (Peter and Benji)

Check Thursday class schedule

Alibi for me and Reg (polyjuice girls?)

Monitor the rumor mill

Confer with Poppy

~~~

"Check Thursday class schedule?"

"Polyjuice girls?"

Remus only intervened on stealing the polyjuice, otherwise, he had left James to his list. Now that he had pushed it over for Remus and Regulus to inspect, they knew he was ready to explain.

By way of answering Regulus' question, he only said, "Next one's on a Wednesday."

Remus and Regulus nodded in understanding before Remus asked again, "You really want to bring the girls into this?"

James smiled deviously, "No. We bring the girls in for the Diversion Prank."

Regulus looked around Remus to James, "And what is this Diversion Prank?"

Impossibly, his smile got more devious. "Up to Peter."

Remus groaned and dropped his head on the table.

Regulus winced at the loud 'thunk' and cast a weary look at James. "I'm missing something."

Sirius, who had been engrossed in his conversation with Kingsley, turned to his brother, "Peter comes up with the...strangest pranks."

Regulus arched a brow at his brother, the marauders had done quite a few strange pranks over the years.

Sirius rolled his eyes, "Like, remember when the quidditch pitch was wrapped with ribbons and bows? Or when there were all those bouncy balls on the stairs?"

James jumped in, "Or when all of the desks in the potions hall were stuck upside down and the chairs were stuck to the ceiling?"

Remus picked his head up and turned to Regulus, "It's not that his ideas are the strangest; it's that they're always the most involved."

"Ah."

Peter sat down beside Sirius with Benji, "Whose ideas are the most involved?"

Remus gave him a look and Peter smiled down bashfully and started to load his plate.

@starchasersunseeker @poetrypirate @niad4827 @bradley-95147-blog @shyshadows430

#blackeclipse #remus x james x regulus #regulus x james #james x remus #remus x james #james x regulus #remus x regulus #regulus x remus #regulus black #james potter #remus lupin #dead gay wizards #dead gay wizards of the 70s #maraders era #jegulus #moonchaser #moonwater #jeggy #starchaser #sunseeker #trans!regulus black #trans regulus black #trans regulus #trans!remus lupin #trans remus lupin #trans remus #bipolar james potter

[dwarvencraftsdirectfromorzammar]

okay, fuck it. I made this post while ago and i haven't been able to stop thinking about it. i am going to be coherent in any way? Not really, some of them feel very deliberate, while some of them dont make much sense to me, maybe im reaching with this but what fun is in being normal about a show??? also i poses no brain cells so dont expect some deep shit from me (expect some shitty screenshot tho)

So we start with this:

"monster" hanging above the city, nice neutral backround as we just got introduced to the story and the characters, we have very little information overall but it hangs above menacingly ready to land on our first candidate.

We find our first monster (expectedly) in Lee Dongsik

Epiodes 2,3 and 4 greet us with these (very pretty) title cards and of course its Lee Dongsik. Playing the role of monster for us and also for Han Juwon (and rest of manyang) is essential to his character and the story. He was the one the say "If you want to get the monster, you should become one." On subsequent rewatch these feel somehow flippant, like a part of the play he keeps up. He welcomes the label, he often meets it head on like he is aware it's there. They also feel very different to another title card we get with Dongsik.

Episode 7 flashes the title across Dongsik with the sound of gunshot, and it feels very accusatory, like the show itself pointing it's finger at him "see? he is a monster after all, look at what he does." This isn't part of the play, this is just him exposed and vulnerable. Then we get the scene where he smashes that guys head on the pavement. This is also last time he is branded as such.

As we go further along and we uncover (at least partial) truth we get another monster branded.

Episode 6 gives us this duh! kinda moment you can see from miles away but nonetheless its very satisfing to see it. True monster is finally exposed and identified. But then we get episode 8 and it kinda boggles my mind.

Feeling like for sure i have been thinking too much into the whole thing, because this doesnt make much sense. Han Juwon is next to be marked as a monster as he's leaving right after arresting Kang Jin Mook. Looking back at Dongsik who is kneeling in front of body of Kang Min Jung quoting his earlier words "No one is going to die from today." And maybe this is a brand he puts on himself, maybe he thinks of Lee Geum Hwa and maybe he thinks about how he treated Dongsik, maybe its a reminder for the audience that he is not without fault here.

Nontheless the killer is found, the case is closed, we can start with a clean slate:

Title card for episode 9 and 11 is the same and they kinda represent the lull in the investigation, no new leads, no new characters to be accused, starting from zero so to say. What's interesting to me that in between these, in episode 8 we get this:

This is actually my favourite, it feels like a callback to the whole "if you want to catch a monster you have to become one". Han Juwon just had THAT conversation with Kwon Hyeok about how he, a sheltered boy can never catch Lee Dongsik. His response - "i have to be reborn". I have to become someone like him, i have to play by his rules.

Episodes 12, 13 and 16 are pretty straigtforward, as we learn more, we get more suspects. I really like that mother of Park Jung Je is in that frame with him, holding him. That last episode really driving it home for me that these have meaning.

on the other hand there are episodes 14 and 15. Mother of Han Juwon being dragged away, Han Kihwan saying "now our lives will be perfect" and little Han Juwon standing on the balcony watching the whole thing.

and again Han Juwon walking away after listening to the whole confession of his father, what he is capable of sacrificing for perfection, what he already destroyed in his pursuit of perfection.

If i had to reach and i probably was this whole time, i think that in every instance Han Juwon puts that label on himself. Eveytime we see that word flash across him he bears it with guilt. It feels like his internal struggle with things he considers he did wrong made visible. He never bears it like other characters, its thing of shame and sin. He never meets it head on, even in that instance when he wants to be reborn, because thats just not who he is. He can never use it as just a label that can have its own uses, not like Lee Dongsik did.

Also i really like that in case of Han Kihwan, Lee Chang Jin and Kang Jin Mook, our "true" monsters, just as they are branded we get to look them in the eyes. It feels very matter of fact, they know it and they dont care. There is no regret, no remorse. (In the very begging Lee Dongsik also looks us in the eyes, he bacame what he had to, to do what he has to.)

Overall, its interesting how the show uses it, its like this multipurpose tool for the characters, the show itself and the audience.

#Please be gentle I don't like doing this kinda of post because Im not smart and I can't articulate anything for shit #I don't like presenting my interpretation of any media because I just feel dumb as fuck #But I really like beyond evil and I keep thinking about it so I want to share my thoughts #Beyond evil #han juwon #lee dongsik #han joowon #Lee Chang Jin #Han kihwan #Kang Jin Mook #Also sorry it's little bit long