#this is giving me prologue/au ideas so i wanted to type it out to anyone who wants inspiration or smth | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

justkending · 3 years

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Moral of the Story (Prologue)

Series Summary: From childhood friends, to highschool sweethearts, the two naive, young, and lovestruck teens decided the best way to keep a strong relationship during college would be to marry right out of highschool. No one batted an eye at the idea as everyone knew they were soulmates. However, college is a big step in a person’s life. You learn new things about yourself, you make new friends, find new hobbies… And maybe being newly weds and going to different colleges across the states wasn’t the best plan… After a falling out, and a tragic heartbreaking divorce, the two now hold grudges for how the other handled the whole thing in the past. Neither not really knowing both sides of the story. 10 years later, and they both get a call from the lawyers office that settled their divorce. Somehow the papers never went through and the divorce was never completed. So now, the exes, or should we say husband and wife, have to meet back up after all these years to settle their failed marriage once and for all. (This summary will be shorter in other chapters. I just needed to get the full concept out there;)

A/N (repeat): So the other day while I was doing my hair (quite the process), I was playing music and the song Moral of the Story by Ashe came on. Mind you, I’ve heard this song hundreds of times, but for some reason, this time I got a major story idea! Listening to the lyrics brought me to this new series. Of course, the lengthy summary above will give you an idea of what came to my brain, but I recommend you listen to the song still because it plays a big part in my thought process:) (Plus it’s a good song;) Enjoy and please do not hesitate to share your thoughts and comments with me! I love each and every single one<3

(I will release the first chapter at the beginning of next week! That way I can give myself some time to write more chapters before sharing it!)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Y/N (Modern AU)

Word Count: 1200+

Prologue:

"Melody, have the papers for the Bee's Knees company come in yet?"

"Uh, no. But I can call them again and see if they faxed it or sent over a physical copy though," Melody answered from her desk, already typing away to find the company.

"Perfect. We have a meeting with a recycling plant next week and I want to get everything set before we go in with them," Y/N nodded, coming out from her office with a file in her hands. She turned to her assistant at the front desk who was about 20 emails deep and already finding the issue. "Hey, you're not coming in tomorrow, right?"

"Um, no, no. I am. I rescheduled that date," she answered bashfully as if she had been caught in the act of something.

"Melody..." Y/N drug out, hand on her hip.

"What? I- He understood. He said he was fine moving it to Saturday," the young woman shrugged, never looking back at her boss that was clearly sending her a motherly stare.

"You're already over your 40 hours this week, and you've rescheduled with him, what? 3 times now?" Y/N moved to the front of the desk so the young brunette had to make eye contact with her.

"Yes," she answered hesitantly.

"Is it just nerves or something else?" Y/N smirked.

"I'm not nervous... It's just been a while since I've had time for a date."

"Two things about what you just said in the past minute. One, clearly this guy likes you because he's rescheduled with you this many times and hasn't called it off yet. So if you're nervous about it not going well on his end, I think you're safe," Y/N pointed a finger at her.

"But-," Melody started.

"Second," Y/N cut off with a raised eyebrow. "I'm giving you time to go on a date and you're still not taking it. Work is no longer an excuse."

Melody stopped avoiding eye contact and looked up at the Y/H/C hair woman leaning on her reception desk.

"You've been talking with my mom again, haven't you?" she sighed.

"I promised I'd take care of you. So yes, I have. And though her reasoning for you dating is because she wants grandbabies, I just want you to have fun and live your life. You're 22. Don't waste your young years being scared."

"Ugh, fine. I'll text him now and see if he's still available for tonight," she groaned.

"Perfect!" Y/N grinned in victory as she started to walk back to her office. "I expect the details in the morning," she winked before she walked in.

"Oh, Y/N!" Melody stopped her. "A message came for you while you were in that last meeting."

"Who from?" Y/N quirked an eyebrow, moving back to the desk.

"Uh, I don't really know. Didn't sound familiar, but here's the name and number they said to call back from," she answered, handing her a note.

Y/N took the small paper and looked it over. Her face dropped and her eyes widened.

"You ok? Is it someone you know?" the young assistant asked, noticing what looked like horror on her face.

"Um, yeah. Yeah, an old acquaintance of mine," Y/N tried to quickly brush off. "Um, I'm going to take this. Can you hold any calls and if anyone comes to talk, tell them to just email me?"

"Oh, ok. Yeah, I'll take care of it," Melody nodded.

"Thank you."

Rushing back to her office and quickly shutting her door, she raced to her phone. She read the business name again, not sure if she was dreaming or if it was a hallucination.

Nope. Hammer Attorney was written in Melody's perfect penmanship on the paper with a number that held an area code from New York. A place she never thought she would hear from again and from a town she hadn't visited in almost 10 years._________________

"Buck, did you tell Fury about getting those new water therapy machines?" Steve shouted from his room.

"We're at home, Steve. Why are we talking about work?" Bucky groaned as he slouched on the couch. A beer in hand and a documentary with I Survived stories playing in front of him.

Steve came in from around the corner looking down at his phone in hand before moving his eye line to his roommate.

"Because I just got a call from the night crew saying that the last one that was working, finally went out tonight while they were running it for some test," Steve raised an eyebrow.

"Ugh, you would think that a facility run by a billionaire who literally makes his money on high-tech machines, wouldn't have to ask for those kinds of things," Bucky groaned, grabbing his own phone and going through emails. "Let me check to see if the email went through. He wasn't in office when I went to tell him."

As he was sorting through the hundreds of emails sent back and forth just this week alone, he found the reply message.

"Yeah, management confirmed it. They should be in by Saturday it looks like. Guess Stark was still working out the kinks to a new one and was waiting to send one our way until the last one died to get more time on his newest model."

Steve nodded before walking to the kitchen and typing Bucky's response to the other crew members.

"The man is always finding new ways to upgrade them before he can even send them to us."

Just as Bucky was about to throw his phone to the side again though, it started ringing. Looking at the caller ID, he didn't recognize the unknown number. It was from in-state but in his hometown area of Brooklyn. He pinched his eyebrows together confused at the call, but answered it anyway, thinking it must be someone from home.

"Hello?"

"Hello. Is this Mr. Barnes?" The other voice answered.

"Yes, this is him. Who's this?" he asked, sitting up a little and putting the beer on the end table.

"My name is Matthew Murdock. I work at Nelson and Murdock Law firm," he went on. Bucky shook his head not knowing what that was supposed to mean. "Well, you may actually know us previously as Hammer Attorney. We recently just took over their business after some fraud issues."

Bucky's heart stopped. He knew what that name meant.

"I hate to inform you, but we were going through some of their old files. Ones we were informed could be incomplete or done completely incorrectly due to little care in the actual cases, but more so in taking the money."

"Incomplete cases?" Bucky said softly. His brain was still trying to wrap around the conversation.

"Yes, unfortunately, it looks like a lot of cases having to deal with divorces that the past owners handled, were done strictly in order to launder money. They weren't actually certified, nor trained in handling divorce settlements."

Bucky froze. Eyes wide. Mouth agape.

He stuttered out a response when the man on the other line didn't continue.

"A-And talking about incomplete divorce settlements, you called because..." Bucky knew. He needed to hear it out loud because if he didn't, it wasn't true. It couldn't be.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Barnes, but it looks as though you and your wife, Y/N Y/L/N or sorry, Y/N Barnes, are actually not divorced."

(I will release the first chapter at the beginning of next week! That way I can give myself some time to write more chapters before sharing it!)

Moral of the Story Taglist:

@taylormobley @ximaginx @vicmc624

Marvel Tags:

@thejourneyneverendsx @death-unbecomes-you @heyiamthatbitch @lizzymacy555 @srrymydood @xa-dia @redhairedfeistynerd @morganclaire4 @connie326 @captain-asguard @mollygetssherlockcoffee @teenagedreams-bucky @shower-me-with-roses @pham-tastical

My Lovelies forever:

@natura1phenomenon @lauravicente @kakakatey @traceyaudette @notyourtypicalrose @laneygthememequeen @awesome-badass-cafeteria-sauce @sandlee44 @thorne93 @thefaithfulwriter @essie1876 @greyeyedsmile14 @capsiclehan @xostephanie @averyrogers83 @awesomenursingstudent @gh0stgurl @cs-please @carls1022 @jjlevin @rainbowkisses31 @carls1022 @anise-d-castle6 @deannotmoose @their-bibliophile @kitkatd7 @willowbleedsonpaper @mariaenchanted @snffbeebee @couldabeenamermaid @rebekahdawkins @alyispunk

Bucky Barnes Tags:

@chloe-skywalker @charmedbysarge @jbarness @bellamy-barnes @katiaw2 @aikeia

#bucky barnes x reader au #bucky barnes highschool sweetheart #bucky barnes collge au #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x y/n barnes #bucky barnes x y/n #justkending #new series #new marvel series #marvel au

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manggojooz · 3 years

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Foolish Love, Fake Love (Part 10)

pairing: idol!Jungkook x bodyguard!reader

word count: ~2,590

genre: idol!au; angst; romance; drama; enemies to lovers sort of thing

warnings: some references to stalkerish behaviour

summary: If all you can give me is a fake love, then I will be the fool to pretend that it is all true.

Taglist: @a-hopelessly-imaginative-girl @dollwithluv @sweetcheeksdna @yeontanie21 @peachygiraffe14 @jeontaes-world @forvever-ddaeng @namjoonsslutakakoreanmanswhore @apurpledheart @ggukkieeee @witchxlove

You frowned at the smiley boy who awkwardly stood outside your door.

“Uhh, you gonna let me in... or we gonna stand here all night?” Jungkook asked.

“Let... let you in? But why-” you were still only half-awake.

Jungkook shoved his way past you in one swift move and you stumbled against the door slightly. Catching your balance again you quickly followed him into the apartment.

“What are you doing here?” you asked as you trailed him into your own kitchen.

“Ow, it’s so heavy, I can’t stand carrying it another minute sorry,” he lamented as he dumps the bags of groceries on the tabletop with a thump. “What’s this?” he asked as he peeked inside the bag that contained the chicken soup.

“Soup, I think...” you answered weakly.

“You ordered it?” he asked.

“No... I don’t know, some guy just came to deliver it...”

“Mmm okay,” he hummed mindlessly but melodically as he took the package away from the dining table and chucked it to the side of the counter. “Let’s see...” he murmured to himself as he took his handphone from his back pocket.

“What are you doing here?” you asked again.

He does not make eye contact with you but stares intently at his phone screen, “I heard you injured your shoulder from last night... I didn’t know and I thought...” he stops suddenly. He side-eyes you for a moment and notices that you were surveying him with that same frown. “Hmm,” he clears his throat rather forcefully, “I just wanted to say I'm sorry, I was overreacting because-”

“Because you thought Yeonjoo was hurt...” you completed his sentence.

“I didn’t know you hurt yourself while protecting her, to be fair it wasn’t really visible you know...” he voice faded as he sounded a little relieved now that the topic has been broached.

“It’s our job to get injured so that the people we protect won’t be. You don’t have to be sorry for that,” you replied matter-of-factly.

“I know I know... but I shouldn’t have jumped to a conclusion and accuse you or shout at you” he still avoided looking at you as he muttered this.

Sometimes apologies are like this – it does not necessarily make you feel better more so than it makes the other person feel better.

“So... why are you here at this time?” you questioned a third time.

“Ah... Yuri is at another schedule with some of the hyungs and since I am free tonight so I thought I should come and make sure you ate dinner... at least...” he was still half-mumbling.

“You are here to make me dinner?” you asked incredulously.

“Eo...” he answered affirmatively.

---

Jungkook buying sacks of groceries just to make you dinner was the most unimaginable thing even just a day ago, but it was happening right this moment. You were too tired to quarrel with the idea and he had insisted that you get back to resting until everything was ready.

You could hear a lot of tinkering, “ahh”, “ooh” and the occasional swearing from the kitchen even in your half-awake state. You had no idea how long this lasted but at some point you were awakened by a knock on your room door.

“Dinner’s ready... are you awake?” his voice was soft but his tone was the usual.

You pulled yourself out of bed and headed out to the dining table, marginally more alert than you were before.

The spread that lay before your eyes was a wonder – a bowl of plain rice, some kind of stew that looked like it had a mix of unrecognisable ingredients in it and some kimchi.

“Do I start with the soup or...” you wondered cautiously.

“It doesn’t look that appetising but I promise you that it tastes fine and this is beef bone stew with abalone and what’s that thing...” he wasted no time trying to promote his masterpiece.

You raised an eyebrow at him.

“It’s some traditional herb... I’m sure it’s good for health” he continued.

He looked at you expectantly as you took a tiny sip of the stew with caution. It tasted... barely edible.

“How is it? How is it?” he asked like a child who was asking for affirmation from his parents.

“It’s nice...” you answered soullessly, “are you not having any yourself?”

“Nope, it’s all for you” he answered very certainly and you weren’t really sure if this was all part of the bigger picture.

Be that as it may, you recalled how Yoongi felt bad for you at the hospital and did not want another one of them thinking that girls are too weak to do this job.

“About last night... I just need to say it again, you don’t have to feel bad that I was injured and I can understand why you were worked up so you didn’t have to do this, but thanks anyway” you said while looking him straight in the eyes, maybe the drowsiness helps with boosting confidence.

He sighed unintentionally. “Like I said earlier, I know I don’t have to feel bad about it but I was wrong to yell at you and I just feel bad because I assume that Yeonjoo was hurt while you were fine and... and... I guess she just looked really shaken and you looked fine so I thought...”

“It’s ok, I get it. It’s just that we usually try our best not to show it even if we are hurt” you explained.

“If you don’t show it how do people know that you are hurt... what's the point of hiding it?” Jungkook mumbles endlessly as he walked back into the kitchen. He picked up the ladle still in the pot of stew, and you were about to continue the conversation but he took a sip of his own masterpiece.

“Bleh... oh my gosh... what’s this? This taste horrible! You should have told me honestly that it tasted bad... wow...” he shouted with his tongue half-hanging out.

“As you know, it’s not my forte to show how I feel” you replied sarcastically.

“Ugh I just wanted to make you something nice... what the heck is this even... you know what, this isn’t counted. I'll buy you something nice, what do you want to eat?” he lamented.

You were never a fan of bland soups and porridges anyway.

“Hmm... steak, buy me a nice a steak” you requested.

“You can eat that now? Or do you mean when you are better?” his eyes were round with curiousness.

“It’s my rule that when the body is not feeling well, the mouth needs to eat even better than usual” you explained quite nonchalantly while taking another bite of the weirdly-seasoned stew. It seems like you were starting to get used to the taste of it.

“Ohhh, alright then. There is this place I know that’s really hard to get a spot at, I will use some connections and get you some really awesome steak. How about tomorrow, since it’s a rare that we don’t have any schedules... I mean if you are feeling better tomorrow...”

You nodded somewhat eagerly as you continued taking another mouthful of the mysterious stew.

“Wow, you still gonna drink that?” his eyes were very round and large, clearly depicting his amazement by your ability to stomach his stew. “I’ll send you the time and address tomorrow.”

---

The next day and an hour before seven.

“Where are you going?” Yuri was shocked to see you all dressed up.

“I... uh... I’m going for dinner” you stammered. You were going to meet Jungkook at the restaurant at 7pm and the restaurant unfortunately has a casual formal dress code requirement.

“You are going for dinner? With who? Did you take your medicine?” Yuri nagged like a mother sometimes.

You thought for a long moment whether to reveal the truth but you decided to avoid it in prevention of any questioning that might ensure, “Wow, you are so naggy sometimes you know. I’m just meeting someone I know and yes ma’am I took my medicine, except that one painkiller that makes me really drowsy, I'll take that at night when I'm back alright?”

Yuri throws a towel at you for calling her naggy and told you to hurry and get out of her sight.

---

Thirty minutes to seven.

Jungkook suddenly gets a call from Kijin; something must be up with Yeonjoo for him to be calling Jungkook out of the blue.

“Hyung, what’s up? It's rare that you are calling me directly” Jungkook answered the call.

“Jungkook-ah... I really didn’t want to bother you but could you come over... she wouldn’t come out or talk to anyone since last night.”

---

Ten minutes to seven

Jungkook stares at his watch, just as he took out his phone to type a message to you Kijin opens the door at Yeonjoo’s apartment and he rushes in.

The door to Yeonjoo’s bedroom was shut tight. On the way here he was on the phone with Kijin the whole time and he explained hwo Yeonjoo had been receiving letters and calls from her longtime stalker.

“Is that... from that bastard?” Jungkook looked warily at a paper box placed in one corner of the living room.

“Ya... I’m handing it over to the police later... it’s pretty gross inside I don’t think you should go near it” Kijin warned.

“Why is he back? I thought he went quiet for a while...” Jungkook asked with a deep unhappiness.

“Not sure, I think he’s been sending Yeonjoo some messages but she won’t speak to me now” Kijin answered with matching concern.

Jungkook headed straight for Yeonjoo’s room. He carefully knocks on the door; there was no answer.

“It’s me... are you inside? Can you open the door?”

He was met with an eerie silence.

“Hyung... should we just go in?” Jungkook whispered to Kijin, his face fraught with worry.

“I think we have little choice now...” Kijing handed over a key to Jungkook.

The door creaked open slowly. Jungkook peered into the room that was pitch black. A narrow ray of light shone into the room from the opened door and he finally sees the silhouette of Yeonjoo crouched on the floor near the foot of the bedframe.

He ran over anxiously, “Are you alright? Why didn’t you answer us?”

Her hands scrunched the blanket that she had pulled over her legs. She was staring soullessly ahead but slowly turned to look at Jungkook.

“He’s back. I'm scared” she uttered.

“I know, Kijin hyung is reporting it to the police now” Jungkook whispers back.

“I’m tired, but I don’t dare to close my eyes” she whimpers.

“I’m here... I'll be here” Jungkook sat down next to her and she couldn’t help but lean against him.

---

Five minutes past seven.

You stood at the sidewalk leading to the elegantly-furnished entrance of the restaurant. Unintentionally you looked around whenever you heard any sound of someone walking by. You had messaged Jungkook to ask if he was reaching but there was no reply.

You did not even know whose name the reservation was under so you felt better waiting for him to outside. Time went by as you counted the number of times a car turned in but it wasn’t his car.

The night grew colder as the time went by. Eventually, you took a look at your watch.

Ten minutes to 8pm – you decided to give Jungkook a call. The call went unanswered and you were not that surprised but now you became slightly worried.

You made another call, this time to Sejoon.

“Eo.. Y/N...” Sejoon picked up the call and sounded out of breath.

“Hi Sejoon, are you ok?” you asked out of concern.

“Yah yah I’m fine, just ran out to grab some thing for Yoongi and Hobi who are having a schedule now... do you need something?” Sejoon asked you back.

“Uh... actually I am wondering if you know where Jungkook is now...” you started slowly, not sure how much to reveal about your plans with Jungkook.

“Jungkook? He’s not with you? I thought he told me he would be having dinner with you today,” answered Sejoon.

So, it is not much of a secret then. “Ah yes, he’s supposed to meet me for dinner but it’s almost past an hour and he’s not here, I tried calling him but couldn’t get him either,” you explained.

“What? Ok, he does tend to be late... but not this late... are you still waiting there?” Sejoon exuded his usual friendliness.

“Yah, I’m kinda still waiting,” you replied.

“What? I'll try reaching him after I put down these things for Yoongi and Hobi? Let me know if he suddenly shows up,” Sejoon instructed helpfully before you hung up.

---

Fifteen minutes past eight

Two police officers sat in Yeonjoo’s living room collecting as much information as they could from Yeonjoo and Kijin while Jungkook watched them from kitchen. It took him a whole ten minutes to coax Yeonjoo into speaking with the police after they arrived.

Now that he had mostly done his part, he was letting go of the tension he had built up over the past hour and suddenly his stomach let out a low growl.

He thought to himself that he could have been having some fancy steak now. “Right... would be nice to have some steak now... oh shit!” he suddenly jolted up and looked all over for his phone.

---

Your phone suddenly pinged – a message came in.

“Hey Y/N, I’m so sorry, there was an emergency, I didn’t check my phone until now... you aren’t still waiting right? I hope you already ordered something... don’t wait for me,” the message read.

The cocktail of feelings left a bittersweet aftertaste. You were still trying to decipher what exactly it was. Was it worry? Was it annoyance? Was it disappointment?

Then your phone rings. It was Sejoon.

“Hello? Y/N? Have you left yet?” Sejoon shouted through the noisy background noises on his end.

“Hey Sejoon, umm, yeah I got a text from Jungkook so I’m leaving now...” you muttered, trying to mask that bittersweet aftertaste

“Oh he texted you? Great, did you already grab dinner? Do you need me to come down and settle the bill for you?” Sejoon enquired on 80% volume.

“Uh no no don’t worry about me, I’m gonna go grab dinner when I get home...” you quickly cut in, “... but do you know what happened to him? He just said there’s an emergency... is he ok?”

“Jungkook? Oh he’s at Yeonjoo’s place apparently. Kijin hyung messaged me just a while ago to give me the heads up,” Sejoon explained as you hear someone calling out his name on the other end, “I gotta go! You can text me if you need anything!”

You hardly ever needed anything from anyone. You hardly believed that you deserved to need anything from anyone. And today was no different.

Did he need to do this for you? No.

Did you need him to keep his promise? No.

Yet you stared down at the pavement clearly tasting bitterness this time. Of all the reasons, why did it have to be Yeonjoo?

One of the staff at the restaurant must have observed you standing outside their door for the longest time.

“Hi Miss, uhh... it’s rather cold out here... are you waiting for someone? Do you want to come in?” he offered kindly.

there was a melancholic pause. “I was waiting for someone...” you replied with a wistful smile, “but not anymore, thank you.”

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yakocchi · 3 years

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2021 Anniversary Event Ministories // Count

this post contains 2 ministories: the 4th Anniversary Collection Event (Loved So Much, I Go Breathless) and the 2021 Election Collection Event (Deep Night)

o hey it’s me why did i sandwich two honestly-unrelated stories? bc i can!! actually it’s bc i feel lame when i post too much. which goes against how you’re supposed to use tumblr…. but no one ever said i was good at this

anyway, they serve similar purposes. The Election Event is supposed to be a sort of Anniversary Event, while the..… Anniversary Event is named that. the Count did not!! have a scenario Anniversary Event this year (that was apparently reserved for the top 6. sad but makes sense) so yea, make do w/ this

The Election Story is an AU where the characters are hosts of a host club. which…. not my thing but w/e, maybe some of u like that stuff The Anniversary Event on the other hand is supposed to be in-line with canon. results in corny SHIET but i like corny shiet. like the vlad one has them buying mugs (? thats a thing in the 19th century, corny mug shit? #1 best vampire mug? bruh)

in event chronology, the anni event was way before the election one but i put the election one first here cuz it’s longer (bc i included the prologue)

Spoilers under the cut!! Please credit if you take any of it, thenk u (･ω･*)

Deep Night // Prologue + Count

⋆ didnt screenie anything for the prologue cuz LAZY. just imagine the dumb black shirts they made some poor intern edit on photoshop, thats p much it

…

One city night, the year 20XX—

[Kara]: “Survived another week of hard work, me… haah,” (I finally have the day off tomorrow. It’ll be okay if I let loose a bit tonight, right?) When I was worn out from the monotony of everyday life, I would head over to a certain place for comfort and thrills. And that establishment was—

[Napoleon]: “Welcome to Club Deep Night.”

[Arthur]: “Ah, it’s Kara. You came to see me, right? ‘Been waiting.” [Isaac]: “Hold up, Arthur; she doesn’t come here just to see you, no?” [Dazai]: “Ooh, Isaac; a Host’s jealousy isn’t pretty, you know?” [Dazai]: “Well then, Toshiko-san; Your pick tonight— Wha – is me? No, no, it’s an honor. This will be a night of blinding sensuality very soon—"

[Isaac]: “She hasn’t picked anyone and you’re already going full steam ahead. —And her name isn’t Toshiko.” [Arthur]: “Right, right; Don’t hang with some guy who can’t your name right, Kara— My princess.”

As soon as I entered the club, a smile appeared on my face as a battle of charms began in front of me.

[Napoleon]: “Sheesh… every last one of these rascals are thrilled. Sorry that they’re being so noisy.” [Kara]: “No, no! Whenever I come here, it’s fun and even perks me up.” [Vincent]: “Really? If I’m to be the source of your high spirits, then I’ll make it even livelier in here.” [Vincent]: “I’ll build the champagne tower, and prepare the call!” [Theodorus]: “Hey, Hondje— Hurry and pour the champagne. It’ll be to give gratitude to the angel that’s landed on this city tonight.” [Theodorus]: “If you can be a good girl, I’ll tease and spoil you to bits.”

⋆ in host clubs, there’s a thing called a champagne call. the customer buys some very expensive bubbly, and all of the hosts gather round her table to chant, sing, w/e i was curious on how the localization handled theo’s dog nickname for MC (like 駄犬) cuz if they did a straight translation (mongrel, mutt, etc.), i feel like the western audience would hate him lul. glad they found smth

Everyone tries to entertain me, and in a single moment, their sweet words make me forget about my ordinary life. (It’s nice that everyone is so lively; but shouldn’t I go pick someone for tonight…?)

Troubled about it, arms then suddenly wrapped around my waist on both sides, causing me to cry out. [Faust]: “How long do you intend to go down one by one like that, keeping us men waiting?” [Faust]: “Come on— Please pick someone, and quickly. I can’t say... that I don’t know who you should be choosing.” [Charles]: “Ugh, there goes the cunning Doctor. I wanted to be picked by her, and now you’re doing all this.” [Charles]: “Hey— Pick me, Kara. I’ll do things to you that’ll make you feel good, utterly euphoric...” [Sebastian]: “Stop the Sexy Time. Even though you are a host, please show some restraint within club walls, Charles.” [Sebastian]: “...There being so many rivals vying for Kara’s nomination, is a nuisance.”

[Jeanne]: “If I do things that will make her feel good, will she be thrilled?” [Mozart]: “Jeanne, it’d be a good idea to not emulate what you just saw.”

⋆ “Stop the Sexy Time” is transliterated into kana, so it felt wrong to potentially change it. yes the cringe was not made by me this time. surprisingly also, this is something that gets a bit lost in translation: Charles and Jeanne both use yorokobu, in which the most common meaning is to be pleased, feel joy, etc. however, they use diff kanji which have diff connotations. Charles uses one that’s more abt physical joy (like a massage... or uh u know), while Jeanne uses one that’s more abt emotional joy (like seeing a friend u haven’t met with in a while). it’s supposed to show how dirty minded charles is while jeanne is precious LOL

[Mozart]: “Kara, come over here. You deserve to receive much finer hospitality... So, from me.” [Jeanne]: “If you pick me as well, then I’ll do my very best. Kara, won’t you come with me?” (Urgh- it’s getting more and more impossible to pick just one of them...!)

…

A bit farther away from everyone else, in the backroom— two men were exchanging words with each other: [Shakespeare]: “The moment Kara arrived, everyone became so animated.” [Shakespeare]: “She’s a mysterious one, to be able to draw us masterful hosts towards herself.” [Leonardo]: “Mhm, every single grown man is desperate to get the sweetheart’s attention. [Leonardo]: “Well... maybe I should turn desperate too, hm?”

And in the owner’s quarters, there were also men watching Kara through the club monitors. [Vlad]: “That girl…” [Count]: “You mean Kara? She started frequenting this place a little while ago.” [Count]: “For some reason, I’m always interested… in who she picks each time.” [Vlad]: “Looks like you care quite a lot about one specific customer, dear Owner.” [Vlad]: “Kara… hm?”

…

[Napoleon]: “Regardless, all of the hosts here like you way too much. —To be honest, it makes me anxious.” [Kara]: “Huh-?” (Anxious… as a host? Or… as a man?) His words, honeyed with sweet temptation, made my heart race. His smile then deepened: [Napoleon]: “—Well, Kara; Who’s your pick tonight?”

(End of Prologue)

…

(Count)

[Count]: “So you’ve come, Kara. I’ve been waiting, you know.” I had paid a visit to the host club I always go to, and was invited to the owner’s quarters for some reason.

⋆ how is he still a Count in this AU lul. like yea nobility still exists, but it’s… strange, esp. if someone of nobility is openly running a host club

(Being called up here by the owner… this is the first time that’s ever happened.) I couldn’t come up with a reason why I was the only customer summoned here.

[Count]: “It’s not anything to be nervous about; I just wanted to hear something from you tonight.” [Count]: “You come here often, but you pick someone different every time.” [Count]: “Is there no one here that meets your expectations?” [Kara]: “My expectations?” [Count]: “Mhm. Being unable to satisfy our customers’ needs is an alarming matter.” [Count]: “If none of my kids happen to be your type, I’d like to hear what kind of things you seek.” [Kara]: “N-No… it’s not that none of them are my type;” [Kara]: “It’s just that everyone here is so wonderful, so I can’t pick only one of them.” [Kara]: “They’re cool, kind, great at conversation, and entertain me…” As I thought about the hosts who had surrounded me at the tables up to this point, I voiced my feelings honestly. I then recalled the words the Count had said just a moment ago, and felt a slight discomfort in my heart.

(I’m being honest when I say that I can’t choose between such amazing hosts. But…) (I also think it’s certainly true that “what I seek” is a bit different from them.) (The one I desire is more…) I shifted my eyes to the Count standing before me, and he responded with the composed smile of a mature adult. I was captivated by him at first glance, as a scent of danger seemed to drift from deep within that smiling face.

(But— As the owner himself, the Count’s not going to service a customer, of course…) Regretful, I dropped my gaze— Before I realized the Count had walked over to me. Cradling my chin in his fingers, he turned my head up so I face him.

[Count]: “Contrary to your words… your eyes say that there is something you desire.” [Count]: “Your indecisiveness stems from wanting more stimulation, is it not?” [Count]: “Like this, for example—"

He suddenly pressed his lips to mine. Shocked, I tried to pull away— but the Count gripped my waist in place. He then drew me in closer as if to prevent escape, changing angles countlessly as he took my lips. [Kara]: “Nn-… Don’t. I can’t pick you, the owner, as my host, so…” [Count]: “That unsatisfied-looking face of yours deeply bothers me.” [Count]: “I’m retired, but if you wish it so... For you, I’m willing to make a comeback tonight.” [Count]: “Well, now… go ahead; make your choice?” As if to seduce me, the gleaming gold eyes in front of me radiate this allure. With that, I felt that he could see through the lustful desires that lied within the recesses of my heart, and my body shivered with a subtle numbness. (I’ve never felt this way before.) Wondering what kind of stimulation he would give, I wanted to be toyed by those fingers, those lips… These emotions muddled within me.

(I think the person I’ve wanted all this time... was you from the beginning.)

[Kara]: “Count— Tonight, I’ll have you…” [Count]: “To be chosen by you, is an honor.” [Count]: “I promise to sate your thirst this evening.” [Count]: “—Give yourself to me.”

⋆ or “you can entrust all of yourself to me” if u want smth more awkward but more faithful to the original text

A fervent kiss rained down on me as if to fill what I had been deprived of,

and the night that would far exceed the stimulation I had desired, had just begun—

FIN

⋆ u kno, i did try making the characters sound more 21st century in this AU. but at the same time, the count probably wouldnt be the type to say yeet (aka a useless person) so idt it showed that much

…

Loved So Much, I Go Breathless // Count

…

Inside a swaying carriage, the Count sat across from me. Staring at me fixedly, he then gave a deep sigh. [Count]: “You are astoundingly beautiful tonight, Kara. —It was good to have left the manse like this.” [Count]: “If we had traversed the streets by foot, then I would have surely faced difficulty in having to shake off the men charmed by you.” [Kara]: “Ah-… D-Don’t play around like that, please.” [Count]: “I’m being completely honest, you know. —Well, if someone were to come near you, I wouldn’t let them lay a finger on you anyway.”

⋆ he says something closer to “those are my true thoughts, without a single lie” but that’s going too far in my arbitrary rules of “does this sound like smth ppl actually say” so whee

(J-Jeez; He always acts like this…) Wanting to mislead my pounding heart, I hastily changed the subject.

[Kara]: “Um… Where are we going tonight?” [Count]: “Oh my, did you forget? Today’s the anniversary of the day we met, of all things.” [Kara]: “Of course I didn’t forget. It was the day I changed my own fate, and met you— A day I cherish so very much.” [Count]: “It’s the same for me; And it’s precisely why we’re going to a place where I may reaffirm my love.” (“Love”…?) When I tilted my head, the Count gave a meaningful smile, saying nothing more.

With that—

The place the stagecoach had arrived, was a church I recognized. (This is… the place where we had confirmed our love for one another.) The Count took my hand before we entered, the moonlight silently illuminating the unoccupied altar.

[Count]: “I have decided from my heart— that on this day, and on every day we call ‘our anniversary’—" I shall proclaim my vows to you once more.”

[Count]: “Kara— This is my oath of eternal love to you.” Before the altar, the Count kneeled before taking my left hand, dropping a reverent kiss on my ring finger. [Kara]: “nh- Ah-…” A sweet numbness ran from my finger, and my heart skipped a beat.

[Count]: “The time I spend with you, is filled with a dazzling brilliance.” [Count]: “—Filled to the point where I believe those centuries I had of embracing nothingness, came to be for the purpose of being able to meet you…” [Count]: “If you would allow it— For the future to come, with you by my side, I shall continue to swear such (to you).”

[Count]: “And thus, I wish that one day, I shall become one with you. —That is the greatest happiness I seek.”

He then rose to his feet, embracing me as if to envelop me whole. With my cheek pressed against his chest, I could feel his heart beating as fast as mine. (Like this, it’s as if I’m becoming one with the Count— With Abel.)

He tenderly brushed my hair aside before running a finger down my neck. One day, fangs will sink into this very spot, and love from a pureblooded vampire – called “eternity” – will be spilled within. Thinking about such things, my heart grew full— and tears were about to fall down my face, involuntarily.

[Kara]: “Abel… me too, I-…”

Overcome with emotion, I was at loss for words— When an almost-biting kiss fell upon me, cutting off my words. His tongue caught mine through my broken lips, our hot sighs immediately laden with heat.

[Count]: “—There is no need for words.” His lips only barely parting from mine, he whispered with a glossy sigh.

[Count]: “The tears brimming in your eyes, tell me everything— that you belong to me.” [Kara]: “Ah-… Abel…” His gentle - but also denying any notion of resistance – and sweet kiss, deepened, desiring me and only me. I embraced him with all my strength, abandoning myself to this happiness that will last forever and ever…

FIN (2)

Ikevam has been kind of boring if u dun like the top 5 all that much but i mean always has been astronaut_gun.jpg

anyway, the election was mostly a skip for me this year cuz i dun care for mini figures. also, he was doing awful in categories bc ppl are voting characters over several categories (rather than just the recommended one). frankly i think it’s dumb to vote a character in anything other than the “officially” recommended category bc the chance of losing in all categories is much higher than getting stuff in >1 category (e.g., with the midterm results u can see vlad in every category, but he’s only eligible for a benefit in one…when he could easily just win in one category period). but maybe that way of thinking is too tryhard for a game that only barely fits the definition of a game #realgamurz #weliveinasociety

i honestly didn’t do (aka pay) much and ranked rly well in character rankings. so i was happy i got decent stuff, but sadder he doesn’t get much support;; u telling me the richest guy has the stingiest fans. yes. i mean look at me, microwave pizza is my life

sorry for the lack of updates. as usual but uh better to be annoying with no updates than with too much RITE haha yes………. yes

as always, thanks for reading!

#ikemen vampire #spoilers #ikevam #ikevam spoilers #comte de saint germain #ikevam tl #fucc i dun even remember my own tags LOL

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silvia7272 · 3 years

Text

Miraculess Ladybug Salt AU: You Always Liked To Play With Fire ~ The Prologue

Hey everyone, this is a new story I wanted to introduce to you all.

I’ve been putting everything in a massive word doc because I had so many ideas and finally settled on putting it out today because it's my birthday. 29th, I may have updated it late.

Yay.

So as a special treat, here’s a new series with a few original characters, ones you know or have been changed ever so slightly to fit, in a Miraculess world. (haha, you see what I did there? No… I’ll leave)

Also for anyone new, I’m a multi-shipper so I ship my characters with a bunch of other people, as I like Lukanette (Fandom Version), Daminette (Fandom Version), Felinette (PV Fandom Version), Marichat (Fandom Version) and I guess Rosannette. What’s Rosannette? Well, I guess you’ll have to find out, won’t you? (also no that’s not a typo, it is Rosannette)

Also, I guess this will just have the usual salt, maybe more, I don’t know. I kinda want it to just be about these two.

Word Count: 3912

Note: I haven’t tagged anyone just in case, this is a different series from my other, I just got really excited and wanted to write it. If you still wish to be tagged for this story please say and specify.

Also: This is a salt story, it will have OOC moments from everyone so it will be classed as an AU. If you don’t want to read that’s fine, and have a nice day.

Well, I hope you’ll enjoy it.

This is for all the people that might prefer Rosinette (like from the songfic) instead, I don’t mind but it won’t be in my main series, so I hope this will satisfy you.

(Word of warning, I believe this will be an AU where the Miraculous don’t exist, and non-canon to my official story and I believe mentions of a panic attack might be lightly mentioned, don’t know if it is, but if someone could check and I’ll make the warning clearer that would be nice)

Summary:

(Fire doesn't exactly have anything to do with this story I just really liked the title)

Note: This book contains OOC scenes of Miraculous Ladybug as well as a ton of salt, so if you don't like that stuff you may scroll past and have a nice day.

In a world with no Miraculous, no Hawkmoth and no Ladybug, how does our little heroine do?

Well, it usually would be hanging out with her friends, as any other teenager would do...

But, of course, this wasn't normal.

This was reality. It was cold, hard and definitely not welcome.

So, when this girl wishes to have some kind of adventure in her boring, mundane life...

How long does it take for her to regret it?

***

Memories, it's such a simple word yet it holds so much meaning. One could either wish to forget everything from their life, and simply move forward so they could pursue their dreams. Or, simply relish in the past when they remembered how great it was, all the friends they had made, all the moments they had which were too good to let go.

But, I guess sometimes, you did have to let go. But let go of what exactly? Let go of all the happiness once you knew how it would end? No that would be too harsh and you’d turn bitter. Let go of all the sadness? But, wasn’t it an important life lesson to learn, sometimes, you just have to be sad because of the situation at hand. No amount of croissants or macarons would be able to lift your spirits back.

Or maybe that was too much of a specific example.

That was what Marinette had thought, staring at an empty glass so intently the man behind made himself disperse from the amount of time the unblinking woman just stared and never flinched.

She guessed it hadn’t all been bad, she at least had some form of happiness before it was violently ripped away, but part of her wondered, what would’ve happened if she never felt that type of happiness before? Would she have felt like she had for so long, was it the fact that she knew what being happy was like before worse? Because, as depressing as it sounded, if she hadn’t been as happy, would she have been as upset?

She would never know, she couldn’t go back in time since that was impossible, but the thought always came and went whenever she was alone with her thoughts.

So… Maybe it was for the best, that she was able to remember what real happiness felt like.

The tight feeling in your chest, butterflies in your stomach, face being so red anyone would worry if the bluenette had caught a cold instead-

Wait- this was an oddly specific kind of happiness she felt, surely she must’ve gotten mixed up with some other felling right?

Right!?

So, how come she was feeling this- incredibly bright heat from her cheeks when she felt a hand on her shoulder?

We may need to go back several years.

***

In a classroom in Collège Françoise Dupont, a young pigtailed girl sat at the back, tears silently falling onto her knees and bawled up fists. She didn’t see any use of wiping them away, since they would just come back anyway, and it would be useless to just repeat that endless cycle. She hadn’t looked around to see anyone else’s faces, they would either just ignore her, or taunt her for just crying, for just being human.

Now you may be wondering why she was so upset? What possibly could’ve happened to make our very cheerful and sunshiny girl become so hunched over she was practically crying her eyes out? Well, the answer lies on the one girl at the front. The one girl sitting in an all too familiar place. The one girl who just ruined all of her newfound friendships.

Lila Rossi.

And boy had she hated that name.

She couldn’t stand that smirk, that thief, that scandal!

And what exactly did she do?

She lied.

Now you may be thinking that may not have been all that bad, but it was.

Every time she opened her mouth, everyone would fawn around her, even Alix, the one who seriously couldn’t care about anything to do with glamourous celebrities, was hanging on the edge of her seat to hear one of Lila’s so-called stories. She just had to guess Lila held up a treat over her head to keep her being obedient enough.

She hated Lila so much because she was just using everyone to get an easy life at school, the fastest way towards popularity she guessed, but why she thought this was the fastest way was beyond her.

She hated Lila because she had spread so many lies, so many rumours, all about her. All so out of the realm it was such a surprise they all believed her without a shred of evidence.

It had happened so fast, one day, they were all friends, smiling and laughing like there was no tomorrow, the next, she was surrounded by those faces, those faces of disgust and hatred. As if she had committed even the worst of crimes, more so than Chloé, speaking of, who was absolutely enjoying this show.

But undoubtedly. What she hated about Lila the most.

Was that technically, she didn’t have to do that much.

After so many sessions of crying, and just not believing that they could possibly leave her, a friend, like that, she started to reason with herself, that maybe it wasn’t just Lila that pushed them all away.

She thought back to before.

Before they were friends, before Alya even came to Collège, she had been alone. Chloé had always gone out of her way to relentlessly bully her, and no one wanted to be friends with her with Chloé around. So she accepted it, just hoping one day, karma would seek justice and she’d be put in her place.

So she waited.

And waited.

And-

Gave up.

She accepted defeat after all the years. After the meaningless conversations with teachers that she should try and be the bigger person and rise above all of her hatred for her. Simply because they couldn’t do anything. They had no power over the mayor's Daughter. So they just let her continue her reign over the school.

She didn’t have any powers to stop her.

But then, a light of hope came.

The new girl, with ombre brown and red hair, glasses and hazel eyes. A striped t-shirt and an undeniable Aura that reeked of confidence.

As Marinette was being targeted by Chloé yet again, she came in, and for once, stood up to her. Chloé! No fear in her eyes as she, Alya, grabbed her, Marinette’s, hand and walked off to the desk at the front.

She couldn’t believe it, someone stood up to Chloé! She thought it had only been a myth, a legend, but that right there, it was real.

They became friends faster than the speed of sound.

And soon, she too was able to stand up for herself. Reclaiming her original seat back, and citing a quote her new friend had said… Then everyone had wanted to become friends… And, she felt ecstatic.

Finally. It finally came. The day she had prayed for had come. She felt nothing but pure joy.

And she didn’t want that feeling to go away.

She was terrified that the feeling would go away.

So, she thought of making sure that feeling wouldn’t go away.

That’s why she made so many ‘spare’ macaroons to give away, she didn’t spend her free nights staying up and making them, no way.

That’s why she provided so many free gifts to her friends. What? Her hand has a plaster, no she just tripped and hit herself, it had nothing to do with the gifts. Don’t worry, try your gloves on, do they fit?

That’s why she was late for class. Huh, no I’m fine, I’m not tired… But I might just rest my eyes for a bit, wake me up when something important happens.

That’s why she was so happy to realise Adrien wasn’t as bad as Chloé, the small gentle soul that he had, to graciously provide her with his own umbrella, how selfless.

And that’s why she held onto the idea of Adrien so much. The idea that he was perfect. The idea that she was in love with him.

So, she held onto it.

No, she clung to that idea because she didn’t want any chance to let go. So, she may have gone a bit overboard, with the whole, schedule thing, and the phone… And the schemes. But she believed it was harmless. No one else seemed to have any problems with it, so she believed she was in the clear.

Until she wasn’t.

And Lila used that to her advantage.

She remembered that day so vividly, just like all those other memories. The day she came. The day she would find herself in the same predicament from before, it hadn’t been that long since she had been friends with everyone in fact. She was still getting used to it, and her feelings grew as each day passed by.

She remembered when Lila introduced herself to the whole class, and at first glance, anyone would just think she was an innocent little girl. But behind that smile, behind those eyes, held a sinister intention.

She, in less than an hour, had everyone wrapped around her little finger.

Even her.

She’d been on a private jet?

Had a song written about her?

And saved Jagged Stone’s cat?

There was no way Adrien would fall for her now.

…So maybe she had been jealous of that girl before she had done anything. But she had every reason to. She, Lila, was pressed against Adrien who was happily talking to her. The love of her life! She had to do something, even if Alya had given her a disappointed look she just had to stop them from confessing their love to each other, it was inevitable now, so she followed after them to the park. If they even got too close, she was sure she could just conveniently interrupt, she just had to wait for the perfect moment, she only had a couple of hours before they would fall in love, get married, have three kids and a hamster named-

“Wow Adrien, you’re so nice to me. Y’know I really thought moving here would be just like all the other times. But you’ve really made me enjoy my first day Adrien.” She smiled so sickly sweet Marinette wanted to hurl, how dare she just hold onto his arm like that, so affectionately!

“Its no problem Lila, that’s what friends are for.” She smiled, hugging him so fast they almost lost their balance from sitting on the bench, before seemingly giving him a quick peck on his cheek, only for Adrien to turn his head towards her.

And they kissed.

However, it wasn’t a simple quick kiss, by all means, Adrien should’ve realised his mistake and pulled away.

But he didn’t, what felt like forever lasted a minute. One minute to realise that it should’ve been an accident. But they stayed like that.

It- it was over, wasn’t it? This wasn’t her being melodramatic, she just knew how it would turn out. They were going to fall in love so soon, she wouldn’t have a chance.

If only she had seen the look Lila gave, spotting her retreated form from behind a small trash can, the smirk would’ve given her shivers.

***

Getting back to Collège had taken longer than expected. Maybe it was the small amount of dread knowing she may have lost her love for good. Sure, there might have been Kagami as well, she had tried to sabotage her chances with Adrien too, but it always worked out in the end, Adrien always smiling as Kagami’s cheeks burned with redness. But to say they were friends afterwards.

Marinette would cringe at the fact she always felt so relieved afterwards reflecting years later at her choices. But she had always believed she would still have a chance.

Until today.

Lila came, and took him away, within hours.

And she couldn’t stop it.

Walking along the stairs to her class she had to keep her head held high, if she showed weakness, that would mean she was sad, she wasn’t sad, she couldn’t be sad. She still had all of her friends after all.

Maybe now, they could do more activities, after crying and eating a ton of ice cream of course with cheesy movies to brighten her mood up.

But, this would only be the beginning of that negative feeling.

Opening the door, she would be fully aware of something terribly wrong. At the front of the classroom, a crowd had formed, and a crowd that would soon become a routine in this classroom.

But a crowd formed around a girl, the new girl, Lila. She had seemed to be covering her eyes, water dripping down her eyes, no wait they were tears. What had happened?

She didn’t realise she had spoken those few words before heads turned around, looking- no glaring at her, why were they-? What had she done?

“Marinette I knew you could be a tad jealous but to actually do something like that” Huh? Oh no, Lila must’ve noticed she followed them, how embarrassing, and definitely not the best first impression she could’ve made.

Before she could apologise, before she could explain she really didn’t mean any harm. She didn’t have time to.

“To threaten her to never talk to Adrien again because she likes him. Well, I never thought you’d put your jealousy out like this.”

What!?-

No- she didn’t- she, just saw them kiss.

She didn’t even speak with her.

Why would she say this?

Why didn’t she say anything?

Why wasn’t she defending herself?

Why was she letting them believe that so easily?

Why

Why.

Why was it so hard to breathe?

Running out of the classroom was easier than looking at all of those faces. Those accusatory faces. She hated it, she couldn’t do- defend- explain.

She- just-

She-

She was in a room?

The bathroom.

It didn’t matter why, as long as she was alone, she could cry to her heart's content.

The fear seeped over her just like that first time, knowing Chloé had won and would never stop, she had lost and lost everything.

Everything she had worked so hard to obtain.

Everything she had worked so hard to keep.

To make sure she didn’t have to let go.

And now it had gone.

Because it was then Marinette realised. That girl, those tears hadn’t been real, there she saw her eyes hadn’t been red or puffy, the tears’ dried up rather quickly, and the inconsistent wails made it very likely she was only doing them for effect and sympathy.

That girl. Was lying!

That must’ve been it.

No way could she be telling the truth. And no way could ‘I saw her around me and Adrien’ be translated to ‘she threatened me, I’m so scared of her’

Maybe, maybe with that, there was hope.

If she could just simply convince her friends that she was lying, then everything would be all sorted.

And maybe she and Adrien-

Wait, she was getting a little ahead of herself there.

Wiping her tears away she proudly opened the door, ready to face her fears.

Too bad her fears were much much stronger.

No matter how many times she would try to prove her innocence, it became worse.

When she tried going to the teachers, they bat an eye with her responses. Obviously not taking her seriously, and just believing it to be some teenage drama, she was pushed out of the classroom and told to try and just be nicer and make friends with her.

That was harsh but expected.

She tried talking with Alya, she turned away from her. Not wanting to hear anything come out of a crazy stalkers mouth.

That had hurt.

She tried talking with any of her other friends, y’know, the ones who ‘always’ had her back.

They too turned from her. Believing Lila without a doubt, I mean, they knew how jealous Marinette could get, it wasn’t that much of a stretch to think she would jump to that, considering the situation.

That felt like a punch to her gut.

She tried talking with Adrien, even if she did stutter and always lose her words around him. But this was more important, than a silly crush.

She wasn’t used to saying that.

But, the way he looked at her, it felt like- pity.

He told her he already knew.

He already knew? Wait- then why didn’t he say anything?

Because, as the naïve little boy stood so tall and ‘innocent’ he simply wanted to help her through his own way.

“She was only lying for attention,” He said.

“Once she finally makes some real friends, she’ll stop,” He said!

“In the meantime, you should really drop this, it would be just awful if you were to hurt Lila again. After all, she hasn’t hurt anyone, she doesn’t mean any harm”

She stood in shock.

This was the boy she had fell for?

This spineless- foolish- Son of a-

“So please Marinette, don’t cause too many problems for her, you shouldn’t be so harsh on her. If you really value our friendship, you’ll do it.” He smiled before walking off, leaving her to her thoughts.

That felt like someone had walked over to her, ripped out her heart and squashed it in the palm of her hands, all while grinning.

Why, why wasn’t she able to see before? Did her heart want to deceive her by falsifying all of his qualities? Was she just blind to bear witness to him not being as perfect as she made him out to be? Was it because she just couldn’t entertain the thought of letting go?

She didn’t know, she just hated this negative feeling. It felt so familiar. She wanted it to go away.

Unfortunately, that feeling would only grow for months.

And it was about to be worse.

“Huh? Marinette? Why are you crying? If this is about what happened this morning, don’t worry, I’ll forgive you” She was crying? Huh, when did that happen?

Whatever, more importantly.

“W-What, no you don’t have to forgive me because I did nothing wrong” Lila’s worried expression faltered for a bit before she grew ‘scared’

“H-Hey, I didn’t realise you felt like that. Oh, you poor thing” Her eyebrow snapped, she seriously didn’t like being called a thing.

“Save it, I can’t prove it but I know you’re just lying to everyone here. And you need to stop, you’re going to hurt everyone when they find out. You need to confess” Her face faltered again, but it never recovered, her once innocent eyes hardened as she smirked, a look that seemed almost natural, as if she had perfected it by looking into a mirror countless times.

“Oh, so you’ve finally figured it out? Figures, I was told you were the smartest one, and it seems like I wasn’t wrong”

“What?” Lila sighed, maybe she had put too much faith in her being the smartest.

“Ugh, you’re so young Marinette. I haven’t told the truth all my life, why the hell should I start now?” Marinette was stunned, why, why was she telling her this?

“Honestly, and I thought Adrien was naïve. Look, I’m not here to play games, I have this whole routine wrapped up. So just sit back, stay out of my way and I might consider making another lie that would benefit you.” It was an offer any reasonable person wouldn’t refuse.

Unfortunately for her, she didn’t want a reasonable offer.

Marinette stared, she was- she was fully aware of what she was doing?

“B-But you’re going to end up hurting everyone, you need to stop, please!” She begged.

Lila frowned.

She was just like all the rest.

“I don’t care”

Huh?

“I said I don’t care, seriously don’t you get it yet? I’m here to win by all means necessary. You were in the way so I took you out. They are just little trophies to remind you of my victory. You had your chance”

She stood still, this situation felt so familiar, but she had to stay strong, she couldn’t give up now. If reasoning with her won’t work, then maybe understanding might, and she could work with that.

“Why are you doing this, do you really not care about when you get caught? About how everyone will feel when they know you promised nothing in the end?” She hoped she would see some sense. They were good people, they shouldn’t be manipulated into this, she was sure they would’ve been friends regardless of what she had promised.

“It’s because I can”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean, dear sweet Marinette, is that because I am able to, I can. I’ve had years of practice with this, and the result always has me at the top, all that oppose me either stay at the bottom or beg for mercy from moi. It's always a delight to see their hope diminish. To realise they would do anything but to be alone.”

Alone- that word, that word stuck with her so much.

She didn’t want that- but she didn’t want her friends to be tricked either.

“Besides, you made it so easy for me, in reality. You only have yourself to blame”

“What- I didn’t even-” A finger was wagged in front of her face.

“Ah ah ah. You really should know better than that. A calendar full of Adrien’s schedule? A box full of presents for Adrien? Sabotaging dates? You’d think I’d have made it all up, it only made the end result so much greater. Seriously Marinette, I don’t even know if I’m the bad guy here, what you’ve done really isn’t appropriate behaviour. But I do know of a great therapist, they helped me through such a hard time” Lila continued to talk as Marinette zoned out. She was the bad guy? No- no that couldn’t be, that was just a harmless crush, that was just what normal teenaged girls did.

But- if it was. Then why didn’t anyone tell her it was wrong, she didn’t mean for it to be wrong. She just didn’t want them to leave, she just didn’t want to be abandoned again.

Why didn’t they say? Why didn’t she realise?

Why did she know?

Lila must’ve seen the shock as she giggled, not at all innocent.

“It was so easy manipulating all of them into telling me about this ‘crush’, once they realised just how crazy it actually was, they had no problem seeing you for the crazy stalker you are.” Lila flicked her hair up away, only for it to come back, but it didn’t matter, she made her point.

Not having the energy to look up, she would’ve noticed Lila had left her behind, laughing too, because no one had been there to overhear their absolutely private conversation. Her overall plan would not be undiscovered today, tomorrow, or the next. It wouldn’t be discovered ever.

Because she was in control.

Marinette, wasn’t in control.

Just like before, that hollow feeling from before, it was back.

And so much worse.

She hated Lila, because she made her realise, she was right. All along. And she just had to accept it.

And gave up trying.

She reverted back to how she was at the beginning of the year.

The quiet girl that no one paid attention to, alone, in the back, with nothing but her sketchbook.

Gone were the childish pigtails, it was for the better, no one said anything about then anymore.

Because she realised.

She wasn’t a child anymore.

She couldn’t be, not after this.

***

Hey, so I guess this was more like another prologue, so I’ll have to apologise if it seems just like the other one, but the premise is still the same so yeah.

And I think I might like the idea of a non-Miraculous world; it seems interesting since I feel like Marinette wouldn’t have as much of a confidence boost since she wouldn’t be Ladybug, please tell me that would make sense.

I think it’s interesting for how much would change and stay the same, and my OC will be making an entrance next time, however, here they are all like 13-14. The next chapter will have a time skip of 3 years, oh and Lila came in late, like around Season 3 late ok? So they already know about Kagami and Luka.

Also if you’re confused about anything feel free to ask any questions.

Cya next time.

Note: Please tell me if I should add anything else to the card, there will be one of these cards for all 15 chapters, however, because I have uni work all updates will be slower because I really need to focus on the uni stuff, then I might be able to upload quicker.

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muwur · 4 years

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haikyuu x otome: masterlist | prologue

» synopsis: a haikyuu x reader au where you, the player, are bound for university in a metropolis several hours away from home. hope and excitement are replaced with dread as you come to realize that juggling life as a student and a part-time employee takes a toll. from demanding classes to a ruthless manager, life just can’t seem to give you a break. that is, until you meet a certain someone who reminds you how to live and follow your dreams. somehow, when you’re with them, time stands still. maybe things are finally starting to look up. if only you could stay in those moments for just a little longer.

» disclaimer: i do not own haikyuu or any of the pixels in this post (i simply made collages out of them)

edit: it’s been brought to my attention that another HQ writer may have written something similar to this idea in the past and I was unaware. Though I haven’t seen this particular type of thing written yet, I don’t mean to claim this event idea as my own bc I feel a lot of events that ppl put up may have some overlapping themes n such (tho this idea would def be more specific and be cause for concern of plagiarism) and bc I would never want to steal ideas/not ask other writers first/not credit other writers (that’s not cool fam). If you have any issues with this event, pls bring them up w me, and if you know any other writers who’ve done smth similar, pls share w me their URLs! thank u for ur understanding :) I hope u can still enjoy haikyuu x otome :’)

» how to play:

I. you can refer here for the general rules of my blog. also, for this event (and it’ll say in the descriptions below), i’m only accepting one character per request. also the word count limits i wrote here may change as im getting started on actually writing requests lol

II. essentially a collection of x reader one-shots, drabbles, and smaus in which you are a busy college student whose only break seems to be spending time with friends who actually get you or the 15-minute lunch break during which you get to ignore annoying customers

III. since this is otome-inspired, i have several options you can choose from. these options are essentially types of requests:

» everyday is a new start

» drabble about how you meet the character of your choice

» it is not guaranteed y’all are gonna gel (get along) when you first meet,, warning: if the character is usually a bitch, i may write them as one LMAO jkjk but fr

» usually light, fluffy, and/or silly

» hmm tbh,,, idk word count,,, probs anywhere between 700-1k words (i edited this word count after writing my first thing bc HNNN)

» the only characters you can’t request this for is yamaguchi, tsukki n hinata,,, bc you meet them in the prologue AHAHA sry it’s nothing too spaicy since it’s just in the intro

» it’s all in the little things

» one-shots about normal, daily interactions with the character of your choice

» in other words, these include what can go on in a day in the life of y/n and the character of your choice (after they’ve already met). in the city, the possibilities are endless

» give me a word (or several, cuz writing is hard lmao. also legit any word, like ‘orange’ or ‘nostalgia.’ i may choose only one or do a combination from your list :3) as a prompt and ill somehow make something of it lmao

» medium relationship development + exp

» 700-1.5k words

» hmmm what should i get today?

» very short drabble with a character of your choice about various scenarios and thots i have in my head

» a complete surprise, totally random, may have no context

» may be serious, fluff, crack, etc.

» if u choose this u basically told me ‘surprise me’

» 100-300 words, depends on my mood

» when i see your name pop up on the screen, i can’t help but smile

» short smau with a character of your choice

» fluff or crack, ur choice or leave that up to me (if unspecified, ill just flip a coin)

» you can either give me a word(s) as a guide or leave the topic of convo up to me

» 2-4 panels

» you’d be surprised how much can happen in a day

» BMO has nothing to do with this, i just found a cute pixel of him

» spaicy relationship development, the scenes in which you actually make progress in the game

» one-shot with a character of your choice

» order from the following:

» macaron: when they realize they’ve fallen for you

» banana bread: when you realize you’ve fallen for them

» iced americano: when they feel a tinge of jealousy

» hot chocolate: when they see you crying

» matcha latte: when they have a longing to be around you

» cupcake: love confession (may be intentional or accidental)

» major relationship development + exp + sometimes confusion

» 1-2k words

» these will probs take me longer

» all good things must come to an end

» not as angsty as those bolded words above sound,,, unless you want it to be >:)

» drabble or one-shot with a character of your choice. the final interaction before finishing the game

» you have three options: good end (fluffy, romantic & the like), bad end (angst), or crack end (surprise)

» word count will be super variable, from 300-1.5k words

IV. this forces me to write one-shots, drabbles, anything but hc’s, and also forces me to limit my word count. that said, this will take me a hot minute, y’all. word counts may change too bc i am,,, indecisive n untalented AHAHA

V. search for ‘haikyuu x otome,’ ‘haikyuu x otome special,’ ‘haikyuu x reader otome’ tags! i will tag each work under these c:

got it? have a request for me? send me an ask or submission!

request example: ‘start new game with akaashi’ or ‘love challenge with yachi in the empty lecture hall at night’ or ‘continue story with noya. words: tired, mangoes, music’

feel free to ask me if ur confused about anything and have questions! thank you so much for reading <3 im excited for this heh

inspired by recent haikyuu otome teasers i keep seeing online and the fact that i dropped my summer class and am taking on personal projects (like painting my room LMAO i gotta manifest my inner buff daddee ushi to move shit in my room bc i kid u not everything is rlly heavy in here. and i also delved back into otomes on my phone,, does anyone else play midnight cinderella or mr love LOL talk 2 me)

haikyuu x otome masterlist

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kimjongdaely · 4 years

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Eternal [Chapter 9]

Vampire!AU

Pairing: Baekhyun x Reader

Warnings: Language, violence, abuse, sexual situations, abortion, mention of suicide

Summary: You’re not sure how to deal with your current situation. Your owner, Byun Baekhyun, isn’t helping with the stress. But what happens when you find a risky solution that might just solve all your problems?

Prologue [M]│Chapter 1│Chapter 2│Chapter 3│Chapter 4│Chapter 5│ Chapter 6│Chapter 7│Chapter 8│Chapter 9│Chapter 10│Chapter 11 │Chapter 12│Chapter 13

You can’t tell if things have gotten better or worse.

It’s mostly just suffocatingly quiet. The kind of quiet that makes you go insane. You haven’t spoken to Baekhyun in a while. You’re not sure how long; you’ve lost track.

Every day feels the same. You get sick most of the time and it’s hard to keep any food down. Yixing is really worried. He tries his best to monitor your condition and get you to eat, but every time you smell food you just want to vomit again.

Your stomach has gotten a lot bigger. Having the baby bump finally show makes it all the more concrete and real, and you need that constant reminder.

A reminder that you’re not a total screwup. That at least you’re doing something right.

But you’re getting too thin and the baby needs to eat more than you do. You have yet to find something to eat that won’t make you sick. The girls have tried everything they could think of, all types of food from all over the world. Nothing seems to help. You’re beginning to think it’s more about your mindset than actually being unable to keep anything down. You’re so upset over Baekhyun that it’s affecting your health.

No, no you can’t let that hinder you. You have to do it for the baby.

Curled up on your bed, you clutch at your stomach, feeling the baby bump and tears fill your eyes. What should you do? What if you miscarry? You don’t think you can handle it if your baby dies. You’ll surely follow immediately after, regardless of what Baekhyun does. This child is everything you wanted, proof of your existence, no matter how small it is. It’s your family, the only thing connected to you by blood.

Please live. It doesn’t matter if you have to die to bring it into this world. As long as it lives, nothing matters.

And that’s the mindset you try to sustain. You forced food down, taking small bites at a time and several deep breaths, hoping it doesn’t come back up. You take it easy, getting lots of rest and spend your time reading books. You chat a lot more with the girls and ask Yixing for advice constantly.

You have to make the change. You can’t keep wallowing in sorrow forever. For the baby.

You must live as well.

Just until your child is brought to the world.

A few more days and Emerald approaches you. You didn’t want to see her, have done very well avoiding her, but you know you have to do this. You can’t keep avoiding her forever.

“Hi.” She greets.

“Hi.”

She sits down beside you on the couch, looking sheepish and fiddling with her hands. You sigh, setting your book down. “Did you want something?”

“I wanted to apologize.” She said, eyes downcast. “I know you don’t really like me being here, so��”

“Don’t.”

“Excuse me?” She looks surprised.

“Don’t.” You repeat, snapping. “You and I both know it’s not your fault. If it’s anyone’s fault, it’s mine for getting pregnant.”

She blinks, shocked. “That’s not what I—”

“Yes, I know.” You rise, a bout of anger rising in you. “Baekhyun needs you. He’ll die if he doesn’t feed and I...” Tears well up and it’s hard to control yourself, your voice cracking, “I can’t help him. It’s not your fault. It’s mine.”

You leave her flabbergasted in the living room as you stomp up to your room, sniffing and trying hard not to break down, again. Your emotions are everywhere and you berate yourself for blowing up. You could’ve handled it so much better, should’ve smiled and said ‘it’s fine’ and the two of you can go off on your merry way. You just have to ruin everything.

There’s a knock at your door. “Thorn, we need to talk.”

Oh, great. What perfect timing Baekhyn has. You’re not sure you’re emotionally well enough for this conversation.

You still open the door, letting him inside. He has the right to be angry and upset. Has the right to check up on his own child.

He does not look happy. He stares at you, arms crossed over his chest. “Why are you so upset?”

You blink, not expecting that question. You thought he would yell and scold. You swallow. “I...I don’t know.”

His eyes narrow. “Don’t lie to me.”

You look away, feeling guilty and stupid and wishing you could disappear. “I was jealous.”

“You said it was okay.” He reminds, voice gruff. “I asked you. You said you understood. How am I going to feed if I don’t touch her?”

You scowl, throwing your hands in the air, the first time you’ve done so. “I don’t know!” Baekhyun takes a step back, surprised by your outburst, hands falling to his sides. You pace your room, tears flowing freely now as you rant. “I don’t know, okay. I’m stressed and scared and insecure, my feelings are everywhere and I have no control over them! I just want to cry all day long and scream. I’m not eating well and I can’t let anything happen to the baby but everything’s going wrong and I’m so scared.” You take a shuddering breath, your voice dropping. “I just want to be with you. Is that too much to ask?”

From the corner of your eye you see Baekhyun open his mouth. You swirl towards him and cut him off sharply.

“Even if I have to take care of this baby on my own, I’ll do it. I don’t need you, Baekhyun. I can handle it fine on my own—”

“Thorn.”

“—because I’ve been alone all my life—”

“Thorn, please.”

“—it makes no difference now—”

“Thorn!” Baekhyun roars, eyes blazing as he stomps to you and then—

Oh, he’s kissing you. With all the frustration and hurt and passion he’s felt these few days all at once. You melt into his arms almost immediately, clutching him for balance and kiss him back, letting him soothe away your worries.

Then his kisses soften, turning into affectionate pecks instead, his thumb rubbing circles in the small of your back. You rest your head against his shoulder, cooing as he rocks you gently. You missed him so much it’s unbearable.

“I’m sorry.” He says after a while. “I’m sorry I made you feel insecure and I wasn’t always there for you. But please stop getting angry at Emerald—she’s innocent.”

You sniff, nodding. “I know. I’m sorry too. I just can’t stop myself and blow up. I’ll apologize to her, I promise.”

“I heard from Yixing about your condition.” He says. “Is there anything I can get you? Craving anything?”

“Not really.” You wrinkle your nose. “I am a little hungry now though.”

He lets out a quiet laugh. “Let’s get you some food then.” He grows serious once more. “And don’t say things like you’ll handle this alone. I’m not the best support but I do want to support you.” He looks down, looking ashamed. “You just have to beat me upside the head sometime and tell me what you need.”

You giggle, nodding. “Okay, I will.”

“And Sehun?” Baekhyun asks. “Has he spoken to you lately?”

You frown, tilting your head as you think. “No. Why?”

Baekhyun lets out a smile, though it looks tight. “Never mind then. It’s nothing.”

Your pregnancy has been going well since then. You’ve tried harder to ignore it when Baekhyun feeds on Emerald. He’s cut back the frequency, which you feel immensely guilty about but he assures you it’s fine. He’s trying not to set you off again.

You’re at 24 weeks now, which means you’re about halfway there. You can feel the baby kicking around too, and it always brings a grin to your face. The first time you made Baekhyun feel the baby kick, he was horrified. Thought the baby was hurting you.

You assured him over and over again that it wasn’t so, and it actually made you incredibly happy. You would squeal and coo at your tummy when it moved. Baekhyun was skeptical but learned to accept it. Though his reaction was disappointing, you’re glad he’s gotten better with the idea of your pregnancy.

He’ll even sometimes feel it on his own now, eyes widening whenever the baby would greet him, though you haven’t seen him smile.

It makes you a little sad to think about.

You wonder what’s going on in his mind. Is he really not the least bit happy about this? Or is he just extremely worried about you? You’ve tried asking, but he always answers very vaguely and he’s learned to give you answers that you want to hear.

It frustrates you to no end, but you keep quiet because you know he’s trying. He’s trying so hard, and sometimes you see notes scrawled over his desk. Out of curiosity you pick a paper up to read to find him desperately searching for a way to keep you alive. There are so many questions unanswered, and hundreds of ideas crossed out.

And then in a corner you find a scribbled, Victoria?

You frown, recognizing the name. You see Baekhyun talking quietly with Jongdae and Junmyeon sometimes, and Yixing would join in occasionally. They all look so serious when they talk, voices staying hushed and often they talk in the middle of the night when the Pets are asleep. You’ve only caught them like that a few times when you wake up with a craving for a midnight snack.

So what connection has Baekhyun made about your pregnancy and Victioria, of all people? You shudder at the name, not wanting to think about her.

You make a mental note to ask him about this later, but for now you stack his notes up neatly and set them aside. You also wish there was a way you could live through this, and you’re staying as optimistic as you can.

No one knows for sure that you’ll die, anyways. Maybe you can push through if you’re determined enough. You hope you are.

Rubbing your belly, you sigh as you snuggle into Baekhyun’s bed, waiting for him to come home from patrol. You’ve been sleeping in here now rather than your own room. Everything smells like him and it calms you down. You love sleeping in his clothes and wrapping yourself up with his blanket.

Then there’s a knock.

Puzzled, you push yourself up and hobble towards the door. It’s Sehun, looking rather thrilled, eyes wide and a grin on his face. “Hi, Thorn.”

“Hi.” You frown at his expression, rarely seeing him like this. “Did something happen?”

“I found a way,” he says, slightly breathless and so eager. “A way that you can live.”

Previous Chapter│ Next Chapter

Eternal Mini Masterlist

A/N: Oooh plot twist? Cliffhanger? I’m excited 😆

Tags: @loser-dot-com @meryljill-111192 @ugeuuupabo @baekyeolbeom @weirdsofagirls @and-you-found-me @ilovexiu @enchanting-exo @byunfirstlady @skjdln @iietherealsky @1039-smooths @dear-fake-diary @chibi-desu-yo-01 @marimsun @sebootyforlife @baekhyuq @kyoongies @lavellanfriendliness @wongxiexie @always-wishing-for-rain @suhoandbaekhyunruinme @noonaofjungkook @mango-bear @lightmochi @simplyyeol @moon8894 @luvvaerihun @his-mochi-cheeks @sweetjellytine @junmyeonnoona @haruharux23 @sunbyun21

Tell me if you want to be tagged!

©kimjongdaely

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wispandwhispers · 4 years

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Accomplices

Previous | Next

Tw(s) : guns, death, gambling, immoral people, implied murder, mention suicide (it’s a crime au, what do you expect) ,cursing

Pairing(s) : Logicality

Notes: I did it, I wrote the au. I’m so proud. Also this is a prologue so bare that in mind.

“Thank you very much.” Patton pulled the chips over to him .He ignored the death glares that the rest of the players was giving him. He stuffed the money in his case and left table. Walking casually out of the room, he breathed deeply through his nose. And looked around the lobby for blind spots. He wasn’t in the mood for a messy escape and he gives the house thirty minutes tops until they realise he cheated. And they would probably realise his ID was faked before that to.

Getting in the elevator and pressing the his floor number, he idly tapped his foot to the slightly off key spewing of the corny music from the speakers. He took a while to think where to-

"I don't think your name is Juxily Vale and I don't think that you're that good at blackjack. I'm suggesting that you drop the case so I can give it back to the House."

Stood in front of Patton was a suited person with the embroidered logo and had a noticeable bulge in his blazer that anyone with half a braincell could figure out the identity. He had round glasses and a blank, stoic expression that looked like the type you would see in a solider. It didn't matter.

"No." The man knitted his eyebrows but still kept as blank as ever. Patton smiled as he saw him take out his gun and cocked at his face.

"You aren't going to do it-"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because if you wanted to kill me, you would of done it by now."

The man eyes seemed to widen but he blinked quickly. Patton clocked it was his way of composing himself when in situations he couldn't show emotion in.

"Look, I think you know my name and I think you know who I am so you better say it because unlike you, I won't hesitate."

The suited man spoke." You're Morality, been in places you knew you weren't supposed to be since you were twelve and you haven't had a fixed address since you were fifteen but you've had some really nice hotels stays and the same time banks, casinos and mansions have been robbed. You somehow never leave a single piece of evidence except a drawn, blue heart with glasses attached with a note that just says sorry and your pseudonym underneath."

Patton had a small laugh to himself, shrugged off slightly his sweater and then stared dead into the other's eyes almost like he could see into his soul. "My turn. I don't know you're name but I know you are definitely not staff because I've seen practically no one in the casino except the guards wear uniform. My theory is further proved by the fact that if they had found out I had cheated, I would be dead on the floor and they already would of started to fake my suicide note and/or the horrible accident I was supposedly in to please the press. The fact you didn't shoot first and ask questions later shows that you have a moral compass and I think you've never killed anyone yet."

The man looked like he was about to retort when the P.A system cut him off. A soft , cliché female voice spoke . "Attention guest, we are having a little security problem so do not be alarmed or frightened if by the guards moving around the place. Everything should be back to normal in about a few minutes. Thank you for your patience."

The man put his gun off safety and turned to Patton. "I have an idea. And I don't think you can refuse. If you had a gun with you, I would be dead and I saw you looking at the security cameras, you did because you need the money, this isn't for fun."

Patton cursed under his breath. "Fine shoot."

The tuxedo wearing man shot a hole through the ceiling. "Like this?"

Patton gave him a shocked expression. "I meant tell me your plan, dumbass."

"You know how to break into a car. I know if I shoot the chandelier in the lobby it'll be a big enough distraction with the casualties that they'll stop the man hunt for you for the emergency PR team meeting. My only condition is that you drop me off at the airport. I'll be fine from there."

Patton looked out of the window to see that there was barely any traffic in the front drive way. "I'll be waiting at the front. Don't think I'll wait long." He could already see the man running to the large games' room.

While Patton could hear screaming in the background, he broke into a random Lamborghini and drove it to the front. He was happily pleased to find his recent partner crime was already waiting for him.

"Aren't you going to get in partner?"

The man rolled his eyes and then climbed into the the seat. Patton noticed in the corner of his eye that he had a scar down his hand. It looked fairly recent. He was about to hit the gas when he remembered something.

"Shit I almost forgot." He got out of the driver's seat and left his signature note at the the back of the building. He then turned to his accomplice who was staring into the night sky, fascinated by it.

"Hey! We did this together, you should leave your mark as well as well." The guy slightly annoyed that his night watching had been interrupted, got out a stray dark blue maker and drew an cartoon brain with glasses with the note of dearest apologises but I didn't want to go to jail for conspiring with a criminal and the name Logic underneath.

"I don't like clichés so before ask, you can call me Logic. You don't need to know my real name."

The duo arrived back to the car and Patton slammed on the gas pedal. Screeching of tyres could be heard as Patton slowly broke probably every road law in the state. Patton turned to Logic.

"I have one question Logic, how did you find me?"

"I was bored."

"That's not a proper answer."

"That's the best answer you're gonna get."

Patton focused back on the road.

Logicality Taglist:

@patton-cake, @froggydrawslightmode, @ambrechandra

General Taglist :

@weweregoddesses, @awkward-cryptid, @lumelum

#logicality #ragstobloodstainedragsau #logan sanders #patton sanders #ts patton #ts logan #ts logicality #i really hope this is okay #wisp writes

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hecohansen31 · 4 years

Text

Not The Right Time

The Story of How We Ended Up There:

Ivar+Reader (Modern! AU).

(A/N): Hello there, lovelies!

So this is my second idea for Ivar!

I am honestly a bit attached to this because it is the first one which came to my mind and with it being modern! Ivar I feel a bit more secure about the characterization, but still… let me know where I have to get better or work better!

I also wanted to explain that this is fictional and that some choices made by the reader are due to the plot and not what I actually and personally believe about such a complex argument as abortion.

Don’t feel judged in the slightest by this (and if you feel, please know I don’t mean it, and what I can do to avoid this mistake in the future).

Again this is a prologue to the bigger series, but it is mostly to know whether you like this idea or not!

So if you want more, please leave a comment or a reblog so that I’ll know what you think about it!

Have a nice reading!

SUMMARY: It wasn’t the right time to have a child and it isn’t the right time for you to meet your child’s father after all those years, but maybe... time and Destiny are two huge bastards.

WORDS: 4,7 K

WARNINGS: Pregnancy, Unexpected Pregnancy, Pregnancy at a Young Age, Mention of Abortion (and Being Harsh About it), Heartbreak and General Angst, Abandonement Issues and Being A Single Mom, Mention of Infertility, Use of the Word Cripple.

You were sure that you were cursed.

Who could end up pregnant… the first time they had had sex?

And worst of all, when you were nothing more than sixteen years old.

You weren’t also the type who would risk such thing.

Although you were naïve you were well-aware of the need to use protection.

And then, in the heat of the moment, you had forgotten about everything.

Just for eight weeks after to cry on the toilet, at the discovery that you were pregnant.

You hadn’t noticed it at first: you hadn’t gotten your period for a month, but you hadn’t thought too much about that, it sometimes happened.

But then, a few weeks after you had started feeling bad, both not energetic enough to do the normal chores and also extremely nauseous, which had then resulted in you thinking that pregnancy might have been a cause of your unwellness.

You had thought for the entire time you had been waiting for the result of the pregnancy test, that it wasn’t possible, it would obviously turn out negative.

You had a successful life ahead of you, a child… wouldn’t ruin your life, but certainly it wouldn’t have ruined all your dreams.

You had been mortified to discover that you were indeed pregnant.

And then you had been indignant: there were people who constantly had unsafe sex, every time they had it and they would never ever end up with a baby on the way.

Then you had had sex once, and shit went down.

Back then you had been scared shitless of telling your parents and had hidden the pregnancy test: what would have they thought of you?

Still you had thought that you had to talk about it with somebody.

And more precisely, the father of the baby.

You and Ivar were the typical high school sweethearts: you had moved slowly from friends-to-lovers and were both late bloomers in the sex department.

Hence when Ivar had wanted to ‘try’, you had been over the moon at that news.

Lately he had grown distant from you, after you had had sex, and some part of you couldn’t help but think darkly that he wasn’t interested with you anymore ‘because he had finally gotten what he wanted’.

But you knew Ivar better than anyone: he might appear like the coldest ice king, but he was sweet and soft with you, shy and gentle, the perfect gentleman.

So, you had thought to at least inform him about ‘the child’, thinking that it was also partially his decision about the baby, although right now some part of you, the one who wanted desperately to continue on dreaming wanted to delete this ‘mistake’.

But some deeper part in you, thought about what a lovely life would have been to share a child with Ivar.

It might not have been perfect, but you felt like it would have been a nice image.

A nice image of your future.

But when you had asked Ivar to meet you at your favorite diner, the one you had chosen for your ‘first awkward date,’ he had also told you that he had something to say to you.

Had he realized that you might have been pregnant?

The entire situation there had seemed rather awkward, Ivar had this acute gaze in his eyes, not to talk about the harsh way his mouth had been closed closed in a thin line for the entire time.

He had arrived late, meanwhile you were halfway through the second of a milkshake you had been having, the pregnancy cravings playing an important role in your diet lately.

“Hey, sweetie!” you had welcomed him, your high-pitched tone, expressing your happiness to have him there, he always fixed your darkest moments “…how are you?”.

Unlike you, he didn’t seem in the mood for any sweetness.

He simply replied with a nod and ‘a fine’, waving the waitress over for a coffee, you stared at him for the entire time: you hadn’t seen him in quite for quite a few days, due to studying, and couldn’t help but set your gaze on him, welcoming any new traits of him and wanting to kiss them, passing a finger through…

“… I don’t have much time, so I’ll say this as quick as I can” and then he had caught you in his icy gaze “… I am not in love with you, anymore”.

An arrow shot through your heart would have hurt you less.

You had stammered some questions, but Ivar had been glacial in his words, definitely not asking for any reply.

“… I have discovered it from quite some time ago, I didn’t want to tell you till I was sure, but these last days… have been… I didn’t miss you” every word was a strike to your hear, and you hadn’t been able to properly protest “… I am sorry, I pulled this for so long, but I can’t…”.

Then and there you had gotten up, probably the best option possible, the only thing of that day that, looking back, you were proud of.

You had been crying on the sofa when your parents had found you, and there you had explained anything that had happened to you.

Child included.

They had been disappointed with you and your father hadn’t talked to you for the entire pregnancy but your mother had been the bigger support for you.

She hadn’t shouted, unlike your father, but just asked what you had wanted to.

‘Do you want to…?’ she hadn’t been able to talk about the option of abortion and you had understood her: she wouldn’t approve of it, but she would have helped through the entire process “… or do you want to keep it, babygirl?”.

“Shelley! Of course, she’ll fucking…! She is too young, she can’t fucking take care of a child!” had retorted your father, and you had covered your ears, shielding them from his hurting words.

It was as if for the first time your father wasn’t seeing his little girl anymore.

And you had chosen to try so desperately to go back to that image he had of you, choosing abortion, but when you had heard the child’s heartbeat, you hadn’t been able to carry on

You had gripped your mother’s hand and pleaded to her not to go through this, not to kill your baby.

Although you’d have to grow it alone, although the heartbreak was still pretty real and although it seemed the worst and you weren’t ready, you just couldn’t delete all this, so simply.

You had taken private lessons to hide your pregnancy, since you hadn’t wanted to reveal it to anyone, avoiding any outings unless you were sure you wouldn’t have been anywhere near people you knew.

The first week after the break-up, Ivar had continued on blowing up your phone with messages and calls, but you wouldn’t even look at his messages, ignoring him till you had convinced yourself to block his number and when he had tried to visit your home to talk, he had been lucky your father was out, and you had pleaded with your mother to fake of not being inside.

You had graduated from high school, one year prior, thanks to all the credits you had collected during the years and had a private diploma ceremony with your family and your pregnant belly.

You had grown to love your baby during the pregnancy: you would talk to them whenever you could, caressing your belly and chatting with them about your day, all the funny stuff you would do together and what the world outside looked like.

The entire birth part scared you like crazy, but you thought it would have been worth it.

And it had been as you had held your child in your arms, after hours of agonizing pain.

They had been forced to cut you open since the child was taking quite his time and you wouldn’t dilatate yourself, enough.

But when you had woken up your mother was lulling him in her arms.

He looked beautiful, having gained two beautiful blue eyes and a smile that made your heart clench.

Too bad that the doctor had taken it from you too early.

‘He seems to have problem moving’ he had mentioned, meanwhile he visited the baby ‘Is there any story of problematic diseases, troubling mostly bones or muscles?’.

‘The father has osteogenesis imperfecta’ had explained your mother, meanwhile you called out for your child ‘… but it isn’t…’.

‘No, sadly it is’ he had explained, meanwhile he gently handled the baby’s legs ‘… I can already feel a few broken bones… this is going to be much more difficult than you might think’.

Your mother had been scared about having to help you up, but you and Erik had just done fine, not without mistakes and problems, but you had managed to love your son and give him a proper life, even with his ‘problematic’.

All of this, without Ivar.

The Lothbrock had moved out on Erik’s first birthday, something which honestly helped you, since the thought of Ivar not meeting Erik stopped your ‘house arrests’ and pushed you out of the house, even more because you had to actually get a job.

Working as a waitress didn’t make enough income to help you with a child and the thought of moving away from your parents (although your mother insisted that you didn’t bother them, you felt that your father wasn’t of the same opinion) was terrifying, so you had taken up to giving some lessons to high schoolers and some more salutary jobs.

You ran all the time around, and had to definitely renounce to going to college, but each night, when you would come home, breathless and tired, to Erik, your sweet child, you knew it was worth it.

For five years it had been perfect.

And then everything changed.

Ivar knew he was already fucking late to the meeting with his brothers.

It hadn’t been properly his fault, although he would rather die than confess to his brother that he had been seeing a fertility clinic with Freydis, to try to start their own family.

The sole mention of a fertility clinic would have raised questions he didn’t want his brothers to ask.

Hhey already seemed to have a feud with Freydis that had been ruining his wedding’s preparations.

He already could hear Sigurd making fun of him for not being able to please properly a woman, which was partially true.

Through the years, his stupid prick hadn’t gotten up for any woman, even his beloved Freydis, the one woman that made him feel a god.

But it had happened once, probably more out of luck than anything.

His first love and the first girl whose heart he had broken.

And you had returned the favor: he reminded the days after he had acted onto his brothers’ wishes, when you wouldn’t answer the phone and pretended not to be at home.

It had been enough for him to feel like you didn’t want him anymore.

Maybe it was why his stupid prick wouldn’t work.

Some of the sex therapist Freydis had brought him to, had suggested that his ‘inability to raise to the occasion’ was due to some rejection his past, so it might have been actually true.

But he didn’t trust any of those doctors.

He simply did it for Freydis, because she still hoped.

He didn’t, anymore.

He walked in the diner, it was a small one, similar to the one of the city he had lived, before he moved in the big city, for work and for many more occasions, but he couldn’t help but regret the beauty of these small places.

They never aged and they always brought him comfort, timeless and always there for jim

He had had his first date in one of those.

(He had also broken up with his first love in one of those).

He still didn’t let himself drown in his thoughts, knowing that going back in time and turning it, was impossible.

(No matter how much, sometimes, he wished he could do so).

He immediately recognized his brothers’ table as the noisiest one, moving straight up to it, not minding the fact that half the eyes of the clients in the diner were on him.

It was one of the many side effects of being a cripple.

“You finally joined us!” exclaimed Hvitserk, talking through a full mouth of food.

“Unlike you lazy asses, I have things to do” he mumbled as Ubbe shifted to make him some space next to him “… can’t survive on father’s paychecks only”.

He sent a direct look to Sigurd, who was using his father’s paychecks to support his (failing) musical career.

“At least I don’t have to be reigned by my girlfriend” muttered darkly Sigurd and Ivar wasn’t able to stop himself from almost attacking him.

Thankfully Ubbe did it for him.

“No need to fight brothers” he stated, readjusting the glasses Ivar had knocked over “Don’t make a scene, we are older than children and we are here to have a nice night among brothers, are we not?”.

“I am here for the free food” muffled Hvitserk, offering a humor relief that made all the brother laugh lightly.

They talked more civilly and then a waitress moved in to ask their orders, but Ivar’s ears were suddenly attracted by another noise, a voice that had belonged in his memories.

Had he left them open?

And then he turned to where the voice came from.

And he saw you.

He remembered you as a sweet girl, what you had been hadn’t changed, except the way you carried yourself, showing a growth, a painful one that hadn’t changed what you believed in.

But it still left signs.

As the scars of a battle.

You had your hair up in a high ponytail, and you were wearing a waitress uniform, probably working there to fund your way to college.

Your eyes were tired, but your lips were crooked in a small smile as you took a small child’s ordination.

He thought he was hallucinating, when Hvitserk again spoke up:

“Is that (Y/N) (L/N)?!” this got all the brothers’ attention to shift to where Ivar was looking, although he wished nothing more than to shield you, because he had discovered you first.

“… oh shit, yeah it’s her” muttered Ubbe, following your silhouette as you turned your back to them to move to counter “… I thought she would be in college”.

“Some people don’t have their parents’ back up, she might be simply working to pay college” muttered Ivar, but nobody seemed to hear him.

“She hasn’t certainly aged a day!” commented Hvitserk, giving your ass a meaningful look “… ahh can you remember when we dared little Ivar, to…”.

Ivar shushed him with a dark look.

But when he was doing this, he didn’t realize that Sigurd was waving you over.

You approached the table smiling, since you and Sigurd had been an unlike friendship, and Ivar still remembered how his ‘most sensitive’ brother had been against the ‘dare’, but as he turned to face you, you seemed to realize who Sigurd was with.

And the soft smile fell from your face.

You seemed to have seen a ghost.

“Oh Gosh, (Y/N), it’s been a lot since we have seen each other!” commented Sigurd, meanwhile your waitress friend asked with her eyes whether you knew these people or not.

You simply nodded, forcing a smile on your face, telling her you would have taken their ordinations.

“Ah it’s been a lot of time, indeed!” you smirked lightly “… I always see you in TV!”.

“… sadly, never winning” muttered Hvitserk “… we weren’t expecting to see you working here!”.

“And I wasn’t expecting you to greet me without your mouth full of food, so we are both surprised by how Destiny has cheated us” you joked back, smirking lightly “… it’s nice to see you, guys, but I haven’t much time”.

Although you were trying to be gentle, it was obvious that their presence was making you nervous and uncomfortable.

Ivar wondered whether it was for what had happened with him.

He couldn’t help but notice the way you avoided any eye-contact with him.

They all quickly gave you their orders and you thanked them, but before you could go away, again Sigurd grabbed your wrist, making Ivar hiss lightly.

“You have been greatly missed, (Y/N)” the simple affirmation seemed to break something in you and you were able to simply bow your head, as you moved to quickly report the order to the counter, before disappearing in the kitchen.

A quick sign that you didn’t reciprocate Sigurd’s thought.

“Well that didn’t go well…” muttered Hvitserk, going back to his food.

“It was strange” muttered Ubbe “… it’s strange… I expected her to be in Europe, she was always so brilliant”.

“Ubbe, what she does is none of your business” muttered Sigurd, for once, his words matching Ivar’s thoughts.

“I just… I mean… she doesn’t seem as the person who is stuck at 21st to serve tables, she was always smarter than that” mumbled Ubbe, again but shushed, as an elder woman brought them their meals.

“You know our sweet (Y/N)?” she asked, probably having witnessed the exchange of words, and Sigurd explained they were old schoolmates “… such a sweetheart, and so strong…”.

“Anything bad happened?” asked curiously Ivar, knowing all too well when to ask and when to stay quiet, and that woman seemed like she wanted so desperately to talk.

“Nothing too bad” mumbled the old lady, pouring some coffee in their glasses “… just… she is so strong for bringing a child on her own”.

The news immediately surprised all the brothers.

Again, you were the smart and hardworking girl, the one that followed the rules and didn’t have any vices, so for you to have a child, so young, didn’t make sense.

You should have been attending the last year of college, hadn’t you already finished it.

The thought of knowing you were already a mom, completely shocked Ivar.

And, although he wouldn’t admit it, he felt jealous at the thought of another man having known you so carnally.

“… oh, we didn’t know” uttered Ubbe “We have lost the contacts, when we moved in another city, after high school ended”.

“If you want, I can tell her that you’d like to get acquainted again” mumbled softly the waitress, probably thinking she was doing something good, something that would have made you happy.

But from the simple thought of your forced smile, a few minutes before, you wouldn’t have been happy in the slightest of meeting them.

And Ivar couldn’t make it a fault to you.

“She is working, we wouldn’t want to bother her or get in trouble, we are going to try to maybe contact her through the socials, but it was good to see her” commented softly Sigurd, smirking gently at the elder waitress, who simply nodded before muttering something under her breath ‘about the usefulness of social’.

As she moved away a deep silence fell onto their tables.

“I didn’t… wow… she never told me” muttered extremely baffled Sigurd.

“Did you stay in contact with her after we moved?” replied harshly Ivar and as Sigurd shook his head “… well then you can’t blame her for having hidden this to you”.

They had obviously lost any right to you, after ‘the dare’.

He, himself, couldn’t blame you.

“…can’t believe it” muttered Ubbe, sipping slowly his coffee, meanwhile Hvitserk nodded.

“Accidents happen, don’t they?” muttered Sigurd. before he proceeded to move their attention away from the thought, although Ivar’s mind was stuck onto that news.

Had you searched the attention of another person, because he had rejected you?

No, you had always been stronger than you seemed.

You wouldn’t have simply searched somebody to feel some love.

You had had to have loved the father of your child.

And the sole thought of it burned his chest painfully.

You were on the last shift of the day, and although usually you were almost happy for the extra tips which would come, this time you would have given everything to change your shift or close early.

It had started as a nice day: Erik’s bones were strengthening themselves from the therapy he had been doing and he had been excited for the soccer training of that afternoon.

Your mother had been also extremely happy to accompany ‘her favorite grandson’: she had been rather blue after your father had left you, both.

Thankfully he had left your family but not the house and the little money your mother had on her own, which had funded your move from the small city to a bigger one.

Sometimes you wondered how much your pregnancy and Erik’s sickness had impacted on your father leaving, but you tried not to think about it.

He hadn’t been held at gun point, he had chosen to leave a faithful wife, a devoted daughter and a wonderful grandchild.

You, yourself, had walked at work happy, thinking about the fact that you had also managed to schedule a meeting with an art gallery.

Through the five years you had been working on improving your culture, although you hadn’t been able to attend college, you had attended some free courses and apparently they were looking for some people to explain the art gallery’s shows, hence you had proposed yourself.

Although you knew there would be many more talented people also attending it, but… you hadn’t felt like giving up.

If you got the job, you might have had to quit one of your many jobs and spend more time with Erik, alongside paying for some new therapies.

Then you had seen the Lothbrocks at one of the tables.

And you had been glad of having met again Sigurd: you sometimes would see some of his performances at lower TV channels, and always joked with Erik about his songs.

Ubbe and Hvitserk had been indifferent to you and you had kept up the same behavior.

But Ivar…

… part of you was worried about him finding out about Erik, solely from your thought.

Back in the day, he used to be extremely intuitive.

And part of you couldn’t help but feel the pain of rejection all over again.

You had tried to find an excuse to avoid them, after the first little chat, although you were aware they would be talking about it: the small town from which you had come from had talked since you had shown Erik to it.

‘She used to be such a good girl’.

‘She used to have such a bright future ahead of her’.

‘She could have been so successful…’.

Blah blah blah.

Although you would discourage people from getting pregnant at such a young age, you didn’t feel like you had lost anything, maybe just pushed it a bit in the future, but you, yourself, had gotten through your own prejudices of being a single and younger mom.

You might have lost something, but your child was a blessing in your life.

So, you just shook off the critics.

You were waiting at the cash desk, chatting amicably with the cook of the diner, the one who made the last turn with you, always having the kind heart of packing something for you, and leaving some sweets for Erik, slowly gaining a little spot in your family, as ‘uncle Will’.

You were also checking the situation at the Lothbrock table, because, whereas all the other clients had already paid or were going to do it soon, they were stalling.

Their meals were finished, and they were chatting, although there would be more silence than actual words, and when you had sent Marlou to ask if they wanted a dessert or more coffee, they had simply replied that they were full.

They were obviously waiting and deciding who had to pay for the meal, who had to come face to face with you.

You almost expected them to start playing ‘paper, rock and scissors’ but finally you heard the distinctive screech of one of the chairs moving, but as you raised your head to see whoever had finally managed to collect their courage ‘to battle you’, you couldn’t help but be a bit nervous to discover it was Ivar.

He looked a bit annoyed, as if he had expected somebody else to volunteer at his courageous attempt, but nobody did and you immediately shut your eyes onto the screen of the cash machine, finding their bill, so that you wouldn’t have to talk with him too much.

He, instead, seemed a bit chatty, although he had that painfully awkward smile in his face he had whenever he was nervous about doing something.

Back in the day when you were together you would rub onto the back of his hand if you were in public to let him know your support, or when you were alone, you would body-hug-attack him.

But those memories seemed so long ago.

“It has passed quite some time” he mumbled softly, trying to chat you up, but you had no interest in conversing with him.

‘I see it on my child’s face’ you wanted to mutter, but again: you couldn’t make Ivar discover about Erik.

At first it had been a petty thought of your broken heart, but the more Erik grew the more you were scared that Ivar knowing of him would take him away from you.

It was irrational, but sometimes you would check out on your child.

You would do it also that night.

“Quite some time, indeed” you shot back, telling him the total and asking whether he would be paying in cash or not.

Ivar seemed a bit taken aback by the coldness in your tone, but reacted to it better than he was used, hiding his pain at your harshness, as he told you he would be paying in cash, keeping up the entire rest of the transaction in silence, meanwhile you opened the cash collected the money, counting it discreetly, printed the receipt.

He tried to do one last attempt.

“… we should come all together one of these days”.

More like hell no.

But you didn’t reject the proposal completely.

“It would be nice” Ivar’s face seemed to regain a bit of color at that affirmation “I am just a lot busy with work, but I’ll see what I can do”.

And with that you passed him the receipt and wished him a good day, turning to the kitchen to fake an emergency there, whereas Will was simply packing you the leftovers which would be your dinner.

You waited there, spying on Ivar, seeing him for the first time in five years properly: he dressed as the industrial magnate he was rumored to become in a few years, expanding his father’s properties, but he didn’t have the face of an happy magnate.

At least Destiny hadn’t given him that.

He indulged a bit on his feet, and pushed a few dollar bills into the tips bucket, something that low key opened a bit your heart to him but didn’t make you feel any less convinced about hiding him from Erik.

You closed the shop alongside Marlou, who continued on commenting about how ‘gorgeous were your school friends’.

‘They were all so handsome! Ahh what a lucky family!’.

‘They could have been your children!’ you had retorted almost receiving an elbow in your stomach from the woman, as she muttered that ‘at least it would have been better than Karl’, her thirty something unemployed son with a permanent place on her sofa.

After you had wished her ‘goodnight’, you had walked till your apartment, rushing a bit both because seeing Lothbrocks had surprised you and both because you couldn’t wait to see again Eric, who had stayed the day with your mom, waiting simply for you at home to tell you all about his day.

No matter how tired or shaken you were, your son’s smile never failed to make you feel a bit better.

---

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softstanwrites · 4 years

Text

freelancer, changkyun x reader 1-4

word count : 9.1 k

changkyun x reader

hacker au/mafia au (eventually)

an: it’s been a minute but i rewrote the parts of freelancer i didn’t like and added on the fourth part. you can think of this a prologue for the new direction i want to take this series. i’ll be posting more about that later. but for now i hope you enjoy.

also i would love some feedback as well.

~*~

If I take a double shift tomorrow and then we wish on a star, all our dreams come true, and he actually gets a paid project, we might be able to pay our bills without having to sell my left kidney.’ She watched the ramen in the pot cook. Her mind wandered off to other things and soon she began to absentmindedly stir the noodles. Y/N was startled out of her thoughts, as she heard the sound of the front door to her studio apartment slam shut followed by the voice of her boyfriend, Changkyun.

“Hey,” Before she knew it he was behind her, his chin resting on her shoulder, his arms wrapped around her waist. “How was your day? Anything happen at the restaurant?” She felt safe with him around and being close with him after a stressful day made her worries fade away, temporarily.

“It was alright. I did trip and dropped a bunch of plates in the kitchen so that was fun” She said slightly joking, but the slight throbbing in her back reminded her that as funny as it was, it hurt more than she laughed.

“I keep telling out that you have to get rid of those old sneakers. The bottoms are so flat, there’s no grip on them.” He chuckled, his laugh deep and hearty. He nuzzled his face into the side of her neck, his breath tickling her skin.

“I can’t do that. Converse looks better the more you wear them and the more worn they get.”

“You’ve had those since high school.”

“Exactly, you can’t get all those years of dirt and grime back.”

“That’s gross.” He said moving away from her, making his way to the small sofa on the other side of the room. He plopped down on it, sighing loudly. He was relieved to finally be home. The days that he had to spend that outside the comfort of his own couch, were undeniably the worst. But you have to make money to live, right?

“I would get a new pair but we just can’t afford to spend money on new sneakers like that right now.” Y/N finished the ramen bringing the pot over to the couch, along with two cans of sodas that she had picked up earlier. She tossed one to to him before placing the pot on the coffee table in front of the sofa and taking a seat next to him.

“Speaking of money,” Changkyun groaned, knowing exactly where the conversation was going. He really didn’t want to get into an argument today. Quickly, he leaned forward stuffing his face with ramen trying to avoid conversation all together. “Oh, come on Changkyun,” he looked at her mouth full and cheeks puffed out, looking at her with feigned innocence. “We have to talk about this.”

He chewed his food and swallowed before looking at her, “Yeah but not tonight, alright?” He said before giving her a kiss right on her closed lips, a smile spread across his face as she agreed in a less enthusiastic way. The both leaned back into the couch, slowly sinking into it. His thoughts became consumed with the show that was playing on the laptop that sat on a stool right across the coffee table. Y/N unfortunately couldn’t get into the t.v. show. She was too busy thinking about everything Changkyun wasn’t.

When Y/N looks back on their relationship, she never thought that this is where they would be. She honestly thought that they would have broken up at the end of high school. She didn’t think that they were going to last as long as they did when he asked her out at the beginning of their first year. But time after time, Changkyun stuck with her and in turn she became attached as well. But when third year started to come to a close, she knew that it was coming to an end. Changkyun had started to talk about moving away from their home town and all the plans that he had had for his future. The more he talked about it, the more she realized that she wasn’t included and at first it didn’t bother her, but as it started to sink in she realized that she really loved him and was too attached to say goodbye so soon.

She would remain silent about it in front of him. But when he wasn’t around, she started to look up all the places mentioned. She even started to plan out what compromises for the two of them. One where she could go to her dream school and not be too far away from him was impossible, so that was out. A long distance relationship was out of the question, she barely could text him regularly and they were with each other everyday. The only option was to move out of their hometown together. But she didn’t want to intrude on his plans, so she had to talk to him. It was probably the most awkward conversation they have ever had but it was the most important.

At the end of it all, Y/N found that he always wanted her to be by his side but he was afraid she wouldn’t want to because she seemed destined to do bigger and better. Y/N had scholarships to some of the best colleges in the country lined up and waiting for her. Her passion being the arts, she could have studied anywhere she wanted and had a foot up in that difficult industry. Your future was waiting for you and he knew that he couldn’t keep up. So he never mentioned how he wanted to be with you after graduation. He was afraid that he wouldn’t be enough for you, and sometimes he still feels this way when he can’t give you everything you need and want. So in true Changkyun fashion, instead of talking about it he’d rather ignore the feelings in his heart and the thoughts racing in his mind. He acted like everything was okay, for her.

After hours of binge watching some show, the both of them were too brain fired to take in another second. Y/N went to clean up their dinner and Changkyun closed down the laptop and packed it away with his other equipment. Changkyun seemed smart enough that Y/n thought now would be a good idea to talk to him now. She’d known him for years now and knows that to get him to listen would be during his sleepiest moments. She couldn’t outsmart him when he was wide awake but when he was on his way to la la land was her time to strike. He’d talk to her and promise her things during their pillow talk and in the morning she’d hold him to it. She wished that she wouldn’t have to use such secret tactics to get to him but it was really her only way.

“Babe,” She started noticing his sleepy walk as he carried himself to the bathroom and she followed. “The month is almost up and I don’t think we are going to make it.”

“We’ll make it, love. Don’t worry.” His muffled voice came out as he started to brush his teeth. You followed him and started as well not dropping the subject. Through muffled voices she let him know that her paycheck wouldn’t be enough. He finished first and washed his face before heading to the bed.

“Okay, I get it. And I am trying to do a little more. You know I’m just a free-”

“A freelancer, yes I know. But the stipend that that company gives you is not enough. They rarely give you any jobs since the first couple of months there. If you're a freelancer, you should be able to work for anyone who pays.” You said coming out of the bathroom to sit across from him on the couch. Sinking into the cushions you watched him as he sat with his back against the wall and his phone in his hand as he typed away.

“Yeah, but I signed an exclusive contract with them for the rest of the year and if I were to pull out then there goes my only source of reliable income. I want to leave honestly but It would be even worse for us because I’d have nothing to give.” He sighed, closing his phone and tossing it to the side. He looked at Y/N with tired eyes. She knew how hard he worked and she hated having this conversation more than anyone else. She never wanted to pressure him but she had to stay headstrong.

“Okay, what about that other thing you were talking about maybe a couple a months ago. Your friend DK was working on it right? What ever happened to that?”

“It didn't really pan out. They didn’t need me and it was just a start up so I don’t think I would have been getting paid much either way.” You both stared at each other. He could see the frustration in her eyes. “But,” He offered carefully. “I do have something coming my way. It's just going to take time before I can actually get paid for it.”

“Changkyun, how many times are you going to tell her that before you actually do get paid.”

“Hopefully not again. I’m already breaking my company contract so I’m risking a lot already. I know it’s been tough but this time it will be good. They are really serious about the work they want done and I can do it. We just have to wait until I actually finish the job.”

“So what do we do now, Changkyun? We need money and we need it fast. I doubt that Ms. Choi is going to let us pay the rent in a couple weeks late again. She’ll kick us out, then what will we do, huh?” She could feel her voice cracking and her eyes watering. She hated this feeling more than anything. It was like she was stuck between wanting to protect him and his fantasy that somehow they’d be okay and the harsh reality that they were screwed. He looked at her knowing that she could burst out in tears at any moment. He scooted up to the edge of the bed holding his arms out.

“Come here. You know I hate to see you cry.” She got up and walked over to him becoming entrapped as he wrapped his arms around her hips. Pressing his head into her stomach, they stayed like this for a long moment. “I’m going to make this right to you, I promise.” At his promise he looked up at her. “Someday, you’ll never have to cry over money again. We’ll be so rich that our kids will have those cute little motor cars and they’ll drive them around our huge backyard of our mansion. When they get speed, we’ll have a hired policeman give them little tickets that they could pay.” He smiled as he saw the edges of the mouth curl up into a little smile. “That’s how rich we’ll be. I swear. I just need a little more time”

“Our kids?” Y/N asked with a slight chuckle. She wanted to continue to argue but she couldn't find the strength when he looked at her like that.

“Yeah, I mean if you want kids. I would love to have a little baby that looks like you but I could teach to code like me .”

“Hey, I can code some things! My old tumblr, I did that all by myself.” She giggled hitting him on his shoulder.

“Okay but when I try and show you other things, you can never get it.” The two of them moved further into the bed, lying down as the exhaustion of the day caught up with them.

“Yeah, past tumblr it gets too hard, so I give up.” She smiled and moved his hair out of his face. “I love you, you know that, right?”

“You wouldn’t be dealing with me if you didn’t.”

“You got that right.” They both chuckled.

“I love you too.” He replied as he both of them got comfy under the covers and swiftly fell asleep. It was late into the night when the bed started to vibrate. It woke Y/N slightly but as she opened her eyes slightly, she noticed it was still dark outside. Changkyun on the other hand was wide awake from the vibrations. Quickly, he found his phone that was responsible for waking them. Y/N couldn’t see who had called him, opting to try and fall back asleep. Changkyun, however, picked up as soon as he realized who called. In a hushed voice he talked to the other person, from time to time he would look over to Y/N, hoping he hadn’t been too loud and woke her up. Changkyun and the person on the phone agreed on something and He asked for the address to be texted to him and with that, the phone call ended. Changkyun laid there for only a second debating whether or not to let her know that he was heading out. He decided against it and tried to get out of the bed as silently as possible. He quietly moved around the room packing up his laptop and some other equipment into his backpack. Shuffling into his sneakers, he looked at you sound asleep. He knew he had to do this for her. For them. He exited the apartment making his way out into the night, not knowing that when closed to the door Y/N rolled over in the bed to stare at the door.

“Where in the hell can he be going at 3am in the morning?”

~*~

The rest of the week had gone on like this. Changkyun would wake up at mysterious times to a phone, have a brief conversation and then slip into the night with his work bag slung across his back. Y/N tried not to let it bother her too much but how could she ignore it when they shared a bed together and Changkyun wasn’t the smoothest getting out of it. For the first couple of days, she’d wake up to the feeling of the phone vibrating, keeping her eyes closed to pretend she was sleeping. She’d try and listen in on the hushed conversations had but nothing really came from it. She did get caught once, it was Thursday morning and she was moving a bit too much for Changkyun to not notice.

“Hold on,” he said into the phone. She immediately became rigid in the bed, hoping that I could play it off as if I had just woke up. He leaned forward hovering over her. His shallow breath fanning over her face as he looked for any signs to tell that she was awake. And although her body was still, her closed eyes still moved around. A slight worry entered his brain, had she heard him? “Baby, did I wake you up?”

Her first instinct was to smile and break out in a giggle, like a child who was caught red handed. With his face so close to hers, it was nearly impossible not to. But with all of her might, she calmed the giggling child. Y/N opened her eyes slowly, her face scrunched up, pretending that she had just woke up and had to wait for her eyes to adjust. She even stretched her body in hopes that Changkyun would believe it.

“Hmm?” She asked, as if she hadn’t heard him shuffling about. She looks at him, the moonlight from our window lighting up his face. His eyes glistened as he looked down on her with a soft but concerned gaze. Swiftly, her eyes flicker away from his face and she can see his phone in his hand that was resting on his thigh, his other arm I was under the pillow my head was laying on. He was on another call. She squinted her eyes trying to see the caller ID but wasn’t quick enough because he realized what caught her attention, and moved the phone away from view. She looked back up at him with a small pout on her face.

“Sorry about that,” He chuckled in a hushed tone. “I was playing a game.” He kissed her underneath her right eye. The sweet gesture caused a bubbling feeling in her chest. She couldn’t stop the small grin on her face. “I’m sorry I woke you up.” He leaned down and kissed her again, this time on her forehead. She breathes in his scent, their soap and hints of his favorite cologne that he got as a present for graduation and uses sparingly. Wood sage and sea salt.

“Why are you up so late?” She asked, as she attempted to muster up as much of a groggy voice that she could.

“I woke up but couldn’t fall asleep, so I was just on my phone.” He answered, placing his lips by her ear before whispering, “Go back to bed, I’ll be right here.” She nodded, turning back over to face the windows. With no curtain, the light from outside entered the tiny apartment, casting a blue hue over everything. He slipped his arm from underneath her and waited until she closed her eyes again. He let go of the breath that he was holding, before scooting down and off the bed. Phone still in hand, he shuffled to the bathroom and closed the door behind him. She waited a moment before sitting up in bed, looking at the bathroom door.

Unfortunately, the walls weren’t thin enough that she could eavesdrop on him from the bed, only being able to catch murmurs of the conversation from where she was laying. She sat there staring at the door, the light shining from underneath the bottom, the door knob almost shining. It teased her, ‘open the door, confront him.’ Scenarios of what would happen when he exited ran through her head. Would she get up and yell at him? Let him know everything that’s been running through her mind. Demand to know who he’s been talking to every night, where he’s been going, and why? Hell, if she moved fast enough she could barge in there right now and ask the person on the phone herself.

She had almost made up her mind to do it but heard the sound of the sink running and laid back down back in the bed, eyes closed shut instantly. The squeaky door opened again and Changkyun cautiously stepped out. Believing that she had fallen asleep again, let out a shaky sigh. He walked around the full sized bed, to the dresser that was on her side of the bed. He pulls his usual work clothes, a white button up, one of the three ties that he owns, and a pair of black slacks. He checks if they are clean before putting them into his work bag, along with his laptop and a pair of dress shoes. He changed into his regular clothing, a flannel and jeans. He looked down to his side at her, the light on her looked so soft and calming. As much as he wanted to lay back down he couldn’t. He had somewhere to be. He leaned over her again and kissed her on her lips ever so softly, careful not to wake her up. “I love you” he whispered before standing up again. Changkyun grabs his keys, wallet, and phone, putting them into his pockets. He spares her one last look making sure she’s fast asleep and knows nothing of this late night departure. He shoves his feet in his sneakers and walks out of the apartment, silently closing and locking the door behind him. His pace is fast as he makes his way out of the apartment complex. Once out of the courtyard and on the street, he shifts the bag on his back and pulls up the hood on his hoodie, effectively blending himself in with the shadows.

Back in the studio apartment, she lays there eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling. Tear brimming and threatening to escape her as moments pass by.

If you love me so fucking much then why are you lying to me ?

~*~

It’s a chilly spring day, the people outside are making their way around Seoul, dressing in their light coats and bright colors to match the time of year. Trees are starting to sprout flowers in soft white and pink colors. The brightens everything making everything seem a little washed out of color, life a filter has been placed over the world. The cold breeze swept through the city streets shaking blossoms off tree limbs and sent them sailing through the air. The day was nearly picture perfect.

With the weather being so nice, a change from the onslaught of rain recently, Y/N felt like it was the perfect time for her to get out of the house and meet with her friends again. She hadn’t had the time to do so in a while because of all the extra work that she had to do. She ended up paying a majority of her rent on time. Her landlord was annoyed but gracious enough to let her pay off the rest when she had the rest of the money, which she did a week later. With a bit of extra cash in her pocket that she didn’t usually have, Y/N decided to treat herself. She’d worked her ass off the past three weeks and deserved it. Hoping to take her mind off the whole Changkyun ordeal, She contacted her closest friends two days prior. They planned to spend the whole day out, shopping and eating, so that they wouldn’t get caught up watching dramas inside like they usually do. It was 12:30 pm and she sat in the little cafe that Soobin worked in, sipping on a latte and eating one of the small pre-wrapped sandwiches that could pick up near the register. The place was a bohemian inspired with mismatched furniture of all different patterns, styles, and color. Plants hung all over the interior of the cafe, some cute little succulents and other long sprawling plants with huge leaves. Somehow, it still flowed together nicely and gave off a very homey feel. One that Y/N was quite familiar with after visiting the cafe so regularly. Soobin was surprised to see Soojung and Y/N when the two had walked through the door earlier. The girls had promised to meet up after her shift but Sojung had complained in the group chat about how hungry she was and they decided that they could probably get some free food and drinks out of Soobin.

Halfway through brunch, that was turning into more of a lunch at this point, Sojung asked Y/N about Changkyun. She tried to keep it light and casually but was tired of keeping her thoughts in my head. She needed someone to talk to about the secret calls and disappearing. Y/N couldn't help but tell her everything. Every little detail came spilling out of her mouth. After every question she asked her closest friend, she hoped they’d tell me that she was overreacting. But a little voice in her head answered instead. ‘No, it’s not normal. Yes, there is something wrong.’ She couldn’t stop the feeling of being so helpless in those moments. After letting everything out, she tried to pass it off as if it wasn't bothering her as much as it did inside. However, Sojung had no intentions of letting it go. She knew there was something deeper going on.

~*~

"All that and you haven't said a word to him?" Sojung asked me. I shook my head while I took a sip of my coffee.

"Nope. I just don't know where he is going and I don't want to be that type of girlfriend, you know?" I placed the cup down on the table.

She looked at me with wide eyes, completely surprised. I groaned out running my hands through my hair before letting my head hit the table. It was almost like I could hear what she was going to say to me, mainly because I've already been telling myself the same thing. 'You need to say something! You can't just let him walk all over you. If something is bothering you in your relationship, then you should speak up.' It wasn't long before Soobin came over to join us with a small tray with some pastries on it and more coffee.

"Alright," She placed the tray on the table and took a seat with us. "I'm finally off. I hate morning shifts with a passion but I make the most in tips. Also, if you too keep on coming here for free food, My boss is going to figure you two out. Anyway, what did I miss?" I was going to tell her nothing but,

"Changkyun is cheating on Y/N!"

"He’s what?!"

"He is not!" I retort back, lifting my head looking at the two of them. Soobin looked at me with a similar surprised look that Sojung had earlier. "He's not," I say, looking at Sojung challenging her. She rolls her eyes and goes to take another sip from her own mug. "He would never. You know he's not that type of guy. He's just acting weird." I mumble. I didn't want to believe that Changkyun could possibly cheat on me. But no matter how much I tried, my mind always ended up on that conclusion.

"Sure." Sojung placed her cup on the table. She pursed her lips. "Soobin," She turned to her, her body language showing that she didn’t want my input. "If Hyunjung was getting weird phone calls in the middle of the night and then after getting these calls, she jumped out of bed at two am in the morning and just left the house, not waking you up to even tell you where she was going, then doesn't come home until after work, what would you think she was up to, huh?" The whole time while Sojung talked I wanted to interrupt but she wasn't embellishing the truth. That was everything that I was going through for the past three weeks.

"Well, I'd ..." She stopped talking, taking the moment to look over at me with sad eyes. " Oh honey," She started.

"Not you too!" I leaned back in my chair, my eyes meeting the ceiling.

"Y/N, it sounds like he's doing something he doesn't want you to know about. What else could it be?" She sounded so concerned for me but I didn't want to be pitied. I looked back at the two of them, fixing my posture in the chair.

"I don't know what it could be but I can't just come out and accuse him of something like that. I mean, what if he isn't. You wouldn't be happy if Hyunjung just came out and called you a cheater, right?"

"Yeah, but Soobin isn't giving Hyunjung a reason to worry, unlike Changkyun." Sojung budded in making another point that I couldn't refute. All I could do was look at her hoping she would stop being so right about this.

"Have you even asked him about all of this?" From my expression, Soobin could tell what the answer was. Her mouth dropped open. I could understand the shock from my friends. It really wasn't like me to not say something when I was bothered. But this had to do with Changkyun. I'm always so afraid to lose him since we graduated. I always felt like we weren't supposed to make it past that last year of high school. All of it was borrowed time and eventually the two of us were going to be forced to separate ways. It feels inevitable but I just don't want it to be now. Not while I'm still so in love with him.

"Okay, I'll ask him about it tonight when he comes home. Until then can we please drop it, I came out with my friends to get away from all of that."

"You're really going to talk to him?" Soobin asked. Sojung was watching me intently. I nodded my head. I knew I really wasn't but I just wanted to let it go and enjoy the rest of my day. Soobin seemed to accept my answer but Sojung was still silent. We stared at each other until she finally broke.

"Fine. We'll drop it but I want an update after you do."

"Yes, mom." It was my turn to roll my eyes and Soobin giggled. From there, we ate the rest of our food and decided to roam around Hongdae seeing if there was a place to do some shopping. We eventually came across this quaint boutique. We spent the afternoon trying outfits for the next time we would go out together. It'd be a nightclub, so we wanted to look as good as possible. I ended up with a couple nice things, a few sweaters, t-shirts, a pair of jeans, and a nice party dress. They were out of season but they were all on the clearance rack so I didn't break the bank. After all the shopping, we decided to grab something else to eat before parting ways. Sojung was the first to go, leaving Soobin and I walking towards the train station.

"Don't punk out okay. Just ask him where he's been going and let him know that it bothers you a lot." I nodded leaning in and gave her a hug.

"Tell Hyunjung I said hi, okay? Love you." I said, releasing her from the hug.

"I love you too. Don't forget" She said pointing at me as she made her way to the steps of the station.

“I won't, now go before you miss your train." I waved before she disappeared down the steps. It wasn't much of a walk home from there. But I dreaded getting home more than anything. I stopped at the convenience store to waste time. Looking through the aisles picking up some chips, candy and even a bottle of soju.

An aisle over, there was a man with wild brown picking out some bags of chips. I can't help but smile at his hairstyle thinking that he might have jumped out of bed and came to the convenience store. Deciding to mind my business, I pick up two bottles of soju and make my way to the counter.

"Is this all?" the cashier asks. I nodded as he started to bag up my items. While he does that, I notice somebody beside me. It's the same man with wild hair. I take in his face quickly, the small cross tattoo by his eye and his overall outfit allude to the hair being more of a style choice than a circumstance. "That'll be ₩20,000." Immediately, I start rummaging through my bag. Each moment becomes more frantic because I can't find my wallet.

"I got it. I'll pay for both of them together.” He says, pushing his items closer to the cashier.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t put a dent in my pocket.” Pulling out a card from his wallet and holding it up for the cashier to see. He turned to me with a toothy grin and I smiled back politely. After paying for both his and my stuff, he handed me my bag.

"Thank you, that was really kind of you."

"No problem." He said simply and we both walked out of the store. "Welp, good night." He said making a small salute with his hands before walking the way I just came from.

"Good night." I say back to him and turn to walk in the opposite way. I let out a sigh when I deem we are far enough from each other. I didn’t want to have to explain to him why just because he brought my snacks, I didn’t owe him my phone number or my time, especially when I didn’t ask him to pay for it in the first place. But the fact that had just left me to go on my merry way made me smile. Guess he just wanted to be nice to someone.

The whole interaction almost made me forget what I had promised my friends earlier. It wasn't until I was a block away from my apartment complex that I could see the light on from the 5th apartment on the third floor. Changkyun was already home.

~*~

Walking up the stairs to our apartment, I can feel my body getting lighter and lighter with each step, to the point I started to feel light headed. I wanted to run back down the stairs and hide away. Anything to prolong the confrontation I knew would come. But I didn’t have that option. My friends would just send me right back home. I pressed on after catching my breath at the top of the staircase. The words that I had planned for Changkyun left my mind as I neared the door. Quickly I reshuffle the bags in my hand and dig through my purse to find my keys, but failed to get them out. Letting out a sigh, I lift my hand to knock on the door. I really wanted to at least put my stuff down before we started talking.

From the door, I could hear Changkyun shuffle around in the apartment and his feet dragging to the door. “Who is it?” I could hear him ask, his face probably pressed against the door to look out the peephole.

“It’s me, Changk-”

“Sorry, I didn’t order any pizza.”

“Changkyun, it’s not pizza.”

“Oh? No pizza? Then you must be one of those toaster salesman, huh?”

“Oh my god, Chang. You are so annoying.” I drone out with a dramatic eye roll. I have to hold myself from smiling though. Changkyun likes to play this game whenever I lock myself out of our home.

“Wait! You’re one of those cult recruiters, aren’t you?”

“Open the damn door! My arms hurt and the soju is getting warm.” I say giving the door a little kick. Swiftly the door opens up and Changkyun is standing there in his pj’s, wire glasses, and tousled hair.

“Soju? You’re definitely trying to get me to join a cult.” We both share a small laugh as I make my way through the door. “Woah, big baller, what did you get? And did you get me something?” He asked me to take my shopping bags from me and take a quick look through them.

“Just some jeans and tops. I didn’t really get you anything but if you want, there is a cute little dress you can have.” I said with a joking smile plopping down on the bed, shedding my jacket from my shoulders. He came over and pulled the jacket away from me and planted a kiss on my forehead.

“As hot as I would look in a dress, teal isn’t my color.” He walked away with my jacket in hand and turned to hang it up. Watching him, I laid out on our bed. He shoots me a goofy smile as he busies himself around the kitchen. “Ooo, peach flavored? Nice.” He says as he stashes the bottles of soju in the fridge. “It’ll be a good nightcap after we eat dinner. Have you eaten already?” He asks moving towards the small kitchenette. I grunt a ‘no’ to him and he hums and nods. “Good because I cooked dinner for us.”

“You cooked?” I asked in a mocking tone, sitting up slightly.

“Oh shut up, I am not that bad at cooking.”

“You forgot to put water in your ramen.” I deadpan.

“That was once!”

“Twice.”

“Okay, but did you die?” I don’t respond to him, too amused by his persistence and he takes it as a win, “Exactly.”

The rest of the evening went on quite simply. Changkyun served up a pretty decent dinner. It wasn’t ramen so I was generally impressed, however it wasn’t completely cooked by him. Later in the night while cleaning, I noticed a very convenient rotisserie chicken container in the trash. We finally wound down after talking about our days and him enthusiastically telling me a story about a man and his parrot that he saw on the train in the morning.

“And then he would stop the baby talking with the parrot and he wasn’t quiet either. I heard him all the way across the train car.”

“Oh god, that’s weird.”

“Yeah, I’m scarred for life.” With that he got up from his seat next to me, taking out a bottle of the alcohol to pour both of us a glass. The room went silent for a moment as Changkyun tried to get the top off, the only thing that came to mind was the conversation with my friends earlier today. It was time to confront him even though it was the last thing I wanted to do. It was now or never.

“Hey, Chang?”

“Mm?” He hummed, still focused on the bottle.

“I need to talk to you about something.”

“So, uh,” He turned to me, watching as I tried to gather my thoughts. “How’s work going?” He turned back to the counter finishing his task.

“Uh, it's going good.”

“That's good.”

“Yeah.”

“I was wondering if things were okay, because I've noticed you leave pretty early now.”

“Oh, I don't wake you up do I?”

“Uh, no. Not really. It's just that you aren't here when I wake any more.”

“Right. I've been meaning to talk to you about that.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, so,” He pauses, then comes to sit next to me. “I've kinda got the opportunity to work on this new project thing.”

“Really?” My eyes light up with excitement, this wasn’t what I was expecting to hear tonight.

“Yup and pays really well. I know we kinda struggle with all that but I think this could change things for us.” I nod, almost smiling a bit. The thought of things getting better financially for us is something I've been working towards for so long. For a while it felt like I was working alone with Changkyun so focused on his computers that he would spend his last dollar on updating his pc all the time. But now our future was a concern for him too and I was happy about it. That’s where the conversation ended, as the two of us drank and joked around until we both fell asleep.

Sorry Sojung.

~*~

The next morning was the same as it had been the weeks before. Y/N woke up to his side of the bed empty. She’d go through her own morning routine, make her way to work and back home, just to wait around for Changkyun to come home and the two of them to fall asleep. Then the cycle would repeat over again. But things felt different from before. There was no more wondering, no more anxiety, right? She knew where he was. Or did she? Even though Changkyun had given her an answer,it didn’t sit right with her. Thinking about it too much almost made her stomach turn, so she tried not to. If this new found ignorance was supposed to be bliss, then why wasn’t she feeling that. Why was this question still gnawing at her. Taking up so much space in her thoughts that it was hard to be left alone with them.

Somehow, She got through the next three weeks without saying a word to him about it. All she did to quell the turmoil was to listen in to his early morning phone calls if she could. Unfortunately, it didn’t help her. It was practically driving her insane to hear him whisper so secretly. They never had kept anything from each other. Living in such a small apartment makes it nearly impossible.

But she swore she’d let it go. And she almost did, but one phone call she had overheard sent her over the edge.

“No, I’m at home.” Changkyun was hushed about it and turned over to face the wall. “It’s fucking- “ he pulled the phone away from his face to check the time squinting before putting the phone back to his face again. “1 am. The hell are you calling me so early?” Changkyun stretched his neck as he listened to the person on the other side of the phone, a smile gracing his lips. He couldn’t help the low chuckle that escaped him.

“Aww, You’re that needy for me?” He teased the person on the other side.

A chilling sense swims through her body. This was it. This was what she needed to finally stop that internal gnawing feeling. But unfortunately, it was replaced with another one. The feeling of absolute dread. This was what she wanted, the undeniable proof that he was seeing someone else this whole time. Y/N felt as if she could burst into tears right there but she didn’t. The emotion mixing with the dread wasn’t the sadness she hoped for but was anger coursing within her veins. She just wanted to hear the truth come out of his mouth. As angry as she was, she wanted to see if he’d lie in her face or would he own up to his actions. She listened until he was done on the phone. He had made arrangements to meet a couple blocks away in 15 minutes. Changkyun moved out of bed slowly. She could feel how careful he was, trying not to bother her. Little did he know, She thought.

Swiftly, he gathered all the things he needed, his jacket, laptop, clothes for his actual job, and mask to cover his face, like he would for every night prior. He was slowly unlocking the front door, trying not to make any loud noises, when Y/N sat up abruptly. From the surprised look on his face she had caught him red handed and she wouldn’t let him get away.

“Where are you going?” She asked. Her voice was clear and assertive. She tried to not to give any clues that she had listened in on his phone call.

“Y/N? Why are you up?” He dodged her question, his voice coming out a little shaky.

“I heard you get up so I woke up. But where are you going?” She asked again.

“To work. I told you this already.” He made a move to open up the door but heard her shift in the bed more, so he stopped. He hoped she’d accept his answer and just lay back down but it didn’t seem like things were going to be going his way.

“Yeah, but it’s one am. You said you leave here around seven.”

“I know but uh,” He looked back down at his phone in his hand, he was running out of time. “Can we talk about it tonight babe? I really have to go.”

“No, we can’t talk later.” She pushed the covers off of herself and stood up to confront him face to face. She maneuvered her way in between him and the exit to stop him. “Why did you lie to me? Just tell me where you are going.”

“I can’t. I really can’t. We’ll talk later tonight. I promise.” He tried to place a kiss on her forehead but before it could land, she pushed him back.

“I’m not going to be here tonight or ever again if you don’t answer me.”

He seems scared and she’s shocked at her own tenacity. He stood there waiting for her to say something to him.

“Who is she?”

“What?

“You heard me, who is the other person that you’ve been talking to all the time. You sneak out of our home to go see in the middle of the night. Who?” She was getting more and more upset by the way he acted as if she couldn’t see what was happening. The churning in her stomach had produced a heat that was inescapable as it rose in her chest and to her neck.

“You think I’m cheating on you?” Changkyun took a step back and looked at Y/N bewildered. Never in his life did he think that she could accuse him of such a thing. He turns away from her in shock, facing the other side of the room.

“Obviously, you’ve been acting suspicious for a little over a month now. What am I supposed to think?” She crosses her arms. She made her point and now the ball was in his court.

But when Changkyun turns around , it’s Y/N turn to be taken back as he looks at her in a way she’s never seen before. Changkyun looked at her with so much anger that it sent a shiver through her. His jaw was taught as if he was holding back the words he really wanted to say but chose not to. Instead, he shifts his bag over his shoulder and walks up to her, and directly into her face says, “I’m not having this conversation with you. Go to bed.” Before shoving past her and leaving.

She turned to see him leave, grimacing as the door slammed. She wants to chase after him but her feet won’t move.

And now, she was alone in the apartment. She stood there in shock as everything started to process in her mind. The feeling that she was expecting finally came flooding in and teas poured from her eyes. She crawls back on to the bed and sits in the corner with her back against the wall. She grabs a pillow and starts to sob into it. Y/N never thought that their relationship would become so riddled with secrets and lies. She had never wanted to not be able to trust him but she knew deep within her that the stories he told weren’t adding up. She thought she’d be stronger in the moment of confrontation. That she had to be true to herself and follow her gut feelings but she didn’t think that path would have her end up here. Crying and Alone. For hours, she let all her pain and heartbreak into the pillow, before falling asleep in that upright position.

~*~

A buzzing noise and feeling wakes Y/N up. She is still tucked into the corner of the bed but her body has spread out. Even though her mind is groggy and her eyes barely open, she recognizes the buzzing as her cell phone and immediately starts to look for it. She rubs the sleep from her eyes as she finds it folded in between the covers beside her. Quietly, in her heart she hopes it’s Changkyun calling her, hoping that he’d apologize and promise to talk later. But she is disappointed to find that it’s a coworker from her job. That’s when she notices it is half past ten in the morning. She is late for work but she doesn’t make a move to answer the call letting it ring out. She checks her notifications to see that she has five missed calls and three text messages. None of which are from her boyfriend.

She tosses her phone to the side then leaves the bed to wash her face in the bathroom. She flips the switch and as the light flickers on she can see her reflection in the mirror. She can see the prominent tear stains as they go down her cheeks. They reminded her of what happened earlier that morning and she is tempted to start crying again but contains herself. Quickly, she washes and dries her face before returning to the main room. It is rather quiet outside as most people have done all their commuting hours ago, only the sound of a car driving by fills the street every so often.

Y/N shuffles her way to the kitchenette and fills up an electric kettle with water. Some coffee will wake me up, she thinks as she presses the switch to start the machine. She finds her mug in the dish drain and rinses it out before searching for the instant coffee. She finds a packet, tears it open and pours it into the mug haphazardly along with some sugar. She is about to pour the hot water when she gets distracted by the sound of her phone buzzing again. She goes over to the bed and picks up the phone noticing that this time it isn’t her coworker calling but her manager. She answers the phone, ready to get a long lecture.

She was lucky, her manager was more concerned than actually angry seeing as Y/n wasn’t usually a late person and if for some reason she was she would call ahead of time. Y/n lied and told her that she had a really bad stomach ache and the medicine she had taken the night before kept her too drowsy to hear her alarm clock. Her manager is an understanding man and told her to stay home and wished her a speedy recovery before ending the phone call. Y/n felt a little bad for lying but she didn’t feel like plastering on a smile to wait tables today. Her feelings were being worn on her sleeves and she didn’t have the energy to try and hide them. Instead, she spent the day laying bed, wrapped in blankets trying to distract her mind. She wanted to call Changkyun but she talked herself out of it everytime. Opting to scroll through twitter or watch dramas on youtube. It wasn’t long until she fell asleep again, her mind still as clouded as it was when she woke up.

~*~

It’s nearly six pm when Y/n wakes up with a roaring stomach. The only thing she had had today was a cup of coffee and she slept through lunch. She stretches and gets off the bed to search for something to eat in the apartment. Unfortunately, she turns up empty handed with no left overs and nothing satisfying enough to make. If she had gone to work, she probably could have sweet talked one of the chefs to make her something to eat, as they did often for the staff, if they had extra ingredients laying around. Her stomach grumbles again, she wishes she had gone in. She decides to order food instead, pulling from the cupboard drawer a pamphlet for a chinese food restaurant that she orders from often. She closes the drawer with her hip and scans the menu before deciding what she wants. She wonders, What would Changkyun want?

She becomes stiff as she thinks about him. She hadn’t talked to him all day and in a little less that an hour, he should be coming home from work. She sits at the edge of the bed and takes up her phone. First, she had the intention to call him. But settled on texting him. She wasn’t ready to hear his voice right now. She’d deal with that when he walked through the door.

‘hey, what do you want from Mashi? i'm ordering for dinner.’ It took her a long time to send the text but once she did, she immediately closed her phone and placed it face down on the bed. 10 minutes passed and she spent it cleaning up her mug from this morning and looking over the menu again. But before she could nervously look it over for the third time, she heard her notification go off.

He texted her back.

She quickly picked up the phone again, opened it and read his response.

‘dont order for me. i ate at work.’ She couldn’t help but frown.

‘oh okay.’ She texted back. She bit her lip nervously before texting him again. ‘are you coming home soon?’

She waited for him to reply and held her breath when she saw the gray bubble pop up.

‘no. im working.’

It was like another slam to her heart. She held herself back from shedding tears but there was hurt written across her face.

‘are we going to talk about what happened?’ Immediately, under her text a small ‘read at 6:23pm’ appeared and she waited for him to reply.

But he didn’t.

She was fed up and sent a last text. ‘Fine.”

Y/n called up Sojung, explained to her that she wanted to stay over at her house for a couple of nights. When she asked what was this all about, Y/n told her that she’d explain when she came over. She gathered her clothes in a duffel bag, stuffing them in without a care. Before leaving the apartment. That would be the last time she would see their small apartment. After a long night of explaining, crying, and two bottles of wine, Sojung convinced Y/n to block Changkyun’s number after leaving him one more lengthy text message. She decided that it would be best to just end their relationship. She didn’t want to have to worry about where he was and obviously he wasn’t going to be forthcoming with that information. And although Changkyun did read the text, again, he didn’t respond.

Y/n’s friends would end up gathering the rest of her stuff while Changkyun wasn’t home. She moved in with Sojung and would start trying to reconfigure her life. Before it was centered around Changkyun but now that he wasn’t in the picture anymore, she had to figure out what she wanted. She decided that she was going to go back to school and finish her degree. She had stopped because it was a lot of work and keeping a roof over her head became more important. But now that she had a living situation that was more stable, she figured it was the best move for her. And the work would be a good distraction for her.

But it didn’t stop her from thinking about him. Changkyun would cross her mind every now and then as she hoped that he was okay. He never tried contacting her after she officially broke it off with him. It troubled her because they were so close to each other, practically attached at the hip and now they were almost like strangers and she wouldn’t hear again from him for a long time.

#ssw freelancer #monsta x scenarios #monsta x imagines #monsta x reactions #monsta x changkyun #monsta x i.m.#monsta x x reader #i.m. x reader #changkyun x reader #monsta x hacker au

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stry-someone-to-remember-you · 3 years

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Plan(ed) to Have Something Ready, By The Ball Drop &/or Tomorrow!!! If Everything Works out...

Hey Everyone,

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE!!!

Wow, this is the second message without any art added or anything... LOL... Seems odd really to do this without having something up by now... By the way, yes the current avatar pic is related to the comic as you’ll come see soon. It’s and early sketch so some kinks aren’t worked out in the current image. But it was the one I was ready to have when I made this blog so there was at least something...

So as you probably can see by this title, I do plan on having something posted... I just don’t know to what extent. Due to some family drama, and continually piling on work I wasn’t able to get my Christmas Pic out to you guys, which was just a static scene with a few of the characters to get us started here. But... well family got in the way, continually decorating till Christmas day... a lot of things going on, bickering (though we all love each other) it’s just... you know life. I fully expected this as well, which is why I promised something before New Years, but didn’t specify as to what.

I postponed that idea to be released today or tomorrow, after seeing how I was completely unable to get to the work by Christmas Eve. But, by the looks of the progress I made on it and my families continually need of me till we get some things done in this house (that always has something to be done in it... LOL, at least things are coming fairly together). So lets just say, I may not have anything out by tomorrow. But with hopes I want to have something out. So We’ll see. I could release early the character sketches. But I want to keep this blog clean as possible, so I feel releasing the character profiles, cards and blogs together prior to the Prologue, would fit better and keep this page having a cleaner look to it at the start.

Maybe even by midnight tomorrow PST I could have something... But that again depends. I need to clean stuff for the internet/cable guy and I’m seriously allergic to dust... So the next few days I may be in an almost sickly comatose state regardless of the precautions I take. If dust gets kicked into the air at all and isn’t properly vacuumed up, than I’m often sick for days... I feel like all I’ve been doing the whole month is cleaning or working story wise on this comic... Mostly cleaning if you ask me, but at least after Saturday things should be more relaxed and I can have a better work schedule planned out. So yeah, that’s my life...

But DIDNT’ WAN TO LEAVE YOU HANGING with this Negative Nancy Talk ;D ;P ;D lol....

I want to tell you what I have so far:

I have the Christmas Image at least with the basic building blocks to complete it. Like I’ve drawn where I want things, but not detailed anything... So that’s why it may be a day or so... Technically its a Happy Holidays and New Years piece, but with the Christmas Tree in it I have the habit of calling it such...

I may have plans to detail it a bit more then I plan on having the comic, but that also depends on things. I may just leave it in the same style and not fully decked out to make it easier to finish...

~Several Characters for the beginning have their final forms created. These are major characters that will be scene in the prologue. I’m just having to figure out out little things with background characters in some instances.

~The prologue is almost completely written out. I had a change of heart a week ago on some things and had to change it around, which is why the written format for the prologue isn’t complete as it initially was. I just felt some things didn’t fit, so I added and took away some things so it flows better and also works both fanfiction wise for the story, but easily mixes for the Ask AU... I also have at least the beginning portion of the Intro script written, the parts unaffected by the changes. However, parts of the intro will be written out, depending on the questions you ask the characters in this prologue so these portions I’m leaving open on purpose. It’s the plot driven portions I’m mentioning that I’ve changed slightly. ;) I have fun plans for the prologue. Remember this story has a clear direction I’m taking it with plot. But the Ask portion will be a part of it, I have such a fun way of Ask’s being tied into the plot driven story, and it will change depending on the context, person and setting which makes this really fun to plan out.

-With that said, here’s an early heads up, that for Ask Questions, I will allow any sort of asks, but if it has potential to spoil a part of the story, then I won’t answer it. Alongside this, I’ll allow Anon magic to a small degree. I won’t include Asks that like spoil something for a character, or tell the character where someone is, give away what someone else is doing to another character, etc... Unless it may fit the context, but generally I won’t use these types of asks. I will allow Anons to appear occasionally rather then just be unseen voices, as I have fun ways of incorporating Anons into the story that also works with different points in the plot. I will accept things like... say a dog or cat to appear for ex. amount of asks. I already know who they’ll be and have been planning out their designs, but I may draw the line at other animals (e.g. horses, fish, racoons, squirrels, lizards, etc.) Although, I do really love rabbits, I chose to make it concise to just two animals that if asked could appear. It’s not because I can’t draw them but I don’t want things getting out of hand. Types of anon magic I’m not going to use if put in the Ask portion, are things like giving people certain powers or items that may completely effect the tone or plot of the story, accept maybe if I did a non-canon AU to this au for fun one day. I will go more in depth in the general rules later. In no way is this to discourage anyone from asking such things. I may set reminders at times if I get to much of something. But, in general I’ll do what I can to make this a fun Ask blog all the same.

~The Larger Summary, I promised like a trailer would be in the comic form I have rendered the Script for, and have two slides so far drawn out, just not completed. (for the time I didn’t have around the Holidays compared to normally I actually surprised myself with this)

~The story itself is really coming together, I already have a starting and stopping point (which I had prior to this blog) as it will have several Acts and Arcs, some which have greatly changed and take on new depth since the point I started this blog. The themes and story in general are drawn out pretty well. I don’t have all the chapters I’d want fully written. As I have my plan, but I also want to get the prologue in first, just to see if there’s anything I should change with my concept. It’s just a precaution, something I’ve learned well when taking on something new. So I don’t have things that are written in stone and hard to change if the form I’m hoping to take doesn’t work out and needs to be retooled or something. But these are minor and shouldn’t change the overall scope and plot I’m taking this story on either.

~I’ve created several of the character bios, many in fact are already written in true Henry Stickmin fashion. But as I took inspiration to make this into a AU as well, I will possibly make both the bio cards and show a static shot of the characters alongside it or something... It’s an idea, but I want this to also be the easier comic. But, considering that I’ll always have a static shot I use as reference for any character I make, this is what makes this more realistic to occur as well. ~I’ve nearly drawn out all the characters for the intro portion. And already know how I’ll handle Anon’s in the story. In the Prologue itself, I’ll actually have you Anon’s being referenced as audience members in a conference of sorts. Think of it like those conferences when a new Apple or Microsoft product is first advertised as something new to the news conference, those big rotunda’s where someone's being interviewed and presenting the hot new item. Think of the opening to the prologue being something like this scenario. So the questions directed at the character in there, who... *cough* I will introduce later after I fully render both their character profile and have their character bio(s) fully done. Which considering how fun and easy it’s been to do this so far shouldn’t be to long now... Although to keep from getting questions to soon on them, I may hold off on posting the Characters and Bio’s till I have that Intro/Trailer completed... I’m still considering which to do first actually. But top on my list out of all of these is having my cover art for the top completed. That’s something I admit though I have the layout I have hardly started on and should focus on first.

~I’m also taking close looks at how to properly make the rules for this group. When I posts either the Character Bios, Holiday Pic, OR the Trailer Comic... Maye even just the cover art... Then I will try to have out an official Rules list. The one I have on the group posts is just general stuff... But I’m reconsidering some rules I already wrote... Basically keep things family friendly, be kind an courteous, nothing vulgar or disturbing.

I may change this from a PG-13 comic to maybe PG-15. I’ve realized recently, there are some points that some characters do swear... sometimes more then once. I’m not someone who talks with vulgarity myself, but I sure can write characters with it.... Let’s just say I’m going to see if in those scenes I might just bleep out words and see if the dialogue still comes through. But, I dunno... LUCKILY, we don’t have to worry about many of those scenes till way further into this comic. So lucky for either of us, this isn’t a major concern at the moment. And on the plus side it’s not the crudest words I could have chosen so... it may still work as a PG-13 work... I’ll make this decision soon as possible.

Another reason for the sudden change, came as I realized as the story goes, and even in early chapters there will be scenes where blood is shown and physical mortal danger and peril is experienced by the characters. I do have heavy theming sometimes, later on it may seem constantly about. As this story is heavily Drama/Mystery and some suspense based. As the story progresses it will become less Drama/Mystery and more based around the drama/suspense itself. This will obviously be some more intense scenes that showing less blood would allow me to make PG-13, however I also don’t want to undercut the certain tones using representations of a mortal wound would bring. I also want to look at things like these future scenes realistically. Which is why I’m mostly considering changing this story to a PG-15 or at least more certain I am. I just don’t want people shocked that I’m doing this. I don’t feel this story will be R, there was a time where I heavily considered it. But for once I decided no, I didn’t want that. I just didn’t want to open the door for scenes I didn’t intend to have in this story. There will be heavy themes that my have TW for some people. But I didn’t want some TW’s that having a R rated story could potentially have. I mean certain themes people are free to write fanfictions for, and depending on the content can make art for. But again this will be family friendly group... As You can see I’m considering more then a little here when it comes to the official rules. These details will be followed up on the official rules post.

~~~~~~

Now I apologize for the length.

The structure of this and the previous Authors Notes will probably fall under their own category for length. I’ll work to make sure posts in the future won’t be so long and hard to read. It is early morning for me when I woke to write this, and I found once much of the day passed that I still wanted to include the stuff I did into this update.

I have more to tell you, but I think this post has spurned the energy in me out. Anything that I missed in this post, I’ll try to remember to update in the next post (hopefully after I get some art on here). What I can’t do at the moment is promise dates right now till I’m more certain of schedule to work on this or can promise that my general allergies won’t cause me to delay this at all. But I can confirm that I should have several things coming out this next month, including the comic Prologue I hope. Depending on the traction the comic and fanfic gets, I may try to work on it quickly, or take my time with it. I may do a mix of both as my perfectionist self won’t let me just shoot something out without giving it my all first. I’m shushing that side slightly so this comic will be easier on me then the more detailed one I have planned. All the same, I’m planning to work on this one more at the moment till I can get an idea of my work flow. Sometimes the easiest route of work is better for planning, rather then diving head first into the deep end right away. You don’t learn to swim by jumping head first into the ocean. Piece of advice that it took years for me to learn myself ;). Anyways, I figured since I did promise something hopefully by today or tomorrow, I’d give you a formal update... Also... Well I can’t promise that updates won’t be like this in the future. I’ll try to keep them concise. But as people who know me, well have learned when it comes to personally talking I tend to write or talk out epistle. So... When I give updates, I may have lengthy ones... I’ll try my best to keep this side of me out of updates, if I can help it. Anyways Happy New Years Everyone!!! I hope everyone's Christmas and Holidays were extra special, despite the state of the world!!!

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVE AND DAY!!! Sincerely, <3 (Mod) Sweet Heart Blaze

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takingcourage · 4 years

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Miscalculations: A Witness AU

Chapter Six

Catch up here: Prologue, Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, Chapter Five

Pairing: M!Cassian x MC

Word Count: 3,600

Series Summary: After years apart, fate brings Kellen and Cassian together a third time. Can they learn from the mistakes of the past, or are they destined to repeat them once more?

Note: This update is a day later than I hoped, and I apologize. Chapter Seven should be ready to go this Sunday!

Even as he’d left Kellen’s apartment, Cassian had tried to steel himself for days or even weeks of silence. He didn’t know how long it would take before she volunteered to let him back in, and he couldn’t be the one to make the first move.

He’d been so certain that things were going well. She’d seemed happy, and her usually controlled persona had slipped away to reveal an openness he’d rarely seen before. When they’d kissed, he’d taken it as proof that they’d found their footing, not just as parents who could come together to care for their child, but as people who could reunite and begin building onto they had once had.

Unfortunately, her words had shattered his theory completely. I don’t know if this is a good idea... I need more time... He could hear her voice on a loop, the faint protestations cutting against the hopes he’d had for their future.

Stepping out of his nightly shower, he caught a glimpse of the purple blotch at his shoulder and leaned toward the mirror for a closer look. Mottled and unsightly, he could see why it had been too much for Kellen to take in.

Pursing lips that were still swollen from her kisses, he tested the skin with his fingertips. It was largely because of that scar that he’d returned to Boston in the first place.

During the initial weeks of his recovery, long before surgeries and physical therapy had restored most of what he’d lost, he’d been forced to reconcile himself to the fact that his ability to perform his job might be in jeopardy. But even as that disappointment weighed him down, another worry haunted him all the more: his job wasn’t enough. His career with the Marshal Service was fulfilling, but he needed something else in his life beside work.

He’d expected Boston to give him some of the predictability he lacked, yet his life had never felt so uncertain.

Turning away from the mirror, he embraced the bitter truth: his desire to have Kellen in his life again had supplanted his better judgment. He was just as enamored as he’d been three years ago -- even more, if he was honest. And yet, he had nothing more to show for the attachment, and infinitely more to lose.

To him, the day had been a preview of everything he wanted his future to be -- if only he had the assurance that it had meant the same for Kellen as well. She’d told him she needed time, but the growing pit in his stomach suggested it couldn’t be that simple. Surely it was obvious to her by now whether their lives were better for having him in them.

He tried to work through the sudden tightness in this throat. What if they are better off without me?

After all, Kellen had proven that she could raise their son on her own. Owen was well adjusted and seemed content enough to continue living on in the same way. Much as it pained Cassian to admit, the boy was probably young enough to forget him entirely in a matter of weeks. If he disappeared now, their lives could return to normal.

But even as his thoughts ran rampant, every fiber of his being repelled the notion. He couldn’t leave them. The three of them had made so much progress before tonight’s misstep, and he sincerely believed that further growth was possible.

If only he knew how they could find their way again.

____

For the rest of the week, he threw himself into his job, taking extra shifts and duties to ensure that he had as few free hours as possible. The physical exhaustion helped him sleep at night, in spite of the way his mind raced over possibilities.

Even as he worked, Kellen and Owen were never far from his thoughts. He found himself wondering what steps he could take, if any, to make things right.

When Saturday came and he still hadn’t heard from her, Cassian typed out a brief message:

I hope the two of you are doing well.

In the half hour he spent waiting for a response, he dared to hope that she’d include an invitation to join them at the park the next day. The forecast wasn’t promising, but perhaps she’d stick to the routine anyway.

When her answer eventually appeared, it was painfully brief.

We are, thanks.

He couldn’t bring himself to send another message, for fear that he’d only make things worse. The balance they needed seemed too delicate for him to uphold. He had to prove that he wasn’t going to leave again, but he couldn't threaten her boundaries or need for control. If he did anything to manipulate Owen’s feelings or her own, she might push him out of their lives permanently.

Toward the end of the second week, his apprehension turned to worry. He knew that they were fine. He could discern as much from Kellen’s single-word responses to his texts, though they told him little else.

He hadn’t sent many: only enough to remind her that he was still there and was thinking of them. He didn’t want to annoy Kellen or lead her to the wrong conclusion, but he couldn’t stand the thought that she might think he’d moved on.

As his lunch break approached on Friday, he glanced over their most recent exchange for what must have been the hundredth time.

I’m sorry for upsetting you the other night. Please call me if you want to talk about anything.

okay

Smoothing the glass with his thumb, he gave a heavy sigh. He hated the thought of going another weekend without seeing them. One missed Sunday had been enough to throw him off-kilter for the rest of the week. He didn’t relish the thought of extending their streak any further.

Deep down, he knew they were never going to get anywhere unless Kellen talked with him. But it was possible that he might reach her by proxy, and he was just desperate enough to try. Before he could think better of it, Cassian tapped out a message to Harika and slipped into the break room for lunch.

Would you be willing to give me some advice?

Her response arrived in under a minute. Probably.

He put his leftovers in the microwave and took a seat at the small laminate table. While the food heated, he continued the impromptu conversation. Thanks. Kellen’s hardly responded to my messages this week. Is she okay?’

She’s at work today, if that’s what you mean. She’s been distracted though.

He was typing the followup when another message came:

Don’t tell her I said that.

Returning to the beginning of his text, he made a quick addition: I won’t. Here’s my question. Do you think I should back off for a while? I don’t want to make her life miserable. I can give her some space if that’s what’s best for them.

NO. Absolutely not.

Even if that’s what she wants? The microwave dinged, and Cassian retrieved the dish. Sitting alone at the empty table, it struck him how much easier this would be if Kellen could just tell him what she wanted. The constant guesswork was taking its toll on him.

His phone screen lit with Harika’s reply: It’s not. Not to be cringey, but she needs you.

Ignoring his food, he responded: If that’s true, I don’t think she’s aware of it.

It is. She was a mess when you left. I’ve never seen her like that with anyone before.

He laid down the phone, staring through the steam that rose from his rapidly cooling lunch. On the surface, it seemed like the news should play in his favor, but the Kellen of three years ago and the Kellen of today were significantly different people. Even if she’d missed him dearly all those years ago, it didn’t mean she missed him now.

It came as something of a surprise when the screen lit again, cutting him out of his musings.

If she doesn’t come to her senses soon, I’ll lock the two of you in a closet or something.

He scurried to pick up the phone. Please don’t do that. She really might kill me then.

Or she’d jump you. ; )

With a groan, he pushed the phone away. The last thing he needed right now was a reminder of what he was missing when it came to Kellen’s touch. Those kisses many nights before had been enough to wake the desire that he’d been struggling to keep at bay since seeing her again. That woman still had the ability to drive him absolutely wild.

…Thanks for the advice, he settled on, then flipped the phone over.

Returning to his lukewarm lasagna, Cassian cut a large bite with his fork. It hadn’t even been a fortnight since he’d seen them, but it felt like an eternity. Until this stretch, he hadn’t realized how much he looked forward to their park visits throughout the week. Missing one and not knowing when he’d see them again was starting to wear him down.

He ate quickly, eager to return to whatever distraction work could offer. When he moved to slip his phone into his pocket, he was surprised by the sudden vibration.

“What now, Harika?” he muttered under his breath before seeing the sender’s name: Kellen.

Eyes widening, he unlocked the screen and devoured her message:

Owen’s been asking about you. Any chance you’d be free to come over sometime? The forecast looks awful for going to the park this week.

Hardly daring to breathe, he typed his answer with haste. I’m off at 5:00 tonight. I could bring dinner over after that if you want.

I’ll take care of dinner, but that sounds great. He’ll be ecstatic.

Will you? He wanted to ask, but he was afraid of learning the answer. Instead he wrote, I’ll be there by 6:00.

Great! See you then.

_____

Arriving at her apartment several hours later, Cassian quickly rapped his knuckle against the door. He waited for a response, puzzled when he was met with several seconds of silence. “I’m on my way!” he heard finally, just making out Kellens voice as it carried through the thick wood.

Cassian released a breath he hadn’t noticed he’d been holding.

“Come on in,” Kellen beckoned, rushing off as soon as she’d unlatched the door. He followed her curious movements before Owen’s shrill greeting from the other room caught his attention.

“Mister Keane!”

“He can’t leave the carpet,” Kellen explained. “I dropped a glass and it got everywhere.”

“Are you hurt?” he asked, hurrying inside to ascertain that all was well. Though shards of glass covered the tile floor, he saw no blood or other cause for worry.

“No, but can you take him to his room while I get this cleaned up? If he steps on anything...”

“Of course.” Cassian nodded in understanding and proceeded immediately toward the living room. Owen was tiptoeing the small wooden divider, impatient to see his visitor.

Crossing over to him, Cassian held his hand out for a high five, but the toddler hugged his legs instead. Cradling the small face, he brushed a thumb against the boy’s temple. “What is it, a stór? Have you been good for your Ma?”

“Uh-huh!” He assured, releasing his strong hold to show Cassian a broad grin.

“I’m glad to hear it.”

Cassian didn’t even have a chance to unbutton his coat before he felt the toddler’s insistent hand at his knee. “Come!”

The man obliged, allowing the child to lead him through the apartment and to his bedroom.

“Trains,” he explained, pointing to the extensive track circumnavigating the floor.

Cassian found an empty space on the carpet and sat with a grin. “You have an awful lot of them, don’t you? Can you show me how they work?”

“Uh-huh!” he chirped for the second time in as many minutes.

His smile widened at the child’s innocent enthusiasm. He watched the imperfect attempts to couple the engines to the railcars, intrigued by his trial and error as he tested the ends of the magnets until they stuck.

Once the train was in one piece, Owen placed a yellow engine in Cassian’s lap and slid a pair of similarly colored cars in his direction.

“You really don’t like yellow, do ya?”

“Huh-uh.” His own blue and red creation was assembled and ready to leave the turntable. “Choo choo!”

He chuckled at the boy’s accompanying hand motions. Hooking his own pieces together, Cassian set them on the track to join in the play. He’d only moved them a couple of inches before Owen began chasing the yellow train with his own, cackling as he picked up speed.

Cassian’s own laughter soon joined, prompted more from his relief than from the hilarity of the situation. Reunited with his son at last, the frustration of the past several days faded to mere memory.

“Choo choo!” Owen cried again, his train butting up against the final car of Cassian’s.

“I’d better keep it going, hadn’t I?” he asked, rolling the toy around a precariously sharp turn.

Owen angled his face toward Cassian, nose wrinkled and eyes scrunched almost shut with his emphatic grin.

“I’ve missed ya,” he breathed, blinking against the tears that sprang to his eyes. I hope I never go so long without seeing you again, he reflected, wondering if there was anything he could do to dissuade Kellen from such absences in future.

His heart clenched at the reminder of how things stood between the two of them.

He wanted to be part of Owen’s life, no matter what that meant for him and Kellen. Even if he could only have the bits and pieces she was comfortable with, he wouldn’t sacrifice these moments for the world.

Their playdate came to an end sooner than he would have liked when Kellen called them to dinner.

“Dinner’s ready,” she announced, leaning against Owen’s doorjamb. “I hope you still like Spaghetti Bolognese.” If he wasn’t mistaken, there was an almost nervous hesitance in the way she framed the last statement.

“I do,” he rushed to answer as they followed her into the dining room. “And I haven’t had it in ages, so it sounds perfect.”

Kellen let out a quiet breath and set the bag of takeout on the table. “It’s nothing.”

As he strapped Owen into his booster seat, Cassian found himself hoping that it wasn’t really nothing. Was remembering one of his favorite dishes a sign of her impeccable memory, or was it something more?

For the rest of the evening, he endeavored to keep a tighter rein on his thoughts.

Though his composure held through dinner, it wavered during Owen’s bedtime reading. Voice trembling, Cassian’s ability to concentrate on the words was overpowered by an increasingly familiar longing for time to stand still. Kellen offered a smile, and the gesture was almost enough to make his voice crack again.

This was everything he wanted, so close that it was almost within his grasp. He wanted a future of nights like this, even if they were sprinkled through the ones he spent alone.

After he finished, Kellen took the lead in tucking the boy in. Turning the light out behind them, she laid a hand on Cassian’s arm. Intrigued, he sought her face when they stepped into the light of the hallway.

“Sit with me?” she asked, motioning toward the couch.

He followed with some confusion, his brow creasing at the serious look on her face. Even after they sat, it was some time before she relieved his curiosity. “He’s been a mess the past several days,” she uttered, breaking the silence.

“So have I, if I’m honest.”

Kellen’s mouth tugged sympathetically. “I shouldn’t have waited so long.”

Though he hoped her regret signaled a change of heart, Cassian didn’t have the faintest idea how to respond. He didn’t want to condemn a decision she’d made with her best judgment, but he didn’t want to let the opportunity pass either. He was still trying to find the right words when she went on.

“He talks about you constantly. He’s asked to see you every single day.”

“I know that isn’t what you wanted,” he began, hesitating over what he’d intended to be an apology. But he couldn’t bring himself to say that he was sorry for the circumstance.

She looked conflicted, eyes downcast as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I think it actually might be a good thing.”

His eyes narrowed at the bizarre sentiment. “Why?”

“Because I realized he’s not the only one who thinks about you all the time...” Her blue eyes met his, shimmering with the gleam of unshed tears. “And that helped to clarify some things for me. Do you think we could we talk? Not tonight -- it’s been a long week, and I need sleep more than anything else -- but soon?”

He took a cautious breath, afraid that reminding her of his presence would break the spell that seemed to have come over her. “Is something the matter?”

“No,” She paused before carrying on, a resolved expression stealing over her face. “Nothing at all. I'm just ready to say some things that I should have said a long time ago.”

Still somewhat tentative, he took her hand. The way she clung to his fingers did him a world of good. “I’d be glad to talk anytime. I have the weekend free.”

“Maybe we could meet somewhere else? It’s probably best not to have Owen underfoot. ”

“Whatever you think is best. I hate to make you find a babysitter--”

Her hoarse laugh cut off the rest of his sentence. “That won’t be any trouble at all. Harika’s been volunteering for weeks.”

“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me. Last time I talked to her, she threatened to lock us in a closet until we get things sorted out,” Cassian shared, thumb still running along the smooth surface of her knuckles.

Kellen snickered at the notion, but when she met his gaze, her features had settled into something vulnerable and open. He could count on one hand the number of times she’d been willing to reveal her true self to him like this, and he could only hope that this wasn’t the last time he saw it.

“I swear she thinks we’re back in college sometimes. I’ll have to double check with her about the time, but maybe we could meet tomorrow? I don’t want to put this off.”

“Neither do I. You’re welcome at my place if you’d like. It’s not much, but we wouldn’t be disturbed. I’ve got a well-stocked pantry if you end up staying for a while.”

“I think I’d like that,” she agreed, her eyes still trained on him.

The fine hairs on his neck rose. “I think I would too.” It was still somewhat unnerving to see this side of her -- this honesty about her feelings and desires -- but he couldn’t deny it was a welcome change. “Come by anytime.”

“Thanks -- for everything.” Still holding firmly to his hand, she shifted nearer on the couch. He'd just lifted an arm to wrap around her shoulder when her phone buzzed from the dining table. “I’ll be right back,” she promised.

At her quiet curse some moments later, Cassian rose to his feet to see if he could do anything to help. She was still staring down at the screen, scrolling through what appeared to be a chain of emails.

“It’s something for work. I’m so sorry.”

“Do you need to go back to the office? I can stay here with Owen if you’d like.”

“No, I can take care of it from home. But I’m not going to be very good company for the next few hours.”

“I understand. Don’t run yourself too ragged. You need some sleep too,” he reminded, stretching out a finger to trace her cheek. She caught his hand with her own and squeezed it tightly.

“I’ll try. Otherwise, I might need to nap on your couch tomorrow.”

He tried not to envision a drowsy Kellen showing up on his doorstep, though their time in Nantucket had left him with a wide selection of memories to choose from. So many of their days had started and ended with her ragged yawning and sleep-addled attempts to flirt. “I wouldn’t complain if you did.”

Kellen arched a brow, but said no more.

Pulling back his hand, he allowed it to fall to his side. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Kellen,” he promised, making for the door.

“Cassian?”

He paused, pivoting toward her in anticipation of whatever parting thought she wished to impart.

“Before you go, I’m sorry for giving you so many mixed signals -- especially the last time you were here. Can you forgive me?”

Such concessions were hardly like her. If her tone hadn’t been so somber, he might have made a quip about the unexpected nature of her apology. Instead, he simply said, “Of course,” and stepped forward to envelop her in a hug. “Thanks again for tonight; I missed the two of you more than I can say.”

"I hope you won’t have to miss us quite so much anymore,” she told him quietly as she stepped out of his embrace.

Heart thundering wildly beneath his ribcage, Cassian managed another smile. For the first time since meeting Kellen again, he knew the two of them were in full agreement. “I do too. Goodbye, Kellen.”

“Bye, Cassian.”

Still somewhat dazed, he left her and began his long journey across the city.

#playchoices #playchoices fanfiction #witness: a bodyguard romance #cassian keane #cassian x mc

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ficsandcatsandficsandcats · 4 years

Text

All Is Found:Anastasia!AU

Part III – Life Is Full Of Choices

Fandom: The Witcher Word Count: 2,239 Rating: G Taglist: @heroics-and-heartbreak @whatevermonkey @jill-makes-art@mynamesoundslikesherlock @magic-multicolored-miracle @writingstudent @mlleecrivaine @coffee-and-stories @ultracolorfulnerdcollection @astouract @your-not-invisible-to-me @kemmastan @mycat-is-mylove @amirahiddleston a/n: A retelling of Don Bluth’s Anastasia (1997)

{prologue}{part i}{part ii}

Jaskier moved to run after you but Geralt held him back.

“Geralt what are you doing? She’s the one! She’s perfect!” he cried, struggling against his friend’s grasp. Geralt was watching you as you ran with a strange expression.

“No,” he said, “We let her go.”

Geralt let go of his arm, reasonably certain you’d gotten far enough away that Jaskier couldn’t catch up with you if he tried, and turned to find another way out of the palace. Jaskier gaped at the witcher for a moment, a blessed moment of peace and quiet as Geralt tried to process his thoughts, and then Jaskier ran ahead of him to physically block his path.

“What is going on with you?” he demanded. Geralt scowled but Jaskier wasn’t intimidated. He could see a look of uncertainty in the witcher’s eyes that he’d never seen before. “Geralt, talk to me.”

“She’s the princess,” Geralt replied.

“Sure, yes, that’s the point,” Jaskier said. Geralt could tell that Jaskier didn’t understand what he was trying to say and maybe even if he did he wouldn’t care. He knew it was hypocritical to try and back out now when he’d been the one to question Jaskier’s resolve. But that was when he thought the girl was dead. Now he knew she was alive, but she would only say that way if they left her alone.

“What happens when we bring her to her grandmother?” Geralt asked.

“Um, we get paid more than we’ve ever seen in our lives, go to the coast to retire, and have all of this nasty business disappear into a hazy, distant memory as we live debauchedly as we please,” Jaskier replied, counting off on his fingers as he spoke.

“What happens to her?” Geralt said pointedly. Jaskier glanced up at the portrait, the eyes of the child starkly vivid. Jaskier knew he should feel something when he looked at them but he’d looked into them once before and nearly died because of it. He didn’t regret his actions, but he had done his duty by her family. Now it was time to take care of his.

“She is reunited with her family and safe from all of this. I mean gods, Geralt, if she is the princess do you think this is the place for her?” Jaskier gestured to the ruins around them, snow still lightly falling and covering the shards of glass and rust-tinged marble. Geralt stared at the opening in the roof with a grim expression as he thought over what Jaskier said.

“People hire you to do this. We’re offering her a free escort to safety,” Jaskier pressed, seeing Geralt’s resolve waver back towards his side. He clapped a hand on the witcher’s shoulder and the amber eyes moved from the chasm above to the blue depths of Jaskier’s eyes.

“Whatever it takes,” the bard said.

“We keep her safe,” Geralt replied.

“Gods above, of course we do, Geralt,” Jaskier replied, “Princess or no, she’s safer with us. Well, with you. She’s more entertained with me at least.”

Geralt thought for another moment and then nodded.

“Whatever it takes,” he echoed. A broad grin broke over Jaskier’s face.

“But,” Geralt said, the smile freezing and falling away, “We do this my way.”

“Oh what a bloody change that’ll make,” Jaskier mumbled as he rolled his eyes, but he listened to the plan and kept the rest of his comments to himself.

-----

You blew the steam off of the warm cup of tea, your breath turning into vapor before your eyes though you sat indoors. You’d found a small tavern and had enough coin to buy something small and warm and your heart was finally slowing its thunderous pounding. You enjoyed the anonymity of being in the crowded tavern, especially after the incident at the palace. You’d been half-scared that you’d enter the tavern and everyone would turn and give you that same, incredulous look the man had given you and all accuse you of being this long-lost princess. Away from the oppressive and haunting atmosphere of the ruins you were able to smirk at the idea. A princess. The girls back at the Home would’ve loved that. But you had more in common with them than anyone who had lived in that palace and as you took another sip of tea you settled into yourself more and more, happy to put it all behind you.

“Don’t order the ale, they water it down.”

You looked up to find the man in black leather armor standing in front of you and sighed heavily. He looked at you differently now, the strange eyes looked almost kind but they still had that off-putting scrutiny as if he was still trying to make you fit into the narrative his friend had concocted.

“I suppose you’re here to drag me off for a tiara fitting?” you replied sarcastically. He smirked and you got a glimpse of what he was like when his guard wasn’t completely up. He was someone you could get a drink with. And apparently would be, as he sat at the chair across from you.

“Yes by all means have a set,” you said in the same sardonic tone, “Where’s your friend? Getting a scepter?”

“He’s outside. I told him I wanted to speak with you alone,” he said.

“And why is that?”

“Because I don’t want to scare you away more than we already have,” he answered, eyes and tone sincere though you were still cautious.

“And you’re who goes and helps people feel less scared?” you asked, eyeing the armor and the swords jutting out from behind his back.

“Not typically,” he admitted, “But my partner can be… eager.”

“What is your racket anyway? You and your partner? Just go around finding lost princesses?” you joked. Geralt’s eyes swept around the room nervously as you said this and he leaned in closer to whisper.

“Whether or not you believe it, the legend carries weight. If people believe that you are still alive you will be hunted,” he murmured. Your heart rate was climbing again. So much for the tea.

“If this is how you ease people’s fears I’d hate to see you try and scare them,” you snapped, “Besides, you just offered an argument there yourself. If I pretended, if I believed that… what you think is true I’m only going to put a target on my back and that is the last thing I want.”

“What do you want?” he asked, leaning back in his chair to relax but you saw his eyes still scan the room as you spoke.

“Not that it’s any of your business but I’m heading to Cidaris,” you replied.

“Oh really?” he asked skeptically.

“Yes,” you insisted, sitting up straighter and bristling at his tone.

“Do you know how many people have successfully left New Nilfgaard of their own volition in the last 10 years?” Geralt asked.

“No,” you admitted.

“Zero.”

“Horseshit.”

“You’re right. There have been some. They usually release the bodies,” he gave you a humorless smile and your stomach lurched. You wanted to argue that he was trying to intimidate or bully you but he didn’t seem the type to do it. You knew bullies and the way they loved to toy with their prey. There was no enjoyment in Geralt’s eyes, just grim knowledge.

“Someone has found a way,” you insisted, “You don’t know everyone.”

“Some have found a way,” he conceded, nodding, “With our help.”

You squinted at him suspiciously and took a long drink from your now lukewarm tea.

“How?” you asked.

“I guide them across,” he said simply, as though it were just a matter of taking an escort.

“No, there’s more than that,” you insisted.

“You’re right. But I’m not telling you that unless you hire us. Security reasons,” he explained. You mulled over his words and he watched you as you thought in patient silence.

“Is this one of those things where if I say no you’re going to have to kill me?” you asked.

“No strings,” he assured you.

“There are always strings,” you argued.

“Alright, there is one thing,” he admitted, “It costs. A lot. More than an orphan who only had enough for the cheapest thing on the menu can afford.”

Your hands instinctively clutched the mug and you felt heat rise in your face, you weren’t sure whether it was embarrassment or anger but you knew your face was probably making that haughty expression the headmistress hated. Good. If he thought you were a princess he could deal with a little disdain.

“So what is this, then? A taunting offer? Or do you have some… alternative payment method you’re after?” you asked. You were inexperienced but you were not naïve. You knew what some people did to survive and though you held no judgments against them you knew it wasn’t work for you. Not yet.

“My partner asked you a question and I’d like the answer,” Geralt said, sidestepping the question, “What are you afraid of?”

You thought about scoffing and waving the question away as ridiculous but instead you found yourself answering.

“Wouldn’t you be?” you demanded, a slight note of panic in your voice as you whispered the words, “If you spent your life, as much as you could remember of it anyway, an unloved orphan and suddenly two strangers walk up to you and say oh hello, you see this horrible testament to murder and rebellion? You were one of the people they wanted dead! Also, see those people in the painting? Those are your parents! Here’s a painting of you as a child from a time you can’t even remember! Let’s take you to some relative who apparently exists and also let’s just pretend we aren’t standing in the blood of your loved ones as we work out this little deal!”

Geralt clasped a hand over one of yours in an effort to calm and soothe you.

“Some people would be happy to discover they had a family, much less an auspicious one,” he said.

“Some people are stupid. And more are dead,” you said flatly, withdrawing your hand.

“So, there is no part of you that wonders if the girl is you?” he asked. You didn’t look into his eyes as you shook your head no. He didn’t need his senses to tell him that you were lying. “And you have no interest in the fact that not only may you have family out there, but you may be their only family as well?”

“And if I’m not?” you asked, “And we’ve raised the hopes of this poor person only to dash them?”

Geralt had wondered the same himself but recited the answer he’d provided as justification.

“You don’t have to believe it just yet, Y/N, but you would not be disappointing her. I know that this is a lot to consider and take in. We’re just asking that you let us help you try,” he said. You picked at an exposed bit of wood grain in the table with your nails and thought over your options. If it was true what he said, and it certainly seemed like he was being genuine, you couldn’t get out of this country without their help or someone like them at least. And if they were right… wasn’t this what you were trying to do after all? Find your family? Isn’t that what you had promised the girls? And was it really that impossible?

“Where is she?” you asked, “This surviving member of the family.”

“Cidaris.”

The word was like an incantation. The moment he said it your face changed from skeptical to awe-struck. Your hand silently moved to the pendant around your neck and you felt an odd squeezing sensation in your chest. When your eyes met Geralt’s again he knew what your answer would be.

Jaskier had been pacing outside of the tavern, only taking breaks to perform and earn some coin, though he kept his eyes on the door as he played. He was just about to go in there, Geralt be damned, when it opened and the pair of you walked out. He glanced between you and Geralt expectantly. Geralt nodded.

“Brilliant!” Jaskier cried, face beaming as he threw back his head and laughed. You’d never known anyone who used so much of their body and felt things so strongly. It would have been annoying if he weren’t so handsome.

“One thing though,” you said, “The matter of payment…”

“Oh that will most assuredly be taken care of when we reach the end of our journey,” Jaskier said.

“But if we’re wrong,” you said. Jaskier and Geralt both noted the “we” and exchanged a glance and a smile.

“We’re not,” Jaskier insisted, taking your hands in his. Despite the bitter cold and the relatively little bit he wore (how was his undershirt half undone? Surely he would catch his death even with the layer of hair that covered his chest), his hands were warm and the moment your cold ones were clasped in them you felt yourself begin to thaw. His ocean blue eyes twinkled with excitement as he stared into yours and you let yourself be taken in by them, to gaze openly and unabashedly as he did to you. And you wondered, for the first time in your entire life, if maybe something good was just around the corner after all.

#All Is Found series #Anastasia!AU #The Witcher!AU #fanfiction

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