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#those two words almost destroyed the fandom
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Toby Fox exclusively writes 3 types of love stories
An awkward sweetheart (with a dark side) crushing on a strong, hunky lady (see Undyne and Alphys, Susie and Noelle)
Divorced (see Toriel and Asgore, Spamton and Jevil, King and Queen [even if they're not actually divorced, you know they're divorced])
Queerplatonic-coded, but no one seemed to get the memo (see Sans and Toriel, Asgore and Rudy)
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solarissun · 1 month
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We are never, ever getting back together.
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afab!reader x aged up Clapton Davis
Summary: You moved houses and jobs just to get away from Mike after he abandoned you and your 6-year relationship. But, one day he shows up in the vacant apartment next to yours. You quickly make it your mission to make every night a living hell for him with the (unknowing) help of your old high school fling.
WC: 3.9k
Warnings: 18+, MDNI, enemies to lover, afab reader, p in v, fingering, hair pulling, porn with plot, no use of y/n, hard dom, unprotected (wrap it please), angst, exes, daydreamed violence, aged up character
A/N: I’ve never posted my writing before due to being insecure, but now that I discovered this fandom on Tumblr, I decided to suck it up and see where it goes! I’m sorry if this is bad, I wrote it at 3 am two nights in a row. I just had to write something before I forgot all my ideas. Enjoy!
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You hated him. You hated him so fucking much. All you wanted to do was watch him wear your hands around his neck like a necklace. And there he was, standing outside the vacant apartment beside yours, cardboard boxes surrounding him.
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You're running late to work, having slept through your alarm. You quickly hop out of bed, jump into the shower, and throw on whatever clean enough clothes are on your laundry pile.
As you run out your door, you pause, noticing the piles of boxes lining up the wall of the apartment next to yours. You smile, waiting for whoever it is to walk out. You honestly didn’t mind your previous neighbors. By all means, they weren’t the friendliest of people. They’d bang on your walls if you even played your music one digit too loud.
So, honestly, you couldn’t help but admit you were pretty happy when they moved out. As you eye the boxes that take up half the hall, you feel yourself getting excited.
After a few moments, you see him.
Your heart drops, and you feel your whole life falling apart in just one second. He turns to look at you, your eyes locked on each other. Both of you pause, not a word leaving your mouths.
Almost exactly 2 and a half years ago, the love of your life, the man you pictured spending the rest of your days with, left. He didn’t warn you, he didn’t even call. You came home, and all of his and his sister's belongings were completely cleared out of your apartment, gone without a trace. All he left you was a text. A single text.
“I found someone new, I’m sorry. I truly wish you the best. I hope someday you’ll forgive me.”
After a few months of rotting in your bed with mascara-stained pillows and tear-soaked bed sheets, you got tired of wasting away. You moved away to a new, cheaper apartment, not warning anyone of your departure. You wanted a fresh start. A new job, a new home. A new you. All you craved was a way to forget the past, and you were so close.
Except after 2 years, the past was standing in front of you, only a few feet away. Anger bubbles within you, the deep cuts he left when he abandoned you all of those years ago tearing open and filling with nothing but pure, burning hatred.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” You say, his face twisting.. into god knows what. You want to ask him so many questions. You want to get on your knees and beg him to tell you why he did what he did. At the same time, you want to sock him in his mouth. Instead of doing either, you turn on your heel, walking away as fast as you possibly can.
He doesn’t call after you, he doesn’t chase you. Instead, you hear the faint click of a door shutting behind you. Your anger turns to anguish as you hurry down the hallway, trying desperately to put as much distance between him and you before breaking down. You find a maintenance closet, slam it behind you, and sink to the floor. You sob until your throat is destroyed and your eyes are dry.
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All you can think about while you work is him. Are you grading your students' homework? Mike. You’re yelling at your class for being too Rowdy? Mike. He lives in your head the entire day, and no matter how hard you try, all you can think of is the look on his face when he saw you just a few hours ago.
The school day is finally over, but you dread going home. You wish you could curl up under your desk and live there for the next few decades. But you can’t, so you suck it up and drive back to your apartment.
You get to your door, fumbling with your keys as you quickly try and escape the hallway. You hear the door next to yours click open. You rest your head against your door in defeat. He walks by you quickly, not even glancing towards you. You clench your fists, swinging your door open as soon as you unlock it, slamming it so hard behind you the frame shakes.
You want to cry, just like you did before. But no tears spill. Your eyes don’t even water. All you feel is rage.
You decide right then and there, you're going to make him suffer for what he did to you. Besides, maybe if you truly make him miserable he’ll move back to wherever the hell he came from.
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Later that night, you start plotting different ways you can get him to pack up his shit and run away with his tail between his legs. You think of hundreds of possibilities ranging from glitter bombs in his mail to… Clapton. You shake the thought out of your head immediately. You can’t do that to him. He’d probably be down for anything, to be honest.
Despite that, you tuck the idea into the back of your head, writing it off as a last resort. You want to start with more petty things before immediately jumping to the most extreme idea your mind can muster.
You quickly form a short list in your head, smiling as you daydream the look on Mike's face as you go through each scenario. Around midnight, after you finish coming up with every possible insane revenge plot you can think of, you crawl into bed.
After tucking yourself in, you Bluetooth your phone to a speaker, turning it up. You play the most infuriating, mind-numbing song you can think of. It starts blasting out, the speaker shaking on your bedside table. You sigh, sinking into your pillow as you hear Mike’s old bed springs creak through the wall.
You sit there for what feels like hours, the same song looping repeatedly. He doesn't knock on the door. You don't even hear him speak, let alone breathe through the wall. You groan, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes as you realize it might be pointless.
Despite your failure on the first night, you continue to blast the same song night after night, all with the same result. After almost 3 nights of getting only a few hours of sleep, you give up. You have to step up your game if you want to get results.
A few weeks pass without you tormenting him. You want to make him feel safe. You want to make him feel like you realized it was all a waste of time. Well, you also waited a few weeks since that's how long it took for the prank package you ordered to come. Sure, the package was a bit pricey, but you decided it was worth it either way. As soon as the post office stops by your apartment, you snatch up the box, almost ripping it out of the poor mailman's hands.
You quickly customize it so Mike believes not only is it his mail, but that some random man from Florida sent it. At first, you had thought to sneak into his apartment and throw glitter over everything, just like you'd do back in high school. But, you need to be careful about how you go about this. Unless you want a lawsuit to land in your lap, you need at least some amount of deniability
After deciding it's perfect, you leave it directly in front of his door. He might think the placement of the box is a tad suspicious, but you rationalize it by telling yourself he’ll feel so special he’ll open it on the spot.
After a few hours, Mike comes home from what you assume is work. A part of you wonders why in the world he works on the weekends as well. You forget about the thought quickly as you flip open your phone, watching through the camera that comes with the box. You watch in anticipation as you hear the sound of tape tearing off of the cardboard. Your smile widens as you see Mike's face appear in the frame, peeking into the box.
After a few heartbeats green, blue, and pink glitter explodes directly into his face. He yelps, dropping the box immediately. As soon as the box thunks against the door, more glitter explodes out, covering his entire living room. You hear him groan through the wall, grumbling about how petty and childish you are.
You’re laughing way too hard to even care he knew it was you. Tears start streaming down your face, and you clutch your stomach as you try to breathe. You finally got him. You feel on top of the world as you look at the camera through blurry eyes. All you see is a beet-red Mike decked out in sparkles. You start laughing even harder as he flips off the camera before stomping on it, destroying the feed.
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Despite how his misery made you feel at first, you start to get a little less happy as the days pass by. He hasn’t talked to you about it and he hasn’t told anyone what went down, not even the landlord. A fraction of you begins to feel a little worried he might be planning. As you ponder the thought, you hear a knock on your door.
You creep over to the peephole, seeing no one standing at your door. You crack it open, worried Mike might be standing outside, waiting to ambush you. Instead of Mike standing around the corner with an airsoft gun, there's an Amazon package.
You smile, realizing exactly what it is. You ordered soundproof headphones so you could sleep while also torturing Mike. You quickly take it to your kitchen, tearing it open without a second thought.
What. The. Fuck.
Glitter sprays everywhere. Directly into your eyes, all over your dining table, all over the countertops. It even reaches the sink. You scream as you try and claw the glitter away from your face. As you stumble towards the sink, glitter continues to coat your entire kitchen.
This means war.
You immediately flip open your phone, not even bothering to clean the mass of glitter that’s coating your kitchen. You text the one person you know would do anything for you.
“I need you, Clapton.”
He found someone new? Well, so did you. And you’re going to do everything in your power to make sure he fucking knows.
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During your high school years, you and Mike became inseparable. It was the two of you against the world... Until Clapton Davis came along. The three of you became the best of friends. You always knew Mike was jealous of Clapton and how much he captured your attention. Despite how you felt towards him while you were younger, you chose Mike. And he threw it all away for some random bitch.
So, now you’re choosing Clapton.
A month ago, you two decided to reconnect and reminisce about old times. You had him over a few times just to watch a few movies, but the most you’ve done is kiss. Every time he’d come over, you knew he wanted more. And he was getting exactly that.
You lay in bed, waiting for just the right time. Around 2 am, you smile to yourself as you faintly hear Mike shuffle into bed and sigh as he sinks into it. Thank god for the paper-thin walls. You reach over to your bedside table, squinting into the light. You flip to Clapton's contact and text, “Do you think you could come over right now?” You had originally told him to come over the next night, but it had to be at an ungodly hour, or it wouldn't be as satisfying. Almost immediately He texts you back, “Are you okay?”
“I just need to see you sooner.” He immediately texts back a thumbs up, and after a little over 10 minutes you hear a knock at your door. You unzip your hoodie, quickly making your way to the front of your apartment. You open the door and there he is. He clearly had just woken up, wearing a tank top and grey checkered pajama pants. A fraction of you feel bad for calling him over like this, but you push it aside and remember who’s sleeping just on the other side of your bedroom wall.
He raises his eyebrow, unsure of how to ask why you ‘needed him.’ You don’t give any explanation before you throw yourself at him. You wrap your arms around his neck, kissing him. He sucks in a breath, clearly confused. That confusion vanishes when you press yourself against him, pulling his waist against yours.
He wraps his arms around your waist, walking you into your apartment. He walks you backward, your back hitting the kitchen counter. You whimper as you feel him hoist your thigh up, holding it as his hip. Suddenly, he pulls away. Your eyes flutter open and you look up at him, your eyebrow furrowed. You sigh as you see him looking at your kitchen in utter confusion. “What in God's name happened?”
The kitchen is still completely decked out in glitter. The moonlight slithers its way through the window, illuminating the sparkles, making it look like a thousand stars splattered against the walls. You laugh a little, brushing it off. “Nothing Important.” He seems like he wants to say more, but as you grind your hips against his, he immediately forgets it. He groans, bending down to press his lips against your neck.
You tangle your hands through his hair as you feel his lips brush your neck. He starts sucking the skin below your pulse, making you whine into his ear. You gasp as you feel his teeth meet the plush skin, nipping at the sore spot. You slowly start grinding against him harder as his tongue swipes across the already numb skin. He groans against your neck, his breath hot against it.
His fingers slowly brush down your body, leaving goosebumps erupting on every inch he touches. His hand reaches your waistband, fiddling with the elastic. You whine against his shoulder as his fingers dip lower, rubbing your clit through the thin fabric. You slowly grind your hips against his finger, desperate for more friction. He picks you up by your thighs, his fingers digging into the skin. You wrap your legs tight around his waist, holding onto his neck. He quickly carries you to your bedroom, throwing you down as he reaches your bed. He lays you down, sliding next to you.
He presses his lips against yours again, this time wasting no time to dip his fingers into your panties, not even bothering to remove them. He drags his digits through your folds, circling your clit. “Shit, you’re already so wet.” He gasps out. His middle finger teases your entrance before slowly sliding in. He slowly pumps in and out of you, curling his fingers on the spongy parts inside of you, hitting all the right spots.
“You like that?” He asks, and you nod, unable to form a coherent sentence. You feel him add another finger and your walls clench around him. “Fuck!” You cry out, frantically grinding against the palm of his hand begging for more.
He adds a third finger, and you see stars. He pumps faster and faster, bringing you dangerously close to the edge. You just barely overplay your volume, remembering Mike. As soon as your legs begin to shake, he removes his fingers, ruining your orgasm and leaving you feeling empty. Your eyes flutter open and you stare at him, whimpering.
He slowly puts the fingers that were just inside you in his mouth, cleaning them off. You bite your lip as he blinks at you through his long eyelashes, savoring the taste. He smiles down at you once he’s done, sliding your zip-up off your shoulders. He slowly undresses you, a pile of clothes beginning to form on the floor. He leaves you in nothing but your panties. His breath hitches in his throat as he studies every curve of your body.
You do the same to him, helping him pull his shirt off his head. Your hands quickly fly down to his jeans, unbuttoning them and sliding them down to his ankles. His tight grey boxers leave little to the imagination as you see the outline of his hard-on, begging to be free. You do exactly that, pulling them off of him. His dick springs free, hitting his stomach.
Your eyes trail along every vein and detail, taking him in. He’s average, but somewhat girthy. The tip is hard and red, already leaking with pre-cum, slowly dripping down his shaft. You reach out, your thumb collecting it. You stare into his eyes as you suck it off of the pad, a bittersweet taste spreading across your tongue. As soon as your thumb pops out of your mouth, he grips onto your hips, pulling him on top of you. He slides your panties to the side and you moan feeling the cold air hit you. He slides his tip through your folds, collecting the wetness.
You slowly sink down onto him, gasping as his tip enters you. He grips your waist harder, holding you down. “You can take it.” He moans out. He slowly pushes himself in a little more, and you swear you hear him whimper. You cry out, laying down on his chest. “Shit!” He goes inch by inch, and you groan louder and louder as he fills you out.
He pushes in, faster this time, and you finally feel his hips meet yours. “You’re such- Shit! You’re such a good girl.” Suddenly, he grabs you harder by the waist, flipping you over. You gasp as your bare stomach meets the rough sheets of the bed. He grabs your hair, pulling you against his chest, somehow hitting so deep you see white.
You moan out his name louder and louder as each thrust inside of you quickens. He shoves you back down against the bed, thrusting so hard the headboard begins to slam against the wall. You smile into the sheets realizing the torture Mike must be going through right now. “You’re taking me so well…” He grumbles out, pushing deeper into you.
The smile is immediately wiped off your face as he moves one hand away from your hair and slithers it down to your clit. He rubs circles on it with 2 fingers. You grip your fingers into the bed sheets, screaming into the mattress. Your vision starts getting blurry as the knot in your stomach gets tighter and tighter. Pure euphoria tears through you as his fingers quicken as well as his hips.
“I’m close-“ He groans out as your walls clench around him. He rubs faster and faster circles on your clit and your legs start to shake uncontrollably. You scream louder and louder, and your walls start to spasm. Quickly you hurdle over the finish line, coming all over his dick. You feel tears running down your cheeks as you feel him release inside of you, his hips stuttering.
You call out his name one last time before he pulls out of you, lying down next to you. He looks over at you, tears spilling down your face and your fingers still bunched up in the bedsheets. He laughs as you give him a shaky smile.
“I’ve imagined that since grade 12..” He whispers out. He reaches towards you, brushing your hair that’s plastered to your face with sweat. “Me too..” You smile, moving forward to press your lips against his. He kisses you back, pulling you on top of him. He smiles up at you, his face flushed.
“Round two?”
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Your eyes flutter open, the warm sun creeping through the blinds, bathing your room in a warm orange glow. You slowly reach next to you, feeling the muscles on Clapton's back. He stirs, turning onto his back. His eyes slowly open, and he slowly looks over at you. He stretches up, propping himself up on his elbows.
“I better go…” You get up as well, turning and placing your feet on the cold wood floors. You gather up his and your clothes from last night, handing them to him. After you're both dressed, you lead him to your front door. He opens it and steps out into the hallway, starting towards the elevator.
As soon as you hear Mike's door click open, you quickly grab Clapton's wrist, pulling him back towards you. You get on your toes, wrapping your arms around his neck and kissing him. He grabs your waist, pulling you against him. He slips his tongue in your mouth, his hand untangling your hair. After a few seconds, you pull away, resting your forehead on his.
“I’ll see you around?” He says, smiling. “Of course.” You grin, pecking his cheek. He unwraps himself from you, turns around, and walks away. He doesn’t even seem to notice his old best friend who is standing just a few feet away, watching.
Once Clapton’s out of sight, you turn to look at Mike. Oh, he looks absolutely wrecked. His curls are a tangled mess and the bags under his eyes are even deeper than you’ve ever seen them. He has the same look on his face you’ve seen him have when men would flirt with you on your dates. But, he also just looks.. sad. You expect him to turn back into his apartment and walk away but he speaks instead.
“The glitter wasn’t enough for you, huh?” You scoff, anger filling inside you at his audacity. “A girl can’t have fun?” He raises an eyebrow at you and a small smirk creeps onto his face. “You think I don’t know how purposeful that was? Do you have any respect for others?” You laugh, right in his face. His mouth twists into a nasty scowl, his stupid smirk wiping immediately off his face.
“Mike, I lost every bit of decency I had towards you when you abandoned me for some..” You don’t finish the sentence, instead letting his mind fill in the blank. He doesn’t look angry, he just looks disappointed. He looked at you like that when you were still together.
You’ve always hated that look.
He opens his mouth and closes it, clearly wanting to say something important but deciding against it. He shakes his head and turns back into his apartment, closing the door behind him softly.
You do the same, opening your door and sliding down with your back against it. You pull your knees up to your chest, rubbing the bruises on your sides that Clapton left. You rest your head on your knees and sigh.
“God, what am I doing?”
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title: just you & me
author: sciencebecameouraddiction
fandom: hazbin hotel
rating: G
genre: angst then fluff
pairing: lucifer x reader
summary: the battle is over but it seems not many realize what lucifer’s actions have caused and how that negative affects the king of hell.
note: i wrote this half asleep. but it’s been now proofread. so it’s all good. 👍
You walked up to Lucifer as he sat on the edge of the hotel’s roof, feet dangling off the edge and watching the city. He looked in thought, his facial expressions minutely changing every few seconds. Almost like he thought of something that seemed distressing, his face furrowing and he’d worry his lip, and then almost like he created a solution for it right there, his face would smooth and he’d tilt his head in acknowledgment of the solution. You watched this for a moment before deciding to interrupt.
“Thank you.” You say, starting off the conversation, announcing yourself and trying not to scare him when you sat next to him, just with those two words. He still jumped slightly and blinked a few times almost like he was processing what you said.
“Whatever for?” He asked, his head following you down as you sat next to him.
“For saving us. We were fucked after Adam broke through Alastor and we were barely holding by a thread.” You explain.
“Oh, well, Charlie was in danger. I wasn’t going to let anything happen to her. You know?” He asks as you nod in response. “I wasn’t going to let anything happen to you either.” Lucifer added on after a beat. You look at him, and smile for the first time that day.
“I know... I just-You know… Me?” You stumble over a few more words, questioning your importance and allowing the thoughts claiming your unimportance to consume you, until you are quieted, both mentally and physically, when Lucifer holds his finger over your mouth.
“Yes, you. I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you.” He says, patient and reassuring, his hand brushing through your hair and resting on your face. You grab his hand and look at him.
“You know what this means right?” You ask him and he shakes his head. You sigh. “You have a target on your back Luce. And heaven doesn’t take kindly to those who show them up.” Tears pooling in your eyes as the reality of everything becomes more real as you say it out loud. Lucifer sighs and wipes away the tears rolling down your cheek.
“I can handle them. I’m not the same broken being they threw down here. I’ve been forged in the hellfire they thought would destroy me and I have two people who I am fighting for.” He looks at you earnestly. “I will shield you and Charlie, regardless of what happens.” Lucifer vows, pressing a kiss to your forehead.
“And I will be right beside you. Every step of the way. You’re not alone in this.” You murmur leaning closer to him. He smiles and draws you in for a kiss.
“Where would I be without?” He asks, pulling away.
“Lost, probably.” You joke and watch as Lucifer laughs, a large smile stretching across his face as he brings you into his side.
“Ain’t that the truth?” He sighs as you both watch the city below you, hearing the faint sounds of the hotel, and the patrons floating up to where you were. Regardless of what came, you’d handle it together.
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Curious about the direction the HP fandom has gone
Okay, so as an old HP fan from way back when the books were first coming out, and then getting hit with the nostalgia and decided to return after years and years of not interacting with the fandom at all, the changes are truly mindboggling and I'd love to get to the bottom of some things.
Like, the disappearance of Blaise Zabini. Blaise was a fan favorite way back when we only knew his name but now I barely hear a whisper of his name. Now, the obvious answer is racism, which I think is the #1 reason why Blaise-pairings have dropped of significantly. Back then we all thought Blaise was a hot Italian girl, and then we found out he's a black man and suddenly people stop writing about him? Hm, yeah, seems the obvious answer (especially considering the popularity of other characters who are just a name on a page *cough*regulusblack*cough*).
Or the rise in Snape-hate. Like, Snape used to be the fan favorite. Everyone loved Snape. The meaner he was, the more we liked him. Being mean to children was a plus, not a negative lol. And this was back when we all thought he was a pureblood who came from a wealthy family like the Malfoys. Now by the time the 7th book came out I had pretty much moved on and so I didn't really see the fallout of readers discovering his actual background, so I don't know if his drop in popularity is classism and learning that he isn't a palette-swapped Lucius Malfoy or not, but honestly I would figure his impoverished background would be a plus in these times. Like Snape is obviously one of JKR's least favorite characters, and considering how she-who-must-not-be-named has destroyed her reputation with her increasing radicalization you'd figure the poor, abused, author-hating character would become more beloved instead of the rich, white, heteronormative bullies who barely even show up in the books. Like with our increasing knowledge of social injustice, I just don't understand why the fandom would want to latch onto the Marauders? And I just can't believe Snape's handful of snippets with Lily is the cause of his downfall (like what's there is barely enough to fill up a few pages, and there are certainly more toxic relationships in the series that are still beloved), or the fact that he was a Death Eater or that he inadvertently caused the deaths of the Potters (we already knew that in GoF and HPB respectively and he was still beloved, and this was when we assumed he didn't give a shit about the Potters or if they died when he went snitching). Draco is still popular. DRACO who doesn't give two shits about slinging around the word "mudblood," as opposed to Snape who actually changed for the better.
Am I just too old to understand? Is this like 90s fashion coming back in style (no, I won't do it again, I don't care if it's cringy I'm sticking with my millennial styles, I did the platforms and the slip dresses and the cargo pants in high school and I'm not putting myself through that again lol you gen z's can pry my comfortable mom jeans from my cold, dead fingers, I don't care if it makes me look old, that's the point, I AM old). Like, in addition to 90s fashion, has the 90s obsession with luxury athletic fashion like Lacoste come back in style? All those fashion ads of rich white people on yachts with popped collar polos? Are people starting to obsess over the Marauders because nouveau riche conspicuous consumption is coming back in style? It can't all just be young kids who have only read AtYD and have never actually opened one of the books, can it?
There also seems to be a trend of treating characters as if they're real people. I mean, we've always done it (Snape Wives, I'm looking at you), but now it almost feels as if the crimes characters commit are treated as if they're real crimes and that liking them is somehow a moral failing on the reader's fault. If you were to say "I don't like Snape, his douchy actions anger me, I'd rather skip all the parts he shows up in" I'd say, cool, I get that. That's normal. But "Snape is an abuser, a racist, and an incel and if you like him you're probably those things too" is fucking weird. Like, Harry and Hermione are not real children. Snape is not a real person. The things that happen in this book have as much influence on the real world as me imagining ninjas breaking into my workplace on a slow day. And that "media does not exist in a vacuum" pisses me off because it's blatantly misused. The pieces of media that have had serious consequences? Jaws, The Birth of a Nation. One resulted in the culling of sharks, the other helped restart the KKK. Do you know what those two pieces of media have in common? They're not about fucking wizards and magic schools. They instead paint a target on real groups. After twenty years nobody has ever tried to hurt a marginalized group of people because of a harry potter book (except for JKR herself).
Anyway, these are just some random thoughts, feel free to chime in with your own.
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maple-the-awesome · 2 years
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A Boy? ||
Pairing: Platonic! Matt Murdock x Reader x MCU! Peter Parker
Words: 3,416
Overview: Matt isn't sure what to think when you ask him to be your friend's lawyer; surprised someone's actually wormed their way into your heart or protective because it's a boy. This is honestly one of my favorite fics I've written in a while. Matt would definitely be able to multitask between being a really good lawyer and a protective dad 😍
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"I...need your help."
It's not unheard of for you to visit Matt at the firm every now and again, especially in recent months where you've almost become comfortable with the idea, so when he first recognized the pattern of your footsteps approaching the door, he thought nothing of it and instead prepared himself for one of your typical yet playful insults; the closest form of affection you've ever been know to show.
Even if taking a moment to consider the chance that you might be here to ask for something, he would've figured it to be something simple that comes with a stubborn bite to your words. Perhaps you lost your key to the apartment and have come to him for a spare or maybe you just need a few dollars to buy lunch. Aloud both outcomes do sound unlikely since Matt knows you're rather organized and calculated with your money after having a childhood of nothing, but he can't imagine any other reason you'd be requesting his help right now.
To his surprise, there's a noticeably quickened pace to your heartbeat and a quiet hesitation with your movements as you shut the office door behind yourself. You're afraid not embarrassed which isn't an emotion you don't often allow yourself to show and it's this awareness that raises concern in Matt.
Matt has known you for about two years now- seven years if you count the time passed during the Blip not that you were around for it-, but he'd be reluctant to say you're close, at least in a mutual sense.
You're dangerously headstrong, as he's learned, especially when it comes to your goal of being entirely self sufficient. You hate to admit weakness in any form, both physically and emotionally, thus you've developed the terrible habit of distancing yourself from others even if they have nothing except good intentions. While Matt can't justly critique you on a practice he himself is guilty of, he has tried his best throughout the years to earn your trust while reminding himself never to take your pushback personally.
You're rather young, only just hitting eighteen yet you've arguably been through more heartache than even he has which is certainly saying something. Orphaned then trained to basically act as a child soldier, it's safe to say you never had a normal childhood which ultimately influenced your personality and difficulty relating to others. When Matt- or better put Daredevil- first met you, you were barely more than a feisty teenager accustomed to only relying on yourself and living life at the mercy of none other than Wilson Fisk. You were cold just as those around you, but at the end of day, you were also just a shattered kid trying to survive; a little example of what's wrong with this cruel world.
You understandably hated Daredevil in the beginning, seeing him as the enemy you've been conditioned to destroy. You both had a few small run-ins with each other before one particular fight that ended with the building exploding. All you can really remember of that night was being alone and heavily injured within the flames, your 'friends' having long saved their own asses by willingly leaving you behind to choke on hazardous smoke. Next thing you knew, you awoke in Daredevil's dark apartment, the man in question explaining the situation after calmly stopping you from attempting to stab him with the pair of scissors left on the table.
Even though you had run right back to Fisk by sunrise, Matt knew there must be promise in you since you never sold out his location and his faith would prove true when he slowly yet surely managed to gain enough of your trust to help you believe in his word that he'd take down Fisk in turn for your cooperation. He kept that word, too, freeing you from the chains that held you down to a life of crime, however the scars that remained took far longer to even begin the process of healing.
Matt generously took you in, although you still struggled with plenty of old habits, the worst being stealing and getting into fights on the street. Whenever he'd confront you on it, a heated argument would ensue until you'd eventually run off, forcing Matt to go out looking for you upon your refusal to return home on your own. There were also the nightmares that plagued your sleep each night, often frightening Matt when he'd be out as Daredevil only to hear your blood curdling screams from back at the apartment, but you've always refused to share those inner demons even now.
Matt must admit that those early days truly tested him. He hated himself for thinking it, but at times he'd wonder if you both wouldn't have been better off if he hadn't nudged his way into your life to begin with. Before you, he was a single man who couldn't even keep a girlfriend and had not an ounce of experience being any sort of role model or father figure. Maybe the words you tended to scream at him were right. You don't need him, after all, he's just as broken as you; two brokens can't possibly make a right, can they?
Fortunately despite his insecurities and worries, it got easier. He had the constant support of Foggy and Karen while Father Lantom provided religious reminders as guidance. Overtime, your behavior shifted even if slowly. You learned that the apartment is a safe place and that there's always food in the fridge, so no need to steal. As you bonded more, Matt taught you to meditate to better control your emotions which also seemed to help smooth your nightmares. You even began feeling comfortable while in the presence of his friends which was a huge step forward.
Ultimately, Matt's proud of you and everything you've managed to overcome. Of course, it's not to say rough spots don't still present themselves, in fact the Blip itself has backtracked your progress slightly, although no one can blame you for that. You were terrified to learn you had disappeared for five years, the only good coming out of that entire situation being the realization that your dusting had destroyed Matt. Foggy explained that to you one day when Matt wasn't at the firm during your visit. According to him, his friend barely ate or slept, blaming himself for not somehow protecting you as he promised even if it really was out of his hands. It was this knowledge that made you feel loved for the first time in your life and you've since allowed yourself to finally trust Matt's care towards you (not that you've ever found a way to tell him that yet).
While you can't seem to find the words to express your affection towards the only parent figure you've ever known, you've decided to go to him for help towards your current dilemma which is the reason for your visit today, but irritatingly despite your trust, you find yourself nervous, your past habits betraying you with the fear that perhaps there's a ever so small possibly Matt will turn you away.
"What's up?" He raises an eyebrow, sensing your nerves which confuse him. He's certain he would've heard by now if Fisk is out of jail and there's no way you'd let anyone else on the street push you around. Maybe it's school? You don't tell him anything about school other than confirming your grades are good, so he'd be a little surprised if you ask for help studying, but he would hope you know he'll be happy to help if it's that.
You're chewing on your lip, debating if you should continue with your request. You truly thought you'd have no problem coming to him anymore and you know he's a good guy who can help, after all he's already done so much for you by taking you under his wing. Still, what if he gets mad because he has done enough for you and you have no right asking for more?
"What's wrong?" Matt changes his question, his voice softer now as he finally sets down his papers. He's growing more concerned, although he fights not to show it in case the emotion might scare you away.
"Okay, so um...There's...This boy..."
His face scrunches, but he's not sure why. One side of him wants to immediately direct you towards Karen, insisting she'd be a much better option for that type of advice than himself, however the other louder side feels a curd of anger inside his stomach, wanting to press on about why you're mentioning 'a boy'. 
What boy? Do you have a boyfriend? When did that happen? Yes, you're eighteen which many would argue is old enough to date, but it doesn't feel like it. You should at least be thirty before you date, right?
"A boy...?"
"Yeah- from school," that was a lie; a blatant one at that. You must've met him somewhere. Where? You refuse to say," he's not actually just any boy. He's...Well, he's my friend-"
Matt blinks, certain this is the first time he's ever heard you use the word 'friend' before. This 'boy' must really be something special to have you use such an intimate term towards him.
"-And he's run into some legal trouble recently."
Now Matt's lips are curled into a scowl he can't hide as he leans back in his chair with crossed arms. Oh no. A boy involved in legal trouble is not the type to be involved with you. Sure, you've had a lengthy criminal record yourself, but you weren't ever charged and are, what Matt would call, a victim. You're a good kid now even if you could still kick someone's teeth in if desired. No law breaking boy needs to be getting mixed up with you!
"What kind of 'legal trouble'?" His question is a little too stern not that he notices much, instead keeping his covered eyes directed to where he hears you standing. If he had a clear mind, he might've regretted that forceful tone once you begin fidgeting with your hands.
"He...Have you heard the news lately?"
So, this guy has gotten himself in enough trouble to be on the news? This conversation isn't going in a direction Matt likes," I have, but you'll have to be more specific. The news covers a lot of criminal activity."
"I wouldn't go as far as to call him a 'criminal'. He's innocent, he's just gotten the short end of the stick is all-"
"-And did he tell you that?"
"No- Well yeah, but I knew it already! I mean it when I say he's a really good guy, Matt. Like amazingly good; almost too good to be true, but he is! He'd do anything to protect this city because he's just that caring and sweet. He's...Well, he's, um..." Matt raises an eyebrow as you trail off, although he pays more attention to the way your body heats up and your heartbeat accelerates. 
Oh...
Oh...
Now Matt has a true dilemma on his hands. Until now, you've never mentioned having a single friend before, so one side of him wants to be happy with the knowledge that you, the most stubborn and distant person to exist on planet Earth (aside from maybe Frank), have fallen in love. Maybe it's not the most comfortable discussion and he can't deny he'd worry regardless of the circumstances, but if it's something that allows you to feel normal for once, then that's excellent. The only problem is he can't say he agrees with your criminal type. Why can't you be interested in someone law abiding?
Fiddling with your fingers, you miss Matt's silence as a sign of conflict and instead take it as him waiting for you to get to the point, thus you do with a quiet, meek voice,"...and he's kinda Spiderman..."
Matt blinks, caught off guard by your confession which had almost been muted by his inner thoughts," Spiderman...? The vigilante from Queens?"
You nod," I guess there's no harm in telling you his name's Peter Parker since the whole world already knows that now...Anyways I met him a while ago and we became friends, but...Well, you've heard what the news is trying to say about him, right? His identity got leaked and now they're trying to pin him as some sort of killer, but he isn't- I know he isn't. Peter's like you. He'd never kill anyone even if they're some crazed villain the streets would be safer without. I mean, you can tell he didn't do it just by how upset he is over all this!
"They're trying to ruin his life- not only his life, but also his friends' and aunt's...They won't let off and he doesn't deserve it. He needs a lawyer-a really good one at that. I thought that maybe...Maybe you could help him out, ya' know? You said us vigilantes have to look out for one another, right? So, could you help Spiderman? E-Even if just as one last favor for me? I swear I won't ask for anything else just...Can you please help him, Matt? Please..."
There's tears in your eyes at this point which is a rare occurrence usually only found on nights of particularly bad nightmares. This is one of those moments where it's clear you're only a kid. Standing in front of his desk, you keep your head bowed and hands clenched to the bottom of your shirt as you stubbornly fight to not get emotional, a fight nearly lost by that sniffle of your nose. Even after your nightmares or back before Matt saved you from Fisk, you've never been this scared. Of course, there's a clear difference from then and now.
This Peter Parker must really be something special. He must be able to bring a smile to your face by his presences alone, drawing hours of laughter from you over countless dumb jokes or helping you let loose by inviting you out with him and his friends, maybe even for movie nights at his apartment which might explain those few days over the last month where you didn't return home until after midnight.
Those nights he must listen to your worries, being the only person trusted with the details of your nightmares as he cuddles you close and promises to never let anyone hurt you again. He must make you feel like a giddy teenager, an experience that had once been stolen from you by people like Fisk. Around Peter, you aren't a child soldier or a dangerous killer or even a broken soul; you're (Y/n) (L/n), just a normal girl who'd do anything to protect the most precious thing she has to hold.
It takes you by surprise when Matt stands up suddenly, taking his cane from where it had been folded on the table and clicking it into place with a 'snap'," do you know his address?"
"H-Huh?"
"I'm assuming you know where Parker lives, correct? There's a lot to discuss if I'm going to help him with his legal troubles so it's best we get started immediately. Isn't that what you want?" Matt has a faint hint of a smirk pulling at his lips as he walks past you to the door, only stopping with his hand upon the doorknob.
Your eyes follow him, the wheels inside your head turning as you process his words. Soon, you're beaming, a noticeable uplift to your voice with relieved tears being blinked back in your eyes," thank you, Matt!"
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"Take a seat, Mr. Parker."
When Matt had announced the charges against Peter won't stick, the teen had been endlessly thankful. Between you finding him a good lawyer that didn't dent his pockets and said lawyer being able to remove his legal troubles, he's been giddy with relief and saw no issue with Matt's request to speak with him privately before his departure, after all, it's the least he can do for someone who's already helped him so much during his greatest time of need.
Even after being told to sit back down, Peter does so with a unfazed smile on his face," is there something else I need to be worried about? You said the charges aren't going to stick, so I should be good, yeah?" 
"Oh, I don't want to talk to you about anything related to the court."
Now Peter blinks in confusion, his smile taking a hit," oh?"
"I want to talk to you about (Y/n)."
"O-Oh..." Peter's confusion turns into a fiery blush, one that makes Matt's own face twist into a look of disgust he fights to hide.
"How long have you known her?"
"Um, about a year I think- Well, actually, I guess it's technically been about five years since we met before the Snap but-"
"-And has she told you about her past working for Wilson Fisk?"
Peter's heart noticeably skips a beat as he looks to Matt with wide eyes. His mouth opens in preparation to lie to his lawyer for the first time, denying that you'd ever work for Fisk because you definitely aren't some teenage vigilante he's been fighting alongside as Spiderman since the last year, however after giving his response some thought and studying Matt's careful expression, he decides to just be truthful.
"Yeah...Yeah, she has."
"Then you must understand how difficult it's been for her to trust other people after everything she's been through. I must admit I was surprised when she first brought you up. She was very adamant that I act as your lawyer and since then she's spent nearly every day asking about you. She's clearly extremely fond of you."
It probably isn't the best time for it, but a bashful smile crosses Peter's face, his gaze falling to his hands as he dwells on Matt's words. You? Fond of him? That's not allowed, is it? 
Of course, Peter's always had eyes for you. Ned and MJ tease him about it all the time. Hell, it's why Spiderman even decided to approach you in the first place. He had been utterly starstruck to watch some super hot vigilante swoop in out of nowhere and apprehend a pair of criminals before he could. In awe, he just had to walk up to you and give some incredibly lame joke that successfully resulted in you giving a goddess's laugh that numbed his heart. Since then, Peter made sure to become your friend (and biggest admirer), so to think you might actually be fond of him, too? Well, he could never be luckier!
"With that said, I wanted to thank you, Peter," the young hero is taken back by Matt's sudden words of gratitude," you make her happy; happier than anyone else has managed. Hearing her talk about you is the first time I've heard her sound like a normal teen, and if you were to ask her out, I'm certain she'd agree. I'll even give you my blessing to do so."
"A-Ah! Thank...Thank you, sir!"
"But-" Matt adjusts his glasses before suddenly leaning forward, his hands cupped together as a shadow crosses over his expression,"- just know, that if you ever do anything to break my daughter's heart, I'll personally ensure you deal with the Devil."
The breath in Peter's throat catches, his mouth opening and closing a few times in attempts to grasp onto some quick response which he's normally talented in delivering, but alas, nothing comes. Spiderman really shouldn't have to fear a blind man, but there's something about Matt's tone that sinks into his bones as a frigid warning that begs him to be smart, not dismissive.
Grabbing his cane, the lawyer calmly stands and walks past Peter, only stopping to pat a stern hand on his shoulder," good talk, Spidy."
It's cruel; the way Matt leaves behind a shocked Peter Parker while wearing a smug smirk of his own. He's not even guilty in the slightest, shown by the way he doesn't even care to rid of his expression when noticing you leaned against the wall outside the apartment door with crossed arms. He assumes by the harshness to your voice that your eyebrows are pinched downwards as you glare his way- a glare he's too familiar with feeling at this point to be bothered.
"Are you serious?"
"What?" He gives a mocked look of innocents that you refuse to buy.
Instead, you suck in a breath, fighting to ignore both your burning cheeks along with your irritation towards the lawyer and his poor attempt at playing dumb. Marching on by, you purposely bump into his shoulder, hissing under your breath,"...that wasn't cool, dad..."
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I'll Be Home For Christmas
Fandom: Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick, Jake “Hangman” Seresin, f!reader
Summary: When Jake's plans to come home for Christmas fall through, he promises you he will be there for you next year. But will he be able to keep that promise?
Word Count: 2354
TW: Angst, Fluff, Separated for Christmas, Reunited for Christmas, Happy Ending, Pregnant Reader
Note: Thank you to @heart-0n-fire for looking this over for me!
Written for @notroosterbradshaw's #hello december playlist challenge and based on "I'll Be Home for Christmas" by Andrea Bocelli
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Jake continued staring at the phone hanging on the wall before him. He had been standing in the same spot for five minutes now, just trying to gather the strength to make the call. It had been almost a month since they had been given phone privileges and as much as Jake longed to hear your voice, he didn’t know what he was supposed to say to you.
“She’ll understand.”
The voice shook Jake from his thoughts. Turning around, he noticed Rooster standing behind him, a small smile on his face. Normally, Jake would have snapped a witty comeback at him, but he just didn’t have it in him at the moment. Instead, he sighed and rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “Yeah, I know she will. And that almost makes it worse.”
Rooster chuckled softly. “Yeah, it kinda does, doesn’t it? But it won’t be forever, Jake. I’ll make sure of it.” He clasped Jake on the shoulder. “I got your back.”
Jake smiled, thinking about how far their relationship had come since the Dagger Mission a few months ago and how the thought of flying with Rooster as his wingman would have irritated him before then. “Thanks, man. And you know I’d have yours…. If you could ever catch up.”
The two men laughed as Rooster shook his head. “Yeah, whatever, Hangman. Go call your girl.” Then he walked away, leaving Jake to stare once more at the phone. 
Taking a deep breath, he grabbed it and quickly dialed before he lost his nerve. You picked up on the second ring. “Hello?”
“Hey, baby. It’s me.”
“Jake! Oh my god, hi! It feels like forever since I actually got to speak to you. How are you?” Jake could practically see you vibrating with joy on the other end of the line. 
“I’m– I’m good. Hangin’ in there. Missing you like crazy though. How are you?”
“I’m okay. I just miss you so much. But I have everything all planned for you to get here in a few days! I just bought stuff to make those cookies you love, and I thought we could roast a turkey for Christmas dinner, and it looks like we’ll have snow on Christmas Day this year! An actual white Christmas, can you believe it? We haven’t had one of those in–”
Jake groaned as he leaned his head heavily against the wall. You were so happy and excited about all the plans you had made. How was he supposed to destroy that? What was he even supposed to say?
It turned out, he didn’t have to say anything. You knew him too well and you figured it out on your own. “You’re… you’re not coming home, are you?” you asked softly.
“No, baby, I’m not. I just found out about an hour ago. They need the squad to ship out for the next mission immediately.”
“Well… that’s okay. I can just leave the tree up and we can make it a joint Christmas/New Year’s celebration!” Though you were trying to sound upbeat, Jake could hear the disappointment in your voice and that just made what he needed to say next all the more difficult.
“That’s the thing. They don’t know how long we’ll be gone but it’ll probably be a few weeks at least, if not longer. I’m so sorry. I know I told you I’d be home for Christmas but–”
“It’s okay, Jake. It’s not your fault and I know you’d be here if you could. Besides, you spelled out exactly what this life would look like when we started dating and I agreed to it. We’re never guaranteed Christmas, your leave just happened to fall near it this year. So, it is what it is. If you can’t come home, you can’t come home.”
Jake squeezed his eyes shut tightly. “God, I want to be there, you don’t even know how badly. It sounded like you had such an amazing time planned for us, and now… I hate the thought of you being alone for Christmas. It’s not right.” 
“I’ll be fine. I mean, I’m just a little disappointed, but not at all with you. This was going to be our first Christmas together since you proposed and it sort of felt like the first one for the new family we’re building. I was hoping we could maybe start some traditions that we could do every year, but maybe we just need to accept that this– us being apart for the holidays – might have to be our tradition.”
Jake’s head shot up and he gripped the phone tighter. In a firm, clear voice, he said, “No, I refuse to accept that. This will not be a tradition. I swear, baby, next year I’ll be home for Christmas. No matter what I have to do, I will not miss the first Christmas with my wife.”
“You need to make it back here and marry me first. So over everything else, please be careful. That’s all I need from you this Christmas. Don’t make me a widow before you make me a wife, Jake. Okay? Just come home. I don’t care how long it takes. Your presents will still be by the tree when you get back. And so will I.” Despite how strong you were trying to be about this situation, Jake could hear the tears in your voice. 
 Choking back his own tears, Jake murmured, “Thanks for understanding. I’ll make it up to you when I get home. Anything you want, just say the word.”
“I want you. That’s all I ever want,” you said. “But you tell them they better not do this again in May. Weddings aren’t cheap and that shit’s non-refundable.”
Jake chuckled. “I’ll tell Mav you said that. Word for word.”
“Good. And add that if he makes you late, I’m retracting his invitation.”
“I’ll make sure he knows.” Jake was just about to say something else when Hondo walked in and caught Jake’s eye. The Chief Warrant Officer sadly tapped on his wrist and motioned for Jake to hurry up. Taking a deep breath, Jake said into the phone, “Baby, they’re telling me I have to go. But I’ll call or email you as soon as I can. Hopefully I can at least manage that on Christmas day.”
“Okay. Just whenever you can, I’ll be here. I love you, Jake. So, so much.”
“I love you too, baby. And I’m so sorry.”
“It’s alright. Just…dream of me,” you whispered.
“I always do,” Jake whispered back just before the line was disconnected. 
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Jake’s Uber pulled up in front of his house at 11:53 pm on Christmas Eve. He had cut it a lot closer than he had hoped, but he had made it. Despite all the odds, he had kept the promise he made to you the Christmas before and he was home for Christmas.
He smiled at the inflatable Santa and his reindeer placed in the front yard along with a handful of lights. It was a cute if somewhat quaint display especially compared to the neighbors, but Jake loved that you put in the effort. Especially considering you were alone and were having a harder time moving around lately. Jake took one more look at it before unlocking the front door.
But as it swung open, Jake gasped and his jaw dropped. You had promised you were going to make up for him missing Christmas last year, but based on the display outside, he never expected the sight that greeted him. Strings of lights and garland stretched along both walls of the hallway and paper snowflakes hung down from the ceiling. Ornaments were scattered here and there, and Jake noticed many of them were photo ornaments with pictures of the two of you, including some from your wedding. 
If the hallway took his breath away, it was nothing compared to what he found as he stumbled into the living room. While the normal lights were off, the room was aglow with tiny colorful lights draped across the mantle of the fireplace and encircling the massive Christmas tree with the huge pile of presents in the corner of the room. The live Christmas tree. The kind that would turn brown and die if he didn’t make it home in time. But he had sworn he would make it home, and you had believed him.
However, none of it mattered once his eyes settled on the figure slumped on the couch. You were fast asleep on the far end, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas hanging limply from one hand while your other hand rested on your protruding stomach. Jake hadn’t seen you in person for the last three months and it appeared that there was a bigger difference between four months pregnant and seven months pregnant than he had expected. He knew he had missed out on a lot– doctor’s appointments, ultrasounds, morning sickness –but seeing tangible evidence of it all almost brought him to his knees. He should have been here for all of it, but it was yet another time you had to carry on alone while he was gone. But not anymore.
Walking over to the couch, he carefully slipped the book from your hand and placed it on the nearby end table. It was only then that he noticed the plate of his favorite cookies and a glass of milk that had been left out along with a note. Glancing at it, he read: Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is for my daddy to come home safely. Thank you, The Seresin girls. It looked like Santa had worked his magic after all.
Kneeling down next to the couch, Jake gently placed his hand on your stomach. Leaning over, he pressed his lips to your bump before whispering, “Hey there, jelly bean. I made it. Have you been behavin’ and keepin’ your mama company while I was gone?” Jake felt a small flutter of movement beneath his hand and he grinned. “That’s my girl.”
Giving your stomach one last rub, he stood up and leaned over you as you continued to sleep. Tipping your chin back, he pressed his lips to yours. For a moment, you moaned and started to pull away. But then, you must have recognized him even in your dreams because you leaned into his kiss and returned it. 
When Jake pulled away, your eyes slowly opened and it took you a moment to grasp what you were seeing in front of you. But when you did, your lip began to quiver as you reached out your hand to cup his face. “J-Jake? Are you really here?”
Jake chuckled deep in his throat as he leaned into your hand. “What kind of question is that?”
“I mean, I’m not still dreaming, am I?”
“No, baby. I’m really here.”
Tears streaming down your face, you threw your arms around his neck as you choked out, “Oh God! I didn’t think you were going to make it.”
Jake buried his face into your hair, breathing in deeply. “I promised you last year I wouldn’t miss this.” He ran his hand over your stomach. “Especially now. Our first Christmas with our new family.”
You sobbed into his neck. “I know, but I still… I wasn’t sure. I hoped though.”
The two of you held each other for a long time. Then in a soft, fearful whisper, you asked, “How long can you stay?”
Jake sat back and wiped the tears from your face. “We’ll talk about that later. Right now, let me just look at you.”
“Ugh, no. I’m a whale.” You tried to cover your stomach with a nearby blanket, but Jake stopped you. 
Taking your hand and placing it over your stomach, he said, “You’ve never looked more beautiful.”
You bit your lip and glanced away. But then your smile slipped as you asked again, “How long, Jake? I have to know.”
Glancing at his watch, Jake sighed. “Well, it is now 12:08 Christmas morning, so I guess I can give you your gift now.”
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a letter and handed it to you. Warily, you took it from him and opened it. Squinting in the dim light from the decorations, you read what it said, your lips silently mouthing the words as you went along. Jake grinned as your eyes grew wide and you stared up at him in disbelief. “Is this– is this real?”
“Yep. Maverick got them to transfer me off the Dagger Squad for one year. Instead, I’ll be working in recruitment here at the base in town. So I’ll be here for all of it. The rest of your pregnancy, her birth, all those first milestones. I know it doesn’t make up for the time we lost but I thought—”
He was cut off as you once again threw your arms around his neck, sobbing harder than before. “J-ake, you didn’t have to– but what about the Squad? You love flying with them.”
“I do, and I’ll miss it. But I love you, both of you, more. And Mav said I can come back after a year if I want. He already cleared it with Cyclone.” Jake squeezed you tighter against his chest. “I’ve already missed so much. I don’t want to miss a second of our daughter’s life or being here to help you raise her.”
“Wow…” you hiccupped through your tears. “You really made up for last year.”
“I’m glad you think so.” Jake laughed. Then he took your face and kissed you, deeply and lovingly. It was the kindt of kiss that said all the things you could never put into words. The kind of kiss that only happened between two people who loved each other fully and completely. The kind of kiss he hoped to give you every day from now on.
And when you broke apart, Jake gazed into your puffy, tear-stained eyes and promised, “This is our new tradition. From now on, I’ll be home for Christmas. You can count on me.”
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boarcide · 6 months
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There is something so good about Akutagawa--a very much feared, boogeyman like figure (even amongst his own men) in Yokohama because of his violence, bloodlust, and steadfast loyalty to a violent criminal organization such as the Port Mafia--given biblical angel symbolism
I don't know, something something about someone whose beauty is so incomprehensible and terrifying to most. He's not physically ugly, he's not--he's beautiful, the type of beautiful that almost feel as if he's not a real person, like he's a mirage, or a painting. But he's beautiful not like those renaissance cherubs and lovely looking maidens for angels, but more like the biblical angels with their beauty beyond mortal grasp, the beauty that brings fear and revulsion towards whoever sees them because they cannot comprehend it. Coming across him makes you understand why angels say, "Be not afraid" when they reveal themselves to mortals. An incomprehensible beauty that very few can keep looking at. A dangerous feat, literally and metaphorically.
(This isn't only with his physical appearance either--for someone who is constantly beaten down both by canon and by the fandom for being "simple", he is a terrifying bundle of different aspects that contradict each other. Like a super machine you open up and you see the intricate criss crossing of wires and bolts that hold it together. He's a mess of nerves and feelings and experiences so profound, so horrific, that you don't know where to start with him. To uncoil him and see him truly bare is almost impossible. Where does he end and the roots that connect him to the earth begin?)
Something about Akutagawa being an angel, a being created entirely to follow the will of "God", obey their every word. Unwavering loyalty to their master while singing praise. Acting entirely on the order of their master--wing always dipped in blood for his sake. A weapon of "heaven' that brings destruction to those who oppose "God" and be one of the many upon which "God" rests upon.
(Almost everything Akutagawa does is for the sake of the Port Mafia, taking orders from the "master" (boss) himself. Willingness and obedience and loyalty repeatedly exploited and used, everything he has done as one of the high ranking leaders handling most of the Mafia's dirty work playing a part so Mori's throne stays high.)
Something about comparing Akutagawa to a certain archangel, finding repulsion in "God"'s cherished creation, the inferiority that came with being "less" to "mankind", and the painful fall from grace to the deepest pits of despair when he confronts the being that created him, molded him, and then condemn him. And to his humiliation, mankind, for centuries, condemns him too.
(He can't be compared to Lucifer, God's most beloved angel. Maybe Dazai did value him, but it doesn't matter, does it? because the difference between the two is that one was cherished and one never was. However, you can compare the rage and humiliation Akutagawa felt towards Atsushi--for obtaining Dazai's approval and affection with no effort, no proper control over his skill or any seemingly differentiating quality-- to Lucifer's refusal to bow down to humanity--a creation inherently imperfect and lackluster, with not the qualities of angels. And as a result? Disgraced. Both by the creator and by ones that held their creator's favor. )
Something about Akutagawa being an angel--someone whose presence means nothing pleasant to those he appears before. A reaper of sorts, responsible for taking life and for souls to see the afterlife (killing both as an order and an act of mercy, for he despises torture and meaningless suffering). A guardian angel watching over "mankind" from afar, where he is not aware and saving him from certain death at his own expense.
There's just something so appealing about depicting Akutagawa--a fearsome, ruthless, and bloodthirsty mafioso, a boogeyman to his own men--as an angel, be it of death, of mercy, a destroying angel-- whatever anyone wants to see him as and use him for.
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vex91 · 11 months
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Jang Wonyoung - Smile through the pain
Pairing: Jang Wonyoung x Female Reader (Highschool AU)
Fandom: IZ*ONE / IVE
Summary: Wonyoung's world stopped when her best friend and long time crush told her that she likes a pretty popular girl at their school, Ahn Yujin.
A/N: Some Wonyoung angst✌
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3rd's POV
Happiness.
The first thing that she felt when she saw you that day, along with the fast beating of her heart that was there everytime she saw or even thought about you.
Curiosity.
Was the second thing that she felt when she saw your excited eyes and heard you saying how you wanted to tell her something important because you trusted her a lot.
Dread.
Was the third and last thing that she felt that day after hearing that you were in love with one of the popular students, Ahn Yujin. The thought of your heart being taken by someone else destroyed her inside.
Later that day Wonyoung found herself observing this Ahn Yujin. A student popular for a lot of things but mostly because of her nice personality and the fact that she was soccer's team captain, a school's ace player. There were always a lot of boys but mostly girls admiring and confessing to her but she rejected all of them so far. The only girl that people know that she dated was older than her Kim Gaeul, who was also one of her best friends.
She could see why you would find interest in her but it still didn't sat right with her.
The next day you weren't waiting for her next to her locker like always, instead you showed up 5 minutes later and on top of that the person who walked you to her was no other than the Yujin you liked.
When did you start talking with her?
"It was nice talking to you Y/N, we'll talk more later right?" She gave you a charming smile that almost made your knees gave up and walked away after bidding goodbye to Wonyoung as well.
"She said that we will talk more later" You squealed into Wonyoung's shoulder while she was still trying to process the face that you had on when you talked with Yujin. "When did you two started talking?" You looked up at her after hearing her question "Oh, I accidentally bumped into her and somehow we started talking. But Wonyoung, I honestly thought that my chances with her disappeared after I bumped into her but she's so nice and understanding"
That smile that you gave her, it showed how happy you were because of Yujin. It made her realize that if she really loved you then she should support you.
So with a smile Wonyoung looked at you "I really root for you two Y/N"
That's how you and her ended up becoming friends with Yujin and her friends. Wonyoung quickly became comfortable with talking and hanging out with Gaeul, Rei and Jiwon who everyone just called Liz and later the youngest of the group, Hyunseo also called Leeseo. She was happy to have other people to talk to because she wanted to give you as much space to hang out with Yujin as you needed. Still, it didn't stopped her from looking sadly at you two becoming closer.
Finally the day came.
Wonyoung was sitting with the rest of the girls in the cafeteria waiting for you and Yujin, the only two people missing right now. When you finally came, Wonyoung didn't failed to notice your hands being clasped with Yujin's but before she could think more about it, she heard that words coming out of Yujin's mouth.
"I've asked Y/N to be my girlfriend yesterday and she said yes"
Oh... So that being fully heartbroken felt. The moment she heard those words and saw Yujin wrap her arm around your waist, Wonyoung's heart fully broke.
But just like she decided, she was gonna support you.
"I'm really happy for you" Wonyoung muttered to herself while smiling through the pain at the sight of Yujin kissing you after her team won the game that same day.
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I'll Be Home For Christmas
Fandom: Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick, Jake “Hangman” Seresin, f!reader
Summary: When Jake's plans to come home for Christmas fall through, he promises you he will be there for you next year. But will he be able to keep that promise?
Word Count: 2354 TW: Angst, Fluff, Separated for Christmas, Reunited for Christmas, Happy Ending, Pregnant Reader
Note: Thank you to @heart-0n-fire for looking this over for me!
Written for @notroosterbradshaw's #hello december playlist challenge and based on "I'll Be Home for Christmas" by Andrea Bocelli
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Jake continued staring at the phone hanging on the wall before him. He had been standing in the same spot for five minutes now, just trying to gather the strength to make the call. It had been almost a month since they had been given phone privileges and as much as Jake longed to hear your voice, he didn’t know what he was supposed to say to you.
“She’ll understand.”
The voice shook Jake from his thoughts. Turning around, he noticed Rooster standing behind him, a small smile on his face. Normally, Jake would have snapped a witty comeback at him, but he just didn’t have it in him at the moment. Instead, he sighed and rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “Yeah, I know she will. And that almost makes it worse.”
Rooster chuckled softly. “Yeah, it kinda does, doesn’t it? But it won’t be forever, Jake. I’ll make sure of it.” He clasped Jake on the shoulder. “I got your back.”
Jake smiled, thinking about how far their relationship had come since the Dagger Mission a few months ago and how the thought of flying with Rooster as his wingman would have irritated him before then. “Thanks, man. And you know I’d have yours…. If you could ever catch up.”
The two men laughed as Rooster shook his head. “Yeah, whatever, Hangman. Go call your girl.” Then he walked away, leaving Jake to stare once more at the phone. 
Taking a deep breath, he grabbed it and quickly dialed before he lost his nerve. You picked up on the second ring. “Hello?”
“Hey, baby. It’s me.”
“Jake! Oh my god, hi! It feels like forever since I actually got to speak to you. How are you?” Jake could practically see you vibrating with joy on the other end of the line. 
“I’m– I’m good. Hangin’ in there. Missing you like crazy though. How are you?”
“I’m okay. I just miss you so much. But I have everything all planned for you to get here in a few days! I just bought stuff to make those cookies you love, and I thought we could roast a turkey for Christmas dinner, and it looks like we’ll have snow on Christmas Day this year! An actual white Christmas, can you believe it? We haven’t had one of those in–”
Jake groaned as he leaned his head heavily against the wall. You were so happy and excited about all the plans you had made. How was he supposed to destroy that? What was he even supposed to say?
It turned out, he didn’t have to say anything. You knew him too well and you figured it out on your own. “You’re… you’re not coming home, are you?” you asked softly.
“No, baby, I’m not. I just found out about an hour ago. They need the squad to ship out for the next mission immediately.”
“Well… that’s okay. I can just leave the tree up and we can make it a joint Christmas/New Year’s celebration!” Though you were trying to sound upbeat, Jake could hear the disappointment in your voice and that just made what he needed to say next all the more difficult.
“That’s the thing. They don’t know how long we’ll be gone but it’ll probably be a few weeks at least, if not longer. I’m so sorry. I know I told you I’d be home for Christmas but–”
“It’s okay, Jake. It’s not your fault and I know you’d be here if you could. Besides, you spelled out exactly what this life would look like when we started dating and I agreed to it. We’re never guaranteed Christmas, your leave just happened to fall near it this year. So, it is what it is. If you can’t come home, you can’t come home.”
Jake squeezed his eyes shut tightly. “God, I want to be there, you don’t even know how badly. It sounded like you had such an amazing time planned for us, and now… I hate the thought of you being alone for Christmas. It’s not right.” 
“I’ll be fine. I mean, I’m just a little disappointed, but not at all with you. This was going to be our first Christmas together since you proposed and it sort of felt like the first one for the new family we’re building. I was hoping we could maybe start some traditions that we could do every year, but maybe we just need to accept that this– us being apart for the holidays – might have to be our tradition.”
Jake’s head shot up and he gripped the phone tighter. In a firm, clear voice, he said, “No, I refuse to accept that. This will not be a tradition. I swear, baby, next year I’ll be home for Christmas. No matter what I have to do, I will not miss the first Christmas with my wife.”
“You need to make it back here and marry me first. So over everything else, please be careful. That’s all I need from you this Christmas. Don’t make me a widow before you make me a wife, Jake. Okay? Just come home. I don’t care how long it takes. Your presents will still be by the tree when you get back. And so will I.” Despite how strong you were trying to be about this situation, Jake could hear the tears in your voice. 
 Choking back his own tears, Jake murmured, “Thanks for understanding. I’ll make it up to you when I get home. Anything you want, just say the word.”
“I want you. That’s all I ever want,” you said. “But you tell them they better not do this again in May. Weddings aren’t cheap and that shit’s non-refundable.”
Jake chuckled. “I’ll tell Mav you said that. Word for word.”
“Good. And add that if he makes you late, I’m retracting his invitation.”
“I’ll make sure he knows.” Jake was just about to say something else when Hondo walked in and caught Jake’s eye. The Chief Warrant Officer sadly tapped on his wrist and motioned for Jake to hurry up. Taking a deep breath, Jake said into the phone, “Baby, they’re telling me I have to go. But I’ll call or email you as soon as I can. Hopefully I can at least manage that on Christmas day.”
“Okay. Just whenever you can, I’ll be here. I love you, Jake. So, so much.”
“I love you too, baby. And I’m so sorry.”
“It’s alright. Just…dream of me,” you whispered.
“I always do,” Jake whispered back just before the line was disconnected. 
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Jake’s Uber pulled up in front of his house at 11:53 pm on Christmas Eve. He had cut it a lot closer than he had hoped, but he had made it. Despite all the odds, he had kept the promise he made to you the Christmas before and he was home for Christmas.
He smiled at the inflatable Santa and his reindeer placed in the front yard along with a handful of lights. It was a cute if somewhat quaint display especially compared to the neighbors, but Jake loved that you put in the effort. Especially considering you were alone and were having a harder time moving around lately. Jake took one more look at it before unlocking the front door.
But as it swung open, Jake gasped and his jaw dropped. You had promised you were going to make up for him missing Christmas last year, but based on the display outside, he never expected the sight that greeted him. Strings of lights and garland stretched along both walls of the hallway and paper snowflakes hung down from the ceiling. Ornaments were scattered here and there, and Jake noticed many of them were photo ornaments with pictures of the two of you, including some from your wedding. 
If the hallway took his breath away, it was nothing compared to what he found as he stumbled into the living room. While the normal lights were off, the room was aglow with tiny colorful lights draped across the mantle of the fireplace and encircling the massive Christmas tree with the huge pile of presents in the corner of the room. The live Christmas tree. The kind that would turn brown and die if he didn’t make it home in time. But he had sworn he would make it home, and you had believed him.
However, none of it mattered once his eyes settled on the figure slumped on the couch. You were fast asleep on the far end, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas hanging limply from one hand while your other hand rested on your protruding stomach. Jake hadn’t seen you in person for the last three months and it appeared that there was a bigger difference between four months pregnant and seven months pregnant than he had expected. He knew he had missed out on a lot– doctor’s appointments, ultrasounds, morning sickness –but seeing tangible evidence of it all almost brought him to his knees. He should have been here for all of it, but it was yet another time you had to carry on alone while he was gone. But not anymore.
Walking over to the couch, he carefully slipped the book from your hand and placed it on the nearby end table. It was only then that he noticed the plate of his favorite cookies and a glass of milk that had been left out along with a note. Glancing at it, he read: Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is for my daddy to come home safely. Thank you, The Seresin girls. It looked like Santa had worked his magic after all.
Kneeling down next to the couch, Jake gently placed his hand on your stomach. Leaning over, he pressed his lips to your bump before whispering, “Hey there, jelly bean. I made it. Have you been behavin’ and keepin’ your mama company while I was gone?” Jake felt a small flutter of movement beneath his hand and he grinned. “That’s my girl.”
Giving your stomach one last rub, he stood up and leaned over you as you continued to sleep. Tipping your chin back, he pressed his lips to yours. For a moment, you moaned and started to pull away. But then, you must have recognized him even in your dreams because you leaned into his kiss and returned it. 
When Jake pulled away, your eyes slowly opened and it took you a moment to grasp what you were seeing in front of you. But when you did, your lip began to quiver as you reached out your hand to cup his face. “J-Jake? Are you really here?”
Jake chuckled deep in his throat as he leaned into your hand. “What kind of question is that?”
“I mean, I’m not still dreaming, am I?”
“No, baby. I’m really here.”
Tears streaming down your face, you threw your arms around his neck as you choked out, “Oh God! I didn’t think you were going to make it.”
Jake buried his face into your hair, breathing in deeply. “I promised you last year I wouldn’t miss this.” He ran his hand over your stomach. “Especially now. Our first Christmas with our new family.”
You sobbed into his neck. “I know, but I still… I wasn’t sure. I hoped though.”
The two of you held each other for a long time. Then in a soft, fearful whisper, you asked, “How long can you stay?”
Jake sat back and wiped the tears from your face. “We’ll talk about that later. Right now, let me just look at you.”
“Ugh, no. I’m a whale.” You tried to cover your stomach with a nearby blanket, but Jake stopped you. 
Taking your hand and placing it over your stomach, he said, “You’ve never looked more beautiful.”
You bit your lip and glanced away. But then your smile slipped as you asked again, “How long, Jake? I have to know.”
Glancing at his watch, Jake sighed. “Well, it is now 12:08 Christmas morning, so I guess I can give you your gift now.”
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a letter and handed it to you. Warily, you took it from him and opened it. Squinting in the dim light from the decorations, you read what it said, your lips silently mouthing the words as you went along. Jake grinned as your eyes grew wide and you stared up at him in disbelief. “Is this– is this real?”
“Yep. Maverick got them to transfer me off the Dagger Squad for one year. Instead, I’ll be working in recruitment here at the base in town. So I’ll be here for all of it. The rest of your pregnancy, her birth, all those first milestones. I know it doesn’t make up for the time we lost but I thought��”
He was cut off as you once again threw your arms around his neck, sobbing harder than before. “J-ake, you didn’t have to– but what about the Squad? You love flying with them.”
“I do, and I’ll miss it. But I love you, both of you, more. And Mav said I can come back after a year if I want. He already cleared it with Cyclone.” Jake squeezed you tighter against his chest. “I’ve already missed so much. I don’t want to miss a second of our daughter’s life or being here to help you raise her.”
“Wow…” you hiccupped through your tears. “You really made up for last year.”
“I’m glad you think so.” Jake laughed. Then he took your face and kissed you, deeply and lovingly. It was the kind of kiss that said all the things you could never put into words. The kind of kiss that only happened between two people who loved each other fully and completely. The kind of kiss he hoped to give you every day from now on.
And when you broke apart, Jake gazed into your puffy, tear-stained eyes and promised, “This is our new tradition. From now on, I’ll be home for Christmas. You can count on me.”
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Taglist: @loverhymeswith, @babblydrabbly, @lorecraft, @green-socks, @heart-0n-fire, @marvelousmermaid, @mayhem24-7forever, @wildbornsiren, @hederasgarden, @the-untamed-soul, @inglourious-imagines, @airhogger, @piscesvancouverite, @straightforwardly, @bonnieelizabethparker, @srry-itshockeyszn, @flyinlove, @fandomhopped, @sweetheartlizzie07, @yjwnoot, @wanderdreamer, @pansexualwitchwhoneedstherapy, @callsign-fox, @imjess-themess, @callsign-phoenix, @shanimallina87, @forever-sleepy-sloth, @notroosterbradshaw, @dezthegeek, @blessupblessup, @cherrycola27, @phoenix1389, @nicangelinee, @smells-like-perfect-senses, @boringusername3, @petlaufeyson, @cycbaby, @topguncortez, @imjess-themess, @footprintsinthesxnd
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vylad243 · 2 months
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Hi! If this is in your inbox twice feel free to snipe me cause my internet has decided I am no longer worthy of it being stable.
Anyways! I was obsessing over your writing just a tad, I really love your characterizations, and I was wondering something with one of your prompt writings! So it’s that first one where Vox gets nabbed and Alastor goes and gets him while mauling the ones who took him. I’m wondering what would have happened if Vox got grabbed by more competent sinners and Al was not able to find Vox? At least not as quickly. Would he start freaking out? Would the hotel/Charlie get involved?
Would Al start going on a rampage? Turning every stone (and building) to find him? What would happen when he did? Would Vox be a bit more ruffed up? How would the situation change overall?
Just curious! Love your writing and excited to see more of it in the future! :))
Hi! It only appeared once! Also, that's rude asf of your internet
Thank you so much for the kind words! I'm glad to hear you've been enjoying my works! I love how interactive everyone is in this fandom! It's a lot of fun to make content
As for the question- Alastor would go crazy if he couldn't find Vox within the first hour. Alastor gas the upper hand because he can smell Vox and feel his radio waves- but if Vox was taken to a place where his scent was hidden and the radiowaves couldn't travel through- then Alastor would be unsuccessful for a while
Charlie and the hotel would get involved, but some are in it for damage control and others are genuinely worried for Vox. They would have a search all over the city trying to locate Vox as he's technically under their protection.
Since in that case- it was a ransom, they would probably use a trap to have the sinners out themselves so they could properly locate Vox and secure him, but Alastor would go batshit crazy until he could find Vox. A lot of his anxiety and fear stems from what happened to Vox by Valentino when Alastor wasn't with him- so Alastor has a huge fear leaving Vox alone, especially with dangerous and unpredictable sinners.
The city wouldn't be destroyed from Alastor necessarily, though. A lot of the city would be in turmoil from the lack of power. Unlike the sinners that were around before Vox- most sinners are used to having electricity and power almost everywhere, so when it's taken away, they go crazy because Vox utilizes his powers to make them addicted to his screens
If the power stays on and Vox is missing, though- then yes. Alastor would cause a lot of chaos and destruction looking for Vox. They are openly dating - so people would expect it, and if something happens to Alastor, Vox would probably do the same
Vox, on the other hand, would be a lot more injured than he was in the book if it took Alastor more time. The countdown was to start hurting Vox. Once those two hours were up- Vox was going to be tortured. It would have started small before it got worse. A few missing fingers and toes to his hand being torn off. It would all depend on how long it took for the ransom to be done or for Alastor to find them. They had 24 hours before he would have been actually killed, and a lot of misery could happen within those hours
When Alastor finally finds him- his carnage would be worse. Vox probably wouldn't be conscious at that point and wouldn't be able to tell Alastor to 'stop so they could leave'
Alastor would tear them apart slowly and surely. He would repeat every injury Vox had onto them, and then he'd mirror it on the other side of their body. They would be in absolute agony with no one to help them because no one would have the nerve to try and stop Alastor
Hope this answers your question! ^-^
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middleearthpixie · 13 days
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Something in the Night ~ Chapter Twenty-Four
Summary: Following the Battle of the Five Armies, a seriously wounded Thorin Oakenshield returns to Erebor to recuperate and eventually ascend the throne as king. With the deaths of Azog the Defiler and his son, Bolg, Thorin no longer has to worry about the bounty the Defiler placed on his head and can instead concentrate on restoring Erebor to its former glory. 
Nina Carren of Esgaroth has one goal—to make Thorin Oakenshield pay for unleashing Smaug the dragon unto her home—where he destroyed the town and killed her family. The Defiler might be gone, but his bounty remains very much in place, and she fully intends to collect on it. 
Finally, the opportunity shows itself for her to do just that, only to have it go horribly awry. Wounded and now at his mercy, neither Nina nor Thorin stopped to think what might happen, should things not go quite according to plan…
Pairings: Thorin Oakenshield x ofc Nina Carren
Warnings: None
Rating: T
Word Count: 3.4k
Tag List: @mrsdurin @i-did-not-mean-to @fizzyxcustard @lathalea @legolasbadass
@xxbyimm @kibleedibleedoo @arrthurpendragon @exhausted-humxn-being @knittastically
@notlostgnome @myselfandfantasy @medusas-hairband @guardianofrivendell @jotink78
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@sazzlep @night-ace @lyl1pad @mistresskayla-blog1
If you’d like to be added (or removed) to the tag list, please just let me know!
Previous chapters can be found here. 
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Darkness crept into Dale and Nina tried not to notice the passage of time, even as she lit the lamp on her bedside table. A sense of unease swept through her, especially when she went out into the sitting area, where she found Sigrid at the battered kitchen table, knitting. 
Sigrid said nothing, but merely arched an eyebrow and that somehow made her feel even worse. Had she been a fool? Had Thorin sought to get even with her by using her, making her think he felt something, and…
No. She refused to even consider the very notion.
“It’s almost eight,” Sigrid remarked, lowering her knitting.
“I know.” Nina sank onto the arm of the sofa with a low sigh, a feeling of idiocy swirling through her. “Perhaps my faith was misplaced.”
“I had hoped not.”
“So did—” The sudden rap on the door cut her off and her spirits rose as she did. Nina smiled over her shoulder at Sigrid. “Perhaps it wasn’t after all.”
Sigrid smiled. “Only one way to find out.”
Nina drew a deep breath to quell the thousands of butterflies that had taken up residence in her belly as she reached for the door handle. But when she pulled it open and her gaze alit on Thorin on the far side of the threshold, those butterflies multiplied tenfold.
He offered up a sheepish smile. “I know I’m late, but I do have a good reason.”
“Come in, Thorin. And then you can offer up your reason.”
He bobbed his head. “Fair enough.”
She stepped back to allow him room to enter the flat and as he did, he said, “Miss Sigrid, how do you fare?”
“I’m well, thank you. And yourself?”
“I’m good, thank you.”
Sigrid rose from the table, scooping her knitting into her arms. “I will allow the two of you—”
“No, there’s no need to leave, Miss Sigrid.” 
“That’s fine. I have a book waiting for me and you two don't need an audience.” She smiled. “It was nice seeing you again, Thorin.”
With that, she swept into her room, and Nina turned to Thorin. “I’m listening.”
“Oh, right. I was waylaid in Erebor.” He offered up a sheepish smile. “Balin was working on something for me and he was supposed to have finished it by now, but did not.”
“What was he working on? Something to do with Esgaroth?”
“In a matter of speaking, yes.” He gestured to the door. “Now, I believe I promised you supper, didn't I?”
“You did.” 
“Then come along and we will enjoy a meal not cooked out in the open by Dwalin.”
“We enjoyed several like that in Mirkwood,” she reminded him.
“And not surrounded by elves, either.” 
“Fair enough.”
Once they were outside, he reached for her hand, linking his fingers with hers, and as they touched, Nina felt the snap of electricity between them and wondered if she would always feel it. Thorin looked over at her, his eyes soft, and without a word, lifted her hand to his lips. 
“You felt it, didn't you?”
“Felt what?” He winked and his fingers tightened about hers. “Where should we go?”
“Anywhere but the Black Swan.”
“Agreed.”
They made their way along Stone Street, and out to the main street, which was twice as wide, but far more quieter at night than it would be come morning. Some shops had closed for the night, but plenty more remained open, their brightly colored awnings still unrolled over the doorways and soft warm light within welcoming any and all shoppers. 
“This city has come a long way,” he said, gesturing to the buildings to his right. “Half of these were in ruins a year ago. Now look at them.”
“The first few weeks here were terrible,” she told him as they strolled toward the low wall at the far end of the street, overlooking the plains, and in the distance, Erebor. “Thranduíl had been somewhat generous, bringing much needed food and clothing, but there were still so many people and so few resources. Bard proved his gift for leadership during that time. And it’s amazing what people can accomplish when they work together.”
She looked over to the west, where some buildings had been restored, but others were still in various stages of ruin. “An enormous troll lumbered through here, just swinging this equally enormous club this way and that. I’d never seen anything like it. He was horrifying, and so ugly, you couldn't help but stop and stare at him for a moment.” 
“I did not see the one who tore through here, but I've battled trolls before,” he replied, pausing to sink against the rough stone wall. “Before we reached Rivendell the first time. We’d stopped for the night and mountain trolls made off with several of our ponies. Fíli and Kíli took Bilbo in an attempt to get them back and we all almost ended up on the troll menu.”
“Ew. They are foul creatures.”
“That they are.” 
In the distance, pale gold light spilled through elegant bay windows and she nodded toward it. “The Provincial House. That’s what Sigrid gave up to share a tiny little flat with me.”
“I’ve spent more than my share of time there since Smaug.” His thumb brushed along hers. “The bowman has done well for your people.”
“He has,” she nodded, then gazed up at him. Moonlight danced lightly along his hair, glinted off the ornaments woven into the black strands, and gleamed off the silver streaking it. Without thinking, she reached up to brush her fingers through it. 
She let her fingertips trail along the braid woven at his left temple. At its end, a silver cube had been woven it. It lay heavy in her palm as she said, “What is this?”
“This?” He caught the braid from her, catching the small cube between his thumb and forefinger. “It was a gift, from my father.”
“An odd gift, that.”
“To Men, perhaps.” He smiled, letting the braid go slack. “But to dwarves? It is not odd at all. To dwarves, hair is sacred. That’s why you will not see a clean-shaven dwarf, nor one with what you would call a sensible haircut. We take great pride in our hair, and we protect it as if it were a living being.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “You’ve seen even the women have beards, and most of them are decorated and almost all of the decorations have meaning behind them. No one touches a dwarf’s hair unless he or she has proven themselves utterly trustworthy to the dwarf in question and has been given their permission to touch it.”
“I didn't know that. I just thought you felt it made you look more threatening.”
He grinned then. “Am I so threatening to you?”
“Well, not now. But when you first came through Esgaroth? It was easy to see you making someone uneasy. But at the same time, it was also easy to see why your men followed you all the way from the Shire. I’ve the feeling they would willingly die for you, if necessary.”
A hint of color rose along his cheekbones, only just barely visible in the moonlight. “I owe my life to them, all of them. But especially the hobbit.”
“Bilbo, right?”
He nodded. “Bilbo Baggins of Bag End in the Shire. At first, he had no desire to join us, no desire to leave his home and all of its comforts. And to be honest, I don't know why he changed his mind, other than he was afraid of what would happen if he didn’t.”
“You never asked him?”
That color along his cheekbones deepened. “I—uh—never got the chance. We had a bit of a falling out and it wasn't until I thought I was dying that we—that I apologized for my role.”
A hint of sadness crept into his voice. She moved to ease herself between his thighs and let her hands come to rest upon his powerful shoulders. “If you don’t wish to speak of it, I understand.”
He gazed up at her, his eyes soft and pale. “The memories are unpleasant. I put many lives at risk. I cost so many innocent people so much. You don't need me to tell you this, you know it firsthand.”
“I do, but… just… now you’re atoning for it. Look at this place,” she swept one hand out behind her, at the buildings that had risen from the ash, “and see for yourself. It was a ruin and now, it’s not entirely reborn, but it’s getting there. You’ve kept your word, Thorin.”
He brought his hands up to rest on her hips, his thumbs grazing along them as he murmured, “I love you.”
She smiled, then leaned in and caught his lips in a teasing kiss. His hands tightened on her hips, pulled her snugly into the vee of his spread legs, and when she drew back, she murmured, “I love you, too.”
“We should go find someplace to eat.” He rose without releasing her. “Before the hour grows too late and every place is closed.”
****
After a quiet supper in a cozy little cafe on the eastern side of Dale, they strolled back along the promenade, toward Stone Street. Her fingers laced with Thorin’s, her head resting against his shoulder. Nina was certain she’d never known the happiness, the contentment, like those swirling through her then. Everything was right in her world, more right than she could have ever imagined. 
“What’s on your mind?” Thorin asked, his voice low and gentle.
“Not much, really.” She lifted her head to peer up at him. “I’m happy. I mean, I’m still sore, but I’m happy.”
He released her hand, easing that arm about her shoulders. “Happy, eh?”
“Very happy. Why? Shouldn’t I be?”
“I didn't say that.” He pressed her against his side. “It’s a nice sight to see, you happy.”
“What about you? What’s on your mind?”
Thorin stopped then, stepping before her. “I am also happy.”
“Good. I’ve the feeling it’s been a long time since you were happy, Thorin.” She reached up to curve her hand against his bristled cheek. “And you should be happy.”
He blocked out the moon as he leaned in and their lips met softly. Nina melted against him, easing one arm about his neck and the other about his waist. He bent her back, his lips parting, his tongue meeting hers and her heart sped up at the slow teasing. 
Thorin broke the kiss slowly, pulling away to sweep his lips along her jaw, toward her ear, where he whispered, “I should see you home, mesmel.”
“I hate to see this evening end,” she confessed, tucking her head against his chest.
He wrapped her in his embrace, pressed a kiss into the top of her head, and murmured, “There will be more like this.”
“I certainly hope so.”
“There will. I promise you this.”
With that, she slowly pulled out of his arms, but caught his hand once more and in comfortable silence, they strolled back toward Stone Street. 
At her door, she smiled. “I had a lovely time this evening, Thorin.”
“As did I.” 
“Would you like to come inside?”
His eyes glinted and his grin grew feral to send heat spiking through her, but then he slowly shook his head. “As much as I would love to, I should be going. But, if you are free tomorrow afternoon, there’s something I’d like to show you.”
She nodded. “I’m free. I have to work tomorrow night, though.”
“I will have you back in time. I’ll be by around noon.”
“I’ll see you then.”
He leaned in, brushed her lips with his once more, and then stepped back. She opened the front door and reluctantly stepped inside and as she closed it, she heard a soft, faint whistle as Thorin strolled back down Stone Street. 
“You look happy.”
Nina turned to see Sigrid at the table, this time a book open before her, and she smiled. “That is because I am.”
“Because of your dwarf?”
“Because of my dwarf.”
Sigrid chuckled. “I must admit, you could do far worse than him. Perhaps he is not so terrible after all. Should I give him another chance?”
“I wish you would.” Nina crossed to the table to draw out a chair and sank into it. “You’re my dearest friend, Sigrid. I would like it if you and he could at least be civil to one another.”
A hint of color appeared along Sigrid’s high cheekbones. “Da did say he was keeping his promise, the one he’d made that night he and his company broke into the armory.”
“He is. At least, as far as I know, he is.”
“And we are out from under the Master’s incompetence as well. Did you know his lackey made a pass at me once.”
“What?” Nina couldn’t keep the disgust from her voice. “When?”
“I had gone to speak with the Master about something, something my father asked me to take care of for him whilst he was out on the water. And while I was there, in that gaudy house, Alfrid happened upon me and thought he might take a liberty or two.”
Nina couldn't help the shudder that rippled through her. Alfrid Lickspittle was every bit as sleazy as his name suggested and she did not envy Sigrid’s having to deal with him. “Tell me you punched him straight in the nose. Or somewhere it would hurt even more.”
“I wish. No, actually, I burst out laughing at him, which was terribly rude of me, I suppose, but somehow, I’m not at all sorry for it.”
“He was a horrid little man. If he touched me, I think I’d have to lop that body part clean off.”
Sigrid burst out laughing. “Nina, that’s terrible!”
“So was he.”
“I’ll not argue that with you at all.” Sigrid sat back in her chair. “Why do I think His Majesty does not make you wish to lop off any body parts?”
Nina could hold back her smile, heat spilling through her at the memory of her and Thorin in the infirmary the previous night. “No, he certainly doesn’t. Not one bit.”
“Well, I am happy for you. But know this, if he ever hurts you…”
Nina reached across the table to give Sigrid’s hand a squeeze. “Thank you.” 
The trek back to Erebor was uneventful for a change. Still, Thorin did not leisurely stroll home, despite his good mood. It was a clear, cool night, and the walk was pleasant, but even so, he felt no little relief when he crossed over the obsidian bridge spanning the narrow river before Erebor’s main gate. Perhaps one day he’d once again be able to travel without always looking over his shoulder, without wondering who out there might be taking aim at him, but it would not be today. 
A sigh bubbled to his lips. In so many ways, being just Thorin Oakenshield was far easier than being king. Oakenshield could come and go as he pleased, without worrying about any bounty on his head. 
He frowned. No, that wasn't entirely true, as Azog had put that bounty in place long before Thorin ever crossed Erebor’s threshold. He just hadn’t known about it until his not-so-chance meeting with Gandalf at the Prancing Pony in Bree that led to his decision to retake Erebor. 
So much had happened since that rainy night. So much, indeed.
“Ah, there you are.” Balin strode toward him. 
“You’re waiting up for me?”
Balin chuckled. “Yes, but not for the reason you might think.”
“A relief, that.” Thorin met him about three-quarters of the way across the Great Hall. “For what reason, then?”
“I’ve finished.”
Thorin halted his stride. “Already? You thought it would take several more days.”
“Well, I did at first, but then I figured out what was giving me such trouble and then, I finished it.” Balin offered up a proud grin. “Would you like to see it?”
“I would, yes.”
“Then come along. Your lady will be here come tomorrow, is that right?”
“Yes.”
“Then come with me and I hope you approve.”
Thorin fell into step alongside Balin to trek down to the lower level, where Balin’s workshop was located. “Why do I think that won’t be a problem?”
“Well, it probably won’t be, but still…”
“Balin, you know I trust you.”
“I realize that, but this is an important piece.” Balin glanced over at him as they descended the main staircase. “It is not every day the king is betrothed, you know.”
Thorin couldn't hold back his smile. “I do like how that sounds.”
Balin let out a soft chuckle. “I have to admit, they are not words I thought I’d ever utter, but here we are.”
“Here we are.” As they reached the landing, overlooking the treasure horde, he paused, hands on the marble rail. “Tell me, do you think anyone will have concerns where Miss Carren is concerned?”
“They might,” Balin admitted with a slow bob of his head, “for she is unknown to us. But, your people trust your judgement, so in time, if she’s won your heart, I’ve no doubt she will win the hearts of the others as well.”
Thorin turned back to the treasure, glinting beneath the flickering candles in their sconces high up on the stone walls. “Balin, there is something I think you should know. But,” he looked over at the dwarf who was his conscience personified, “what I am about to tell you must never leave this room and it must remain between you and I.”
“This sounds serious.”
“It is. And that is why you must give me your word.”
“Of course. You needn’t even ask, really. I keep what we discuss between us as a rule, unless you say otherwise. So, what is it?”
“It’s about Nina—er, Miss Carren—and how she and I came to be together.”
“Well, I know that already. Dís told me. She offered herself in service as a bodyguard of sorts.”
“Well, yes, she did,” Thorin hedged, linking his fingers. “But, that’s not quite the whole story.”
“Thorin?”
“You know of the bounty, do you not? The one Azog set upon my head.”
“Yes, of course. The Goblin King was quite sure he was going to collect on it.”
Thorin chuckled, remembering their time in Goblin-town. “Aye, quite sure, indeed. If only Gandalf had been in agreement with him.”
Balin joined him in his laughter for a moment, but then, his expression grew serious. “What about that bounty?”
Thorin hesitated, then drew in a deep breath and went into the story of how Nina came to be in his company outside of Rivendell. He waited for Balin’s shocked expression and was not disappointed as the older dwarf stared up at him in wide-eyed surprise. “Are you so certain marrying her would be wise, Thorin?”
Thorin scowled. “I told you, she has no intention of claiming that bounty any longer and of everyone, I’ve come to know her best. I’ve been alone with her, I’ve slept alongside her, and—”
“Here, you mean. On dwarven territory, within your kingdom.”
“No,” Thorin shook his head, “not only here. The first time we were together, we were in Mirkwood. And I was as vulnerable there as I would be anywhere. And yet, here I am, alive and well and in one piece.”
“Thorin, you cannot let this be known,” Balin told him, his voice low, “for should anyone else learn of this… the consequences could be dire.”
“And that is why this will remain between you and I,” Thorin replied evenly.
“Well, yes, of course, but does anyone else know?”
“Only you and Dwalin know. No one else does, not even Dís. And I fully intend to keep it that way.”
“I should hope so,” Balin told him with a stern look. “It would be disastrous, should this get out.”
“I know. In time, perhaps it won’t be, but for now—”
“It will be kept under wraps.”
“Good. And do not let it color your perceptions of Miss Carren. I assure you, she is not going to slice my head from my body any time soon.”
Balin shot him a long look, then resumed down the second staircase. “I certainly hope not.”
“Trust me.”
“I do. But I know you. I do not know her.”
Thorin rolled his eyes. “Give it time, Balin. It won’t take long for her to win you over as well.”
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rotzaprachim · 3 months
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Fiction doesn’t equal reality obvious disclaimer but one of the weird things about the shadow and bone fandom is it like…. Is to me a kind of record of the dehumanizing moral polarity people had around Jews prior to Oct 7 when everything about Judaism became Bad and Fair game. Like the darkling imho is Jewish coded and he does very bad things in ways that aren’t separated from how he is Jewish coded-not only because there are no guarantees that being a marginalized person will stop you from hurting others, but because of the fact marginalization and pain don’t teach valuable lessons and instead force many people into the idea they need violence and extremism - including against their own people, especially women - to Keep Everyone Safe. Like the darkling’s logic and thought processes are very similar to Jewish nationalists and militarists, not only to Zionism but the most specifically violent and extreme forms and fandom was OK with it because the IRL Jewishness had been scrubbed from the box at the same time they expressed genuine hatred of Jews in real life with ideologies nowhere newer as extreme. But see aleks, a fictional Jewish coded man, Had to be good and alright and cool even as he did (check notes) kill mass numbers of people and almost destroy a comity because what if those people didn’t like grisha? It’s the acceptance of fictional Jewish extremism without serious empathy for the complex politics of real Jews that disturbs me. People like Jewish violence when it’s removed from the context of real life. I’m going to mix metaphors for a second because this is a fantasy series and they mix metaphors. Leigh specifically multiple times said she didn’t model Matthias on Nazis and that he isn’t one and fandom didn’t buy her. I don’t want to let Matthias off the hook - I think he’s a fascinating and profoundly messy character- but I think the refusal to take Leigh at her word flattened the fact that Matthias as a violent religious extremist is an uncomfortably mdoern and global figure. There are evangelical Christians in the us like Matthias, there are Muslims and Hindus like Matthias, and - there are Jews like Matthias. Much of matthias’s logic and violence reflects the ideology of modern right wing religious Jewish men men in Israel, down to the fear of women’s voices or being touched by a woman. Much of Matthias’s ideology and backstory is probably closer to a his family was actually killed, as has been the case with some of the killings of Israeli civilians. So I’m not saying he /is/ a violent right wing Jew but there’s much about him that’s /like/ them in real life. To me the darkling and matthias represent two of the worst modern streaks of Jewish violence - one explicitly Jewish, one universalized but potentially so-, and so it’s wild to see years of fandom refusing to see that Jews /could/ be bad or do and things and then wiping all those things they did away at the same time as many of the same people are genuinely fine with making generalized moral claims that real Jews actually are inherent morally monstrosities of evil now that it’s become politically and culturally acceptable to do so
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lilyoffandoms · 6 months
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Blades Drabble - Aerin x MC
A hasty post-lunch warm up drabble gift for the only two diehard Aerin-mancers I know in fandom @baldwinboy5ive and @oh-so-youre-a-nerd. Thanks for being amazing humans and keeping our dashes filled with the best art!
Warnings & A/N: Nothing that’s not canon compliant. Saw this post by @thedezzler and it got me thinking.
‘Once something’s corrupted it’s impossible to bring it back to the Light.’
He had said the words so casually. It was a simple statement of fact at the time.
At the time.
Did he feel the same now?
Visiting him in the cell at Whitetower, seeing him without corruption, had given Raine so much hope for them all. Maybe it was possible to heal the world, heal Nia, heal so many others that had fallen to the Shadow.
But there was something in the way he phrased it that had Raine wondering if they had anything right when it came to how the Light and the Shadows worked.
Corruption wasn’t something you could erase.
Corruptionem.
He remembered Tyril using that word to describe it. Raine had asked about it.
It was used to describe the spoiling or seduction of something or someone. To corrupt something wasn’t to destroy it entirely, it was to taint it. Mold taints bread. Unchecked power taints people. Darkness taints light. But none destroy, they simply change the thing they touch.
So it was a strange choice of word for Aerin to use. And if Raine had learned anything in all their time together, it was that Aerin did and said almost everything with careful and calculated purpose.
He would not have used corruption if he didn’t mean corruption. It was a more hopeful use of words than he had expected from the prince. Aerin himself probably didn’t even realize how much hope remained in Raine’s heart at the thought of that.
Let unchecked, unbalanced, corruption can destroy. But mold on bread can be used to preserve milk by creating cheese. Power in the hands of the right people can be used to defend and help others that are unable to do so themselves. Darkness…
Darkness doesn’t taint light though, does it?
Darkness exists, light is created, so wouldn’t it stand to reason that light taints the darkness? Light can spoil darkness but darkness cannot spoil light, for it cannot survive where there is only light.
But light goes a step beyond corruption. It destroys.
Light destroys, darkness only corrupts.
The thought brought Raine to a stop. The rest of the party pausing around him. Aerin’s slender hand reaching for his. His voice cutting through those thoughts.
“Raine?”
He looked down at a concerned Aerin beside him. Really looked at him. He was free of corruption, that much was clear, but he had changed, that he could see plainly, but he hadn’t allowed it to destroy him.
The realization hit him like a punch in the gut, stealing his breath away.
Aerin was right - even if he didn’t know it - and the Watcher was wrong, so horribly wrong. There is no coming back from utter destruction but there is coming back from corruption. It seemed to Raine that what was needed was not the separation of the two but the blending and balance of them.
Light is the destroyer.
——————————
All Choices Tag: @storyofmychoices @aallotarenunelma @inlocusmads
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sheetsonfire · 1 year
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The Red Strokes
Fandom: Chicago PD
Pairing: Jay Halstead x Reader
Genre: angst, romance, fluff
Word Count: 4611
Summary: Wires are crossed and assumptions are made, can the reader and Jay resolve what has been left unsaid?
A/N: I'm finally posting again, hooray! This is part of @resanoona's #resa.3kfiestabingo! I'm using this fic to fill the "Fight That Ends In A Kiss" square!
-
Oh, the blues will be blue and the jealousies green
But when love picks its shade it demands to be seen
Oh, the red strokes
Passions uncaged
Thundering moments of tenderness rage
Oh, the red strokes
Tempered and strong (Fearlessly drawn)
Burning the night like the dawn
-
The Red Strokes by Garth Brooks
-
You sit in the passenger seat of Kevin’s car on the way back to the 21st, your mind is a whir of clouded thoughts that morph from one thing to the next until you ultimately settle back on that one thing that sticks into you like the mother of all thorns.
“Hey, Y/N?” Kevin approaches gently, he and Kim had debated about it that very morning whether he should say anything at all, but given how you and Jay were bickering at the scene today, he felt it necessary to at least try and help somehow.
“Yeah, Kev?” You ask almost robotically, still transfixed to the outside world blurring at the same speed as those thoughts in your mind, your chest ached something fierce.
“You can tell me to mind my business, and I want you to know I appreciate you and respect you, but…” Kevin pauses, clicking his teeth as he hesitates to finish.
You owed Kevin this much, he was your partner now and it was important to not shut out the one person you so intrinsically relied on from day to day. The irony of that code of conduct was not lost on you, given how you and Jay treated each other at the moment. “It’s okay, Kev, you can ask whatever’s on your mind.” You sigh, smiling sadly, waiting for the words you knew might come next.
Kevin takes a breath, calculating his words carefully, “I get not challenging Voight on the change of partner, he’s got his rules and his own decisions to make. I just don’t get what’s happening to you and Halstead, right now. This isn’t you, and it sure ain’t him, you two seem to be arguing over sharing the air that you breathe”
There’s a beat of silence, and you swallow. You can tell Kevin seems to be worried he’s overstepped, but you hold out a hand with a small shake of your head. 
“You’re not wrong, Kev.” You say quietly as if uttering the words would destroy the wall you'd built to keep thoughts of Jay out.
“Did you ever ask him what was on his mind?” Your partner’s tone is soft, it’s not laced with accusation, only a simple reminder of things you had ignored in cowardice and fear. 
“I-... He never asked me either, Kev. He didn’t even fight it, he welcomed it, couldn’t wait to call her ‘partner’, and show her the great land of the 21st District like he was some royal prince who had found better blood to share the kingdom with.” 
The lack of an answer from Kevin only makes your words feel as petulant as they had sounded and felt coming out of your mouth.
“I’m sorry, Kevin. I know, you’re right. I didn’t ask him, and he didn’t ask me. We let it go, we let each other go and now I don’t how to change that. I get so angry when I see them together. She’s an amazing detective and she’s been nothing but good to me, and yet…I can't seem to shake it. What if they’re good together, and not just at work? I’m not making a fool of myself like that, man.”
Kevin hums in thought, “I can’t prove 100% there ain’t nothing going on, Y/N. But I’ve known Jay for a while now, just like you have, and I think he’s trying real hard to not push it with you. He’s not letting go, I think he’s trying to hold on to whatever’s left and let you do what you need to do. And you can slap me for saying it, but it can’t keep on like this, Y/N, or you’re gonna lose all of it.”
The words linger in the car, and your eyes sting with the beginnings of unshed tears. Atwater wasn’t wrong on anything. You had been so busy focusing on what Jay was or wasn’t doing, that you hadn’t done anything to help this situation either.
You needed to fix it, and fast.
-
[Flashback Dream] 
When Hailey Upton gets assigned to Intelligence it’s immediately easy to see why she had been handpicked by Voight. Her quick thinking, unrelenting energy and knack for being unphased by what others thought of her made for good police work. Hank had clearly thought so too, given that at the end of that first week he decided she should join Jay as the only other detective in the unit and be his partner. Instead of you.
Voight tells you and Jay in his office one morning, and more hurtful than the news itself is Jay’s lack of reaction. In fact, he seems all too happy to nod and say, “Of course, Sarge, she’ll fit right in.” This leaves you with no choice but to nod and say “Of course, Sarge.” too, even if you actually wanted to say “What the fuck, Hank?” and “What the fuck, Jay?”
Throughout the day you wait for Jay to tug you aside in the break room, or in a corridor, or strike up a conversation in the basement as you gear up for a scene, but he never does. He never tells you that he hates the decision, he never tells you that he would miss you, that he wants you. 
Of course, you could have chosen to tell him first, but that felt like an unthinkable option. The vulnerability of such a situation didn’t seem possible, so when Jay’s first move still doesn’t come you tell yourself to keep your mouth shut.
She’s better than you, that’s what you decide. Your first instinct is to turn your frustration and hurt inward, you make yourself respect Voight’s decision and tell yourself that it’s what you deserve. To lose Jay is your own doing, you weren’t good enough to be Detective Halstead’s partner, whether that be personal or professional.
“It’s good to have you on board, Upton. Welcome to Intelligence.” Jay was as ever the professional, shaking Hailey’s hand as he spoke. You watched from behind your computer as he smiled at her. There was some sort of recognition or connection there as if they’d met before.
You were about to return to work, choosing to force yourself to get over the juvenile feelings of jealousy and resentment, focusing on the notes in front of you. However, from across the way, you hear those fateful words that send you right back into a spin.
“Come on, partner, let me show you the locker room.” The words flow with ease as he gestures for Hailey to go first, not even glancing at you as he walks away.
Hank seems to sense your gaze, focusing on you for a moment with eyes that are knowing, that feel somehow judging and reproachful, they seem to say “This is exactly why he’s got a new partner.” without saying anything at all. 
The air leaves you a little and the sting of embarrassment knocks you for six. You were an idiot for thinking Jay really liked being your partner, and you were a bigger idiot for thinking that there was something between you and him that would somehow survive Hank’s law of no relationships. Ironic considering you and Jay seemed to be the furthest away from a relationship than you’d ever been.
You swallow the last bitter and cold drops of your coffee, losing yourself in the brightness of your screen and the dancing profiles in front of you.
Heartbreak was not on your agenda for today, no matter how much your chest hurt.
[End of Flashback Dream]
You wake up from the memories with a sharp intake of breath, the hurt in your chest proves to be in the waking world as your anxiety thuds out a wild rhythm with your heart. You're unable to stop replaying the day it had all started to turn sour.
-
Things felt particularly scary this morning, after your talk with Kevin in the car, you had decided to extend the olive branch to Jay. You felt a good portion of the responsibility for the current predicament, in the moments of clarity and hindsight you could see Jay was simply following orders and respecting the decision that had been made.
It was you that had let the jealousy consume you, it was you that had turned every action into a slight on you. 
You could have just asked Jay what he thought or felt, then you would have had an answer to react to. Instead, you had let him think the worst, and he had let you run rampant with your indignation.
Today was going to be different, you were going to make sure of it.
-
Walking up the stairs to the bullpen you had coffees and pastries for everyone, spotting that you were on time but still the last to appear. 
You give everyone a smile as you set down the goods, responding to the “Good morning”s and the “Hey”s you received. 
You meet Jay and Hailey’s eyes, offering them the same genuine greeting, complimenting Hailey on her hoodie which really did look cosy. 
You could at least commend yourself on the fact that you had never taken any of this out on her, in fact, you both got on really well. She had only the misfortune of walking into whatever was going on between you and her new partner.
“Jay, can I borrow you for a moment?” You ask as disarmingly as you can, finally striking up the courage to really look at him for more than a few seconds, mustering a smile that wasn’t so totally laced with fear or sadness.
Jay swallows, nodding, “Uh yeah, of course, Y/N. Let me just-”
It’s your miserable luck as Voight comes out of his office holding files with a look of immediacy on his face.
“We’ve got a case, and the wheels are already rolling on this one, robbery-homicide wants our help. It’s going to be undercover, got us some rich white folks getting ripped and killed in the process. Jay and Hailey will do the UC.”
All of your personal thoughts are swept by the tide of work from the minute Hank slaps the first few victim profiles on the whiteboard, along with suspects and locations.
-
The case is in full swing for most of the week, you make sure to be a partner Kevin likes having and one that he deserves. He had always been good to you ever since you were put in the unit, but especially now he had been there for you and that wasn’t something you let yourself forget. He could have easily chewed you out a few times here and there but he hadn’t, only extending you patience and understanding instead.
The real speedbump test of your sanity comes when Jay is finally put undercover with Hailey on the third day of the investigation. They were supposed to pose as a couple trying to rent a highly-priced apartment. They would meet with the realtor who was in cahoots with the suspected gang and would scope out potential locations for a robbery. 
The idea was that new residents were naive enough to share secure and private information with their realtor, exchanging details about their routines and their valuables that they wouldn’t otherwise share. That information would then be passed on, and the new residents would become the next targets on the hit list.
Of course, being a couple meant Jay and Hailey were going to be doing and saying couple-y things, and that had been particularly daunting for you after weeks of concealed pining and missing your partner's proximity.
You listened on the wire with Adam and Kim in the van with you, on the monitor you could see Jay and Hailey holding hands around the tour of the apartment, discussing excitedly where they were going to put valuable pieces of art, sculptures and historical artefacts in the office space. 
They would exchange doting looks and the occasional kiss, each gesture only serving to drive pressure into your forehead between your eyes. It was surely giving you a migraine.
Still, you stayed the course, you supported your team when they needed it, and you did everything you needed to put the job first. The rest of the day was spent trailing the realtor around and following their digital footprint until eventually, you realise you had caught them on a greedy day.
Jay and Hailey’s appointment with the realtor had been an information-gathering exercise, that rip wouldn’t happen for the next few days, you had expected the investigation to carry on until the week’s end, but it turned out that the gang were in a daring mood. 
Keen to try a previously planned rip on a different home that same afternoon, the gang’s activity had Intelligence moving fast to the next location. 
You held onto Kevin’s shoulder as you followed him down the corridor on the ground floor of a three-floor mansion that had just been renovated. The air still smelled of paint and plaster as you shuffled in the now-darkening rooms toward the back of the property where the gang’s commotion could be heard.
Your team moved in unison and unspoken communication as you, Kevin, Adam and Kim flanked either side of the property.
Jay, Hailey and Hank had moved to the back of the property, and each small team had officers from robbery-homicide with them.
It’s over almost as quickly as it starts, the open plan nature of the property and the countless windows and doors made it easy to see inside and attack from the most ideal points.
The masked figures guarding the family drop like flies as officers pick them off one-by-one. You and Kim move fast toward the twin girls in the family, untying their bonds whilst Kevin and Adam get the parents. 
Behind you is the commotion of Hank, Jay and Hailey’s team taking care of the other gang members who appear from upstairs on the property. 
You clutch the child in your care to you, shielding them from any wayward bullets or unseen assailants until a chorus of “Clears” is yelled out by each of the leading officers.
The smell of gunsmoke is strong, you and Kim wrap the girls in your jackets until ambos can arrive to check them out, carefully leading them to their parents who sob in relief when they see their children are okay.
You turn to Kim to check she’s all good, then you scan the room to catch the eyes of the rest of your team, glad to see that everyone was fine. 
The eyes that you catch last are the green ones that make your body hot and cold, your heart constricts as it remembers the deed it’s yet to do. 
Then, Hailey is in view and she’s slinging an arm over Jay’s shoulder, clearly and rightly satisfied with the results of the bust. 
The eye contact between you and Jay is broken as soon as it’s even made, you watch as Jay wraps his arm around her waist, laughing at something she says.
You don’t waste any more time on the feelings that were fighting their way back to the forefront of your mind. Instead, you turn back to the others to discuss the cleanup and the procedure that follows a bust.
Unaware that those green eyes had returned to watching you as you head out to direct forensics inside.
-
It’s late in the evening when you finally have a cocktail in hand, sat next to Kim as the bustle of the bar surrounds you and your team.
Everyone from Intelligence, except for Hank, was letting the pressure of the week’s work decompress with a few rounds at Molly’s. So it wasn’t even like you were the third wheel with Jay and Hailey. Yet somehow after that moment between them back at the scene, your sour mood had returned with full force.
Once you’d changed back into civilian clothes at the District, you were back to driving yourself crazy with your own petty thoughts, wishing like hell you could just let it all go. 
You had yet to even see the evidence of a relationship between them that wasn’t professional, friendly or strictly undercover related. Beyond a good rapport, sincere eye contact and the occasional hug or playful punch, there was literally nothing else to report. All things of those things you and Jay had shared at one time or another, but those small things, rightly or wrongly, had become something big to you. 
You found it hard to keep that forced laughter going, found it hard to even look at Jay for longer than a few seconds. You’d caught the way his face dropped each time you made eye contact, the way he’d take a long swig of his beer to swallow down whatever was on his mind. His apparent indifference was maddening.
Everything Hailey and Jay said or did somehow affronted you, and the more you tried to get a handle on your emotions the worse it somehow felt. Kim had sensed your distracted and irritated mood, doing her resolute best to turn your attention to her, Kevin and Adam - it had little effect.
“Hey, do you need an escape route?” Kim whispered, a gentle hand on the small of your back.
This would have been the moment to call it quits and head home for some much-needed sleep; but your nerves were frayed beyond the point of salvation, frozen in your seat and doomed to stew in your own jealousy, confusion and anger. 
Shaking your head at Kim with a weak smile, holding onto the tattered shreds of appearing sociable and engaged, you take another sip of your cocktail. You focus on the tangy burn of the alcohol as you hear Hailey laugh at something Jay had said.
Adam gives Kim a look, and she worries her lip between her teeth. She couldn’t see how this would end well either, but you were nothing if not stubborn.
When it came down to it, this was all about your shaken confidence and your lack of ability to make the first move. You had tried so hard to protect yourself from your feelings towards Jay that now you were staring at a possible reality that you’d driven him away altogether. 
You knew deep down that Jay had never pulled away, he was only keeping a respectful distance to honour the steps away from him you had taken - Kevin had been totally right about that, you were sure. You had wanted Jay to try harder, which wasn’t fair, and you hated yourself for it.
“-and that’s when Y/N said…well, Y/N, you tell them, you can do the story justice.” 
Several seconds pass when your brain offers the information that someone had been talking to you. That someone is Adam. You snap your head up from your staring at the watermarks on the table, seeing that your friends were waiting for your input with expectant, somewhat waning happy faces.
“Uh, ha, yeah. So-... actually guys, I’m sorry, I need some fresh air. Be right back, you all get a round on me.” You stand, feeling the alcohol in your legs, still mostly sober but weighed down by everything else.
You’re haphazardly fishing cash out from your pocket, passing it to Kim with a nod as you wander hurriedly towards the front door of Molly’s, the panic and upset bubbling to the surface. You don’t look back at the confused expressions or the worried murmurs between the group and some of the other patrons who knew you.
-
As soon as you’re outside you feel the embarrassment wash over you like pins and needles, the pit in your stomach feels like it could devour you from the inside out. You’re feeling childish, you’re feeling wronged, you’re feeling stupid, and you’re feeling the fire in so many directions you’re not sure where it’s going to land first.
Unfortunately for Jay, he chooses that exact moment of your conflict to try and catch up with you outside.
“Y/N? What’s going on, come on, talk to me we can’t keep doing this-” 
You know it isn’t his fault and not even close to the accuracy of the situation, but your mouth doesn’t get the memo and the venom passes your lips before you can stop it.
“Talk to you, Jay? Don’t even say that to me! You don’t look at me, talk to me, or acknowledge me for weeks, and now I’m supposed to talk to you? Did you suddenly get bored of playing house with Hailey? Am I going to be the next best option, huh? I don’t think so! I’m not stupid and I’m not something you can pick and choose when the mood takes you. So just go back inside and leave me be!”
The words linger in the cold air between you and Jay. You watch his eyes harden, and his jaw becomes terse in that you’ve seen many times before. In an instant you know you’ve struck a nerve, and Jay doesn’t seem to be feeling in the mood for coddling you and your sensitivities. 
As if to confirm your thoughts he scoffs, looking away for a moment before turning back to you, fire in those green eyes that makes your heart thud nervously for what was about to be dished back to you. He steps forward, pointing an accusing finger that might as well have been a knife stuck into you.
“You’ve got guts, you know that? I didn’t split us up, Y/N, that wasn’t our fault but you let it be mine! I tried hard to be patient, to be understanding, I didn’t want to be someone else’s partner either. But you know what? This isn’t fucking high school, we’re adults, and you let it become something bigger than it had to be. I wasn’t the one who pulled away, Y/N, and I’ll be damned if I’m gonna stand here and be told that I don’t give a fuck about you when it couldn’t be further from the truth!” 
You stand in silence, nostrils flaring as you flounder for a fight, flight or forgive response. 
Lips pressed together, looking away as you kick at the loose stones on the sidewalk. “Well, that’s great to know, great to know that I could have been something to you this whole time, and now it’s tough shit because somebody else beat me to it.”
Jay scrubs a hand over his face, moving in one stride to tilt your chin and make you look at him, the hurt still laced with anger in his tone. “I never said I was with Hailey, and that’s because I’ve never been with Hailey! What do you want me to do, Y/N? What’s it gonna take to make you see? Why the hell do you think Voight split us in the first place, or did you forget how he treats partners who get too close? Did it ever occur to you that I didn’t fight him on it because it was the truth?”
He studies you and you study back, both of you are panting from the yelling and the adrenaline surging between you. You could see that he really was upset about everything you’d put him through, and you could feel the frustration with yourself bubbling over, you had put him through hell and for what? Your wounded pride had shown itself to be quite the problem.
When you don’t speak, Jay’s nostrils flare in dismay, shaking his head, “Say something, Y/N, I can’t-”
You’re done with talking, you’re done with dancing around it all, simply grasping Jay tightly by the collar of his jacket as you tug him those last few inches until your lips are pressed desperately to his, feeling him moan with what can only be described as a growl in his throat as he kisses back, hands gripping your waist roughly as he puts all of his energy into you.
The air outside is biting, but the heat of Jay so close to you is enough to make you forget. Your clutching fingers eventually relax to rest on his shoulders and neck, pulling back to look at him with wild and worried eyes.
You wait for the anger to remain, or for him to declare it “Too little too late”, but he doesn’t. Giving you the courage to speak as you see a smile start to grace his lips, “I’m sorry, Jay. I’m so sorry for everything.” 
Your thumb strokes the nape of his neck as you wait for a reaction, Jay’s hands are holding you securely, virtually pressed chest to chest in the middle of the sidewalk with the world still spinning around you. Illuminated by the streetlights and the glow of Molly’s as he studies your face.
He leans in, kissing you softer now, peppered kisses to your jaw and to your cheeks, “I appreciate you’re sorry, and I’m sorry too…but, Y/N, I don’t need you to be sorry anymore-” 
There’s a slight pause that makes your heart drop, maybe he was going to reject your apology and tell you that it wasn’t going to work. What if-
Jay’s quick to fill the pause and stop your anxiety dead in its tracks. “-I just need you to be mine, if that’s what you still want too.”
Your breath is caught, and your legs are jelly with the nerves and realisation that this was actually finally happening.
The sound of a door behind you is followed by Kim’s voice, “Are you guys good?” She tests, noticing quite smugly that you’re clutching at each other. 
“We’re good, Kim. Go away now, love you.” You holler, still looking at Jay in awe.
You hear Kim’s laugh and the sound of the door opening again, “Going away, love you too!” Hearing the door clunk shut as if it put you back in the safe bubble with Jay again.
“So?” Jay asks softly, waiting with bated breath. 
You swallow, nodding eagerly and unashamed of that eagerness. “I want to be yours, please. If that’s what you still want.” 
Jay chuckles, “It is, it really is.” He presses a kiss to your forehead, letting you fold into his embrace as you hold him tight, nestling your cheek against his chest. 
“Mhm, this is nice.” You remark, shivering in Jay’s arms. Jay snorts, “It is, but how about we do it in the warmth of my apartment? Or yours?” 
You hum in thought, “Yours sounds good, you still owe me a drink and takeout from our missed hangout last week.”
Jay’s eyebrows go up in a silent point being made, the reason you hadn’t met up was that you were busy sulking.
“Yeah yeah, I know, it’s my fault… But I'm still sad we missed it, your couch is bigger than mine. Takeout’s on me this time, might be some dessert in it for you.” You tease, letting that innuendo sit.
Jay nods with a grin, “Sounds like a good deal. Come on, let’s go home.” 
You reach for one of Jay’s hands, another silent squeeze of apology.
He holds your hand tight as you both cross the road to get to his truck, you had hitched a ride with Kevin and didn't have your car anyway.
You make a mental note to text the others later to apologise for bailing early and taking Jay with you. 
You were sure they wouldn’t mind, instead being thankful that the war was over between you, in favour of you both being annoyingly in love and mercifully quiet instead.
Fin. 
A/N: Whew, I hope the ending wasn't too lame! Here's to hopefully writing more stories to see the year out!
tags: @resanoona - @elius-learns-to-write - @dumb-fawkin-bitch - @enchantedblackrose
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angelasscribbles · 1 year
Text
The De Facto Queen Chapter One: Queen Without a Crown
Series: The De Facto Queen
Fandom: The Royal Romance
Pairings: Riley x Drake, Riley x Liam
Rating: Teen
Warnings for this chapter: Language
Word Count: 5,355
A/N: Extensive Author's Note
My other stuff: Master List.
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Unity Tour, Day 2, Portavira
Riley handed the color-coded, tabbed, and thick as a copy of War and Peace dossier back to Madeleine, “I appreciate all the hard work you put into this, Madeleine. And since you’ve done such a thorough job, I trust you to fill me in on the most pertinent details so that I don’t have to wade through all of this.”
Things had been crazy since Drake had been released from the hospital. There had been a press conference announcing their engagement, wedding planners had practically taken up residence at the palace, and there had been an entire security detail assigned to Riley that had taken some getting used to. She wasn’t accustomed to having people follow her everywhere she went. She had protested that it certainly wasn’t necessary inside the palace but both Liam and Drake had overruled her.
She had wanted to move into Valtoria as soon as possible but again she’d been overruled by both men who insisted that the estate be fortified and locked down as securely as the palace itself prior to her taking up residence.
These two men were going to be the death of her.
Drake, though still recovering from a bullet wound, had thrown himself vigorously into building her security team, as well as the one for Valtoria and he was both meticulously exacting and excruciatingly detailed oriented.
Liam seemed determined to make her queen in all but name. Her security detail wasn’t being called a queen’s guard, but it followed the exact structure of one. She was privy to details no one outside of herself and Liam knew. She received the same daily intelligence briefings as the king. She was given security clearances and thrust headlong into ruling.
No one seem to question why Cordonia’s newest duchess, the one that had been a commoner and a foreigner mere months ago, was ruling by the king’s side. Why she, and not any of the Cordonian-born noblewomen, had been given the privileges and responsibilities of the crown.
No one but Riley herself.
She assumed, and Drake verified, that it was because Liam trusted her, and he needed a ruling partner. It was too great a job for one person alone, that was the whole reason for the marriage provision in the succession laws in the first place.
She wanted to help. Drake may have been the man she said yes to, but Liam still held a special place in her heart, and she would never be able to tell him no about anything again. Not after saying no to the biggest, most important thing he had ever asked of her and shattering his heart into a million pieces in the process.
The memory of that night still physically hurt whenever it pushed its way into her consciousness. Staying busy actually helped distract her from that, and from the fact that her fiancée had almost died when he had taken a bullet meant for her. Those first hours when she thought she might lose him had nearly destroyed her. If she sat still too long, the fact that the perpetrator was still out there somewhere started to eat away at her, gnawing at her sense of safety and threatening her very sanity.
So, she’d thrown herself headlong into the business of governing.
Preparations for the Five Kingdom’s Festival, planning the Unity Tour, and being brought up to speed on the investigation into the attack at the Homecoming Ball had kept her in seemingly endless meetings with Liam, The Royal Council, and the heads of the Cordonian Armed Forces.
All that was on top of scheduling engagement pictures, the engagement party, private fittings for a custom-made dress, picking out flowers, and cake…… thank god she had Hana and Max to run point on all things wedding related. Still, the final decisions rested in her hands.
Then the attack on the orchards had happened, thrusting her somehow into a public relations role. Her, of all people. She attended meetings in the situation room with Liam and Drake, conferred with the palace’s PR team, scoured intelligence briefings, and made public statements to the press, hoping that she had found the right words to calm and reassure the people. Even though she herself often felt far from calm or assured of anything.
But the most difficult thing she’d done by far was swallowing her pride and convincing Madeleine to work for her.
Now she was standing in front of a full-length mirror having a strategy meeting with the woman that had been the bane of her existence for the entirety of the engagement tour, while Max held up dresses for her approval and Hana picked out her accessories.
“This one is the Ebrim house colors!” Max enthused.
“You haven’t steered me wrong yet,” Riley took the dress out of his hands and tried it on.
She admired herself in the mirror. The floor-length purple dress was sparkly with a plunging neckline, putting her cleavage on prominent display. She twisted one way then the other checking out how the dress hugged her curves before nodding in approval, “This is the one!”
She was rewarded an hour later when she exited the dressing room and saw her future husband’s face light up.
Drake had been waiting for her in the private train car. He was standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall, phone in hand when he heard the door slide open. His eyes flicked from the phone screen to his fiancée, then back to the phone screen before jerking up to find her again. He fumbled the phone, barely keeping it in his grasp as his eyes raked greedily down her body, “Riley! Wow!”
“You like it?” She smiled as she spun to give him the full effect.
“Like it?” He pushed away from the wall and pocketed the phone so he could pull her into his arms, “That dress nearly killed me! Are you sure it’s not overkill for an informal dinner?”
“Oh honey, nothing involving crown business is ever really informal,” she told him as she tipped her head to the side to give him access to her neck.
He knew the drill. No mussing up the hair and makeup before a royal event. After, and sometimes even during if they could sneak away, all bets were off. But perfection was required for making a proper entrance.
There was no lipstick to smear on the side of her neck and he loved the way she shivered when he peppered it with kisses. Her low moan and the feel of her body trembling in his arms just pushed his anticipation for the end of the night higher.
“Fuck, baby,” he whispered in her ear, “you have no idea the torture you put me through…”
“Oh, I have some idea,” she told him with a teasing smile as she pulled away, “You look pretty good yourself, Walker.”
Drake shook his head with a laugh at the reference to the suit he was wearing. The button-down shirt wasn’t a far cry from his usual, just dressier than denim. The jacket and slacks were an upgrade, but he still refused to wear a tie.
She didn’t care what he wore. The denim was fine with her. He was the one determined to fit into a world he’d always hated.
For her.
She sighed as she ran a hand down his chest and thought, not for the first time, that maybe she should have declined Liam’s request for help with…well, everything.
But she wanted to help him. She wanted to be involved. She liked making a difference in the world. And as it turned out, she was good at it! She fit seamlessly into Liam’s world.
But where did that leave her husband to be, she wondered as she watched him fidget with the collar of his shirt. It was sweet that he was willing to push himself outside his comfort zone for her, but she didn’t like that he felt like he had to.
She reached up and undid the top button, “Let yourself breathe babe.”
“I just don’t want to do anything to embarrass you tonight.”
“You couldn’t if you tried. I love you. Now, come on before we’re late, Liam is probably already out front waiting on us.”
Liam was indeed standing next to the limo when they exited the train. His face went slack when he saw her, “Riley! You look amazing!”
“Thank you,” she felt her face color not at the compliment as much as the obvious effect she was having on her former lover. She shot a glance sideways at Drake to see if it upset him but he didn’t seem to notice.
Liam recovered quickly, smoothing his face back into polite monarch mode and giving her a chaste peck on the cheek before helping her into the limo and then sliding in after her. He took the seat across from her. Drake slipped into the seat next to her.
Drake talked about the deep-sea fishing off the coast of Portavira as they drove. Riley’s eyes lifted slowly to meet Liam’s. It wasn’t the first time she had caught him staring at her with frank unadorned longing on his face. The sexual tension still hung in the air between them, so thick it was almost suffocating and how her intended never noticed it was beyond her.
The yearning disappeared from his face as he composed it into a cordial smile the moment he noticed her looking, but the damage had been done. Warmth had already exploded inside her, heating her blood and making her heart race. She glanced quickly away and slipped her hand into Drake’s to steady herself.
She had made her choice and she was in love with the man she had committed to. Drake gave her everything she could ask for from a man and so much more. He was loyal and brave, funny and kind, intelligent and endearing. He centered her, he calmed her, he grounded her. She loved everything about him. The deep rumbling of his voice, the way his hair fell in his eyes but he refused to cut it, the way he talked with his hands when something excited him, the way he loved with his whole heart. She loved his snarkiness, his sharp, witty repartee that kept her on her toes and she loved the tender, soul-baring honesty of the declarations he whispered to her when no one else was around to hear. She loved him.
But Liam still ignited a fire within her with every glance, every seemingly innocent touch and she had no idea what to do about it other than ignore it and hope it went away.
“How does that sound?” Drake asked as the car coasted to a stop in front of the seaside restaurant they were meeting the Ebrims at.
“That sounds lovely,” Riley responded, hoping it was the right answer.
“Great! I’ll find out where I can rent a boat for tomorrow night!”
Greetings and pleasantries were exchanged, seats were taken, orders were placed and the conversation turned to the weather.
“You’ve probably seen the news about the wedding,” Drake said as a way to segue into the topic they were really there to discuss.
“We have! Congratulations to both of you,” Landon responded.
“Thank you,” Riley beamed at him, “We would like to personally extend an invitation to all of you!”
While Liam and Riley attempted to sway the Ebrims toward attending the wedding, the waiters sat piping hot bread bowls filled with steaming bisque in front of them.
Drake started to tear off a piece of his bread bowl but froze as his eyes flitted around the table. Everyone else was eating the bisque with a spoon. He sighed as he picked up his own spoon, wondering what the point of a bread bowl was if you weren’t going to eat it.
“This is a nice place you’ve got here,” Drake commented when there was a lull in the conversation.
“The restaurant?” Landon asked, “We don’t own the restaurant.”
“No, of course not,” Drake stammered, “I just meant the whole duchy. It’s very nice.”
“It is quite lovely,” Hana agreed.
“And this food is amazing!” Max added, “Kudos to the chef!”
“Thank you,” Landon smiled at them, “This is my favorite restaurant, because of the food and the view.”
“It’s an amazing view!” Drake agreed, “It would make a great painting or postcard! I’d love to have a postcard of this place!”
“We don’t have…er, postcards..” Emmeline gave him a puzzled look.
“I just meant it’s a great view…” Drake trailed off in frustration. This was why he hated socializing. It was stupid.
He sighed as he leaned back in his chair. Fuck it. He tore off a chunk of bread and dunked it in the bisque before bringing it to his mouth. He closed his eyes briefly in appreciation as he chewed. Delicious!
That’s how you were supposed to deal with a bread bowl. He met Riley’s eyes across the table. She was biting back an amused smile, her eyes sparkling with mirth. He had to repress one of his own as he shook his head ever so slightly.
One glance and he knew that she knew the exact thoughts that had spilled through his brain. She really got him. And she shared his disdain for the superficial, hypocritical bullshit of court. The difference between them was that she knew how to play the game and could do it without letting it get to her.
Catty, backstabbing, and backhanded compliments rolled right off her. She suffered fools patiently with a serene smile pasted on her face. She charmed and coaxed the nobility, she turned fence-sitters into allies and enemies into fence-sitters. And she did it all without the extensive lifelong training that Leo and Liam had received.
Not that those lessons had taken in Leo’s case.
As angry as Drake had once been at Leo, he recognized that Riley would never have come into his life otherwise. If Liam hadn’t been thrust into the role of crown prince, they never would have been in New York that night. He couldn’t regret that.
Riley’s attention was pulled from Drake as the conversation turned to the devastating floods that had recently ravaged the port community.
She was instantly on alert. This was something they could use. Her eyes met Liam’s over her water glass. He gave her an imperceptible nod. She knew they were thinking the same thing. They were perfectly in tune like that. They made a formidable diplomatic team. Turning to Landon, she asked, “Is there anything we can do to help?”
“I’ve allocated crown resources of course,” Liam added, “but if there’s anything Riley and I can personally do…”
“We’re here to help.” She finished his sentence.
Liam felt pride stir in his chest. She had them. She always did. He had never worked a room with anyone as in synch with him as she was. Not Leo, not his father, no one. They made an unstoppable team and he regretted that he had ever questioned her suitability for the role.
The way she had handled the press after the attack on the orchards had cemented for him just how perfect she was for the role. When she had told the press, and the public, that “No true king would give in to their demands!” he had known then and there that she was exactly the woman he needed by his side.
His father had been wrong. The council had been wrong. She was perfect for the role. She was perfect for him.
But she wasn’t his.
His eyes flicked across the table to Drake, taking in the way his best friend’s eyes lingered on her, the soft, contented smile on his face as he watched her and he felt guilt, anger, and loss punch him in the gut in rapid succession.
The dinner wrapped up with promises for Riley and Liam and their entourage to join the charity polo match the following day. As everyone prepared to leave for the Ebrim estate, Liam pulled Riley to the side, “That was very well done.”
“Thank you, but I know I’m not quite at your level.”
“What are you talking about?” Drake walked up behind her, slipping his arms around her waist.
“I was just complimenting Riley on her diplomacy skills,” Liam smothered his irritation. Drake was with her nearly every minute of the day. All Liam wanted was a few moments of her time, a few crumbs of her attention.
Riley smiled as she ran her hands along the arms that encircled her, “And I was telling him that I feel like I still need some work. My nonverbal communication could use some polishing.”
“Well, I think you’re perfect!” Drake kissed her neck, just behind her ear.
“Mm,” Riley smiled and relaxed back into him.
Liam cleared his throat, “Yes, well... Riley does display a natural propensity for diplomacy, but she could benefit from a crash course in body language management.”
“Yes!” Riley agreed.
“I would be more than happy to give you a few pointers. Right now, if you like. So you’re more prepared for tomorrow.”
“That would be great, Liam!”
“Okay,” Drake released her, “I’ll meet you back at the Ebrim’s.”
“Wait, you’re leaving?”
Drake’s eyes went to Liam and back to Riley, “Yeah…I don’t think I’m required for this. We all know that I’m never going to be good at it no matter how many pointers Liam has to offer.”
“I’ll wait over there,” Liam pointed toward the nearest dock, “while you say goodbye.”
Riley spun in Drake’s arms, “Diplomacy isn’t your strong suit. That’s why you don’t do it, remember?”
He combed his fingers through her hair as he spoke, “Yeah, but…I just want to be an asset to you, Riley, not an embarrassment…”
“Oh, Drake, you big marshmallow, you could never be an embarrassment! Are you kidding me? I prefer you just the way you are, rough edges and all!”
“Really?”
“Really!” She went up on her tiptoes, bringing her lips to his.
He returned the kiss with all the passion she’d come to expect from him. He showed his love through physical touch and acts of service. He wasn’t great with words, but god did he know how to let his body do the talking for him.
“I love you the way you are,” she told him when she pulled away, “You don’t need to change for me. Besides, you’re good at so many other things.”
“Oh yeah, like what?”
“Security for one. You’re a genius at it. Do you think Liam knows what securing the perimeter or shoring up the flank means?”
“Yes.”
“Would he know how to do either thing?”
“No.”
“And he sure doesn’t have your extensive knowledge of weapons, or horses, or martial arts, does he?”
“Yeah, but-“
“But nothing, mister! I’m the one that agreed to help Liam with all the crown business, not you. There’s no reason you have to be good at any of this!”
“I just don’t want you to think I don’t care about the things that are important to you!”
“And I don’t want you to feel like you have to change for me,” she insisted.
“Okay, you’re right,” he sighed with relief, “Does that mean I don’t have to do any more of these fancy dinners?”
“Not if you don’t want to! But you do have to play polo tomorrow, sorry.”
“Meh. Smacking a ball with a mallet is more up my alley than worrying about which fork I’m using anyway. And there are horses involved, so I’m all good!”
“Good! Now kiss me again before you leave!”
She was a little breathless when they pulled apart. He made her go weak in the knees and the cocky grin on his face told her that he knew it.
“I’ll be waiting at Penelope’s,” he whispered in her ear before glancing up and giving Liam a wave goodbye.
She watched him walk away then turned and made her way to the railing next to the dock where Liam was patiently waiting.
“Everything okay?” He asked.
“Yes, fine,” Riley replied.
“Good! Now, if you’re ready, I’ve taken the liberty of procuring a boat for the evening’s tutorial!” He gestured to what looked to be a sixty-foot yacht waiting at the end of the pier.
“Oh, wow! How did you manage that on literally no notice?”
He gave her a dazzling smile as he offered her his arm, “A man can’t reveal all his secrets, can he?”
“Fine. Keep your secrets,” she teased as she took his arm, “Lead on Captain Liam! Or should I say King Captain Liam?”
“I can do without the ‘King’ once in a while. I preferred it when I was ‘just Liam’ to you….” He trailed off as his eyes traced across her face.
She looked out over the water, away from him, hoping the darkening of the sky as evening faded into night hid the pink that flamed across her cheeks. “You’ll always be just Liam to me,” she replied quietly.
“I can’t begin to tell you how much it pleases me to hear that.” He told her as they walked down the dock and boarded the ship.
“Shall we?” he gestured to a row of lounge seats attached to the railing.
She took a seat as the yacht glided away from the dock and headed further into the Mediterranean. “It’s a beautiful evening.” She inhaled the night air deeply basking in the peacefulness. There was a beautiful starlit sky, and the weather was a perfect autumn temperature, not too hot, not too cold with just a hint of a breeze drifting off the water.
“I’ve always loved how quiet things are on the water. I could stare at it all night,” Liam said, “But I promised you lessons and the first lesson calls for props!” He pulled a chilled container out from under the deck’s bar and uncorked a bottle of champagne, pouring two glasses as he talked about toasts.
Riley’s eyes scanned the deck of the Italian yacht. Full crew. Chilled champagne, Armand de Brignac, her favorite brand, two Baccarat champagne flutes. There was no way this had been an impromptu rental. She was suddenly uncomfortably aware that they had not been alone together since the Statue of Liberty.
The night she had rejected him.
The night they had the most mind-blowing sex of their relationship inside the statue. She turned her head and rested her chin on the railing, pretending to stare out over the water to cover up her sudden nervousness.
Liam took the seat next to her and handed her a glass of champagne as the boat slowed to a stop and dropped anchor.
Liam talked, Riley listened and then they played out several scenarios involving toasts. Liam proposed hypothetical diplomatic landmines and Riley successfully navigated her way around all of them. She slowly relaxed as Liam’s nothing but professional and polite conversation and the effects of the alcohol soothed her.
“Look at you,” Liam smiled, “I told you, you’re naturally good at this. You barely need me.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” she returned his smile.
“There is one more thing I can teach you, Riley….” He turned his body to face her, his arm resting across the back of the seating, “body language. You asked about nonverbals. I have a few suggestions.”
She leaned toward him, “I’m all ears!”
“Did you know that roughly eighty percent of communication is nonverbal?”
“What? That much? No!”
“Oh, it is! You can tell a lot about what people don’t want you to know by paying attention to their body language and facial expressions. You can learn to read the signals people give off unintentionally. Take Drake for instance, you can tell when he’s with someone he trusts, he hooks his fingers in his pockets when he feels comfortable.”
“Aww, he’s got a tell!”
“That’s how I first realized he had feelings for you….”
“What?” She was startled at the sudden shift the conversation had taken.
“He was relaxed and comfortable in your presence when it was just the two of you. The times you were together, but apart from the rest of the group, for instance, in a crowded ballroom, but in a back corner out of the way of said crowd. Reversely, he was nervous when the two of you were around other people. Especially me.”
Very rarely was Riley ever struck speechless, but that did it. “I…”
His eyes searched her face, “You didn’t know?”
“Know….what?”
“That he had feelings for you from the beginning.”
“I didn’t know,” she replied quietly, eyes dropping to her lap.
“That’s what I thought,” Liam responded thoughtfully as he twirled the glass in his hand, watching the remaining liquid swirl around the sides, “Nice to know I haven’t lost my touch reading people.”
She reached for his arm, “Liam, I’m sorry-“
“What?” he looked up from his glass, “No, no! I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable! I’m the one that’s sorry! Let’s…Let’s get back to those lessons!”
“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?”
“I’m sure!” He diffused the situation with humor. Making her laugh had always been easy. They shared the same sense of humor. “Hey, Riley, why can’t you hear a pterodactyl going to the bathroom?”
“What?” She laughed, “Why?”
“Because the “P” is silent!”
“Oh, my God!” She covered her mouth as laughter shook her body, “That was bad!”
“So bad it was good?”
“No!”
“But you’re laughing!” Her laughter made him laugh, which made her laugh harder.
“Okay, okay, okay!” She gasped, “I’m done! No more dad jokes, okay?”
“No promises,” he shook his head with a smile, “ready to get back to it?”
She wiped the tears of mirth from the corners of her eyes, “Yeah, I’m ready!”
Twenty minutes later she felt she had a good grasp of the concept. “Wait, wait, wait! Watch this!” She smoothed out her expression letting her face go blank, “What did that say?”
“Very little…which is the whole point. You’re the perfect example of courtly composure.”
“Thank you!” she let her smile rush back.
“Thank you, Riley, for agreeing to help me with all the diplomatic stuff. You’ve fallen into the role so well, it’s like you were born to it, honestly. You’re perfect.”
The unadorned longing was back in his face, and he wasn’t trying to hide it this time.
“Thanks,” Riley turned her head away to watch the play of the boat’s lights along the water as a myriad of emotions collided inside her. The only sound was the peaceful lapping of waves against the boat’s hull as it drifted through the harbor.
They sat in silence, staring out over the water, both lost in their own thoughts for a good while.
“In peaceful moments like this, you can almost forget what the region has been through,” Liam broke the silence and changed the subject, “They’ve had more natural disasters in the past few months than most of Cordonia has faced in years.”
The self-blame in his voice brought her up short, “Hey, don’t go feeling responsible for that. Kings can’t prevent earthquakes or floods, or meteor strikes!”
“If we could, that would be quite a superpower,” he chuckled softly, before heaving a sigh of discontent, “I don’t blame myself for this, Riley…but it’s hard not to feel my reign thus far has been one crisis after another.”
“Liam…”
He tipped his head back and looked up at the stars, “Riley….do you think I’m doing enough for Cordonia?”
“Of course you are! Things might be hard right now, but you’ll learn as you go,” she reached over without thinking and took his hand in hers. “And you’ll have me by your side.”
He turned his head to search her eyes and she suddenly became hyperaware of just how close they were to each other. She stopped breathing for a heartbeat.
He ran a hand gently down the side of her face as she dropped her gaze to her lap. His feather-light touch sent goosebumps chasing down her spine. Using a finger and thumb, he grasped her chin and tipped her head up. His thumb ghosted across her lips,  “I want to kiss you,” he whispered.
He waited for her to object.
She licked her lips.
His mouth met hers, and her lips parted,  his tongue slid softly against hers, moving languidly. One arm wrapped around her waist and tugged her closer, as the other continued to caress her face before moving to tangle in her hair.
She leaned into that kiss, her heart rate speeding up as her hands slid up his chest.
He pulled her closer and kissed her harder.
She pushed him away, gasping for air, “Liam….”
“I know, I’m sorry,” he reached for her, and their hands entwined with each other, his forehead resting on hers, “I got carried away. It won’t happen again. Please accept my apologies. I couldn’t bear to lose your friendship, Riley!”
“Liam…I….” Her whole body was trembling.
The two of them alone in the moonlight brought so many memories rushing back. All of the good ones.
But even the bad ones weren't so bad anymore. They had worked past coronation night, they had worked past her refusal of his proposal. They had salvaged a friendship and forged a working relationship. At least that’s what she had believed until this moment.
She still loved him. The realization hit her like a freight train. Then guilt plowed right into her, and she pulled away from him and jumped to her feet, “I guess we should…get back…”
“Certainly, if that’s what you want,” Liam stood immediately, reaching for her again, “but please tell me that my unwelcome slip-up won’t affect our working together, or our friendship,” he pleaded.
“That’s the problem, Liam….it wasn’t unwelcomed.”
“Oh! I…I’m not sure I understand….”
“Neither do I!” She fought back tears, “but it can’t happen again!”
“Of course not!”
“And I have to tell Drake!”
“Are you sure that’s wise?” Liam asked hesitantly.
“Yes? No…maybe?”
“Whatever you think is best. I’ll follow your lead on this.”
It had been an accident, a momentary slip-up. If it was never repeated, then maybe she didn’t have to tell him, right? No, she had to tell him. “I…I don’t know, I’m not sure….”
“Well, perhaps sleep on it before you make any rash decisions.”
“I don’t know, Liam….I feel like he has a right to know.”
“I realize I might not be the best person to advise you on this, since I’m the one that just kissed you, so I won’t try. But I need you to know…”
“Know what?” She wasn’t sure if it was anxiety or butterflies clawing through her stomach. Maybe a little of both.
“That I’m here, Riley. For whatever you need.”
“Thank you, Liam. I appreciate that.”
The ride to the Ebrim estate was filled with superficial chit-chat, that felt wrong, forced, and awkward. Which wasn’t what she wanted at all. As the car rolled to a stop she turned and took his hand, “Liam, we don’t have to talk about the damn weather and the fluctuating cost of apples! I know what happened tonight threw us both for a loop but can we just…I don’t know…go back to being us?”
The moment it fell from her lips she realized her error, “I don’t mean us, like us…I mean, our friendship, the way it’s been since-“
“It’s okay, Riley,” he squeezed her hand, “I know what you meant, and I’m gratified that you value our friendship.”
“Okay, good,” she sighed with relief. She and Liam would be okay. If they could get past him allowing her to be drug out of the coronation and her refusing his proposal, they could get past this. It was just one little kiss after all.
The bigger issue was how she was going to explain what had happened to her fiancée. Especially when she wasn’t sure she understood it herself.
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lordfreg · 2 years
Text
💜us against the world💜
tags: @carl-unironic
Fandom: ROTTMNT
AU: Vampire!
Character: Donatello
Warning: Snarky comments n fluff🥰
Reader: im going with female, Yokai-human hybrid on this one because idk it’s just more interesting🥺. And you’re a Chinese dragon hybrid
                                     ୨⎯“us against the world”⎯୧
It was a cold, October day, the perfect weather for taking a stroll down your fellow neighborhood in New York City. Ah, yes, the big apple! It was home to a lot of creatures, this Y/N knew.
Y/N was a Yokai.
Well, only half of that statement is true. Her father was a human and her mother was a Yokai. In any form, Y/N was proud of her family and her Dragon side. She used cloaking magic to cover up her dragon features like her soft ears and scaly tail. The said magic emblem was a necklace in the shape of an emerald, that dangled on a silver chain.
She lived about an average life, as average of a life you can live as a mutant. Y/N was told at a young age to keep herself hidden, as much as she could anyways. She became a fan of ushankas and dresses.
October was the one month of the year that Y/N could walk around with her ears flopping free and her tail dragging on the ground and no one questioned her. That’s why Halloween was her favorite holiday.
Y/N had awesome friends that accepted her anyway she was, except she hadn’t told them that she was a dragon hybrid. Y/N was scared that they would only see her as dangerous and scary, she could manipulate fire and she has a prehensile tail. People said it would be cool to have a tail, but it was kinda hard because it kept getting stepped on every two seconds, but hey! Still cool.
Once, Y/N asked her father why she couldn’t show her true self to anyone, and her father simply replied with wise words.
“People fear what they don’t understand, sweetie.”
Y/N lived by those words, especially after her father died when she was only 14 years old. It was sad, her mother was destroyed, but did her best to care for her daughter.
But it was almost time for dinner, so she rushed back to her apartment complex with two steaming hot coffees. Being careful not to spill the coffees, Y/N bolted up the stairs and unlocked the door with her tail, no one was around anyways.
“Hello, Nomi!” Y/N chirped, setting the lattes down carefully and greeting her mother with a peck on the cheek before helping her with dinner.
                                           ────⊱⁜⊰────
Afterwards, she did the dishes to ease the burden of being a single mother with a 15 year old girl.
“Y/N, darling, I’m not feeling so well,” Her mother spoke, “I think I’m going to go to bed early.”
“Okay!” Y/N sighed, resting her gloved hand on her head and on her hip, “You rest up, I’ll handle the dishes and then I’ll take a walk.”
“Okay, dear,” Mother sighed, “Just.. be safe, please.”
“Your wish is my command!” Y/N saluted.
Her mother chuckled a bit, “You’re so silly, Y/N. Good night, dear heart.”
“Good night, Nomi.” Y/N smiled.
Soon, Y/N was finished with the dishes and took a quick shower before taking the midnight stroll. Night time was Y/N’s favorite time, there was barely anyone awake and the streets were mostly empty. That gave Y/N an excuse to let her dragon features show.
She lifted up her dress and twirled around, embracing the so-crisp-it-almost-stung autumn air, and let her ears flick back into visibility along with her tail.
Unbeknownst to Y/N, there were red, shining eyes watching over her. The owner was perched on the ledge of a building, along with three other figures hidden in the shadows.
The looming eyes were quickly covered by goggles with blue and red lenses. The goggles zoomed in on the girl frolicking around along the city streets. The watching figure switched a setting on his goggles and it showed the female’s Yokai magic.
“Found something of interest, Don?” The one with the blue bandanna nudged the purple one as they came into the moonlight.
“Not particularly,” Don said, briefly looking around the other city streets.
“Then why were you staring at Walkway street for, like, 45 seconds straight?”
(AN; I don’t actually know if there’s a real street in New York called walkway just roll with me here😰)
“B-Because,” Purple huffed, “That girl down there appears to be a Yokai, Leon.” The goggle-wearing hero spat out.
“Whatever you say, bro.” Leo smirked.
For the split second that Donnie had taken his eyes off of Y/N, she had managed to wander down into an alley following a cat.
Frantically searching for the darling— for the girl Yokai, Donnie spun his head back and forth before his youngest brother called him to action.
Y/N was being held at knifepoint being forced to give up all their valuables.
“I-I told you already sir!” Y/N pleaded, “I don’t have anything!”
“Sure you don’t,” the raggedy man hissed, “That’s what they all say,” he slurred his words.
Just then, four shadow-like figures jumped down from the building behind the female, weapons bared. Their eyes glowed red, and their fangs were visible.
The scraggly man looked shocked, almost dropping his knife before clasping it tighter and pointing it at the threatening creatures. As they lurched closer Y/N stepped backwards and let them surround her in a protective circle. She noticed the green hue of their skin in the dim street light, and the fact that they had shells. That too.
“If you touch her or us,” The red one stated, “And we’ll eat cha alive.” He grinned while leaning in close to the man, making sure to show his fangs off.
The man then screamed and ran out of the alley, dropping the knife and pushing Y/N onto the ground. The dragon hybrid fell to the ground with an “Oophf!” As she landed on her back.
The group of turtles turned to face her, each of their bandannas coming into view. Their glowing, red eyes became yellow in the light and their curious expressions were now visible.
‘Huh.’ Y/N thought, ‘Color coded ninjas. Where have I seen that before?’
“I’m so sorry, lady!” The orange one said, taking her hand and lifting Y/N onto her feet once again.
“It’s okay,” Y/N said, rubbing her back and smiling lightly, “I’m fine,”
“Oh wow,” The blue one stared in awe of Y/N’s ears, “A-Are those real?” He asked, stepping closer and poking them lightly.
“Are those real?” Y/N laughed back, poking his fangs as he stepped back in surprise.
“Yeah,” the red one said, “We’re all, erm, vampires.” He said nervously.
Y/N blinked, processing what he had just said. Then a look of bewilderment washed over her features before morphing into an excited grin.
The purple one was observing the dragon the entire time, taking in every little detail. Who knows? Maybe there’ll be a pop quiz about that one strand of hair that got hooked in the side of your mouth or what degree does her eyebrows rest at compared to the rest of your beautiful, glorious face?
“You mean, like, real vampires?!” Y/N almost jumped with joy, “But your turtles?” She almost shouted.
“Yeah,” Orange said, “Half man, half turtle, half bat!” He said, making claws and waving his arms around with every “half.”
“That would be one-third, you brainless sea sponge.” Purple said, lightly skidding the back of the poor kids head.
“One-half, one-third, who cares? Important thing is, I’m about 99.9% sure that we just made a new friend.” Blue smiled, pulling Y/N in for a side hug.
“I’m sorry,” Y/N interrupted, “But I didn’t get your names, who are you?”
“Oh!” Orange raised his hand and waved it back and forth, “Me! Me! Me first!”
“Okay, the uh, ninja in orange!” Y/N pointed, “You can go first,”
“My name’s Michelangelo, but everyone just calls me Mikey!” He smiled, “Or Mickey, or Mitch, or Mike, or Angelo, or M, or—“
“I’m Rafael, Raph for short.” He said, sweet and simple.
“You already know me, I’m Leonardo, fearless leader. Leo for short.” He winked.
“And the antisocial blob of purple in the corner is Donatello! Don-Tron why don’t you give a warm welcome to Y/N our new BYFFAE.” Leo said, scooting Y/N towards Donnie. “That means best-Yokai-friend-forever-and-ever.” Leo whispered.
He cocked a brow while looking Y/N up and down, his glaring eyes looking down on her made Y/N start to sweat.
Donnie sighed and stuck out a hand for her to shake, “Hello, Y/N. I am Donnie, formally known as Donatello Hamato.”
Y/N shook his hand which was smooth but clammy at the same time, “Wait, did just say the word ‘sigh’?” She asked, but got no reply.
He paused for a moment, not letting go of Y/N’s hand in an iron grip.
“Why aren’t you scared of us?” He questioned, leaning closer to the dragon, “You should be terrified that we might suck your blood or something.”
“Well,” Y/N inhaled sharply, “I just thought that you guys would like me since we’re both… sorta freaky.” She said sadly, thinking that they didn’t like her.
“Hey, we’re all freaks here,” Raph said, smiling. “You’re welcomed.”
“Well, now that’s settled,” Raph began, “We should get headed home, Dad’s waiting on us.”
“Yeah, I should get going too,” Y/N said, yawning. “Tonight was crazy!”
“Yeah, I’m sure all of us are tired, we had a big day, can we all just go home now?” Donnie said annoyed at first, but then descended into a desperate attempt to hide his newfound interest in this Yokai.
As Don was pushing Mikey by his shell towards Leo’s portal, Y/N came scrambling back into the alleyway with a pen and a crumpled up poster.
“What’s that?” Don asked, shoving Mikey into the portal.
“My number,” Y/N said, “So we can hang out again!” She smiled.
Donnie felt his heart skip a beat, perhaps he was having a heart attack, which would’ve been fine by him at this moment. His face was so red it felt like it was burning holes through his mask.
“Tha-Thanks,” He said as she sloppily shoved the paper into his hands.
“No problem!” Y/N said, running out of the alley, “Just make sure to call me!”
Don huffed out a laugh that was more of a sigh, astonished at fact that Y/N had given him (and his brothers) her number. To call her! And hang out!
“Hey!” Leo shouted from the other side of the portal, “Quit gawking and get squawking!” He said making chicken noises at the purple turtle.
“What are you talking about? That makes no sense.” Donnie sighed stepping into the portal.
“You make no sense,” Leon resorted in a mocking tone.
“Whatever.”
                                             ────⊱⁜⊰────
It had been a couple of months since Y/N and the turtles had met, and almost every weekend they would go out for pizza. This time all the turtles had gotten sick with the common cold, and Don was the only one left standing.
“Hello, Hello!” Y/N called out, balancing the 4 pizzas on her palms, “I’m here with your food!”
The red eyes peered from the shadows of the sewer lair, hungry growls leaving the mouths of the boys. Donnie stepped in front of Y/N protectively, stopping Mikey from lunging at Y/N and eating all the pizza.
“PIZZZZAAAAAA!!!” The orange one hissed.
“Not on my watch, Mike,” Don said through a purple medical mask, holding out his Bo-tech to stop M, “Go back to the sick cave and wait for me.”
Y/N chuckled at the sight of the sick boy’s attempt to gobble up the delicious midnight snack. Mikey slid off the staff like a snake and the others looked just a worm-ish.
“Sorry about that, Y/N,” Donnie murmured, “They’re sick, so they’re more feral than usual.”
“Understandable,” Y/N smiled, “You want me to help you get them back into bed?”
“Sure,” Don actually smiled a bit.
                                            ────⊱⁜⊰────
After the bros were safely hanging upside down, after a full meal of course, Y/N and Donnie had some time to spare.
“So,” Y/N started, looking at the hanging turtle bats, “Won’t blood rush to their brains?”
“Implying that they have brains for blood to rush too,” he laughed, “But, uh, no. You see, due to the crazy clump of biological disasters we are, our anatomy is all messed up.
We have a constant flow of blood from our hearts to the rest of our body. That fact that it doesn’t it doesn’t rush to anywhere at all makes it very easy to hang upside down.” He went on.
“Aaand, you don’t care, do you?” He said getting self conscious as he realized that his crush was looking up the entire time.
“No, no,” Y/N interrupted the bad thoughts, “Blood can’t rush to your heads because of the constant flow of blood from the heart, but look!”
Y/N pointed to the ceiling, grabbing Don’s arm and pulling him close to her to see what she was seeing, “They’re all huddled together.”
Donnie smiled fondly, “Ah, I remember when we used to do that,”
“Huddle together?”
“Yes,” he sighed, “Bats of the same family often huddle together for warmth and comfort, we used to wrap our wings around each other.”
“That’s adorable, Don,” Y/N said, still interlocking her arm with her friends’. They faced each other and kinda just stared before Donnie finally broke the awkward moment.
“Uh, you can let go now,” He mumbled almost reluctantly.
“Oh,” Y/N let go and looked away, trying desperately to brush off the moment, “My apologies.”
“Apology accepted,” the purple turtle said as he picked at the carpet.
After a few seconds of silence, Don finally spoke up about something he’s been overthinking for a long time.
“Hey Y/N?” Don looked over to the dragon with worried and pleading eyes.
“Yeah, Donnie?” Y/N faced him, trying to hide the blush from her embarrassed blush.
“Why..” He choked on his words a bit, “Why do you stay with us?”
“What do you mean?” Y/N asked concerned.
“I mean, I’m a monster and you’re,” he paused looking down at the carpet again and started picking at it, “Well, you’re not.”
“I’m not a monster,” Y/N repeated, as if she was processing the information she just heard, “You’re not either, Don. None of you.”
“Well, people don’t seem to know that.” He huffed, scrunching up his face into his usual glare.
“My entire life, I’ve been told to never reveal myself to anyone.” Y/N started, “You guys are the first people, er, turtles to accept me as I am. Even with… this whole situation.” Y/N said, waving her spread hand over her face.
“What situation?” Don asked, “The half Yokai or the cute face?”
Donnie didn’t realize what he had just said.
Y/N blanked, her cheeks when red and her ears turned up. Something, Donnie had noticed, she did when she was shocked or embarrassed.
Then it hit him like a truck.
He had called Y/N cute.
He was so shocked that he hadn’t even realized that he was holding his breath. He inhaled sharply, trying to think of a quick response to brush off  the awkward comment and bring the conversation back on track.
“Well,” Y/N said, snapping him out of his thoughts, “I think your face is cute too.”
“Why thank you,” Donnie boasted, “Wait, what?”
“Yeah,” Y/N sighed out, bringing her knees to her chest, “I’ve always thought you were handsome, but the way you focus on your work so intensely, yet your touch is delicate.”
Donatello was taken aback, was this a confession? That wasn’t supposed to happen until next week! He even had it on his calendar.
“Is this…” he paused to process, “Is this a confession?” He would blush, but you know, constant flow of blood.
“I guess it is,” Y/N looked at him with hopeful yet disappointed eyes, “It’s fine if you don’t like me back, I understand.”
“No!” He basically shouted, “No, no, no, I like you also! I mean I really, really like you. A lot.” Donnie looked away, sort of mortified.
“So, I guess we both like each other,” Y/N stated, after a few seconds after Donnie spoke.
“Yeah, I suppose,” He looked at Y/N and took a huge breath of confidence before hooking his finger under Y/N’s chin turning her to face him.
He leaned in and planted a long kiss and her lips. Y/N was shocked, but promptly kissed back, making Donnie relax into the kiss. They both pulled away, breathless, and feeling like all was well in the world.
“Wow,” Donnie was only able to mumble out.
“Agreed,” Y/N smiled.
“AWWWWWWW,” they heard from above, “That’s adorable!” Leo slurred.
“LEON!!” Donnie growled before lunging at his brother, before Leo was saved by his Don’s new girlfriend.
“It’s okay, Don,” Y/N said, patting the top of the grumbling turtle.
“Well, now that loud mouth knows, everyone’s gonna hear about it.”
“Let them talk about us,” She said, “We’ve got each other and that’s enough.”
“Us against the world.”
END💜
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