#twin hearts fanfiction

[whereismymindnow]

Twin Hearts Chapter 4

Author's Note: A little flashback to how Pia was daggered. The twins have a small squabble. xD

Oh, and please don’t comment about her being daggered. This whole fic came from a dream I had and so the idea of her being daggered may not suit some people, but witchcraft can do weird and wonderful things. So don’t take it personally if you disagree with this (as some people did, quite rudely, previously) as I literally had zero ideas apart from her waking up to start with and this is the best I can come up with. Thank you! Hope you enjoy this update.

Now I’m going to disappear just as quickly as I arrived before you start throwing things at me for length of time in between chapter updates… I swear, one day I shall catch up and give you frequent updates.

Pairing: Niklaus Mikaelson x Twin!Original Female Character

Warnings: 18+ due to mature, darker themes. Twincest. Smut. Strong language. Death. Miscarriage. Murder. Vampire/Hybrid violence. Please read responsibly.

If this work is found anywhere other than Tumblr (@whereismymindnow) or Archive of Our Own (Mikki19) then it has been posted without my permission.

Twin Hearts Masterlist

---

Chapter 4: Daggered

"I cannot give up! Our very nature has been taken from us! How can I stop when I am so close to breaking the curse?" Elijah heaved out a sigh as he heard Niklaus' angry shout fill the house. He moved to stand at the top of the stairs and watched as the twins fought... again. Pia launched a vase at her brother with a hiss.

"It is breaking you! I don't even recognise you anymore! You are not the other half of my heart." Both siblings flinched and rubbed at their chests, but neither would back down. Pia was exhausted by the drama that the doppelganger had brought to the house, and Klaus was so close to realising his destiny that he couldn't stop. He didn't understand why his twin wasn't as passionate as he was about this.

"I am still the man you love, but I want to be more. We are meant to be the Original Hybrids. We were born to be unstoppable. I will not let a foolish human girl get in the way of that!"

"A foolish human girl? Ha! Do not forget that I saw the way you looked at her. It was like watching you fawn over Tatia all over again!" Pia spat out in disgust. She had tried to be friends with Katerina. Hell, she had even had a dress made especially for the girl, but it had ended the same way as it had centuries ago. The little brunette had taken one look at her brothers and tried to make it a game. Pia wanted to find her just so that she could have the pleasure of staining Kit’s perfect olive skin red with blood.

"I had to keep her here! You saw how she was. Flirting and playing games are the only things she knows how to do properly." Pia took a step back and shook her head in disbelief.

"How can you not understand that that is how it began with Tatia?! You and Elijah made it a point to play with the girl, and now we are cursed by her! Once again the silly doppelganger bitch has the upperhand!" Her shoulders dropped as she found her anger could no longer mask her hurt. This was too much. All too much. "If you wish to chase her and destroy everything she holds dear, then so be it... but do not expect me to just idly wait for you to be satisfied. I will not have a part in this." Klaus vamped over to his sister and held her by her upper arms.

"We are so close. We have felt broken for so long. We have felt our wolves howl and claw at our skin every full moon as they beg to break free... Why are you asking me to stop now?"

"Because you have gone mad with your need to break the curse. Every day you are so angry and hateful. The only time I have seen you smile this month was because she was under our roof. If breaking the curse means that we have to become this fractured, then I no longer wish to do it."

"...w- we have waited centuries..." Klaus muttered as he stared at his twin in disbelief. Pia exhaled and brought a shaking hand to cup his cheek.

"I am not stopping you. I just can't stand by and watch it destroy you. I refuse to have my life revolve around that girl for a moment longer. Find her if you must but you will find me gone before you return.”

“I am doing this for us!” Neither of them were backing down this time. The twins had had fights before, but the fury that floated in the air was thick like fog. Rebekah had left to go to the library in order of find a bit of quiet, but her ears picked up on each angry word and she found herself standing at the top of the stairs, watching in case one of her siblings did something foolish. Niklaus was beginning to reach the end of his patience with Pia; his rage taking over and clouding his judgement. He just didn’t understand why she wanted him to stop. He was doing this for them both! “You keep talking like we’re so different!”

Pia shook her head in response and let out a bitter laugh. “We are! You have become so cruel and malicious since you found out about Katerina's change. Forget about her! Another doppelganger will be created so that we can break the curse.”

“I want to make her pay for her actions.” He grit his teeth as Pia once again tried to turn her back on him.

“I know that, but don’t you see what is happening? You are losing your mind. You are becoming some kind of monster that I do not even recognise anymore!”

“YOU ARE JUST AS BROKEN AS ME!” His roar echoed through the manor as his grip tightened on his twin’s arms; Pia began to wince and bite her lip as her bones started to crumble beneath his hands, not that he noticed as he was blinded by his rage. So, Pia decided to tell him the truth. He needed to hear the truth for once. She was sick of lying and trying to make him feel better about everything he does.

“This obsession is turning you into Mikael! You are becoming like the person you hate!” Pia didn’t have a chance to recognise the relief of his grip being removed from her arms as she flew through the air and her head met the wall behind her. A loud crack rang out through the room as her skull hit the hard surface. She was dazed for a few moments before her wound repaired itself and she stood once again. “Just let the Petrova girl go!” Rebekah covered her mouth with her hand and stepped down a few stairs to get closer to them, but Elijah quickly grabbed her by the shoulder to stop her from getting closer. They both knew that this was becoming a little more intense than the twins’ previous fights.

“She has taken away our one chance of becoming unstoppable. She has taken away our chance of being whole!”

“So?! Aren’t you content as you are now? You have all of your family surrounding you but you are still blinded by your hatred!”

“I want vengeance!” It was those three words that broke her. She was exhausted and didn’t care to repeat herself another time. Pia’s shoulders dropped as she shook her head at the state of her beloved.

“I can’t do this anymore, Niko… I’m hurting, but you don’t seem to care.” Her bottom lip trembled as she tried to regain her emotions. She was so sick of crying, but she couldn’t let her anger get the better of her either. The servants within the house were still skittish from the last time she slaughtered five of them in one of her rages. Pia took a deep breath and cleared her throat. If she were human still, then she would have complained about a headache by now. “I’ve had enough.” The thought of her trying to leave was all it took for Niklaus’ fury to boil over. He flashed forward and gripped either side of her head.

“You can’t leave me.” He hissed in Pia’s ear before wrenching his hands backwards and snapping her neck. Niklaus caught her limp form as she crumbled to the floor.

“No!” Rebekah vamped down the stairs and stared at her brother as he cradled Pia’s body in his arms. “You’ve hurt her again. Do you even understand what you are doing?” She quickly walked forward in an effort to grab her sister’s body but in seconds found herself hitting the wall opposite her.

“You will not take her from me, Rebekah. She is mine.” Niklaus stood in front of his twin’s form and bared his fangs at his sister. The youngest Mikaelson knew better than to try and fight her brother when his Alpha male side revealed itself; she slowly stood and straightened out the bottom of her dress before making eye contact with Niklaus.

“Nik, I just wanted to lay her down upstairs. She would not want to wake upon the hard floor, would she?” Rebekah waited a few moments and then steadily moved forwards. Niklaus let out a growl when he felt that she had overstepped an invisible boundary.

“I will take her.” He kept a close eye on his sibling and knelt down next to his twin. His eyes flickered between the two girls as he gently wrapped his other half in his arms. “Do not touch her.” Rebekah nodded as his growls continued to permeate through the air each time he felt her get too near as they walked to the chambers that Pia resided in; she mostly shared a room with Nik, but their recent fighting had made her seek solace in a separate chamber to his. Elijah followed at a distance, sharing a tight-lipped smile with Rebekah.

The family were used to this strange situation by now; for centuries the pair of them would have their moments in which their pack instincts would show and they would stake their claim on the other. It was always in moments of madness, their wolves would shine through and ensure that anyone nearby understood that they belonged to each other.

With as much as care as he could manage, Niklaus gently placed Pia onto her bedsheets and stroked the side of her face. He felt Elijah’s presence enter the room and looked up. For some reason when Pia had requested her own chambers, she had picked the ones that had been closest to Elijah’s. Perhaps she thought she would be safer since he listened to Elijah more than anyone else, Niklaus pondered as he felt the burning glare coming from his older brother.

“Leave, Niklaus. You have done enough.” Elijah stepped aside and waited for the room to be vacated before quietly shutting the door. “I heard your fight-”

“I think the whole world heard them.” Rebekah remarked sarcastically.

“-and you need to be careful, brother. Do you wish for Pia to hate you rather than love you?”

“Of course not.”

“Then contemplate this: are you prepared to lose her because of Katerina? You will destroy her slowly if you carry on along this path.” He gave one last look at his brother before offering his arm to Rebekah and leading her back to the library.

Niklaus watched after his siblings and made up his mind. He knew exactly how to overcome this.

----

“Are you sure that this shall work? I will not accept failure.” Klaus’ blue eyes bore into the witch before him.

“Yes, Master. The blood in your veins runs through Mistress Pia’s as well. You are twins; you are mates. Your hearts are one and the same.” Thalia ran her fingers over the edge of the knife before looking back up at her master. “I believe that I can overpower the magic of the blade and ensure that you can put Mistress into a deep sleep. I just need your blood to finish the spell.”

“If this harms her in anyway… well, I don’t believe I need to finish that sentence.” Klaus took the blade from the witch and raised his brow as she started to speak again.

“Master, you must trust me. I would do nothing to hurt Mistress Pia. She was the one that rescued me when I was about to be put to death. I owe her my life.” Thalia placed her hand over her heart and bent her head forwards in a show of obedience.

“Indeed. You have until the end of the night to complete the spell. I want to be able to subdue her whilst she sleeps… I do not wish for her to be scared when it happens.” Niklaus ran his gaze over the grimoire in front of him and sighed. “She must be daggered before she has a chance to flee. She cannot abandon me.” He muttered to himself before sending another glance at the witch and running the blade over his arm. The witch quickly put a bowl underneath the cut to catch his blood.

This better work, Klaus uttered in his mind. His complete distrust of others made this so very difficult. He felt like a million bugs were crawling under his skin as he thought of how he was currently putting his sister’s life in someone else’s hands. Anything to do with Pia made him feel incredibly vulnerable; without her he was nothing more than the monster that people made him out to be. Pia was his one and only. He needed her to be safe.

---

Pia paced around her room and bit at her nail, not even noticing when it began to bleed. The servant in the room stayed still so as to not antagonise her into doing something to him. Petyr knew better than to interrupt the lady of the house when she was like this. He had once attempted to ask her what was upsetting her - the scar above his brow was the only answer she gave.

Pia knew something was happening; she could feel it. She’d locked herself in her chambers and only opened the door to let the servant or Rebekah inside.  There was something in the air and it was unsettling. Niklaus repeatedly tried to speak with her but she wasn’t listening. An uncomfortable ache began in her neck whenever she thought of her twin. He’d snapped her neck. He’d disabled her because his ego wouldn’t allow for him to actually listen to her words. Her foot kicked out and a loud crash echoed throughout the room as a chair smashed into pieces after hitting the wall.

“Niklaus, what are you doing?!” It had to be him. He had to be planning something! She could feel the spark of magic that made the air feel like it was smothering her. Was he going to kill her? Was he plotting some way to harm her so that she couldn’t leave him? No, he wouldn’t do that… would he? All was quiet in the manor as the voices carried on echoing within her mind. Was she being unreasonable? Maybe she could help find Katerina and end this once and for all. She wasn't prepared to lose her brother once again because of the actions of one of those almond-eyed girls. “What is he up to? He’s doing something against me, I know he is.” She muttered and dragged her hands through her hair with a low growl. “He’s plotting against me. He must be. He-”

It was then in the silence a noise disturbed her thoughts.

Thump thump.

Her head cocked to the side so sharply that a loud crack echoed through the room. That familiar burn in her gums made her snarl.

Thump thump.

Her fangs descended as the heartbeat continued to destroy her peace. She flicked her tongue over her fangs and hissed quietly. Her mind had melted completely into that of her hunting instinct. Pia was no longer there.

Thump thump.

Petyr had heard the 'click' and knew right then that his life was moments away from ending. In an effort to conceal his fear he shut his eyes tight and clenched his fists. He didn’t want to see her coming at him.

Thump thump.

Thump-

Her body flew across the room and her fangs ripped into his neck. Petyr's mouth opened in a silent scream as she tore through his skin. The blood poured down her face as she focused on making the annoying sound stop. She let out a low moan of satisfaction as the thick, hot blood entered her mouth. Her fangs shredded his skin like thin parchment as she needlessly released her bite only to clamp down once again. The monster within her, the infamous Snow White Killer, was only a few mouthfuls away from being awakened. A few moments later, and all was silent once more. As though she had woken up from a dream, her hands released the limp corpse. The dull sound of him hitting the wooden floorboards made Pia open her eyes in shock; black veins slowly receded as she came back to her senses. She stared down at the boy at her feet in disbelief; she’d lost control again.

“Pia?” A gentle voice came from her left. She slowly turned to see Rebekah looking at her with wide eyes. Pia’s curls seemed wilder than ever as the ends of her hair were stained red; blood ran down her face and tainted the blue nightdress she wore. Rebekah didn’t step forward and held her hands up in defence as she saw Pia’s unwavering gaze. She’d only met the darkness within her sister once, and she wasn’t in a hurry to repeat that encounter.

Pia blinked hard and shook her head. “It’s me… it’s me…” She breathed as her sister looked at her in horror. “I- I’m okay.” Pia could feel the need to release the monster but fought the urge just as Elijah had told her to. “It’s me.” She murmured again, as though reminding herself that she was in control. Her head dropped to avoid the look of fear in Rebekah’s eyes.

"Oh, Pea..." Rebekah gently stepped forward and wrapped her arms around her small sister before calling out for Elijah. Their eldest brother entered the room looking grim. He'd been close to Pia's room and had heard the awful growls she had made whilst draining her victim. The similarities between her and Niklaus were becoming quickly apparent. Niklaus was a monster hiding behind a dimpled smile, whilst Pia's small stature made her look like a feeble, young lady and hid the animal that was trapped inside of her.

"I shall take care of it." He rolled the boy up in the sheets of Pia's bed and removed the body. Niklaus was waiting near the end of the hallway; Elijah glanced at his brother and shook his head before continuing past him. He was what was causing his little sister to behave like this. Niklaus needed to change his ways and fast. There had been too many bloodbaths caused by the twins as of late. They were drawing more attention than ever.

----

The sun had set hours ago and now the moon lit up the hallway as it shined through the windows. It was time.

Niklaus carefully pushed the door and was happy to see that Pia hadn't locked it after Petyr's body had been taken away. The door didn't make a sound; almost as though it knew how unhappy its master would be should it wake the girl on the bed. Pia sighed in her sleep but stayed unconscious as Niklaus moved closer to her. She'd cleaned the blood from her face and was wearing a new nightgown. A smile came to Klaus' face as he brushed a stray curl off her cheek. Pia had never looked so innocent; her youthful face was clear of the emotions that had plagued her the entire day. He gently kissed her soft cheek as he removed the dagger from its sheath.

"I'm sorry..." Niklaus muttered. It didn't look different from the other daggers, but he prayed that this would work. She needed to be safe and protected. She was too stubborn to listen to his rules and understand his motives. This is the only way, he repeated in his head as he leant forwards and placed both hands on the blade. The tip of the dagger hovered between her breasts as Niklaus faltered. This was his twin. This was his mate. She was his everything and yet he was going to put her to sleep for God only knows how long. What if something happened to him and he didn't have the chance to tell anyone where she was? What if she stayed asleep until the end of time? What if that witch had betrayed him and had done something so that Pia would die the moment the blade pierced her skin? His head snapped up as he heard Bekah's door open.

This is the only way!

Niklaus took a deep breath and raised his arms. Pia's eyes snapped open and her body jolted upwards as the blade entered her chest. She made eye contact with her lover and seemed to choke on her words before her skin began to turn grey. Her lids fluttered shut and her body became limp.

"Pia- Nik!" Rebekah raced over to her sister and her eyes widened at seeing the dagger in her chest. "How- what- Nik?!" Rebekah was speechless and tears filled her eyes as she looked up at her brother from the bed. Her back hit the ground as Niklaus threw her away from his twin.

"It is the only way, Rebekah. She needs to be safe from him whilst I break the curse." His sister tried to get closer to Pia to pull the dagger from her body, but Niklaus once again pushed her back.

"How did you even manage to neutralise her? The daggers don't work on either of you!"

"I know a witch who did a spell for me."

"It was Thalia, wasn't it? She betrayed Pia!" Rebekah stormed out of the room and left Niklaus with their sister's body. Niklaus presented a fine silk ribbon from behind his back and began to tie the hair back from Pia's face. Her lips were cold and stiff as he brushed his mouth against hers before climbing onto the bed. He brought his twin's body against his and rested his chin on top of her head. This was the last time he would hold her for some time, and he wasn't about to waste a second. As Klaus began to relax with Pia, Rebekah broke into the witch's chambers in another wing of the house. She snapped her neck within seconds and stood over her body with a sad smile. Tears ran down her cheeks as she collapsed to her nears with a sob.

Meanwhile, Elijah sat in his study and nursed a goblet of wine. The regular frown formed on his face as he noticed a second heartbeat had ceased. "We are death." He murmured into the silence and took another sip of his drink. How much more could his family go through before they broke?

----

Niklaus sat in silence; the fire crackled in the background and candles flickered in the room. He was sat against the headboard of his bed in nothing more than his breeches; the bodies of three drained maids littered his floor but he didn’t have the energy to remove them. Pia was hidden in a place that only he knew of but he felt a million times worse than he had before. Was he happy that she was safe from Mikael? Yes. Was he happy that she had to be isolated and on her own? No.

He let out a deep sigh and wiped his chin with a handkerchief to get rid of the blood staining his mouth. When had life become so complicated? This family had gone through so many more downs than ups - even before they were turned into vampires - that it was becoming harder to see a positive outcome for them all. He rubbed his thumb over the locket in his hand; inside was a small portrait of his twin but he found it too painful to look at. Merely holding it gave him a bit of comfort though as it made him feel as though she was close to him still. “Oh, Pia… I need you so much.” He felt heartbroken. He may have neutralised Pia, but it was never something he wanted. It just needed to be done. Had she gone through with her plan to leave then she would have put herself in danger and Niklaus couldn’t allow that.

“Nik?” Rebekah poked her head around the door and looked at her brother. She was still angry, but being on Niklaus’ bad side wouldn’t help her to persuade him to wake up Pia or reveal her location. The girl shut the door behind her and sat on the edge of his bed. “Can I sit with you?” Niklaus didn’t say yes, but him not throwing her out immediately told Rebekah what she needed to know. She climbed up onto the bed and sat beside him. Her hand went over his that grasped the locket and she squeezed lightly. Her eyes were glassy as she blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over.

“I can’t wake her up, Rebekah.” He already knew her motive for coming in here.

“Why?”

“You know why.” Klaus replied sharply.

“Mikael.”

“Yes. I do not wish for her to be daggered. I’ve never wished to be apart from her, but if she left, then there’s no telling what Mikael would do to her if he found her. It is so much safer for her to be asleep until Mikael is taken care of.” Rebekah nodded gently and sighed. She wasn’t going to get him to agree right now and so decided to try and make him think of happier times.

“Do you remember your 15th birthday?”

“Of course, I do.” How could he forget? He didn’t care to remember a lot of his past life, but that night himself and Pia had promised themselves to each other. No matter if someone somehow managed to get between then, they would always belong to each other at heart.

“I only remember Pia sneaking out of our bedroom before returning a little while later. It was obvious as to what had occurred between the pair of you, but I couldn’t bring myself to judge either of you. I’d never seen you so happy.”

Nik & Pia’s 15th Nameday. 995AD

“Pia.” A smile grew on her face as his voice called out to her. She quickly wrapped her blanket around her and crept outside. The door shut with a small click which made her freeze. When she heard no movement from within the longhouse she released a sigh of relief. “Pia!” A hand smothered her shocked scream and familiar laughter filled her ears. Niklaus kept his hand over her mouth and led her to a secluded area just a few minutes away from the house. Once she was free she fought to hide her smile and hit him on the shoulder. He grabbed her hand and tugged her forwards gently with a grin. Their lips met in a soft kiss that said more than words ever would and left their hearts pounding. Pia bit her lip and looked up at the boy that shared her nameday.

“Happy nameday, Niko.”

“Happy nameday, Pia.”

Their lips met once more; their mouths moulded together perfectly. It was like they had been created for each other. As his tongue massaged hers she ran her fingers through his hair slowly. She could touch him all day and not get bored. He was everything to her. Nik slowly peppered kisses down the side of her neck making her sigh with pleasure. He carefully pulled the blanket from her shoulders and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her as close to him as he could. No matter how much he held her to him, she was never close enough. It was though he wished to consume her.

 “Niko…” She breathed against his cheek in excitement. They had snuck out of the house before, but this was different. Something was different between them. The boy moved away slightly and straightened the blanket on the floor before sitting on it. He patted the space next to him with a cheeky grin. Pia looked around paranoid, but once she saw there was no movement around them she settled down on the woollen sheet.

“Pia, I love you so much. I want you to remember that no matter what happens.”

“Niko, nothing would ever make stop loving you. We are going to be together forever. I can feel it. I shall never stop being yours.” He pecked her lips once more in agreement. A squeak left her as he pulled her onto his lap so that she was straddling him. His hand rubbed the top of her thigh and he snuck his hand beneath her nightgown before looking up at her.

“I know we are not married or betrothed, but I want to have you all to myself. I cannot imagine a life where you belong to another.”

Pia was breathless. This was everything she’d ever dreamt of. “I am yours.”

He gave her a grin before slowly inching his hands up her thigh. Pia stiffened slightly which made Niklaus pause.

“Are you sure about this, my love?” Oh, she wanted him so much, but Pia couldn’t say it; the blush lit up her face as though her blood was on fire and her throat seemed to close up so that she couldn’t reply. Niklaus reluctantly tried to move his hand away so Pia made the quick decision to roll her hips forward. A gasp left her lips as his fingers tickled between her thighs.

“Niko, I love you.” She muttered against his lips as they fell backwards.

“And I you.” He replied as he gently rolled them over so that his body was between her legs. Pia began to convulse as his fingers continued their movements against her sensitive skin; she quickly moved a hand over her mouth to smother her cry of pleasure as she climaxed. A light sheen of sweat covered her body as Niklaus helped her undress. He followed suit and they spent a few moments to gaze at each other’s forms. They had seen their naked bodies before, but this situation made it feel like it was the first time. “This will hurt a little.” Niklaus warned her quietly.

 “I don’t mind. I want to be yours… only yours.” She gave him a nod and took in a deep breath. Nik held his length in his hand and gently prodded at her opening. He moved forward steadily and bit the inside of his cheek as Pia’s eyes clenched shut in discomfort. His movement stopped when he was fully sheathed and lowered himself so he was closer to her. He kissed her cheeks and forehead, whispering sweet words until she opened her eyes and gave him a small smile in encouragement. Pia dug her nails into Niko’s arms as he pressed gentle kisses to her neck to help her relax a little more.

“Relax, Pia… you need to try and relax…” He murmured softly into her ear. Pia nodded and focused on the boy above her; he gave her a dimpled smile that made her heart melt. That look could make even the coldest of winters warm. Niklaus captured her mouth with his and gave her a hard, possessive kiss as he felt her ease around him. Her leg moved to wrap around his waist and she rocked her hips to encourage him to move.

“That’s my good girl.” He whispered against her lips as he began to thrust into her slowly. “My beautiful, little Pia…”

Niklaus smiled as he remembered that night. It had been the perfect birthday as far as he was concerned.

“Is she somewhere warm and safe?”

“Of course. You know she hated the cold. I will make it up to her, I promise. She is my forever.”

“We will all make it up to her.” Rebekah commented as she knew that none of them would be able find her if Niklaus had hidden her away from the world.

“You won’t try to find her?”

“I cannot promise that I won’t try. It may take me centuries, but I will not give up. I merely hope that you will not let her suffer for too long, dear brother. It will destroy you as much as it will destroy her if you are parted for too long.” They slowly settled into a comfortable silence; Rebekah watched one of the candles that lit the room whilst Niklaus twirled a strand of his sister’s hair. Niklaus could feel that his sister had more to say and so kept quiet until she finally spoke again. “I’m not going to say this to hurt you, but I just need you to understand, Nik.” Rebekah slowly sat up and stared into her brother’s eyes. “You have always been upset about being chosen last which is why you make the choices that you do. You have never realised that there is one person that never put you behind anyone else. Pia always put you first; no matter what you had done.”

“Then why did she try to leave me?” Bekah leant forward and wiped the stray tear that had fallen from his eye with a frown.

“She did not want to see you destroy yourself. She couldn’t see you lose yourself to this madness and she felt it was her only choice.”

“She said that to you?”

“Yes.”

“Pia, are you alright?” Rebekah entered her sister’s chambers and shut the door firmly behind her.

“No, I’m not. How many times is he going to hurt one of us just because we do something that he doesn’t like?” The girl slumped on her bed and Rebekah lied down on the other side. The pair stared at each other and held hands.

“Do you remember the promise that we made to each other?”

“Always and forever doesn’t seem like an option right now.”

“Don’t say that.” Rebekah whispered and held tighter onto Pia’s hand as though she would slip away in that moment.

“How can we all stay together when Niko doesn’t trust any of us?”

“He loves you so much, Pea.”

“I know that. I know he does, but I will not see him lose to the darkness that is taking over him. He kissed her to try and keep her here!”

“He’s an idiot.” The girls breathed out a laugh in agreement. Klaus was certainly an idiot at times. “He’s just upset that the curse still has a hold over the both of you and has become desperate. After all this time, he was so close to breaking it, and then the Petrova girl outsmarted him.”

“I hate the curse as well. I was so happy when I thought it was over! It was going to be a new start for all of us; Mikael would never stand a chance against us if Nik and I had been able to break the curse… but I am prepared to stay as I am - even when I can feel my wolf scratch away inside of me - because I love our family more than anything. No matter how much pain Nik causes Katerina, we both know that it shall never be enough.” Rebekah couldn’t stop the tears that poured down her cheeks; her family was breaking apart right in front of her eyes and she could do nothing! “Oh, Bekah…” Pia felt the older sister in her emerge and immediately wrapped Rebekah up in her arms. She pressed her against her chest and kissed the top of her head gently.

“Please, do not leave us!”

“Rebekah, you know that I would not stay away for long. I just need some space before my love for Niko becomes poisoned by his anger. I love you all too much to part from you.”

“Do you promise that you will only leave for a little while?” Her voice sounded so small that Pia’s grip tightened around her younger sister. Rebekah felt relief, but she had never felt so vulnerable. Pia may have been Nik’s twin, but she was her only sister and meant so much to her. They were best friends.

“Rebekah, look at me.” Pia cupped her sister’s face and wiped away the last few teardrops that ruined her pretty face. “I will not stray far and I will not be away for long. We are family and we will always be there for one another. Elijah is independent and the most controlled out of us all, but he still needs me to help reason with Nik when he becomes manic. Kol… well, Kol just needs me since I stand up for him when no one else will. You, my sweet sister, need me so that you aren’t surrounded by men… and Niko? He holds my heart as I hold his.”

“She wasn’t going to abandon us?” Niklaus felt so foolish for thinking that she would just run away.

“I thought that she was going to, but she explained everything and it made so much sense. She only wished to remove herself from the situation so that she could save her love for you.”

“I have ruined us.” Rebekah didn’t agree or disagree with him. There was nothing she could say that would make the situation any better. “Rebekah, she will stay neutralised for as long as she needs to be protected from Mikael. I swear to you that Pia is safe.”

“I trust you, Nik.” She didn’t know if she completely meant her words, but Rebekah knew that her brother needed to hear them right now.

“One day it will all be different. Mikael will be gone and our family will stand above all others.”

“Always and forever, right?”

“Always and forever.”

No matter how many times that you told me you wanted to leave No matter how many breaths that you took, you still couldn't breathe No matter how many nights that you lied wide awake to the sound of the poison rain Where did you go? Where did you go? Where did you go? Tell me would you kill to save for a life? Tell me would you kill to prove you're right? Crash, crash, burn let it all burn This hurricane's chasing us all underground ---Hurricane by 30 Seconds to Mars---

#the vampire diaries fanfiction #klaus mikaelson x ofc #twin hearts #klaus mikaelson x oc #twin hearts masterlist #tvd fanfiction #twin hearts fanfiction

[nanenna]

Title: The Parent Trap Fandoms: Batman (DC Comics) and Danny Phantom Ships: None AUs: Demon Twins Warnings: Character injury, discussions of death.

Summary: It was just an ordinary night on patrol until...

“We need an evac,” Dick said, cutting the chatter off, “bird down.”

“Spoiler, you’re the closest to the cave. Nightwing, who’s with you?” Barb asked, “And how bad is the injury?”

“Robin,” Dick replied with some confusion before adding on with confidence, “a leg injury, we’re pretty sure it’s broken.”

“Robin?” Tim couldn’t help blurting out, looking over at Damian next to him, perched on his bike in full Robin costume. “But here’s right here, with me.”

---

Damian had been acting strange for the week or so. Rather, Robin had been acting strange for the last week. Not many people actually lived full time in the manor anymore, but everyone agreed that during the day he was his usual self. During patrols, however, he was simply a little… off. Like tonight for instance: Batman was away from Gotham on official Justice League business and Nightwing had agreed to cover his usual patrol route; normally Robin would tag along with Nightwing, giving the excuse that he needed to make sure Dick did the route correctly while everyone knew the demon brat really just wanted to spend more time with his favorite brother. But tonight…

“I will be joining you on your case, Drake.”

“You will?” Tim asked skeptically. Dick had already suited up and left, yet instead of scrambling to go catch up here Damian was, already all suited up, demanding to join Tim of all people.

“You are doing a stake out for street racers, correct? What will you do when they inevitably split to lose you?”

He sadly had a point, having someone else there would help. “Are you going to stab me?”

Robin didn't say anything, simply stood there and stared Tim down.

After standing there for a full minute, Tim sighed and headed for the vehicle bay, Robin hot on his heels. Without another word they donned helmets and slung legs over their bikes. Weird, but not unheard of, just another thing that was a little off. Not that Tim was entirely unhappy, he wanted a chance to observe Damian’s behavior. Even if he thought Dick was more likely to get Damian to open up.

…

And Tim was bored. The first half of patrol was quiet and uneventful, the street racers hadn’t shown up at their usual time/place yet, and Damian hadn’t said a damn thing the whole night. It’d just been the two of them riding around, not finding anything that needed their attention, and just being… normal. At least the usual chatter from the others was there to keep him company.

“We need an evac,” Dick said, cutting the chatter off, “bird down.”

There was a moment of silence.

“Spoiler, you’re the closest to the cave. Nightwing, who’s with you?” Barb asked, “And how bad is the injury?”

“Robin,” Dick replied with some confusion before adding on with confidence, “a leg injury, we’re pretty sure it’s broken.”

“Robin?” Tim couldn’t help blurting out, looking over at Damian next to him, perched on his bike in full Robin costume. “But here’s right here, with me.” The shadows around them grew deeper, seemed to sharpen.

“What? No, I’m looking right at him.”

“Well so am I!” 

“I’ve got your cams up and… well shit,” Barb murmured.

“Oracle,” Damian? Robin? Some imposter? said into the quiet comms, a hand up to his helmet, “send me Nightwing’s location.”

“Robin,” Oracle started, only to be interrupted.

“We’re in sector 36,” Damian? Robin? Some imposter? replied, going so far as to give longitude and latitude coordinates and a description of the building roof they’re on.

“Copy that,” Damian? Robin? Some imposter? said before revving his bike’s engine and taking off.

Tim would never admit to nearly losing him due to sheer shock. Too busy screaming “What the fuck” in his own head to remember he needed to follow, but follow he did. This… this might explain Damian’s strange behavior over the past couple weeks. If there was an imposter running around with them, but they would have surely noticed, right?

“We can’t have everyone abandoning their patrols!” Barb said in clear frustration. Heard clearly because the chatter was still gone, nothing but dead silence. You would think everyone would be demanding answers, peppering the Robins with non-stop questions. Hell, Tim wanted to, but he was too busy keeping his bike under him as he chased after his Robin.

“Red Robin and I are on motorcycles,” Damian? Robin? Some imposter? told Barb, “which means we have the small vehicle first aid kits, including analgesics, splints, and extra bandages.”

“We could use the splints,” Dick said faintly.

“And doing first aid before evac arrives means less time faffing about once Spoiler arrives.”

Tim nearly crashed, barely righting his bike. To hear Damian’s voice say “faffing about” was just… weird. Does that mean Tim’s Robin was the imposter?

“You all are faffing about right now,” Damian? Robin? Some imposter? grumbled before hissing.

“Stay still,” Dick chided.

Okay, so maybe “faffing” was a phrase Damian had recently learned from a classmate or something, Tim sure didn’t know. And oh thank god, they must have arrived. Damian? Robin? Some imposter? was parked on the sidewalk, helmet already off and just pulling the field kit from the bike’s storage. He didn’t even spare Tim a glance, simply looked up at the very tall building, looked down at his grapple, shrugged, put the grapple away, and then lifted off the ground and into the air.

“Shit,” Tim said softly but with feeling.

“What?” Barb asked, clearly very tense.

“I think my Robin was the imposter, he just flew up the building. Like Kryptonian flew.” Is this Jon? Were he and Damian pulling a Bruce and Clark? Except it couldn’t be, Jon had started packing on muscles while Damian was still in the lanky growing-taller-before-filling-out stage.

“Really, akhi?” Damian? Robin? Some imposter? asked in exasperation.

“Hey, the jig is well and truly up at this point,” Damian? Robin? Some imposter? replied.

Okay, that was really weird to hear in Damian’s voice. And oh wait, maybe Tim should get up there too.

“Oh shit, there really is two of them!” Dick said in shock. “Uh… hello there… other Robin?”

“Hello Nightwing, I brought the kit. I…” Damian paused, then sighed into the comm, “akhi, what did you do?”

Damian tsked, “Nothing for you to worry about.”

“Your leg is broken!” Damian yelled.

“Did you see that with your x-ray vision?” Damian asked.

“Contrary to popular belief, I’m not Kryptonian,” Damian replied. “I don’t have x-ray vision.”

“Sure sound Kryptonian,” Tim muttered under his breath. The Robin that flew had slipped into a faint Midwestern drawl that reminded him of Clark.

“Can you just give me the kit?” Dick asked both warily and wearily.

“Right, yes. Here.” 

Tim had made it onto the roof by that point, just in time to watch one of the Robins hand over the kit to Nightwing before kneeling next to the other Robin, who had his leg stretched out in front of him while he sat half propped up on his elbows. The laying down Robin (the real one? The one that hasn’t shown any meta powers yet, anyway. Is one of them the real Robin or were they both imposters?) let himself fall fully on his back and held a hand out. The meta(?) Robin kneeled next to him and took his hand. “You’re going to be okay.”

“I am more worried about you, you’re not used to this.”

“Yeah, normally I’m the only one getting hurt, and I usually don’t have bones when that happens.” Imposter Robin laughed at that.

“What the fuck?” Tim said under his breath, what does that mean?

“Focus,” Dick chided as Tim came to join him in tending to Damian’s(?) injury.

“Batcopter ETA five minutes,” Barb said. “Agent A has the medbay prepped.”

Imposter Robin flinched at that. Odd.

“Focus,” Dick hissed. “Save the mystery for after we get our downed bird home.”

Tim almost pointed out they couldn't be sure either Robin was even the real one, but a scathing look from Dick that burned even through the domino white outs had Tim snapping his mouth shut. Instead he nodded and set about helping Dick set and splint Robin's leg.

Steph arrived right on time, between Dick, imposter Robin, and Tim they got the real(?) Robin loaded onto the batcopter. Then the imposter pulled something from his costume and tossed it at Dick.

“Keys?” Dick asked.

“We gotta get Robin's bike back to the cave somehow.” He hopped into the batcopter and settled next to the injured Robin.

Dick held out the keys, “And as Robin shouldn’t-”

“No,” the imposter interrupted. “I’m not leaving him.”

Seems it was Tim’s turn to be the voice of reason. He put a hand on Dick’s shoulder, “Robin trusts him, we’ll meet them back at the cave in a minute.” If the injured Robin even was the real Damian, if the imposter didn’t use his unknown powers to escape, if any slew of unpredictable situations. Holy hell, Tim could see why Bruce was so paranoid about knowing everything about everyone. He’d be in the middle of three panic attacks and an existential crisis on top of a heart attack if he were here right now. But he wasn’t, thankfully. Instead Tim pulled Dick away from the batcopter so Steph could take back off and head to the cave.

Soon Dick and Tim were on their respective bikes, Nightwing looking ridiculous on Robin’s candy apple red paint job, and were zooming through the streets at a pace that was while fast still gave Tim time to actually think. He went back over everything the two Robins had said since Nightwing had called in for an evac. And then it hit him.

“Akhi.”

“What about it?” Dick asked.

“It’s what they called each other.”

“Brother,” Cass added in her soft voice.

“Right, in Arabic. They called each other brother. And recently Robin told us about his twin brother.”

“Are you telling us that Robin’s twin brother came back from the dead and decided to just… join us on patrol?” Dick asked in disbelief.

“He told us several weeks ago, and has been acting odd on patrol for nearly two weeks now. If when he told us was when he found out, or at least started planning this, then they had a few weeks for Robin to give his twin a crash course on us before pulling this stunt.”

There was muffled laughter in the comms, but Tim wasn’t sure who.

“But why?” Oracle asked.

“A prank?” Dick asked.

“A test of some kind,” Tim said in a monotone. There was a double tap on the comm, Cass’s form of nonverbal agreement.

“The batcopter has arrived back at the cave,” Oracle informed them. Everyone else grew quiet, waiting for whatever was about to happen to happen.

“... -nk went too far,” Damian (or his twin?) was saying into the comm.

“TT, it did not,” Damian replied.

“You couldn’t taste their emotions,” okay that was the twin, and what a weird way to phrase that, “they were really scared.”

“You like the taste of fear.”

Wow, Damian, really not helping with how creepy your long dead twin is being.

“Well yeah, obviously, it’s delicious. That doesn’t mean it’s okay to go around purposefully scaring your family.”

Fear is delicious?!

“What does it matter? As you said, ‘the jig is up’ and the prank is over. We will have to explain ourselves when the others arrive.”

“Others like me?” Steph asked cheerfully.

“Great, time for the great bat interrogation,” the twin said with exactly zero enthusiasm.

“Not until Master Damian has been seen to,” Alfred said. Tim could just see the raised eyebrow.

Tim tuned the rest out as those actually in the cave set about the logistics of getting Damian moved to the medbay.

“He can taste fear?” Tim asked incredulously.

“You know as much as the rest of us,” Dick said back.

“Does that make him an empath? He said he’s not Kryptonian, would that make his power suite closer to a Marian? Wait, neither Talia nor Bruce have the meta gene, how’d he even get powers?”

“Maybe he got them from the Lazarus Pits?”

There was a snort in the comms, “Then why didn’t I get powers?”

“Hood? What’re you doing on our comms?” Dick sounded far too delighted.

“I have an alert set up for whenever your chatter stops, it’s always a bad sign.”

“Fair enough, you heading to the cave to meet the demon brat’s long lost twin?”

There was a scoff from Jason, “Of course!”

“Everyone’s headed for the cave,” Oracle said with a tone of defeat.

“Stuck in ops?” Dick asked.

“Well someone has to keep an ear on things while the rest of you get to go have fun.”

“We’ll keep our comms on.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

Tim and Dick both laughed at that. Fortunately they arrived back at the cave at that point, quickly parking their bikes and all but running over to the medbay. Steph was standing just outside the door, clearly keeping an eye on things while Alfred and the twin fussed over Damian. Tim and Dick went to go join Steph at the door, none of them willing to risk Alfred’s wrath should they get in his way. Cass joined them shortly after, all four staring as Alfred finished up what he could do for Damian. The demon brat was laid out on a medical cot, his costume set to the side, down to just the thin layer worn under the armor, mask already removed.

“Leslie has been called, she’ll be here in the morning with the necessary supplies. I’m afraid you will have to remain here until then, Master Damian.”

Damian tsked, but otherwise said nothing.

“And now I do believe we are all owed an explanation.” Alfred turned ever so slightly as his attention turned to Damian’s twin.

Damian responded by struggling in his bed.

“What are you doing, akhi?” the twin asked, clearly exasperated.

“I will be sitting up for this,” Damian snarled.

Without a word Alfred handed Damian the bed’s controls, allowing him to slowly raise himself into a reclined sitting position. Alfred raised a brow as if to ask if that would do, Damian only glowered at the wall.

The twin started pulling his domino off. Damian tsked yet again and handed his twin a wipe to help pull the mask off. “Ancients,” the twin said, which Dick mouthed in confusion, “you lot sure do love your theming. And I thought the ghosts had it bad.”

“Ghosts?” Tim mouthed, exchanging quick, confused glances with Dick.

“So yeah, hi. I’m Danny, Damian’s long lost twin.” The twin, now known as Danny, said with a little wave after he got the domino off. And there was no denying that he was Damian’s twin, he had Damian’s face in every feature save his eyes. While Damian clearly had Talia’s eyes, Danny’s were all Bruce.

“Everyone, this is my brother, Danyal Al Ghul Wayne.”

“Legally not my name anymore.”

“Legally?” Tim asked.

“Yeah, I got adopted!” Danny grinned again, all sunshine and cheer that was so wrong when he had Damian’s face.

Tim snorted, Bruce’s kid had been adopted. Oh things just got complicated but the irony of Brucie being on the other end of a kid getting adopted was still a fun kind of irony. Or maybe Tim had gotten to the everything-is-hilarious stage of sleep depravation.

“So what is your legal name?” Dick asked.

“Um… I’m not sure I should tell you that.” Danny fidgeted nervously. “Not yet anyway. I mean, Bruce… uh… our father? Isn’t here and like… shouldn’t he be told? Too? Or first? Honestly I’d rather just be able to tell everyone at the same time rather than having to go over the whole thing every time someone new walks in the door.”

As if he had timed it to happen that way, Jason came roaring into the cave on his bike. There was a collective sigh as everyone crowding around the outside of the door knew they’d have to wait for Jason to get there before things could continue, even if he had been listening in along with Oracle on his way in.

Danny’s face lit up as Jason, still wearing his full Red Hood gear, came into view. He whooped and threw both hands in the air as he ran out the door, somehow not even touching any of the vigilantes crowded in the way.

Jason stopped dead, his own hands raised up halfway in front of him as if unsure what to do. Danny just slapped both of Jason’s with his own in a kind of low five, then bounced excitedly in place. “Undead solidarity, yeah!”

“Uh… what?” Jason’s modulated voice asked in its usual monotone.

“I’ve been dying to meet you!”

“Heh, have you? Were you dead set on meeting the best?”

Damian groaned, “Stop encouraging Danyal’s insipid sense of humor.”

“Yeah, you’re the best!” Danny continued as if Damian hadn’t said a thing, “My favorite new brother!”

Dick gasped and clutched his chest.

Jason pointed at him and laughed as he slung an arm over Danny’s shoulders. “I see you are a kid of taste. How do you feel about Jane Austen.”

Danny winced, “My dude, I’m a guy in high school.”

“And so was I once, but we can’t all have my impeccable taste.” He started walking Danny back over to the medbay. “Anyway, Bruce shouldn’t be back until tomorrow afternoon, we really going to wait that long for the whole story?”

Danny winced, then cursed quietly under his breath. “We’ll have to, something just came up.”

Everyone frowned at that, “What do you mean?” Damian asked.

“The real deal got into a fight and uh… they’re pretty strong. I think I’m gonna need to recombine.”

“What?” Jason said, it was hard to tell if the flatness was his own voice or the modulator.

“Oh uh… I’m a… what’s that word again… doppelganger! That’s it. The main body’s back home and,” he winced again, a bruise blooming across his cheek in real time. No, in double time, it was like watching a time lapse of a bruise blooming and slowly starting to heal. “Look, having my attention and powers split like this is normally fine, a good way to keep my powers in check for fighting normal humans actually. But uh… let’s see… I think I’m fighting Plasmius?”

“We don’t know who that is,” Damian said with a sigh. “He keeps saying names of people or things like I’ll know what it means.”

“It means I can’t afford to have my attention and powers split over two bodies, so I’m about to poof. Sorry. But I’ll be back tomorrow, summon me after school Dami?”

“Summon?” Everyone but the twins asked in confusion.

“Of course, Danyal. Good luck fighting your rogue.”

“I think the fruit loop counts as my arch nemesis, unfortunately. But I gotta sorta slide back, can’t have all of tonight’s memories and my half of the power hit me all at once. This might look a little freaky, but it’s normal and I’m fine I promise.”

Jason unslung his arm from Danny’s shoulder and took a step to the side. They all gawked as Danny closed his eyes and breathed out slowly, his breath frosting in what should be warm air. His face, the only part of him not covered by the Robin costume, started to go invisible at the same time his skin and hair started to gray. Then he was gone and the costume was left behind, slumping to the floor in a pile.

Everyone stood there for a moment, staring at the colorful pile of armor, then they all turned to look at Damian.

“TT, don’t ask me. I still don’t have a full list of everything he can do.”

---

Tim, along with everyone else, was at the manor the next afternoon. And he did mean everyone, even Kate, Harper, and Cullen were there. Hell, even Jason was there, on time no less. Damian had put “17:30 sharp” in the family (minus Bruce) chat and they knew he meant it. They were crowded into one of the larger sitting rooms, every chair filled save a chaise lounge that had been reserved for Damian. The boy of the hour arrived right on time, with five minutes leeway to set everything up.

“So tell me again who you want to introduce us to, chum?” Bruce asked as he followed behind Damian. Alfred brought up the rear, a plate of fresh cookies in hand.

“I haven't told you yet, Father. Have some patience, it will all make sense soon.” Damian settled on the lounge, setting his crutches to lean against it before pulling something out of his pocket. It was a small metal container, he popped it open and pulled out what appeared to be a bright green handkerchief. Very bright green, possible letting off light, neon toxic green. Duke made a soft surprised sound. Damian spread the cloth out on the coffee table in front of him and smoothed it out.

“Damian,” Bruce said carefully, “what is that?”

“A summoning circle, obviously.”

Wait, Danny was serious about being summoned?

“Can… can you even summon living people?” Dick leaned over from where he was perched on the couch’s arm to whisper to Cass, who was perched behind Tim on the couch’s back. Tim and Cass both shrugged.

“Damian, dealing with the occult is very dangerous.”

“It’s quite safe, Father.” Damian pointed down at the white markings on the handkerchief, “Since all the sigils are on here permanently there is no chance of making a mistake drawing them by hand. This group here is his name, this circle can summon one person and one person only. The rest of these are for protection. And this spot here,” Damian tapped on a small circle within the outer ring, “is to activate it. It does require a single drop of blood, it was the safest way to make the circle.”

“Blood?” Bruce asked flatly.

“It will make sense when I call him, do you trust me?”

“I’m not sure I trust whoever this “him” is,” Bruce grumbled.

“But do you trust me, Father?”

Bruce sighed, “You promise whoever this is means us no harm?”

“Of course, I promise.”

“I met the young man last night,” Alfred said as he placed the plate of cookies in the circle. “I found him to be polite and sincere.”

“So this is to do with whatever happened last night that I can’t get any of you to tell me about?”

“We want to explain it ourselves,” Damian said firmly. Then he pulled out a batarang and carefully poked a finger. “Blood of my blood, I call forth the spirit of my brother, Danyal.” He touched the drop of blood to the handkerchief, which lit up as the air around them shifted. 

A figure began floating up from the circle, glowing white hair that waved as if they were under water, ashen skin, glowing Lazarus green eyes, a wide smile filled with sharp fangs. This… this wasn’t Danny, was this? The figure seemed to be wearing some kind of black jumpsuit, white gloves picking up the plate of cookies as they passed through the plate. They had no legs, after the belt the body just continued in a long tapering tail that ended like whisps of smoke. They were glowing, they were slightly see through! What was going on?

This wasn’t the boy they’d met last night.

“Father, my brother. Danyal, our father.” Damian paused, then added on, “And the rest of our family.”

“Hi,” the figure chirped, then seemed to shrink into himself as he looked around. “I uh… prefer to be called Danny. The only people who full name me are usually trying to kill me. Or send me to detention.”

That was Damian’s, or rather Danny’s voice alright. Even still had the faint midwestern drawal.

“Why do you look so different?” Dick asked in shock.

“It’s… a long story. Which I’m supposed to tell everyone.” Danny shrunk further into himself, looking miserable. “Please stop being so scared.”

“They are simply adjusting to your unfamiliar form, they will get over it,” Damian said firmly, glaring at everyone in the room.

“It’s not just fear, Dami, they’re horrified.”

“Sit down, eat your cookies. Alfred worked hard on those.” Damian patted the empty space next to him on the chaise lounge. 

Danny turned and spun in place to sit down, looked down at where his tail was curled up under him, made a sour face, then the tail was suddenly replaced by a pair of legs tucked under him. He shoved a cookie into his mouth, now sporting normal teeth from what little Tim could see. “S’good,” Danny slurred, glancing over at Alfred who merely nodded his approval.

“Some time ago,” Damian started, as if that wasn’t the most vague way to start, “I summoned Danyal the first time. I am aware it was foolish, I will not hear about it.”

“I called him dumb already,” Danny added in. “I mean, I had to go find someone to explain how the circles work and what makes them safe or dangerous first, but yeah, I called him dumb. Then I had some friends help me make this,” Danny reached over and tapped the handkerchief, “then I went to three trusted uh… mentors? I guess I’d call them? And made sure with each of them this thing is legit before giving it to Dami.”

Bruce hadn’t moved, still standing in front of the coffee table, slack jawed, staring blankly down at Danny and Damian.

“Is he okay?” Danny stage whispered to Damian.

“Perhaps keeping it a surprise was not the optimal option.”

That seemed to snap Bruce out of it, “I think I need to sit down.”

Dick hopped up to guide Bruce to the nearest open seat, which happened to be the chaise lounge. Danny quickly flew up and moved to float cross legged in the air just on the other side of Damian, as if he were sitting in some invisible chair. He munched another cookie before offering the plate to Damian, who took a cookie for himself.

Once Bruce and Dick had settled back down, Damian decided to continue the story. “More recently I needed to do a covert investigation, but I couldn’t allow any of you know.”

“You what?” Bruce asked, clearly upset.

“I know, he still hasn’t even told me what it was. And I had to cover for him!” Danny sounded so offended.

“I had Danyal take my place in patrol while I was away.”

“When?” Bruce asked, voice dipping down as he leveled a steely glare at Damian.

“You never noticed, I think that speaks for itself. So as a test-”

Cass and Tim bumped fists.

“-Danyal has been joining us on patrols for the last twelve days.”

“Almost made it the full two weeks too,” Danny said airily. “That reminds me, you owe me fifty bucks.”

“What? No!” Damian shot back angrily. “They found out before the two weeks were up, clearly I won that bet and you owe me!”

“They didn’t figure it out, that part of the bet is a draw at best for you. No, the fifty is because you’re the reason they found out. It seems awfully suspicious you got into some kind of accident right before the deadline, how did you break your leg again?”

“I did not break my leg on purpose just to win a meaningless bet!”

“Okay, both of you need to calm down,” Bruce said, looking unsure if he needed to step between the two squabbling boys. “You… had a bet?”

“I bet fifty bucks I wouldn’t give myself away before the two weeks were up, Damian bet fifty bucks you’d figure me out before two weeks. And they didn’t figure it out.” Danny turned to glare at Damian as he said that last part.

“Fine,” Damian conceded with a pout. “I shall venmo you your winnings.”

The ghost floating in front of them has a venmo. The ghost floating in front of them has a use for US currency. What is going on? Is Tim hallucinating?

Damian’s pout deepened, “I am still disappointed in you all for not noticing a whole extra person joining our patrols.”

“In my defense, I don’t patrol with you guys,” Duke joked.

“In our defense, we were suspicious,” Tim added.

Bruce sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “Damian, we had no way of even expecting you to switch places with your long lost dead twin.” Bruce paused, then looked over at Danny. “How did you pull that off? No offense Danny, but you are very easy to tell apart right now.”

“Oh, that’s because I can do this.” A bright flash of light washed over Danny, changing him back to the boy Tim had met the night before, only wearing baggy casual clothes instead of brightly colored armor.

Duke yelped and covered his eyes, “A little more warning next time? Damn, that was bright!”

“Oops, sorry.”

“Oh thank god, I was so worried,” Steph murmured from next to Tim.

“Well that was flashy,” Dick said.

Bruce seemed broken again, staring at the now living, black haired, blue eyed boy sitting cross legged in the air next to Damian.

“Okay, so what the fuck was all that?” Jason asked, motioning to Danny. “Are you dead or aren’t you? Because you don’t look dead right now.”

“Neither do you,” Danny snarked back.

“I’m not dead though.”

“You sure?”

“Not anymore,” Jason said stubbornly.

“No one ever comes all the way back, not anyone who was dead dead.”

“Please stop,” Bruce begged. Dick whimpered in agreement.

Danny ducked into his shoulders again, grinning sheepishly. “Sorry.”

“Since it would be inconvenient for Robin to be missing at the same time I have a broken leg,” Damian said as a clear subject change, “and we have a perfect stand in who’s already proven himself in the field, Danyal has kindly offered to cover for me for the next few nights.”

“I managed to soup Plasmius last night, so that gives me two, three days max of not having to worry about his schemes. My friends can cover for me during the night so long as I’m still back home during the day. Unless a rabid ancient show up, anyway.”

“What does any of that even mean?” Tim begged.

“We could use some context,” Dick added.

“Right, I guess this is when the life story portion starts,” Danny said with a sigh.

“Perhaps you would prefer to talk over dinner?” Alfred asked from the room’s doorway.

“Dinner sounds great!” Danny cheered as he hopped to his feet, now firmly on the floor. “I’m not sure talking about dying and coming back is the best dinner conversation though,” Danny said absently as he and Bruce helped Damian to his feet.

“Alfred usually has a strict no work talk at the dinner table rule,” Tim teased.

“I think he can make an exception for someone’s life story,” Duke laughed. There were several murmurs of agreement.

“Alright, well I guess we can start with the first time I died,” Danny said as the group slowly filed out of the sitting room and towards the dining room.

#nenna writes #fanfiction #dpxdc #dc x dp #danny phantom #dc comics #batman #batfam #demon twins au #danny and damian are twins #i like the parent trap trope okay? #it's soooooo much fun #poor brucie is having a heart attack thre panic attacks and an existential crisis #and that's before basically getting told jason's still dead

[ittybittyhogan]

George Weasley Imagine

Pairing: George Weasley x Pregnant!Reader

Warnings: None

Word count: 545

Description: I can't come up with a good description for this, it's just fluff

This is a slightly edited version of a George Weasley story by I Dream in Color, so if you like this story you should go check out their blog.

Since the day they had met, George and [Y/N] knew that they were going to be stuck within each other’s lives for a long time–what they hadn’t estimated was that they’d be living under the same roof, in the same room, with matching rings, and a vow. Funny how fate worked, wasn’t it?

But they weren’t complaining–in fact, they were far from it. They were doves in love, always joined at the hip and making one another smile. Their days were always filled with happiness and surprises, giggles and grins, especially when it came to the topic of their unborn child.

“[Y/N], you should really take it easy,” George raised a concerned eyebrow at the rounded woman behind the cash register, “You don’t need to overwork yourself before the baby arrives.”

“So you want me to take more breaks?” the woman questioned, smiling.

George snorted. “Well, you are supposed to be on maternity leave… why do I have to order you to take breaks anyway?”

“Because I’m an amazing, hard-working woman and you love me,” [Y/N] chuckled, sitting back behind the counter and resting her chin on her smooth palms. George rolled his eyes as he maneuvered his way to a tall shelf, scanning it scrupulously.

“Hey, [Y/N],” he called over his shoulder, “Would you bring me the box of Skiving Snackboxes?”

Stretching and reclining even more into her chair, [Y/N] replied nonchalantly, “Sorry, darling, but I’m on my break.” She winked slyly at him as he rolled his eyes at her once more.

“Oh, how could I forget?” George grunted, making his way around the counter to where both [Y/N] and the boxed merchandise were. As though asking for forgiveness, [Y/N] stopped him with a sweet kiss to the nose, smiling pleasantly. Unable to resist her, George couldn’t help but beam back, enveloping her within a loose embrace.

“Do you think I’ll be a good dad?”

His question made her giggle suddenly, pulling away just a tad to gaze at him fully. “Oh no–is the confident George Weasley doubting himself?” she gasped mockingly, eyes gleaming teasingly as George shook his head, amused. “If anything, I should be the one whose worry levels are higher than yours–I’ve heard so many horror stories about giving birth! One from Mrs. Godfrey that always comes in, Hermione, my mother–oh, and don’t even get me started on your mum!” [Y/N] finished with a laugh.

“My mum?” George raised an eyebrow, scoffing in disbelief.

“Yes! All of them concerning you–how she knew the instant you came out that you were going to be a troublemaker–”

George groaned in exasperation. “Really? Mum told you scary stories about childbirth? Meaning me? Unbelievable.”

“She still loves you though,” [Y/N] offered good-naturedly.

“Ah, yes, how could she not?”

[Y/N] stuck out her tongue. He stuck his out in return. They both laughed for a moment until George slid his hand to rest onto the center of her inflating stomach. “Just always know that I’ll be with you every step of the way,” he murmured, pressing his forehead to hers softly.

“And I with you, my dear,” his beautiful wife whispered in response before he placed a tender kiss of pure adoration onto her lips.

#george wealsey x reader #george weasley #george wealsey imagine #george weasley x y/n #George weasley x pregnant reader #weasley twins #weasley wizard wheezes #weasley fanfiction #harry potter fanfiction #hogwarts #hp fandom #weasley family #george weasly x female reader #george weasley fic #i dream in color #colors-of-the-heart

[liaromancewriter]

Finding a Path

Premise: Cassie is frustrated by the system and needs to vent.

Book: Open Heart

Characters: Cassie Valentine (F!MC), Max Valentine (M!OC)

Format: Text fic

A/N: I’m re-reading book 1. This text fic was inspired by ch 8, and takes place before movie night and after. Submission for @choicesdecember2023 National Twin Day

The next day

All Fics & Edits: @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @genevievemd @headoverheelsforramsey @lucy-268 @jamespotterthefirst @jerzwriter @lady-calypso @mainstreetreader @peonierose @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16 @rookiemartin @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

#open heart #open heart choices #choices fanfics #open heart fanfiction #choices fanfiction #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week #the valentine twins #cassie valentine #max valentine #open heart fanfic

[hopefulstarfire]

The second chapter (or episode one) of my fic, Twin Stars with Different Births, is now up! This is my yugioh oc fic that's definitely got its canon divergence here and there, filled with ocs from myself, my friends and my hubs, all connecting to the various characters of my favorite series.

Episode One follows along with Yugi solving the Puzzle and the various happenings around that time for his big sister Nana and her friends.

I hope you guys enjoy! The next chapter hopefully will be out around August!!

#kenz musings #yugioh #ygo #you painted colors in my heart i could never replace #twin stars with different births #yugioh ocs #ygo ocs #yugioh oc #ygo oc #fanfic #ao3 #archive of our own #yugioh fanfiction #my writing

[crescentbunny]

No Good Day

In honor of my favorite Commander's birthday coinciding with not just mine, but my bestie @mallaidhsomo's birthday, I decided a mash-up was overdue.

So, happy birthday Molly, and happy birthday Commander of my heart! Here's a little snippet of our chaotic Shepard's if they had been earth born twins in another universe. <3

__________________

Emery fisted her hand in the hem of her dirty tank top and stretched it to his nose. “Here.”

He smacked her hand away and wiped his arm across his face, smearing blood all the way to his elbow, and shot her a glare she rarely ever saw directed at her. 

“This woudna happened if you’d left well enough alone,” he said angrily.

Guilt clenched through her belly, but a dark dribble sped past his lips, so she tried again to hold her shirt hem to his bleeding nose.

Eric sighed, but he didn’t yank away from her this time. “Why’d you go and do that anyway? You know what messing with Lark means.”

Her tears welled, hot and angry immediately. “Because he’s an asshole,” she spat.

He fixed her with a look, despite his swollen eye that was already purpling. “I should’ve just let him hit you.”

His mumbled words hung visibly in the cold air, and somehow she felt like she’d gotten that punch anyway.

The rain was the only sound between them, loudly pinging off the metallic awning of the stoop they were huddled in.

He was soaked to the bone, his baggy clothes sticking to him and black street grime went all the way up his thin legs. He looked so small and miserable, and she probably looked exactly the same.

This was not how she’d been thinking this would go at all. The entire day had been a fat mess.

Just like her.

She opened her mouth, but a Lonestar shuttle blasted by somewhere close, its siren and thrusters seeming to rob her of the right words as they drowned out even the pounding storm.

Rain was pouring down her face in thick streams, and plastering her ponytail uncomfortably to her neck - and that suited her just fine, she could let the tears go and he wouldn’t even know.

“He took my money,” she grumbled, then turned away from him to blindly watch the tourists shuffling by the dim alleyway.

“What?!” Eric exclaimed. “God, Em, I got socked because he took a measly coupla cen—”

“No! He took 10 whole credits from me!” she cried. “And they were mine! I spent all day helping Mrs. Lee clean that shitty little shack to get that!”

He blinked up at her, but before he could continue she put her foot on her sopping windbreaker and yanked it to them, then bent awkwardly to scoop it up off the toe of her boot while keeping her shirt firmly under her brother’s nose.

Emery shoved the jacket into his lap. “Here. It’s for you.”

He sucked in a shuddering breath around her wet shirt and gently unwrapped her present.

“Oh…Em…” he trailed off.

“It wasn’t a waste,” she vomited the words at him, knowing his likely protests and trying to head them off. “It's not replicated - I went all the way up to Greenwich for it.”

He held up the clear plastic container to the flickering stoop light to get a better look at the dark piece of chocolate cake inside of it.

“Why?”

Emery shuffled her feet. “Well, it's our birthday right? You said it was probably sometime in February.”

Shadows of emotions passed across his face, but with his fat eye she couldn’t tell if they were good or bad.

The container crinkled and popped in his grip.

So, she hurriedly continued. “And you’re a teenager now. That seemed….” she trailed off.

Eric tugged on her arm until she sat next to him, then he popped open the lid of the cake and eagerly shoved a goey piece into his mouth.

“Mmm,” he hummed, then held the container out under her chin and impatiently shook it. “You’re 13 now too, you know.”

Emery’s stomach growled loudly as she stuck her fingers into the frosting. It was every bit as soft and perfect as it looked in the glass case, but nothing prepared her for the absolutely overwhelming creamy sweetness of real.

So she savored that bite, curled shivering into her brother’s side while blood dried on his face.

“Worf it?” she asked with her mouth full.

Eric nodded and swallowed another bite. “Yeah. I’m sorry I said that — I’m glad I didn’t let him hit you, Em.”

She snorted. “Because I'm the most thoughtful sister ever?”

He stuffed another piece in his mouth and talked around it. “No, becuf I still look goof even wif a black eye — you’f look like a vorcha.”

Emery punched him in the arm, and they both dissolved into laughter muffled by chocolate cake.

#mass effect #commander of my heart #cbunwrites #mass effect fanfic #mass effect fanfiction #twin shepards #Emery and Eric would be chaos incarnate #the universe couldn't handle it

[merlinsbbeard]

When We Became I A George Weasley microfic. Words: 214, CW: mentions of death.

George’s reflection was the image—short of an ear—of the man he would kill to see again, but couldn’t bear to look at. His own hair was strangled and wiry, his freckles more pronounced on transparent skin, and the usual glint in his eyes had died. Dead.

Fred was dead, and George was as good as.

Half-sketched Weasley Wizard Wheezes prototypes lay curled on their—no, his—desk, thick with dust. Sentences hung in the achingly fresh air, though George barely spoke in the first few months. The empty half of the room still cluttered with possessions but absent of life. Constant reminders—all of them—of the earth that was leeching the life from his brother’s decaying limbs.

It was eight months before George attempted a spell again. Nine before he was successful. Until then it was as if the magic had been sucked out of him, like the bathtub that drained the soapy water tainted with sorrow.

Mornings were the worst, some would argue. Waking up and remembering. The curse of knowledge. The longing for ignorance. These paled in comparison to the nights; those late nights when George, awake in bed, considered calling out to his brother as he had done many times before. Perhaps, this time, he would call back.

read on AO3

#writing this broke my heart #george weasley needs a hug #microfic #harry potter #fanfiction #weasley twins #george weasley #fred weasley #loss #grief/mourning #suffering #golden trio era #post battle of hogwarts #fred weasley dies #merlinsbbeard #merlinsbbeard microfic

[nomazee]

i need people who write midoriya x reader to write about him with the intensity and complexity of the people who write midoriya character study fics on ao3

#i want cute stuff of COURSE #but i also want to cry and have my chest be torn apart and ache and bleed everywhere #i’ve actually scrolled thru so many pages of ao3 in the last few days it might be unhealthy #i kind of maybe don’t even try finding midoriya x reader stuff because i can get just as much satisfaction from like #those ten thousand word count bakugo izuku platonic twin flames fics those go insane. i NEED u guys to listen to me #the ones that make u nauseous with how strongly they write both of them as characters #i love the midoriya & (character) tags they bring me joy and love and wonder #i love. writers. i love fanfiction. thank u for tearing my heart out and stomping on it on the cold dead floor guys #nat says stuff #Also this is to say. please recommend good midoriya fics to me. much love. #under 30k words because i CANT HANDLE ANOTHER SERIES ILL DIE #maybe i’m looking in the wrong places and tags bc all the mha reader insert fics i’ve seen r not what i’m looking for #and i do NOT believe that nobody at ALL is writing the very specific niche fics that i want

[hecckyeah]

you feel like home

(on ao3)

.

.

.

Luke dreams about a girl he’s never met.

Her face is blurred and her words sound like they’ve traveled miles, but he knows she’s a friend. 

She’s not mean to him like the kids at school, and even though he can’t remember the sound of her voice when he wakes up, she has a soothing presence and he walks to the kitchen in a happy daze.

In his dreams, he tells her about his life. 

He tells her about the kids that tease him for not having parents, but he tells her, about his Aunt Beru and her famous blue-milk cheese, about how Uncle Owen is teaching him to fix droids, about how all he wants to do is learn to fly a ship. 

The girl always listens, and even though he can’t see her face she always smiles.

She doesn’t tell him much. 

She says her life is boring and she feels trapped in a prison most days. But she likes watching ships fly by, and she has a little droid called Lola and she loves her dad more than anything in the world. 

In the nature of a dream, he never questions her reality. 

He’s dreamt about far-away places before. He’s seen entire planets filled with green and blue. He’s waded waist-deep into water, which should be impossible. 

But those sensations have stayed with him and plagued him and in school they learn about other planets so dense with plants you can barely walk, and that seems utterly impossible, so he wonders if this girl could be real, too. 

Sometimes he dreams about the girl sitting on a cliffside, kicking her feet over the open air. Sometimes he sees her in a classroom that looks vastly different from his own, her head resting on her fist while she draws ships and speeders on a blank spot on her holopad. Sometimes they’re running through an open field together at breakneck speed, shrieking with laughter while two adults call out to them from behind. 

He dreams about those adults too, sometimes. 

There’s one dream he never forgets. His whole life, he’ll remember.

It’s of a man and a woman, but they’re not Owen and Beru. The man is tall and kind with an aura of all gold. And he’s holding the girl on his shoulders. The woman is crouching down to Luke’s level, brushing a piece of hair out of his eyes. She’s warm and wise and happy. Like all his dreams, he can’t see their faces. But he knows he loves them.

The man jogs around the room while the girl laughs, muffled and distant but a welcome sound to his ears. The woman tugs on Luke’s shirt sleeves, straightens something that’s hanging from his back, and wraps him in a hug so warm and kind and overwhelming that Luke wakes up with tears staining his pillow. 

He can’t remember their voices and he’s never seen their faces, but he never forgets them.

And he still dreams about the girl. 

.

.

.

.

.

The last time Luke dreams about the girl, it’s a different kind of dream. 

Sometimes he catches glimpses of a city, or of the girl hunched over a desk, or of mountains, before he’s jarred awake again. 

But this time, he’s running.

Sprinting behind her as fast as he can as she races down cramped white hallways, and he’s filled with a sense of urgency. A sense that nothing has ever been more important than today. She’s panicking but trying to hide it.

He sees flashes of white. Blue. A distant red glow that seems to approach, closer and closer . . .

And suddenly he’s awake. Staring at his ceiling. 

Somehow, he knows that was the last time he’ll ever dream about her again. He can’t explain the feeling, but it follows him all day. 

He’s uneasy. 

The dream slowly fades from his memory, but there’s a gnawing, empty feeling in his stomach as he does his morning chores, inhales his breakfast, and takes the stairs two at a time while Uncle Owen leads him out into the blazing sunlight to do Luke’s least favorite thing in the whole world: barter with Jawas.

The droids are filthy. He doesn’t mind cleaning droids and taking care of them. It comes naturally, in a sense. But these droids have what seems like decades-worth of scum and carbon scoring in every crack and crevice. He can only imagine what they’ve been through.

The rebellion, the protocol droid says. They’ve seen battles, at least. Maybe he’ll be able to pull some stories from the R2 unit’s memory banks later. 

And when he yanks the piece of hardware free and the flickering blue holo appears, it’s more than just shock that sends Luke falling back onto his seat. 

There’s something so incredibly familiar about this girl that he can’t quite put his finger on.

Something about her movements and the tone of her voice that he just knows. He could never have met her before, but he knows her.

The feeling won’t leave him alone.

.

.

.

.

.

Luke doesn’t dream as much anymore. 

When he does, they’re filled with the low hum of a lightsaber. Hot, searing flames as he runs helpless through his childhood home. Black gloves and a black mask. The old, kind, wise eyes of his first master. 

The girl from his dreams is gone.

He expected as much.

But he’s lucky: Leia feels a lot like that girl. 

Maybe it’s just because of her constant presence in his life – his voice of reason when he’s not sure of the way forward. She’s always right there when he needs her the most, and he swears to always be the same for her. She’s a breath of fresh air in a stormy, suffocating galaxy. 

So it’s not exactly jealousy that he feels when Han starts making moves on her. Instead, he can feel the rage and confusion sweeping off of her like it’s his own. And it makes him upset for her. 

When she’s exhausted, beaten down, and utterly hopeless after a long week of running and fighting and losing rebels left and right, he can feel every emotion with her. 

She feels like his last anchor holding him down to reality. They’ve both lost everything, and they’re the same age, and they’ve been through so much together. Maybe that’s why he feels so protective of her. 

Maybe that’s why he dropped everything to go save her, even in the face of Ben and Yoda’s warnings.

Maybe that’s why she feels like home.

.

.

.

.

.

It all makes sense.

The news should have shocked him more. It should have made him physically retreat, questioning everything he’s ever known.

But instead, he comes to the conclusion himself. He accepts it; embraces it.

Of course she’s his sister. There couldn’t have been any other option. 

He’s always known. 

She’s the girl from his dreams, because of course she is. It’s the same warmth, the same strength, the same comfort. The feeling of being home, of being known. He should have figured it out sooner.

She’s the piece in his life he’d always felt was missing. 

And when he tells her the truth, her reaction is the same.

I know. 

Somehow, I’ve always known.

And just like that, everything is right with the world. His mission could fail, the Emperor could win, the galaxy could be torn to shambles, but everything would be okay because he finally has his sister.

.

.

.

.

.

(Leia dreams about a boy she’s never met . . .)

.

.

.

#space twins #luke and leia #luke skywalker #leia organa #inspired by the #kenobi series #sibling feels #i love these two with my whole entire heart #star wars #fanfic #star wars fanfiction #writing

[maniacwatchestheworld]

Hearts Made Monochrome | Part 2: Running Away

This chapter can also be read on AO3 Words: 5635 Pairings: Ingo & Emmet (familial/platonic), No romantic pairings Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Angst With a Happy(?) Ending, Pokemon/Kingdom Hearts Crossover AU (More Pokemon than Kingdom Hearts. That is to say, Pokemon characters in a Kingdom Hearts or adjacent universe. You shouldn't have to know anything about Kingdom Hearts nor its lore to understand what's happening here.) Warnings: Child abuse/neglect, dehumanization, cannibalism if you squint, offscreen deaths Summary: He lost his Heart. Ingo was just a kid when he was taken, experimented on, and turned into a Heartless, all against his will. But from his body, a Nobody who decided to name himself ‘Emmet’ was created. And while the Nobody’s creation may have been unintended, fortunately for Ingo, this Nobody wants to help him escape. Ingo is a Heartless. Emmet is his Nobody. They may have never asked for this to happen to them- for them to have been torn apart and created like this. But now that they do exist like this, they’re going to do everything that they can to survive. Together as Heartless and Nobody. Part 1

Note: It/its will be used interchangeably with he/him pronouns for Ingo and Emmet throughout this story, primarily for the sake of clarity and variety. (The Gay Smut Pronoun Conundrum and all that, you know. When everyone is ‘he’ things can become a clusterfuck fast!) This is Pokemon so I am using it/its pronouns affectionately. However the characters within the story do not necessarily share the same sentiment.

Once again, huge shoutout to @penquinlori for beta reading this fic! We pretty much made this AU together, and they've been super helpful with everything regarding this AU! They're absolutely lovely and deserve all of the love!

-

Emmet had kept his word and returned to see Ingo the next day.

“Try to look like me,” he instructed the vague figure in front of him.

It was already an improvement. When he had entered the chamber containing the Heartless, he could tell that Ingo was trying to pull itself from the ground- that it was trying to become a physical being. Emmet just had to help it up, lending a hand to pull it from the floor.

Ingo studied its Nobody’s face for a long moment before casting its eyes down, focusing. Its wispy form began to settle, becoming more defined and solid until it looked like a perfect silhouette of its Nobody. A black shadow shaped like Emmet, but with no clothes nor features except for its own glowing yellow eyes.

Emmet nodded in approval. This was truly promising. “Very good!” he complimented with a smile. Ingo for its part did not have an expression that could be read, but Emmet assumed that the way Ingo vibrated as he held its hands was a good sign. “Now let’s see if we can get you to walk.”

Emmet did not let go of Ingo as he stood. “Your turn.”

Ingo hesitated before trying to move its legs underneath it. Its movements were clumsy and infirm, but slowly it began climbing up Emmet, its legs shaking as they took its weight. Emmet was helping his Heartless up where he could, but it was Ingo who needed to bring itself to its own feet.

It was slouching and clinging to Emmet for dear life, but Ingo was standing, even as its legs trembled under it.

“Okay…” Emmet whispered as he took a step, careful to not let Ingo lose its support. “Do you think that you can do that?”

Ingo nodded as it tried to move a foot forwards, but its foot seemed to be stuck to the floor. After a few tries, it was finally able to remove its foot from the ground with a squelching sound and move it forwards in a tiny step.

Ingo lifted its other foot and tried to move it forwards to finish bridging the short distance that Emmet had moved away from it, only to trip and lose its concentration, melting back into a shapeless blob on the floor. Ingo let out a sad sound that made the other Heartless look their way and put Emmet’s teeth on edge.

“Nonono! You did a good job! It’s okay! You’re okay! This was your first time trying to walk! You did great for your first time!”

There seemed to be a question in the way Ingo looked up at Emmet as he knelt down beside the puddle of shadow, grabbing handfuls of it, pulling it back up from the floor.

“I… Did…?”

“Of course you did. Now come here.”

Ingo tackled Emmet backwards onto the ground in a hug.

“... Ingo…” Emmet sighed, burying his face into the shadow. “Keep practicing. After we escape, you’ll need to be able to move on your own. For now, I’m willing to carry you, but if we’re going to survive out there, you need to be able to look human. It’ll be harder for me to protect you if you can’t. You understand, right?”

Slowly Ingo nodded.

“Good. And remember. We have to keep this a secret.”

“Se… Cret…?”

But before Emmet could say anything else, a voice came on over the intercom. “Nobody, your time is up.”

Emmet turned towards the glass and nodded. “I have to go, but I’ll be back soon. Promise. Until then, keep practicing.”

-

“What’s that on your shirt?”

The Nobody glanced down to where the scientist was pointing. “... Stains.”

“I can see that. But they weren’t there when you went in. What are they?”

“... Ingo was crying. I suppose that Heartless tears stain.”

“He can cry?”

“... He’s probably been crying ever since he woke up as a Heartless- ever since you created him. You don’t need to sound so suspicious. The other Nobodies will replace it. You really didn’t notice?”

“Heartless can be very deceptive when they want to be. It could be a trick.”

“... Or we’re just kids and he’s scared because you put him in a very traumatizing situation.” He rolled his eyes.

“Watch your tone. Remember who you’re talking to, Nobody.”

“Emmet.” He corrected with a tone of finality.

“... What was that…?”

“Emmet. I am Emmet. If he is Ingo, his name meaning, ‘in’ then since he is now a Heartless and I am his opposite as a Nobody, then my name should mean ‘out.’ So Emmet. That is my name. That is what I decided my name is, since you didn’t give me one.”

“You’re a Nobody. You don’t need a name.”

“... If you made another Nobody what would you call me then? I am Emmet,” he insisted, “I may be a Nobody, but I want you to call me Emmet.”

-

It took him some time, but Ingo figured out what it was about Emmet that made its presence feel so reassuring each time it was here.

He no longer felt like he was drowning. When Emmet was here, it felt like he had a line- something to hold onto to give him stability. Something that could help keep his head just a little higher and out of the water. It didn’t mean that he couldn’t still sink beneath the waves and drown, but it was something. A start.

Ingo did not understand the words that Emmet often said to him. Something about Hearts and Darkness and Heartless and Somebodies and Nobodies. But Ingo did get the sense that they were related somehow.

He didn’t know what the nature of this relationship was or what it entailed, but maybe it was this relationship that was keeping Ingo’s head above water. Or maybe it was Emmet’s kindness.

He supposed that it didn’t really matter either way. He just knew that he felt better with Emmet at his side. As long as Emmet was here and would keep being there for him, he felt that everything was going to be alright.

Emmet’s fingers were interlaced with Ingo’s as his form gradually solidified and began to look human, if featureless.

“Good. Now try to match my skin tone.”

Emmet watched as Ingo focused, eyes narrowing, as some sort of black film seemed to peel back from his fingertips, revealing a fleshy color underneath. The color progressed down Ingo’s arms until it reached his elbows before Emmet interrupted him. “Alright. Good. Your coloring’s improved. Now try your face.”

This was always a little more difficult for Ingo. He focused, and while it took a minute, the black film began to peel back, revealing imitation skin underneath. In time, the lower half of his face began to look very human. A nose, chin, ears, lips caught in a perpetual frown, and the beginnings of a neck could be seen. But the upper part of his face remained in shadow, his eyes continuing to be orbs that glowed with yellow light, and entirely inhuman. Emmet was nodding in approval as it watched, but couldn’t keep the surprise from its expression as hair began to form on Ingo’s head, straight, white, and angled, perfectly mirroring its own.

“Now you didn’t need to do that. We should be able to get along just fine without you having hair.”

“Want to… Look… Like you.”

Emmet sighed. “Well, I do look like you, so I suppose that only makes sense…”

“What does… That mean…?”

“You don’t need to worry about it.”

They had been at this for a while and thankfully Ingo was making fast progress. While his attempts at a human form often still bore the telltale signs that he was a Heartless- antennae sprouting from his head, large beady yellow eyes that glowed in the dark, fingers ending in points- Ingo’s ability to take on a physical form was getting better and better. He was able to become more physically solid and present with each attempt and more quickly. His fidelity to the human form was growing better and becoming more accurate the more he practiced. He was growing to be able to manipulate his body and the limbs he manifested from it with more ease. While in the form of a shapeless shadow, Ingo had learned how to move however he liked freely and at will. Walking was a slightly different story, but while he was not very certain in his steps and clumsy, he was now able to walk without falling over after a few steps. And while they would still need to clothe him in a way that would hide his various inhumanities, now that Ingo had gotten decent enough at being able to appear human, they would soon be ready to escape.

-

“You really should just cut it out with the expression already. It’s creepy on you.”

“... You mean the smile…?” Emmet asked in a perplexed tone.

The scientist nodded. “We both know that you don’t have any emotions. You’re unable to feel anything. Your smile is fake. So why do you keep pretending?”

“... You’re always smiling, and it seems to help you get what you want.”

“But I’m human and you’re not. Who do you think you’re fooling with that?”

“... Not you, certainly…” He shook his head. “I don’t know that I’m trying to fool anyone. I just… I’m not angry. I’m not sad. I’m not happy either, of course. I just don’t want people to think that I’m… Something that’s worth looking at…” He supposed that it was more of a survival instinct than anything.

“Well, you should quit it. It doesn’t suit you.”

Emmet’s smile widened just a little more. No, he didn’t think that he was going to. It was good that he wouldn’t have to deal with the scientist for much longer.

-

It was chaos. Nobodies roamed the lab’s halls, and the escaped Heartless chased after anyone who had survived the initial attack. There were bodies. Somewhere a fire had broken out and wasn’t being tamed. Screaming could be heard, only for them to be cut short and fall to silence. Meanwhile Emmet was helping Ingo get dressed, the two still in the cell that had previously contained the Heartless that were now stalking the halls, hunting for any surviving researchers.

“Here. Try to tuck your antennae into this,” Emmet suggested, handing Ingo a cap. “Try to keep the brim low. We don’t want anyone seeing your eyes.”

Ingo nodded as he took the hat. It took him a minute to figure out how to fit the protrusions poking from his head- whether they were supposed to be more like antennae or horns, Emmet was not certain at this point- into the hat, but he eventually found something that worked. In the meantime, Emmet was wrapping a scarf around the Heartless’ neck, trying to cover as much of Ingo’s pitch black skin as he could.

Once the hat was on, the brim of it pulled low over his eyes, Ingo glanced between the two of them before fixing a long stare at Emmet.

“There we go… That should hopefully do the trick…” Emmet looked over its handiwork before noticing how Ingo was staring at it. “What? What is it?”

Ingo pointed between the two of them. “Matching.” The two were indeed wearing identical but palette swapped outfits.

Emmet rolled its eyes. “It was the other Nobodies’ idea. I’m not a huge fan. If anything, I think that it’ll make us more suspicious.”

Ingo let out a sound as he shook. A gesture that took Emmet a moment to realize was something like a laugh or a snicker. “Twins.”

Emmet let out a sigh, taking Ingo by the hand. “Well, I guess you’re not wrong. Come on. We need to get out of here before-”

“What have you done.” The two turned to see the scientist standing in the open doorway.

“... I didn’t think that you would be coming to work today, sir.��

“What do you think you’re doing, Nobody.”

“... I’ve already told you that I want to be called Emmet. And isn’t it obvious? I’m taking Ingo. I’m freeing him. We’re leaving this place. Together.”

“And what makes you think that you have any right-”

“We’re at war, sir,” it interrupted, deliberately cutting the scientist off.

“... War…?”

Emmet nodded. “People like you get to live in the light. You make beings like us- Heartless and Nobodies- live in the dark. I never had much interest in working with you. I just wanted to beat you. Not that you made it very hard. You never thought to put in any precautions against Nobodies, did you? I guess that you never thought that you would have to. Nobodies don’t usually help Heartless out after all, I guess. Even if we are on the same side.”

“You’re doing all of this… Just to beat me…? Is this some kind of game to you!?”

“... Why not? You have no problem playing with people’s lives. And if this is a game, then I’m going to win it!”

“Win… If your intention all along was to beat me, then why were you trying to spare me from… This?”

“... Why win by a margin when I can go for total victory? You can’t know that I beat you if you’re dead. Isn’t it more fun if I completely humiliate you in my victory? Destroy your research, take the fruits of your labor as winnings for myself? I wanted you to know that there was nothing you could have done to stop this. Besides. I couldn’t risk you becoming a Heartless and joining our side.” Emmet’s smile widened mockingly. “After all. I don’t want you. Now leave.”

“Why you little-! You can’t threaten me!” Instead of leaving, the scientist marched directly towards the two boys, grabbing Emmet by the arm. He raised a hand to strike the boy, but before he could, there was a sudden and suffocating pain in his chest.

“Don’t… Hurt him.” Ingo growled. His arm was plunged deep into the scientist’s chest, claws tenderly wrapped around the scientist’s Heart.

The scientist froze as he realized the gravity of his situation.

“Let… Go.” It was an order.

The man wasn’t about to argue with the angry Heartless and immediately let the Nobody go, lowering the hand he was going to strike the boy with.

Ingo was heaving deep breaths in and out, a black smoke beginning to leave his mouth. His body was seemingly shifting and swelling, looking like he was going to burst from the clothes that were barely containing him at any minute. His mouth morphed into a jagged line that only emphasized the frown on his face. An unnaturally long, pitch black tongue rolled out from behind pointed teeth. “Hun… Gry…” Ingo could smell the darkness in the man’s heart, and it made him feel all the more famished.

“Drop it, Ingo,” Emmet ordered. “I’m not hurt. You can just drop it.”

There was a moment of hesitation. Ingo wanted to refuse the order. To just rip the scientist’s Heart out and feast on it. He was certain that it would taste delicious. But ultimately Ingo let go, falling back to Emmet’s side.

The man collapsed to the ground. He was panting, catching the breath that he didn’t realize he had been holding. Meanwhile Emmet started fussing over the Heartless.

“Now now. It’s alright. Just calm down. We can’t have you tearing any of these clothes. It would be difficult to find something to replace them on such short notice.” Emmet was closely examining Ingo’s clothes, pulling them back into place as Ingo’s form shrank back down to that of a boy’s, searching for any tears in the fabric or breaks in the seams. “Okay, I think that we’ll be fine.” Emmet let out a sigh of relief, seeing that Ingo’s disguise hadn’t been too badly compromised.

But Ingo was just staring at the man on the ground unblinkingly. “Hun… Gry…”

“Yeah, I know. We’ll find someone for you to eat soon, I promise. But we need to get out of here before someone calls the authorities.”

Emmet grabbing Ingo’s hand seemed to be enough to snap him out of his wild trance.

“Now come on! We need to go!”

Emmet led the way as they hurried down the lab’s halls towards the front exit. Once they were outside, Emmet guided its Heartless counterpart towards the nearest populated street before yelling out, “Help! Help! Please! Monsters! What the heck are those!? Monsters just tried to attack us down there! Help!” with as much emotion and conviction that it could pretend to have before heading in the opposite direction, making sure no one was following them as they vanished into the night.

-

As they continued to wander the streets, Ingo could not help but to stare up at the stars above them. They had really made it out. He was free. He didn’t think that it was going to be possible, but now here he was. Standing under the night sky, taking in the evening’s cool air. He didn’t even realize that he missed seeing the stars and moon until now.

“We’re here,” Emmet informed, only to look back and see how Ingo was staring up at the twinkling lights shining through the darkness overhead. “What are you looking at?” he asked after realizing that Ingo was not moving to follow him into the storehouse.

Ingo didn’t say anything, instead pointing to a patch of the night sky. Emmet looked up just in time to see a thin streak of light appear before disappearing again in an instant.

“Shooting star!” Ingo practically cheered, “Make… A wish!”

Emmet watched Ingo eagerly close his eyes as he made his wish. While Ingo immediately knew what he wanted to wish for, Emmet could only stare at the blank spot where the star had just been. A wish? Emmet couldn’t think of anything he wanted right now, much less something to wish for. So he just stared, digging in his head to find something, anything. But nothing came.

Ingo was practically bouncing when he opened his eyes again. “What… Did you… Wish… For…?” he slowly asked, words still being difficult for him to form.

Emmet just smiled. “You don’t need to worry about that. But are you excited to start traveling around up there?”

Ingo stared at Emmet with wide eyes for a full minute. “Travel…?”

Emmet nodded, leading Ingo into the storehouse where a handful of Nobodies and Heartless were already waiting for them so that they could be waited on. “We’ll be safe here for now, but the longer we stay here, the more likely it is that someone will find us. I want to get moving, to get off this world as soon as we can. We can start looking for transportation tomorrow. But then… Well... We’ll be traveling around up there among the stars.”

“Rea… Lly…?”

“Really really.” Emmet assured him, kicking off his shoes, but keeping his socks on as he crossed the concrete floor.

He passed by a table that had several food items sitting on it that the Nobodies had stolen for him. After picking a few that looked good to try, he sat down, letting a random Nobody tend to the cut he still bore on the sole of his foot. He opened a bag of what appeared to be some sort of candy and popped one into his mouth. It was sweet and chewy. Finding it agreeable, he began to consume one after another in quick succession, speaking with his mouth full. “We can also find you something… To eat tomorrow. Do you want one?”

Emmet offered the bag, already half empty, out to Ingo who, after a moment of consideration, shook his head. For his part Emmet didn’t know if Heartless could eat human food, but figured it was worth a shot. The texture of these were pleasing and he wouldn’t have minded sharing the experience. But admittedly he was eating the candies less because he felt hungry, but rather because the sensation of them was good and it distracted from a gnawing emptiness inside of him, filling it for fleeting moments before it came back again.

“Eat… Food… Humans…?” While it was nothing close to a full sentence, Emmet still understood what he was trying to get at. Ingo did not seem very happy to ask it.

“Unfortunately, yes. Now that you’re a Heartless, your food is Hearts and whatever Light and Darkness can be found within them. So that means that your prey are people. It’s not very good for us trying to stay under the radar, and technically speaking, you don’t really need to eat to survive. But I don’t want you to be hungry.” Besides, from what Emmet understood, the more he kept Ingo fed, the more powerful of a Heartless he would become. And he did want to know what Ingo was capable of, especially once he reached full maturity.

Ingo couldn’t help but to stare at the ground. The idea of consuming the scientist’s Heart had not bothered him, but now he was coming to realize that to satisfy this growing, gnawing, violent hunger inside of him, he may have to target innocent people… It didn’t sit well with him. Though he knew deep within his blackened heart that when the time came, he likely wouldn’t even hesitate.

After a few minutes of silence, Ingo’s eyes began to wander until they happened to drift towards the sizable scab on the sole of Emmet’s foot that the Nobody had just finished disinfecting and was now carefully wrapping in a bandage.

“What is…” Ingo pointed to Emmet’s foot.

“... Are you talking about the cut on my foot?”

Ingo nodded.

“Well, it’s just that. A cut.”

Emmet didn’t realize that wasn’t really what Ingo had been asking about.

“... How…?”

“How did I get it?” Emmet asked for confirmation, to which Ingo nodded. Emmet sighed. “When we were born- When you became a Heartless, and I started to exist- while you were put into a holding cell for observation… Well… I was chased out onto the street. Do you remember what you were wearing before we got separated?”

Ingo gave him a curious look. “Sep… Arated…?”

“... Yeah… I’m your Nobody. Everything that was left behind after your Heart escaped your body… Do you really not…?”

Ingo was still giving him that blank look, and when Emmet didn’t continue his sentence to elaborate, he shook his head. “Do not… Know… What…” Ingo was trying to get more words out, but it was to no avail. However it was just enough for Emmet to understand what he was trying to say.

Sharply turning to a random Shadow Heartless, he gave it a pointed look that may have looked angry if it was coming from anyone else. “You didn’t tell him about what he is now? Why didn’t any of you tell him!?”

The Shadow sank into the floor becoming a 2D shape, clearly trembling in fear. There was a tense silence in the air before a particularly brave Shadow started to click something to the human-looking Nobody who was clearly commanding the room.

After hearing what the Shadow had to say, Emmet slumped where he sat with a sigh. “Fine… Just… Don’t leave him in the dark like that ever again if it can be helped.”

The other Heartless in the room nodded their heads before going back to their business, many of the Shadows sinking to the floor in an attempt to stay out of trouble.

Ingo just watched all of this with an air of confusion, not having any idea what they were talking about. “What…?” Ingo asked.

Emmet merely shook his head. “... Okay. So, you know that you’re a Heartless now, right?”

Ingo thought for a minute. He knew that he was something… Different now. But he could never really put a word to what had changed within him up to this point. He knew that he wasn’t human anymore. Every instinct inside of him knew that. But ‘Heartless’ … Something about the term felt right to him. So Ingo nodded.

“Well, you became a Heartless after your Heart was consumed by so much Darkness that you couldn’t remain human anymore. I don’t know how, but that man somehow figured out a way to completely extinguish any Light in your Heart. Hearts consumed by Darkness tend to leave their bodies. Your Heart rejected your humanity and human appearance, and so left your body. You are that Heart. Like many of your kind, your corrupted Heart left your body and you were recreated as a Heartless. So after you left your body, what happened to it? Well, as it turns out, your Heart and will to survive was so powerful that it kept your body alive in your absence. And that’s me. Your body without a Heart. I was created out of your desire to live. And then you left me. That’s why I look like you. I’m your body. The one you left behind. You used to be me. I was born as you were leaving your body. Which was also when you were recreated as a Heartless. So in a sense, you can say that we were born at the same time. Twins.”

All of this was making Ingo’s head spin a little. “You… Are… Me…?”

Emmet shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know. I do know that you used to be me. But now we exist apart from each other. It’s hard to know what I am. I’m just a body without a Heart. I don’t know if I even exist, really. You need a Heart to actually have a strong sense of self after all. But I do know this. You are Ingo. You are Ingo’s memories and emotions and sense of self. You are everything that made Ingo exist as he was, and therefore you are Ingo. So that probably means that I am not Ingo. I don’t have any of that stuff. Memories, emotions, a sense of self. I am the absence of that stuff. I used to be Ingo, but whatever I am now, I’m not him anymore.”

“I… I see…” Ingo wasn’t certain that he fully understood, but thought that he was getting the gist of it.

“... So after we were created- separated… However you want to put it, you were put into captivity for observation, and I was chased off. He was only interested in you. Not me. You might remember that the only thing you were wearing when I was created was a hospital gown. You didn’t even have any socks or shoes on.” Emmet shook his head. “I was lost. I didn’t know where to go. It was dark and hard to see. My eyes don't glow and weren’t made for the darkness like yours are. So I accidently stepped in some glass. That was before they found me.” He gestured towards a group of loitering Dusks who waved back upon being looked at. “It was fine after that. They were able to clean and bandage it up. But it still hasn’t fully healed. I… I don’t want to damage or scar this body if it can be helped… It isn’t really mine after all... It’s yours…”

“I’m… Sorry…”

“... For what? There’s nothing for you to be sorry for. None of this was your fault. You couldn’t have done anything about any of this.”

“Still… Sorry. I understand… Your feelings.”

“... Feelings?” Emmet scoffed. “Were you listening? I don’t have feelings. You took all of those with you when you stopped existing in your body. Now come on.”

With his foot freshly wrapped, Emmet stood and started to once again lead Ingo through the storehouse. “You don’t need to keep wearing those clothes if you don’t want to, by the way. You can go back to your natural form if you’d like.”

But Ingo shook his head. “I like… Looking… Like you.”

“Suit yourself. But I’m taking at least some of this off.”

As they kept walking through the warehouse, Emmet was throwing off the outer layers of his outfit, strewing them onto the floor wherever he felt like until he was just in his pants and shirt. He knew that the Dusks would pick up after him and find a place for the discarded clothes.

It was only when the two arrived at a rather sizable pile of blankets and plush toys in some secluded corner did Emmet stop his confident stride. “This is where I sleep. You can sleep here too if you’d like,” Emmet informed Ingo before tossing himself onto the pile.

Ingo tried to copy Emmet’s movements, but once he fell onto the pile of toys, he was soon consumed by them, practically drowning in stuff and fluff. After flailing around for a few moments, Emmet grabbed Ingo by the hand and pulled him back up to the surface where he placed Ingo into the welcoming arms of a giant cat plush. The size of it would keep Ingo on top of the pile instead of sinking into the mass of looser toys around him.

Ingo blankly stared at Emmet for a moment.

“... What?” Emmet asked, not knowing what Ingo was staring at him for. But then Ingo broke out into that same laugh that Emmet had seen earlier as the reality of what just happened sank in.

“Almost… Drowned… A lot of toys.”

Emmet’s smile broadened just a little. “... Yeah, I guess there are.” Emmet tossed some blankets over the both of them and began to settle in for the night. “There’s a mattress somewhere under all of this… At least there used to be. Maybe the Dusks took it for some reason, I wouldn’t know. After the first night of sleeping here, they gave me a toy. I liked it, so they just kept bringing me more until… Well… You know.” He gestured to the massive pile of plushies they were laying on top of. Emmet started fiddling with the antennae of a nearby toy bug as he spoke. “I guess it’s nice… I do think that I like them… They’re soft… A nice texture. Good to squeeze.”

The expression on Ingo’s face was what Emmet assumed was the closest thing to a smile the Heartless could make. “Fav… Orite…?”

Emmet considered it for a moment, rolling around to find the right one before pulling out something that seemed to be some kind of massive eel. “I think that I like this one the most. It’s the softest one.”

Ingo gave the toy a good feel and squeeze before nodding in approval. “Good… Choice…”

Once Ingo was done with it, Emmet pulled it back in and wrapped his arms around it. “If the others find out, I think that we’d end up drowning in eels, so keep it secret, okay?”

Ingo snickered. “Promise.”

“... I guess that they’re just trying to be nice… We are the same after all… They can’t feel anything either. Nothing that isn’t physical at least. These toys feel good. I think that I’d like to feel more nice things like this,” Emmet yawned.

“Tired?”

Emmet nodded. “You look pretty exhausted too.”

It was Ingo’s turn to nod.

“It must be tiring having to keep that form up.”

There was a moment of hesitance before Ingo nodded again.

“You should get some rest.”

“Want to… Stay up… A little… Longer.”

“Alright. Suit yourself. But don’t blame me if I fall asleep on you.” Emmet snuggled deeper into the pile of toys.

There was a long moment of silence, and just as Emmet thought that he was going to drift off, Ingo spoke up.

“I’m glad… You… Saved me… I’m glad… You’re here.”

That caught Emmet’s attention just a little. “Don’t mention it. I was only doing it for selfish reasons anyway.”

“Selfish. Selfless. Doesn’t… Matter. Still… Grateful.”

Emmet just stared at the Heartless, blinking. He didn’t know what to say to that. “... Uh… Thank you…” It was all Emmet could muster.

“Never… Had a… Brother before. Glad that… I have… One now.”

Emmet let out a breath. “A brother you say?”

Ingo nodded before letting out a yawn. He started sinking into the giant cat, becoming incorporeal again. “I think... I’ll… Sleep now. Goodnight.”

“Yeah. Goodnight. See you in the morning.”

“See you… In the… Morning. Love you.” Ingo didn’t know what compelled him to say that last sentence. Maybe some kind of habit from a long lost memory. But either way, it just felt right to him. And with that he sank into the shadows, leaving only a black stain where he had lain a moment ago behind.

That last sentence shocked Emmet awake. Did Ingo really just say… No. He couldn’t have. The two barely knew each other, really. They hadn’t spent that much time together. Just some scattered hours together here and there. That wasn’t long enough to warrant… Right…? There was no way… Besides. He was just a Nobody. He was nobody. Certainly not anyone worth loving. There was nothing inside of him to love. And he was incapable of feeling something like that in return. He just didn’t understand it. And yet the words echoed in his mind over and over again.

Rolling onto his back, Emmet stared up at the ceiling, his mind swirling. He didn’t know what to think. Love… He wasn’t certain that he really knew what that was. And as he stared at the ceiling, waiting for the exhaustion of his body to take him away, he finally knew what his wish was. Deep within the hole in his chest where a Heart was supposed to be. He just wanted to understand.

#pokemon kingdom hearts au #submas fanfic #pokemon fanfiction #kingdom hearts au fanfic #submas au #kingdom hearts au #pokemon au #pokemon #kingdom hearts #submas #pokemon subway boss #subway masters #subway bosses #fanfic #fanfiction #ingo and emmet #emmet and ingo #subway twins #subway master #subway boss #heartless!ingo #nobody!emmet #hurt/comfort #angst with a happy ending #child abuse/neglect #dehumanization #off screen deaths #cannibalism if you squint #pokemon black and white #pokemon black 2 and white 2

[whereismymindnow]

Twin Hearts Chapter 3

Author's Note: *slowly creeps into existence*

I honestly can’t believe its March 2023. I didn’t realise the gap had been so long since I last updated. I am so so sorry! Being a student and full time veterinary staff can sure make time pass quickly!

I am so excited to present to you: the wolves!

I will never forgive the show for not introducing Klaus’ wolf form. It’s honestly heartbreaking that we never got to see his wolf!

Pairing: Niklaus Mikaelson x Twin!Original Female Character

Warnings: 18+ due to mature, darker themes. Twincest. Smut. Strong language. Death. Miscarriage. Murder. Vampire/Hybrid violence. Please read responsibly.

If this work is found anywhere other than Tumblr (@whereismymindnow) or Archive of Our Own (Mikki19) then it has been posted without my permission.

Twin Hearts Masterlist

—

Chapter 3: The Wolves

Rebekah flinched as another loud bang echoed from the upper floor followed by a low growl. She glanced at Klaus and rolled her eyes as he carried on his charcoal sketch of his twin. His dimples were prominent as he smiled and drew her eyes. Oh, those beautiful eyes that captured his very heart every time he looked into them. Those icy blue pools that had brought many people to their deaths; whether by her hand… or his.

"Niklaus, will you not see what is wrong with our sister?"

"Why don't you?" He replied smartly as Elijah clicked his tongue against his teeth. He knew exactly what was wrong. She was fighting herself.

"She will destroy the entire house at this rate." Rebekah grumbled and grabbed her jacket. "Call me when she has calmed down." Niklaus laughed to himself as his youngest sibling quickly exited the house.

"Nik-"

"I'm waiting, Elijah." Klaus, who realised his drawing would not get finished this morning, gently placed his drawing pad and charcoal on to the table and sat back in his chair.

"Waiting?"

"I'm sure you've noticed that her wolf is making her presence known. Her fangs have been out since sunrise." He snickered as his brother rolled his eyes. "She hasn't spoken to me for 3 days. Once she realises that she needs to run, then she will have to speak to me. She won't trust herself to release the wolf on her own."

"Or you could offer your help to her now? I tried to speak with her and nearly ended up with her fangs in my throat." Elijah retorted with a raised brow. "She needs you, so be there for her."

“I have tried and it only makes it worse. I don’t want to make her feel as though she is trapped. She told me that she felt cornered… I don’t want to make her feel that way.”

"Why don't you speak to me rather than gossiping like old women?" Pia stormed through to the lounge, blood trailing down her arms from when she put her fists through a glass cabinet, with her fangs bared. "I am starving."

"You're not hungry." Klaus stated sharply. Pia's eyes were glowing amber as she stared at her twin who remained relaxed in his chair. "You know you're not." He slowly stood and approached his sister; ignoring the growls that rumbled through her chest. "I will not have you lose yourself."

"You speak as though you understand how I'm feeling."

"I know that you're scared." Pia's eye twitched at his words. "I know that you're overwhelmed. I know that you need me, even if you don't dare admit that to yourself." He held his hands up and approached; once he was sure she wouldn't launch herself at him, he firmly gripped her upper-arms. "You need to let her run. You need to feel what it's like to truly be whole and embrace your wolf."

"She is angry too." Klaus thought his heart had literally broken in his chest at the sound of her small voice. The anger in her gaze had faded into sadness and longing. The bond in his chest felt like a heavy weight; like an anchor that wanted to drag him to the bottom of the sea. It was no longer the fluttering sensation that he’d grown up with and it made him feel sick. He was willing to do anything to make things right again.

“Go upstairs and choose a soft dress. We’ll go into the woods and we’ll let her take control for a while… I’ll be with you every step of the way, I promise.”

It had taken a bit of coaxing, but they’d finally made it into the forest. Nik could tell that his twin was nervous as she tugged at the hem of her dress and did her best to not catch his eye. He stood a few feet away and pulled off his shirt. He kept glancing at her as he dropped the material onto the forest floor and kicked off his shoes. Pia hadn’t said anything since he took her hand and slowly walked into the woods; his hybrids had scattered around on the grounds but didn’t follow the pair any further when Klaus gave a warning growl. No one but him needed to see his sister this vulnerable. His wolf felt like liquid fire under his skin as he growled inside his head. The wolf could smell his mate and wished to break free and claim her properly. It was taking everything within him to fight against the urge as he knew his sister needed to ease into her first transition.

“I fear it.” Pia kept her voice empty as she admitted the dread within her. She’d struggled so many times to control her fangs and feeling her wolf like this made her uncomfortable. What if she lost herself out there?

"There is nothing to fear." Klaus gently moved a stray piece of her hair out of the way and cupped her cheek with his hand. "Our wolves will be more interested in each other than anything else. They need to mate and unite as one to fulfil the bond. They have waited for so long, and now they have the chance to be together… finally.”

"If I trust you, then that doesn't mean that I forgive you for anything." She hated the fact that once she relinquished control to her wolf then their feelings would not matter - they needed to let their wolves do what came naturally to them. It was natural for her to mate with him, but Pia didn’t want Klaus to get the wrong idea and assume that that meant her vampire form would also be his. She wasn’t even close to allowing him to be intimate with her again, even now she felt uncomfortable at how his hand felt so right as it stroked her cheek.

"I know that, Pia, but right now you are in a lot of pain because you are holding back. You need to let yourself be free and embrace the fact that our wolves are no longer trapped."

"Free?" As far as Pia was concerned, she was still trapped. She was trapped by her fears of being awake after centuries of sleep and still not understanding the new world that she had been brought into.

"Yes, my love. We are finally whole and it is time for us let go of the bindings that have harmed us in the past. There is no one that can stop us."

"Very well." Pia stood and straightened the dress that Rebekah had gifted her. It was plain black and had 3/4 length sleeves; on Rebekah it would have reached just above her knees, but due to Pia's smaller stature the hemline stopped a little past her knees. It was a simple dress and the new fashions of the 21st century excited her more than anything. It was all so very different to how society used to make women dress in the 1500s. "I shall run with you, but once I am feeling well, I want you to tell me everything that has happened during my... sleep."

"Of course." Klaus' smile was fake, but he wore it well. If Pia was going to find out everything, then he would need all of his siblings to help him. She was going to be furious. He didn’t feel that he had the strength for another battle with his twin after they’d just overcome this one. "It would be best if you took off the dress first, Pia. I doubt Rebekah would be best pleased if it was ruined." Klaus tried to ignore the feeling of hurt that arose as she gave him an unsure look and shakily began to slip off her dress. She truly had lost all of her trust in him.

“Well? What do I need to do?” Pia felt a natural instinct to just embrace the wolf within her, but she was still unsure as to what would happen.

“Pia… I shall warn you that it may take a while for your body to complete its first transformation. Sometimes it can take hours for a wolf to transform for the first time.” She nodded and bit her lip from the anxiety that had begun to take over her. “I will transition once you have begun and will stay by your side to protect you. All you need to do is attach your mind and body to that of your wolf and she will do the rest. It will be so organic that you won’t even realise what is happening until the breaking of your bones begins. She will lead the way… just embrace her.”

“Okay…” Pia took in a deep breath and shut her eyes.

Come to me. You’re free now.

Suddenly the wolf stopped its pacing and a small whimper of excitement echoed through her brain. “Agh!” Seconds later a bone in her leg snapped and began to mould itself to a new form. Pia hit the floor but it didn’t register in her mind. She rolled onto her back whilst crying out and her eyes flashed to amber as her back arched and her spine twisted under her skin. Klaus stepped backwards as claws pushed forwards from her fingers and her teeth sharpened. He stared at her for what could have been an hour until he was sure that her transformation wasn’t far from being completed; her bones were still breaking, but a small covering of fur began to appear on her legs. It was a light tan colour with some grey flecks here and there. A smile appeared on his lips as he compared it to her wheat-coloured hair that matched his. His smiling stopped as an inhuman whine left her lips as her muzzle formed and more fur began to appear. She needed him now.

“It’s going to be alright.” He muttered before allowing his own body to morph into that of his wolf form. It didn’t take too long and a large wolf stood in his place; his wet nose nudged into Pia’s as she entered the final cycle of her transformation. Half an hour later and a panting she-wolf rose from her position on the floor.

Both wolves were larger than the usual werewolf to show off their modified strength, but Pia was still a little smaller than Niklaus. Their eyes were a bright amber colour to match their hybrid features and their coats were thick. Their fur was mostly a light tan, however the male had deep brown/black patches in his coat to make it appear darker and Pia had lighter grey flecks that scattered around and a golden brown colour at the tip of her tail.

The male stepped forward and rubbed his nose against hers before nudging her head down with a growl to show his dominance. Their tails wagged as they sniffed and licked at each other until the she-wolf playfully nipped at his ear and ran off through the woods. A loud howl was released from the male as he gave chase to capture his mate.

"So you saw them walk through here?" Rebekah questioned as Elijah motioned for her to follow him into the forest. He had waited for a couple of hours after seeing them disappear into the trees from his bedroom window, but they had yet to return so he began to get suspicious. It didn’t take long for him to ask Rebekah to accompany him on a short walk outside.

"Yes."

"Why would he bring her out here?" Rebekah let out a small shriek as a little bug flew into her face. She really did hate creatures sometimes! She wafted it away quickly and carried on after her brother.

"I do not kn-" Elijah stopped talking as a howl echoed through the area with a second one soon following. "Well, maybe there is our answer."

"Should we be out here if they are both in wolf form?" Yes, they couldn’t kill them with a bite, but that didn’t mean Rebekah wanted to experience the aftereffects should one of them decide to chew on her leg.

"I am sure that they are far too wrapped up in each other to even recognise our scent. I merely wish to see that they are alright and then we can leave them. They could be challenging each other for all we know." Rebekah rolled her eyes. She didn’t relish the idea of getting between two wolves to ensure her siblings didn’t maim each other.

“I say we just let Pia rip Nik’s legs off and leave her to it.”

“You don’t mean that.” Elijah smirked at the image. “He would deserve it though.” Rebekah snickered behind her brother in agreement. She silenced herself when he raised a hand and pointed towards a group of bushes to the left. Heavy panting could be heard along with light whining. Elijah grimaced and gently parted some of the branches before quickly moving backwards.

“What? What is it?” Rebekah hissed and frowned as her brother’s pale face turned to her.

“Let’s just say they aren’t fighting… and I am now scarred for life.” Elijah used his enhanced speed to grab his sister’s hand and pull them out of the forest.

“Oh my god! Ha ha! Your face!” Rebekah was hysterical as Elijah’s face remained pale. He rolled his eyes and made a show of straightening his shirt whilst his little sister wiped the tears from under her eyes. “I’ve never seen you look like that before!”

“You’re such a child.” Elijah lightly scolded as she carried on giggling all the way back to the house. He was never going to hear the end of this.

Pia kept her gaze ahead of them as she walked beside Niklaus back to the house. He wore a wide smile and there was a slight swagger in his step. All was as it should be. His wolf was bonded with his mate and his sister had experienced her first successful transition. What was not to be happy about? They walked through to the living area where Rebekah and Elijah sat; Elijah was pointedly looking at the book in his hands much to Rebekah’s amusement. She bit down her laughter and focused on her siblings. The pair of them were smeared in dirt with various bits of twig and leaves stuck in their hair. Slowly healing bites and scratches also littered their skin. Rebekah immediately saw her sister's face begin to crumble and took charge. "Ugh! Come on, Pea. You need to wash." Before Klaus or Elijah could protest the girls had already disappeared.

"Are you pleased, brother?" Klaus let out a deep breath and smiled at his brother, his eyes glittered with satisfaction and glee. He sank on to the sofa and stretched his legs out in front of him.

"My wolf is now sated and Pia will feel a lot better for it. She may not realise it now, but just because we are currently fighting, doesn't mean that our wolves should suffer for it. It is in their nature to want to mate; after all, it has been far too long that they have been separated."

"I suppose I can see your point." Elijah understood that it must have been hard for their wolves to be locked away for all these years and the need to release them would have increased dramatically since Pia’s awakening.

"However, we now have a bigger problem to face." Elijah inwardly groaned as he looked at Klaus for further explanation. "We have to explain to Pia everything that has happened since she was daggered... and that includes how Elena Gilbert lives only minutes away from here."

"And we both know how she is going to take to the news that another doppelganger has been born…" Elijah shook his head slowly. “This will be fun.”

"Quite." Klaus stated with a tight smile.

Oh, yes. What a party this was going to be.

---

“Okay, allow me to make this quite plain…

“You daggered our family because you wished to protect them…

“You built this New Orleans place into your own personal kingdom and only fled because Mikael became too close…

“You neutralised Rebekah because she dared to fall in love and proceeded to turn her beloved into a vampire - who apparently is also like a son to you - and then daggered her another time when she once again wished to leave you for someone she loved…

“Our eldest brother would rather have killed us all than live as a family…

“You killed our mother and she came back to destroy us, but was defeated by you all…

“Mikael is still out there somewhere and the only reason that I am standing here right now is because Rebekah had been snooping, otherwise I would have been kept neutralised until he had been dealt with…

“Katerina is in Mystic Falls without a care in the world, and there is another doppelganger, Elena, who you thought you had killed, but she was brought back and now she is the answer to creating more hybrids…” Pia stopped to look at her siblings who all nodded silently. “So, all in all, our family is in ruins and we are surrounded by people that wish to see us dead?!”

The sun had begun to set once Pia had heard all about the centuries that she had missed. She knew that she was being very brief and skimming over numerous other details, but right now she wanted to get the most important facts clear. Klaus had a son? Their mother was dead along with Finn? Katerina was still walking the earth and the third doppelganger was also here? Mikael was still tracking them?

“Yes, sister.” Elijah spoke quietly as he could see how tense Pia was and he didn’t wish for a repeat of when she first arrived at the house.

“So, whilst Niklaus isn’t innocent, and is perhaps the person that started off this chain of events, you have all tried to kill him?” Pia stopped her pacing and put her hands on her hips with a look of disbelief.

“Pi-” Kol tried to speak but was soon interrupted.

“Kol, I love you, but I do not understand how you could be so reckless! I do not agree with them neutralising you, however who knows what Mikael would have done to you! Should I have woken up and been told that my youngest brother was dead because his need to kill and cause chaos was greater than his need to survive?!”

“No…” He wasn’t used to feeling Pia’s burning gaze on him and immediately shrank back in his seat as she shouted. He wasn’t pouting. He definitely wasn’t pouting.

“And you teamed with witches to hurt Niklaus?”

“Yes.” Once again Kol wished the sofa would swallow him whole as she stepped towards him. He let out a sigh of relief as Pia swiftly turned to glare at her sister.

“Rebekah, you also tried to have him taken care of… but this time using Mikael of all people?!” Now finding this out hurt Pia too; Rebekah knew how much her father wished for the pair of them dead, and for her to run to him for help to destroy Klaus hurt her more than she cared to admit. If there was one thing that Klaus had truly feared back then, it had been Mikael.

“Yes…”

“Elijah, you too have made an attempt on his life?” The eldest brother kept a neutral expression unlike his younger siblings and merely gave a sharp nod in response. If Pia realised how intimidating she was then it would only add fuel to the fire that built up within her.

 “No wonder we are all so broken! We cannot even wish for each other to live so how are others meant to not want to kill us?! What happened to ‘always and forever’? We are a family!”

“I was never a part of that.” Kol chimed in foolishly. Pia spun around and vamped forwards; her arms grabbed either side of his chair and she leant towards his face with amber eyes.

“Kol, you have always been a part of my pledge of always and forever. I thought you would have realised that long ago, so shut your mouth unless you have something less childish to say.” Klaus quickly hid his smirk as she turned away from their youngest brother and willed her amber pools to fade back to blue. “We are nothing if we do not have each other. We may make allies and take lovers, but we are the Originals and we are supposed to be a team. Our story is meant to strike fear into people and ensure that our enemies know that we are unbreakable. I fear that if Mikael saw the state of us now then he would laugh because we are destroying each other rather being an immovable force.

“We are not children anymore; we are the strongest predators that walk this earth. We need to stop these childish games and be united… for if we cannot do that, then why are we even trying to stay together in the first place?” The fire in the room evaporated and a sombre atmosphere developed. Pia looked disheartened as she stared at her siblings who all glanced at each other with similar expressions. They would kill each other before their enemies even got a chance if they carried on like this.

“I agree, Pia.” Elijah was the first to stand up and take her hand. “The time has come that we renew our vows from all those centuries ago. The time has come for the Originals to show why we are the strongest beings on this earth.” Rebekah needed no encouragement and quickly held Elijah’s hand with a true smile on her face.

“Ugh! Can we make this quick? I despise all of these… feelings.” Kol quipped and took Pia’s hand; his lips curved upwards at the edges as he looked at Pia who literally glowed with happiness. Now, there was just one of them left to join the circle. Klaus shifted uncomfortably from his place on the sofa and took a large gulp of his whisky.

“Nik…” Rebekah mumbled as she feared that her brother would not join them. He glanced at his younger sister before locking eyes on his twin who raised her eyebrow at him. If he didn’t join them and agree to this new start, then she would never allow him near her again. “Please…” Rebekah would likely abandon him as well.

“I think you are what we have needed all this time to bring us back together as one.” Klaus directed at Pia as he stood and held hands with Kol and Rebekah.

The four remaining Original siblings looked at each other and to their hands.

Pia sent a smile up at Kol as she knew that even though he hid it well behind childish jokes and smirks, this meant everything to him to be included properly.

“Always and forever.” Pia stated firmly.

“Always and forever.” They repeated together.

Still endless days and nights I wait for you 'Cause deep inside this flame I know it's true

Forever starts today Forever we will be Forever's every day Forever faithfully

---Forever by In This Moment---

#klaus mikaelson x ofc #klaus mikaelson x oc #klaus mikaelson fanfiction #klaus mikaelson #klaus mikaelson x original female character #the vampire diaries fanfiction #tvd fanfiction #twin hearts fanfiction #twin hearts masterlist #twin hearts

[hot-cocoa-addict]

hi when i said i knew i needed to post the chapter it’s because i knew i wanted to post the second chapter of consequences. it’s mostly akechi and hamuko this time around, featuring a surprise POV from elizabeth

#persona 5 #fanfic #my fanfiction #fanfic contains shuake #except they're not together yet because they get together during the fic itself #tbh joker doesn't even know akechi is ALIVE right now this fic takes place after royal's third semester #and obviously joker is just gonna believe maruki because what else is he gonna do?? #elizabeth is from persona 3 #and hamuko is the name i went with for the persona 3 femc #because as a twin i DESPISE naming the femc and mc 'minako' and 'minato' #literally the names are so close like what the heck guys c'mon #we can do better i know we can #i say this with love in my heart i promise #and i'm sorry for rambling again but it's nearly one in the morning #oh!! also there's a lot of persona 1 and 2 characters in this #god i hope i'm writing some of them correctly i try so hard and yet always fear it's never right #i hope i'm writing some of them correctly i try so hard and yet i always fear it's never right #okay it's time to stop tagging now i need to post this so i can go to bed #consequences fic

[readychilledwine]

Hello, i just wanted to to start off saying i love your work!!!!! And I was wondering if i could request a Tamlin x Feyre's twin sister like there at a meeting with the high lords and Rhysand and Feyre decide to bring her and then her and tamlin lock eyes and the mating bond snaps into place for them, or something like that, the rest is up for you to decide! :) :)

Do you all remember the olden days of Twilight fanfiction where the oc/reader was Bella's twin and Jacob's imprint, but Jake didn't find out for quite sometime and then was like, "This explains it. It explains why I wanted Bella so badly. It wasn't Bella, it was you (insert Italian name)."

Aka I fucking loved this idea and dropped everything I was working on to write it. It's an angsty little piece.

Lost Bonds

Warnings - Told mainly from Tamlin's view of reader, angst, mentions of trauma, mentions of sex, unrequited love, one-sided mating bond

A/N - I can totally see myself doing something with this and making it a mini series.

Tamlin felt his jaw twitch.

You were an unexpected liability.

An foreseen circumstance.

A blessing and curse all at the same time.

And so fucking beautiful.

You were the most unique of your sisters, and it immediately told him which one you were. Y/n Archeron, Feyre's younger sister and twin. You stood out from her and Nesta, yet were flawless in your own right.

Long dark hair he knew would have came from your father was done so delicately, falling to above your hips in soft waves. A face that damn near was the identical match to your sister's, only yours held more freckles that seemed to dance like paint splatters landing in all the right places. You shared those blue eyes, though. Elain having been the only one to inherit the doe brown of your father.

Rhysand had dressed you immaculately. He had allowed you to wear a jewel toned blue gown. No doubt to ensure you matched Azriel, just as Nesta's jewelry matched Cassian. The dress was tight, clinging to your torso and accentuating your breasts perfectly to be on display each time to bend over to whisper into Azriel's ear.

His jaw tightened again, looking away from the two of you as it happened again. A shadow then curled your shoulders, your arm, through your fingers. Your gorgeous long fingers he knew were trained to play piano.

He knew damn near everything about you already.

And you only knew the worst of him.

He didn't know if you had felt it, but the second you two locked eyes after his third started insult towards your twin, he felt the sentence dying on his tongue, chest aching.

Rhysand had begun to smirk, settling into his seat while looking at Feyre, who's face fell before looking at her younger mirror image.

You'll never have her, a soft feminine voice rang in his mind. You will never fucking touch her.

Azriel stood, taking your hand as you cocked your head and removed you from the room. He one of his hands placed around your waist, resting softly on your hip as you leaned into him. "Excuse my dear sister," Rhysand purred, eyes locked on Tamlin. "She still exhausts easily after being stripped of her mortality."

"But what a gift," Nesta's eyes drilled into Tamlin. "To be blessed with beauty and immortality." The words were a stab in his heart. Sitting in his chest.

Words he had previously used to belittle your trauma.

The trauma his High Priestess, and in turn he, had caused you.

He would not lay eyes on you again until the war. Where he watched Azriel take you to his bed nightly. Where he heard Azriel pulling you apart, whispering to you his love and praise, and you returning it tenfold.

He watched you two pack after everything was over together. He watched as those scarred hands touched your flawless ones. He watched every joke Azriel would make land. He watched you be chased by him like a child. He watched each soft kiss.

"They're in love," Rhysand appeared next to him. "True, genuine, chosen love. Don't fucking ruin this for her. You've done enough." The High Lord of Night walked away. Joining Azriel in teasing the youngest sister and kissing the top of her head softly, eyes glaring directly into Tamlin's soul.

You'll never have her.

Those words rang in his head over and over becoming a mantra shattering even his heart of stone.

You'll never have her.

You will never have her.

General tag list:

@hnyclover @glitterypirateduck @slytherinindisguise @mischiefmanagers

#acotar #acotar x reader #send asks #send anons #send requests #tamlin x reader #tamlin x you #tamlin x y/n #azriel x reader #tamlin acotar

[liaromancewriter]

Anti Valentine

Premise: Cassie and Max commiserate each other on their most hated day.

Book: Open Heart (post series) Characters: Cassie Valentine (F!MC), Max Valentine (M!OC) Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (mentioned only) Format: Text Fic

A/N: This is inspired by @cariantha's Valentine's Day card reblog game and is set in current time. Since Cassie doesn't celebrate V-Day, I thought this was more probable than a card exchange. Submission to @choicesholidays prompt Valentine's Day; @choicesfebruary2024 prompt Anti-Valentine's Day

All Fics & Edits: @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @lucy-268 @jerzwriter @lady-calypso @mainstreetreader @peonierose @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16 @justyourusualash @socalwriterbee @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

#open heart #open heart choices #open heart fanfics #open heart fanfiction #choices fanfics #choices fanfiction #cassie valentine #max valentine #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week #the valentine twins #anti valentine's day

[yoonavii]

A father’s Warmth

Katakuri x Wife! Reader

Context: Katakuri is finally getting to bond with his children after being away for so long.

In the heart of Komugi Island, you and your husband Katakuri, the formidable Sweet Commander of the Big Pirates, embarked on a new journey as first-time parents to twin baby boys. Each day was filled with the sweet chaos of parenthood, as you lovingly cared for your boys, who clung to you with unwavering affection. Amidst his responsibilities as a commander, Katakuri was determined to forge a deep bond with his sons. He took breaks from his duties to be present in their lives, eagerly wanting to be the father they deserved. With a mix of uncertainty and affection, he approached his babies, his imposing figure softened by the immense love he felt for them.

At first, the boys seemed hesitant, their curious eyes studying their towering father. But Katakuri persisted, refusing to be disheartened by their initial reserve. He adorned himself with a soft scarf, its gentle touch offering comfort to his boys. Slowly, they began to warm up to him, their tiny hands tugging playfully at his scarf. You watched with a smile as Katakuri played with them, singing lullabies in his deep, resonant voice, and sharing stories of grand adventures on the high seas. You could see the connection growing stronger each day, as your boys came to see their father not just as a fearsome pirate commander, but as a pillar of love and protection in their lives.

One serene afternoon, you quietly peeked into the room to witness a heartwarming scene that filled your soul with joy. There, you saw Katakuri with his twin sons nestled close to him, wrapped in his scarf, and a look of sheer contentment on his face. “Daddy’s here,” he murmured softly, as if to reassure the boys that he would always be there for them. Unable to resist capturing the precious moment, you quietly used a transponder snail to take a photograph. The image captured the essence of fatherly love - a powerful figure finding tenderness and warmth in the embrace of his children.

As the soft rays of the setting sun bathed the room, Katakuri and the boys fell into a peaceful slumber, their hearts and souls intertwined in a bond forged by love and determination. In that small room on Komugi Island, the mighty Sweet Commander of the Big Pirates discovered the profound joy of parenthood, proving that even amidst the turbulent seas of the New World, the sweetest treasures of all are found in the tender moments shared between a father and his beloved children.

©𝐘𝐀𝐘𝐎𝐎𝐍𝐀— Any sign/evidence of plagiarism made from outside this name will be dealt with by whatever means necessary. Legal action may occur if non fanfiction works are plagiarized.

#one piece x reader #one piece headcanons #one piece x black!reader #one piece x you #one piece x y/n #op x reader #op headcanons #op hcs #anime x reader #one piece fluff #luffy #katakuri x y/n #charlotte katakuri #op katakuri #katakuri x you #katakuri x reader #katakuri headcanon #op one shots #one piece oneshots #anime x y/n #anime x black!reader #anime x poc!reader #anime fluff #anime scenarios

[raribella]

To Say “I Love You” Right Out Loud | JJ Maybank

summary: JJ revisits his childhood and how he grew up with you through every side of life until he finally understands why this makes you so special

pairing: JJ Maybank x Routledge!reader

genre: fluff, a spark of angst

contains: a combo of “Both Sides Now” by Joni Mitchell and Love Actually (2003), mentions of death and child abuse. John B and JJ are childhood friends in this. I don’t know how to write dialogue. Drug usage (beer, weed).

word count: 6k

author’s note: I was immediately triggered by Joni’s astonishing performance at the Grammy’s and by remembering that the song is in one of my favorite movies. This is my favorite fanfiction I’ve probably ever written and I put so much time and love into this I really hope you like it.

This is a work of fiction. I do not own the characters of Outer Banks nor any characteristic of the show. I am writing this story solely for my own entertainment and the marvel or comfort of any readers.

Rows and flows of angel hair, and ice cream castles in the air; and feather canyons everywhere. I looked at clouds that way. But now they only block the sun, they rain and they snow on everyone; so many things I would have done, but clouds got in my way.

College had finally ended. They had finally done it. Against all odds and contrary to the expectations of others, the pogues were finally free to embark on their own paths. And so, they gathered for one last celebration, a bonfire near the Cat's Ass, surrounded by shotguns, snacks, and reminiscing in the familiar feeling of just being together.

Spreading themselves along the space at the Chateau's yard, most of them ended up divided the comfortable water at the tub and the warmth of the fire, their laughter mingling with the sound of running water as they shared stories of what each of them could remember of their time roaming the Outer Banks as this fearless gang; the sentiment of each flashback was being intensified from the time they spent apart. As they were the pogues, it was not like their time together was abruptly interrupted, but the responsibilities and the minor distance happened during college, and they couldn't run away from it's effects; but the memories of those days seemed tattooed into their hearts and minds as they could recall every moment in lighthearted detail.

In a corner of the Cat's Ass, JJ found himself lost in a sea of memories, surrounded by the comforting embrace of his friends. You sat beside him in the water, the coolness soothing against your skin, while Cleo and Pope nestled comfortably at his other side. Outside, John B, Sarah, and Kie laughed and joked, their voices carrying on the night breeze. As he watched them, a faint, nostalgic smile tugged at the corners of JJ's lips, his heart heavy with the weight of their shared history, thinking back on how far they had come. They had started as a trio—himself and the Routledge twins, bound together by fate and circumstance.

The tree of you lay sprawled out on the sand for what seemed like hours, your eyes tracing the ever-changing shapes that danced across the sky. Castles, pirates, turtles—your imaginations ran wild, weaving tales of adventure and intrigue as you watched the clouds drift lazily overhead. At nine years old, you had joined your brother and JJ just a few moments ago, after spending the afternoon at a friend's house watching a Christmas movie, "Love Actually," with her mother.

As you settled into the sand, JJ couldn't resist a playful jab at the movie, dismissing it as a "dumb chick flick." his mind still floated between that child-like distaste of girls and the appreciation of you tagging along with him and John B back then. You swatted at him, your tiny arms barely reaching his chest, but it only elicited a smirk from the blond pogue. It was nice for you to actually share a moment with a nurturing figure at the absence of your own mom, who had just recently left for Colorado. Besides, you had eaten a whole bag of M&M's that she bought for you to share and you really liked the movie, even if it was funny how sometimes Mia's mom would tell you to close your eyes, your ears, or how sometimes you didnt really catch why she was laughing at some weird scene. You just rolled your eyes and brushed JJ's comment off, suggesting the sky gazing then relishing in the opportunity to spend time with him and your brother.

Your days were often filled with moments like this, carefree and full of laughter, the sound echoing against the backdrop of crashing waves. JJ's mother would eventually come to fetch the three of you, ushering you inside for sweet treats and cozy nights spent squeezed together in JJ's tiny room. Or you'd spend hours playing in the grass, watching as the river met the sea, until Big John's bell rang out, signaling the end of another day. You would get home covered in dirt, JJs hair color nearing yours and your brothers, so you would have a nice shower and come out to your dad telling treasure tales and making you hot chocolate.

One day, as Big John finished building a set of three swings for you, JJ's parents arrived. Standing side by side, the couple had brought beer and peanuts to complement what your dad already had inside for the night. That day, you were playing for hours, your small frame struggling to mount the swing until the duo stepped in to help. John B had made a mess while trying to help you hop on, and  JJ stepped forward to push you, but in excited haste, he pushed too hard, and you tumbled to the ground, scraping your knee. As your first cry pierced the air, the adults rushed to your side, JJ's mother soothing your pain with stinging medicine and comforting words.

In the corner of your eye, you caught sight of JJ, guilt etched on his face as he watched you wince in pain. But your brother nudged him, urging him to shake off his guilt and claiming that this was just a mere blip in the larger scale of the adventure you lived today.

And as the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting a warm golden glow over the beach, Luke took charge, setting a bonfire ablaze near the ancient tree in the backyard. The flames flickered casting shadows that stretched out against the sand. You gathered around the fire, marshmallows in hand to be skewered and toasted, laughter filled the air and echoed into the night. The hours slipped away unnoticed, so as the night wore on and the fire burned low, reluctantly, you bid farewell to your blonde friend as he left with his parents.

The life you lived was simple; living in the less fortunate side of the island, you couldnt really enjoy much more than moments like these; the food wasn't fancy, the drinks weren't expensive, your houses weren't pretty and big, so you relied mostly in home made playthings and your own imagination, but you were happy that way; the youthful innocence made all the diferences between you and the kooks be seen with rose coloured glasses, and while in the company of your brother, your best friend, and the team of parents that you saw as guardian angels, it all just seemed warm. It seemed like it would be fine.

One day, though, just as the sky turns cloudy at the end of summer, signaling the onset of storm season, JJ's demeanor shifted, casting a shadow over his usual brightness. At fourteen now, he had been seeming distant and preoccupied at school for weeks, until one day after class, he reached out to you with a heavy heart. Fidgeting nervously, his hands clammy and cold, he confided in you about his mother's illness, the weight of the words hanging heavy in the air. Knowing how much his mother meant to you both, he sought solace in sharing his burden with you, trusting you with his vulnerability. "Mumma's sick, I think... been in the hospital for a while now," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I can't visit because I'm not sixteen yet... I- I wanted you to know, but you can't tell John B." And as you hugged him, you promised to keep his secret, the first one you kept just between the two of you.

And as JJ clung to you and John B in the solemn silence of the cemetery, the stark reality of their loss weighed heavily upon you, casting a shadow over your once bright and colorful world.. JJ's mother's absence lingered like a specter in their home, his father grappled with the weight of his grief, seeking solace in alcohol and spiraling into a downward spiral of despair. The once vibrant hues of their family life began to fade, replaced by the darkness of addiction and aggression. JJ watched helplessly as his father's temper flared more frequently, his outbursts leaving scars both physical and emotional. The sanctuary of their home became a battleground, each day a struggle to navigate the minefield of his father's unpredictable moods.

In the aftermath of his mother's passing and the turmoil within his home, JJ withdrew into himself, building walls around his heart that even his closest friends struggled to breach. He became increasingly unreachable, his once vibrant presence dimmed by the weight of his grief and the scars of his father's aggression. Some days, he would disappear altogether, only to reappear with a purple eye hidden beneath dark glasses, a silent testament to the struggles he faced behind closed doors. And when he did show up, his demeanor was somber, his face etched with a perpetual frown as he rejected activities he once enjoyed. Even cloudgazing at the beach became a source of frustration for JJ, as he lamented the impending rain or the end of summer, his words tinged with bitterness and resignation. As you and your brother looked on, helpless in the face of his pain, you could only watch as JJ retreated further into himself, the vibrant colors of his spirit muted by the shadows that engulfed him.

The tension crackled in the air as you confronted JJ, frustration bubbling to the surface like a storm about to break. "Why won't you just watch 'Love Actually' with me, like, once? It'd help distracting you, y'know!?" you demanded, your voice tinged with exasperation. "You can't keep avoiding fun, JJ. You can't lose hope and light just because things are tough."

But JJ's response was sharp, his tone laced with bitterness. "Those things are for kooks, y/n" he retorted, his words heavy with the weight of his pain. "Pogues can't afford to indulge in luxuries like love and hope. We have to focus on surviving you know."

Your heart sank at his words, feeling the distance between you grow with each passing moment. "If you really look for it, JJ," you countered softly, your voice barely above a whisper, "I've got a sneaky feeling that love is all around. Even for us Pogues." But JJ's expression remained hardened, his walls firmly in place as he turned away, the gap between you widening with each step he took.

John B stepped in a while later, his voice calm but firm as he defended his friend. "He's been through a lot," John B interjected, his eyes meeting yours with a mixture of empathy and understanding. "Give him time, he'll come around. I know he will."

But despite John B's reassurances, the weight of your worry and frustration bore down on you like a heavy burden. Unable to contain your emotions any longer, you sought solace in the arms of your father, tears streaming down your cheeks as you poured out your heart. "I didn't mean to be petty," you sobbed, your voice choked with emotion. "But I'm just so worried about how Luke has been treating JJ. I miss him, Dad. I miss the way things used to be." And as your father held you close, comforting whispers soothing your troubled mind, you cried yourself to sleep, longing for the comfort of simpler times and the warmth of JJ's presence by your side.

A few days after the heated exchange, JJ found himself drawn to the familiar solace of the beach. As he laid alone on the sand, the rhythmic sound of the waves echoing in the background, he cast his gaze upward, chuckling at the shifting shapes and colors of the clouds above. Yet, amidst the tranquility of the moment, a pang of longing stirred within him.

Reflecting on recent events, JJ realized that he had begun to see clouds from two distinct perspectives—from the highs and lows of life's tumultuous journey. But amidst the solitude, his mind drifted to an understanding; to how he seemed to have looked at clouds like this from two different perspectives now, from up and down, and still he would recall better colorful and elusive memory of your company. He remembered the joy of pointing out funny shapes at the sky with you and your brother, laughter echoing into the vast expanse. It was a memory painted in hues of warmth that contrasted with the darker shades of recent events. In that fleeting moment of recollection, JJ yearned to return to that moment exactly, to say sorry, at least. And alone at that same beach, he felt like he had a perspective of a future for the first time in a long time. He wanted to see if he truly knew clouds at all, or if there was a new side to it.

JJ was abruptly brought back to reality by Pope's punchline of a memory of his own; he was retelling the story of how he met Cleo at college, and how she wouldn't have passed half her subjects f it wasn't for him. As the group erupted into laughter, he did the same to mask the fact that he had zoned out for a minute, but JJ's gaze instinctively sought yours, his heart yearning for the comfort of your smile. And as his eyes met yours, a warmth spread through him, his thoughts drifting to another memory

Moons and Junes and Ferris wheels; the dizzy dancing way that you feel as every fairy tale comes real. I've looked at love that way. But now it's just another show, and you leave 'em laughing when you go. And if you care, don't let them know, don't give yourself away.

At sixteen years old, you had a full understanding of the dizzying, electric sensation that washed over you whenever JJ emerged from the sea, his board in hand. It was a feeling that stirred deep within you, igniting a spark that refused to be extinguished. Yet, despite the intensity of your emotions, uncertainty plagued your heart. You couldn't decipher JJ's true feelings for you; for every significant gesture or word he offered, there was an equal measure of aloofness or distance.

There were moments when JJ's actions spoke volumes, leaving you breathless with hope and anticipation. But just as quickly, he would retreat into himself, leaving you to question whether his affections were genuine or merely fleeting. And then there were the times when he would disappear into the crowd at a kegger, his attention captured by another girl, leaving you to grapple with the ache of unrequited longing.

Fearing the consequences, you kept your emotions hidden from your brother, John B, despite his keen intuition and suspicions about your lingering glances. Instead, you found solace in the companionship of Pope and Kiara, the only other pogue girl. Your friendship with Kiara blossomed rapidly, providing a safe haven where you could confide in her about everything, including the complexities of your feelings for JJ, seeking her guidance and understanding.

In December of that same year, a vivid memory remains etched in your mind—the day JJ was meant to pick you up from work and take you to the Chateau to meet up with the rest of the crew. Kiara had proposed the idea of a secret Santa, with the stipulation that the gifts could only be candy or chocolate—She herself aiming to guarantee that she'd get a bag or two of Sour Patch Kids. As you exited the souvenir shop, clutching your own "Paradise On Earth" cap, you spotted JJ waiting for you by the Twinkie—the van John B claimed would be safer than the bike. With both hands hidden behind his back, you shot him a questioning look. "Hello?" you greeted tilting your head slightly to the side, to which he responded with a playful smile, feigning surprise at seeing you. "Oh, hello ma'am, your carriage is right here!" he exclaimed, extending his arms towards the open door of the van, one hand tightly clutching something that piqued your curiosity. Hopping onto the Twinkie, you couldn't help but wonder about the mysterious object as JJ closed the door and took his place behind the wheel.

During the ride, JJ attempted to coax the name of your secret Santa out of you, but you remained tight-lipped. Upon parking the van at the Chateau, he sat in silence for a few moments, and you studied him intently. "Oh, before I forget," he said non-chalantly, reaching into his pocket and offering you the object he had been concealing—a ceramic lobster adorned with a tiny Christmas hat, clearly crafted by him. "This is for the nativity scene you keep in your room, I just didn't have time to make the other one..." he explained, a hint of nervousness in his voice as he confessed that he hadn't received your name for the candy exchange but couldn't bear to leave you without a gift.

You stood in awe for a moment, marveling at the thoughtful gesture and the evident reference it held. JJ's apprehension melted away as your eyes met his, a radiant smile spreading across his face. "Wait, wait, wait... Are you trying to tell me that there was more than one lobster at the birth of Jesus?" you quoted, teasingly. JJ rolled his eyes playfully, completing the reference with a loud "duh!" his laughter mingling with yours as you stepped out of the car into the moonlit night, making a lighthearted entrance at the Chateau and eliciting a knowing look from Kiara towards John B.

As time passed, you welcomed Sarah into the fold, introduced by John B with starry-eyed affection that spoke volumes of their budding romance. With the dynamic between her and Kiara settled, John B wasted no time in proudly declaring their relationship to the group—a declaration met with hugs, smiles, and lighthearted jokes about not hurting each other.

One day, Sarah suggested a surf trip to a lesser-known beach nestled between Figure 8 and the Cut, its pristine beauty a sight to behold with crystalline waters and powdery white sand. As you surfed the afternoon away, basking in the warmth of the sun, you found yourself sprawled on the sand along with the rest of the group, supporting yourself on your elbows and catching your breath as you watched JJ roll a joint with practiced ease. "I like this shit," JJ declared, his voice tinged with a hint of defiance. "We can be neglected misfits or whatever, but I love leading this life with you guys. I don't even care about what people think of me! "long as I have a board and you guys, 'm gonna be saying I'm rich... Especially if I have this!" He gestured towards the joint, his words met with cheers from the group.

Your smile started weak but grew as the group cheered. In that moment, you felt a sense of family, and your appreciation for JJ weighed heavily on your chest. Despite the challenges, he had found a way to see life in a positive light, even after Big John went missing. As the wind blew sea salt into your eyes, you turned your face toward JJ. "Yeah, yeah… you know, I keep saying it… but if you really look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that—"

"Y/n, if I hear that quote just one more time!" Sarah interrupted, and the others joined in with her lighthearted protest.

With time, JJ's behavior became increasingly perplexing since after sharing moments like this, he would leave you alone, retreating into the company of the other Pogues with a suddenness that felt jarring and awkward. His focus would shift, his attention consumed by their own banter, leaving you to wonder where you fit into the equation.

It was during these moments of isolation that doubts crept in, whispering of insecurities and unspoken fears that lingered just beneath the surface. Wondering if you did something wrong, you couldn't help but feel a pang of longing as you watched JJ immerse himself in the dynamics of the group, his laughter mingling with theirs as you stood on the sidelines, a silent observer to a world that felt increasingly distant and unfamiliar.

One morning, as you shuffled through the Chateau's corridors, the aroma of breakfast lingering in the air as John B shuffled through the kitchen, you noticed JJ's door ajar. You peeked inside with the intention of wishing him a good morning, only to be met with a sight that shattered your makeshift reality of him. JJ hovered over another girl in his bed, their closeness echoing a betrayal that left you speechless.

"Hey, whoa! Sorry!" His voice softened as he realized it was you, not your brother, at the door. The shock on your face was palpable as you hastily pushed the door closed, shaking your head to dispel the image burned into your mind. Stumbling down the corridor, you muttered a distant "morning" to Kie and Pope, who were still groggy on the couch, woken by the commotion.

Throughout the day, both JJ and yourself moved in a state of flustered avoidance, exchanging glances laden with sheepish guilt. JJ's eyes mirrored the remorse of a caught wrongdoer, but you couldn't summon anger; instead, you carried the weight of hurt and confusion, grappling with the realization that he wasn't yours to claim.

As the day waned and the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over the Chateau, you found solace on the hammock. With the remnants of the day lingering, you confided in Sarah about the events, the words tumbling out as the weight on your chest grew heavier. The hammock cradled you in its gentle sway as another day ended, leaving you to confront the tangled emotions that now clouded the once-clear skies of your friendship with JJ.

JJ vividly remembered June of the following year, with your birthday fast approaching. Usually, you wouldn't stop talking about how much you loved having your birthday during the summer, and everyone would plan something special to mark the occasion. Kie and Sarah would always get you fancier gifts, like a new top or necklace, while the boys made sure there was a cake to share, probably under the tree lights at another night spent at the Cat's Ass, chuckling at the stupid name JJ had given to the tub.

But this year was different. You and the girls wouldn't stop talking about this idiotic touron, Jeremy, who had apparently flirted with you when you helped him at the store. Now, your attention seemed solely focused on him, much to JJ's annoyance. He rolled his eyes and huffed aloud whenever Jeremy's name was mentioned, with Pope nudging him to keep his cool.

"He's gonna take me to a summer fair," you grimaced, looking into the mirror as Kiara clasped a necklace around your neck. Sarah and JJ hovered on the kitchen counter, Pope sat on the couch, and your brother leaned against the doorframe of your room with a protective frown on his face. John B always believed you and JJ would end up together, and he felt safe with that perspective because he knew and trusted JJ. But that didn't happen with Jeremy.

Across from him, you, Sarah, and Kie giggled with scenarios and provocations, "What if he brings you a giant teddy bear and tries to win you a goldfish?" Kiara teased, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

Sarah snickered. "I can already picture it!"

Meanwhile, JJ fought to keep a frown from appearing on his own face. He was unwilling to let you know how he really felt about the situation, and he avoided giving his jealousy away to his friends. As you exited laughing with the guy in his car—a godforsaken Jeep, for crying out loud—JJ was still unknowingly clenching his jaw, his mouth twisted in a disgusted frown.

Sarah, the only one still outside by now, smiled to herself and snuck up on him before reaching a hand to pat his back. The gesture was meant to silently convey far more than his poisoned mind could grasp at the moment.

He chuckled at that memory; you had to endure a girlfriend of his own during college, and he watched as two or three other guys broke your heart as well—he wanted to go out there and punch them every time, but preferred that only John B externalized that thought. From those memories, he realized he had looked at love from both sides of it with you, from give and take, but years later he wasn't so sure if you'd be keen on the idea of him ever again. JJ turned to you in the tub, whispering, "Where's that lobster I gave you that Christmas?" You were a bit taken aback by his sudden recall but smiled back, mimicking the tone of his voice, "Been keeping it on my bookshelf all year long now."

John B and Sarah were now playfully arguing about the two perspectives from when she joined the group, with Kie tagging along to remind them of how they had to make amends beforehand. It made JJ come back fully into the scene. As he looked around, he realized they were sitting in couples, at least Pope and John B, and he held back a nostalgic smirk at the thought of how his younger self would react to both his old friends now "pussy whipped," stuck in relationships and breaking the "no pogue on pogue macking" rule—he didn't know love at all.

He was different too, at least Kiara said so, coming at him a few days ago before graduation with a whole "you've changed, became more yourself and know how to separate what you went through from what you are, I'm so proud you're opening the surf shop—but please make it eco-friendly" speech. It was nice to look back and realize how his years and moments with the Pogue family kept balancing out all the rest. Now he would open a sick surf shop, Poguelandia flag above it and all, right in the corner from the souvenir one you worked since you were fifteen—he didn't know if you had bigger plans than that after graduating though, but that was an uneasy thought he preferred to ignore.

Tears and fears and feeling proud to say, "I love you" right out loud! Dreams and schemes and circus crowds, I've looked at life that way. Oh, but now old friends they're acting strange, and they shake their heads and they tell me that I've changed. Well something's lost, but something's gained, in living every day.

Kiara was the first one to leave, claiming that this was really good and that she knew that with the pogues there were never really goodbyes, but that she had an early morning tomorrow with a sea-turtle project. Then, as the fire died out and the minutes turned into hours, the two couples left as well. Pope and Cleo claimed that they still had to shower before going to bed, and John B only snuggled with Sarah, pushing her towards the house. As the couple giggled, JJ noticed from his peripheral vision when you jiggled your eyebrows at Sarah, but the blonde only winked at you, pointing at the both of you at the tub before turning back. You sighed, distancing yourself from him now that you had more space in the water, and JJ held back a smile as the tree lights illuminated your pink cheeks. At twenty-two, he felt just like a teenager in that moment.

There were a few quiet minutes then, you were looking intently at him, drawing each of his features with your eyes as if trying to tattoo the image of his wet torso on your brain, but JJ didn't notice; he was lost in thought, provoked by being alone with you again. JJ realized that ever since he could remember, even though your brother was his de facto best friend and even as the group grew larger, you were there. For every phase and every belief that each one etched into him, you were there. As he looked at both sides of life, at win and lose, you were right beside him, either winning and losing as well or just supporting him emphatically through it.

Somehow he could always just recall how his pogue life acquired a rose-colored filter with you in it; he'd recall life's illusions with you at his side. You were there. You were it. And he didn't know his next step at all, but he wanted you in it; ached for it even.

He feigned cold as an excuse to get you both out of the tub, grabbing the one towel thrown onto a chair and wrapping it around you as you exited as well. He threw a familiar, amicable smile in your direction to disguise how he was, again, lost in his own train of thought. A hand rested on the small of your back as he led the two of you to the Chateau. As you got to the front porch, the other reached for your pulse gently, trying to stop you from entering. JJ became conscious of how he was dripping onto the wooden porch, but he didn't care, calling you by your nickname in a low voice. He was acting fast, planning something but also acting instinctively, intending to speak just from memory.

"Hey, uhm..." he stopped himself again as your eyes locked onto his, growing a little bit nervous now. Your eyebrows shot up expectantly, and some of your hair was sticking to your wet face. You'd be the death of him.

"With any luck, by next year, I'll be going out with one of these girls..." Your brows pinched, and eyes flashed with recognition as JJ shuffled his phone, some drops falling from his hair onto the screen before he turned it in your direction with a picture of Kendall Jenner and sliding his finger so it would also show one of Giselle Bündchen. You laughed, gulping expectantly.

"But for now, let me say, without hope or agenda, just because we finished college— even though it's at Christmas that you tell the truth." You chuckled again, but felt like you were hyperventilating, unable to believe that this was really happening to you. Much less that JJ Maybank had memorized a scene from the "dumb chick flick" you obsessed with since you were a mere child. You battled with your own feelings as you tried to let him finish.

"To me, you are perfect, and my wasted heart will love you until you look like this..." He shuffled again with the tiny screen, a smirk on his face as he turned it to you. A photo of a very old and wrinkly woman made you chuckle. Under it, it read "former surfer lady turns viral as she advises to the risks of not wearing sunscreen." You couldn't hold the cackle that left you at that, not even worried about the rest of the group sleeping inside the house, which made JJ smile widely as well.

"Oh my God! Oh my God, I love you..." A loud sigh met a sob halfway as you looked up, feeling pounds lighter after saying so naturally something you had been burying for years, feeling absurdly proud of just that. "I love you so much, what the fuck! I've loved you forever." You beamed at him again, relief written all over his face as he said it back proudly. "I'm sorry for the wait; it wasn't on purpose—Swear it." He grabbed both your cheeks as you laughed, smiling from ear to ear as his face etched closer to yours by the second. Your noses were touching already when he whispered in a low tone, "fuck, y/n..." as your mouths glued together longingly.

The world seemed to fade away as your lips met, a rush of warmth spreading through you as if the sun had risen inside your chest. JJ's touch was electric, sending shivers down your spine as his hands cradled your face gently, his fingers tracing the curve of your jawline. Every moment felt like an eternity as you lost yourselves in the kiss, the taste of saltwater, beer and weed mingling with the sweetness of the moment.

For JJ, it was as if everything he had been holding back, every unspoken word and hidden feeling, was finally pouring out into this one embrace. His heart raced in his chest as he kissed you, his mind buzzing with the realization that he had found something truly precious in you. It was a moment of pure, unadulterated bliss, a culmination of years of friendship and longing finally coming to fruition.

As you pulled away, breathless and flushed, JJ's eyes bore into yours, filled with an intensity that took your breath away. In that moment, you knew that nothing would ever be the same again. You had crossed a threshold together, stepping into a new chapter of your lives filled with love, laughter, and the promise of a future together. And as you stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, you knew that this was just what you wanted; like you were made for just that.

"I don't even want to come inside, I don't wanna-" you said, sighing mid chuckle, "don't wanna do anything right now, God, JJ, I'm like in a haze!" He clung to you, chuckling, his hands going to your arms, your neck, your hair—he wanted to touch all of you. "Always have the hammock..." he suggested, and you rushed your way there as if just walking would make you lose any time with him.

After you spent a while staring at the stars in the sky, listening to the chirping of crickets in between small, sloppy kisses, JJ sleepily muttered "I feel like I'm fucking high right now," you both laughed "like I'm floating—life accomplishment kind of thing." you swatted at his chest, lightheartedly telling him to stop being silly before readjusting in the wet towel that served as a blanket for the two of you.

Wrapped in each other's arms, you drifted off to sleep, the sound of the river running to meet the ocean lulling you into a state of contentment. In that moment, nothing else mattered except the warmth of JJ's embrace and the soft rhythm of his breathing. It was a moment of pure bliss, a fleeting glimpse of perfection in an imperfect world.

The warm rays of the morning sun gently kissed the faces of the sleeping pogues as they stirred awake, the sounds of birdsong filling the air. Stretching and yawning, they emerged from their makeshift beds scattered across the Chateau, the pull-out couch and matresses on the floor.

As they gathered outside to clean the space free of empty cans and wrapping paper, rubbing the sleep from their eyes, John B's gaze was the first one to fall upon the sight of JJ and you nestled together in the hammock, still fast asleep. He nudged Sarah first, but soon a collective smile spread across their faces as they exchanged knowing glances, a silent understanding passing between them.

"About time," Pope muttered under his breath, eliciting chuckles from the others.

John B grinned, looking at Sarah. "Looks like our boy finally made his move."

Sarah rolled her eyes playfully. "Took them long enough," she teased, but there was genuine warmth in her voice.

Kiara smirked, crossing her arms, she showed a satisfied facade even though she was jumping inside, bubbling with happiness for the both of you; the sparkle of her eyes being hard to hide. "Well, better late than never, I guess."

With a chorus of laughter and gentle ribbing, the pogues left JJ and you to enjoy your moment together, the feeling was that their little family had just grown a little bit stronger. You had woken up the moment the front door banged back against it's frame as it closed the first time, but feeling JJ's chest under your head, you decided to just keep your eyes closed, fighting a grin to show on your face at your friends' commentaries. You were home. And you only wanted to know life now if it was by JJ's side; especially if he'd be scratching your hair like he was doing just now, half a smile on his lips—"Did I take that long?" he questioned, jokingly.

"A lifetime."

If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love, actually, is all around.

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