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washymylifeaway · 3 years

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MatsuHana fanfic recs

HI LOVES :D MatsuHana is one of my FAVORITE ships and I always love reading their fics! I’m procrastinating my other wips rn, so that do be why this is coming out rn LOL. Also that ask really made me get onto writing this, so anon thank you for sending it in LOL. There are some with VERY sensitive topics and they’re very BOLD, but I hope you all are safe while going through this list <3 (also matsuhana leans more to lots of drinking, spicy smut scenes, and teenage boy humor (like d*ck jokes and sexual innuendos) and sometimes I don’t remember to warn for that, so again CAUTION)

As always, pls check WARNINGS, TAGS, and SUMMARIES for fics before reading and make sure you’re taking care of yourselves (since mental health is key!) Stay healthy loves <3

CP:

plus one by orphan_account (G) 6.1k // this fic made me feel so warm and fuzzy inside LOL. It’s also hilarious and is definitely worth a read! When will I get to share a heart shaped bed with someone :( But I really love it when they just go with the flow of things, and other people are like,,, aren’t you already dating? BUT THEY’RE LIKE UMMM NO? HSAKJSH.

rated m for by orphan_account (T) 10.7k // I love this fic it made me laugh so much throughout the whole thing! The vibes in this fic are immaculate and give me life (we love a good reunion with mystery writers), it is SO good! That’s why you should never leave/stop listening prematurely (@ iwa when he was a single dad fic).

This gets annoying fast, Makki by Ink_stained_quills (G) 2.3k // IM IN LOVE WITH THIS FIC PLS I COULD NOT STOP CRYING TEARS OF LAUGHTER. This AU needs more fics PLEASE. It was SO freakin’ funny and the other teams KILLED ME. Like how they all approached the problem differently and how some of them (KUROO) asked for help LOL. Please this is so freaking funny go read it.

quidditch gloves, parchment, and custard cream by h_lovely (T) 12.4k // THIS IS SO GOOD, I love this fic. It really takes you through the emotions, and I love all the development in it!!!! Their relationship with one another (but only as homies right? ofc ofc), and even their families loving the other, this fic is so good! Read it even if you don’t like slow burn, you won’t even notice <3333

call me maybe by totooru (T) 33.6k // okay yea another (semi) chat fic,,, fight me. MatsuHana are just funny in general but throw some other characters (like Kuroo) into it and it turns into a comedy show. But the main point of this fic was like the near miss meetings and I think that the misunderstanding were hilarious (as much as I hate misunderstandings LOL).

Magical Mishaps and How to Deal by plumtrees (M) 10.9k // I lost this fic once and I searched for it FOR THE LONGEST TIME. But that’s cause I wanted to reread this masterpiece. IT’S SO FUNNY AND CUTE AND DOMESTIC AND UGH. Also the small angst made me SO SAD. But the ENDING? THE KISSES AHHHHHHH. (I’m yelling a lot BUT that’s cause I really love this fic <3333)

hang out fall in love by carafin (T) 8.6k // I love the Makki hates Mattsun initially but then falls for the irresistible charm he posses trope. It might be my favorite trope for MatsuHana specifically LOL. Like I really love this fic and it has MAGIC. It’s like a magical version of the VA one LOL. But like no radio shows or reunited best friends in this one :(

THESE ARE VERY ANGST!!!!!!!

boiled frogs by reginagalaxia (E) 91.5k // is it possible to hate a character this much? I never realized how much hate/rage I had in me. Really. Like. Imma boutta fight this MF LIKE SQUARE UP. The way I tried to manifest a fake characters death like,,,, Anyway. If my RAGE doesn’t explain how good of a freakin writer they are, then idk what will. PLEASE READ THE TAGS AND WARNINGS, THERE ARE VERY SENSITIVE TOPICS!!!!

Even Though it All Went Wrong by plumtrees (T) 9.2k // THIS IS THE REASON THIS POST CAME TO BE. I love this fic with all my heart (or what’s left of it). Like LOVE as in, this fic really broke me beyond just breaking me. Like. When Oikawa says what he says to Mattsun after the thing (you’re sorry __ _____ __ ____) and the Iwa right after (we know __’__ ___ ______ to make you ____ __ ____) (if you’re wondering wtf I’m putting here, just ctrl F you’re sorry and you’ll see), you cannot believe how hard that hit. GOD. (I am okay if you’re wondering :’)) This is my #1 favorite angst fic of all time and if you are okay mentally and have read the tags and warnings and are fine with them, then please read it. PLEASE READ THE TAGS AND WARNINGS, THERE ARE VERY SENSITIVE TOPICS!!!!

The Truth Comes Out by Your_Friendly_Neighborhood_Pigeon (T) 10.2k // this made me so sad and empty after I read it. Like I just sat there being like wtf did I just read I’m sad now. Again read the tags, there is a suicide attempt but there’s also some cheating in this one. This one also ends happy. PLEASE READ THE TAGS AND WARNINGS, THERE ARE VERY SENSITIVE TOPICS!!!!

New:

kiyala // this writer has a LOT of fluffy MatsuHana and I really love their works! It’s just all (for the most part) really cute and there’s a lotta blurred lines and boundaries that get cleared up (they define what their relationship is but with ~love~) in their fics :) My fav? Making Sense by kiyala (T) 1.5k // it’s very cute and I am one who loves when things just fall into place :D

tookumade // this writer has some of MY FAVORITE MatsuHana fics in it and I’m kinda really sad I don’t get to ramble on about them here :( (dw I will elsewhere LOL) If I had to choose, I would say Remind Me by tookumade (T) 28.6k and Zenith, Nadir by tookumade (T) 10.7k were my absolute favorites, but I cannot choose between them so don’t make me.

plumtrees // I LOVE THIS WRITER OMG. Again, someone who has written my all time FAVORITE fics (did I mention OF ALL TIME?) and I’ve obsessively read some of them too many times :’) Because I already recommended my other faves above, Captured Light by plumtrees (T) 3.5k will be my acting favorite rn. It’s really cute and depicts some really sweet moments between MatsuHana too!

h_lovely // this writer has SO MANY GOOD FICS! I really love their series and their getting together fics are all SO GOOD UGH. I recommended my favorite teen one above, but the other ones I loved are explicit so just check out this writer in general LOL. (I REALLY love mirror flower, water moon, it’s my favorite but it’s E cause some smexy scene happen, but it’s really SO good omfg. Also the roses series IS AMAZING as well!!!!)

cream puffs and carnations; by crossbelladonna (series) 11.6k // AU SERIES!!! I love the AU’s in this series and I really liked the prompts they chose for this MatsuHana week :D My favorite from this series might’ve been there he is again by crossbelladonna (T) 1.6k cause a) I love the mattsun hc in this (for his appearance) and b) IT’S CUTE :D I definitely related to Makki and his not very subtle crushing, and also I like the IwaOi + Makki as friends trope (and then they meet Mattsun), if you couldn’t tell yet LOL.

on the anatomy of crushes by carafin (T) 2.3k // (kinda cp but not LOL) it’s very short and cute and I love it a lot LOL. I love medical AU’s (even though it’s very back burner LOL), but also, like Mattsun saves the day is the move. Like the dedication he has even going on the bus? Especially for a guy? Amazing. I could never :’)

Parallel Lines by orphan_account (T) 16.3k // IN LOVE WITH THIS FIC LIVES IN MY MIND RENT FREE CONSTANTLY. I hate math. Just putting that out here. And while it’s a math fic, IT? IS? SO? GOOD???? And like I love it when characters are smart, like I love intelligent characters so like this was just ajndf. (also same Mattsun, I am allergic to normal math.)

live it up, drink it in by punybastard (T) 2.1k // GAH this one! This is a pretty iconic fic in MatsuHana hell (in my personal opinion) and if I didn’t have that two fic limit on my staple fics, this would be there. I really loved the ending of it (v cute and v well done), but also the small side stories that were inserted made it all the more entertaining :D (aka the volleyball) But they are drinking underage, so if you’re not about that BE WARNED.

it's cold out here by bishounen_curious (M) 8.6k // PLEASE I LOVE THIS FIC. YES READ YESYESYES READ. OKAY FIRST check tags and warnings, there’s a lot going on in this fic. Like don’t be stupid like them, drinking underage, and don’t do drugs not a good idea very very bad. Aside from that, I am in love with sad sad sad Makki (along with stupid IwaOi) and him being a sad drunk made me ajhkjdfs. Just read it and feel the akfnakjs with me LMFAO.

poolside by tothemoon (T) 4.1k // I’m starting this out with I LOVE the ending and I REALLY LOVE the way this confession panned out. It’s such a great concept and it made me ajhfldshf inside!!! Also, recursive endings are some of my favorites (if you couldn’t already tell LOL), and I think it really makes something so nostalgic and adds depth to a fic.

The Courage of Stars by FairyLights101 (T) 7.1k // AHHHHHHHHHHHHH I LOVE THIS FIC YES!!!! OKAY TW CANCER THERE’S CANCER IN THIS NO DEATH JUST PAIN and chemo (which basically is pain). Some controversy, but the angst part of me wanted him to die DONT GET ME WRONG, I’m glad he lived, but like imagine. I really love this fic, and his efforts in the bucket list were admirable :’)

we could be the greatest team by anyadisee (T) 5.7k // it’s my crack fic :D Yes, this is just Seijoh messing around, boys being boys, relationships being compared with other relationships. No pining, just me with my established relationships (and Iwa fanclubs cause those are a thing. ALWAYS).

Wet Your Whistle by darkmagicalgirl (E) 5.4k // SMUT ALERT okay but like while it’s a major plot point (lmfao I can’t believe myself), the storyline itself is good. Also, I’m all here for bartender Makki and tattoo Makki and not subtle at all Makki and basically everything Makki. I like banter and stupidity okay?

[obnoxious clucking noises] by parenthetic (renaissance) (T) 3.4k // some more crack fic for you <3333 Literally, just idiots being idiots. That’s the fic. LMFAO but seriously, I would like to participate as well,,,,, I have yet to lose a game of gay chicken cause of my lack of fear akdjaslk.

that's what you get (for waking up in vegas) by skittidyne (T) 4.2k // THIS IS SO FUNNY. I love Elvis cause he’s always officiating marriages in my fics LMFAO. But also IwaOi in this added some real nice comedy, and overall another crack fic but I really liked this one (AGAIN LMFAO).

A Bouquet of Flours by guyfierimpreg (G) 5.2k // first I want to know how they got the flour to scream, I just can’t figure it out so if anyone would like to send me pictures that’d be great. Second, they would do this bs and this is all canon. I said what I said, and I don’t take criticism. Like, matsuhana best parents proven by the magical mishaps fic (LMAO).

texting (with a capital S) by parenthetic (renaissance) (M) 2.1k // okay I just wanted to say that the accuracy in the math stuff being mentioned makes me feel like this writer was in calc ab or something and that’s trauma right there. Anyways, it’s a texting fic kinda sorta getting together kinda sorta not? Idk how to explain it, but it was funny and then smut LMFOAJIAHFSJS (the derail was just like IwaOi in gay chicken, someone call the police LMFAO).

nebulas by tothemoon (T) 10.8k // I like the casualness of it. Like the confession was just so casual (smooth Mattsun) and like the progression was GOOD. Like, it’s a very poetic fic and there’s lots of thinking of deeper meaning, but its still got some comedy sprinkled throughout. I really loved the flow of it!!!!

my heart beats for contract law by orphan_account (T) 4.4k // I too would have a breakdown over school (me pretending like I haven’t already done that ahaha), but I really love so many things about this fic! Everything was just so ajsdfljdsn and I really love the 3 part plan Mattsun comes up with :DDDD (esp pt 3). Also, to propose while having an emotional breakdown at 3am in a McDonalds drive through. A mf dream.

Reflex by hiuythn (T) 2.3k // PLEASE IF THEY DIDN’T MEET AT HS THIS WOULD BE CANON ASF. You cannot tell me you don’t think this would not be cannon asf. They would meet like this. Also poor Teuchi stuck in the middle of all of this. I haven’t watched naruto, but it doesn’t really matter. What matters is random emotional sexual bonding over something. That is important. (THE ENDING AJKFHKJ)

You're in Pink (and I'm in blue) by Hyeyu (T) 4.4k // whooooo Hanahaki whooo anyway, despite how it seems, I like the hanahaki trope. I don’t fully understand it sometimes (most of the time tbh), but it adds some nice angst and desperate confessions, and I do appreciate those :D Honestly, I really liked the way this fic panned out, and I felt really bad for Iwa LOL.

stranger things by tinypersonhotel (G) 10.2k // I really like this one :D:D:D I love Makki + Oikawa friendship and they’re really the best to each other :’) The ending was satisfying, and the PLOT omg. It was SO good. I feel like I say this a lot though LOL, but I’m just really into fics with good plot progression (or else I don’t read them OOPS).

something of a disaster by latenights (T) 1.4k // chaos ahahhaha. Another crack fic? I hope no one is surprised LOL. It’s just a really short and simple, cute getting together fic with a LOT of insults LOL. I love this one in particular, “Tooru’s dinner special”.

snakes, meth labs and something like love by orphan_account (G) 3.6k // THE ROOMMATE AD PLEASE. I honestly would never think Oikawa would get a snake, but that doesn’t matter LOL. This was me indulging myself in the makki IwaOi best friends and mattsun stranger agenda but it’s a great agenda okay? It’s a good fic and there’s a microwaved fish :D

Lemonade by carriecmoney (T) 4.1k // okay once again, responsible drinking and don’t drink underage bad idea smh. But MatsuHana just making out where they want? I could see that. Yeah. Anyway, as much as public make out seshes make me *gag* feel embarrassed, what made me feel more *gag* embarrassed was the fact that the girls? just? stood? there? Like why are you watching this. Is that just me? I feel like they should’ve left smh.

surprise, surprise by airblends (T) 7.6k // some more pining and dancing around the issue whoooo. As much as I hate them not getting to the point (almost as much as I hate misunderstandings), it was a great fic. This is nosebleed c*ck block (idk if I needed to censor that but I did fight me).

A God for Every Season by timkons (T) 18.4k // I love the Hades and Persephone trope! Okay, I just love mythology leave me be, but anyway I really love a lot of this fic. Like how Mattsun thinks it’s a little brighter with Makki? CUTE I LOVE. But also, the fish funeral is ridiculous but also very on brand for Oikawa. And some BokuKuroo (idk is that their ship) in here as well :DDD

The Best/Worst Places to Cry in the City by AngryKitten (T) 4.4k // literally it is the title. Just you know, looking for the best place to cry in the city,,,, I’d like to say, don’t cat call people cause we’re not about that here. Even if it worked out for them, just don’t do it :/ Also don’t follow strangers. I feel like that’s a given but jic ya know?

this isn't exactly how i thought i'd be spending my adult years by jadedpearl (NR) 7.5k // okay petty Makki is yes and so is my Makki + IwaOi agenda LOL. (I’m thriving here can’t you tell? Yes regular skype/phone calls constantly) Anyway, blackouts and sickness really be here getting people together. (I’m asking nicely, nike.) And Makki is smooth with his words. (SHORTER MEN MADE ME LAUGH)

chocolate by tellalie (T) 3.6k // the dedication in this fic was amazing. Like making a whole a cake? Someone go do that for me. (For mankind.) Fake dating is really something else, but fake dating to out gag your best friends? Seems like I need to step up my game (but no seriously, my best friends are PDA monsters I hate it here). Also practice confessions are wack.

FINALLY I MADE IT. You don’t know how many times I almost gave up on finishing LMFAO. Is this my longest list? Idk. But I just know that I would’ve finished faster if I didn’t end up rereading almost every fic on this list LMFAO. Like no seriously I almost had to make a post saying this wouldn’t be coming out cause I got distracted by one of the longer fics (I’m blaming Mirror Flower, Water Moon specifically). But I hope you enjoyed this, and once again go thank that anon for spurring me into finishing this list LMFAO (am I a horse? Yea, probably but if one thing, I’m not sturdy).

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grayseekerswritinglife · 3 years

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Tricks & Treats 5/5

Chapter Five: The Gold-Sweats

“Fly?” Hook broke stride and gave Starscream an incredulous look. “I don’t think you understand the seriousness of the situation. Skywarp is lucky he can walk, let alone fly.”

“I realize that,” Starscream said irritably, falling in step beside the Decepticons’ chief medic as he resumed walking down a corridor of the Victory’s crew deck. “I’m just looking for an ETA. That’s all.”

After their escape, they had sneaked Skywarp back onto the Victory without drawing undue attention to themselves. Hook had agreed to let Skywarp recover in his quarters rather than the medbay, which had been helpful, though it was only a matter of time before Megatron started asking questions. Eventually, the old bucket-head was going to decide that he simply had to have an airstrike. When that happened, it would be Starscream’s neck on the line if all Seekers weren’t ready to scramble.

“Look,” Hook said, in the clipped tones of a medic nearing the limits of his patience. “The best I can offer is that Skywarp will be ready to fly once ninety percent of the gold has left his system. But that could take up to two weeks.”

“Two weeks?” Starscream let out a string of curses, which Hook duly ignored. They were nearing the door of the quarters which Skywarp and Thundercracker shared. Hook politely raised his fist to knock, but Starscream shoved past him and barged in. He regretted doing so almost immediately.

Skywarp was sitting in a shallow tray positioned on the floor between Skywarp’s own berth and the one he typically shared with Thundercracker. It was easy to see why. He was literally dripping gold. Liquid metal was leaking from his joints, his vents, his transformation seams, and—it seemed—from every other orifice. It was even flowing, like tears, from the corners of his optics. Gold had pooled at the bottom of the tray, leaving him sitting in a puddle of what was, effectively, his own sweat.

“Ugh.” Starscream crinkled his nasal assembly. “How revolting!”

“You don’t know the half of it,” Thundercracker said with a shake of his head. He was kneeling behind Skywarp, using a rag to clean his gold-streaked wings. This appeared to be an impossible task. Every time he cleared some gold away, more came pouring out to replace it.

“That’s very good,” Hook said in approval. “If you keep his transformation seams as clear as possible, the gold will escape from his system much more easily.”

“But I don’t want it to,” Skywarp complained.

“Too bad,” Starscream snapped. “I expect you back in the air within the week.” Hook shot him a glare, which he duly ignored.

“How are you feeling?” Hook asked, crouching to run a medical scanner over Skywarp’s frame.

Skywarp shrugged. “Okay, I guess. What did you put in the gold, though? It tastes terrible now.”

“Nothing,” Hook replied, his gaze never leaving the scanner. “What you’re experiencing is a common side-effect of gold-poisoning. You might even say it’s your body’s way of protecting you from your own questionable habits.”

“Gold tastes bad to you now?” Starscream asked from the doorway. He didn’t want to get any closer to that puddle of sweat than he absolutely had to.

Skywarp nodded unhappily. “It looks sooo tasty, but when I try to drink it—”

“Drink it? It’s your sweat.”

“So? It’s better than letting it go to waste.”

“Trust me, Warp; it is disgusting,” Thundercracker put in.

“It probably won’t taste bad forever,” Hook assured him. “Once your system has returned to a state of balance, your taste-receptors will probably do the same.”

“But in the meantime,” Starscream said, “I guess I can safely leave this by your bedside, without having to worry about you putting on any additional weight.” He drew a small bag of golden ore—the very bag he’d originally confiscated from Skywarp—from his subspace, and tossed it on Skywarp’s bunk.

“Now you give it back,” Skywarp said with a pout, though he eyed the bag with naked avarice, as if he was thinking of trying it anyway.

“Yeah, I’ll be taking care of that,” Thundercracker said, whisking the bag into his subspace. “I’ll make sure he gets some when he’s ready. And that he doesn’t overindulge,” he added, giving Skywarp a stern look.

Skywarp folded his arms over his gold-slick chest, glaring. Mostly at Starscream. “What are you even doing here?”

“Can’t a Trineleader check up on his Trinemates?”

“Watch out,” Thundercracker warned. “We might start thinking you care.”

“Don’t be absurd. I was merely ensuring that Megatron does not hear of our little... adventure,” Starscream retorted. “Which means making sure the two of you remain alive and intact.”

“Whatever you say, Screamer.”

“I just have one question,” Starscream said, fixing his gaze on Skywarp. “I thought the Autobots searched your subspace.”

“They did.”

"How did you keep them from finding your pranking supplies?”

Starscream only asked because Skywarp’s pranks had saved their afts. After they’d gotten past Sludge, Skywarp had used one of his smoke-bombs to distract the two other Dinobots guarding the detention area. After that, most of the Autobots had been in such a frenzy to deactivate the sprinkler system that they hadn’t even noticed the escaping prisoners. Those who had noticed had swiftly fallen prey to Starscream’s null-ray. Or to the reverberations of Thundercracker’s sonic booms, which were deafening at close range. Or—in the notable case of Powerglide—to one of Skywarp’s fake snakes. Which had proved highly effective as a tripping hazard.

“Oh,” Skywarp said with a smile. “They did find them.”

“But they let you keep it all?”

“Noooot exactly.” Skywarp leaned back against Thundercracker, coating his chest in golden slime. Thundercracker made a face, but draped his arms around Skywarp anyway. Skywarp grinned. “The Autobots were all so distracted by the gold that I was able to slide a few things back into my subspace.”

“And naturally you chose the exploding pumpkins,” Thundercracker said. “Priorities and all.”

“Hey, ‘tis the season.” Skywarp smirked. “But you know the part we’re not talkin’ about? The electro-magnetized part.”

“The what?” Hook asked.

“Oh, nothin'. Just the way Starscream busted into the detention holding area and kicked the door open like a ninja and grabbed his null-ray straight from the jaws of one of those Dinobots—”

“Yes, well,” Starscream interrupted. “We simply do what we must, don’t we?”

“Yeaaaaah.” Skywarp playfully flicked gold in his direction. “It’s got nothin’ to do with that picture you keep in your lab.”

“Picture?” Hook looked nonplussed.

“Schematic,” Starscream corrected. “Of the Ark. It’s how I knew where the Autobots were keeping the null-ray. Obviously.” He turned for the door, but Skywarp called after him.

“Know what the best part of all this is?”

“I shudder to ask.”

“The two of you guys comin’ to my rescue,” Skywarp said, glancing warmly between Starscream and Thundercracker. “Nice to see you gettin’ along for once.”

Starscream scowled at them both, and hastily made his exit. He went straight to his lab. If anything good could be said to have come of this, he was at least getting some uninterrupted lab-time. Finally.

“Now,” he said, sinking down at his workstation. “Where was I?” He called up the data-set he’d been analyzing when Thundercracker had invaded, and stared at it for a while. Equations swirled through his mind like wisps of smoke, but his gaze kept drifting to the holocube. Finally, he picked it up and gazed at the two figures pictured within. A silver-and-red Seeker perched on the shoulder of a mech so huge that his wings blocked the stars. Starscream pressed his lips together, sighed, and opened a comm channel. A very old one. So ancient that no one, even Soundwave, would have been able to break its encryption.

“You idiot,” he began.

A soft laugh greeted his remark. “Are you all safely away?”

“Yes, but you took a stupid risk.”

“Perhaps. Or, perhaps, I prevented a retaliatory attack by the Decepticons. I imagine that Megatron would have wanted the three of you back, eventually.”

“If only to prevent us from revealing secrets,” Starscream reluctantly agreed.

“So perhaps it could be said that I took care of a dicey situation in a way that caused the least amount of harm.”

“Which doesn’t make you any less of an idiot.”

“Possibly not.” A pause. “How’s Skywarp doing?”

“You’re changing the subject.”

“Yes.”

“Whatever.” Starscream shrugged. Then, remembering Skyfire couldn’t see him, added, “He’ll live.”

“Good. And I trust he’s learned his lesson about stealing gold?”

Starscream snorted.

“Thought as much.” Skyfire chuckled. “Thanks for not hurting anyone.”

“Apart from Powerglide,” Starscream pointed out.

“I think it was only his pride.”

“We would have, if we’d needed to. Hurt people.”

“I understand. But you didn’t.”

Silence fell between them. Not an uncomfortable silence; just companionable.

“So it’s Halloween tonight,” Starscream finally said. “I don’t suppose you’re free?”

“Why? Are you going to scare me?”

“I could.” Starscream thought for a moment, then rattled off a set of coordinates.

A beat of hesitation. “Isn’t that where you got captured?”

“You’ll like it,” Starscream promised. It wasn’t as if the Aerialbots would be there standing guard, and besides, the pocket valley was private and rather beautiful. Plus, tonight was a full moon. He wanted to see Skyfire by the side of that spring, wet and gleaming in the moonlight. “Bring all your tricks,” he said, “and I’ll bring treats.”

~~~~~~~

This was written for @darkstarofchaos for the @transform-or-treat Halloween gift exchange. There are five chapters of it in all, and I will be posting a chapter a day until Halloween! Many, many thanks to @justawayninja or being my awesome beta. Your suggestions helped me get the story to the next level.

#transform or treat 2020 #transform-or-treat #darkstarofchaos #transformers #maccadam #halloweeen #starscream #skywarp #thundercracker #skyfire #humor #hijinks #pranks #secret relationship #trine dynamics #team as family

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uweiy · 4 years

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Thank you for sending it in !

94. "I want you. All of you. And not just half heartedly, wholly. And maybe that's selfish but I don't care."

"Thanks for the tea. I shall see myself out"

Jiang Cheng stands up from the pillow he was, admittedly slouched on.

It's already night time, and raindrops are drumming against the windows of the Hanshi continuously.

"Sect Leader Jiang, you're going to catch a cold if you go out like this."

"Phah. What's a little rainwater compared to drenching oneself in Yunmeng's lakes."

Xichen chuckles and hands him an umbrella. "Even you are not immune to illness, oh so great Sect Leader Jiang."

Jiang Cheng opens it as he steps on the porch. The rain really is pouring. He feels a hand softly settle on his elbow.

"You're leaving tomorrow, If I'm not mistaken ?" the other asks, but Jiang Cheng hears the unspoken question.

"I'll drop by before we leave. My useless nephew is thrilled to spend time with his friends so we'll probably be leaving in the afternoon. Plus," he adds "I have to bring this back to you" he raises his eyes to the umbrella.

"I see. It will be my pleasure." Xichen smiles a little.

He drops his arm and Jiang Cheng turns to face him fully. For a moment, Jiang Cheng debates whether to kiss him good night or not.

He doesn't know if Xichen notices his intention, but the other seems to draw closer, before he retreats swiftly into his chamber. "Good night Sect leader Jiang."

Okay then.

"See you around"

___

Between Sect meetings, Jin ling wanting to spend time with Shizui, Shizui wanting to spend time with Jin Ling, Jiang Cheng finds himself around Xichen a LOT. They talk even more, If you count their numerous written exchanges.

Even now, he's sitting at his father's desk, his family's residence almost empty save for the domestics and he's, like ever so often writing Xichen a letter.

" ....As for the matter you asked me to look into... I have taken care of it.

Once the official business is out of the way, Jiang Cheng answers the more personal questions.

It's rain season here too and it tones out the bustle of the streets a little. It almost feels like it can wash away the atrocities of the past doesn't it ?

But I can still see them. Sometimes I come across marks the Wens have left during their stay here and it makes me want to burn the whole place to the ground and rebuild it anew.

The palace is empty, and yet it feels suffocating.

This was too gloomy an answer to "how are you doing". But he didn't have it in him to lie anymore, to himself, or to Xichen.

I really don't understand what you find so fascinating about me.

"You're fascinating." Xichen had said to him once

At least the food is still better than in your cloud recess. I SWEAR If there is another rule added on that goddamn wall about restricting SPICE I won't visit you with Jin Ling anymore.

That's a lie. For one, Jin Ling does not need him to go to cloud recess but it gives Jiang Cheng a good reason to go. Secondly even if a thousand rules were added he'd still drop by.

He wants to drop by sometime in the coming months by the way.

Jiang Cheng writes, because it's a question Xichen never fails to ask

How's your painting coming along ?

Don't forget to eat or I'll really find someone to watch over you. And since there are no nannies available, you'd have to deal with my brother or that Jingyi kid eight hours a day.

Look at the rain and think of me, as I do of you.

love you

Xichen wrote stuff like that too sometimes. But when it came from Jiang Cheng, he mostly deflected.

Jiang Cheng had once tried writing about how he felt calmer when Xichen was around, if he recalled correctly and it really hadn't been easy for him.

Xichen had simply replied something along the lines of "oh yeah, the weather in cloud recess does wonders for the mind". The weather.

Jiang Cheng doesn't want to be ignored if he asks the questions burning in his mind. "what exactly is it that you want from me ?" "who am I to you ?"

(You know who this is but still, I'll sign)

Jiang Cheng

He writes instead.

Despite that, He wishes there was a way he could recieve the answers to his letters immediately. Xichen's replies are often insightful but... well, they answer to a state of mind he's had days, weeks ago when he receives them.

If they could talk in person, that would be nice, too.

___

The next time he goes to Gusu it's spring. He's accompanying Xichen outside on one of the rare occasions he leaves the Hanshi.

Their brothers' wedding is right around the corner so they get talking about that topic.

"it is customary to end the ceremony with a dance. It looks like this– "

Xichen takes Jiang Chengs's hand in his. He takes one step backwards, and Jiang Cheng follows, led by the gentle pressure of his hand.

He exectues the next steps quite poorly, but Xichen doesn't seem to mind. Then Xichen detaches from him, light as a feather, his arm loosely stretched towards where their fingertips were touching a minute ago.

He executes graceful bows on his own, his blue clothes moving along like air, before he captures Jiang Cheng's hand again and draws him nearer.

Their foreheads are almost touching. Xichen looks directly at him with that clear gaze of his and Jiang Cheng feels completely exposed.

"What about you ?" Jiang Cheng chokes out "You probably have a lot of candidates right under your nose–" he tries

"Sect leader Jiang."Xichen cuts in. He smiles sweetly but it doesn't reach his eyes "I don't think I'd be suitable for anyone. Please excuse me"

It's always like this. Everytime he thinks they might finally, finally do something about the tension between them, Xichen weasels his way out, slipping through Jiang Cheng's fingers like water.

Not this time.

He catches Xichen's wrist as the other already strides away from him.

It's not like he doesn't understand putting his trust in the wrong people, and then protecting whatever is left of your heart by any means possible. Jiang Cheng chose anger, Xichen chose avoidance. But Jiang Cheng isn't "wrong people". Well, he hopes he isn't, this time.

"Okay listen. You want me to stay but push me away when I get too close. I write a sincere letter and you answer about the WEATHER. We only talk about business once in a blue moon and yet you call me Sect Leader Jiang. " He almost shrieks.

He knows he's pushing but he's tired or half saids and empty hopes. He's had enough of these for one liftime.

"I know you look at me when you think I can't see you. You're hurting and you think you have to deal with your pain and...and hopelessness alone but you don't."

Maybe Jiang Cheng should have stopped trying to be more than friends ages ago. Maybe Xichen just enjoys the comforting presence. But then he seems to want more and then again he doesn't and it drives Jiang Cheng crazy.

But he can't be SURE so the only thing he can do is lay his own heart on the table and have Xichen decide what to do with it, once and for all.

"I want you. All of you. And not just half heartedly, wholly. And maybe that's selfish but I can't help it."

He probably should give Xichen another option. Tell him " I understand. We can remain friends, take the time you need to heal your scars." But he doesn't want to. He knows he can shoulder them too, if Xichen lets him.

"If my words aren't clear enough i'll rephrase. I love you. I love you. I lo-"

"Please stop" Xichen catches hold of the folds in Jiang Cheng's clothes.

His voice is hoarse, barely a whisper and he sounds so broken. "I don't deserve it."

"Tell me you don't feel the same and I'll stop bothering you."

Xichen just stares at him.

"Say it !"

" I can't ! " He's still clutching Jiang Cheng desperately. His head thuds against Jiang Cheng's chest, and he starts sobbing, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

Jiang Cheng lets him, holding him there.

When Xichen finally calms down he answers without looking up "I can't say it because it's not true. I am just, terribly, terribly afraid. My apologies."

Relief floods over Jiang Cheng. He forgets to breathe.

"I'm not going to hurt you. I promise"

___

Not much changes afterwards. Neither of them magically get better. Jiang Cheng still has his own thoughts sect to manage, they still write each other letters and he still visits Lan Xichen in seclusion. Some days are better than others though, and they help each other through the bad ones.

"Thanks for the tea" Jiang Cheng says. It's one of their rituals when he visits the Hanshi now.

Xichen–sprawled against him reading a book–doesn't budge.

"Move. I have to go" he nudges Xichen with his shoulder, since he can't use his arms too busy holding them both upright.

"You're mean Sect leader Jiang."

Jiang Cheng shoves him off this time.

"Fine Fine." Xichen lets himself roll on the floor before he gets up and helps Jiang Cheng to his feet. Jiang Cheng still can't feel his arms.

He steps out on the porch. It's a clear night and the crescent of the moon shines among the stars. He turns his head to bid Xichen good night.

He barely has time to register what's happening when two hands grab him by the collar and suddenly Xichen kisses him. Xichen kisses him and it's everything and more than Jiang Cheng has ever dared to dream of.

"Good night Wanyin" Xichen smiles when they part, a bit breathless.

"See you around" Jiang Cheng smiles too.

They'll be alright.

A.N : maybe you were expecting fluff but ... Oh well lmao

It was Soo hard to write ?? Like I had the core down pretty Soon but I kept changing stuff.

I wanted to make it clear that Xichen kinda wanted that too, and not just a friend but ugh it wasn't easy

#the untamed #xicheng #writing prompt #jiang cheng #lan xichen #writing #ask #cut coming right up

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bobasheebaby · 5 years

Text

Getting Ready- Lucky Number 7?: Crimson Rain chapter 8

Pairing: Bastien x Liza; Olivia Nevrakis; Hope Casey (Lykel); Buttons

Word count: 1,200

Warnings: Liza’s nerves, fluff

Summary: Will Liza’s nerves get the better of her when it comes time to get the nursery ready?

A/N: Thanks @sirbeepsalot for putting up with me.

Series warnings: talks of pregnancy loss, fear of pregnancy loss, anxiety, depression. Set within Crimson Rain but pulling the major pregnancy drama from the main series. All the fluff and angst with minimal mobster drama.

Let me know if you want to be added or removed from the taglist.

Disclaimer: I own my OC’s, the rest I’m simply borrowing from PB for a bit.

Liza sighed as she placed her bag down. She stretched her arms up over her head, arching her back trying to release some of the tension. She felt completely wrecked, both physically and emotionally exhausted. A day of shopping to prepare for the arrival of Sage shouldn’t have left her feeling so completely conflicted, but she never could quite rid herself of the fear that hung over her. She felt slightly relieved to have some baby prep out of the way, though she would never readily admit it, but she still couldn’t get rid of the gnawing fear in the pit of her stomach that setting up the nursery was only asking for trouble. She wished she could completely let go of her uncertainty and just be happy and enjoy the remaining three months of her pregnancy in peace, but she knew in her heart she would never have that peaceful perfect pregnancy she’d always dreamed of.

“I’ll be right in to help girls.” Bastien turned to Liza, pulling her into his arms. “I know you are worried you’re going to jinx things but she’s fine.” He gently caressed her bump. “Right Sage? Tell momma you’re fine, you kick her all the time cause you can’t wait to meet her.”

Thump. Liza cracked a small smile.

“See? She’s fine.”

Liza nodded, she wanted to believe him more than anything but she couldn’t help the fear that coiled around her heart squeezing it tightly.

“You’re worried that if the worst happens that you’ll have to walk past the empty room, but I promise you if the worst does happen I will repaint it myself and move everything out so you don’t have to deal with the empty room.” He gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Okay?”

Liza nodded, forcing a small unconvincing smile.

“I better get in there and help paint before they kill each other.” He kissed her forehead, then her nose.

Liza chuckled softly at his words, a small genuine smile finally breaking through. “Try to get most of the paint on the walls.”

“Hey, Livvy started the last paint battle, but I’ll try to prevent anymore. Go snuggle Buttons, I know you have to be exhausted. I love you.”

“Hey Butt.” Liza said as she walked past the nine month old puppy sleeping on his doggie bed. Buttons raised his head at the sound of her voice, ears perked up. “Don’t tell Liv I call you that, I’ll never live it down.”

Buttons cocked his head to the side in quiet question.

Liza slid off her shoes, climbing into the bed. Buttons jumped up to his feet, his tail whipping through the air wildly as he waited. “Come snuggles.” Liza cooed patting the bed beside her laughing softly as he trotted to the end of the bed, quickly climbing the doggie steps she had insisted he needed when he was small. She still couldn’t believe he was so behaved that he would patiently wait on his doggie bed until he was invited onto the bed. Must have been Liv’s doing.

Buttons plopped down next to Liza, gently resting his head on her bump, his front paws positioned on either side.

Liza smiled as she patted his head. “What a good boy. You love your sister don’t you?”

Buttons softly nuzzled his nose against her stomach.

“Sage loves her Buttons, don’t you Sage?” Thump. Liza giggled as Buttons raised his head in surprise, gently sniffing her rounded belly before finally resting his head back on her bump. “That was just your sister saying hi Butt, it’s okay.”

Buttons nudged her belly with his nose before closing his eyes. “You’re gonna be such a good big brother, aren't you?” Liza relaxed back into the pile of pillows, gently stroking Buttons head, allowing his presence to calm her. She slowly allowed her eyes to flutter closed, letting his soft snores lull her to sleep.

“The last grey wall is complete.” Hope sighed wiping her brow with the back of her hand leaving a smear of slate grey paint across her forehead. She tilted her head to the side in thought as she looked at the wall. “I think.”

Olivia turned, scrutinizing over every inch. “Looks good. Just the teal wall and the trim to complete.”

“Ugh.” Hope’s head dropped. “Why couldn’t we just leave these three walls white? We’d already be done by now.”

Bastien chuckled. “We’d have had to paint them anyhow, it’s been since before I painted the wall in the master room since anything has been painted, and that’s been nearly ten years.” He looked around the nursery, three freshly painted walls staring back at him. “It’s not so bad, we’re nearly done.”

Hope sighed as she dropped her roller, slate grey paint splattering up coating her legs and already splattered clothes. “Okay just one more wall, we can do this!”

“We still have the trim, but we can’t do that until the walls are dry and we can remove the tape and retape.”

Hope shot Olivia a look. “Just give me the win. One more wall. We can tackle the trim tomorrow.”

Later that week...

Liza spun around the room slowly, taking in every corner, every last detail. The crib had arrived a few days prior, Bastien insisting he put it together himself. She smiled as her fingers grazed pink, aqua, black and white bedding. Her gaze drifted higher, taking in the silver stars carefully placed over where her daughter would sleep. She turned to the corner, the plush chair she chose, with a tall bookcase filled with everyone’s favorites. She felt tears spring to her eyes when she saw Love You Forever set against the back cushion. The lyrics in the book instantly springing to mind.

I’ll love you forever,

I’ll like you for always,

As long as I’m living

My baby you’ll be.

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep the tears at bay as her hand grazed her bump. She kept turning, her smile returning as her eyes fell on the painting above the dresser they’d set up for changing as well. You are my sun, my moon, & all my stars. “It’s perfect.” She cleared her throat to conceal she’d nearly started crying. “One thing.”

“What?” Olivia questioned, her voice teetering between loving and annoyance.

“Where’s Buttons bed?”

Bastien and Hope burst into laughter as Olivia sighed rolling her eyes. “The dog, really?”

“Uh huh.” Liza nodded.

“He’s already got a bed in your room, my room, and Hope’s room, and lets not forget the one he barely uses in the living room, does he really need one in here too?”

“Yes, because he’s Sage’s big brother and she loves him and he loves her and when I'm here with her he’ll need a place to sleep.” Olivia opened her mouth to speak. “No he can’t just sleep on the floor and don’t even suggest it. I know you love him too, I know about the organic homemade doggie treats you get him.”

“We’ll get him a bed that we can place by the chair.” Bastien said before Olivia could refute her love for Buttons.

“Thank you. It’s what he deserves.”

A/N: Lyrics and book by Robert Munsch. It was a favorite of mine when my son was small and the lyrics always resonated with me but the meaning behind the song would resonate more with Liza so I wanted to include them. For those who don’t know, Robert has disclosed that he and his wife had suffered two still births and the song rattled in his head until he finally wrote the book. They have since adopted three children.

Feedback fuels me, please like, comment reblog or send an ask. Feel free to scream, I promise I can take it.

Masterlist can be found in my bio.

Taglist will be reblogged.

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dearlazerbunny · 5 years

Text

Once Upon A December

Pairings: Kylo x Reader

Genre/Rating: Anastasia!AU

Words: 3800

Summary: Requested by anon, who wanted a Kylo Anastasia AU to go along with my Poe one. Not as long as the other, but I hope you enjoy anyways!

As a fist flies towards your face, you dodge and roll to the right, back on your feet before your opponent has time to blink. You aim a wicked kick to the back of his knees, crumpling him to the ground, and you’re on top of him in an instant, pinning down his arms so he can’t land another hit. Unfortunately, he’s strong enough to flip himself over, even with you on his back, slamming you onto the floor.

You wince, but wearily get back up, knowing he won’t let up until he’s beaten or you’re unconscious. When he comes at you again, you decide to take the defensive, blocking his moves with bruised forearms and the occasional duck and cover. Goddamn he’s fast. But nobody’s perfect- and even Master Ren has weaknesses, few as they may be. Your body is screaming at you to end this sparring match, and fast, so you duck under his arm and snag the lightsaber hanging from his belt and activate it. Red sparks whine into existence as you wave it into a defensive position, effectively blocking him from yourself.

You both pause, breathing hard. Then Ren leans down and taps the mat twice, your signal for tapping out. Internally sighing with relief, you shut the saber off and practically collapse onto the floor, back to the mat, lying in a lovely pool of your own sweat.

“Cheater.” With a flick of his fingers, his lightsaber flies into his hands, and he returns it to his place. “This was hand to hand only.”

“‘Use whatever advantages you might get,’” you quote, not looking up from your resting place. “Or have you forgotten your own golden rule?”

He walks over to you and stands in your line of sight. Two inches closer and you’d practically be looking up his robes. “Not everyone is going to have a lightsaber for you to steal.”

You scoff. “You’re just mad that you had to tap out.”

For a second, he’s quiet, and you think he’ll get angry. But instead, a smile breaks out across his lips, and he offers you a hand. You take it gratefully, slowly rolling onto your feet. “Touché. Go get cleaned up; I’ll see you here same time tomorrow.”

“Ugh.” You work your hair out of its messy ponytail, then wrap it back into a bun on top of your head. “Don’t you have someone your own size to beat up on?”

Ren rolls his eyes. This is a common retort for you, and even though you say it jokingly, part of you does wonder why he chose an apprentice a third his size. “I’ve told you before, you-”

“-have potential, yadda yadda, I know, I know.” You roll your neck and it audibly cracks, making you wince. “Potential to be a sack of ground meat by the time you’re done with me.”

He chuckles and points to the door. “Out. You’ve done plenty for today.”

You obey, a small smile on your face as you aim your battered body for your quarters. A good spar may be something to be proud of, but the thing you love most is making Master Ren laugh.

Not that you’d ever admit it.

…

That night, you’re expecting to sleep like a rock, but instead you toss and turn, restless. You can’t get comfortable, and your dreams are proving to be ruthless. Flashes of smoke and fire couples with the shrill sounds of screams floating in the air. You run and run down corridors crumbling all around you, but you can never seem to escape. That’s the most common nightmare. But you do occasionally have good ones. A blurry face looking down on you from above, singing softly. The intangible feeling of a hug from someone who loved you. Through it all, snatches of a melody too far away to hear properly, but haunts you all the same.

You wonder where they came from. The dreams. Were they real, at one point? Is the lullaby meant for you as a child? Did where you came from burn to ash? Per usual, you have no concrete answers. Whenever you managed to work up the courage to broach the topic with Ren, he always changed the subject or harshly shut you down. Whoever you were, whatever there was before Starkiller, doesn’t matter. This is your calling in life. To fight by Ren’s side, in the name of the First Order.

Not that you really have a problem with this. Despite being your master, you would also call Ren a friend. Not only that, your only friend. You’d defend him with your life, and from the way he’s warmed up to you since your first day meeting, you’re inclined to think he’d do the same. At first, he was always cold, and harsh. Demanding perfection constantly, with little needed to set him off on one of his tirades. But as you got to know him, the less of him you feared. You realized that despite his reputation, he’s quite… human. And you made it your mission to pull that human part to the surface any chance you got.

Thinking of it makes you smile. You remember the first time you made him laugh, and how sweet that sound was. When he came back from a mission bruised and bloodied, and instead of going to medical he knocked on your door and asked you for help instead. When you caught fever and in between unconsciousness, you could see him sitting by your bedside, keeping watch.

Yes, Kylo Ren is a friend. And if you want more than that… well. That’s a road best not travelled down.

Finally, you stand and wrap a coat around your shoulders, intending to take a walk around Base to clear your head. After wandering for the better part of an hour, you end up in one of your favorite spots: the surface of the planet, beneath the base of a pine tree so large it’s jokingly used as target practice by trainee pilots. You settle down into the snow, head against the rough bark, and breathe in the cold air so sharp if feels like it will leave ice crystallizing in your lungs. You like it though. The cold banishes the dreams from whence they came.

You don’t even notice when you start humming that elusive lullaby. It sticks in your head for hours on end, just solid enough to make you wonder about its origins. Who you learned it from. Who sang it to you. It goes nicely with the snowflakes whipping around in the air, so you let the song be, mingling in the night with the stars and the moon.

“Y/N!” At the sound of Kylo’s voice, you’re immediately on alert. He emerges from the trees, cape whipping in the wind like some dramatic super villain. “What the hell are you doing out here?”

You shrug. He never understood your fondness for the cold. “Thinking.”

“About?” He sits beside you with a crunch, and you almost make a jab about him messing up his cape, but you decide to let it lie.

You let a breath hiss into the air. “Where I came from.”

Kylo doesn’t say anything for a moment. “Y/N, you know that-”

“No, that’s the thing, Ren! I don’t know! I don’t know anything!” You rarely lose your temper- that’s Ren’s job- but the lullaby is enough to drive you mad. “You won’t tell me jack shit except that I was drafted in the war to be your apprentice. But-” your voice cracks. “There has to be more than that. There has to be- family. A home planet. Something.” You turn to look at him, hoping all the emotion in your voice isn’t showing on your face. “You’d tell me if you knew something. Right?”

His face is neutral, his eyes scanning yours like he’s looking for something. “Have I ever lied to you?” It’s more a statement than a question, but all the same it makes you deflate into a shiver.

“No.” He hasn’t. Why would he?

…

As Kylo looks at you, he can see tears beginning to form in your eyes, even though you’d never admit it. Damn. This is really weighing on you. Sure, you’ve asked a few times over the years about where you were from, but never this seriously. And he never knew it got to you this much.

Are you not happy here? Would you rather be out somewhere in the galaxy with the family you never knew? Without him?

The thought makes his heart clench. There, sitting side by side with you beneath the trees, cold wind smarting his face, he can’t deny it- losing you would destroy him. He’s grown fond of you, ever since that first day you came out of your shell and decided to snark back at him. That was when he knew you were a fighter. With some coaching, you could be good enough to fight by his side.

And you are, now. But if you’re not happy…

Kylo gets up, brushing snow off his clothes. “I’ll see what I can do.”

…

The next day, Kylo strides into Hux’s office, not caring if he’s busy or has another meeting. With one look at the officer sitting across from Hux’s desk, he scampers out, leaving him and the General alone.

“I need to know about Y/N.”

Hux raises an eyebrow. “What about her?”

“Where did you find her?”

Surprisingly, Hux doesn’t bite back, just sits down at his desk and begins rifling through files on his digipad. “Ah. Y/N Y/L/N.” She was captured when the First Order overtook Rusija. Apparently she’s the daughter of the former monarch there, and was brought on board Starkiller by mistake. She was slated for execution when you took an interest in her.” He looks up at Kylo. “Does that answer your question?”

Kylo knows about Rusija. The operation commenced before his time, and he’s suddenly furiously glad. “What happened to the family?”

Hux smiles. “Executed, of course.” His face turns suspicious. “Why are you asking? Does she suspect something?”

Kylo shakes his head. “No. She knows nothing. I was just… curious.”

Hux nods. “Good. She was dosed with experimental amnesiac drugs once you decided to keep her; I’m glad to see they’re doing their job.”

Oh, stars. Without warning, Kylo stalks out of the room. They drugged her to forget her past? All because he wanted to train her? He shakes his head. But if he hadn’t picked her up, she’d be dead just like the rest of her family. So this was for the best… right?

…

That night there’s a bang outside Kylo’s door. Angrily, he stalks over to it, throwing it open ready to shout at anyone who dares to interrupt him this late at night-

But stops short, when he sees you on the ground, looking confused and rubbing your forehead.

“Y/N?” Kylo crouches down. “Are you okay?”

“I think so?” You laugh a little, hoping it will cover up your embarrassment. “I think I- I think I ran into the door,” you mumble, trying to piece together what happened.

“You ran into the door,” Kylo says dryly.

“Sleepwalking,” you admit, shrugging your shoulders. “I do it occasionally. I must’ve somehow been aiming for your quarters and-” you stop, gesturing to the welt on your forehead.

Kylo’s eyebrows draw together. Sleepwalking? “Do you need medical?”

“Oh, stars, no, I’ll just-” you try to stand, but wobble on your feet, clutching your head.

“Okay, no, you’re coming with me.” Kylo grabs your elbow and leads you inside his room, setting you on the bed. “I’m getting a washcloth for that bump.”

When you don’t respond, he leaves for the bathroom to wet a cloth for your forehead. When he gets back you’ve laid onto his pillows, eyes closed. “So that was stupid of me,” you say.

“I don’t think you can exactly control sleepwalking.” He drapes the cloth over your forehead and you press it onto the wound gratefully. “Were you… dreaming about anything in particular?”

You sigh. “Fire, screaming, not being able to escape. The usual nightmare fuel.”

“I’m sorry.”

You snort. “It’s not like it’s your fault.” You seem to curl inward on yourself, making you even smaller than you normally are. “Could I… could I stay here tonight?” You murmur. “I don’t really want to be alone.”

You want to stay here? With him? “I- yes.” He nods. “I can sleep on the floor.”

You roll your eyes. “You don’t have to do that, Ren. Seriously, you’ve seen me in much more compromising positions.”

His cheeks flame at your insinuation. “You better not kick in your sleep,” he grumbles, trying to cover up the sudden flare of warmth in his chest.

Another eye roll and a smile as you grab a pillow for yourself and settle down with it on the opposite side of the bed. Kylo carefully lays down on his side, concentrating very hard on not touching you. He falls asleep to your even breathing, faster than he ever does when he’s alone.

He wakes before you in the morning- he’s a much earlier riser than you- and when he opens his eyes he’s shocked to find you curled into his side, your head on his chest. The two of you must have shifted in the night. At first he’s going to wake you, but then… you’re sleeping so peacefully. And after last night, you probably need it. So instead, he slowly works an arm around you shoulders and pulls you in a hair closer, closing his eyes once again.

…

“Get dressed.” A few days later, Kylo comes into your room unannounced while you’re stretching out sore limbs. “We leave in five.”

“Where?” No answer. So you shrug and put on traveling clothes, pack a few necessities, and meet him at his TIE. You strap yourself in expertly; you’re used to being his copilot. As he fiddles with the controls. You can’t help but notice there isn’t a squadron going with you for backup. Must not be a mission then. Then why go off base. “Uh, Ren? Mind telling me where we’re going without assistance?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

That’s all you get? Well, fine, then. Two can play at that game. You cross your arms and sit back, pouting the entire flight to…wherever. As he nears a planet frosted over in ice, you glance down at your clothes. “Not sure I’m prepared for snow, Ren.”

He fishes around and pulls out a black, fur lined coat, then tosses it at you, barely missing your face. You take it with a huff, but gratefully. As you land, officers are there to greet you, saluting as you disembark and taking the reins of Ren’s TIE to look it over for inspection. You look around. Pine trees covered in icicles, a brisk wind blowing from the north… it’s nice, although other people might think you’re crazy for saying so.

“This is Rusija,” Ren says without looking at you, and you nod. You’ve heard of it.

“It’s pretty.”

He doesn’t respond as he begins marching off to who knows where, and you follow, more than a little annoyed he won’t tell you where you’re going. It’s a long walk through a fairly massive metropolis, all bustling with First Order business. But as you reach the outskirts, the buildings become shacks, the bustle becomes silent streets. It’s a quiet, run down town, with nothing of much importance. You can’t imagine why he’s brought you here, unless you’re here to run down a fugitive they’ve caught wind of.

The few people who are on the streets look at Ren fearfully, but he ignores them, walking right up to a house at the end of the lane and knocking on the door. An old woman answers, a Shaw wrapped around her shoulders. “May I help you?” She seems terrified, but knows enough to stay polite.

“I’d like to speak with you, if you please.” You reel back a little. Ren saying please? Nevertheless, the two of you are invited into the small hut, which a roaring fire is keeping warm. There are chairs, but the two of you stand- Ren out of propriety, yourself out of confusion.

When the old lady has settled back down into her own chair, Ren begins bluntly. “I know who you are,” he says, and though you have no idea what he’s talking about, the lady seems to know exactly what he’s saying. She looks frightened, but also… regal, in a way. Like she will accept her fate.

“Very well. Do what you wish to me.”

He shakes his head. “I’m not here to turn you in. I’ve… I’ve brought you someone.” He stands aside, and you realize the person he’;s talking about is you. You shake your head at him, wondering what he’s getting at, but he gives you a look that says ‘be patient’.

The lady stands, and walks towards you slowly. You stand your ground, not afraid of such a frail woman. But as she gets closer, she seems more and more sure of herself, even going so far as to brush a piece of hair away from your face before you can recoil.

“It can’t be…” she whispers, apparently in disbelief.

You raise an eyebrow. “Someone mind explaining what exactly is going on here?” You ask the two of them. Both are silent.

“Anastasia,” the woman murmurs, and for some reason that name sets off all sorts of alarm bells in your head.

A shiver rolls down your spine, but you try to ignore it. “Sorry, no, my name is Y/N. I don’t know who Anastasia is, but-”

“Where did you find her?” The woman cuts you off, directing the question at Ren.

“The First Order picked her up during the takeover,” he says. “She was dosed with… with amnesiac drugs. She doesn’t remember a thing.”

“I was what now?” You practically shriek, taking a few steps back. “Picked up when?”

Ren looks at you. “When Rusija was taken over by the First Order, the royal family of the planet was decimated. Two people slipped through the cracks. The matriarch of the family,” he nods to the woman still staring at you, “and a granddaughter.”

“And you’re saying that granddaughter is me,” you say in disbelief. Unbelievable. What sort of joke is this?

“Anastasia, my dear,” the woman steps forward, wringing her hands. “I know you must not remember me. But I am your grandmother.” There are tears in her eyes. “Oh, my dear, I never thought I’d see you again. We thought we’d lost you…”

“I’ll leave you two to get acquainted,” Ren says in a rough voice, then steps outside the hut, shutting the door behind him.

‘I- wait! Ren!” You follow him out the door, letting it bang behind you. “What the hell are you doing?”

He stares at you as though the answer is obvious. “Giving you what you wanted. This,” he gestures around, “is where you came from. That woman used to be the crown queen of Rusija. She’s your family.”

His words hit you in the chest, hard, and you feel like you’re about to fall over. “My family,” you repeat, the word unfamiliar on your tongue.

He nods. “I thought you wanted to know.”

“I- I thought I did too.” You look around at unfamiliar surroundings. “But this planet- that woman- are strangers to me. Starkiller is my home.” You glance at him, trying to gauge his reaction. “You’re my home. You were right, it doesn’t matter where I came from. It matters what I’ve become.”

He looks at you for a long while, his eyes blank. Then he slowly nods, and gestures back the way you came. “Let’s go home, then.”

…

You did tell the woman goodbye, and give her a hug at least. You aren’t cruel. And she seemed to understand how lost you were in that strange new world. Back amongst Starkiller, with its winding corridors and sparring matches with Ren, you feel more like yourself then you ever had.

One such sparring session is taking place late at night, with the both of you working out pent up frustration from the day before. He’s hitting a little harder than usual, but you’re punching right back, not giving him an inch. Eventually, the both of you tap the mat at the same time. A draw.

Hands behind your head, you try to get some air in your lungs as Ren leans against the wall, breathing hard. You look at him. You’ve been practicing the last few weeks, on what to say, but that doesn’t make it much easier.

“Hey.” He looks at you. “I wanted to say… thank you. For taking me to Rusija.” You falter, but forge ahead. “You… didn’t have to do that. But you did. For me. And…” you try not to blush. “It means a lot to me.”

He shrugs. “It was nothing.”

“It wasn’t nothing!” You walk over, standing right in front of him. “If I had wanted to stay with that woman, on that planet, would you have let me?”

He tilts his head, considering you. Then nods. “Yes.”

“That’s… stars, Kylo, I can’t even tell you how selfless that is.” A small smile appears on his face. You frown. “What?”

“You called me Kylo.”

“I-” your heart beats to a stop. “Did I? Sorry, Ren, I just-”

“No,” he cuts you off. “It’s okay.”

“Oh.” You look at him. “Well, good.”

“Good.”

The two of you look at each other, neither sure what to say or do next. Then, ever so slowly, you raise up on your toes and give him a soft kiss on the cheek, lingering for a second before pulling away. “Seriously. Thank you,” you whisper.

Another beat. And then you’re both leaning in, meeting in the middle for a heated kiss. His hands immediately wrap around you, resting on your lower back, pulling you into him, and yours run through his hair like you’ve dreamed about doing so many times before. Teeth collide, noses bump- as kisses go, it’s hardly flawless- but the pull in your stomach makes it feel like the most heady thing in the world.

When you pull away, trying to catch your breath, he’s staring at you wide eyed, like he can’t believe that just happened. You put a hand to his cheek. “I never would have left you, you know,” you say softly, and the smile on his face could rival the sun as he goes in to kiss you again.

#star wars #Star Wars fanfic #kylo ren x reader #kylo ren x you #kylo ren #requests #star wars request

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iminlovewith-rogers-car · 5 years

Text

"Don't tell Roger" (Maylor fic)

Part: 4/?

AO3 link - Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4

HOLY FUCK I CANT BELIEVE THERES 4 OF THIS SHIT

CHAPTER 4: ACTUALLY...

Roger's bed was really big, way more space than he needed, even if he had company; it was also incredibly comfortable since he made sure to get the coziest sheets and blankets, as well as about a dozen puffy pillows.

To top it all, he had recently bought silky pajamas in Japan, but he rarely wore them, given that he would always end up getting rid of his clothes during the night, he was always more comfortable wearing only his underwear, and sometimes not even that.

So considering how ridiculously planned the comfort of his bed is, its uncommon to find Rog as uneasy in bed as he was tonight. He just could not go to sleep, no matter how tired he undoubtedly was nor how inviting his bed could be.

"Alright what about... 'Hey Bri, I...' I what? I like you? No no no I can't just throw it at him like that... What if I just kiss him? No that's... That's fucking harassment for sure... Ugh," he threw his arms over his face. Rog had been trying to find the "best way" to tell Brian for a few hours now, he was lying in bed trying to sleep, but every time he closed his eyes a new possibility came to mind.

"But if he is mad at me now... Then I should probably approach him and let him speak right?" He had apparently found his "best way" (which unsurprisingly was to just have a normal conversation, and see where it went)

Roger tried his best to block out every related thought, or else he wouldn't get any sleep at all, it was too hard, but he was actually exhausted, so he finally fell asleep around 3:00 am.

~~~

The indescribably annoying noise of his analogue alarm clock would often scare Roger, just a little. When he bought his alarm clock, Rog made sure to choose the one with the most annoying sound he could find, because he wanted to make sure there was no chance he'd oversleep; and when he brought it home, he decided to place it a little far from his bed and not on his nightstand, this way he would have to get up to stop the terrible sound. Many missed courses on college got him to develop these little waking up strategies.

8:00 am. He sucked at waking up, he was almost incapable of waking up before noon if he was to do so naturally; and he usually didn't need to worry about it, since the band wouldn't meet at the studio before 4:00 pm, given that they soon realized that being half asleep while crafting musical masterpieces wasn't exactly working, so they had all agreed to take the mornings to themselves; unless of course they had a deadline, a concert coming up, or any kind of important situation that demanded some more of their time. After all, they weren't amateurs anymore, they were rockstars, and music wasn't a hobby anymore, it was a full time job.

Today they were recording a couple of songs, and a concert was coming up soon... So, yes, today was one of those days when they needed to dedicate some extra time to their music, so they decided to meet at the studio around 10:00 am.

For John, 10:00 am is late enough; he's used to waking up at 6:00 am, working out a little, taking a shower, having breakfast with Veronica and chilling for a while, so, naturally, he'd be perfectly awake at 10:00, (but of course, this meant he'd usually be sleepy by 9:30 pm)

Brian too was okay with waking up early, he wasn't particularly eager to it though, since he'd usually stay up late observing constellations as well as the moon and stars movements with his telescope. When he started making some real money, the first thing he bought for himself was a brand new professional telescope, and he didn't waste any opportunity to use it. Still, he was way too used to waking up naturally around 8:00 am, as he had to back when he was in college, so he was often a little tired in the morning.

Freddie was not as much of an early bird as John and Brian but he would manage, he loved waking up late, it reminded him of the days at boarding school and how much he wished he didn't have to wake up at 6:00 am every single day, and now that he was an adult and could choose his own schedule thanks to his dream job, he wasn't gonna miss the chance to fullfil this innocent and too-usual childhood wish.

Roger was the biggest night owl out of the four of them. If he wasn't with Freddie partying, watching a movie, or just talking, he was at home reading until around 2:00 am or even later, watching a movie on his own, or just enjoying the night at home in any way he could imagine; sometimes he'd just lay in bed thinking about life, about things that were bothering him, or about how much he loved his new life; he considered himself very lucky to be where he was, and he never forgot how hard he worked (and still did, possibly more than ever) to get every opportunity he encountered along the way.

~~~

When the alarm clock started its hellish performance, Rog was comfortably asleep, cuddled up and surrounded by warm blankets and pillows. His eyes were now suddenly wide open, and he growled as he made his way to the clock. He considered throwing it out the window and going back to bed, but when he thought of the consequences of not showing up he chose otherwise. Slowly running his fingers through his messy blonde hair he made his way over to the bathroom, once there he washed his face and looked at his reflection on the mirror right in the eye. "I gotta do this today," he said loudly enough, as if he was having an actual conversation.

~~~

The rehearsal went pretty well, as expected, the boys didn't really need to practice, as they soon noticed, but a few more hours of it never hurt anyone, right?

As a consequence, the recording went smoothly and relaxed, (some teasing and yelling took place, as usual, but nothing dramatic)

~~~

It's worth mentioning that poor Brian still kept his act of being not interested in Roger whatsoever, only speaking to him if Roger asked a question directly to him or something like that. Brian realized it was relatively foolish to keep that up, but he was too invested in this plan of maybe getting his friendship with Roger to be back to normal eventually if he managed to convince him that he wasn't and was never attracted to him.

But of course, this doesn't mean he isn't, really.

Brian's crush was as big as ever, he'd stare at Roger when he wasn't looking, and he'd love each time they spoke, treasuring the feeling of being close to him, even if he wasn't about to allow himself to go any closer.

To be perfectly honest, this few weeks had not been easy for Bri; some days he thought it was no big deal and things would be normal soon, but some other days he figured "normal" still meant not being with Roger, not holding him in his arms, not kissing his plump pink lips... Nothing; and yes, of course Rog could eventually forget about this awkwardness, but could Brian ever forget he loved Roger? And, in the meantime, he wasn't only denying himself the delicious company of the man he loved, but also, the company of his best friend; and because all of this Brian had become a bit depressed as he grieved for his impossible love.

Some nights, when it was really late and he couldn't hear a single noise from the street, when the night was at it's darkest, he'd allow himself to cry quietly in his bed, with his face hiding in his pillow and his back to the window, as if he was hiding his face from the moon. He'd cry softly, with low whimpers escaping his throat once in a while; his long fingers would swip the tears away from his flushed cheeks until he eventually fell asleep, once or twice dreaming about Roger and himself being together; and then the next day he'd wash his face, hide his pain, and go make music with Roger again.

~~~

At around 8:00 pm the boys were done with their work for the day.

Roger could hear Deaky and Freddie making plans for the four of them to go to dinner together, but he didn't really listened, to be fair, he wasn't interested, all he wanted was to get to Brian.

He spotted him in the back of the room, gathering his stuff and putting the Red Special carefully in it's case, so he nervously and carefully made his way over there.

"Hello Bri," he said in an adorable, playful voice

"Oh, hello," Brian didn't really look up from what he was doing

"How've you been?"

"Oh, you know..." Brian shrugged

"Well, I don't really," Rog laughed nervously "You've been kind of avoiding me." Roger managed to not have this sound like a complaint, but a playful (and obviously anxious) joke

"I have not," Brian blushed since it was exactly what he had been doing "I've just been busy"

"So... There's nothing wrong?" Roger tried to reassure himself "... Between us I mean"

This hit Brian out of nowhere. He wasn't the only one suffering, he'd also ripped himself and his friendship from Roger's life, and he was probably missing him too, this made him feel terribly guilty

"Oh Rog, of course not, how can you think that?" He knew exactly why he thought that

"Well... You've been distant, a-and I get it I mean if you've been busy as you said you were, but, uhm, there's something I kind of really need to tell you, b-but, if this is not a good time I can wait 'till uhm..." He was cut off by Brian

"No, no, it is a good time Rog, what is it you want to talk about?" Brian was suddenly too kind and polite again, because of both his love and the guilt

Roger sighed loudly and sat down next to where Brian was gathering his stuff, and Brian sat next to him.

Roger started to breathe a little faster and his face turned pale

"Rog, are you alright?" Brian was genuinely concerned, this seemed like bad news

"Yeah yeah just... Nervous, and" Roger paused and looked for his cigarettes on his pocket, once he found them he lit a cigarette to calm himself down a little.

Brian's anxiety was growing with every second that passed, was he in trouble?Leaving the band? In a legal issue? Knocked someone up? What?!

"Brian it is hard for me to do this but you have to remember that no matter what you say I'm always gonna be here, and I hope you don't hate me for this but I really can't live like this anymore, I need to get this off my chest and maybe, just maybe, get the chance to have what I've been wanting for ages now"

"Roger what? First of all I could never hate you, that's ridiculous, what is this about?"

"I like you Bri" Roger spat out shyly "actually... I love you"

~~~

After a long pause Roger continued

"I'm sorry, I know maybe that's not something you want to hear and..."

He was interrupted by Brian, but he wasn't yelling, or freaking out, or lecturing him... He was kissing him.

Brian pressed his lips against Roger's, and then, immediately shifted to a passionate and needy kiss. Roger was paralized at first, he wasn't processing what was happening, he had never expected this, but when we could calm down a little he kissed Brian back in a no less passionate manner.

Brian was holding Roger's cheek firmly, then moving his hand back to his neck.

Roger had his hand on Brian's lower back and the other hand on his own leg.

Brian eventually backed off a little, just far enough to look at Roger's gorgeous eyes.

"I love you too Rog, I have for a while now"

They started kissing again, softly, slowly, romantically, and they could not even think about anything in the world that mattered aside from each other, this was just so so so perfect for both of them, so unexpected, so blissful...

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nezzfiction · 5 years

Text

ENMY Chapter 90 - Fourth Crusade (Part Two)

Chapter Synopsis: The Kingdom of Vacuo is about to enter its most daunting challenge since its conception. Salem is launching the Fourth Crusade. A war to end some of Remnant’s greatest warriors, including Team ENMY. Assistance from Atlas is on its way, but will the Fleet arrive in time to make a difference?

Only one thing is certain. Whatever happens in Vacuo will echo the events to come for the rest of Remnant.

Series Synopsis: Team RWBY is disbanded, and Yang must find herself new allies. For her, that might very well be yesterday’s enemies. Joining up with the likes of Emerald, Mercury, and Neo, the four will comprise Team Enemy(ENMY).

Links to read the series: Ao3 or FF.net

Or hit the jump below

The Fourth Crusade (Part Two)

My life for Ire.

It was afternoon, but the skies above Vacuo suddenly dimmed to the dark shadowing overcast of night.

The sun faded into obscurity. Instead, the shattered moon took its place. Its size much larger, more closer than any had seen in a very long time.

“Do you remember, Titan?” Salem sneered to her opponent across the sands. “This is the night I laid waste to everything you ever built. The night I brought ruin to everything you ever loved!”

“Yes, I remember. Which is why, I will not allow you to do the same to these Children of Remnant!” Titan declared.

The once golden sands of Vacuo dyed a soft shade of blue and purple. Stars in the sky shimmered with a haunting brightness. The kind astrologers used to foretell a great calamity approaching.

Although the battle between Grimm and the Kingdom’s warriors still waged with savage fervor, a small pause pervaded the battlefield. The phenomenon of the immortals’ duel garnered a hallowed awe by all. And the great pieces of the moon drew ever closer towards the world.

Salem’s curse mimicked the Cataclysm of ages past on a smaller scale. Even so, the damage it would cause would be nothing short of catastrophic.

I will not fail again, Titan told himself.

Those who have entrusted their lives to me will not allow it.

Titan’s body warped into that of a merchant, heavily-obscured by a brown cloak. From his backpack, he drew a few ordinary looking beans.

The man bent down and whispered a quiet incantation to the kernels resting his palm. They sprouted vines to the sound of his voice. He then, curled them into his fist, touched them once to his forehead, before tossing them into the ground a few feet ahead.

Immediately, there was an explosion of green vegetation. Giant beanstalks sprouted from the sand, intertwining into the sky and towards the falling moon. Once it reached its height, the flora branched out like a freshly cast fishing net.

“I must thank you for one thing, if one thing only, Wicked!” the Magic Bean Seller shouted. “You’ve offered me a chance at redemption!”

“You’re still the same fool you always were! Do you truly think yourself capable of changing anything?!”

“I will! I’ve found my calling, as late as it was!”

“Your world will end again!”

“No! You’re wrong! And this isn’t my world! IT IS THEIRS!!!”

Salem poured more of her Magic into the curse, as if to refute Titan’s claim by force. Every negative emotion she could dredge, increased the potency of the Cataclysm’s replication. Likewise, Titan infused his counter curse with the lifeforce saved from previous incarnations. He thought if this was the moment his long life led up to, he would gladly forfeit it all for a glimmer of hope against all hope—an odd against all odds.

The sound of the great collapse racked the continent like a tectonic plate shift. A tidal wave of sand blew everything and everyone in the vicinity off their feet. It was the eternal battle between unstoppable force and immovable object at its grandest.

The beanstalk caught the moon in its grasp, but only momentarily. The force of the falling world continued to descend. Its mass broke away the weaker branches, only leaving the strongest stalks to contend. Pieces of the moon were repelled, while others struck the earth like meteors.

Titan felt a sharp numbness set in. Committing so much of his energy into a single stroke took more than its toll. His mind began to haze at the edges. But still, he maintained his strength.

“I can feel you fading…” Salem narrowed. “Had you fought without spending yourself on that fruitless endeavor, you may have stood a chance. Alas, your sacrifice was all for naught. Stopping Behemoth only delayed the inevitable.”

Out from Salem’s back, the head of a great serpent burst out. Its body wriggled and writhed, trying to shake itself loose from the Witch’s flesh. When it was fully freed, it expanded rapidly in size.

With one pounce, it sunk its teeth into the base of the beanstalk, gnawing away at its roots.

“A pitiful effort your so-called redemption has become,” Salem snickered. “The same old mistakes in a few new ways—like dividing your power among the Maidens. I see the foolish belief you chose to place in these Children was never a lesson you planned to learn from.”

“Do you ever shut up!”

Glynda pointed her riding crop to the beanstalk and began reconstructing some of its fractured pieces.

“If you think we will entrust the Wizard with Vacuo’s safety alone, you are sorely mistaken.”

Minerva conjured the form of a fiery phoenix to do battle with Salem’s serpent. Its flaming talons and beak cut wounds all over the reptile’s scales.

She is right, Titan. You do not stand alone, several voices within the immortal resounded.

There was a rousing cry, and the legions of Vacuo’s warriors rallied to fight the Grimm once more. Waves of projectiles launched into the hordes of Salem’s army. A portion of the gunfire concentrated on the Witch’s serpent.

Never alone.

Part of Titan’s body phased out with a violent ripple. While the main maintained the beanstalk, a previous host wearing a silly-looking fez and bowtie stumbled clumsily onto the ground before popping back up.

“Ugh! Which one am I?” he began touching his face. “Nose, hair, FINGERS! Still got them! Yes! Excellent! You! The angry one with the eyebrows!”

“Excuse me?!” Glynda gasped.

“Yes! The thing you’re doing! The timey wimey!”

“The what?!”

“It could use more wimey! I’d do it myself but we need to conserve as much energy as possible, and this—“the man pulled out what appeared to be a sonic screwdriver from his tweed jacket. “—does not work on wood. But what it can do…! Whoopsie daisy!”

The man pointed it at Glynda’s wand, and she suddenly felt her spell refine and focus. Her time reversal spell accelerated the repairs of the beanstalk to match the speed of its destruction.

“‘Oh, he’s cool. He did a cool thing’. You’re making the ‘he did a cool thing’ face, by the way,” the man gloated.

“How…?! Who are you?!”

“I’ve gone by many names. Different body, different name. If I remember correctly, this one was…Doctor?”

“Doctor? Dr. Who?”

“Never get tired of hearing that one.”

X X X X X

“Damn it! What the hell is that old lady thinking?!” Yang shouted her frustrations.

“Your godmother’s always been short a few screws. But this is worse, even by her standards,” Raven clenched her teeth. “Still, we can’t lose our composure. We both saw the vision. They should be able to hold out a little longer before the prediction comes to pass.”

Although her mother’s words were reassuring, there was an almost imperceptible quiver to her bottom lip. Yang could read the worry all over her face. An anxiety that threatened to swallow her if she didn’t constantly temper it.

“We’ll save her, mom. We’ll save Temujin.” She took Raven’s hand in hers.

“Yes, of course,” her mother sighed. “The question is how.”

“Can you slice us open a portal?”

Raven was about to say yes, when something held her tongue. There was a visible resistance to her movement. Invisible strings no one could see.

“Damn it!” she cursed. “It would count as direct interference against Salem! I can’t do it without breaking the contract!”

Yang tapped her in-ear communicator.

“Hey, operator. Did you get that?”

“Yeah,” Emerald answered. “Heard it all…!”

“How’s Neo?”

“Your wifey’s running on fumes like the rest of us. If you’re asking her to fast-track you back to the city, it ain’t happening right now. Just stay put, I called you guys an uber driver, who happened to be close by.”

“How are you and Merc?”

“We’ve got our hands full …!”

Yang heard gunfire in the background, as well as the random cries of bestial creatures.

“Em? What’s going on there?”

“Grimm. Lots of ‘em…! Trying to come through the crack Behemoth left in the wall. Also, some of its giant ass baby larvae are still around. Annoying fuckers.”

“How bad is it?”

“Let’s just say, we also got word parts of Salem’s armies are breaking off from the North and South to come here. So, uh, just a few shades shy of complete shitstorm.”

“And you need to hold there until more of Vacuo’s military makes it back. There’s no way you can help Temujin?”

“Not without letting Grimm overrun the city.”

“…Do you need me?”

“You won’t hear me say no, but... Your ride’s there.”

Just then, Yang and Raven spotted a light-traveling aircraft in the distance. In little to no time, its wing thrusters kicked up a wave of dust, as it came to a hover at the cliff’s edge.

The sidedoors opened to show Ilia.

“There better be a damn good reason I’m playing chauffeur in the middle of a fucking war, or you’re not getting on this boat.”

Yang only gave her a dead stare.

“Blake and Temujin.”

“…...Get on the fucking boat.”

X X X X X

Nai had never waged battle like this before.

The Grimm were intricately coordinated, their movements vastly complex. Whatever weakness certain species possessed were annoyingly paired with another species that could more or less compliment it.

There was an organization and strategy to the monsters Nai never thought possible. Not the Crusaders, not even his own people could achieve this level of coordination. It was a most formidable army, if it could be called that. A legion of darkness which surpassed imagination.

Who could control such a force of nature?

But the man already knew who. The one called, Bean. He would have gone after the enemy’s commander himself if he could pinpoint where the boy was. But as Nai stared out into the endless hordes of glowing red eyes, he knew such an idea was impossible.

We’ve managed to stall them somehow and Behemoth has been slain.

Better not to test our fortunes.

Retreat should be the priority.

The moment he finished the thought, a Moredread cleaved through the soldier beside him. It turned its attention the Khan’s way. The sword interlaced into the Grimm’s muscle fiber raised high once more.

Nai reacted immediately. He was well-versed in dealing with the Moredread. While they were fortified in a dark parody of medieval-like armor and literally armed with a claymore, they were not without weakness. The non-sword arm was a particular safe-zone to move to.

But as Nai strafed to the Moredread’s weakside, a scorpion’s tail almost stung him on approach. It was there, he noticed a baby Deathstalker wrapped around the knight’s gauntlet. With its top carapace facing outward and pincers snapping, it looked like some macabre shield.

Just then, a line of Moredread bearing Deathstalkers of their own, charged the front lines. They “shield bashed” the Vacuo vanguard, followed by a downward strike with their swords on any who lived through the first blow. And just like that, the Kingdom’s battalions staggered.

This isn’t good.

The rhythm of our army is being disrupted.

As if drowning their fears with rage, a Faunus warrior gave a mad cry before rushing the Grimm’s shield wall. His squadmates followed, trying to pry a break in the formation. But with uncanny unison, the Grimm gave way to a small concave and decimated the squadron in two short blows. The line reformed like a watery surface.

“FALL BACK! TO THE CHASM!” Nai ordered immediately.

War drums and horns resounded. The battalions showed signs of wanting to continue, but eventually gave in to their leader’s instructions.

To stop the Grimm from pursuing, a small flock of airships flew overhead. Some were taken down by the flying Grimm in the process, but those remaining deployed bombs to cover their allies’ withdrawal.

Exploding Dust dotted the space separating Vacuo’s military and the Grimm. The monsters ignored their baser instincts by not pursuing mindlessly into the fire. In fact, holding their position until the conflagration dissipated somewhat.

Damn!

Not even the barest of losses given.

“Pan! Assist the retreat!” Nai passed additional orders.

“You’ve got it!” shouted a lively response.

The former Headmaster of Signal Academy pulled ahead of the battalions and activated his Gravity Semblance.

Ahead, separating the army from the city walls was a wide chasm. Nai had chosen this location for the battle specifically for that reason. It was one of the only natural obstructions protecting the city and the perfect place to cover a retreat.

As Vacuo’s army approached, gold lights enveloped them like tiny fireflies. Their steps became weightless, as they jumped the fifty-meter gap with ease. Pan’s Semblance, with the assistance of a godmother device, allowed the battalions to defy gravity and leap to safety.

Once they were all across, their ranged units set up coverfire for the aerial.

Now, we only need to worry about the Grimm in the sky for the moment, Nai thought.

It will take hours for the main host to maneuver the chasm.

…

In a safe distance away, Bean watched the progression of events from the view points of Grimm he was linked to.

Stratagem is well-adapted.

General Nai’s ability requires reassessment.

However.

The Grimm around the boy rushed past, making their own way to hit the city, but he paid them no mind. He only looked down at the flute held in his hands with a troubled gaze.

It was a disturbing little artifact. The instrument was dyed in a bold ebony finish. Varnished bone crusted the lip and finger holes. The cursed pipe was once a Nightmare Class Grimm classified as Hamelin. But after Salem’s experiments, she converted the Grimm’s original form into an object. A feat Bean found the Witch was all too familiar with.

Regardless, the boy pressed the recorder to his lips. A devilish melody was born as soon as he breathed life into it. The kind of music that enticed those who heard it to move and follow against their wills.

…

In that moment, Nai watched an eeriness pervade the other side of the trench. He wasn’t sure at first, but he thought he saw the sands moving.

Then the bright red eyes of the Grimm became clear. They were much smaller and quicker than the ones of Bean’s standing army. It was like a flood of glimmering rubies skittering across the ground. And like a flood, the bodies collected into a river.

The tiny Grimm latched onto each other, forming an extension into the chasm. Some of them fell into the abyss, while more continued to squirm into the construction connecting one side to the other. Nai could barely make out their figures now.

They were Ratten, a rat-type of Grimm. Usually nothing more than pests individually, but they did carry the potential to swarm and plague if left unchecked. But Nai couldn’t have known they would be used in this way, much less an army capacity.

“Take them out!” he ordered, snapping his soldiers out of their stupor.

Rows of guns were brandished in new formation, barrels leveled at an even angle. The concerted rings of Dust rounds being loaded into firing chambers traveled down the ranks. The shooters opened fire for a sparse two seconds, before great booms impacted across the way. Thunderous crashes fell among their numbers.

On the backs of giant rabbit Grimm, Moredread knights struck down at the crouching shooters. A circle of blood and death reaped in their unexpected surroundings. And before the Vacuo military could react, the Moredread’s mounts leapt to another section.

All the while, the Ratten finished the first of their bridges. The tiny scourge rushed Vacuo’s warriors immediately—engulfing, consuming, until there was nothing left but barebones and trace amounts of flesh.

Nai himself, was being blanketed by the critters. They bit into his poisonous body, and died, but took pieces of him with them. They were especially dangerous for the rest of his battalions. The Ratten’s small bodies made them difficult to hit, and when they did manage to find purchase, the Grimm’s large numbers easily made the deficit for any one killed.

Nai never doubted the courage of Vacuo’s people when they met adversity. No matter the situation, he knew their warriors would fight to their deaths. Armies lived and died by their morale, and his battalions would only fall with spirits high.

Still, he prayed silently that this would not be the end.

“Is there nothing left we can do?”

X X X X X

“Are you quite finished?” Salem scowled at her opponents.

The Witch didn’t have the same level of strategery Bean had, or the same room to maneuver, but her Grimm still displayed an uncanny coordination. The dark army was beginning to best the warriors of Vacuo in the Southern theater.

Titan recognized the way the scales were tipping. Their side was also aware of the dire situation playing out on the Northern front, as well as the impending hordes bent towards the city’s West Wall.

“I will be fine on my own!” the Magic Bean Seller yelled to his comrades.

The immortal’s appearance shifted to a man with jade-white, taoist robes. A feathered fan materialized in his hand, and he brought it up with a heavy motion.

The beanstalk entered a deadlock with the moon, while its roots solidified its foundation. A great many stone formations rose from the sand, extending across the battle line. The rock curved and split, trapping Grimm attempting to get through. When the construction finished, a stone sentinel maze separated the two armies.

“…Alright, I’ll give you that. Very impressive,” the Doctor said slightly perturbed, while putting away his screwdriver. “Used up a lot of our incarnations’ energies in that, but I suppose it couldn’t be helped.”

He then, turned to Glynda and Minerva.

“We’ll hold off Wicked here. In the meantime, you should order your lot to reinforce the Western Wall. Oh, but the two of you have somewhere else to be…”

The man raised his brow to something behind them.

When they turned, they saw a mysterious green police box.

“Don’t worry, there’s enough room—”

“It’s bigger on the inside.”

X X X X X

Another of their airships spun and crashed into a smoldering wreckage in the sand. The Grimm under it were smashed into nothing but ash. When the pilot exited the cockpit, he let out a fierce scream, fighting the monsters swarming him before succumbing to their endless claws and bites.

Nai was barely keeping the battalions together. He managed to pass orders between fending off the Ratten and the mounted Moredread, but it was obvious where the battle was headed. His people were quickly being overtaken.

There was a feeling of inevitably donning on him and his army. They could not outrun Bean’s Grimm, not by air or ground. It was becoming all too likely their forces would not only be routed, but wiped out entirely.

As Nai banished the thought for the umpteenth time, an odd undulating whir caught his attention. In the empty space where the sound came from, a rectangular object faded into existence. From the green box, two women stepped out.

With riding crop and wand in hand, they simultaneously cast a thunderous cloud over the whole area. The wide-range spell hailed ice and lightning across the swarms of Grimm. A counter to the numerous, but fragile bodies of the Ratten.

“Go!” Minerva shouted to Nai. “Gather our people back behind the walls and enact siege defenses!”

Nai nodded, and resumed ushering his armies to the city.

As she watched her fellow Khan retreat, Minerva couldn’t help but wonder.

Where is Temujin in all this?

She said she wouldn’t join us in the South, but she isn’t here either?

I know she didn’t take part in Behemoth’s extermination.

You senile buffoon.

“What in the hell are you thinking?!

X X X X X

“Temujin, I’m so sorry,” Blake apologized with tears in her eyes.

“Hmph. What are you apologizing for, while swinging your sword in my face?!” Temujin snapped, as she used her cane to deflect another one of Blake’s blows.

The previously quiet throne room of the Hanging Gardens had turned into a private arena.

Temujin herself, faced her former proteges in Adam and Blake. The two always worked well together, their movements combined always produced a high-paced lethality. An aspect Raven and Temujin fostered themselves, to their current regret.

Adam dashed forward at an opening, but abruptly crashed to the ground. His body convulsed as he gasped with pain.

“Kill…ME…!”

His body was being torn apart by Temujin’s territorial Semblance, but only short of fatal. On the other hand, Blake moved freely to attack. The weakness of Temujin’s Semblance was exposed to them earlier, as it could not target more than one opponent at any given moment.

“KILL ME!” Adam coughed blood.

“Peh! Don’t give me orders, you brat!” Temujin scolded. “I don’t need to kill you or Blake in order to stop you. Don’t underestimate me!”

The elder Faunus stabbed her cane through Blake’s clone, before throwing an Aura-enhanced dart into Blake’s thigh when she reappeared. But the wound quickly healed with unnatural speed, forcing the dart out onto the floor. A dark mist billowed from the regenerated cut in the flesh.

“You have to kill us, Temujin,” Blake pleaded. “We can’t resist Salem’s control. There’s no other way!”

“No, I’m sure there is,” the elder disagreed easily.

“You’ll die if this keeps up! You can’t handle both of us at the same time!”

“Don’t be stupid. You two won’t be the end of me.”

Temujin glowered from the pair to the Rakis siblings fighting Camlann a certain distance away.

Seeing how they neglected Blake and Adam completely, it’s obvious what they saw in their vision.

So, I am to meet my end at the hands of Camlann, am I?

Temujin discerned the situation with an appraising glare. The siblings were obviously trying to keep the Grimm and her separate. She could imagine how it would likely play out. Death at the hands of her “supposed” mortal nemesis.

Rather fitting if the Grimm truly is the reincarnation of the Crusaders’ ill will.

Mouse, Knives, Summer.

I’ve carried on through so many misdeeds without so much as any care or regret.

My ego made weapons of my people to break against my enemies.

I can no longer fight properly, even as I send more lives to their early graves.

I cannot stand beside them at their final moments.

An old fool with a missing eye and leg.

There’s only so much until someone as stubborn as me gets the message.

It is no longer in me to fight the wheels of fate…

…

Camlann, king of the Moredread Grimm barreled down on the Rakis siblings like a warbound locomotive. Its stature was comparable to an Ursa, but its strength and arsenal were beyond any measure. With its grossly swollen sword and shield, it charged Mouse and Knives relentlessly like a mad bulldozer.

The siblings were small and light. Their blades vibrated with a magnetic hum, as they shrieked them across the Grimm’s armor. Usually their daggers could cut through the toughest bone, but it was not so in this case.

Knives and Mouse crisscrossed against its shield a second time. The sound of countless strikes could be heard, further evidenced by the sparks scattered from the friction. Camlann’s aegis was formed of the densest material layered over. And despite that, the Grimm dragged and swung it around as if it weighed nothing.

The flat boulder of the shield almost caught Knives with its edge, but the girl slipped just underneath it. She purposely baited the attack, dodged, and then brandished her karambit all along Camlann’s unprotected arm. But all the good it did, but cut shallow grooves into the Grimm’s armor.

The claymore came chasing after her, but Knives made her escape like a ghost, almost floating out of its range.

Mouse couldn’t stop but marvel at his younger sister’s movements. He was sure Knives’ consciousness was still in there, but Summer’s co-possession curbed her unnecessary tendencies. There was an experienced hand guiding his sister’s fighting style, as well as an unnerving agility that wasn’t present before.

“Mouse, I need you to follow my lead,” Summer said. “Use your short-term Precognition to match with me.”

“Do you have a plan? As this rate, we can’t defeat Camlann. The prediction is going to come true!”

“We don’t need to beat it, just stop it long enough for the others to get here.”

“And in the instance, they do make it in time. What could they possibly do?”

“Hm,” her sister flashed him an aged smile in a youthful face. “If there’s anyone who can defy the future, it’s them. It’s why I brought them here in the first place.”

“…I don’t have any choice but to believe that, don’t I?”

“Nope!”

And with that, Knives launched herself at Camlann once more, trailed closely by her brother.

…

Temujin watched the Rakis siblings’ fight from afar. She deciphered their intentions as clear as day. She also saw that they might die trying to save her.

Can’t have that.

Temujin locked her cane against Blake’s two swords. There was an obvious conflict in her opponent’s body. Blake was clearly trying to resist Salem’s influence. The strength of her and Adam’s attacks were only half, if it was that much. But it was still enough to keep Temujin in check.

“How do the contracts work, hm?” she asked, paying little mind they were crossing weapons. “It seems Raven has more leeway in her actions.”

“I can’t tell you…!” Blake struggled to reply.

“So long as she acts within the confines of her set conditions, she seems to be able to move freely. Are the contracts you and Adam hold by different in some way?”

“Adam and I broke our contracts…! This is the price of defying the Witch…!”

“Ah. Interesting. So the price of breaking your contracts is complete obedience? How faithful are you to her orders?”

“We don’t have a choice…! Our bodies are acting on their own…! That’s why you have to kill us!!!”

“I’m getting tired of hearing you say that. Back to the matter before, how faithful are you to her orders. What were they? Something along the lines of ‘do everything it takes to end Temujin’s life’?”

Blake scrunched her face, all but conveying the answer.

“I see,” Temujin nodded. “Well, then. What if I were to tell you the Rakis siblings foresaw the means of my demise? And it was Camlann who accomplished the deed. Not you or Adam.”

Blake blinked with confusion, before her consciousness shifted in and out of awareness.

“No!” she tried to shake her senses clear. “It’s a lie!”

“It’s not a lie. The best way to end my life is to let Camlann do it.”

“STOP IT!”

“In order to accomplish that, you should get Mouse and Knives out of the way.”

“WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?!”

As angry as Blake was, Temujin felt the remaining strength fade from the girl’s swords. She stepped back in disbelief, making no impression of restarting the duel. Her actions completely outside her control.

“NO!” Blake shouted, trying to will her body forward.

But nothing came of it.

Temujin observed the phenomena a while longer, before confirming her suspicions.

Hm, I see their orders are a little easy to manipulate.

Just as well, I suppose.

Salem will get what she wants in the end.

Temujin let down her guard and released the territory binding Adam.

The young man got uneasily to his feet, wearing the same pained expression as Blake. Both showed a sorrowed disbelief at what Temujin was making them do.

“I’m sorry, Blake, Adam,” she said to the two in turn. “I am truly sorry it came to this.”

Against their wills, Blake and Adam set off for the other side of the throne room. The two joined the fight with the Rakis siblings.

“I am sorry.”

X X X X X

As Yang, Raven, and Ilia rode the airship to the city, they could see the harrowing situations unfolding from a distance.

There were Grimm pouring over the dunes to the North. Minerva, Glynda, and Nai were retreating with their armies and securing siege defense at the Northern Wall.

Titan was holding back Salem and her forces in the South. The retreating Vacuo army was setting up their own siege defense, while sending reinforcements to the Western Wall. And it was there, the three’s airship flew just overhead.

The burning carcass of Behemoth was still in the process of dissolving into the wind. Fiery wreckage dotted the break in the wall and a little into the city. Grimm were swarming through the gap, which fighters on the inside were making use of as a funnel. Though, even with the tactic in place, there were so many of the monsters filing through, the defending forces risked being overrun at any moment.

And there were more Grimm on the way.

Yang felt her stomach lurch as she tapped into her comms.

“Hey, Em! You there?!”

“Oh. That you idiots, up high?” Emerald’s radio crackled more than earlier. “How’s the view?”

“There’s more Grimm closing on the gap!”

“So, we figured.”

Below, they saw a herd of Boarbatusk Grimm roll into a spinning ball, and ram into the wall repeatedly. More of the structure collapsed at the impact. The break in the wall crumbled further.

“Emerald!!!”

“Yeah…! *Hkrgh!* Fuck! We saw…!”

Immediately, Yang saw three figures move to counteract the new influx of Grimm. They maneuvered to prevent the Boarbatusk from causing further damage. But as effective as they proved, their enemies were repeatedly surrounding them.

“EM!!! HEY!!!”

“Don’t worry about us! Just get to Temujin!”

“But what about you guys?!”

“We’ll hold the choke…! Get your ass over there already!”

“Emerald…”

“Don’t worry. Worst comes to worst, we’ll make a run for it…! We’re good at that, remember?”

“…Make sure you do.”

“Obviously…!”

Yang pretended not to notice how tired Emerald really sounded. She then, heard a few taps on the radio, which could only be from Neo.

“I love you too, babe. Let me know if I need to double back,” she replied. “I can’t lose you.”

“I know. I will,” Mercury interrupted.

“Haha…!” Yang chuckled. “Don’t die out there, Merc. Still need to open that weapons shop.”

“Yeah, which reminds me. We are getting paid for this gig, right? Make sure Temujin stays alive long enough to pay our reward?”

“You got it, bud.”

Yang waited a moment, before she turned her gaze from her team to the Hanging Gardens ahead.

She had been holding it out, but the deep sinking feeling in her chest was starting to give way. There was no telling when the Grimm would finally break through the West as easily as it could be from the North or South. The girl tightened her fist and felt Aura strain at her summons. She barely had anything left in the tank after Operation Gun Dog, Behemoth, and subduing Inna.

Yang long learned to never stop fighting until the very end, and in no way was her spirit dampened. But the truth was becoming clearer that today may be their day of days. If it was, she wondered if Cinder and Weiss would order Team ENMY’s retreat before then. She wondered if they would obey it if it came down.

Can we still win this?

Yang stared to the back of the cockpit, where Raven absentmindedly tapped the hilt of her sword with impatience.

No, we have to.

I don’t know how, but we will.

I don’t care how bad it looks or what future Mouse and Knives saw.

I can’t let things end this way.

I won’t!

As if reading Yang’s thoughts, Raven noticed her stare and nodded solemnly.

No.

I’m not the only one who won’t let things just end this way.

X X X X X

Back at Atlas HQ, the Queen regents and Board of Directors watched the increasing direness of Vacuo’s situation with widened eyes.

“How far out are the reinforcement Fleet?” Cinder asked for the update.

“Fifteen hours ma’am,” the adjutant replied. “Three hours for the light transport sortie.”

The officer neglected to tell her it was probably the fifth time she asked in the last half hour. She could see the Black Queen was barely keeping herself from shouting the orders.

At that moment, a small blip ringed on her tablet.

“Ma’am…” the officer called uncertainly.

“What is it?”

“The light transport, Swordfish is requesting permission to proceed ahead of the group.”

“Patch them through.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

With a few key commands, the adjutant secured a line to the team onboard the Swordfish vessel.

“Hey, head honchos!” Coco Adel’s image flared on the projection. “Give Team CFVY the go already. With this ship, we should be able to make it within the hour.”

“Your team is tasked primarily with Team ENMY’s extraction, NOT as a reinforcement element,” Cinder snarled.

“Yeah, but you haven’t given them the order to tail it yet. So, what’s the fuss in letting us get there early and waiting?”

“And if they needed emergency evacuating, but you were neutralized while ‘waiting’. What, then?”

“We can still do our job and help Vacuo.”

“You’re only one team.”

“Weiss! I’ll cut my commission in half if you let us go right now!” Coco shouted.

Cinder turned to her fellow Queen, who had her eyes closed in deep thought. When she opened them, the girl glared right at Coco’s hologram, as if they were speaking in person.

“Nothing reckless! Your primary objective is to assist Team ENMY. Understood?”

“Loud and clear!” Coco whooped.

Weiss looked to the teammates behind her. The image was fuzzy, but she could see Velvet, Yatsuhashi, and Fox show signs of relief. It may have been her imagination, but she might have seen Velvet mouth a small thank you.

“Be careful, Team CFVY,” Weiss cautioned.

“Roger. Team CFVY out,” Coco confirmed.

The White Queen breathed a troubled sigh, intentionally avoiding Cinder’s gaze. Rather than waiting, she extended the first words.

“I think there was a fifty-fifty chance Team CFVY was going to disobey orders, and fly ahead.”

“I would have put the odds closer to eighty-twenty,” Cinder smiled.

Just then, a number of blips came in requesting communications.

“What is this?” Weiss muttered.

“M-ma’ams,” the adjutant started with a small hitch in her voice. “T-they’re requests to sortie ahead. All light transports are saying they are ready and willing to burn their fuel reserves to arrive at Vacuo ahead of schedule. The same requests are being made of General Ironwood and Captain Trafalgar of the main fleet.”

Weiss was struck silent for a moment.

“……If they do that, they won’t have enough Dust for the journey back should the worst happen.”

“They know, ma’am,” the officer nodded, trying to keep a straight face. “They’re aware and requesting permission.”

Weiss looked to Cinder for an explanation, but was only met with the same confusion. The officer then, patched the main projection into what the reinforcement Fleet was viewing.

They were images of Vacuo’s people fighting relentlessly against the Grimm, as they were being torn apart. Many raged, many cried, and they fought harder for the ally who fell mere moments ago, only a few feet away. There wasn’t a single warrior on the battlefield that wasn’t covered in wounds.

Another soldier fell. Her partner took their weapon and slew the Grimm with it. And then, they also died.

What precious few airships Vacuo possessed, dropped like flies. The pilots, who knew their deaths were imminent, made sure to steer their crafts so they would land among the enemy. Any survivors of the crash fought, while missing their limbs.

Emerald, Neo, and Mercury could be seen battling despite their exhaustion. They were surrounded and outnumbered, but held themselves to keeping the choke in the Wall under control. Nothing but the sheerest of wills moved them now. Blood stained their figures head to toe.

“Emerald…!” Cinder bit her lip.

She was ready to pick up the communicator and order their retreat. There was never a time she was closer to doing it than now.

…

Yet, she couldn’t bring herself—and she wasn’t all too sure why.

“Cinder.”

The Black Queen felt Weiss’ hand hold hers. The cool touch alleviated the pain she didn’t notice from her nails digging into her palm.

“They’ll be fine. Help is on the way,” Weiss told her.

“…I know.”

“They won’t fight alone.”

“No…”

“…They won’t.”

X X X X X

Before Mouse could understand what was happening, dark mist clouded his sight. There was a violent vacuum that dragged his body across what felt like a world over. And then, his feet hit solid ground, sliding upon landing.

“No! What?!”

As he spun to take in his new surroundings, he recognized that he was somewhere in Vacuo’s bazaars. Empty stalls and vacant roads were all he could see. The residents and workers had long been evacuated to the bunkers.

His sight eventually settled on a large shadowy cat with smoke billowing its body. Mouse understood what had happened. Blake had warped him away from the throne room.

“NO!” he cried.

“I’m sorry,” a girl’s soft voice could barely be heard.

And then, Blake’s figure vanished with a puff.

…

Summer was at her wit’s end fighting Adam and Camlann at the same time. Using a body that wasn’t hers had its limits. She was also unable to access her Semblance.

As she dodged within a millimeter of having her head cut off by Camlann and her forehead sliced open by Adam, she made a hasty jump back. Summer touched a hand to her hair, and found it a few locks short.

No.

I’m cutting it too close.

If this wasn’t hard enough, if I get hurt once, Knives will wake up.

I’ll lose possession immediately.

As Knives curled her hands in frustration, she heard a voice come from the other side of the throne room.

“Summer!” Temujin yelled. “Stop risking her life!”

“And maybe you should stop trying to give up yours!”

“This is no joke! I will never forgive you if any harm comes to her! Do you hear me?!”

Even though it was Knives’ body, Temujin could see the outline of Summer’s appearance behind her. An older woman, with an overpowering presence despite a gentle nature. A calm determination that reminded her too much of Shepherd.

“You can’t just be brave for yourself, Temujin,” Summer said. “I used to think I was responsible for other’s lives too. But Raven, your daughter, taught me people’s lives are their own.” The woman smiled sadly. “And it’s always their lives to risk. You have to have the courage to see it through on their behalf too.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about! This will be meaningless if I lose her. She and Mouse must lead our people.”

“It’s you who doesn’t understand. I’m pushing her body beyond what it’s capable of. Knives is asleep, but I can hear her. She’s screaming, begging me to fight harder—to push harder.”

“…”

“You may have given up, but she hasn’t. I want to grant her wish to its end.”

“Oh, you’re granting wishes now?”

A cloud of dark billowing mass exploded from the empty space and Blake emerged forth. The light in her eyes was glazed and distant. Her face was vacant of emotion, yet something seethed below the tone.

“Salem. Long time no see,” Knives greeted.

“Summer Rose.”

“Still have the spare time to chat, even while fighting Titan?”

“Please, the Old One possesses all the threat of a bothersome mosquito. In fact, I believe the only true adversary I have left in this pathetic remnant is the one standing before me.”

“Wow. Flattered, but I’m not really here,” Summer chuckled.

Blake went silent for a short moment.

“…How did you do it?”

“You’ll have to be more specific,” Summer grinned.

“I should have known. Raven couldn’t have broken the first contract on her own. You helped her. How?”

The little girl stared blankly back, before shrugging. As if to imply she still had no idea what the other was talking about.

“Hmph,” Salem scoffed. “I doubt you could perform that feat now. This isn’t your body.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Shall we test it?”

“I’m game, if you’re game, Sally.”

Blake glared with an intensity like she could burn a hole through her. But Knives only smiled back with the sort of fierce defiance only a child could have before a deity. It was a duel daring the other to make the first move. A decision to call Summer’s bluff, or concede.

“…Hm. I believe our fated moment will arrive soon enough,” Salem grinned. “A time where we won’t be communicating through proxies, but a meeting face-to-face.”

“I’ll be waiting,” Summer answered.

“Hmph.”

The Witch moved her gaze from Knives to someone past her.

“I believe this is the first time we’ve been formally introduced. I am—”

“I know who you are!” Temujin hacked a large spit to the side. “You’re some dusty, ancient cunt, who wants to be forever young by possessing younger people.”

…

The figure of Knives bent over, clutching her stomach in pain. Summer was trying to stifle her uncontrollable laughter, but was failing. Abrupt snorts escaped through the hands and they would not stop.

“I knew I’d find you insufferable,” Salem scowled.

“And I knew you’d be a boring, pretend-goth, edgelord!”

“…”

More painful cries from Knives echoed the silent throne room.

…

“You like that?!” Temujin glowered. “Ilia taught me that one. I have no idea what it means, but it felt right. And it felt good.”

“Are those truly the last words you wish to part your life with?” Salem asked.

“I have a few more. There’s a list somewhere.” The elder woman started patting her clothes. “Must’ve misplaced it. Had some other good ringers for you.”

“Enough.”

In that moment, three things happened at once. At the Witch’s command, Camlann charged Temujin with his claymore thrust towards her head. The blow was stopped by Summer, who barely caught the sword between two daggers. But her strength alone would have been easily overwhelmed. The only thing that kept her from dying was Temujin activating her Semblance.

The Grimm knight groaned with an unearthly bellow through the slits of its mouthguard. Its surrounding environment worked to kill it, but as testament to its strength, it did not collapse like so many others. Camlann had more than a hardiness found in many of its class. Its entire entity was birthed by the malice held towards Temujin. The final breath of countless Crusaders, who cursed the Great Khan’s name.

In a sense, Camlann was the pinnacle of what a Grimm was.

Even in the face of Temujin and Summer’s combined strength, the monster made one heavy step forward after another. And with that single repeated motion, strained everything Temujin and Summer had.

While the contest of wills proceeded, Blake paid the scene with a light applause.

“A valiant effort. Almost poetic.”

““…!””

Neither Temujin or Summer could muster a comeback. Stressful breaths escaped them in short, stuttering heaves. Sweat coated their skin with increasing fatigue.

“This is exactly reflective of our so-called War. You cannot possibly win, yet you struggle nonetheless. Allow me to enlighten you on a little fact, Temujin.”

“…”

“I know full well what your death will bring. The Faunus will cry with outrage. They may even fight my Grimm back for a time. I very much expect it.”

“…”

“But hold no illusions with you, when you make your journey into the afterlife. Vacuo’s time is over. Its end is not just a certainty, but an eventuality.”

“…I’ll…! Kill…! You…!”

“Tsk tsk. Offer your life to the masses as much as you like—”

“For there will be no victory in strength.”

X X X X X

Emerald was reaching her breaking point.

Her Semblance was stressed to its absolute limits. There were too many minds, too many senses she was coordinating at once. She was constantly flirting with the threshold of a complete brain meltdown. But at the sign of five Vacuo soldiers watching a new break in the Wall form, she pushed her Enchantments harder.

Emerald tried to separate her physical perception from her mental, but she couldn’t shut out the cluster headaches that formed. Her nose was bleeding, practically able to hear the little droplets touch the ground. She inadvertently shuffled her feet, because she almost lost conscious along with her balance. Her shoe knocked slightly against one of the four Godmothers she burned through.

The Western Wall was crawling with Grimm. Its Dust lining worn through the endless tidal waves of creatures sacrificing their bodies against it. The turrets, which used to be the main deterrent, had long been destroyed. And more Grimm climbed over the ramparts with each passing second.

Still, the warriors of Vacuo defended the choke point. Mercury and the other aerial units took down countless of their flying counterparts. Neo was reduced to using the bare minimum to slay the Grimm with the other foot soldiers. Nothing but her physical agility and swordsmanship to commit, but hundreds of their foes fell nonetheless by it.

Emerald felt a stray bone projectile cut her cheek, and almost slipped her mental link. The warriors she coordinated with, sensed it and immediately went to shield her. No care given to their pre-existing wounds.

It was a desperate battle. A miracle in itself they were somehow managing with the forces they had. News over the comm channels told them the North was facing a similar assault, but without the gap in their Wall.

“Em, you need a break!” Mercury told her.

“And who’s going to make this work if I don’t?”

“This fight isn’t going to end any time soon. We’ll need you for the rest of it.”

“Yeah, except Bean’s putting his focus here. I can tell by how the Grimm are moving. If he’s masterminding these fuckers, the only way we hold him off is I keep masterminding our guys back!”

“We can brute force it till you catch a breath.”

“…Oh, hallelujah. Guess I’ll be getting that break after all. You and Neo get your asses back here too.”

Mercury didn’t have to ask why Emerald had a sudden change of mind. About a dozen Atlesian light crafts answered the question for him. One particularly silver-nosed ship, the first to arrive, rained a relentless barrage of machine gun fire from above.

Androids were deployed all around the funnel area, providing support to Vacuo’s warriors and Team ENMY.

After the Grimm’s waves were subdued somewhat, Emerald noticed a lessened coordination. Bean diverted his attentions back to the North theater, as soon as Atlas reinforcements arrived.

“Fffffuck…!” Emerald retracted her mental links and staggered back a few steps. “About freakin’ time these guys showed up.”

Behind her, the Swordfish landed. From its passenger doors, a team of familiar faces stepped out.

“Hey, Emmy~♪ Been a while, huh?” Coco waved. “Do we get a thank you for pulling your ass out of the fire?”

“If I remember right, we should be square from some shit back in Atlas.”

“Nah, you’re remembering wrong. I’ll send you an invoice for our services later.”

“Asshole.”

“Come on. You know you can’t let money stand between good friends.”

“That’s exactly something I would do, and is that what we are?”

As Team CFVY approached, Mercury and Neo joined Emerald. The two teams crossed, and a number of high-fives were exchanged.

“Tag, you’re in,” Emerald groaned.

“Take a knee, kiddo. You’ll owe me,” Coco grinned.

“You guys got energy drinks in that thing?” Mercury pointed to the Swordfish.

“I would not drink it. They taste awful,” Yatsuhashi replied.

“The worst tasting ones are the best ones.”

“That is…completely untrue.”

“Thanks so much for your hard work, you guys,” Velvet said with heartfelt gratitude.

Neo smiled tiredly, and gave her a light pat on the butt.

“Ah!”

Go get ‘em.

“Er, yes. We will!”

Trading places with ENMY, Team CFVY went into the siege defense with a furious motivation. Meanwhile, Emerald and the rest of her crew collapsed into the Swordfish’s interior.

They knew their break would only last half an hour at most. The main Atlesian Fleet was still far away. What reinforcements arrived would not hold out until then by themselves.

Mercury knocked over a nearby cooler, and started draining energy drinks into his open mouth.

“Dude…” Emerald could only comment.

“Don’t judge. You want one?”

“No.” She eyed a thermos with her name on it, along with the price of five-thousand lien written jokingly at the end. “Coco’s special ice coffee. Good shit.”

Neo rummaged through the cooler and found a few ice cream bars set aside for her. It appeared Velvet had left a thank you note next to it as well.

As their team took their long-deserved break, they practically inhaled what they considered their late lunch. Too tired to eat, but forced whatever they could into their stomachs. They watched from a safe distance as the Wall remained a desperate battlefield, ready to jump in at any moment.

There was no talk. They couldn’t afford to. And their thoughts of Yang were obvious, and didn’t need voicing.

It was everything they could do to recover and then will themselves back into the fray.

Half an hour. A time that passed all too quickly, and at the same time, not fast enough. They would not rejoin the fight if they had a choice. No one in their right mind would.

But what they wanted was not what the world needed. Vacuo needed its warriors. Remnant needed its Enemy.

Mercury chucked another empty can into the street, before he began chugging a new one midstride. Emerald stretched her neck and pressed her knuckles to her temples. Neo moved silently, without any excess motion.

She bade one look in the direction of the Hanging Gardens. Even if it was brief, catching a glimpse of Yang was enough to lift her spirits.

“Oh, there ain’t no rest for the wicked,” Emerald sang.

“Money don’t grow on trees.

I got bills to pay, I got mouths to feed.

There ain’t nothin’ in this world for free.

Oh no, I can’t slow down, I can’t hold back.”

“Though you know, I wish I could.”

X X X X X

“No, there ain’t no wish for the Wicked. Until we close our eyes for good~”

Salem murmured the last part of the song, while watching the events swirl around her. The landscape around them drifted in and out without rhyme or reason. A world at a crossroads of all the available paths fate could turn.

She stared at the multiple incarnations of Titan littering the ground. Each with bated breath, trying to stay conscious after their lengthy fight, which eventually brought them to the Never Realm.

Salem waved her hand and summoned the events happening around Vacuo like multiple memories playing out.

Her army in the South resumed its march after dragging Titan out of the physical plane. Vacuo’s Northern Wall was facing heavy siege from the Grimm under Bean’s command. And now, more of her forces were being committed to the crack in the West.

“And, so falls the great and mighty titan,” she said with sarcastic flair.

“I’ve lived long enough,” the Old Ones responded in unison.

“I wasn’t speaking of you. I was referring to Vacuo and…” With another wave of her hand, Hanging Garden’s throne room surrounded them. “…her.”

Camlann was advancing ever so slowly. Summer mustered every strength she could to stop the blow from reaching Temujin, and Temujin was doing all she could to save Knives.

“This is the part where you would normally run. So, why haven’t you?”

Titan’s bodies felt the Witch’s curse quicken in their blood streams.

“…You truly mean to die.”

“Hah…! You sound almost disappointed with my defeat!” the Old One spat back. “I thought you would be delighted.”

“Oh, I am. I just assumed there were still a few more vain attempts in you before the end. Some last-ditch efforts, but alas—I once again find myself overestimating my age-old adversary. As if my impression of you could be any lower.”

“This fight has been over for me…long before Vacuo.”

“Indeed,” she sighed. “Look at them all, Titan. So small. Their very conceptual awareness is flawed.”

“Is it? I rather think it is the opposite.”

“This world is at an end. It’s been at its end for a while, before they were even born. Remnant is a ghost, a flawed byproduct of a figment that was never meant to be. You know this better than anyone.”

“What I know is wrong.”

“You still believe?”

Salem made the images spin like a twisted carousel. Every life lost in real time flashed before their eyes. Bodies going cold, the souls leaving their vessels, the last beat of their hearts before their final breath extinguished.

“They are entertaining little creatures. So weak, but very much entertaining,” the Witch admitted.

“Yes, they are. As weak as possible, but also as strong as when it requires. Never too much, never too little. Just right,” the Wizard rasped.

Salem cocked her head with suspicion. A paranoia flitted her expression, before she shook it away.

“No, this is enough. In Oberon’s memory, in your brother’s memory, I thought I could hold one decent conversation with you before you died. But true to form, you speak of nothing but foolish drivel.”

“Feeling lonely? The only immortal left will be Masa.”

“I’m sure I’ll find a way to cope with your loss.”

““Hahaha!”” an echoing cacophony of the reincarnations laughed.

In the midst of the immortals’ banter, one reincarnation separated Qrow from the others. The two had fled the battlefield ahead of time, and masked their presence.

“It’s about time you made your exit, Qrow.”

“What are you talking about, Oz? This isn’t the deal.”

“The rest of us will manage on our own. Your task is far from over.”

Ozpin took Qrow’s hand, and pressed something into it. The veteran Huntsman turned it over, examining it with intense curiosity.

It was a gold knight chess piece. A familiar artifact Qrow had seen once before. Something he spotted in the corner of Team RWBY’s dorm back at Beacon. Apparently, they had been used as Relics in their entrance exam.

“You know, I’ve granted so many wishes over the years,” part of Ozpin and part of Titan mused. “This may be the first time I’ve entrusted another with my own.”

“Titan…” Qrow could only mutter.

“Please, bring this to Yang Xiao Long. This is my final request.”

“……What is it?”

“Hm.”

Ozpin put a hand to his chin and chuckled lightly.

“I believe your niece referred to it once as,”

“A cute little pony.”

…

The reincarnations all paused in their laughter. They sensed Qrow leave the Never Realm, making for the Hanging Gardens in his shapeshifted form. Their Relic firmly in his possession.

“I’m a bit tired,” Titan sighed. “But I think I do have one more ‘vain attempt’ in me,” he smirked at Salem.

The Wizard arranged quick transportation for Taiyang Xiao Long with his last bit of influence on the physical world.

And with that, I have fulfilled the wish Summer made to me, which I refused so long ago.

If only I had tried to grant it from the beginning, maybe I wouldn’t have pushed her away.

Too late for that now, I suppose.

Together, the reincarnations of the Old One rose to their feet. A reverent green light encompassed them all. Their expressions steeled with a hallowed resolve.

“SO, THE END COMES!”

The swarm of past lives attacked the Witch like an army bent on its own destruction.

And the death of the Immortal Titan came to pass.

X X X X X

Blake blinked.

Her pupils dilated and readjusted, while in the throne room. She opened and closed her hand to test her reflexes. The sensation of the possession was now completely different.

Ah, so he destroyed the vessel with that last move.

Vain attempt, indeed.

Merely accelerated my transference to this one.

The Witch gave a low, rolling laugh.

Before her, was still the stalemate between Temujin, Summer, and Camlann. Adam was the only one to really notice the change in Blake.

Salem could barely control herself. She couldn’t stop laughing. Her shoulders shuddered and her cheeks were starting to feel sore. And then, she noticed something odd, which put an end to her fit.

Light tears trickled down her face.

…

…Am I actually mourning that old fool?

I hated him.

And, still.

“I’ve had enough of this,” the Witch growled. “I am growing tired as well…old friend.”

She bit her lip, and was overcome with emotions she hadn’t felt in centuries.

“We will find our peace. You, your brother, and I. Not in this lifetime…”

“…but the next.”

X X X X X

“You’ve done enough, Summer!” Temujin shouted at the small back defending her. “Take Knives, and leave!”

“I won’t!” Summer refused. “I have promises to keep…!”

“You need to let whatever needs to happen, happen. You said yourself, other people’s lives are to do with as they please.”

“That’s only true for people still willing to fight! You resigned to your fate, so it doesn’t count…!”

Temujin could feel her Semblance waning, while she argued with Summer. There would soon be nothing to stop Camlann from running Knives through, and herself after. She wondered what else she could say to plead the woman into leaving. She wondered if it was possible at all.

“Summer…please. Take Knives and go.”

“The answer is still no,” Summer shook her head vehemently. “Nope!”

“You’re so foolish. I’ll never forgive you.”

“Nope! The stupid thing would be to leave you here on your own. And that’s a mistake I’ve already made…!”

“…”

“Nope! We can still do the right thing!”

Knives and Summer’s eyes shone with a twinkling silver. A vision of the future was deviating from its set course. The memory shaped and aligned to something Summer once saw in a dream. Yang and Raven were close. Qrow was on his way. Taiyang was exiting a green police box outside.

“They’re going to be here soon, Temujin. If you want to give up after this, that’s fine because I might actually join you. But not before my team’s had their turn!”

“…What are you talking about?”

Summer’s mischievous grin grew from ear to ear.

“STRQ Team’s last mission!”

#rwby #yang xiao long #emerald sustrai #neopolitan #mercury black #raven branwen #qrow branwen #taiyang xiao long #Summer Rose #TEAM STRQ #ENMY

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onpointedfeetandbrokendreams · 6 years

Text

Happy International Fanworks Day!!

Hi, I’m joining in AO3′s International Fanworks Day with this Short fanworks challenge: Get out your tablet, your laptop, or your phone and create a short fanwork on the following topic: What does your favorite character—or your favorite pairing—get fannish over?

I chose Klance, since I’m already writing long, multi-chapters fics about my main fandom (which is YOI), I hope you’ll enjoy!

(The line about the ships names refer to my other Klance one-shot

—————————————————————————————————-

It is a relatively peaceful day on the Castle of Lions, Galras aren’t attacking, Allura, Coran and Shiro are talking with allies and making plans and the other four paladins lazy around, talking about nothing in particular. Peaceful, however, until Lance starts humming a song and Keith dares to ask what it is.

Lance falls silent immediately and walks towards him with an outraged expression. “You mean you’ve never seen The Greatest Showman??”

“Is it a movie? I wasn’t that into movies back on Earth, more like… Documentaries or stuff.”

“Ugh, you are impossible. You don’t know what ships names are, you don’t watch movies, were you even human at all? We have to right this. Immediately. Where’s my favorite genius nerd?”

“I’m right here, Lance. Jeez, when you talk to Keith it seems like the rest of the universe disappears.” Answers Pidge, who is, in fact sitting on the control panel right next to Keith. They have a mischievous glint in their voice that, as expected, makes Lance blush and his voice grow an octave in pitch. “T-that’s not true!”

“Sure,” deadpans Pidge sarcastically. “I don’t think we can find any movie’s stream from here, though. We are in space after all.”

“But it’s important!! I mean, That movie is like… The best thing ever existed! Ever! He needs to see it.”

“And why do you care if he watches a movie or not?”

Lance shivers. He doesn’t have an answer to that, he just… Wants Keith to see it? Well, not everything has to make sense, they have nothing else to do right now and he is bored.

“If we can’t find the movie then we’ll need to improvise. Hunk, my sun and stars, please help me.” He says dramatically, turning to the yellow paladin who smiles at his best friend brightly.

“Anything for you, moon of my life. Oooh, this is going to be fun!”

Lance whoops. “Okay, so, Pidge, you are a gremlin, so you are going to be the General.”

Pidge rolls their eyes. “I knew you would say that. You are so predictable that I won’t even comment on this.”

“There’s only four of us, so we’ll have to stick to the main characters,” comments Hunk, always worried when his friends start bickering.

“Yeah, I know, I was just joking,” reassures him Lance grinning. “I, of course, I’m going to be Zendaya because she is the gorgeousest like I am. Hunk will be Barnum because he is the best singer among us - sorry, Pidge - and you can choose if you prefer Charity or Phillip.”

Pidge ponders it. “Hm, that’s difficult. I would love to be Phillip just to make you fall when we dance together but…” They side eye Keith before continuing. “I think I’ll go with Charity. I can be a girl for one day and she has one of the best songs after all.”

“That is completely true. I’m so in love with Tightrope,” comments Lance in a dreaming voice, opening and closing his eyes and bringing his hands together near his heart.

“Wait, wait, wait. Everyone stops for a second. Do you mean that I have to sing? And dance?” Asks Keith, who hasn’t understood a word they said except for gorgeousest - which is still giving him the creeps - and singer and dance.

Pidge snickers but Lance turns deadly serious as he puts a hand on his shoulder and locks eyes with him to explain:

“This is of the utmost importance, Keith, buddy, my man, you have to do this.”

“I really don’t think that it’s a good idea. I don’t know the songs and I’ve never danced or sung before! Can’t I just, I don’t know, watch you?”

Lance makes his best impression of the puppy dog’s eyes. “Please, if you don’t participate there’s going to be only three of us and we won’t be able to recreate anything properly! It’s not going to be embarrassing, we aren’t singers or dancers either, it’s just… A little piece of Earth?”

Keith is a little overwhelmed. From this close, Lance’s eyes are just… Too much. Too blue, too soulful. He can see the hope surfacing at the idea of doing something that reminds him of their planet even if just for a moment and Keith… Can’t really say no to that, can he? It’s unfair of Lance to bring this up. He sighs, resignation clear in his face and body posture and, before he can even voice his consent, Lance is already beaming, every ounce of melancholy or nostalgia completely gone from his features. Keith finds himself smiling a fond smile. Pidge sees him and gives him a knowing look. He immediately schools his expression back to mildly annoyed.

“Fine, what do I have to do?”

Lance explains the story briefly. There’s this ambitious man who wants to become someone and bring wonder and innovation to the World so he first opens a wax museum, then he begins to offer a show with extraordinary acts, oddities and things never seen before. He risks everything in the process, including his house and his family before discovering what it is that really matters to him more than success. It’s a good story, Keith has to recognize it, but the best part is Lance’s face as he tells it. His eyes are sparkling with awe and he is trembling with excitement. When he finishes, he is a little teary.

“And the songs are what makes it even more amazing! Luckily, I have them all on my phone so we can recreate everything!” he finishes.

Hunk dries a single tear, commenting. “I cry every time just by listening to this story. No matter how many times we watched the movie at home.”

Even the usually emotionless Pidge has a small smile playing on his lips as he nods.

Then, Lance makes them move to the Blue Lion hangar and makes space for their stage.

“Blue, my beautiful, you are going to be my accomplice in this, aren’t you, lovely?”

Blue purrs at his paladin’s praise and he cheers loudly. He enters the robot to plug his phone in, as he and Pidge - or, should he say, Pidge following his suggestion - has managed to do some weeks prior with some hacking and a lot of swearing.

When he comes out of Blue’s mouth, the first notes of the opening song already playing, he opens his arms as to greet an imaginary audience and bows, proclaiming:

“Ladies and Gentlemen, let the show begin!”

Hunk chuckles and steps in the middle of the “stage”, assuming a similarly dramatic pose. They don’t exactly need to sing, because there’s the actor’s voice in the background, but it’s more fun, so they do their best with the interpretation, moving around the hangar and mimicking what they remember of the choreographies, using the random objects they found when they need props.

Keith is trying to follow their lead but he is not an actor, nor a dancer and he doesn’t know what the scenes should look like or how the songs go. Mostly, it’s Lance who drags him around, telling him where to go or when to freeze in a pose. He is supposed to be this sort of rich guy from the high society who starts his career by doing pretentious dramas and ends up being Hunk’s apprentice in the circus and falling in love with his trapezist, now portrayed by Lance. When the first song ends - which is a flash forward of the ending so Lance said he must be in it - the story goes back to the beginning. Hunk and Pidge dance together, recreating the love story between the main character and this girl he has loved since his childhood and that he pursue along with his dream. Pidge has a very fresh singing voice, that meddles beautifully with Hunk’s baritonal tones. The two dance playfully, Hunk launches them around and they laugh, shoving him in retaliation. Lance is bouncing on his toes, unable to stay put while he waits for his turn. Soon, the song ends and it is time for the setting up of the circus. He hurries to take his position and insists that Hunk do a lift with him, too. They manage a simple one before falling face first to the ground in a mess of limbs. Pidge laughs hysterically and even Keith can’t hold back a snort. It doesn’t go unnoticed by Lance, who winks at him as he dusts himself off to resume the choreography.

After that, it is time for Hunk’s duet with Keith. They are in a bar and talk about their potential partnership while sharing drinks, now played by some screwdrivers that were previously laying abandoned in a corner of the hangar. He has to admit that he is having fun. Being there on space, so far from home, and fighting in a war none of them was prepared for, it is nice for once to do something stupid and a little childish. They are young, after all, and they need to ease some of their tension sometimes. He realizes that he has never seen his companions smile so openly before. It is… Good.

Since no one is playing Jenny Lind, the famous opera singer that the protagonist hires to get approval from the rich people who don’t like his circus, they sit on a corner and use her song to catch their breath. Then, everyone is on the stage again except for Lance, who disappears into thin air.

“Where did he go? He loves this part!” says Hunk, scanning the place for their missing friend. Keith shrugs but Pidge seems to have figured something out and says nothing, expecting a move. That doesn’t take long. As soon as the music fades and the following begins, a long rope rolls out of the blue lion’s mouth with a barefooted Lance climbing down from it. Keith doesn’t have time to gawk because he is pushed to the bottom of the rope by Hunk, who has now understood, too. The yellow and green paladins retreat to the side and he remains frozen there. He remembers the others talking about Lance doing an aerial dance show but he never actually realized what it meant. So they were talking about an actual aerial dance! He has seen it sometimes on television but never from this close.

“He won’t know what hit him! He’ll regret missing that show sooo much!” whispers Pidge between giggles.

Lance ties himself up using the rope and starts doing figures in time with the song. A perfect split, hip lock, some falls. When he reaches almost the end of the rope, he elongates a hand to touch the baffled red paladin. He is too mesmerized to think so he just reaches his own hand to grab the one he is being offered. The two share a sheepish smile as Lance pulls him up and Keith lets him even if he knows that he would totally fall if the other let go and that he is looking far less graceful than him. Lance’s arms are long and strong and he finds himself trusting them despite his precarious situation. He tries to grab the rope, tying up his feet as he has seen Lance do and with some tips from him he manages to hold himself on his own. Lance is upside down, his hands a few inches over Keith’s on the rope and they are looking into each other’s eyes like it’s the first time they do so.

“Hi,” Lance says in a breath.

“Hi,” he mumbles in response, unable to find other words.

Seeing a perfect opportunity for a wrongdoing, Pidge chooses that exact moment to snatch the rope and move it in a circle, with Hunk’s involuntary help. “They blackmailed me!” He apologizes when he catches Lance’s accusing glare.

“It’s for realism, Lance!” Pidge explains but their evil look betrays their real intention.

Keith and Lance manage not to fall, somehow, but as soon as they stop spinning, they climb down with a sigh of relief and finish the dance with their foot on solid ground.

It should be the time for Pidge’s solo after that, but the atmosphere is ruined and there’s no going back to the illusion. Keith and Lance tackle them looking for payback and when Hunk tries to separate them, he is pulled into the battle too. They wrestle until the songs are long forgotten and they are found by Allura and Coran who were passing in front of the hangar and heard weird noises and squeaking.

“Paladins? What’s happening here?” The Princess asks, debating whether to be amused or worried by the display in front of her.

Pidge wears their most innocent expression and looks at the Princess with wide eyes, pointing to Lance and Keith and yelling:

“They attacked me, it’s their fault!”

Lance steps in:

“Our fault? You almost made us fall from that rope and forced the poor Hunk to help you!”

“In the original scene they are spinning around the room! I did it for the show!”

“Keith was barely holding himself up, he has never done anything similar to aerial dance, it was dangerous!”

“So you admit that you weren’t worried about yourself but about him?”

“Of course I was worried about him! Besides, you ruined our moment!”

Pidge smirks. “Good, then my job here is done. Allura, Coran, Hunk, we can go.”

“As much as I am glad that those two are apparently getting along better, I would like someone to explain to me what’s this all about,” Allura asks, unconvinced.

“Don’t worry, Princess, we’ll explain everything. Now, though, we have to leave these two to their Bonding Moment,” replies Pidge, winking at Keith and dragging Hunk behind them as they walk away.

The red paladin’s face matches the color of his lion resting in the neighboring hangar. Lance takes a moment to realize what he has just said but it’s Keith who breaks the silence, focusing the conversation on the less embarrassing topic.

“Thank you, Lance, for helping me before.”

“I… Of course, it was my fault you were up there in the first place.”

“True. But it was fun.” He offers a tentative smile at that, before adding: “I don’t know where or why you learned aerial dance, but it was very beautiful.”

“Thank you. You were pretty good yourself! You managed to climb the rope without no one even teaching you!”

“Well, you helped a lot.”

Lance hums, unsure for a moment before he gets an idea. “We should do it again sometimes, I could teach you how to do it properly next time.”

Keith is a little taken aback by the offer. It’s not like they never do things together, it’s just… That they never do things together by themselves. They hate each other… Don’t they? But if Lance is asking.

“Sure. That would be nice.”

It feels like it’s the first time they are talking for real. Sincerely, without the need to hide behind a challenge or their respective pride. It’s the same as they felt when they were on the rope. They share a smile, like they did before.

“See, it was important for you to participate in this movie in the end.”

Keith laughs softly. “Yeah, it was.”

#IFDShare #klance #klance one-shot #klance fic #ifd2018 #what would your favourite character fannish over #the greatest showman #voltron #hope you enjoy #thank you for reading

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ac-ars · 7 years

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Come on, bite him

as you all may know, i am a ridiculous person and it made me write this

i hope you enjoy it as much as i did

also, proofread? i dont know her

“Could you please explain me why I agreed on this?” Luna pouts a little, fixing the cape he gave her and wondering how ridiculous she has to look right now.

“We need to get my lame best friend out of the house for the party, of course. Have you even listened to me, little Luna?” Now it’s time for Gastón to pout at her. He sighs deeply and opens the door of the car to leave. “You promised me you would help and now you are being like this? Why are you being like this? Do you hate me?”

Luna growls slightly and he smiles. “Perfect. I knew you would be perfect for this role. Now take your pretty butt out of the car and follow me, because we can’t be late.”

She rolls her eyes, but takes the hand Perida offered a second ago. “I hope you won’t leave any green on me. Gastón, I don’t want to be Hulk just like you.”

He closes the door violently and stomps one of his feel. “I am not Hulk. I told you. I am playing…”

“Yeah, yeah,” she interrupts him, “you are playing Frankenstein. I have heard it already like a million times.”

“Apparently not enough.” He pouts more. The fake wrinkle on his forehead gets even deeper. On his green forehead it looks hilarious. “How did I tell you to call me?”

“Ugh, this is ridiculous. Why can’t you just get there and tell him to get dressed, Gastón-” he clears his throat with raised eyebrows. “-stein.” Luna adds, slapping her forehead.

When he called her two days ago, saying that Matteo didn’t want to go to the halloween costume party Luna wasn’t sure why it’s so important to go there. Besides, she had already asked him before and he had always told her that he would be studying, so she gave up. But clearly, Gastón(stein) won’t give up on his second half, on the another star in their binary, on the strawberry to his chocolate and whatever. He won’t give up, no matter what Matteo said he would be doing.

Perida immediately told her what he was gonna do and at first the idea seemed fun, until Luna thought about it more than three seconds. He planned to get in his costume, come to Benson mansion to give Luna makeover of her lifetime and use her as bargaining chip. That’s how she ended up being a vampire tonight. He still believes it’s gonna work, he is sure and Luna doesn’t wanna to take it away from him. After all no one has ever done as great make up as Gastón did plus the red lipstick he chose is perfect and he hasn’t told her what shade it was, probably to keep her with the plan.

“Okay, stop here now.” He rests his hands on her shoulders and she almost shivers. “We need to figure out what now.” “What?” She whispers-yells to him and jumps in the place irritated. “You don’t know what to do? You said you had everything figured!”

Gastón sighs again and messes his hair a little, making it look a little more believable. His suit isn’t really helping, but Luna likes this version of Frankenstein the most of them all. “Because I do, little Luna, but not yet in what order. First of all!” He jumps, excited as hell and searches for something in his backpack. After long two minutes he pulls out of it small black box and Valente rolls her eyes again, not sure if he could’ve done it more dramatically.

“You need to have this. I kept it for the last moment.”

She actually gets excited, hoping it will be some sparkly jewelry or something, but when she opens it she finds only fake vampire fangs. “What the hell, Gastón?”

He looks at her offended, but she can’t care about his silly nickname for tonight. “Put them into your mouth, it feels even funny.” Luna stares at him with wide eyes and he starts shaking his head. “I haven’t tried those, you silly! You are lucky that I love you, because if it were someone else I would. By the way, really keep them. It can help with your real teeth when Ambar decides to punch you.”

She nods quickly, hiding the box to her purse and Gastón giggles so much at her. “What?” she asks. “Nothing, you are just… just… you are so pale, Matteo will think that you are real vampire.” He manages to mumble through his laugh and she wants to kick him. “Ambar won’t punch you. She will probably try to be some hot witch, charming everyone’s wands, if you know what I mean.”

Luna blinks at him, not believing and he shakes his head at her. “Anyway,” she hums a little, “do you know what to do if Matteo doesn’t want to go with us?”

“Of course. This I prepared for. I have pizza flavored Bake Rolls. Who would tell them no? Plus I made sure to not take garlic. You look hot, please smile and conquer the world with me, little moon.”

She nods softly and takes the hand he offered her, leading her towards Matteo’s house. This is gonna be long night.

It’s Gastón who knocks to the door and woman, whom he calls María, looks at them surprised and, saying nothing, invites them inside. Luna’s short, black dress is kinda distracting her since the taffeta of the skirt looks super extra, but she guesses that’s how vampires dress. He stole all silver rings from Ambar and putting it on Valente’s fingers like stupid, saying that if Simón turns out to play a werewolf puppy, he would at least stay away. Luna was truly offended at this comment, but Gastón was just grinning and giggling from time to time saying that this is gonna be fun.

Her heels are making quiet sound, which sounds loud as fuck in the hall of this weird mansion. It still looks warmer than Benson one, and bless the stars for that. She stays too long watching around, because between one blink and the other, Gastón is turned away from her and smiling towards the left.

“Hello Mrs and Mr Balsano. It’s very nice evening, isn’t it?” He grins and pokes Luna who just waves at them.

“Gastón, it’s… really nice to see you now… like this.” Matteo’s mom tries to smile, hiding her surprise.”

Luna clears her throat. “It’s Gastonstein, actually. His stage name or whatever is it.”

Perida looks at her like freshly adopted puppy and she is giving him his own new toy, but that doesn’t really last long. “And who are you? I believe that you are a friend too.” The guy Luna found creepy at first asks, with actually warm voice and she guesses that this way of meeting Matteo’s parents she has never expected.

“Ah, this is Luna.” Gastón shrugs.

“Luna?” Mrs Balsano asks.

“Yes, Luna. You know, the one Matteo kissed on one competition; the one he cried after when you moved to Italy for vacation; the one he dramatically gave up on when you wanted to send him to Oxford…”

“Gastón enough.” All three of them says and Perida looks almost sad, so Luna softly pats his back. She sighs softly, smiling and waving again. “We came here to take Matteo for the party.” She doesn’t get to say anything more, because Gastón speaks again.

“We are here to make a vampire out of your son if you don’t mind.”

“And how are you going to do that?” Matteo’s dad asks, visibly amused and Gastón doesn’t change his serious face even for a second. “Luna is going to bite him, of course. She’s a real vampire after all.”

She slaps her forehead, not sure if those people will ever want over their place, they will probably think she’s crazy. Before more damage is done she just pokes Gastón. “We are in hurry. Come on.”

He nods and takes her hand, looking at Matteo’s parents. “Don’t worry. We won’t make Edward Lame Cullen out of him.”

“Knock, knock!” Gastón yells and opens the door to Matteo’s bedroom without any knocking.

“What the fuck, bro, why the hell are you Frankenstein?” Balsano asks loudly and, from what Luna can hear, because she can’t see, something falls to the ground.

“Ha! See?” Perida turns to the door to see Luna. “He knew it! He loves me more than you.”

“What are you talking to, Gastón?”

“To a vampire.” He answers and Luna snorts. This is too much for her nerves.

“What vampire?” Matteo sighs and she can imagine his face already while Gastón pouts again. He probably took it from her. “Listen, bro. I know you said no, so it’s time for me to take the things in my own hands. We are gonna change you into a vampire.”

“We?” The owner of this room asks and Luna wants to leave, she will stumble on those heels and break her leg or die. Gastón rubbed off on her as well definitely. “Who we?”

“Me and my little vampire here, of course. Come here.” He throws his arm around her shoulders and pulls her inside. Matteo seems to be almost pale when he notices her and she wants to throw up despite not drinking any alcohol yet.

“Luna…” The Italian starts slowly. “You are a vampire?” She sighs and nods, moving her skirt a little and the red cape, and noticing how his eyes stop on her red lips. Luna isn’t sure if she should bless or kick Gastón for that, because the part that isn’t anxious, really likes that.

“She is and you will be vampire too!”

“Why would I?” Matteo leans back on his chair and laces his fingers, watching them intently.

“Because some broom-headed bass player sold me info that Simón is going to be a werewolf and you obvious should be vampire. They are natural opponents or some shit. That’s very dramatic.”

Balsano shakes his head. “I’d say that it’s very Twilight-like. I won’t sparkle.”

“Ew no, Twilight, no. It will be more Vampire Diaries-like.”

Luna jumps into, leaning against the desk and turns to Gastón. “Which brother would Matteo be?”

“Which one you like better?” They both ask at the same time and she chokes. This is getting very interesting with every passing second. She lets them wait for a moment, not really wondering about that.

“He can be Stefan. He looks more like him.” Leaves her mouth and Gastón mumbles small: “and is pure softie like Stefan.” Luna frowns and pokes him on the ribs. “Leave him alone, he’s better than Damon.”

Matteo’s friend raises his hands, giving up. “Whatever you want, it’s your vampire, not mine.” Balsano clears his throat. “I would like to ask now… Just by the way, completely by curiosity. What did you offer Nico for the information?”

Gastón giggles. “I told him that I would pay for his new haircut at my hairdresser.” Luna snorts and he continues. “I also have more informations.”

“How?” She asks and he winks at her. “Ambar is a witch.”

“Well, we’ve known that for months already.” Matteo shrugs and Gastón highfives him. “I meant her costume. I lowkey seduced her goth blonde friend. If I tried with the Benicio Italian guy I’m not sure I would be able to resist so the blondie was it. Anyway, we need to make a vampire out of you here, like you see Luna ended up being perfect vampire to help me with that.”

“And how are you two going to do that?” Matteo asks and his best friend just smirks, clapping his hands. “She will bite you, how else?”

Luna shivered, because it sounds even dumber right now, when Matteo is watching her with something weird in the eyes until Gastón pushes his arm slightly. “I was joking. I mean, I know you would enjoy that, but this time we need to do it normally.”

He starts taking all stuff out of his backpack like makeup and even the costume and the pizza Bake Rolls at the end, leaving them on Matteo’s desk. Said Matteo takes them immediately. “How did you know, bro?”

“I always know what you want, we are soulmates of course. Now, Luna, how do you think, do we need to give him some lipstick or you will share yours with him? Oh, and Matteo, if you are nice tonight maybe she will bite you eventually.”

#slhalloweenparty #soy luna #lutteo #gastteo #gaston perida #luna valente #matteo balsano #why am i like this #my writing

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robinhood-with-a-pencil-blog · 7 years

Text

When I Grow Up

Pairing: Dean x reader

Word count: 1475

Warnings: None

Summary: Dean asks the reader what she wanted to be when she grew up. When she said she always wanted to be a mother, he does something unexpected.

A/n: I made an alternate ending with a plot twist. I’ll add a link in at the bottom. (if you liked the ending and don’t want a plot twist and angst, then don’t click on it) Feed back is always appreciated!!

You’ve never felt more at home while sitting next to Dean while in the Impala. Driving on a wide, open rode. Looking out the window, you were lost in your thoughts when you heard the man next to you speak up.

“Y/N?” he asked.

“Yeah Dean?” you turned your head to face him.

“Whatcha’ thinking about?”

You grinned to yourself; of course, he would care about this. He was always the concerned boyfriend, but overall, he actually cared about what you had to say.

“Just everything. How we met, how I came into this life.” It is true, that this life chose you. Taking your family from you at a young age and the Winchesters took you in. You’ve all made your own family of sorts. When you grew older, you left for a while, not wishing to be a part of this life anymore, but it all came back to bite you in the butt. You then just decided not to fight it anymore, permanently staying with the Winchesters. But when you returned, something changed between you and Dean; you grew up and were now in your 20’s. You weren’t a little girl anymore and Dean somehow only grew more handsome. It took a while for you to realize you had feelings for him; and when you did Sam joined you both, so you just decided to ignore it. Eventually you both couldn’t fight your feelings anymore and the rest was history.

“I wish you wouldn’t have to live this life.” Dean said solemnly. You turned your head towards him and smiled. He would always want better for you. But for you, Dean was enough. And you can’t forget Sam. He is the best friend anyone could ask for. They’re your boys and that makes everything in this life worth it.

“What could you see me being?” you asked him. Sometimes you both played this game; you would ask each other ‘what if’ questions, dreaming up your apple pie life.

“Well, your sweet so maybe a teacher,” you made a face knowing you could never accomplish that job. “You love to take care of people so I could see you being a nurse.” He smiled at you and gave you a wink. “What about me?”

“Oh definitely a mechanic.”

“Really? Huh,” he thought out lout. “I thought I would be more of the modeling type.” You giggled at him. “What? Come on it could happen.”

“No way. I could not be dressed up like a Ken doll.” You said. He turned to you and made a fish face while crossing his eyes. You laughed aloud and he joined in with you.

“What did you want to be when you were older?” he inquired.

You thought to yourself. “I wanted to be a lot of things. My first encounter with a possible career was when I was in about third grade and we were studying the phases of the moon and stars. I was so fascinated by every possible thing out there. The heavens were the beautiful unknown. I wanted to be an astrologist. Not go to the stars per say, but just study them, maybe discover life on mars or a new planet.”

“What a little dork.” Dean whispered but you heard it and playfully punched him in the arm. “Okay Y/N what next?”

“Well then I got into writing and I wanted to be a writer or journalist. I guess it did not fit me. I looked at law and FBI, it wasn’t my calling. So I looked into art for a long time. I practiced and actually became pretty good. I thought it was going to be my life. Then I realized I wanted to help people. So I looked into military but it wasn’t for me. As you know, I’m not good with rules.” He chuckled at that.

“What else?”

You sighed thinking back to a younger version of yourself. “I had an interest in the brain. After my mom has a stroke, I spent a lot of time in the hospital listening to neurologists. I wondered why the brain would shut down and what makes a person act the way they do. I was curious about human behavior. I then wanted to be a psychologist and maybe a forensic psychologist or a therapist.” You paused for a moment to catch your breath. “Then I was interested in the body and anatomy. I never thought that I would go into the medical field but I was considering it. By then everything happened and I became a hunter. The only life I can imagine having.” You finished looking at Dean. Concern fell on your face when you saw that he had tears brimming in eyes.

“Dean it’s okay! I wouldn’t want it any other way. Being a hunter means that I can be with the people I love and I get to help people!” you assured him. You grabbed his large hand. You could feel all the callouses, proof of the hard work and labor he does for strangers and friends.

“I know, I know. I just wish I could make your dreams come true.” He said.

“Exactly Dean! Dreams! Just dreams of a young, curious girl. If I had known that this would be my job, my life, I would have forgotten all about astrology, and art, a-and psychology.” You sighed and looked down. However, one thing popped into your head that you forgot all about.

“But you know there was one other thing that I forgot I wanted to be more than anything else and still do. Dean, I want fall in love with someone incredible and that’s you. I always wanted to be a mother. I wanted to bring a life to this world to make it brighter. I wanted a family more than anything else. To know that I loved someone so much that we made a miracle.” You looked over to Dean. His eyes were wide and you suddenly thought you scared him.

“Dean are you okay?”

All of a sudden, he took a sharp turn of the road and you were driving off into a field. It was dark out and the lights from the streets faded.

“Dean what are you doing?” you asked, a little scared. But he stopped, turned off the car, and got out without responding.

Immediately you opened the door and slammed it. But before you could register anything Dean was there. He grabbed you and kissed the life out of you. You never felt so loved before. It was like he was trying to give everything of himself to you.

“Wow.” You breathed out when he pulled away.

Then he did the unexpected. He reached inside his pocket as he got down on one knee.

You felt tears come and you laid a hand over your mouth. You shook your head, making sure this all was real, because it was too good to be true. But it was. Sitting right in front of you in his hands, was a little black velvet box. Inside sat the most beautiful silver ring you ever seen. I was simple and pure it was perfect.

“Y/N, I love you so, so much. And that’s not an easy thing for me to say because it means that you could get hurt. You deserve so much better than this. And I can’t give you the stars or give you the answers to the brain. I love you so much that I would give you anything. So when you said you wanted a family with someone who loved you that much, I just knew. I had to give it to you. I can still do that for you. I know this is a little spontaneous, and to be honest not my style. But I can’t live another moment without you. I can’t imagine anyone else being the mother of my children. I don’t care if we stay in the bunker or in a house. I just want a family and I want you. So, Y/N L/N, will you do the honor of becoming my kick-ass hunter wife?”

You could see the tears in his eyes only making you cry even more. This question was a no brainer. You knew that he was special from the moment you met him and that feeling has not changed since. He was the one and the only one. He was home. He was better than any career you could have had or any apple pie, white picket fence life.

He looked so nervous and adorable. You could not help but smile.

“I couldn’t have imagined anything better.” You replied, a tear slipping down your face.

He stood up and kissed you. Everything in that moment felt so completely right. Nothing else mattered but the both of you in that moment of time.

(Alternate Ending Below)

Dean’s POV

Y/N woke up with a start.

“Hey Y/N. You dozed off there for a while. Late night last night?” I asked.

She looked around, figuring out where she was, and then found my face.

“Oh hey Dean. Yeah I guess you could say that.” She chuckled. I handed her a cup of coffee.

“Thanks lab partner. Always there for me.” She thanked me. She took a sip of her coffee letting the warmth fill her from the cold lab.

“Found anything interesting?” She asked me. I had let her fall asleep while I did our work.

“No nothing new. Everything in the sky seems normal. We are not being paid enough. I thought this job would be more exciting.” I sighed.

“Hey, we’re beginners. We’ll move up to the more exciting things.” She reassured me. But really I didn’t care, I got study the stars along with my best friend Y/N. Even though it may not be true.

“Man I just had the weirdest dream.” Y/N started.

I turned my chair the other way so she couldn’t see my face. “Oh yeah, what about?”

“Well for starters you were in it.”

“Oh was I? Top or bottom?” I joked.

“Ugh! Not that kind of dream Dean!” I laughed at your reaction. “No, it was weird, we were in this classic car. Just driving. And I remember thinking about your brother, like he was a big part of our lives. Which is weird considering I’ve never met him. He’s a lawyer right? Well anyways, we fought monsters and demons. A-and angels were real! I’m telling you it was weird.”

I slowly looked back at you. “Anything else.”

I noticed that you dropped your eyes.

“N-No nothing else.” You stuttered.

But he knew you were lying. He knew what life was true and what life was a dream. He just wished you realized it too.

He needed his wife back. And they needed to get back.

#one shot #dean winchester #dean x reader #reader insert #dean #sam winchester

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tessatechaitea · 5 years

Text

Batman Loves Superman #1

Batman teams up with a Superman pencil topper?

When did Perry White become interested in Batman and Gotham stories? Oh, that's right. When Joshua Williamson began writing him. Oh, and what editor puts a fucking exclamation point in their headline? Even "Dewey Beats Truman" didn't have any punctuation!

If Jimmy Oleson can get a picture of Batman from that angle, then somebody needs to begin investigating Jimmy Oleson. He might be Superman. It's going to take me all night to read this one comic book if I keep getting bogged down in the details. Although the details are where all the fun is! The plot probably won't even be worth mentioning. I can probably state it right now without even reading the comic book! "The Batman Who Laughs introduces some kind of virus into the DC Universe which begins infecting heroes whom Batman and Superman need to sniff out and inject with Bat-Antidote." That's pretty much what the cover said and I don't expect it to get any more complicated. While Clark is at work surrounded by his fellow employees (and employer!), Batman calls for Superman's help. Instead of excusing himself from the room, he simply disappears at super speed. I mean, he's fast so nobody will notice that he left without anybody noticing him leaving! Plus, Clark Kent's persona is so boring that I guess everybody just shrugs and thinks, "Was he even here? Who knows? *YAWN*".

The second page and Williamson is already losing me by having Superman engage in trite comic book philosophy. Think up better reasons for Superman to be better, you lazy jerk.

"You know why I don't punch people on the street? Because then I'd be like people who punch people on the street!" is a pretty lazy code of ethics. Even "I don't punch people on the street because I don't want to be punched on the street" would be better and even that's pretty much the bare minimum of being a good person. How about Superman doesn't treat bad guys like they treat people because he follows the teachings of Jesus, especially the bit about how the man with no sin should cast the first stone. And, no, that doesn't mean righteous people get to act like assholes, Tumblr. It means everybody should have a chance to redeem themselves and their past horrible behavior. It's an anti-death penalty statement made at a public execution. And it's not because Jesus doesn't want people to become like the convicted! It's because he understands that everybody throwing rocks has, at some point, done something for which they've needed forgiveness. And the only way to get forgiveness is to earn it through works and actions. And you can't do that if a bunch of self-righteous assholes on Twitter murder you with stones. Fucking, Jesus, man. It's weird that I totally get what you're saying but I don't believe in you at all and there are millions of people who don't fucking understand you one bit but claim you as their Lord and Savior. If you're not religious, just replace "Jesus" with "Gandalf" in the prior exchange and remember that Gandalf's lecture to Frodo about how we can't give life so why do we feel so quick to take life away is the reason Gollum survives to destroy the One Ring. Mercy and compassion and forgiveness are the only ways to allow for redemption. Oh, sure, Gollum never really redeems himself and the One Ring is only destroyed because Gollum is a greedy and clumsy asshole! But I think you're supposed to kind of ignore that part and just realize without him, Frodo would have become just as greedy but way less clumsy and Sauron would have won. Anyway, that was Earth-Negative-Whatever's Superman thinking that trite bullshit so maybe I can let it go! I'm sure the Superman of Earth-Positive-0 has way more complex thoughts about moral superiority! Earth-Positive-0 Superman has been called to Gotham by Batman to discuss The Batman Who Laughs and his special serum. I didn't read The Batman Who Laughs but I assume Batman defeated The Batman Who Laughs in it. But it was close and Batman was forced to consider what could happen to the world if he ever stepped over that line! You know the line! Superman just said it in my previous scan! The line that Batman uses to prove that Batman doesn't believe in justice at all; he's just trying to keep from becoming a serial killer one day at a time.

Ugh. I forgot that in Batman Loves Superman comic books, we're subjected to this kind of constant Narrationg Boxing. And the more mediocre the writer, the more intolerable the "playful" thought exchanges.

Commissioner Gordon sends Batman and Superman on a mission to save some kid that was apparently kidnapped by a Superman Who Laughs. After Batman and Superman leave, Gordon laughs. Not much but it's a slight laugh. So I guess I'm supposed to suspect anybody who laughs is evil now? I guess I'll have to kill myself to save all of my loved ones from my gregarious personality! I'm a monster!

This is a trick question, right? More to the point, "What could Superman do that wouldn't stop Batman?!" I can think of about five thousand ways that Superman could stop Batman without even having thought about it before! They just all came to me as soon as Batman asked the question!

I get it. Readers of DC have been trained to believe that nobody can stop Batman. Batman always has a plan. Batman is always prepared. Batman will, if he has to, kill Superman to save the world. Except we also know that Batman won't kill or else that will make him no better than the bad guys! And if we assume that in the final battle between Batman and Superman that Batman will finally kill, maybe we should assume Superman will as well. And maybe we should assume that Superman isn't as naive as Batman thinks he is and that Superman will be killed by Batman in a surprise attack (like how the Batman Who Laughs kills his world's Superman in the beginning of this issue). Maybe Superman will just fly into space and incinerate Batman with his laser vision from orbit. Or maybe Superman will suck all of the oxygen out of a ten mile radius around Batman, knocking him (and everything else) unconscious after which Superman will eat his heart. Or maybe he'll just throw his unconscious body into the Phantom Zone. That's more Superman's way than the heart eating thing. That's more my thing, I guess, since I laugh so much I must be a truly sinister fuckmonster. Batman winning the fight against Superman always has enough presuppositions in Batman's favor that everybody simply believes Batman can defeat Superman, any time and any place. But more to the point, Batman will probably always beat Superman because that seems to be the more challenging story for a writer to write. And they always want to attempt the more challenging story! I'd like to say more surprising too but, at this point in DC history, it would be more surprising if a writer chose to let Superman win. You know how Batman has prepared to take out any other hero if they go bad? What if Superman has used his x-ray vision to give Batman super cancer that can be activated with one more small blip of x-ray vision, leading to Batman's ultimate demise. Sure, it'll probably take about six months but Superman can just hide in a quasar until then. I bet the residents of Kandor aren't actually dead! I bet Superman implanted them in Batman so they can end him at any time! They probably live rent free in Batman's brain! If I don't stop, I'm just going to list all five thousand ways I figure Superman can kill Batman. I should probably keep the other four thousand, nine hundred, and ninety six ways of stopping Batman for future Batman Loves Superman commentaries. Batman keeps pressing Superman about Superman's "What if Batman turns evil?" contingency plan. Batman is such a narcissist. What makes him think Superman would have any trouble stopping him?! I bet he's already given Alfred some special Kryptonian tea which causes impotence whenever the person who drinks it is around kryptonite which Batman surely noticed by now so he never has any kryptonite on him when he's out whoring around as Bruce Wayne which is when Superman will strike. Four thousand, nine hundred and ninety five ways left!

"Oh, uh, right. Sentimental!" replies Batman as he positions his bat cape to hide his bat boner caused by thinking about his sex toys.

Batman and Superman discover a mold for six batarangs which obviously means The Batman Who Laughed only made six batarangs with which to infect six heroes with Batman Who Laughs juice. And I'm sure they can only be used once because that makes it easy to follow the plot. Save six heroes and Batman and Superman win! And the first hero they need to save is Captain Marvel. Or is it Shazam now? I mean, it shouldn't be Shazam because then Billy Batson can't say his own superhero name without killing the power across several city blocks.

Of course Captain Marvel can kick Superman's ass. Captain Marvel is magic! But then again, he's also an inexperienced child. But then again, Superman wouldn't want to hurt a poor innocent child! So see? This fight is already more exciting than a Superman/Batman match-up where Batman would be a pile of ashes/broken bones/cancer in seconds!

I just remembered that this issue was called "Who are the Secret Six?" At first I thought, "Oh boy! The Secret Six will be guest stars. But then I realized, "Oh, see? Finding a mold that can make six batarangs at once obviously means it was just used once and only six heroes have been turned. I hope the big surprise will be Batman and Superman getting killed by six more turned heroes just when they let their guards down." Batman Loves Superman #1 Rating: C. It gets an average grade because it's exactly what I expected written exactly as averagely as I expected plodding the same old Batman Loves Superman ground as I expected. And while I might normally drop the series, I'd forgotten how much fun it is to write about a comic book that I'm completely biased against! Hey, at least I admit it! Try reading one of those other comic book review sites that think they're objective and just see how much fucking garbage they'll recommend to you. I mean, the Weird Science blog loved Neal Adams Deadman comic book! At least for a few issues before they could no longer make excuses for how thoroughly fucking awful it was! At least my review began with, "Holy fucking shit I think I just found the anti-Bible!" Or words to that effect. It would be narcissistic for me to remember every single word I've ever written!

#Batman Loves Superman #Batman #Superman #DC Comics #DC #Joshua Williamson #David Marquez #Alejandro Sanchez

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lady-divine-writes · 7 years

Text

Klaine one-shot - “Problem Areas” (Rated PG13)

Kurt comes home from a rare Saturday work day, eager to go out on a date with his husband. But he finds Blaine acting strange, withdrawn, with odd Sharpie marks all over his skin. (2100 words)

Okay, so, I've been a little down on myself, and this is something I've been toying around with. I just recently got motivated to finish it. This is something that actually happened to me a long time ago when I started modeling, I was just way sassier back then with how I handled it xD I don't know for sure if they do it now, but to be honest, I wouldn't be surprised. Warning for angst, body issues, self-esteem issues, and body shaming. Mention of Sam. Kurt and Blaine still attend NYADA, but Kurt works at Vogue.

Read on AO3.

“Hey, honey! I’m home!” Kurt announces while he struggles with full hands to unlock the door to the loft. He’s relieved to finally be home. He hates working on Saturdays. Saturdays and Sundays are the only days he and Blaine get to spend 100% alone with each other. They turn off their phones, stay in bed all day, ignore the occasional knocks on the door from friends who can’t take a hint. Kurt loves his job at Vogue. He loves his boss, Isabelle. But Saturdays are reserved for him and his husband.

Thank God this only happens once in a blue moon.

The one good thing that came from working today was it gave Blaine an opportunity to spend some bro time with Sam. Ever since Sam got signed on at Wilhelmina, he’s been too busy working to stop by. Not that Kurt minds. He’s glad that Sam found his niche in the New York modeling world, especially since it removed him from their couch. But he could tell that Blaine missed him, and all of the creepy bonding stuff they used to do.

Seriously. Kurt doesn’t know what he was more bothered by – Sam’s obsession with Star Wars fanfiction, or Blaine encouraging it, not only reading it to Sam before he went to sleep every night, but also acting out the voices.

One night, after Sam moved out, Blaine had even suggested roleplaying a particularly smutty fanfic he’d discovered to Kurt.

Kurt said no. He wasn’t touching that with a ten-foot pole.

“Blaine?” Kurt calls when Blaine doesn’t answer. “Are you home?”

“Uh, yeah,” Blaine replies in an anxious voice. “Yeah, I’m home. I’m in the bedroom.”

“Good! Get dressed! We’re going out on a date!” Kurt shuts the door behind him with a push of his foot. “Dinner, remember? You chose the spot.”

“No, uh … I don’t think I want to go out to dinner. I, uh …”

“Why not? You’ve been wanting to go to that new Ethiopian place for over a week now!” Kurt drops his belongings on the sofa - messenger bag, portfolios, his reusable lunch bag, his coat - and heads for their room. “Do you feel sick? Ugh! I knew that eating cottage cheese three days past the sell by date wasn’t a good idea.”

“Uh, no. It’s not that. I just …”

Kurt stutters to a stop inside the doorway to their room when he sees his husband sitting on the bed in nothing but his purple briefs. Kurt would normally grin like a frisky cat at the sight of his hot, half-dressed man and then pounce, except Blaine looks like he’s in pain - arms holding his stomach, hunched over, staring down at the floor.

“Blaine? Blaine, are you …?” Kurt rushes in. He’s almost at the bed when he sees strange black marks on Blaine’s skin – circles, dashes, and in a few cases, x’s. “What are … what are those, Blaine?” Kurt traces one mark on the back of Blaine’s bicep – a dark circle that looks like it may have been made with a Sharpie. Blaine’s eyes dart to the mirror to look at Kurt, but his gaze falls short of his face. He looks back at the floor and winds his arms tighter.

“They’re, uh … I got them at … Sam and I, w-we stopped by Wilhelmina so he could show me around. The director there … she said she liked my look. She asked if I wanted to sign on with them, too. I didn’t see the harm. It was kind of flattering. Another thing to put on the resume, right?” Kurt sits and puts a hand on Blaine’s shoulder. Blaine shrinks like he might shrug it off, but he doesn’t. “They had me change into a swimsuit - some little red Speedo thing from the 80s. I … I had Sam take pictures,” Blaine admits with a shaky smile, “in case you wanted to see.” Kurt nods and smiles back, hoping Blaine’s smile will stay, but it doesn’t. It twitches at the corners and slips away. “They wanted to see how I looked under lights in front of a white backdrop. But then …” Blaine stops and swallows, too embarrassed to continue.

Kurt’s brows pull together, an angry, incredulous heat beginning to boil behind his ears and spreading to his cheeks. “You mean, someone from the agency drew those marks on you?”

Blaine doesn’t speak. He simply nods.

Kurt looks the marks over. He’s worked with dozens of models and photographers during his time at Vogue and he’s never seen anything like this. He’s definitely never seen Sam come home with marks like these. What the hell …?

“What … what do they mean?”

“They’re, uh …” Blaine’s voice squeaks when he talks again. He clears his throat in order to continue. “They’re my … problem … areas.”

The heat in Kurt’s cheeks shoots straight to his forehead, his brain inside his skull broiling. “What!?”

“They’re the things they told me I’d have to work on if I wanted to become a model,” Blaine explains. “Places where I need to build muscle … places I need to lose fat … you know …” His voice becomes thin, trails off.

“No, Blaine! I don’t know!” Kurt spits. “How could you let them do this to you!? A-and what about Sam!? Why didn’t he say anything!?”

“Kurt, it’s okay,” Blaine says with a hollow laugh, trying to diffuse Kurt’s temper. “We both know I don’t have the body I used to. I’ve been struggling with my weight for a while. It’s no … it’s no secret.”

Kurt watches Blaine fold in on himself, more uncomfortable now than he looked when Kurt first walked in, and Kurt knows he’s partially to blame for that. He shouldn’t have flown off the handle. But he’s done with judgmental assholes and fair-weather friends. Not that Sam is one. He’s always been one of the most loyal people Kurt has ever known. Maybe he was somewhere else at the time. Maybe he was worried that if he said something, it would negatively impact his contract.

Maybe he didn’t realize how much damage this could do.

Kurt really should give him the benefit of the doubt … and he will.

For now.

Kurt leans forward and kisses Blaine on the cheek. “Give me a minute. Okay?”

Blaine nods in response.

Kurt stands and heads for the bathroom. He soaks a clean washcloth in warm water and grabs a bottle of body wash from Blaine’s shelf. When he returns, Blaine doesn’t seem any better, hunched so far over, his forehead is almost resting on his right knee. Kurt has only seen him this withdrawn a handful of times, none of which Kurt wants to remember.

He stands in front of Blaine, blocking his view of the mirror.

“Stand up, honey.”

Blaine sighs, but he doesn’t move.

Kurt feels his chest squeeze. “Please, Blaine?”

Blaine takes a breath in and slowly unrolls. He stands the way Kurt asks, but he doesn’t drop his arms. Standing upright, Kurt sees more x’s and more circles, but he suspects that the worst of them are hiding somewhere beneath Blaine’s arms.

Kurt puts a gentle hand where they cross and pushes down, doing his best not to react as they fall away.

Seeing them, though, makes Kurt want to scream. He’s definitely going to make some phone calls come Monday morning.

Whoever was in charge of the Sharpie went to town on Blaine’s stomach - circles overlapping circles with x’s and dashes in between. The ink is smeared, having bled onto the palms of Blaine’s hands as he covered himself. Kurt looks at Blaine’s face, but his head is bowed, his eyes closed, a single tear threatening to break from the corner.

“I don’t know who the hell those people think they are, but these are not problem areas,” Kurt says, wiping at the marks with the cleanser and the cloth. The marks begin to fade, but they don’t go away easily. They were meant to make an impression, to bother Blaine enough that he’d force himself to change. “In fact, these areas are some of what I love most about your body.”

Blaine scoffs. “How can you say that?”

“How can you not see it?” Kurt says with a soft, comforting laugh. “For example, there’s nothing wrong with your shoulders.” Kurt scrubs at dashes drawn on Blaine’s traps. “They’re just perfect for squeezing. Your biceps are so well-defined, and your back is exceptional. It makes me jealous.” Kurt inches in, lips hovering beside Blaine’s ear. “And when we make love, what do I grab to pull you closer? Hmm?” Kurt’s hands caress Blaine’s hips. The light touch makes Blaine jump, but he doesn’t pull away. “They call these love handles for a reason, but there’s barely anything there. And here.” Kurt plants his hands on Blaine’s ass, making him yelp. “Your gorgeous behind. If you lost an inch off of this, I’d mourn it forever.”

“You have to think that way,” Blaine mutters. “You’re my husband.”

Kurt rolls his eyes. “I hate it when you say that, but okay. Let’s talk about you then.”

“What about me?”

“Before you left our loft today, did you think you were fat?”

“N-no.”

“Earlier this morning, when I had you in my mouth, were you concerned about how your thighs looked?”

A red stain blooms on Blaine’s cheeks, but his expression doesn’t change. “No.”

“And last night, when we were talking and laughing and making love, did the thought that you had some miniscule amount of back fat ever leap into your mind?”

“No.”

“No. And not that it apparently matters because I’m only your husband, but it wasn’t in my mind, either.” Kurt smiles, showing that he’s kidding, but it doesn’t budge Blaine’s mouth an inch. “You’re perfect, Blaine. Just the way you are. And you were happy with yourself a few short hours ago. I know you’ve had trouble with your weight before, but you’re back on track. And you’ve worked so hard to get here. Don’t let some random stranger take that away.” Kurt continues scrubbing, going back over areas where the black marker is being the most stubborn. “If you do want to change something about yourself, do it for you, because there’s something that you want to change. But if you go on some crazy binge, exercising and losing weight, because a woman you’ve never met before tells you that you have problem areas, you are going to make yourself miserable. And then what? Her opinion’s not everyone’s opinion. Maybe her definition of perfect looks awful to everyone else, and then where would you be? The only person whose opinion of your body matters is you, Blaine. No one else.”

“Well, you, too,” Blaine offers. “I want you to think I’m handsome.”

“Then consider that job done,” Kurt says, dropping a kiss on Blaine’s forehead, “because I’ve thought you were handsome from the moment we met, and I’ve never stopped.”

“You’re right,” Blaine concedes. “I know you’re right. It was just a bit of a slap in the face to hear what they had to say.”

“If you really want to be a model, come with me down to Vogue where everyone knows you and loves you. Isabelle’s got contacts that I know for a fact she’d threaten with complete fashion world blacklisting if they ever pulled a trick like this on you.”

“Deal” – Blaine shuffles forward, standing nose to nose with Kurt, forcing Kurt to loop his arms around his waist – “but I don’t want to be a model. And not because of what happened today. It seems so stressful, exercising three times a day, counting every calorie you put in your mouth. It doesn’t sound like it’d be fun unless it’s what you really want to do with your life.”

“Good,” Kurt says. “I already have to deal with people drooling over you at NYADA. I don’t know how I would handle the whole world falling in love with you. Though, you know, it’s only a matter of time …”

Blaine tilts his head, a subconscious smile lifting his lips. “A matter of time before what?”

Kurt kisses him on the nose, matches his smile. “Before the whole world falls in love with you.”

Blaine chuckles, bashful eyes dropping to Kurt’s collar. “Do you really believe that?”

“Blaine” – Kurt wraps his arms completely around Blaine’s torso and hugs him, not caring one iota when soapy water starts seeping through his shirt – “I always have.”

#klaine fanfiction #klaine fic #klaine #frankie writes #blangst

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