#STANDING FOR SOMETHING BIGGER THAN ANYTHING THE WORLD COULD PIT AGAINST THEM

[tillythemenace]

GENUINELY WONDERING WHERE WERE THESE SENTIMENTS IN HTTYD3...

[ssweeterthanfiction]

Wait for your love.

content warnings (for the whole series): mentions of drugs and alcohol, age gap, gaslighting, billy being TOXICCCCC, mentions of suicide/suicidal thoughts, mental health issues

↳ currently playing ;

No. 1 Party Anthem - 1978

1:56 ——————•———— 3:24

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In September of ‘78, both Daisy Jones & The Six and Y/N announced their tours. And while the ticket sales for Daisy Jones & The Six were high, Y/N’s were much higher.

Y/N: “I didn’t think that my ticket sales were gonna be so well if I’m going to be honest.”

“I fell off the face of the earth for a year. It was shocking enough to see that my album take off the way it did. So the fact that my team had to scramble to make my tour go from an all arena tour to a full stadium tour to keep up with the demand of tickets…that was just…wow.”

“The band was also getting a lot of attention after Aurora released. I didn’t want to show it then but…I was proud. I was proud of them. I was proud that they had the world in their hands…that they had everything they wanted.”

Billy: “I should’ve been happy for her. I should’ve been proud. But all I could feel was this fucking pit in my stomach. This jealousy, this resentment… and it was eating me up from the inside.”

“The thing is, I wasn’t just angry at her. I was angry at myself. Angry at how I couldn’t keep it together. How I couldn’t be the man she needed me to be. I couldn’t even be the man I needed to be for me, you know?”

“So I did what I always did when I felt lost. I turned to the only thing that would drown out the noise in my head…drugs, alcohol, you name it. And the worst part? The band getting caught up in the mess of it all and I didn’t even care. I was spiraling, falling deeper and deeper, and I couldn’t stop. I didn’t want to stop. It felt like the only way to cope, to deal with everything crashing around me.”

“And she- she was out there. Selling out stadiums. Living her life, her dreams. She didn’t need me anymore. She was bigger than everything. Bigger than us. And I couldn’t figure out how to hold on to anything. Not even her.”

“I let her go, and she let me go, too. That was the hardest part to swallow.

Y/N: “I didn’t want to let him go.”

"I only let him go because I had to let him go."

“But everyone thought I did."

"They thought I wanted to let him go. They thought that I was this strong, untouchable thing who moved on like it was nothing."

"At first it was true, but that was only because I was angry....but then that anger turned into sadness."

"So, it ended up even being true.”

"I had to pretend I was okay. I had to make myself believe that I was okay. And sure, did I feel better now that I didn't have Billy constantly on me? Yes."

"But I never stopped loving him."

"Not even when I was selling out stadiums. Not even when I was standing in front of thousands of people every night, pretending I was whole without him."

“The truth is…I kept looking for him. Every city, every crowd, I searched for his face. I’d finish a show, and the first thing I’d do when I got back to my hotel room was check the phone.”

“Hoping there’d be a call, a message… something. But it was always nothing.”

“I don’t know what I was expecting. I mean- I just disappeared for a whole year.”

“I guess, I just…wanted to hear his voice.”

She inhales sharply.

"I was standing in front of thousands of people, every night, singing songs about him, and I thought I’d moved on. But how the fuck do you move on from something like that?”

“So I stopped. Not because I wanted to. But because I had to.”

  🎶 .·:*¨🎶💋🎶¨*:·. 🎶

The crowd was deafening, their cheers shaking the foundation of the stadium as you stood at the edge of the stage. Thousands of voices screamed your name.

The stage lights burned bright, hot against your skin. You could feel it. This moment, this success, this dream you'd built from the ground up.

You should’ve felt alive.

Instead, you felt empty.

You stepped back, pushing damp strands of hair from your face as your heart pounded.

You looked out to the crowd, searching for something—someone.

But he wasn't there.

You knew he wasn't going to be there.

You close your eyes and take a deep breath.

It's okay.

It's better this way.

  🎶 .·:*¨🎶💋🎶¨*:·. 🎶

Billy: “I got lost, you know? I really fucking got lost after she left. Everything just started spinning out of control, like I was in this dark pit I couldn’t get out of. I thought I could handle it...hell, I thought I had control over everything back then. But once she was gone, that pit just... it swallowed me whole."

"And the worst part? I didn’t even care. At first, anyway. Because, well, I didn’t have to care, right? I was Billy Dunne. I had everything. I had the band, I had the fame, I had people who would have killed to be in my shoes. I could have anyone."

"But it was always her. It was always her that I wanted."

"I remember the shit I used to say to her, though. About how she was replaceable. About how she should be lucky to be with me. I made her feel small, like she should be grateful I even chose her."

"Like she was just something I could throw away if I wasn’t feeling it anymore."

"I used to tell her I could have anyone. That she didn’t mean anything special. That I was the one who was doing her a favor. But it was bullshit. I know that now. It was all to cover up how fucking scared I was that I wasn’t good enough for her. That I wasn’t enough, and if I told her that, if I let her know that she was the best thing that ever happened to me, maybe, just maybe, she’d see it too and leave me anyway."

"I wish I could take it all back. All the things I said. All the ways I treated her. I wish I could go back to when she was still mine, when she was still looking at me with that goddamn hope in her eyes. I wish I could’ve been the person she needed, the person she deserved. But I wasn’t. I was too busy being a fucking mess to see that."

  🎶 .·:*¨🎶💋🎶¨*:·. 🎶

Billy was drunk.

Not the good kind of drunk where everything felt light and floaty.

No, never that kind of drunk.

This was the kind of drunk where nothing made sense anymore.

He sat slumped on the couch, bottle in hand, the laughter of the band echoing around him. They were celebrating another sold-out show, but he wasn’t there. Not really.

He should’ve been proud. Should’ve been reveling in the success of Aurora, in the fact that they were finally on top. But instead, all he could hear was the distant hum of your name. Every magazine cover, every radio interview—your name.

You were everywhere.

But not with him.

He took another chug, the alcohol burning down his throat, numbing the ache that never seemed to go away. His hands trembled slightly as he reached for the newspaper on the table, the bold headline staring back at him.

MIDNIGHT'S REGRETS—SELLS OUT ANOTHER STADIUM. THE BIGGEST TOUR OF THE YEAR?

Billy’s grip tightens around the bottle as he stares at the picture beneath the headline. It’s you. Standing on stage, arms outstretched, the entire world screaming for you. You’re smiling. You look radiant. Untouchable.

You were on top of the world.

Without him.

Billy stares at the ceiling, the room spinning slightly.

He wonders if you ever think about him.

If you ever stare at the ceiling the way he does.

If you ever miss him the way he misses you.

But then he remembers the stadiums. The flashing lights. The roaring crowds chanting your name.

And he convinces himself that you don’t.

🎶 .·:*¨🎶💋🎶¨*:·. 🎶

Y/N: "Other than missing Billy, tour was pretty good for me."

"Sure I was sad, but being up on stage helped. Every night, when I stepped out there, I was surrounded by the kind of love I couldn’t get from anywhere else. The crowd, the music, it was all so loud, so overwhelming. And it made me feel.. seen. It made me feel like I mattered, like I was something more than just a broken heart."

"It’s funny, though. The more I saw myself getting bigger, the more I realized I was just pretending. I was pretending like I didn’t care, like it didn’t hurt."

"But no matter how many stadiums I played, how many people screamed my name…nothing felt right. Nothing felt like it used to. Because there was always this gaping hole where he used to be."

"But honestly....I as much as I wanted to see him...I was afraid to see him just as much..."

"And...I know a lot of people think that I didn't see Billy and the others til the 1979 Grammys...."

"But I actually saw them after my L.A show."

🎶 .·:*¨🎶💋🎶¨*:·. 🎶

Billy hadn’t planned on going. He didn’t even know if he could handle seeing you live, seeing how far you’d come without him. But as the hours ticked by, he felt this strange pull. It felt like fate, or maybe it was just curiosity, but either way, he couldn’t shake the idea.

He wasn’t the only one who felt it.

"Are we really doing this?" Warren asks as they walk toward the venue, his voice laced with uncertainty. "I mean, after everything? Are we ready for that?"

Billy shrugs, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets. "We have the day off. Might as well."

Graham’s gaze is fixed on Billy, his expression unreadable. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Billy hesitates, but then nods. He doesn’t know if he’s ready. But he knows he has to see you. He has to see how you’ve changed, what you’ve become. If only to prove to himself that you were better off without him.

They all settle in their seats and ehe sound of cheering grows louder as the lights begin to dim.

"Here we go" Eddie says quietly.

🎶 .·:*¨🎶💋🎶¨*:·. 🎶

Y/N: "No one knew I was hurting. Sometimes even i think I didn't know I was hurting."

Karen: "When she came out on stage, she looked so...happy. So free."

“You could tell she was in her element. The way she moved, the way she smiled, it was like she wasn’t the same person anymore. Like she had shed everything, all the pain, all the hurt, and just…blossomed.”

Eddie: "You know what stood out to me? The way she looked at the crowd. The way she was in complete control. She was exactly where she needed to be."

Graham: "Her performance was just- wow. That's the best way to describe it."

"Because only she could go from twirling around stage in a long flowing dress to it being ripped off and revealing a sparkly top and skirt- at least at the time."

Warren: "She was killing it." "Her fans were going crazy, and honest I was too, especially during the 'love is embarrassing' dance break."

"And then when her show was interrupted because her team told her she was nominated for three Grammys? I don't think i've ever heard a crowd get that loud."

Daisy: "She looked so happy when she found out. And honestly it was deserved. She deserved to be happy. Not some pretend happiness shit, she deserved true happiness."

"But then something...shifted on stage."

Y/N: "It happened when I was singing Clean."

"I was as okay as I could be, but for some reason I just- I started to feel. Like really feel."

"I felt like everything from the past year was just crashing down on me."

"I don't know why I did what I did, but I changed a lyric while I was on stage."

"The original lyric was '10 months sober I must admit, just because your clean don't mean you don't miss it'."

"I changed it to '10 months sober I must admit, just because your clean don't mean you don't miss him'."

Warren: "I think we all collectively had a 'did she really say that' moment."

"Billy especially."

Daisy: "I was standing next to Billy, and I could see him visibly tense up."

"And that's not even the worst part of it."

"A little bit after the song ended, we got moved to a VIP tent."

"Guess her team found out we were there."

Y/N: "I didn't think much of it at first."

"It was a small change. A mistake."

"But deep down, I knew it was how I felt."

"And then...."

"I started 'Bejeweled'."

"And the choreography for that had me walking all over the stage."

"That's when I saw them."

"That's when I saw him."

Billy: "I don't even know how to describe that moment. One second, she was just…her. Larger than life, untouchable. And then she looked right at us."

Karen: "Her eyes widened. Just for a second. She didn’t miss a beat. She kept performing, kept singing, but I could tell. That second changed everything."

Eddie: "It was like the world stopped. I swear, she stumbled for half a second. Most people wouldn’t have noticed, but we did."

Daisy: "The way she looked at Billy…that wasn’t just shock. That was years of love, heartbreak, regret, and whatever the hell else they never said to each other."

Warren: "I honestly felt like I shouldn’t be watching. Like it was too personal."

Graham: "And Billy? Jesus. He just stood there, completely frozen. I don't think he even breathed."

Billy: "I...I wasn’t ready for that. I thought I was. I thought, you know, we’d see her, we’d hear her sing, and that would be it. But the second her eyes met mine, I knew it wasn’t over. Not really."

Y/N: "The second I saw him, I forgot the lyrics. My own damn lyrics."

"I covered it up, kept singing, let the crowd fill in, but my hands were shaking. My heart was pounding. Because there he was, standing in the middle of my world, looking at me like I was still his."

"And that? That made the anger come back."

Karen: "She kept going, but there was something different now. She wasn’t just performing anymore. She was feeling it."

Daisy: "I’ve never seen anything like it. It was like she was singing at Billy. Every word, every move, it was all for him, but not in a good way."

Y/N: "I made it through the song. Barely. But my head was spinning. My heart was pounding."

"I thought I was going to run off stage again."

"But I thought, "No. Not again.""

"So I kept going."

She laughs. "Thankfully the next two songs were 'Better Than Revenge' and 'Out Of The Woods', so I was able to take all my anger out."

Warren: "Oh, she went for it. Like, full-throttle, no-holding-back, fuck-you kind of energy."

Eddie: "By the time she hit 'Better Than Revenge,' the whole crowd could feel it. She wasn’t just performing anymore, she was calling him out."

Karen: "The way she stomped across that stage, the way she sneered certain lyrics…Yeah, we all knew exactly who she was thinking about."

Daisy: "He knew too."

Graham: "Billy didn’t say a word. Just stood there, jaw clenched, staring at the stage like he was waiting for her to break. But she didn’t."

Billy: "You want the truth? I wanted to leave. I should have left. But I couldn't. I had to see it, see her. Even if it killed me."

Y/N: "I sang my heart out. I screamed my heart out. Every word, every lyric, I meant them all."

"I twirled, I kicked, I let my hair whip around me. The lights were blinding, the crowd was deafening, but all I could focus on was that one damn spot in the VIP tent."

"He was still watching. Still there."

"So I gave him a show."

Daisy: "She didn’t just perform. She owned that stage. Like she was proving something. Maybe to him, maybe to herself. Maybe both."

Warren: "And then she hit 'Out of the Woods,' and I swear to God, I thought the roof was gonna blow off the place."

Karen: "That song has always been intense, but this? This was something else."

Y/N: "I should’ve been exhausted by the time the song ended. I should’ve felt drained, empty. But I didn’t."

"I felt alive."

"Even when final note of the encore rang out. "

"The crowd was screaming, and I just stood there, panting, my heart hammering in my chest."

"I looked back at the VIP tent."

"I saw Billy."

"And when I looked into his eyes..."

"I knew he was back in my life again."

"Whether I liked it or not."

A/N: HOLYYYYY SHIT ITS FINALLY OUT!!!!

hope u guys enjoyed!!! i promise that GOU is next!

tysm for reading and as always my requests/asks are open (if u guys wanna chat abt this chapter <33)

[riddlerosehearts]

okay. i said i would write a post about how much i adore how to train your dragon 1 & 2 to balance out all the complaining about bad dreamworks movies that i've been doing, so:

i can be very indecisive at times when i try to rank and rate things. but httyd 1 and 2 are definitely both in my top 5 favorite dreamworks movies. the first movie is in my top 3, easily, because it's just a little more special to me than the second one. and then personally i have... some issues with the third movie, but god, the first two are just amazing. i think i'm mostly just gonna talk about the first one in this post since it's my favorite.

httyd 1 is a very simple story, about a boy finding his place in the world and earning his dad's acceptance through forming a forbidden friendship with a dragon. but it is so emotional and so beautifully told. every single scene matters to the story, and everything hiccup learns is used either in his training or to defeat the red death. the movie never ever feels slow or unbalanced, it all just flows perfectly. hiccup is loyal and stubborn and sassy and insecure and a genius inventor and one of the best leads in a dreamworks film. he feels so real and so well-developed. and toothless shows so much personality and has such a beautiful bond with him. astrid could, i suppose, have been more fleshed out in the first movie, but she still has a lot of great moments. she's fierce, passionate, and driven, and the way she grows to accept hiccup and softens up toward him is just adorable. i love her.

also, the character designs, animation, and the score were already amazing in httyd 1 but they only improve in the second movie. the flying scenes and toothless himself with his catlike mannerisms are especially well-animated in both movies and songs like test flight from httyd 1 and toothless found from httyd 2 are fantastic. and the humor of these movies is great. it's not reliant on making tons of pop culture reference and toilet jokes like dreamworks usually loves to do, instead it's just really witty. hearing hiccup say "any food that grows here is tough and tasteless, the people that grow here even more-so" is hilarious to me. berk also has such a unique atmosphere about it, especially in the first movie, i feel like.

i would argue that httyd 2 isn't quite as masterfully written and has some pacing issues, but i still love it a lot. valka's story, and the tragedy of her relationship with stoick, is so well done and i love seeing hiccup start learning to be chief and to be more responsible. httyd 1 is sweet and upbeat and heartwarming but httyd 2 has this epic fantasy feel with a darker type of story. and hiccup's dialogue at the end does not get enough appreciation for how beautiful it is: "we may be small in numbers, but we stand for something bigger than anything the world can pit against us. we are the voice of peace, and bit by bit, we will change this world."

and anyway anyone who's been following me for a while can probably tell i am bad at writing analyses and reviews lol. but i just love how to train your dragon so so much and i don't wanna seem like i set out to watch every dreamworks movie just so i could complain about them constantly. so yeah, these movies are amazing to me and i really should get around to watching the httyd tv shows one of these days.

[doesntseemfxir]

giggles. you’re probably already writing this but i want to see the teddy bear with a vibrator thought so so bad 🚶

ehehehe yes thank you Aries for moving this fic up my priority list!! Now it can be crossed off that hellishly long list of DH ideas

words: 1.5K

warnings: This is an 18+ AU, minors DNI; smut; mommy/doll kink; vibrators; dependency; kinda?? dirty talk, but not tons; Wanda manipulating situations

summary: doll house AU; Doll wakes up from her afternoon nap with her new giant teddy bear and discovers a fun little secret about her new gift

doll house au. ||

A sweet gift for my perfectly sweet girl.

That's what Wanda had said when you woke up to the giant teddy bear earlier that morning. Pink, fluffy, and slightly bigger than you when you stood, it was safe to say you were easily in love with the stuffed animal. You had no idea how she'd gotten it; nothing had been delivered to the house, never did, and there was no way she'd leave you all alone for however long it'd take her to find such an object.

You didn't think about it too hard though, it didn't matter. Good behavior had gotten you the stuffie of your dreams and you wouldn't fret over the logistics. You'd given Wanda a great many hugs and kisses after that, ever grateful for how well she treated you. Someone might say it would get boring staying in one house all the time, but Wanda gave you everything you could possibly wish for and she lived to take care of her precious doll- not once had you ever given thought to what lay outside the doors.

Afternoon sunlight shone through the large window of your bedroom now and you shoved your face further into your new teddy to protect your eyes. After a day of playing and laughter, Wanda settled you in for a nap and while you typically protested, today you went without a singular complaint; you were determined to stay on your best behavior.

You'd fallen asleep peacefully on your bear, curled around it as it sat propped against your headboard. Turns out, it was the perfect pillow.

Looking around, you found yourself alone and while you wanted to pout, you were too cozy to be too bothered. Instead you just cuddled up tighter, knowing your mommy would come get you when she was ready for you. Soft arms hugged the new toy tight, squeezing it extra hard to make sure the ball of fluff knew how much you loved them.

Maybe you touched some part of it you weren't supposed to, but this time as you embraced it, something inside switched on. The vibration was soft at first, muffled by the stuffing inside of its limbs, but you felt it easily, your thighs twitching as its fur tickled your skin. "Oh..."

You weren’t supposed to, you knew it was against the rules, but you were so sleepy and it felt so good…

Rutting against it felt sweet as sin, wiggling aimlessly while you tried to find what made you feel best. Finally you found a rhythm that both stoked and eased the growing tension in the pit of your stomach and before you knew it, it was hard to even care how you’d so obviously be caught as soon as Wanda saw evidence of your arousal on your new toy’s leg. It felt too good for you to think about anything but the pleasure being handed to you right in your bed.

You were greedily working your way to an orgasm when Wanda climbed the stairs; you didn’t hear her, too lost in your own world to even register when she’d come to stand at the edge of your bed. “You didn’t call for me when you got up, little one.”

Her knowing voice made you stop immediately, forcing yourself to sit still as possible. Stupidly, you still moved your hips, just a little bit, but you were unwilling to give up how good you felt altogether. “It’s not my fault, mommy… my bear distracted me!”

Wand hummed quietly, rounding the bed until she could sit next to you where you still straddled the stuffed leg. “Your bear? It can’t do anything to you.”

She knew, of course; Wanda made the bear herself. With as much as her precious doll loved stuffies and toys whenever they played together, Wanda figured she might as well combine the two for you. She hadn’t expected you to find out so quickly, but then again, you were always such a needy little thing.

“Why don’t you show me, lift up.” You raised your hips promptly, trying to be as obedient as you could even when Wanda slipped her hand between your thighs. Her fingers came back with all the evidence she needed, wetness shining on her fingertips.

She eyed you with that disapproving look you hated, making you shrink further into the pillowy softness that was your new toy. “Ah ah, don’t run away from me now, baby doll. You weren’t so shy when you were rubbing your greedy little pussy all over your gift just before I came in.”

You weren’t allowed to touch, you knew this. Wanda alone knew what was best for her doll, but she’d given you this teddy— surely that made it okay? “But I didn’t touch anything, mommy! I just gave hugs and it started and-“ Two of the brunette’s fingers slid into your tight entrance, slow and twisting as they pushed in until you started to squirm.

“I didn’t tell you to talk back to me, did I?” As you shook your head no, Wanda pulled away, sitting back on her knees before guiding you to do the same. “No? Then keep that pretty mouth shut.”

You nodded, pouting hard as you laid your head against your bear’s shoulder. It didn’t feel nearly as good as it had before, shame and embarrassment at acting out heavy on your mind while you struggled not to sit down fully again.

But Wanda wasn’t having that.

This time her push on your hips was harder, shoving you down until you were forced to the stuffed animal’s leg. The vibrations were still there, ready to as ever to send devious waves of pleasure to your sensitive cunt. You didn’t want it to though; not after being caught and certainly not when your mommy could do it for you. But as soon as you settled down, Wanda’s hands left you and no matter how cute and helpless of a look you were sure you were giving, the other woman wouldn’t budge. “You’re so ready to do it by yourself, doll. I’m just going to watch.”

Another minute of Wanda firmly refusing to touch you again meant you were really being left to your own devices. It wasn’t nearly as good anymore, the sweet secret pleasure of it all stolen under Wanda’s watchful gaze. Now you felt tortured, punished with her sitting so close, but so far away. You don’t know why you’d tried in the first place, for as long as you could remember, you couldn’t cum without her. All of you belonged to her, whether you controlled giving it over or not.

And there wasn’t a cute toy in the world that would ever come close to replacing what she made you feel. The longer you tried, the more frustrated you got, trying to seek out what’d made you so close before, but no matter how you rut your hips and how wet you grew, there was never any release to be found. “Mommy, I want you to help! Please, it hurts…”

“Aw, is that right, sweet pea?” Wanda crawled forward just enough to reach her arm to you, sliding her fingers between your toy and where you were aching. You were right; you were positively soaked, but as much as Wanda wanted to reach up and give you exactly what you so clearly wanted, punishment was in order. That didn’t stop her from letting one devious fingertip circle your clit, pulling away whenever you tried to press down too hard.

“First you break my rules, then you make a mess of your poor stuffie, and now you’re making demands of me?” She loved your whimpering, how you weakly tried reaching out for her even when she was being so cruel to you. Wanda let you cling to her, of course, let you seek out the comfort you wanted so badly while you were beside yourself with need. “You’re in over your head, little one.”

“‘M sorry, mommy… I won’t do it again..” Wanda merely hummed and rubbed your back with her free hand as you cried into her shoulder, body having gone limp as soon as you collided with her. Bear forgotten, you left your legs open for Wanda instead, savoring every brush of her nails against a particularly sensitive spot or when she pushed her fingers in just enough to make you feel full for a second. It was torture, but it was Wanda so you took what you could get and tried not to complain too terribly. She hated when you complained.

“I know you won’t. You learn your lessons so well!” She had no intentions of making you cum, not when you’d been so terribly naughty, but settling you onto her fingers calmed you enough for your wails to turn into soft sobs and that was easier to handle. When Wanda pulled away again, it took everything in you not to scream in protest— but that wouldn’t get you any closer to being your mommy’s perfect doll. And that’s all you really wanted, especially when you could turn to her and see her smiling back at you like Wanda was now. “Let’s dry those tears now, I made you your favorite for dinner.”

[luimagines]

In lieu of what happened yesterday with Wolfie... may I raise you with Bunny Legend?

He despises the form. Why, of all the things he could have been, had to be a bunny? A tiger or even a dog would have been better than that a fluffy, weak... pink mammal! It's not fair that Twilight get a cool one instead of him, which is completely stupid since he is one of the oldest, and far more seasoned in salt of the group. On top of that, how dare he stealing your attention like that!? How is he supposed to make a move if Twilight is always hanging around you as Wolfie? He wants you to be the only one to hear how he feels about you...

...And, maybe, is also because he is terrified of you turning him down, the ache in his heart would be worse than a stab with Twilight watching him get rejected...

But this is why he have been named as the "Veteran" and not something else; he has dealt with a lot of situation before with far less objects at his reach to help him, but he always manages to get through it. He's very cunning and is quick to think on his feet...

...Or at least, almost all of the time he is. Erring is most common when you aren't at your most calm, isn't it?

Legend admits that he acted out of desperation: you had him at his wits end! But it's hard to feel frustrated with himself when you are nuzzling your face on top of his head, little squeaks of happiness and a high pitch voice while you baby talked to him, gussing about his very soft fur and really cute vest. You even called him handsome! You never do that when he is in his human form, you don't even spare him a glance when he rolls his sleeves, making a big of a show of flexing his arms, stretching out and pushing out his chest and arms back, all so you can see how muscular he, too, is. But the only thing you do is oogle at Twilight-- as if he isn't enough of a menace to him-- and that idiot of Mr. Captain when they wrestle together, shirtless. He just wants your pretty eyes on him, those plump lips, cherry from how you are bitting them, shamelessly devouring the two men with your gaze...

...Ugh, just pay attention to him, okay!? He will shower you with all the love and adoration you deserve and more! So please, direct that intensity to him, and only him.

A poke to his furrowed brows broke him out of his mind. Legend cautiously looks up at you. He mentally kicks himself as he is met with your worried eyes, the last thing he wanted was for you to feel any type of negative emotions, so that glint spurred him on rubbing his furred cheek on your free open palm, wanting to change the expression out of your face. It seem to work, you opened your eyes more and even giggled a little before scratching under his chin with two of your fingers.

"Got lost for a second there, buddy?" You whisper. Even if your tone was soft, the vibrations travelled from your chest pressed against the back of his small form engulfing it in a warm and pleasant feeling.

Legend closed his eyes and let all of his weight rest on you, not that you minded, of course. Being the sunshine that you are, you giggled cutely once more and tugged him closer to you, to the point of almost being curled around him. It was a rare sensation; he felt protected for once instead of being the one providing said feeling, he must admit that it was quite comforting, but Legend will forego ever feeling like this again in exchange of you being safe forever, you will always be his priority.

"Hmm..." you pecked his head. "Y'know, you remind me of someone that I like a lot"

His long ears fell flat on either side of his head as his heart stilled.

Like a lot...?

You... already have someone that you hold dear?

You seem to miss how his body grow stiff between your arms as you continued in drowning him in affection. What used to be a delightfull experience, now, it hurts him more than any wound he have ever sustained in his life, more than any burn from fire lizards or the cold, prickly bite of exhaustion of his tired body as he dragged himself through every and more corners of Hyrule.

Your hands played with the small tuff of fur on his head, but Legend's mind was far too gone to properly feel the touch. In its place, his heart dropped and shattered, somehow still beating as he felt the fastening Thumping in his stomach. How foolish and naive of him, to ever believe that he got an opportunity with you. Even the people that you two are travelling with can barely stand him, and they are supposed to be the same person.

Is he really that despicable?

"It's actually funny."

Funny how stupid he is, isn't he?

"He came back a few nights ago, very upset."

Well, that guy clearly doesn't now a thing about suffering. He isn't the one getting his heart demolish while in the arms of the love of his life like him.

You pinched the tip of his left ear and softly lifted it up. "He came back with his hair the same shade of pink that you have! In my opinion" you lean down a Little, as if you were about to share a secret "He looks very cute like that. A shame He will never let me say that to his face..."

Pink? Like the rose tinted glasses he have been wearing all this time-- Uh? Hair?

Are you... Please, don't give him hope like that. He can't take another loss in his life, because if you don't mean it, he would be devastated for good.

He felt your body shifting a little before you let go of him to instead hook your hands under his armpits, slowly lifting him up then turning around his body so now the two of you can be face to face. His tiny nose twitched as you leaned in a poked the tip of your own nose to his pink one, rubbing a little before you leaned back again. Legend layed his pawns on top of your chest, eagerly following your movements when he saw you opening your mouth to continue, he didn't want to miss anything that you are about to say:

"He is a big dork, with an even bigger ego. Very handsome too and... Ugh, Legend, why you have to be such a cactus all the time?" You finished with a tinge of frustration in your voice.

In a normal scenario, he would have argued about that last statement, but he couldn't because of two good reasons: one, he is still in his dark world form, it would be very weird if this bunny you found in the Forrest acted as if it was personally insulted by your words. And second...

You actually like him.

Him, With all of his flaws and bad attitude, you still found and assigned a space in your heart for only him, Legend.

Just as how down he got, his spirit raised up again with vigor, his heart soared from the dark pit of grief that held it a couple of minutes ago taking its rightful place at the peak of the shrine dedicated to your whole being. He didn't even noticed that his skin was ice cold until a burst of heat shot from his feet to the tip of his ears that acted as a catalyst as he threw himself towards your chest, his body felt light as a feathe, he tried his best to fight off the desire to laugh or shout out this waves of overwhelming energies.

Oh, how your chuckles were like the tunes from the most rich instrument in the entire universe being played by the goddesses themselves, more revitalizing than any potion or fairy pond.

"Do you think I should say something, buddy?" You returned his hug.

Legend furiously nodded his head, not think if it will appear weird that he could understand you. You squeezed the tiny bunny between your arms before putting him at arms length:

"Thank you, buddy. Somehow, now I have the confidence to talk to that prickly bitch--"

"--A PRICKLY WHAT???"

...Uh oh.

Even the common noises of the Forrest fell silent at his outburst.

Legend didn't had a second to try and amend his mistake as, suddenly, his vision was thrown into a spiral; everything looked blurry and the wind on his fur was a clear indicator of how hard you launched him away from you. He felt slightly proud at you quick reaction time but...

...No amount of fur can soften the crash on the hard forrest floor, just his luck that he didn't fell on the conveniently batch of dry leaves right beside him. It hurt, not as how bad his heart was hurting, but painful nonetheless.

He just really hopes you won't tell the group about the weird, pink bunny that can talk, or else he won't ever heard the end of it from Sky and Twilight.

-----------

AND IT'S DONE CKSKFJEJCUC IT TOOK ME A LOT OF TIME JUST TO SAY "Legend tried to pull a Twilight and got yeeted out of existence"

I think that Legend has self esteem problems! With what happened in A Link to the past, it's hard to overcome a whole nation hating your guts when you only wanted to help.

You really just said "If no one will provide me with Legend simpage, I'll do it myself"

I'm grinning so much right now. I ended up biting my lip a bit harder than I intended to because I almost screamed at the end when he finally spoke up.

The whole time I was like "But Legend can speak? Why is that not- Oh that's why."

Also, describing how Legend tries to peacock as he stretches to catch the Reader's attention *chef's kiss*.

[britishassistant]

Consider for the Supervillain AU: Yuu is currently playing Hostage for one of the Dorms when they hear a crashing sound from another room. Thinking it’s one of the RSA boys, they decide not to engage Prefect Time.

Turns out, it’s one of the other NRC villain teams pulling a raid on their current captors. When said raiders spot Yuu as a hostage, they take them along and end up protecting them.

After getting out the Villains base, the Raiding Team and Yuu take a quick breath at a designated rendezvous point.

Playing the role of Innocent Hostage, Yuu thanks the Raiding Villain team for Saving them.

“‘Save you’?” They say. “More like...’under new management’”

Yuu can’t even finish a word before they felt themselves getting regagged again (maybe in a different style to reflect the dorm that just ‘saved’ them). Yuu knows that they’re going to get a major headache from all this nonsense

Bonus points for the villains being petty and sending a picture to the Villain Dorm that just got raided of not only the stuff they stole but one adorable Hostage as well they found along the way

Thank you for the ask, dear anon!

Something’s... off today.

Yuu’s sitting in their cell in the lair, shuffling and reshuffling a deck of playing cards to try and pass the time.

They were trying to subtly gather information about Royal Flush’s latest heist from Ace and Deuce while playing Go Fish, but then both minions’ phones went off. The pair of them grabbed their weapons and left, promising that whatever was going on would take no more than five minutes.

That was ten minutes ago.

Maybe it’s that “Champion” hero again, trying to reclaim that topaz Royal Flush stole two nights ago. He causes enough collateral damage that his presence would certainly warrant a call for all hands on deck, especially if Niko Niko Neko has decided to lend him some help. Poor Ace of Diamonds still has a fractured collarbone from the heroes’ last “collaboration”, though at least Seven of Spades finally has the cast off her foot.

The cell block is soundproofed, so even if the reporter strains their ears, they can hear nothing of what could be going on in the rest of the base. The sound of cards flipping between their fingers is doing little to settle their nerves.

Yuu’s arm brushes against the brim of their fedora.

No. No need to be hasty. It’ll look too suspicious if The Prefect appears from the cells and it turns out to just be the RSA heroes saving the day after all. Plus the haphazard stitches from where Ace’s throwing cards cut into their ribs still haven’t healed enough that they won’t get pulled if Yuu starts running around willy-nilly, and then how will they explain the blood? There’s no need to jump to conclusions. There probably isn’t anything seriously wr—

A loud crash echoes from the entrance to the cell block.

Yuu stands, shoving the deck of cards into a pocket of their blazer. They rush to the bars of their cell, trying to peer through and see what the source of the noise is.

Thick plaster is rolling in from the entrance, obscuring their vision. They think they can glimpse the sight of the door, a twisted mess of wood and metal lodged in the opposing wall.

What in the name of the Great Seven could’ve—?!

The reporter’s blood runs cold at the sound of a low, rumbling growl.

It almost sounds like a dog warning an unwelcome intruder, if that dog were much, much bigger than even a Great Dane had any business being.

Not a dog then. Yuu exhales, and calls out in their most level voice. “Hello? Is someone there?”

If it’s a monster, it can probably already smell them if it’s growling like that, and the bars should provide some measure of defense if it attacks so Yuu can figure out how to subdue it enough to run. If it’s not a monster...

The growl grows louder, but also...less, somehow? As if it had changed outputs or something, like going from listening in stereo to through headphones.

A figure becomes visible through the dust and gloom. One that’s as tall and built as Yuuken is. Oh dear.

An angry looking man with white hair in a rough-and-tumble outfit looms in front of the cell, arms crossed and one pointed ear on the top of his head flickering. A beastman, probably some kind of canine if the growl was any indication.

The reporter fights the urge to swallow nervously. “Excuse me, but you aren’t one of Royal Flush’s minions, are you? Who are you? Are-were you being held captive too?”

The beastman doesn’t answer their questions. Instead, he barks, “You’re that reporter, right? The one who gets captured a lot.”

Yuu’s mouth flattens into a line, but they nod. Oh Seven, they hope that’s not what they’re becoming famous for. “Well, I am a hostage here, and I am a reporter for TWST local news. Yuu Radcliffe, and you are?”

The beastman grimaces, looking even angrier at the admission. “Get back.”

They obligingly let go of the bars and back up a few steps, shuffling away a few more when another growl ripples out the man’s chest. They tilt their head as he seizes the bars they were just holding. Wait, what does he think he’s—

There’s a hideous shriek of metal as the beastman’s muscles ripple and the bars bend apart like they’re no more than wet clay. The reporter can see indents of his grip left from where he pushed at the steel.

Yuu feels a little lightheaded, staring blankly as the beastman steps into the cell. They do startle when he pulls what looks like a small black sack out of his pocket, holding it out to their head. “Hey, what-?!”

“You wanna get out of here?” The beastman says brusquely. “You wear this.”

There’s a sinking feeling in Yuu’s gut, but the way he’s brandishing the sack makes them think he’s not about to take “no” for an answer. They doubt they could outrun him at this range, given that he’s blocking the new exit out of the cell. The reporter reluctantly takes the bag and pulls it on over their head, wincing as their field of vision goes dark.

They can’t help the yelp they make as they’re suddenly scooped up by a pair of unseen arms and held a little too tightly for comfort. Yuu contemplates trying to squirm out of his grip, and then remembers what his hands did to the steel bars. Instead they just try to make themselves as small as possible as the beastman starts to run.

It’s disconcerting, hearing so much noise after being stuck in the soundproofed cellblock for so long. Screams, yells, cries, and howls, the sounds of a battle they can’t see raging around them. Yuu thinks they hear their name being called out once, but it’s drowned out as the beastman picks up speed and the scent of roses and strawberries is replaced by the fresher, more noxious air of the city outside.

Their ride takes so many twists and turns that Yuu can barely keep track of where they are relative to Royal Flush’s lair, let alone where they’re headed. They honestly feel a little motion sick by the time the beastman slows down, and releases one arm to push open what sounds like a creaky metal door.

It feels like a wall of heat and noise hits the reporter in the face. There’s lots of loud complaining and ribbing from what sounds like a large and rowdy group of people, and the grip of the man carrying them gets tighter, tucking them closer to his chest.

One voice rises above the rest. “Oi, Jack-kun, what took you so long? We were beginning to think you’d run off with our little guest there.”

“Jack-kun’s” hold tightens again at the sound of that voice, to the point where Yuu is beginning to get worried that they’re going to end up like the bars on their cell back in the lair. His voice is clipped as he bites out, “Had to lose a tail, senpai. Got sidetracked.”

The world tilts oddly and it takes the reporter a moment to get their feet under them and not stumble as they are finally, finally set down. One of “Jack’s” arms remains clamped on their shoulder, steadying them and preventing them from moving too far away from him.

“Well, you’re both in one piece!” The new voice comes closer. “Now let’s see the reporter who went and got Royal all bent out of shape, huh?”

They wince when the bag is pulled off their head suddenly, blinking in the sudden light. The face of another beastman swims in front of their eyes before their gaze finally focuses, greyish eyes and dyed blond hair with much more rounded ears perched atop it. The glimmering orange jewel the size of a canatloupe he’s clutching in one hand isn’t exactly helping any with how it keeps refracting light into the reporter’s eyes.

The same orange jewel that Royal Flush stole from the pier two nights ago.

The sinking feeling in the pit of their stomach only grows.

“Well, I don’t see the appeal.” The beastman declares. “Maybe that midget just has weird taste.”

“Ouch.” Yuu forces a thin smile onto their face. Play along, keep calm, keep the levity up. “You’ll hurt my feelings at this rate.”

“Hey, truth hurts.” The beastman shrugs, spreading his hands wide. “Woulda thought a nosy journo like you would know that by heart, with all the dirt you dig up.”

“You would think so.” Yuu chuckles weakly. “Well, thank you all so much for rescuing me from Royal Flush’s lair, in any case.”

The ears on Jack’s head flatten slightly, and he glares at a spot on the floor by Yuu’s feet.

Well. That’s disappointing. Unsurprising, given that everyone here is also in an outlandish form of uniform without being clowns, but disappointing all the same.

“Shi hi hi hi hi. Oh, I wouldn’t call it ‘rescued’.” The beastman chuckles, grinning unsettlingly wide. “More like...under new management.”

Yuu stares at the minion.

“Wow. Wow.” The reporter tells him flatly. “I hope your boss pays you well to say stuff like that.”

The beastman shrugs again, grin not diminishing in the slightest. “Four figures, with holiday bonuses and healthcare. It’s a pretty good gig.”

Yuu tilts their head in acknowledgement. It’s better than their current working conditions, they’ll give him that.

“Ah, before I forget. No point in a good raid without a celebration photo, right?” The blond man pulls out a smart phone and waggles it in one hand. “That’s what that selfie junkie of Royal Flush’s likes to do, right? Jack-kun, you get in too.”

It’s sad that this barely makes it into the top five most surreal selfies that Yuu has ever taken. Even when the senior minion orders Jack-kun to curl a hand around their throat, gripping tight enough to make their breath go short, while the blond man holds the jewel up by their face in a place of prominence. “Make sure to look nice and menaced now, kay~? Shi hi hi hi hi.”

The camera flash goes off, once, twice. Then the phone comes down, and the hand comes off the reporter’s throat. They try to suck in a series of deep breaths as discreetly as they can.

“Great expression there, really selling the unwilling captive shtick.” The beastman pats their cheek condescendingly, thumb moving over the screen of the phone until there’s the ping of a Magicam upload. “Ok, let’s get your hands and legs tied and hood back on. Oh, and I’d watch your mouth when I meet the boss man, if I were you. You’ve got an audience with the King, after all.”

“Do you get a raise every time you spout off a line like that?” Yuu grumbles as the deeply frowning Jack is handed a length of rope and begins looping it around their wrists.

“Not yet!” The beastman calls back jovially as he strides away, admiring the topaz in his hand and barking orders to all the other henchpeople milling around.

“...Sorry.” Jack mutters by their feet as he finishes the tight knot binding their ankles together.

“It’s okay.” Yuu murmurs back, as he picks up the bag to place it back on their head. “You're just doing your job, right?”

And they’ll just be doing theirs, the reporter thinks to themselves as the darkness descends again and they’re hoisted up over the minion’s shoulder in a fireman’s carry.

Maybe they’ll finally get to learn why the topaz is so important to both Royal Flush and their current captor that it was worth staging a raid on another supervillain’s lair to get it. At the very least they’ll have the opportunity to interview this “King” to uncover his side of the story...

That is, if he doesn’t somehow work out whose biological child they are first.

[yourlocalfictionalenthusiast]

IN LIFE, IN DEATH...

PART FIVE

:Masterlist:

Warnings: Swearing and angst, baby!

A/N: I just realized that the tags on Part Four got messed up so i'm sorry for everyone that didn't get tagged! <3

---

June 1994

“I can do this.”

You mumbled to yourself as you paced in the sand, rubbing your sweaty palms against the leg of your jeans.

From your spot ‘backstage’ area, you could see the crowd as they waited for the next band, and it was huge. Huge enough to where any other day, you would’ve been buzzing with excitement, unable to sit still until you got behind your microphone. You would’ve been nauseous for a whole different reason.

But today was different.

Today you were singing a new song that you had spent weeks writing. The boys helped with the melody here and there, but it was the first whole song you had written in years, and at the end of it was the highest note you’ve ever hit.

And you had gotten through it perfectly every time you practiced it and you knew there was no way for you to be prepared, but there was still a nagging voice in the back of your head that you couldn’t shake.

“Hey.” Alex appeared at your side with a sympathetic smile on his face, instantly recognizing your pacing as a cry for help; considering it was a habit he picked up from you. “You need anything? Water? Aspirin?”

“A puppy?” Reggie chimed in.

“To punch Luke?” Bobby asked. 

“Dude!” Luke protested, shoving Bobby’s arm before stepping in front of you and resting his hands on your shoulders, his thumbs tracing slow circles on your collarbones in a way that was supposed to be soothing but only added to the mosh pit in your stomach. “(Y/n), you know this song inside and out. I’ve seen you kill it dozens of times with my own eyes.”

You opened your mouth to argue, but Luke cut you off with an insistent look and a shake of his head. “No. No more doubting yourself, okay?”

“You kids are up next.” A gruff voice announced from backstage, and you took a deep breath as you nodded, looking up at Luke with a weak smile.

“You’ll be there to take over if I hurl everywhere, right?” You joked.

“You’re not gonna hurl.” Luke laughed, dropping his hands from your shoulders and wrapping one around your wrist. “But, of course I will. Now, ‘c’mon!”

He started walking towards the stage, dragging you with him. When you passed Alex’s drum set, his eyes drifted down to Luke’s grip on your wrist and he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. You barely had time to flip him off before you arrived at Luke’s microphone. 

He smiled as he dropped his hand to tug his guitar strap over his head. “I’m serious. You got this.”

“Thanks, Luke.” You mouthed to him as you walked to the center of the stage, positioning yourself behind your mic.

“How are we doing tonight?” The announcer asked over the speakers and the crowd cheered. “Hey everybody! Welcome to our annual ‘Sunshine Showcase’ where we hit you with the hottest new music in L.A. Everybody give it up for our next band: ‘Sunset Curve’!”

The bright lights at the edge of the stage switched from a dim white to bright red and yellow, casting a faint orange glow across the stage, mixing with the color of the disappearing sun. Alex started a steady rhythm, catching the crowd’s attention. Luke and Bobby joined in, then Reggie.

Then it was time for you to sing. 

Your voice started out a little shaky as you sang the first few lines, but it slowly got steadier as you approached the chorus and by the second verse, you got completely lost in the music, bouncing and bobbing your head.

As the second chorus came around, you felt yourself getting nervous again. So you whipped around and met Alex’s eyes. He smiled reassuringly and twirled his drumsticks around his fingers. Then faster than you could blink, Reggie was at your side, giving you his signature goofy smile as he played along.

You threw your arm over his shoulder and bump him with your hip, sending him back to his spot and making a few people in the front row laugh. 

Then Alex’s drumming quieted as the bridge came up. You willed yourself not to throw up as you pull your microphone off its stand and crouched down to sing to the crowd. 

1...

You kept your voice as steady as you could, giving them your best confident smile as you slowly picked yourself back up.

2...

The music got louder as it neared the end of the bridge and you took a deep breath to prepare for the high note, but it disappeared from your lungs when you realized that Luke had started walking towards you.

3...

Just as he stopped in front of you, the buildup stopped and you could feel everyone’s eyes on you as you closed yours and poured all your energy into the music.

You hit the note perfectly, even surprising yourself a little when you held it longer than you ever had in practice. The crowd erupted in cheers after the note ended, but you kept your eyes closed as you soaked up the moment.

When you finally opened them again, Luke was right next to you, an amazed look on his face. Suddenly, you were grateful for the bright lights covering your face because you were definitely blushing.

The backup for the chorus started up again, but everyone else stopped singing, leaving it up to you and Luke. You held your microphone out so you could both be heard over the cheering. Usually, you all tried to interact with the crowd as much as possible, especially Luke. But his eyes never left yours, not even to look down as he played.

They were so bright and filled with so much intensity that it was hard not to get caught up in moments like this. It wasn’t unusual for you and Luke to sing together and pretend to flirt. The crowd always ate it up and it was pretty fun in the moment. But it always crushed you when the music stopped and you were reminded that it was all for show.

The last note rang out and you let out something between a shaky breath and a relieved laugh. While the boys grabbed their instruments, you walked through the backstage curtain and jumped onto the ground, the adrenaline still racing through you.

“That was awesome!” Reggie said enthusiastically as he tackled you in a hug.

“Yeah, you killed it, (Y/n)!” Alex raised his hand to give you a high five, but his eyes were focused on something behind you. You turned to see what he was looking at, but all you saw was a blur of shaggy brown hair and a grin before a pair of hands lifted you into the air.

“You did it, Squeaks!” Luke cheered as he spun you around, making your head spin. “I told you that you weren’t gonna hurl.”

“I still might if you don’t put me down!” You managed to say through a fit of laughter, holding on to his shoulders to secure yourself as he gently set you down.

You had expected him to pull away once you were back on the ground, but his hands stayed firmly on your waist and he tilted his head forward slightly so his forehead rested against yours.

The world around you slowed down, and you had to put effort into catching your breath again.

“Get a room, guys.” Bobby called as he put his guitar back in it’s case, making Alex and Reggie laugh. You chuckled awkwardly as you pulled away, glaring at Bobby. Luke just smirked and leaned over to stick his finger in Bobby’s ear. “Gross! Dude, stop doing that.”

“Well, I’m starving.” Alex said suddenly, sending you a quick look over his shoulder and you knew he was trying to give you some time to freak out in peace. “Anyone want some pizza?”

The boys all nodded in agreement and started walking towards the parking lot towards Bobby’s car with their instruments in hand, but your feet stayed frozen in place. Your heart was racing as you stared down at the sand between your feet, one question filling up every corner of your mind.

Was it possible that Luke liked you back?

-

2020

If there was one thing you’ve learned from being a ghost: it’s that everything is unpredictable.

You had just started to accept that this was your ‘life’. That you would never tour the world, and perform in front of a crowd ever again. But then you sang with Julie in that gym, and everything in your world changed.

Again.

Your mind was overloaded with questions. Why can people see us now? And why do we only show up while playing with Julie? Why is the afterlife so confusing?

And one more question, that was less serious but equally as important.

Does Luke like Julie?

It had been plaguing you since last night, when Luke had disappeared into the Molina house and didn’t come out for an hour. He had taken his songbook with him, which you didn’t think anything of at the time. But now you know that he gave her ‘Bright’, one of the first songs you and Luke had ever written together.

And then again today, when she sang, Luke looked just as excited as he was when the two of you wrote it. You scolded yourself for thinking about this now when there were bigger things happening. But you couldn’t help but feel like the universe was hanging a giant sign in your face telling you to give up on Luke.

Across the room, Alex started pacing and you shook those thoughts from your head. You knew that if you were freaking out, then Alex was probably on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

“I think he’s practicing his model strut.” Reggie whispered.

“He’s so nervous that it's making me nervous.” Luke agreed.

“Al?” You asked softly. “Are you okay?”

Alex sighed. “Okay. You guys know I don’t handle change well. Death? That was a change. Okay, then we became ghosts. Another change. And now we can be seen whenever we play with Julie. Big freaking change!”

“Yeah, but it was a good change.” Luke said. “With Julie, we can play on stage again and be the band we never got to be.”

Luke’s words felt like a punch to the stomach. Sure, maybe you guys never got famous when you were alive, but you were still a band. You still poured all your time, energy and ability into every song you made together. You knew that Luke was just excited and not thinking about his words. But it felt like another sign hitting you in the face.

“I just-” Alex let out a defeated sigh. “I just want to know why.”

“Forget why.” Luke shot up from the couch. “I think we should ask Julie to join Sunset Curve.”

“Yeah!” Reggie agreed. “I mean, with a new lead singer, this band would be legendary.”

And there was another punch.

“Dude.” You said, trying not to show how much that comment stung. You loved Reggie like a brother but sometimes you wished he thought things through a little more before he spoke.

“Hey! We’re the lead singers.” Luke crossed his arms petulantly.

Reggie raised his hands in surrender. “I’m just saying. She can make us visible! Without her, we’d just be like elevator music.”

Luke pouted. “Well, you don’t gotta be so mean about it.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Alex starting to pace again.

“Al.” You said, walking up to him and stopping him in his tracks. 

“I’m sorry, okay?” Alex pushed his hair out of his face. his breathing was a little heavy. “I just…”

There was a moment of careful silence, like everyone was holding their breath, too scared of saying the wrong thing. You all knew how bad Alex’s anxiety could be, and while this wasn’t the most freaked out you had ever seen him, it was getting close.

“Hey,” You intertwined Alex’s arm in yours. “Let’s go for a walk, yeah? Clear our heads?”

Alex nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

You sent one last look over your shoulder to Reggie and Luke before you closed your eyes and concentrated on one of your favorite spots in the city. It was one of the first places you went to on your first night back.

Back in the 90's, it was one of your go-to spots when you just needed a place to breathe and sort through your thoughts.

The Walk of Fame.

The noise of the street filled your ears and opened your eyes, finding yourself in the middle of the sidewalk. Alex was right beside you, staring down at all the stars.

"Here? Really?"

You rolled your eyes. "Duh. It's where you and I had our first heart to heart, remember?"

Alex smiled as the memory played through your heads. It was a week after he came out to his parents and the tension in his house had slowly been building up until it was too much for him to handle. So you dragged him here.

"And I think it's time we had another one." You nudged him. "So, come on."

As the two of you walked through the streets of Hollywood arm in arm, it was like an invisible dam burst open and all the questions came pouring out.

After an hour, your head felt like it was going to explode if you kept thinking about all the crazy things that had happened since you got back. But there was still one question you needed to ask.

"Hey, Al?" You asked, making Alex hum in response. "Do you think that Luke likes Julie?"

"Yeah, I mean, I thought he was going to propose when he realized she can make us visible.” Alex said, his face dropping when he felt your arm tense in his. “No! Not like that. Shit, sorry. I-”

“It’s okay, Alex.” You said. You could see him cringing out of the corner of your eye and you knew he was probably beating himself up. “Maybe it’s a good thing, you know? Maybe it’ll be the push I need to finally move on.”

“But you can’t move on until you know how he feels.” Alex stopped abruptly, making you stop too.

“I think he’s been pretty clear."

“Has he?” Alex asked. “In case I missed it, you and Luke haven’t been talking much lately.”

You started to argue but then suddenly, a guy on a skateboard came barreling around the corner and ran right into Alex, making his arm fall out of yours as they both went crashing to the ground.

Alex slowly got back on his feet, groaning painfully. The other guy followed, sighing as he inspected his skateboard.

“Aw, man. You dinged my board.”

“I dinged your board? You almost ran me over! You’re lucky I didn’t-” The realization flashed in his eyes. “You ran me over.”

The skater looked just as confused as both of you when you asked, “You’re a ghost?”

“Yeah.” He took off his helmet, showing off his long hair. “Ever since I learned that skating in traffic was bad.”

Alex took in a sharp breath next to you and you smiled, knowing from the way his jaw dropped and he tripped over his words when the other guy tried to apologize that he was having a ‘gay panic’ moment.

“You guys are new to this whole ghost thing, huh?”

Alex was still a blushing mess but he seemed to find his voice. “Is it that obvious?”

“Totally.” The skater extended his hand out to Alex. “I’m Willie.”

“Alex.”

You introduced yourself quickly, then turned to Alex with a grin. Of course, you wanted to keep hanging with Alex, but it was time to be a good wing-woman. “Hey, I think I’m gonna go back to Cece’s for a while, but you should stay and get some information.”

Alex blushed again, clearly picking up on your intentions but he nodded.

“It was nice meeting you, Willie.” You said, waving goodbye but not before you raised your eyebrows at Alex to let him know that you were definitely going to be grilling him about his afternoon later.

 -

Just like every other time you walked into the diner, you were hit with a wave of painful nostalgia.

On a day like this, you would’ve walked right through the kitchen door and straight into Cece’s arms, rambling on while she made you her special hot chocolate and talked it all out with you until it made sense.

But now, you’re stuck trying to figure everything out alone.

“Well, if it isn’t my favorite waitress.” Teddy called out from behind the counter, dog-earing his book and setting it aside to give you his full attention.

“Dude, we just met.” You raised an eyebrow at him. “Isn’t it a little too early for shameless flirting?”

Teddy scoffed playfully. “It’s never too early for shameless flirting.”

You weren’t super inexperienced when it came to flirting, but it felt like you were in this moment. Sure, you and Luke flirted on stage all the time, but it wasn’t real. At least not for him. But you had gotten so used to it that someone being open about their feelings with you short-circuited your brain a little.

“So.” You said, looking down at this book on the counter. “The Great Gatsby?”

Teddy laughed. “Yeah, it’s kinda on my bucket list.”

“But you’re already dead.”

“Touché, Gorgeous.”

You sat there, talking about your lives, and deaths. Reluctantly, you told him that you died from a hotdog, which led to him declaring it to be the funniest death in history. The more you talked to Teddy, the better you felt. And before you knew it, it had been hours.

By the time you finally decided to leave, there was still a gaping, Luke-shaped hole in your heart. But you decided that maybe it was time to listen to the signs the universe- that Luke- was giving you and try to move on with your life.

Even if it meant letting go of your best friend.

-

In Life, In Death Taglist:

@ifilwtmfc @instabull​ @wanniiieeee​ @tenaciousperfectionunknown​ @nieauou​ @merceret​ @itismeasmolpotato @lilostif16 @dangerouslyclose @iainttakingshitfromnobody​ @givemebooksorgivemedeath​ @sunsetcurvedotmp3​ @askgeoff​

JATP Taglist:

@caitsymichelle13​

(The strikethough means I can’t tag you)

Let me know if you want to be added!

[lucky-catttt]

Maxwell Lord’s Aphrodite - Pt 2

Summary: When Maxwell Lord’s world comes crashing down, you, his personal assistant bring him back from the pits of despair.

Pairings: Maxwell Lord x Reader (female), Maxwell Lord x You

Rating: Mature 18+ ONLY, NO MINORS ALLOWED TO READ.

Word Count: 3,885

Warnings: Prepare to put a towel down or go touch some grass after, either or LOL Mention of genitals, oral sex, squirting, face fucking, choking, names, foreplay, degradation, aftercare, BDSM, sexism/sexual harrassment.

A/N: This is my first fan-fic, so the writing might not be fantastic, but if you have any pointers/advice please tell me! I’ve also added images and gifs to help readers imagine the scenarios and reactions!

“So what kind of proposal were we thinking of that would save Black Gold corporation?” Max quizzes, leaning back against his chair. You pause to think while finishing your pastry. “Well” you begin “This space is huge, around 4,300 square feet. The lease Black Gold is renting this office floor has no major restrictions on it, so you could potentially sub-let the space on the floor for a monthly or fixed term lease to people who work remotely or teams that don’t want to commit to a larger office space. It's becoming more common because of the GFC, people can't commit to large long term leases for whole office floors anymore. You could also rent out the boardroom by the hour & also lease the private manager offices to businesses that want their own private room. And we already have a reception near the lifts, just re-hire them and make them pretend they work for all the businesses on the floor, answering their calls, doing admin work like scanning and faxing etc. As far as the business’s clients that show up are concerned, each business looks like they own the whole floor.

If we do a cost analysis and then get a small investor to cover the startup costs, we could guarantee them a return if businesses pay contract deposits or pay their lease in advance up front. Plus the landlord we owe money to. And with the top floor with amazing views and location, we can charge top dollar” Max stares at you in disbelief. “Wow, are you sure you don’t wanna be CEO?” He laughs, still in shock. You laugh, blushing. “I started working on a business proposal for one of my university assessments, if we customise it for this project we could pitch it to some investors and banks and speak to the landlord about it as well” You reply. “I could kiss you right now.” Maxwell sighs, gripping his fist. “Please do” you giggle, leaning towards him. Max reaches out both hands to cup your face, before planting a passionate kiss on your lips. “Well, I guess we have a lot of work to do!” Max yells, before striding towards the bathroom to take a shower. Two weeks go by and the proposal is ready. Max calls you from the company car, on the way to your house to pick you up before the big investors meeting. “I’ll be right outside your place in a few minutes my sweet” He coos, beaming with excitement to see you. As his car pulls up, you collect your compendium, presentation cards and your pointer rod. Struggling with all you have to carry, Alfred rushes out of the car and up the steps to the front door, collecting all of your belongings. 

Maxwell peers over the top of his shades but the sun from behind your house blinds him. He shuffles across the seat and opens the car door, the sun now hiding from his view. As he removes his shades and looks up the stairs towards your front door, he sees you standing there, fixing your outfit. He’s stunned. 

It might be 1984, but you’re wearing a stunning outfit pulled straight from the 50s. A black suit dress with a pleat in the front with a thin gold belt around your waist. You accented the look with strap Mary jane heels, a black and gold handbag and a neat beret fascinator. Your hair was curled, accentuated with bright red lipstick and a single set of pearl earrings.

Max looks like he’s about to drop to his knees in awe, but his knees bend into a lengthy stride up the stairs, rushing to your side. “A heavenly vision of beauty'' Max gasps, giving you a kiss on the cheek in an attempt to preserve your makeup. He puts out his arm and you wrap your hands around it, as he leads you down your stairs to the car, staring at you the whole time, letting the universe guide his steps as this absolute goddess graces his presence. You both slide into the back seat of Max’s company car, his large hand immediately passing along your back and resting on your hip and ass, pulling you as close to him as possible. “I dont know how this presentation is going to go, but I can be absolutely certain that myself and every other person in that room will be enraptured by your presence”. he murmurs into your neck, squeezing your ass.

Max was wearing a pinstripe royal blue suit with black laced oxfords. His matching tie and pocket square peeking out. “I would kiss you right now but i don't want to get lipstick on your face just before our meeting” you blush, rubbing your nose against his. “I know. We have all the time in the world after” Max replies, running his nose down your neck, breathing gently against your skin.

 “We should probably prepare for the meeting, Max” you chuckle, seeing the office building not far up the road. You pull out your compendium and flip to an architectural blueprint of the office floor. 

“I had this drawn up by an architectural drafter last week. As you can see the large blank space is your office and private room, you already have the glass frosted for privacy. All the other office cubicles will be converted to private offices, as well as boardrooms, co-working areas and remote working hot spots.” Max’s eyes widen with surprise at the level of detail. “How did you get this done? I certainly don't remember commissioning this'' rubbing his chin. “I paid for it” you respond, nonchalantly. “You spent your money, for me?” Max inquires, now in disbelief. “Of course. I told you I would help you, Max. Consider it an investment”. You wink, flipping through more pages of the presentation. Just when Max thought he couldn't fall more in love with you than he already has, your hard work and giving nature makes his heart swell even larger to make room. After a few minutes the car pulls up to the investor’s office building. “Before we go in there, I want to ask you something.” Your eyes widen with intrigue. “While we're there, I’m not sure how these businessmen will react to a woman being anything more than my personal assistant. I’m not intimidated by you at all, but I suspect some of them might be” He continues, his eyes falling to your lap as he holds your hands. “Max, this project is my dream, but it’s your company, so i’m giving it to you to present. You’re the only person I trust with this”. 

As Maxwell begins to get himself together, you take a seat adjacent to where Max is standing. Although your knees are together with one ankle behind the other, you can feel some of the businessmen closest to you looking you up and down like a piece of meat. You quickly turn to face Max, giving him your undivided attention. “Well, I know you’re all very busy, so lets get started” Max smiles, wringing his palms together. The businessmen listen intently to Max’s pitch for the restructure of Black Gold corporation, before they begin to ask questions on financials. You begin to notice the men losing interest and Max starting to lose his confidence. He looks at you, his expression half pleading and half embarrassed. Without any hesitation, you stand up from your chair, striding over to Max’s side, picking up the pointing rod from the easel and pulling it to full length with one swift pull. 

The men all sit upright at attention from the sound of the rod. “If I may, Maxwell” you butt in, politely. “Gentleman” You steady the pointer rod against the chart on the easel “the profit figures on the project are as follows; 36 external view offices, charged at $3,000 per month each, generating $108,000 gross profit. The 25 internal offices with no view will be $500 per month, generating $12,500. We also have hot-desks with memberships starting at $20 per month. If companies want us to answer their phones, do their mail, bring them coffee, do their shopping, take their dry-cleaning, walk their dogs or bring them lunch, that's an additional fee. Essentially, we are looking at a monthly profit turnover of $150,000+. Our current lease fee is $50,000 a month with about $15,000 in body corporate and utilities, leaving $85,000 per month net profit, $225 thousand per quarter and over a million annually. We currently are looking for a combined setup cost of around $500,000. The more you invest, the bigger your return.” You swing the pointer road and rest it on your shoulder. 

Silence fills the room and you panic. Your assertiveness may have turned them off, so you pretend to be ditzy and dip one of your feet inwards. The men who are all sitting up at attention, look between each other and nod. Your charm and business acumen seemed to have put them under some kind of spell. “Thanks for your time gentleman. If you have any questions please feel free to call” you finish, walking around to hand each of them Max’s business card. The men begin to chat amongst themselves, before one of them approaches Maxwell. They introduce themselves and begin chatting about the pitch “You should be very proud of your assistant Maxwell” they chuckle “she seems very switched on and driven”. Max shoots you a smiling glance, before turning back “Yeah, I’m actually going to make her the CFO” he responds. “Well, we’ll deliberate here and be back in touch with our offer”. The meeting finally wraps up and you both head back downstairs where Alfred is waiting with the car door already open. You both slide inside and Max wraps his arms around you before passionately kissing your lips as the car drives back to his office.

“You want to make me the.. CFO?” you pant, breaking from the kiss. “Yes” Max smiles, staring into your eyes. “You have worked so hard and today at the presentation..I know you’re the woman for the job. Do you want it?” You blush, holding his face “Well how can I say no?”. The company car finally pulls up back at the office and you both head through the lobby and into the lift. Max stands behind you with his arms wrapped around you and his head on your shoulder, talking about the enormous amount of work that will potentially need to be done if this deal goes through. As the lift doors open into the reception area, you both step out and Max hears the phone in his office start to ring. You give him an excited smile, encouraging him to go take the call in private. He begins striding through the empty office before making it to his office, pushing the doors open and heading over to his desk.

You take your time walking back to his office, giving Max time to finish his phone call. As you approach his office doors, you hear the click of the receiver as he hangs up. You watch Max’s shadow behind the frosted glass walk up to the doors and swing them open, a neutral look on his face. You look puzzled, thinking it was bad news before he burst out laughing with a smile, swinging you over his shoulder and carrying you to his bedroom. “You did it baby!” He yells, slapping your backside before throwing you both down onto the bed. “We did!?” you scream, a wave of relief and excitement washing over you. “Yes! I’m so proud of you. You saved Black Gold corporation. You saved me.” Max smiles, brushing a lock of curls away from your face before cupping your cheek and passionately kissing you. 

You kick off your shoes, belt and take off your beret fascinator as Max removes his suit jacket, suspenders and belt, before kissing each other again. “I was so turned on by you today” Max moans, writhing his hands all over your body, before ripping the bust of your dress open, the two buttons pinging off onto the carpet. “Watching your voluptuous ass in that dress walking into that boardroom and how you commanded the room’s attention, took control and sealed the deal. I wanted to put you over that boardroom table and worship you like the goddess you are. But I guess I can do that now”. Something about wearing your favourite suit of his, the unwavering progressive support of women and eagerness to pleasure you unlocks your most ravenous sexual desires. You stop Max, sitting up at the foot of the bed. He gets up from laying down and looks at you, worried he said or did something wrong. “Whats wrong my love?” he asks, looking concerned. ****MAJOR SMUT WARNING AHEAD**** “Max… you’ve shown me the romantic love making version which was so beautiful, but I want to make you feel worshipped” Max gives you an interesting glance. “You’re such a giving person but I want to give back. You’ve suffered neglect and mistreatment most of your life. I want to give you a different kind of passionate sex. I have fantasies and wild ideas that I think will give you immense pleasure. I want you to….” You stop yourself, not sure how he will react. Max's eyes widened with intrigue. “Go on?” Max squeezes your hand. “Well” you begin. The passionate fire is burning hotter and hotter within you. “I want you…” you hitch up your skirt and sit across Max’s lap, with one leg over each side “to straddle my chest and fuck my throat while I rub my clit” you get closer to Max’s face, pulling on his tie “And I want to cum while you’re throat fucking and choking me with your cock” you begin to undo his tie “And then I want you to cum in the back of my throat and make me swallow it”. There’s dead silence, so you bat your eyelash extensions, throwing a sexy yet innocent gaze followed by “hmmm?”. Max’s mind goes completely blank, the blood rushing from every inch of his body straight to his cock, which you feel hardened against your crotch as you straddle him. “Uhh wow honey that sounds very dangerous.” Max chokes, embarrassed he's getting turned on at the idea of hurting you. 

“For you or me?” You giggle, biting your lip. “For you” Max says, wrapping his arms around you. “Are you sure that’s something you want me to do to you Hermosa?”. “Yes Maxwell. I love the way you worship and pleasure me, but I want you to feel the same way. I have a kink when it comes to being dominated. Seeing my man so turned on and using his strength and body to please himself using me, makes me feel incredible. I know you would never hurt me, it’s something I would love for you to experience” You answer before kissing his neck. “You really are too good to me, princessa” Max sighs, running his hands down your back to your ass, squeezing both cheeks. “Of course, we don’t have to if you don’t want to, Max” you give him a reassuring look, worried you might have overstepped. “No baby, I’d love to, if that’s what will bring you the most pleasure” He coos, kissing your neck.

You begin to take off your dress, revealing under a black and gold laced lingerie set. “Black and Gold” you chuckle, watching Max’s eyes widen at the level of detail. “How did I get so lucky?” Max pants, pulling off his shirt and pants, leaving his boxers to contain his rock hard cock. You go to reach for Max’s crotch when his hand stops you. “Before we do this” Max begins “I want you to stop me at any time if it hurts or you can’t breathe or you just don’t want to do it anymore. That is the most important thing to me”. You nod and smile at Max, leaning in to kiss him, before your hands start to remove his boxers.

You reach down and begin to tease his cock, tracing your fingers tips against the tip. With your other hand you guide Max’s hand down, placing it at the top of your panties. As he starts to put his hands under your panties, he notices there’s a hole in them. Max stops to inspect. “Crotchless panties? Me vuelves loco” Max pants before he begin kissing and biting all over your body.

You’re in for it now. Like a virus, you’ve taken over Max’s brain, flooding it with animalistic desire and passion. A switch has been flipped and hell bent on blowing your mind, leaving all of his inhibitions and reservations about what he’s about to do to you at the door. Max climbs on top of you, wrapping his large hand around your throat, gently squeezing as you gasp for air. “Is this what you want?” He growls into your ear, nibbling on your earlobe before kissing down your neck. You manage to nod before moaning, indicating that you’re enjoying it. He’s never treated a woman like this before, but he manages to find the personality and words seemingly from thin air, like it was repressed all this time. “Start touching yourself for me now” Max commands. You slide your hand down into your panties and start rubbing your clit, sparks flying through your body and the slick now leaking out of your pussy. He groans at the sight of you touching yourself. Max moves up the bed before straddling over your chest. With your head propped up on some pillows, you look in Max’s eyes and ready your mouth and jaw for his throbbing cock. Max thumbs your bottom lip before grabbing just under your jaw to keep your face steady. “Open wide like the good little whore that you are” he hisses, smacking the tip of his precum soaked cock on your face.

The degrading name only makes you wetter, as you furiously rub your clitoris whilst pinned under Max’s legs. You moan as Max pushes his cock into your mouth and down your throat. “Oh my god my love your mouth feels incredible” Max moans, his character from before severely altered by the pleasurable sensation. He realises his mistake and compensates by pushing his cock as far as it will fit into your mouth and throat. “That’s it, take it all” he smirks, exhaling with a moan. You use two fingers to scoop up some of your slick and rub it into your clitoris, which is now super sensitive. Your stifled moans humming against Max’s veiny cock cause it to twitch. With your hips bucking from pleasuring yourself, Max takes both of his hands and puts them on your cheeks. “Fuck your mouth feels so good” Max moans, slowly thrusting back and forth out of your mouth, his cock touching your uvula and causing you to gag with each stroke. Your eyes begin to roll back in your skull as you continue to moan & choke, your swollen clitoris edging closer and closer to orgasm. “You like this huh? You like it when Daddy fills your throat up and fucks it?” Max hisses, wrapping your hair in between his fingers, gripping hard as his thrusts gain more momentum. Thick strings of spit is now spilling out of your mouth, down your chin and onto your breasts. “You look

The taste of Max’s precum coating the back of your tongue. You’re fighting to contain your orgasm but Max’s cock and brutal punishing words are sending you dangerously close to the edge. “Mmmmm, mmmmm!” You choke, tears welling in your eyes as you’re trying to nod and send Max a pleasured innocent gaze, driving him wild. You concentrate on breathing through your nose, each time Max’s cock leaves the back of your throat for a split second, giving you enough time to take in air. You decide to start moving your flattened tongue against the shaft, rubbing against the tip as it passes back and forth. Max let’s out a groan “You’re such a good little putá for papá”. There’s no holding back now, you increase your moans to signal that you’re on the precipice of an orgasm. “Cum for me” Max hisses, continuing the ecstasy inducing tempo of thrusts into your mouth and throat. You continue to rub your clit and gesture for Max to keep his cock still inside your mouth and throat for this moment, riding the crashing wave of your orgasm, squirting furiously onto your legs and sheets below. The writhing and shaking of your body underneath him, the sound of your squirting and muffled cries and moans from behind his cock is too much and brings him closer much faster than he ever anticipated. The eye-watering sensation causes the tears to flow down your cheeks, causing your mascara to run.

As your orgasm begins to subside you gesture for Max to continue thrusting, which he does as he moves his large hands to cup your face. “That felt fucking amazing” Max moans, continuing his fast and hard strokes. Your gaze, burning with passion and framed within smudged running eyeliner locks with Max’s, his domineering yet still showing affection. “I’m gonna cum” Max pants, keeping the pace as his grip on your face grows tighter. “Fuckkkk!!!” He shouts, holding your head still as he holds one final thrust as far in as it will go. Your eyes roll back into your head again as you feel the warm thick ropes of cum spurt onto the back of your throat. It was lucky you had taken a large enough breath before that moment, enough to sustain you for the few seconds Max held his cock still inside your mouth, throbbing and pulsing as he moans and shudders, cursing in Spanish. Coming back to reality, Max immediately pulls his softening cock from your mouth and wraps his large hands on the top and bottom of your face, closing your jaw shut. “Now Swallow” he commands, bending down so that his face inches from yours. With a cheeky gaze you oblige and swallow the remains of his cum tangled in your throat, before opening your jaw to allow him to inspect if there was any left. “My good little leche putá” he whispers, before spitting in your wide open mouth.

As if like breaking character on a movie set, Max immediately reverts back to his original self, climbing off to the side to lay next to you. “Was that good for you my love? How do you feel?” Max asks, worried he’s harmed your physical and mental state. “Incredible” you pant, smiling, lying in a pool of your own squirt. Breathing a sigh of relief, Max quickly brings up the blankets to cover you both, embracing you and peppering your spit, mascara and tear soaked face with kisses. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Max quizzes, checking your chest and throat over. “No” you reply, your throat somewhat hoarse. “Okay good. I love you so much” Max sighs, brushing your hair out of your face and kissing your forehead. “I love you too, Max”.

————————

I got impatient and wanted to post it now so I guess this chapter is finished 💀

@anaaaispunk @mandoalorian @pintsizemama

[shreddedparchment]

A World of Our Own Pt.07

Decrepit Old Grump

9/29/2020

Pairing: Bucky x Reader          Word Count: 5,510

Warnings: language, smut, fluff, angst

A/N: Y’all, I have not edited this chapter much at all. I edited the first part and that’s about it. I’m too tired to edit and I may come back and edit later but I didn’t want to make y’all wait anymore as I already made y’all wait a long time before I came back to it. I’m sorry if it stinks. <3 If you happen to reblog, thanks so much for helping me spread my work. xoxo

Bucky is gutted.

He can feel the weight of his guilt growing as you sit there on the beach staring out at the crashing waves, sky turning an inky purple where it kisses the sea as the sun sets.

Your skin is enveloped by ocean wind, briny and thick it coats you with sea salt making you sticky with its humidity.

In this light, you’re glowing. A beauty. With tears slowly rolling across one cheek then the other as your sorrow wounds you repeatedly. Over and over you play it all in your head. Remembering the sounds of the chopper, the violent swish of tall grass and palms, gunpowder saturating the air as he lays on the ground and you panic over him pressing your hands against his wound.

Reaching up, he feels the spot, pressing his palm flat against the spot now healed and only a little sore.

The slump of your shoulders, the dead weight of your hands as they rest at your sides on the sand without moving, Bucky can see it all from where he stands by the hut.

You’ve given up. All hope gone. Not only are you stuck here on this island forever, but you were betrayed by Ryan.

Someone that Bucky suddenly wonders might have meant more to you than he realized. A real spark.

Of course, Bucky knows that you love him. It’s in your eyes, or it was before you were both permanently marooned here because of him—this is all his fault after all.

Still, maybe you cared more for Ryan than you were willing to admit? Could you have loved him too?

The two of you had been close. Despite your suspicions, your gentle guarding against him, could your spark have turned into real feelings?

Bucky hates this thing, this oozing pit of green sludge he knows is jealousy.

He knows he shouldn’t feel it. This is bigger than who anyone might be attached to emotionally or attracted to physically. This is life and death.

With being left here, all hopes of a real future are gone.

No jobs. No family. No friends. No children…Why had he gone and told you he wanted to have them with you?

How much must that be hurting you now?

Idiot.

Of course, with you hating him now, maybe the very thought of having kids with him is repulsive? He’d never been able to see himself as a father before you. Maybe this is all for the best? No matter how much it hurts to think.

He hesitates, waiting to see if you’ll turn or rise. You haven’t eaten all day and he knows its depression keeping you anchored here to this beach. A final depression. Dark and consuming.

However, he also knows that despite your giving up, even now your eyes scan the horizon for possible ships. Not in hope, merely habit.

When you continue not to move, he breathes in deep to gather his courage and moves towards you slowly.

You don’t even twitch at the sound of his approach.

You don’t even care that he’s there. Do you?

You’ve been so distant since Ryan left, sleeping in his now empty room on the floor. Bucky was willing to give you space at first.

How you must not be able to look at him…

The pit in his stomach widens, bringing with it painful aches of missing you pressed into his side. He misses the smell of your skin and the touch of your lips against his throat when you’d wake up in the middle of the night, searching for comfort.

He's lost you and he has only himself to blame.

However, whether you hate him or not, he can’t let you keep neglecting yourself the way you have. He can’t keep his distance anymore. Not completely.

He’s still responsible for keeping you alive, even more so with Ryan’s deception.

He'll force you if he has to. He needs you. Even if you can never love him again, he needs to see, hear, and know that you’re well.

~~~~~~~~~~

The hiss of the sand as he walks to you is soft with deliberate steps taken towards you then he stops.

Beside you, Bucky crouches and he penetrates your peripherals, filing you with wretched agony at the scowl in place on his beautiful face.

That face had smiled at you once. Kissed you. Assured you of safety. Loved you.

Now…how can he not despise you after your misguided trust?

How can he not hate you for your reckless friendship with that stupid man. You’re so angry at him you can’t even think his name.

You don’t want to remember him, but your heart will not let you forget.

You’d thought it so many times. So often. He’s a good man. A good father. He’s my friend and he’d never do anything to hurt us.

How very wrong you’d been. How foolish and trusting and generally stupid.

“Get up.” Bucky orders, his voice hard like it had once been so long ago when he’d dragged you up from the beach and through the trees where he’d put the fuselage.

You thought you’d heard the last of that voice. If he hates you, you suppose it makes sense that he’d adopt it once again. Why would he speak with love to you when he clearly can’t trust you or your judgement?

It hurts to hear his dislike of you, you can’t bear to see it to. So, you keep your eyes trained on the horizon, looking at nothing.

You don’t answer him either. This upsets him.

“You can’t keep ignoring me. And you can’t keep sitting here, crying your eyes out, not eating.” He huffs, gets to his feet and towers over you, legs spread slightly as he waits for you to look at him maybe, hands flexing in and out of fists.

What does he want from you? How can he expect you to respond to him when he’s like this after months of feeling his love?

He hadn’t even stopped you when you came back to the hut and told him you were going to sleep in the other room.

“Whatever you want.” He’d said in monotone, sitting stiff by the fire after you’d just cleaned, stitched, and dressed his wound.

He let you go; let you sleep away from him. You’d almost hoped he’d ask you back into your room, but he didn’t, and you weren’t bold enough to ask to come back when he so clearly didn’t want you.

“This isn’t helping anyone, Y/N. Get up.” Bucky chastises, driving a nail through your heart with every stern word. “Are you seriously just going to sit there?”

Your lips twitch tempted to shout at him to leave you alone. Very nearly you look up at him and yell at him to let you starve and die because that would leave him unburdened and free of you. But you picture it, his face, all scowly and angry. A hate in those steel ice eyes that had once overflowed with adoration and love.

No, you can’t look at him. It’ll break your heart more than it already does to wake up in the mornings without him at your side.

You mash your lips together, refusing to answer him and tilt your chin up in defiance.

It happens so quickly and you’re all of a sudden upside down, or…close to it.

Bucky swoops down and grabs you, tossing you over his shoulder and you’re not sure how he does it but he won’t let go and he doesn’t seem to have trouble lifting you—he pulled a literal piece of a plane inland so why would he?—as he turns and marches towards the tree line.

“Bucky! Let me go!” You scream, startled as you bounce against his back.

Trying desperately to find a hold on something, you push yourself against his waist but your hands keep slipping over his hips where you finally take hold of the loops of his jeans and use them to anchor yourself so that you’re not bobbing up and down as much.

“Bucky please-” You begin, an attempt to plead with him because this is the closest you’ve been to him in a month and you can smell him. The heat he radiates, just a bit hotter than normal, penetrates every fiber of clothing you’re wearing.

“I don’t know where the hell you got the idea that this behavior is alright. You want to starve yourself? You do it once I’m dead. Do you have any idea what you look like? What you smell like?” Bucky argues, strutting faster as he swerves between the trees.

The embarrassment you feel overwhelms you into silence because you don’t know what you look like or what you smell like. It must not be good if it’s made Bucky this angry. You feel shame suddenly that the man you love is seeing you like this.

For it to get so bad that he breaks whatever distance he’d wanted to keep between the two of you, it must be disgusting.

Your heart is suddenly thrumming for a whole new reason, and you’re very aware of how close to your butt Bucky’s face must be and with his enhanced senses, just how well he must be able to smell.

“Bucky put me down.” You squirm, pushing against him and pulling yourself up enough to grip his shoulders and hold yourself up a little straighter as the fear in you builds.

His arms only tighten around your legs and waist, refusing to loosen his grip as he continues to march forward.

“Bucky…” You push against him harder, a frenzy taking you over as you kick and squirm, hoping to maybe knock him off balance but instead he stops and suddenly, you’re weightless.

You fall for what feels like forever as your face is overtaken with shock. You see his frown as you fall, his eyes boring into yours until you hit water and sink down into cool green waters.

You gasp, swallowing water but quickly find your footing and push yourself up from the floor of what you realize is the bathing pool that Bucky had rebuilt closer to the hut.

You gasp and choke as you surface, eyes wide with panic as you push the water out of your face and try to catch your breath.

“You wanna let yourself fall apart, you do it on the other side of the island where I can’t watch you do it, because I won’t sit here and put up with it, Y/N. I can’t.” Bucky points at you, his finger firm.

“What the fuck, Bucky?!” You gasp, still wheezing from swallowing water.

“I get that this isn’t exactly an ideal situation.” He starts, pacing a step away from you before coming right back up to the lip of that pool and presses his hand to his chest. “I’m not innocent. I’ve been paying for the crimes I’ve committed ever since Steve pulled me back from the brink and I know that I’ve done a lot of wrong since. Getting you stranded here on this island…if I could take it back, I would. If I could fix it so that you weren’t on that plane when they blew it up, I would do it in a heartbeat.

“I get that this is my fault. I understand that them wanting me dead has put you in this fucked up situation, stuck here with no possible escape, and hate me if you want to. That’s fine, I’m used to it. I get it if you never want to speak to me again, but please stop neglecting yourself. If you want to punish me, I’ll think of some other way for you to do it, but please…please don’t make me the reason you die here because I couldn’t stand it, Y/N. I’ll find you a way off of this place.

“I’ll build a raft or a bigger fire or…I’ll think of something, just…I need you to eat something. I need you to take care of yourself. I need you to care. Don’t let what I did hurt you more than I already have.

“I’ll fix this. I promise. Alright?” He’s still fierce in his words, but slowly his anger has receded into begging.

Before you stands a desperate man, asking you to keep living and all you can think about is one thing.

“I…” You swallow hard, fighting the knots in your stomach and the aching squeeze of your heart as a fleeting hope takes shine within it. “I don’t hate you, Bucky.”

The words are mostly air, still too stunned by his speech and certain parts of it in particular to catch your breath fully from the sudden dunk into very cool water.

He takes a breath, staring at you as you look at his feet, shaking your head before finally meeting his eyes.

You blink against the water still dripping down from your hair into them and wipe at the drops that get trapped in your lashes.

“What?” He asks, his own voice rising in pitch in confusion.

“I don’t hate you.” You repeat, this time strongly with a voice so clear that the birds making nest for the night go quiet. “I could never hate you. How could you even think that?”

You lick your lips, wiping more water away from you face while Bucky stares at you, blinking as he processes the words you’ve spoken. It’s clear in his expression the flurry of thoughts that must be speeding through his mind.

“But you moved out of ro-” He begins, but you don’t let him finish, wrapping your arms around yourself to battle the chill that’s begun to set in.

“Because I thought that you were angry with me…because I trusted him. I kept insisting that he was our friend and I was so…so stupid for believing him.” Your voice breaks, pent up sorrow breaking through as you look away from him because you can’t bear to see the look of disappointment on his face when you admit your crimes.

He says nothing.

“If I’d been more careful maybe we might have noticed something sooner? If I hadn’t been so won over by the story of his kid or the way that he pretended to be nice, I’m sorry, Bucky. I’m sorry that I didn’t-”

There’s a splash and you blink against the rush of water. You have no time to search for the source because he’s there, in front of you, his hands wiping away the water from your cheeks.

He presses himself so close that there isn’t a part of you that isn’t touching him. You tilt your head to look at him, meet his eye and see a desperation in his own as his lips curl into a small sad smile. His eyes are soft, his brow is raised at the center as he drinks in your own expression of surprise.

“You really don’t hate me?” He wonders, voice soft and sweet and full of fading anguish.

“No.” You nearly sob, shaking your head as much as you can in his vice-like hold. “I could never hate you, Bucky. I’ve told you before. You’re my hero. My savior in more ways than one stupid. I love you.”

He closes the distance between you, fierce hungry lips painfully pressed to yours until he gets his fill then pulls back to sweep more water away from your cheeks.

“I’m not angry.” He whispers, reaching down to wrap his right arm around you. “I could never be angry with you for seeing the good in people. How can I when that’s what made you dumb enough to love me?”

You laugh, ecstatic and slightly insulted. “Did you just call me dumb?”

“Fuck yeah, I did.” Bucky shakes his head. “Stupid, lovable, dummy. You’re a hothead too. I hate that in a woman.”

His teasing fills your belly with butterflies and sweet warm tumbles.

You laugh again, then reach behind his neck to pull him down for another kiss, this time holding it for longer as you let your lips meld with his. Soft and fluid as a month’s worth of insecurity washes away in the water of the pool.

He sighs, angling your head with his metal hand as he parts his own lips and the heat of his breath parts your own. He deepens the kiss and you welcome him, a small whimper breaking the silence as you melt against his chest.

He pulls back to tilt his head the other way, “Will you come sleep in our bed now?” He asks, before meeting your lips again.

You nod.

“Mmmph.” He moans, pushing you back until you hit the pool’s wall.

He nudges your legs open and you lift yourself easily in the water and wrap them around his waist as he presses in against you, flesh hand sliding down to your bottom to grab a firm hold.

You break the kiss, gasping as his lips drift to your neck until a sudden flash draws your eyes upwards followed by a sudden boom.

Bucky pulls back, staring up at the sky with you.

“This’ll hit in half an hour.” Bucky guesses, and you know it might hit sooner.

“Bad?” You wonder, dropping back down to your feet as you continue to stare at the canopy as it begins to sway more strongly as the wind picks up.

“Bad enough.” Bucky frowns. “I need to go get the tools secured in the hut and check the nets.”

“I’ll help.” You offer and begin to move around him, but he turns back to you, planting you firmly against the wall.

“No. I wasn’t lying when I said you need a bath. You don’t stink as bad as I made it seem, but you haven’t been taking care of yourself, kitten. I’m not okay with what.” He’s stern again but this time, you can’t blame him.

“I’m sorry.” You allow, feeling shame once again for your inability to be strong through this.

“Don’t be.” He shakes his head. “This isn’t your fault. Or mine. We’re just here and we lost our way for a bit. I should have spoken up sooner. We’ll do better, right?”

You nod, eager to move on from this hiccup. “I’ll do better.”

“We’ll do better, Y/N.” He corrects, reaching up to caress your head. “There should still be some soap in the basket. I’ll bring you a change of clothes.”

He pulls himself out of the pool, untying the basket where you keep the soap you’d made up in the branches of a tree away from where animals might find them. He places it beside the edge and as another flash fills the sky, he hurries back towards the beach to prepare for the coming storm.

~~~~~~~~~~

The hut shakes, a charge fills the air, and you sit up gasping. Clutching the thing almost worn blanket close, you turn your head this way and that, searching for the chopper.

“Hey, it’s okay.” Warm arms wrap around your shoulders, pull you closer as the thunder rumbles into nothing.

The rain is still pelting the outside of the hut, a constant stream of white noise as rain and wind thrash the beach and your island home.

The storm has gotten worse over the past few hours, the waves are loud and chaotic, rising higher than they’ve risen since you’ve been here. The beach and campfire where you usually sit and cook are under water.

Bucky building the hut on stilts has paid off and you curl into him as he drags you back down to lay in the plane cushion bed.

“It’s alright, it’s just the storm.” He promises, still half asleep.

You turn towards him, wrapping your arms around him, placing your palm flat against his chest.

“The storm.” You repeat, still mostly asleep yourself.

As your heart begins to slow, you reach up to trace the shape of his ear, slipping your hands up into his hair you pull him down for a kiss.

He gives it to you, his lips gentle and coaxing as he responds eagerly to the attention.

“Bucky…” You fret, thunder overhead shaking the hut once more as lightning flashes and illuminates the inside of the room.

The sky is a black void of weather, scary and unyielding as mother nature asserts her dominance over both your lives.

“It’s okay…” He promises, traces the curve of your body from hip to shoulder, then back down to your hip.

You snuggle closer, pulling him down for another kiss and this one he holds, his tongue slipping past your lips.

Toes curling, you sigh, pushing yourself up over him for only a second before he rolls you onto your back.

Already mostly naked, Bucky pushes his briefs down then pulls your panties aside and without hesitation pushes into you, stretching your heated cunt with his thick throbbing cock.

Both of you freeze, feeling each other for the first time as the sky flashes and thunders.

His mouth finds yours swallowing your moan as you both give in consequences be damned because you’re both here. You’re stuck, deserted, with no hope of rescue and you love him so much.

He thrusts into you, burying himself deep.

It’s a hazy dream, the pleasure his body pulls from you, until he’s pushing your legs open wide and you obey because you want him closer, deeper.

Suddenly the world is crystal clear. Sharp and detailed and you can feel the tip of his cock sliding against the walls of your cunt, prodding and sliding making your legs quiver and flex.

“More…” You beg, hands raking against taut shoulders, tracing cool metal. “…Bucky…”

He pushes himself onto his knees, angling himself up further until he’s mounted you and you’re trapped in the cage of his arms.

He grunts, driving you mad with the sounds he’s making because they’re better than anything you could have dreamt up.

You pull him down until he’s got his full weight on you, crushing you down as his hips continue to thrust.

The wind grows more violent, the rain falls harder. The lightning feels endless and the thunder never stops but you hear none of it as Bucky’s lips kiss your neck, his tongue tracing circles before his teeth bite into your throat.

The heat in your belly swells over, down into your hips and pelvis and your body is overwhelmed with pleasure. Toes curled, arms locked around Bucky’s shoulders, you stop breathing.

Bucky keeps pumping, drilling into you faster as he chases his own release then he stutters, hips clapping against your thighs as he spills into you, grunting with every thrust.

He doesn’t stop. He won’t stop. Even when he’s finished, his lips trail across your skin, searching for more.

He reaches down and pushes the bottom of your shirt all the way up, exposing one breast which he takes into his mouth, nibbling gently.

“More?” He checks, moving to the other, never once pulling away.

“Never stop.” You hope, pushing him until he’s on his back.

As you settle over him, hands pressed against his chest, he licks his lips and traces your sides. Stopping at your hips, he licks his lips in anticipation.

~~~~~~~~~~

“Bucky!” You call, searching the beach in the distance, too tired to walk all the way out to the nets.

“Yeah?” He calls back, his shout distant enough that you know he’s in the water just beyond the rocks.

“Lunch is ready. Come eat before it gets cold.”

“Let me just finish with this trap.”

“Okay but hurry up.” You relent, knowing that he won’t come until he’s satisfied.

You move the fish away from the flame, careful and quick as they’re hot. Placing the extras on one of the trays you’d salvaged way back when from the plane, you move to take your usual seat beside the fire.

Ten months.

It’s been ten months of being stranded on the island. The two made bearable by the fact that Ryan’s betrayal had helped you and Bucky push into a new stage of intimacy.

You have sex often. Maybe not everyday as sometimes you’re both too exhausted to do more than sleep, but often enough that you’ve begun to wonder if you’ve made the right choice to give in.

There is no doubt in your mind that should a baby come, you and the child would be safe and well kept with Bucky at your side. Although the fear still lingers that something could go wrong, with either you or the baby, you’re sure that if you weren’t around to care for it, Bucky would do an amazing job as protector and keeper.

He doesn’t talk about it, but you know he, like you, wonders.

You’d stopped having regular periods well before you and Bucky began to have sex, so there would be no real way for you to know until you got big enough to show.

With a sigh, you push these thoughts away. This worry is only one of many and there are others much more important than a possible child.

With the storms getting worse, and hurricane season almost over, Bucky is sure that the island will see one more storm before it’s really over.

The idea of being caught in more scary weather fills your tummy with big bats and you want to forget the worry almost as soon as you remember it.

You unwrap your fish and pull it apart, careful to avoid the bones as you pick it to pieces and begin to eat.

You’re almost halfway through when Bucky finally settles in across from you, sighing with relief as he smiles and reaches for his plate.

“Everything good with the nets?” You check, mouth full of fish.

“Yeah, they’re fine. Just had to cast it out a little farther. Season’s changing so we might have to look for new fishing spots.” He explains and tears into his fish hungrily.

“We need to find more boar.” You sigh, pulling more bones from your fish. “We need the protein.”

He meets your gaze, blinking slowly as he watches you eat before nodding.

Neither of you has to vocalize your worry about protein and your health in case of a pregnancy.

“I think I spotted some yuca root on the far side of the island too. Some nopal and jícama too. We’ve been eating a lot of fruit; we’ll need to mix in some vegetables…for…it’ll be good for you.” He smiles, trying so hard to be relaxed.

“Vegetables…” You lament, moaning with desire for the long-forgotten tastes.

“I know. I’d love some good french fries.”

“Oh my-why would you bring up french fries?!”

Bucky chuckles. “Sorry. Just popped in there.”

Nervously, you lick your lips of the flavor of fish and set aside your leaf and tray.

“Bucky?”

“Yeah?” He doesn’t look up, focused instead on his food.

“We should make plans, just in case.”

“Not yet.” He sighs, the corners of his mouth curving down.

“We need to.”

“Not yet.” He insists.

“Bucky.” You press.

“Damn it, Y/N,” He looks up at you, shaking his head in resistance. “Not yet.”

“We have to, babe.” You smile sadly, shrugging your shoulders. “You may not want to think about it, but we have to. We gave in and with that comes the chance that the two of us could turn into three and we can’t afford to put this off. If something happens to me while I’m giving birth-”

“Okay!” He cuts you off, nodding. His eyes a little wild as he thinks quicky. “I agree, we need to make plans, but right now I’m not worried about what could happen in months. I need to find the caves Ryan was talking about and take some rations over there so that we have somewhere to go when this hurricane inevitably hits.”

“It might not come.” You argue, more hopeful than right.

“It will.” Bucky assures you. “And I can’t afford to get distracted until we’ve gotten all that setup. We will have this conversation just not yet. Okay? I know you’re worried. So am I.”

“And excited?” You check, a little timidly because yes, although you’re worried, you can’t deny the appeal that having Bucky’s baby holds.

A little one running around that looks like him? Sounds like him? The baby could very well look like you and sound like you too and that wouldn’t be so bad, but a little Bucky is too appealing not to hope for.

Bucky leans towards you, reaching to place his hand over yours as his eyes soften. “Of course, kitten. Yes, I’m excited too. It would be much sooner than I was hoping but I meant it when I said that I wanted this with you.”

Relief washes over you and you’re able to relax a little.

“But we’ll have time for that after I make sure I have somewhere safe for us to go.” He takes his hand back, focusing on his food once again.

You allow him to eat in silence for a bit, leaning back against the palm log as you watch the horizon with unfocused eyes.

A terrible thought has been growing in your mind for a while now. A thought you’ve been too scared to speak aloud for fear of robbing Bucky of his hope. The more determined he gets though you know you can’t avoid it any longer.

“Bucky?”

“Hm?”

“Bucky what if he lied about that too?” You try to subdue your fear as best you can, but you know you can’t hide it all. “What if he was dropped off on the island at some point and then came and joined us as the co-pilot-”

No, wait. You do remember seeing him on the plane though. He really was the co-pilot. Still…

“What if he jumped out and got picked up and then sent back to make sure you were dead? What if there are no caves? What if there’s nowhere safe on the island to sit through a stronger hurricane than the one when we crashed here?”

“The mountains on the other side of the island are large and they go on for almost the entire shoreline. Even if he made up his caves, I’m sure there are some. There has to be.” Bucky insists, determination invigorating his voice. “I’ll find us somewhere safe, kitten. I promise.”

“You’ve been promising me somewhere safe since we landed here. I’m starting to think you mean it.” You tease and hope it’s enough to draw a smile after the cloud you just summoned.

Lucky you, it works, and Bucky huffs a small laugh.

“I love you.” He tells you, voice low and soft.

“I love you, too.”

As the two of you stupidly get lost in each other’s eyes, the sudden sound of a voice echoes in the heated air.

You can’t make out what it says, but it’s clear though distant.

Both your faces are overcome with confusion as you continue to stare at each other.

“What was that?” You wonder, and Bucky shakes his head.

The voice is louder this time, still unintelligible but still clear enough to be a voice.

Bucky suddenly bolts up, turning and running down along the beach from where he’d come.

“Bucky?” You hurry up, chasing after him.

He stops suddenly and squints towards the rocks that jut out into the water blocking the side of the island where you have the nets set up.

“What is it?” You gasp, tired from the run to keep up.

“Shh.” Bucky orders and you swallow hard, trying desperately to quiet your breathing.

“Can anyone hear me?” The voice says, deep and easy. “I am looking for a decrepit old man, probably grumpy. Most definitely surly and usually wearing a frown. Long hair. Needs a cut. Worse looking than me.”

From around the rocks comes a boat, a small vessel meant to travel from a larger ship to land. On it is a whole crew of marines. At the bow holding a steel gray megaphone to his lips is a handsome black man, sturdily built wearing a familiar red and gray suit.

“Bucky…” You gasp, your heart nearly seizing as your brain tries to process the fact that there is a boat full of soldiers right offshore.

“Sam?” Bucky whispers, too shocked to speak any louder.

As this Sam spots the two of you, he breaks into a smile and drops the megaphone to slap against his thigh. He’s ecstatic to see Bucky and when he lifts the megaphone back to his mouth, he laughs once.

“You are a pain in my ass, Barnes.” Sam says, smirking at him from the boat as it stops far enough out that it’ll be an easy swim to reach them. “Why am I always looking for you and why can’t you make it easier? I’m putting a chip in your ass as soon as we get back home.”

[mochegato]

Pixie Spy

Chapter 10

Chapter 1     Chapter 9

Marinette shuffled her feet in the hallway.  She smoothed her hair again, as if it could have somehow gotten messy since the last time she checked it, less than a minute before during which time she hadn’t moved from the spot she was in. Content that her hair wouldn’t embarrass her, at least not more than normal, she smoothed over her outfit to make sure everything was in place despite the fact that Jason had seen it earlier in the day getting whipped around in the akuma induced wind.  

Finally she reasoned that she couldn’t put it off anymore.  She took a deep breath to steel herself.  For what, she wasn’t sure.  It made no sense to be nervous and she knew that.  It didn’t relieve the anxiety though.  She was giving him the news he wanted to hear, the news he had asked to hear. So why was she nervous?

She stared at her fist, poised to knock on the door but frozen inches away.  She slowly lowered her hand, the confused look staying on her face.  He was going to get to stay.  He was going to be near her, but what if that wasn’t what he really wanted?  What if he changed his mind once he actually spent time with her?

She stared at the space her hand had been. Was that why she was nervous?  No, her anxiety wasn’t about her love life, not this time.  This was something else.  This was about something more.  Telling him made it all real.  Everything would change and she had argued the change would be for the better.  She couldn’t afford to be wrong about it and it wasn’t up to her.  It all depended on Jason and really, she didn’t know him.  She had bet the world’s future on someone she didn’t know.  

On top of that, for him to really work with the rest of the team, they needed to know what happened with the Lazarus Pit.  And as soon as she knocked, she was going to have to start that conversation.  She was going to have to dredge up painful memories and she loathed the idea of doing that.  The idea physically pained her.

She took a few deep breaths and looked back up at the door with a newfound resolve.  She was Ladybug for fuck’s sake.  She could handle a difficult conversation about emotionally excruciating events.  That was a significant part of her job after all.  People didn’t become akumas because of fun, happy experiences.  And she didn’t know everything about Jason, but she knew him.  She knew he would help.  She knew he was the right choice.  She looked back at the door and knocked loudly.  She silently congratulated herself for her small but significant victory.  She could do this.  She was Ladybug.  She could do this.

Jason opened the door after a minute with an apologetic smile.  “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you so soon.”  He opened the door to let her through, but she was frozen in her spot.  Her mouth dropped open.  He had clearly just gotten back from working out.  His arms were on full display in his sleeveless shirt and his loose, grey sweatpants clung to his muscular thighs.  His arm muscles looked even more pronounced with the light catching the sheen of sweat covering them.  And God, his arms were bigger than her head.  She stared at them in wonder.  She couldn’t do this.  Who the fuck did she think she was thinking she could do this?

Jason grinned smugly at her reaction.  He leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms over his chest, making sure to put his fists under his biceps to make them appear larger.  His muscles definitely didn’t need any help to look enormous, but he wanted to impress her and see just how distracted he could make her.  “Like what you see?”

“Yes.”  The answer came out before she even thought about the question.  Her eyes snapped up to his, her cheeks blazing red. His smug smile grew into a deep laugh. She narrowed her eyes at him noticing the smug smile.  “Come on lover boy. The rest of the team is waiting to talk with you and the supermodel has a photoshoot in the morning so he's in a rush to get home and sleep.”

“Supermodel?” Jason’s smile faltered, suddenly less secure in his approach to distract her.

“Yep,” she said with a smirk popping the p.  “Told you it takes more than a pretty face.”

“Good thing I have this body too.”  He grinned again, motioning to himself.

She puckered her lips.  “Did I mention the shoot is for a fragrance, so it will be shirtless?  That’s one of the reasons they chose him.”  He didn’t need to know it was mostly because it was for his dad.  But even if it wasn’t, Adrien’s body was amazing.  That said… Jason’s body was perfect.  Looking at it made her feel like she was going to burst into flames.  Looking at his body and that devilish smile and those captivating eyes, she didn’t think he would even need to touch her to make her orgasm.  And if he kept flexing his muscles like that, that’s exactly what might happen.

“So,” he leaned a bit closer to her so he was in her personal space, bringing her eyes back to his, “what does it take, exactly?”

She pushed him away with a finger on his chest in one of the few dry patches on his shirt.  “Well first of all, someone who doesn't waste my time. Hurry up, Hagrid. They’re waiting and I want to talk a bit before we go.”  She looked him up and down again.  “But, I’m not doing that while you’re sweaty.”

He chuckled and moved to let her in again. She took him up on his offer this time, giving him a wide berth to both keep away from the sweat and keep herself from reaching out to run her hands along his chest as she passed.  “I just need to take a quick shower and I’ll be ready.” He turned to her and gave her devious smirk.  “You’re welcome to join me if you want.”

She quirked her lips to the side and narrowed her eyes at him as though analyzing him.  “I get the feeling you wouldn't know what to do if I actually said yes.”

He raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise before grinning seductively at her.  “I wouldn't believe my luck, but I have all kinds of ideas about what we can do. Been thinking about them since we met.”  He waggled his eyebrows at her.

Marinette blushed deeply and looked away.  “Just… Just hurry up André the Giant. They don't like to be kept waiting.”  

Jason chuckled and started walking out of the room with a small mock bow. “As you wish.”

“And if I got my hands on you we would definitely be late,” she said loudly enough for him to hear her.  She smirked proudly when Jason tripped on nothing, almost falling into the doorframe to the next room.

“You're going to make me take longer in the shower of you keep that up.” He shook his finger at her and kept walking before she could reply.  

As soon as Jason left the room Marinette pulled out her phone and texted Alya.  ‘His body should be illegal.  I can’t breathe anymore.  Thinking about just one of his muscles is going to give me an aneurism.’  

Marinette’s phone pinged almost immediately with Alya’s response.  ‘WTF happened?’

‘He answered the door sweaty and in workout clothes, showing off for me.  I think I died.  Did you see ladybugs flying around, because I’m pretty sure I died and came back.’

‘I’m not sure you’re the best judge.  I think I need to see for myself.’  Marinette could just see the smirk on Alya’s face.

Marinette narrowed her eyes at the phone.  ‘No! Back off.  Mine.  I will cut you.  But he’s going to take a shower so expect a delay.’  

‘Without you? Rude’

Marinette snorted and tucked her phone back in her pocket.  She walked over to the balcony doors and looked out over her city, trying very hard not to think about the water she could hear running.  Just a few feet away, okay more than just ‘a few’, but still not many, he was naked and washing himself… Nope!  She shook her head.  Not going to think about that right now.  She needed to distract herself.

She looked around the room to see if there was anything she could use to preoccupy herself for the next few minutes.  She gave the room a sweep.  Nope.  Nothing. Bastard is going to just let her sit out there with nothing to do but imagine his naked body.  She groaned and fell back over the armrest of the couch, hair splaying out over the cushions and legs kicking idly over the armrest.  

Why couldn’t an akuma strike now?  But nooooo.  They never happen when it would be helpful.  They are also bastards.  Well, not them.  It wasn’t their faults.  Hawkmoth and Argus were the bastards.  And she was the bastard because she couldn’t stop them.  And Constantine was the bastard because… so many reasons, but primarily right now, because he’s the one to put her in this situation in the first place.

She sighed and threw her arm over her eyes. God, she didn’t want to ask him about the Lazarus Pit just as much as she did.  Was there any chance describing it wouldn’t be traumatic for him?  Maybe he would just laugh it off like a joke. “Hey funny story, my brothers and I were just messing around and I ended up falling into the Pit accidentally.  We didn’t even know what it was.”  Then he would run his fingers along her jaw and run his other hand along her side until he got to her hip and pull her closer to him. Then he would kiss her deeply, running his hand through her hair and his other hand would go lower to…

“I see you’ve made yourself at home.” His voice was smooth and amused.

Her eyes shot open and scrambled to stand up.  “Sorry, sorry, sorry.”  He chuckled at her giving her a heart stuttering smile.  He cocked his hip to the side, resting one hand in the pocket of his pants and running the other through his still wet hair.  

“Holy shit,” Marinette mumbled absentmindedly, which was the only way she would be able to do anything right now.  Jason had come out in nothing but a pair of pants that were tight around his thighs and she assumed his ass as well, because his thighs were too muscular for regular, off the rack pants.  She’d have to make him some, she thought distantly.  Though it would be a shame to not see this sight. The lack of shirt and shoes added a sense of casualness and domesticity to his sexiness that Marinette couldn’t handle.

His broad, chiseled chest was on full display and she couldn’t look away from it.  She had known his chest was muscular, the curves of his muscles could be seen even through his clothes, but seeing his bare chest was short circuiting her brain. Drops of water from his wet hair were trailing paths down his chest.  Her eyes tracked one of the drops of water.  She was distantly aware of a chuckling noise but her face scrunched up with concern.  

The drop’s smooth path was getting continually disrupted by scars.  There were so many.  Deep ones, shallow ones, small, large, barely noticeable, wide and rough.  She reached out to touch one of them but stopped herself just short of touching him when she realized what she was doing.  She slowly pulled her hand back and looked up at Jason with concern clear in her eyes.  “I’m sorry,” she said simply.  

She let the intention hang in the air ambiguously. Because she was sorry for so much. She was sorry for acting so casually in his room.  She was sorry for almost touching him so intimately without his permission.  She was sorry for the suffering the scars indicated.  She was sorry that she was going to have to ask him to talk about incidents that may have been what caused the scars.

Jason shrugged with a practiced nonchalance. “No problem.  I’m hard to keep your hands off, I know.” He tried with a smirk, avoiding her eyes.

“Still inappropriate for me to touch you without your permission,” she pointed out sheepishly.

He gave her a roguish smile and moved closer to her. “Oh, you have permission to touch me whenever you want.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she answered breathlessly. She couldn’t look away from the roguish glint in his eyes.  

He stepped closer again until his chest was almost touching hers.  “Please do. And I fully encourage you to make yourself at home here.  Please feel free to get as comfortable as possible.  Maybe start by losing some of your more restrictive clothing.”  

“Is that why you didn’t bother with a shirt?” She looked up at him from under her lashes, not trusting herself to be able to hold her head up straight.

“I hate feeling restricted.”  He nodded slightly, his voice turning seductive.

She gasped quietly when he brought his hands up to cup her face gently.  “You’re making it really difficult to stay focused and be responsible.”

“So be irresponsible with me.”  His voice was enticing and his eyes entrancing, a triton luring her into his lair and she so very much wanted to let him.

She shook her head apologetically.  “I can’t.”

“You’re fighting a villain without help…”

“I have a team.”

“You went in without training.”

“I learn fast.”

“You’re the leader of your team.”

“We work together as a team.”

“You don’t let yourself feel.”

“I feel things.”

“You feel responsible for everything that is happening even though it isn’t your fault.”

“It is my fault we haven’t ended it yet.” She shook her head, tears starting to form.  Everything he was pointing out were things she couldn’t let herself focus on. Because if she focused on them, she would never be able to keep going.

“You deserve a break.  You deserve to do something crazy.  You deserve to be irresponsible,” he said gently.  “You deserve to be happy.”

He ran his thumbs over her cheeks and gazed adoringly in her eyes.  Marinette leaned into his touch.  “You have no idea how much you make me want that.”  She gently placed her hands over his and closed her eyes.  His strong hands made her feel warm and safe, but she couldn’t return the favor. “But we need to talk.  And I don’t want to do it with an audience.” She winced internally at how that sounded.

He sighed and let his hands drop, taking a step away, also well aware that sentence never leads to anything good. “Okay.”

“Unfortunately, you should probably put a shirt on while we talk,” she sighed and looked at the ground.

He smiled cheekily at her.  “Do I distract you?”

She looked back up at him and puckered her lips attempting to keep the corners of her lips from quirking up.  “Yes,” she mumbled and looked away.  

“Good.” He grinned and stepped closer again. “Because you make it impossible for me to focus on anything but you.”

She closed her eyes and shook her head.  She couldn’t let him distract her.  They needed to have this talk and she didn’t want to make him have to do it in front of a group.  After a few deep breaths she looked back at him with a serious look. “It's about the Lazarus Pit.”

His face turned in an instant from teasing to unsure and a bit panicked.  “How do you know about that?”

She gave him a weak smile.  “That’s one of the things we can talk about.”

He looked away with a pained sigh.  “Yeah, okay.  I’ll go finish getting dressed.”  He turned back to her with a strained smile.  He really didn’t want this conversation to go as dark as it probably was going to go.  He wanted to get back to the flirty banter, even though he knew it was probably impossible. “If you’re sure you want me to.”

She gave him a half smile and looked away with a quiet laugh.  “Not really. It seems like a crime to cover your body, but it’s probably a good idea if I’m going to form coherent sentences.”

He nodded and turned to get dressed.  She was still flirting with him.  Still giving him compliments.  That had to mean she wasn’t disgusted by his past with the Lazarus Pit.  Maybe there was hope then.  Maybe she could know the worst parts of him and still stay?  That seemed like too much to ask for.  He would just have to enjoy as much as he could, as long as he could. Until she learned too much about him and changed her mind.

After a few moments, Jason walked back into the room with a serious expression, trying to be prepared for the conversation.  “Well that’s not fucking better.” Marinette threw her hands up in the air and turned away.  Jason was fully dressed but that consisted of combat boots, the same tight pants from earlier, and a skintight shirt that clung to his muscles.  She could see the outline of every muscle through his shirt and trace the movement as they flexed.  “How am I supposed to have a serious conversation with you looking like that?”

Jason blushed lightly chuckled, grateful to her for relieving some of the tension.  “The same way I do when you are anywhere near me.”

“It’s not the same,” she grumbled into her hands. “I’m not always in skintight clothes.”

“You don’t have to be to knock me on my ass,” he answered earnestly.  Marinette looked up at him with wide eyes, a blush taking over her cheeks.  

Jason grinned proudly.  God it made him feel so amazing to know he could make her blush so easily. All he had to do was say a few honest words and she would blush for him.  He could do that.  But they had to be honest words.  She wouldn’t respond if they weren’t.  She demanded honesty.  So he was going to have to give it to her.  He cleared his throat and sat awkwardly on the edge of one of the arm chair’s cushion. “So… you wanted to talk about the Lazarus Pit?”

He had clasped his hands between his knees and hunched over like he was waiting for a scolding.  The sight broke Marinette’s heart.  She rubbed her suddenly sweaty palms on her pants and sat on the coffee table across from him.  Their knees were almost touching.  If Marinette were taller, they would be.  It was the closest she could sit to him without actually sitting on him.  She wanted to be close for this conversation. She needed him to know she was there for him.  She wasn’t going to turn her back on him without hearing him out.

“We know what the Lazarus Pit is and we know you were in it.  What we don’t know is why.  What happened that you ended up in it?”  She took a breath and gave the top of his head, the only part he was showing, a determined look.  “What we don’t know is what it cost you.”

Jason let out a long, deep breath and ran his hands over his face a few times.  “Yeah, okay. That’s fair I guess,” he mumbled into his hands.  Was it really fair?  He didn’t know.  He didn’t know if they deserved to know his deepest, darkest secrets in order for him to stay.  He knew he shouldn’t have to expose the rawest part of himself to stay, but he understood why they wanted it.  And if they knew about the Lazarus Pit, then he understood why they were worried.

What he didn’t understand was why Marinette was sitting so close to him, making herself so vulnerable.  If they really did know about the effect the Lazarus Pit had, then she should know better.  She should know how dangerous it was to be so close.  Yet there she was, sitting inches away, looking at him with openness and compassion.  She was the strangest person who had ever entered his life and God, he hoped she never left it.

“You want the Cliff Notes version or the Mahabharata version?” His voice was tired.

She cocked her head to the side.  “I don’t really know what either of those things mean, but I want to know as much as you’re comfortable telling me.”

Jason huffed out a laugh and leaned forward, concentrating on the floor as he composed his thoughts.  How much was he comfortable with telling?  He was still deep in thought when Marinette spoke up again. Her voice gentle and non-accusatory. “I know it must be really difficult and I don’t want to… I hate that I have to ask you to talk about it, to go through it again.  But, the rest of the team knows too and they’re scared.  If it’s too much for you, we don’t have to know.  You can stay and we won’t push you.  It isn’t a requirement to stay.  But they’re going to be worried and I don’t know if they’ll be able to trust you. They…” she paused considering whether or not to tell him what Alya had said.  There was no way he could take it positively, and he shouldn’t, but she wanted him to know what he would be up against, why she was asking. “They think you chose to go into the pit and they want to know why someone would make that choice knowing the price.”

“Choose?”  He looked at her questioningly.  She couldn’t possibly have meant that.  “Choose!” he repeated incredulously.  He leaned back in the chair and ran his hands through his hair.  “I didn’t choose anything.  I didn’t choose to die at that fucking clown’s hands.  I didn’t choose to get brought back at the hands of that fucking holier than thou Super.  I didn’t choose to get taken in by the League of fucking Assassins.  And I certainly didn’t choose to get thrown into that damned Pit by that fucking bitch.” He started breathing heavily running through everything that happened.

“You wanted to know what it cost me.”  He looked back at her with a feral look in his eyes.  “It cost me my sanity.  It cost me my serenity.  It cost me my sense of justice and balance.  It cost me my family.  It cost me my future.” He scoffed at himself.  “Not that I really ever had any of those things in the first place. Never had them and never going to have them.”

Jason looked up to face her, frustration and betrayal clear in his eyes.  The Pit took so much from him and this should be one of those things.  She shouldn’t let him stay.  She shouldn’t trust him.  “Why would you trust me?  If you know about the Pits, why let me stay?” He cried.

She frowned at him.  “You think I shouldn’t?”

“FUCK NO!” he yelled louder than he meant to and standing up to pace the floor.  “I’m the last fucking person you should trust.  And you already said you didn’t.  You just said you thought I chose to jump into that fucking, godforsaken hell water.”

“That’s not what I said.” Her voice was calm and low, but demanded just as much attention as his screams had.  “I said they were worried about that.  They don’t know you.  They haven’t met you so they’re scared.  They know you have the potential to hurt us, to hurt me, and they don’t know you well enough to know you would never.  I do.  I trust you.”

He threw his hands up in the air and collapsed back into the seat.  Why wasn’t she understanding this?  As much as he hated the way his family treated him, he understood it.  He deserved it.  This though, he didn’t deserve.  It was everything he had asked her for; a chance, their trust, her attention. But he didn’t deserve it.   “Terrible decision,” he grumbled at her. “They could be right.”

She chuckled at his reaction and gave him a soft smile.  “I trust you and I’m a pretty good judge of character.”

He scoffed at her.  “You trust Constantine.”

“Eh.  Yes and no. I trust Constantine to be Constantine.” She shrugged at him and leaned back, supporting herself with her hands behind her. “We needed someone with magical knowledge and questionable morals so he was the best fit.  We sure as fuck weren’t going to go to Doctor Fate or Zatara, for opposite reasons.”  She sighed and looked out through the windows, watching the city’s lights twinkle in the distance.  “Look, I wouldn’t trust him to watch my dog, if I had one.  But I’d trust him to watch my back until the cost got too high.  I’d trust him to know when that was.  And honestly, he’s the only one I trust with that. The only one.”  She turned back to Jason with a quizzical look.  “Do you think that’s what the Pit did to you?  Made you untrustworthy?”

He shook his head and looked her in the eye. She needed to know who he was.  “I was untrustworthy long before that.”

She leaned forward, matching his gaze with a fierce one of her own.  “I don’t believe that.”

“Pixie…” he sighed, closing his eyes and leaning his head back.

“No,” she cut him off before he could say something else self-deprecating.  He opened his eyes to see what she was going to say next.  “Just because you weren’t trusted, that doesn’t mean you weren’t trustworthy.”

“You don’t know what I’ve done.”  The look he gave her was heartbreaking and she wouldn’t let him get away with thinking that about himself.

“You don’t know what I’ve done.”  She inched forward in her spot, her face closer to his so he couldn’t look away. “I trust you.  You crossed an ocean to help us.  You went against your family to come here.  You saved Manon and August when you could have kept walking. You left on the rooftop when I asked you to even though you didn’t know it was me asking.  You stopped at the gala to help a little girl because she looked sad.  Because that’s who you are.  And I trust you to be honest with me.  I trust you to help Paris.  I trust you to try.  I trust you to protect us.  I trust you to sit out as long as you can stand it.  I trust you to fight until your last breath when you can’t stand it anymore.  I trust you to do what you think is right.  I trust you to trust me.  And I trust you to argue when you disagree with me.  I trust you.”

The room went silent except for Marinette’s deep breathing echoing through the room.  Jason watched her for a few moments letting her words bounce around in his head. He finally lunged forward to pull her into a tight hug and settle her in his lap.  Marinette froze momentarily before she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck.  She gripped him tightly as though she were afraid to let him go, afraid he wouldn’t understand how she felt.  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten worked up. I can’t do that here and I promised you I wouldn’t.”

Marinette shook her head rapidly.  “No!  I asked you about something extremely painful.  I knew it would be horrible for you and I asked anyway.  You had every right.”

“I didn’t.  I’m sorry,” he sighed out.  That was one of the conditions for him staying, not just for them but for himself and for Selina.  He had promised himself and her that he would stay calm and the first day he blew it.  He needed to do better and he knew that.  He couldn’t afford to lose it like that.  No matter what anyone says, no matter what anyone asks about, he couldn’t get angry.  

He sighed at himself and took a calming breath before turning his attention back to Marinette.  He hooked his finger under her chin to get her to look up at him.  When she made eye contact with him, he softened his gaze.  “You had every right to ask.  I can talk about it calmly.  I’m fine,” he tried to assure her with a weak smile.

Marinette looked at him with understanding and nodded at him.  “I can pretend that’s true if you want me to,” she offered quietly.

He furrowed his brow at her, poised to reassure her it really was fine.  That was his standard response, but for some reason it didn’t feel right.  It felt wrong to lie like that with her.  He didn’t want to lie.  He cupped her face and pulled it closer to his.  He rested his forehead on hers and shook his head lightly.  “I don’t want you to pretend with me.”

She looked at him with half lidded eyes and licked her lips.  “I don’t want to either.”

His eyes searched hers as he moved his lips closer to hers.  She closed her eyes and angled her head in preparation.  She jumped when her phone dinged, letting her know she had a text message.  She chuckled lightly and looked down.  “I guess they’re getting impatient.”

Jason changed his path and kissed her forehead, letting his lips linger.  Marinette closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss.  “We better get moving then,” he agreed just as quietly.  “Wouldn’t want the model to have bags under his eyes in his pictures.”

She giggled at the comment and rested her head on his shoulder, making no move to get up.  “So very thoughtful of you.”

“Yep, always thinking of others.  That’s what everyone always says about me,” he joked, hugging her closer again.

She pushed away to look him in the eyes and cup his face.  “I don’t doubt it.”  She rubbed his cheeks with her thumb for a moment before standing up to leave.

Jason shook his head and sighed.  “You really should,” he muttered too quietly for her to hear.

“Now we really better get going before Chloe skins me alive.  And if we don’t leave now we’re going to be late.  It takes a while to get there.”

“Ready to go,” he confirmed, following her out the door.

“Sure you got everything, General Sherman?” she teased him.

“General Sherman?” He looked at her questioningly, pulling the door closed behind him.  He could not for the life of him figure out what the American Civil War had to do with him.

She nodded with a grin.  “It’s like the biggest tree in the world or something?”

He shook his head.  “What is it with you and all the tree nicknames?”

“They’re big and annoying, like you.”  She booped him on the nose and laughed continuing to walk down the hallway.

He stared after her for a moment before something clicked in his mind.  He walked up next to her and leaned down to whisper in her ear.  “I think it’s because you want to climb me like one.” Marinette squeaked and stopped walking. Her cheeks immediately turned deep red that spread to her ears and neck.  He gave her a devilish smirk and kept walking to the elevator.  “You coming?”

Marinette cocked her hip to the side with a smirk that said she knew something he didn’t and knocked on that door she had stopped in front of.

Jason looked at the door and back to her and shook his head.  “And here I was hoping I'd be able to make some more and better moves on you on our trip.”

She raised an eyebrow at him.  “You have stronger moves than coming out in just skintight pants?”

“I do and I'm very excited to show them to you,” he confirmed with a cheeky grin, moving until he was only a hair’s breadth away from her.

She looked up at him and swallowed heavily.  “I’m not sure I’d survive them.”

“Fucking finally!  It’s only like ten feet what the fuck took so long.  Some of us have better things than to do than lay the groundwork for getting fucked by our boyfriends.”  Chloe exclaimed with an amount of exasperation that only she could achieve.

Marinette squeaked again and turned to Jason.  “I swear I didn’t tell them that.”

“I will,” he smirked at her moving past her into the room.

She gave him a halfhearted glare and followed him in.  “Go ahead, but at some point someone should wait for me to agree to be their girlfriend before they start telling people I am.”  She gave Adrien a pointed look.

Adrien jumped up with a scowl, “Hey, no.  It doesn’t count as ‘before’ if we never dated.”

“Take a look at the Ladyblog.  We’ve been dating for five years,” Marinette pointed out with a smirk.

“I meant actual dating,” Adrien pouted, “not fanfiction dating.”

“Luka didn’t tell anyone before… or after,” Alya offered.  “He really didn’t talk about it at all.”

“Bri didn’t tell… oh, no, yeah she did,” Nino added with a grimace.  “Everyone.”

“Looks like Jason is your only hope,” Alya gave smirked.

“Too late for that,” Marinette gave him a pointed look.  Jason shrugged not looking at all repentant and even had the audacity to put his arm around her waist and pull her closer, which Marinette subconsciously leaned in to. “Henry was the only one that asked me and then told people.”

“Yeah, but he didn’t last long, so clearly not a good approach for you.” Alya pointed out.

“Lasted longer than Bri though, so your theory might need some work,” Nino corrected her.

“The problem isn’t the approach,” Chloe chimed in annoyed with the conversation already, “the problem is Marinette.” Alya rounded on Chloe, red in the face and ready to start lecturing, but Chloe continued before she could.  “Her standards suck.  As in she has none.”

“Hey!” Marinette yelped indignantly.  

“She doesn’t date people worthy of Ladybug, let alone Marinette.” Chloe clarified haughtily, pulling out her homework.

Everyone but Jason froze and stared at Chloe. “She’s drunk,” Nino stage whispered to Alya.  “That’s the only explanation.”

“Okay, as godawful as this introduction has been so far…” Marinette spoke up ending the conversation.  “… and it has been.  Let’s do real introductions.  Jason, this is the permanent miraculous team.”  She motioned her arm to indicate the people in the room.  “The drunk one is Chloe.”

“Fuck you, Dupain-Cheng.” Chloe scowled not looking up from her homework.

“I thought that was my job,” Jason commented with a smirk.

“Oh, he’s going to fit in perfectly,” Nino laughed.

“I’m Alya.”  She waved from her spot on the couch.  “The one that looks like he just got in a fight is Nino.  The dork is Adrien.”

“Did you just get in a fight?” Jason asked observing him.  His clothes were rumpled, his hair looked scruffed up, and there looked to be the beginning of a bruise on his arm.

“Kind of.  I said…” Nino started with a wicked smirk.

“Nino, you finish that sentence and I will give you a black eye to complete your look,” Marinette growled at him.

Jason looked down at Marinette in surprise before leaning over to whisper quietly enough that only she could hear, “Did I mention how fucking hot you are?”  Marinette squeaked and turned bright red again.

Adrien crossed the room to shake Jason’s hand with a friendly grin.  “Okay, introductions are done, now let’s focus on the important business before I have to leave.  First, what did you just say?  I haven’t seen her turn that color in years.  Also, a correlated question, he’s already telling people you’re dating?” He waggled his eyebrows at Marinette.  She took a deep breath and let it out loudly in a resigned huff. They were going to ridicule her for the rest of her life over Jason.  Adrien laughed at her and moved his focus over to Jason.  “Good to see you, man.  I’m impressed you were able to find Marinette.”  He eyed Jason’s hand around Marinette’s waist and Marinette’s body language.  He looked up to Jason.  “I ship it.”

Jason grinned smugly at Marinette.  “He ships it,” he pointed out in an innocent voice.

Marinette rolled her eyes.  “He would ship me with Loki.  It doesn’t mean anything.”

Adrien grinned at her and shot her finger guns. “Whatever makes you happy, baby. And Loki is hot.  I ship everyone I like with him.”

Alya pushed him out of the way and stepped in front of Jason.  “Ignore him. He trusts everyone.  You don’t need to worry about him unless you screw up… and then he’ll kill you.”  She stuck her hand out to shake Jason’s.  He looked down at Marinette questioningly.  She shrugged in response.  This wasn’t the worst shovel talk they’d doled out and he was Red Hood, he could handle it.  “We, on the other hand,” she motioned to Chloe and herself, “don’t trust anyone.  We’ll kill you when we think you even might be about to screw up.”

Jason nodded at them.  This was a form of interaction he understood; threats.  “And him?” He motioned to Nino.

“Me?  I provide the alibis.” He answered with a grin.

“One of the most important pieces in the game.” He nodded looking around.  “Another important piece is believability.  People have to believe you would do what you threaten.  That’s where a reputation can help you.  No offense but you guys don’t seem the type.”

“But I am.” Plagg appeared in Jason’s face out of nowhere with a maniacal grin on his face.  

Jason flinched back almost falling on his ass, pulling Marinette behind him as he moved.  “What the ever living FUCK is that?” He yelled out.

The room erupted in laughter except for Plagg who continued staring him down.  Marinette stood between the two with an apologetic smile and helped him straighten up. “Sorry about him.  I’d say he doesn’t mean it but… the dinosaurs would say otherwise… if they were still alive… and could talk.”

“Jesus Christ, Marinette.  You were over there forever.  Did you explain anything to him?”  Chloe groaned.

“I was trying to explain things to but then someone,” she looked pointedly at all of them, “kept interrupting.”

“And just exactly what were we interrupting?” Adrien asked waggling his eyebrows.

Marinette gave him a deadpan look for a few seconds waiting for him to figure it out.  “Explaining things.  I just fucking said that, dumbass.”

“Excuse me, but would we discuss the fucking floating demon cat, please?” Jason interrupted keeping his eyes glued to the floating creature.

“Please don’t call him that.  It’ll just go to his head.  We won’t hear the end of it for centuries.”  Tikki floated up near Jason but at a respectful distance.  “I’m Tikki.  He’s Plagg. That is Wayzz.  That is Trixx.  And that is Pollen.” She said, pointing out each of the kwami in turn as they hovered over their wielders.  “We’re kwami.”

“Right.  That explains exactly nothing.” Jason scowled.  “Is there someone who can use real words to explain what is going on?”

Marinette laughed and pulled him over to the sitting area, letting him take the arm chair while she perched on its arm.  “Kwami are what give us our powers.  Each one represents a concept.  Each concept comes with powers related to that concept. Pollen is the kwami of subjection. She can knock people out.  Wayzz is the kwami of protection.  He creates an impenetrable force field.  Trixx is the kwami of Illusion.  He can cast… illusions.  That one’s rather self-explanatory really.  Plagg, the demon cat, is the kwami of destruction. He can be asshole, like his owner.” Twin heys rang out from Adrien and Plagg, which were completely ignored.  “But his power is he can cast bad luck and he destroys things.  Tikki is the kwami of creation.  She has the power of luck and can create things.  There are more, but those are the five main kwami used currently.”

“Okay…” he drew out the last sound of the word, not sure how to process all that.

Marinette grimaced at him.  “It gets worse so I just… want you to be prepared.”  He scowled at her.  Worse than their last conversation didn’t sound good.  “The kwami are tied to pieces of jewelry called a miraculous.  If you possess the miraculous, you can control them.  That’s why the villain is trying to get our miraculous.  If he gets them, he controls them.  Tikki’s and Plagg’s miraculous can be used together to grant a wish, a physics defying, reality destroying wish.  It can reset time.  It can destroy worlds.  A couple hundred years ago, someone got them.  He wished for immortality.”

Jason watched her apprehensively.  “He created the Pits.”

“No, we created the Pits.  He wished for them.” Plagg hissed.  “But he wasn’t too specific with his wish,” he cackled as he said it.

“Making a wish is like making a deal with a leprechaun. There’s always a catch.” Marinette clarified.  “He got immortality, but at a price.”

“That’s why we’re letting you stay lover boy,” Alya added.

“I already used lover boy,” Marinette interrupted.

“Fuck, yeah that was too easy anyway.  Don Juan?”

“Not yet.”

“Not ever.” She said pointedly and turned to Jason. “That’s why we’re letting you stay Don Juan,” she continued.  “Because the Pit restores your health, but weakens your ability to link to a miraculous or its powers.”

“It means Hawkmoth shouldn’t have as powerful of a pull on you, should an akuma ever land on you,” Nino added.

“It also means you can’t ever wield a miraculous,” Marinette said apologetically.

“Was that a consideration?” Jason exclaimed.

“No!” “Maybe.” “Duh!” Alya, Adrien, and Chloe answered at the same time.  Alya and Adrien looked at each other in surprise while Chloe rolled her eyes.

“We never discussed that!” Alya raised her voice in annoyance.

“It wouldn’t have been the worst idea,” Adrien offered weakly.

“It would have been the obvious next step. If he’s here to help us and he has training and Marinette trusts him, which of fucking course she does, of course we would have given him one.” Chloe explained.

Jason leaned over to Marinette so the others wouldn’t hear him.  “I see what you mean about Manon and Chloe.”  

Marinette giggled and nodded.  “It’s only a matter of time before she adds the cursing in too. She probably does just not in front of me or her mom.”

“And what are you two kids giggling about over there?” Adrien asked with a knowing smirk.

“Fuck you.  I don’t giggle.” Jason grunted.

“Too manly for that.  I only laugh in a manly way,” Nino’s voice lowered to imitate Jason.

The rest of the room started chortling in terribly concealed laughter.  Jason narrowed his eyes and pointed at him, “Yes I am.” Causing the rest of the room to give up on their attempts to hide their laughter.  “Okay, so what I’m hearing is I don’t get one of those magical girl sequences.”

Marinette laughed and patted him on the shoulder. “I mean, you could always pretend. Nobody’s stopping you from creating your own amazing sequence when you put on your suit.”

He smirked and pulled her closer to him. “What kind of sequence were you thinking of exactly?”  Marinette squeaked and turned red.  She buried her head in her hands making him laugh.

“An incredibly fucking boring one considering she mentioned putting your clothes on.” Chloe remarked.

“I’m creative.  I could make it work.” Jason assured her with a wink.  Marinette groaned and bent in half, trying to force her face, still covered by her hands, into her legs while the rest of the room laughed.

Chloe eyed him for a moment before nodding and going back to her homework.  “I’m sure that’s true, off brand Robin Hood.”

“Are we letting him suit up though?” Alya asked. “Do we want Hawkmoth knowing one of Gotham’s vigilantes is running around?  Not to mention, his identity isn’t protected by magic.  If someone knows Jason Todd from Gotham is in Paris and Red Hood from Gotham is in Paris, people will be able to put things together. They aren’t stupid.”

“That’s a good point, babe.  I don’t think we can.” Nino agreed.

“We’re not letting him run around at all.” Marinette’s voice was so firm, the note of finality so clear Jason did a double take. “You don’t have magic to protect you and we can’t give you a suit.  You can’t be in the fights.”

“I’ve fought worse things than you can imagine,” Jason said slowly.

“I have an incredible imagination, but I don’t have to use it for this.  I just need my memory,” she said coldly.  The rest of the room watched her with sympathy, knowing where her mind went.  “Because I can remember devastation.  I can remember people torn to pieces.  I can remember people crushed.  I can remember people drowning.  I can’t remember you like that.”

“I can take care of myself.  I’ve fought Supers.  I’ve fought assassins.  I’ve come back from the god damned dead,” he assured her, starting to understand where her objection was coming from.

“Join the club.  You aren’t special.” Chloe snarked.

“But I did it without a magic suit.  I’ve probably done almost as much as you all and without a magic power up to do it.” Jason argued.

“Power ups are a different thing.” Nino threw in. Marinette and Jason glared at him. He held his hands up in surrender.  “Just saying.”

“I can do more than just hide,” he pointed out, begging her to let him do more.

“And you will, but not in a fight.” Marinette responded, her eyes pleading with him to understand.

“He’s going to need to suit up if he’s going to train us while we’re in suits though.  Jason Todd can’t just be hanging around the miraculous team.  That would put him squarely on Hawkmoth’s most wanted list.  Right next to Marinette.”  Adrien pointed out.

Jason’s head whipped over to her and Marinette groaned. “The fuck?”

“It’s nothing,” she tried to assure him, but the look he gave her confirmed he wouldn’t believe it.

She sighed and shot Adrien a glare.  “Fine.  Hawkmoth likes to target me.  Has from the start.  We have no idea why.  I would say Lila, she’s the only one we know of who actively dislikes the Marinette side of me, but it started before she appeared in Paris and we know Hawkmoth is a man.  We checked her National ID and school records.  She definitely wasn’t here.  We don’t think he knows my identity, otherwise he would have targeted me more. So it’s just one of those fun mysteries that makes life interesting.  Because otherwise our lives would be so boring.”

Jason stared at her with an overwhelming need to protect her burning in his gut.  It wasn’t just as a hero that she was dealing with this.  She had to deal with it as a civilian too.  No fucking wonder she was so fucking over this.  But since she wouldn’t let him fight with them, the best way to help her right now was to train her and to do that, he would have to come up with a new identity.  “Red hood can’t run around with you guys and train you, but maybe another hero can.”

“Hell no.  We’re barely letting you stay, and that is still probationary.  We sure as hell aren’t letting another hero in.” Alya growled.

“No, I meant I’ll have to be someone else,” Jason explained.

“I still don’t want you in akuma battles,” Marinette said carefully.

“We can discuss that later,” he assured her.  He knew why she was objecting, for the same reason he would object to her fighting against the Joker.  He didn’t doubt her abilities, but even the idea made his lungs feel like they were slowly disintegrating.  And worrying about him would distract her during a fight, which he also couldn’t allow.  But he was sure he could convince her to let him help with crowd control, saving innocent bystanders.  He just needed a bit of time and the right approach.  “But for training and patrol and investigations, another identity would help.”  He was specifically thinking about when he was breaking into different places, but she didn’t need to know that.  But the way Chloe was eying him, he had a feeling she knew what he meant.

“Like Red Bat?” Nino suggested.

“No, nothing bat related, just to be safe.” Jason shook his head.

“Oooh, Red Cat!” Adrien exclaimed, bouncing in his seat at the idea.

“Hell no.  I would never hear the end of it.”

“Red Turtle?” Nino suggested with a smile. “Raphael?”

“Oooh, Red Fox!” Alya offered loudly.  She froze almost immediately realizing what that would be.  “No wait… forget I said that.”

There was a pause as people thought of a name. “Don’t look at me,” Chloe spoke up without looking up from her homework.  “I’m not sharing my name.  I’m the only Bee in town.”

“A name can wait.  We’ll need a suit before a name.  I think I can come up with a few ideas, unless you have one already.”  Jason shook his head and Marinette bounced with anticipation.  “Yay!  I never get to design hero suits.”  She pulled him up to standing so she could examine his body with a critical eye, thinking of designs that would work with his body.  Jason suddenly felt exposed as he circled him with no hint of a blush as she stared at him and for the first time, he was positive she was not thinking about him in any remotely sexual way.  He scrunched up his face.  He didn’t like it at all.

“Okay,” Adrien interjected.  She’s going to be gone to the world for a while.  “So, back to the important business.  Second question; is your brother single?”

Tags:

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[imagineredwood]

Request:  Reader hides her feelings for Angel but EZ knows, something happens where Angel finds someone else and introduces them to the club. Reader is heartbroken and distant to the point EZ has to explain why she is when Angel is upset at her for blowing him off

Pairing: Angel x reader, EZ x reader (platonic)

Warnings: Heartbreak, angst, emotional hurt, crying 

Word count: 2.6K

**What do we want to see happen here? 👀***

“You should just tell him.”

You looked up from your lunch to look at EZ instead, the prospect still eating his food.

“Tell who what?”

“Tell Angel that you love him.”

EZ looked at you then, seeing as you opened and closed your mouth, trying to come up with an excuse or defense. EZ cut you off before you could though.

“Don’t even try to lie. I know you. I can look at you and tell what you’re thinking. You’re in love with Angel, and you should tell him.”

Shaking your head, you looked back down at your plate, messing around with your food.

“It’s not that simple, EZ. Angel is so…he’s got such a different life than me. I can’t see him ever loving me. Not in the same way that I love him at least.”

EZ wanted to keep encouraging you, but he could see that your love for his brother was complicated. You did not get giddy and doe eyed like most people did when they spoke of the one they loved. Instead, you seemed down. Unsure and frustrated. No doubt yearning for someone that was not yours could do that to a person. With a sigh, EZ reached across the table, stroking the back of your hand in comfort.

“Just…talk to him. Hint around, see where he’s at. I know it can be scary when there isn’t much being reciprocated. You’ll never know if you don’t try.”

You nodded quietly, taking his words to heart.

“I’ll try.”

At that, EZ smiled.

“Good. We’re having a big party this Friday. Come by. You can spend some time with him and see where things go.”

With a smile of your own, you nodded. You still had time to plan a nice outfit that would draw his attention.

“I’ll be there.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Friday rolled around before you knew it and you had gotten yourself dolled up. Nothing crazy or extravagant, but you had been more particular. Put it more effort, and it shows. You had even managed to find a dress in the deep, gorgeous green that Angel liked. The dress was as close of a match to his bike as you were going to get, and you hoped that he would notice the effort.

Shoes on and keys in hand, you left your house and got into your car, making thee drive out to the clubhouse. Your hands were shaking the entire time, tense on the steering wheel as you drove. You felt confident and beautiful, but that did not do too much to soothe the anxiety you felt in the pit of your tummy. What if he said no? What if he decided that you were better as friends? Or that you just weren’t what he wanted? The thoughts were almost enough to have you make a U-turn and head back home, but you were already so close, the lights from the clubhouse illuminating the yard. Swallowing, you pushed through and pulled into the yard, parking by the other cars.

You stayed seated in your seat for a few moments, taking deep breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. You were nervous yet excited. Sure, it could end with you getting shot down, but the idea that there was a possibility of Angel caring about you the same way that you cared about him was enough to tip the scale. You had been friends with him for a while now. You trusted each other, looked after each other. Checked each other when needed. Angel was absolutely your best friend. But you wanted more.

You imagined Angel loving you more. Loving you romantically. Loving you in the way that elderly coupled loved. The way that he coupled loved in your favorite books. You would always take whatever love Angel would give you, but it would be a lie to say that you did not want more. You wanted more of Angel. You wanted him to spend more time with you one on one, going on dates with you. Kissing you, being there with you when you really needed someone. To share a home with you. To think of those things made your heart skip a beat. You loved Angel more than anything, and all you wanted was for him to love you back.

Taking one last deep breath, you steadied yourself and hopped out of your car, smoothing down the front of your dress. Looking around you saw that EZ had been right. It was a bigger party than usual, more Mayans from other charters present and even more women. You felt better as you saw many of them in dresses as well, thankful you hadn’t gone too over the top. Locking your car, you started walking through the lot and going up to the clubhouse entrance. You looked over at the bikes and noticed that Angel’s was not there, but you didn’t think much of it. He had probably gone with someone else to pick some stuff up for the party.

You entered the clubhouse, the music much louder now that it was not muffled by the walls. Stepping in, you looked around, eyes scanning. You saw Coco off to the corner and he raised his arm, waving to you before motioning for you to come over. Just seeing the people that had become your family was enough to soothe your tummy a little bit more and you walked over to them, Taza wrapping his arm around your shoulders before kissing the side of your head.  

“Glad you could make it, kiddo.”

You made your way around the table, greeting the members of this charter and some from others. You stopped to stand by Coco, the one you were closest to, after the Reyes brothers. He stood from his seat and gave it to you, waving his hand when you tried to argue.

“Sit, mama. I’m good.”

You fell into conversation with the men, some of the club girls coming up to say hi and hug you. EZ could barely get time away from grabbing new beers to sit with you but that was alright. You weren’t sure how much time had passed, genuinely enjoying the company. It was not until the door opened and you saw Angel enter that you remembered why you had been so nervous in the first place. You all looked as Angel started making his way over, shaking hands with members as he walked up. By the time he got to the table, your heart was already thudding in your chest. Of course, you weren’t going to tell him as soon as he got in. You would wait until much later. Once he was finally at the table though, he turned behind him and let a girl that was standing there come to now stand in front of him. They both smiled as they looked at the group, Angel’s voice excited and proud.

“Sup, guys. This is my date.”

The girl smiled somewhat shyly having all the eyes on her, but she waved nonetheless, everyone wearing wide grins as they greeted and welcomed her.

You on the other hand felt like you had been shot.

The blow to the chest practically knocked the wind out of you and your stomach felt like you were on a roller coaster. You tried to keep your face neutral but as you looked on, Angel standing behind her with his hands on her shoulders watching happily as the Mayans complimented his new girl, you felt like the world was crashing down around you. You could hear your blood pumping in your ears, and you stood from your seat, no one noticing as the attention was on the new addition. You slipped away quickly, heading to the bathroom praying it was empty.

It seemed that the universe had taken pity on you and thankfully the bathroom was empty. You had barely gotten the door closed and locked before the heavy tears started to stream down your cheeks. The music was loud, and you knew no one could hear you anyway, but that didn’t stop you from covering your mouth to muffle the sobs.

Never in your entire life had you felt both so broken and stupid at the same time. You did not expect Angel to be single forever. You knew at some point he was going to want to get a girl that he could settle down with. You just didn’t think it was going to be so soon, and you sure as hell didn’t expect him to bring her on the night were you had finally gathered the courage to tell him how you felt. It was as if the world was playing a sick joke on you.

With your back against the bathroom door, you tried to steady your breathing, bulky tears still rolling down your cheeks. Reaching for the toilet paper, you grabbed a wad and turned to the mirror, trying to wipe the tears before they made any bigger of a mess. Just then, a knock came from the other side of the door and you cleared your throat, trying to make it sound as if you weren’t in there having the breakdown of your life.

“I’ll be out in a minute.”

You expected it to be one of the girls or maybe another member. You were surprised to hear EZ’s voice on the other side.

“Open up, querida. Come one, let me in.”

You hesitated, not wanting him to see you like this, but opened the door against your better judgement anyway. As soon as his eyes landed on you, he tilted his head with a pout and came into the bathroom, closing the bathroom behind him and locking it again.

“I’m sorry, y/n. I…I didn’t know he was bringing someone. I never would’ve asked you to come if I knew he was doing that. I wouldn’t have done that to you.”

You shook your head and tried to force a smile, still dabbing at your eyes and cheeks.

“I know, EZ. I know. It’s not your fault. It’s not his either. I’m happy that he found someone, it’s just,”

You couldn’t complete the sentence before a fresh wave of tears was brought on, EZ snatching you into his arms. He held you tightly, one hand stroking your hair as he cooed at you.

“It’s ok, mama. It’ll be ok. You’ll find someone. You’ll get over him in time and find someone for you and then this will all just be a memory.”

You knew that he was trying to comfort you but hearing him say out loud that having Angel just wasn’t a possibility anymore only deepened the crack in your heart.

You cried on his for a few minutes more before pulling away, your hiccupping sobs gone. Turning to the mirror though, it was still painfully obvious that you had been crying. Eyes puffy and your top lip a little swollen from all the rubbing your nose. You turned toward EZ and the pain on your face and in your voice made his heart clench.

“I just wanna go home.”

EZ nodded and started to open the door for you.

“Head out through the back, I’ll go and grab your purse for you.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

It had been nearly two weeks since that night and you had yet to see Angel. He had texted you the morning after the party to see how you were doing. EZ had told everyone that you had gotten sick and had to leave early. They had bought it but now Angel was wanting to hang out like you both usually did. You were normally inseparable and now you had barely spoken. You would answer his texts, but they were short. He had tried to make plans and you had come up with excuses why you could not make it. You had just been spending your time at home trying to heal from the heartbreak.

It was your first one, and while you knew that the pain would not last forever, that did not make it any easier to deal with. Your tears still snuck up on you out of nowhere sometimes whenever he popped into your mind. It was like a grieving process, and as much as you wanted to try and get back to normal, you just could not face him. You figured Angel wouldn’t even really notice your absence, too caught up in the honeymoon phase with his new girl. The truth was the exact opposite was happening.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

“What the fuck is her problem? Every time I hit her up, she’s got an excuse.”

Angel angrily tossed his phone onto the table, both Felipe and EZ looking at him. The father and youngest son shared a look before Felipe went back to slicing up the pork. EZ looked at Angel who now sat back in his chair with an angry expression, arms crossed over his chest. EZ sighed and shook his head, looking out the window.

“Don’t be mad at her.”

Angel’s head snapped to him, an incredulous look on his face.

“What do you mean, don’t be mad at her? She’s been blowing me off for two fuckin’ weeks! No matter what I say we do, she can’t make it. I ask if I can go over to her place, she says she’s not in the mood for company. She barely comes by the clubhouse and when she does, she makes sure I’m not there. What the fuck is that about? I haven’t done shit to her and now she’s avoiding me like the plague. Some fuckin’ friend.”

Angel huffed as his finished ranting, EZ looking directly at him now.

“You broke her heart, Angel.”

The older brother stared blankly before shaking his head as he blinked repeatedly.

“What are you talking about?”

EZ sighed, turning his body to his older brother.

“She’s in love with you, Angel. She has been for months. It’s not a crush or wanting to sleep with you, she fucking loves you. She thinks the sun shines out of your ass like you’re the most perfect thing in the world. That night? When you brought your new girl? I had convinced her to come by and tell you. She went out and bought a dress to grab your attention and everything because I convinced her to just see how you felt. She showed up thinking that she might finally get a chance to be with you, and you came with another woman. You have the right to be with whoever you want, I’m not saying you don’t, but don’t be mad at her. She had her heart broken and was humiliated all within 5 seconds. That’s why she’s ‘blowing you off’. She just can’t…she can’t look at you. It hurts her too much.”

All the anger in Angel’s face and slowly melted as EZ was speaking, but by the time he finished, Angel looked like a kicked puppy. Brows knitted, mouth open slightly in a frown. He had no idea. He never once thought that you held anything more for him than the love of a friend. He had been with plenty of Vicki’s girls and you had never really batted an eyelash. That was much different than having a girlfriend though. He shook his head in disbelief.

“Obviously I never meant for her to get hurt. I wouldn’t have shoved another girl in her face if I knew.”

EZ shrugged, nodding.

“But you did, and she is.”

Angel cursed, slamming his fist on the table, the saltshaker toppling over from the force before standing.

“I gotta go see her.”

General taglist @piccasoe​ @ateliefloresdaprimavera​ @gemini0410​ @woahitslucyylu​ @my-rosegold-soul​ @that-chick212​ @everyhowlmarksthedead​ @glimmerglittergirl​​ @elcococruz​ @fanaticfangurl21​ @ifoundmyhappythought​ @encounterthepast​

Mayans taglist @dazzledamazon​  @abunnykisses @briana-mishell24​

Angel taglist @cardenasarmy @ezekielreyes

[babygirlkiki1016]

Masterlist

Chapter 1: The company

Chapter 2: The Journey Begins

I pulled the rope, fastening my bag to one of the ponies. I didn't speak to anyone the next morning, besides no one was going to try to talk to me anyway. The company would only speak to their kin, and as I passed by heading to the front of the line I was given dirty looks. Except for Kili, he smiled and waved but his brother shoved his arm down, scolding him for even looking my way. I sighed and walked past some more dwarves, and each scowl gave me a funny feeling in my heart. I couldn't understand what it was, but it hurt deeply, like knives to my soul.

"Y/n." Gandalf greeted me with a smile, letting me pass by. "Once we're out of the shire, you will scout ahead and report anything back to us." He leaned down slightly, so I could only hear. "We're also making a bet on if Bilbo is coming, wish to participate?" I looked towards the rest, they all seemed to be having fun. The talk of the Hobbit showing up again brought them entertainment.

"No, we're heading into a dark path Gandalf. If I were to partake in their silly affairs I'd only ruin the fun." He groaned, standing up straight to get on his horse.

"You know, it won't hurt to have a little bit of fun. You'll be riding with Thorin, for now, being in the front will give you the advantage to take in your surroundings." He was right, in the front of the line I would be able to listen to the woods, there was something dark out there. Something will be following us, I don't know what, but whatever it is it's not good.

"Are you sure he's alright with the idea of me riding with him?" He grimaced at the question, I should have figured Thorin wasn't going to accept it.

"He's not happy, just don't antagonize him and you'll be alright." My very presence puts him on edge, speaking of the devil he came up behind me with those blue orbs piercing into mine. He didn't say a word to me, he just climbed onto his pony looking ahead. Hesitantly I go to climb on but his hand stretched out, he was waiting for me to take it.

"Hurry up we don't have all day." He growled, quickly I pulled myself on and sat in front of him. I gasped at his warmth, it felt nice with his chest against my back. "Lead." His gruff voice made me shiver, I kicked the pony lightly and she went off. We made our way down the path, passing multiple Hobbits that were nearby. One was a child, a small girl about half the size of me. She waved with a wide grin, I couldn't help but wave back eagerly. It's been a while since I've seen children, my kind barely has any men around. The cold blast killed most of our soldiers who were men, so not a lot of children are born these days. Let's just hope those reports will save my people, and we can have a fresh start with alliances. "So, does all of your kind have wings like yours?" His question surprised me, he wanted to know more about my kin? Why? Was he planning for war?

"Why do you want to know? Are you planning to kill us all already?"

"I am just curious about your race, I haven't heard much about it. From the tales my grandfather and father told me, most don't have wings unless they're born with it."

"Hm." I knew all about their race, and the fact that he wanted to know more about mine intrigued me. "Some have wings, it depends on if you have a certain gene in your blood."

"How big is your homeland?"

"It was huge, bigger than the city of Erebor. Yet where we live now, is small considering your kind took our home." I snarled, he took a deep breath, probably to calm himself. His hands then gripped my cloak, and he pulled me against his chest roughly.

"I suggest you don't annoy me, for I won't be responsible for what happens to you on this trip." He was threatening me, I bet if we were attacked he'd leave me for dead.

"And I suggest you let go of me, I won't kill you but I think you'll be fine with a few fingers missing." I turned my head to face him, he was extremely close, our noses almost touching. Reluctantly he leaned back slightly, releasing me from his hold.

"I can't wait to reclaim my homeland, then I'll have you out of my sight. I won't have to deal with your kind anymore, your murderers. I don't know what Gandalf was thinking."

"He was thinking, that your weak, too weak to take down a dragon. If you want me to help you, I recommend you be friendly for I can easily leave you behind. I'll find a way into that mountain myself, so watch your words Thorin Oakenshield." He went to protest but was interrupted by shouting, it was Bilbo running from the entrance of the shire. We were in the middle of the woods now, I pull on the reigns to stop from going any further. Bilbo ran towards us, waving the contract in his hand, panting heavily.

"I signed it." He exclaims, panting heavily as he handed the contract to Balin. Balin pulls out a monocle to check the paper. It looked like Bilbo had brought everything from home with him.

"Everything appears to be in order. Welcome, Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield." Balin smiles, and surprisingly it didn't disappear when his eyes met mine. The warm smile made me happy, didn't he hear the rumors people had spread about my kind? Why was he so nice to me?

"Give him a pony," Thorin ordered, nudging me to keep going which I obey.

"No, no, no, no. That-That won’t be necessary. Thank you. I’m sure I can keep up on foot. Yeah, I’ve done my fair share of walking holidays, you know? Even got as far as Frog Morton once." Bilbo refuses, but they didn't listen to his cries. Suddenly two of the dwarves grab hold of his arms, pick him up, and placed him directly on Minty. As we all rode along in the woods, I could hear the dwarves talking to each other.

"Come on, Nori! Pay up!" Oin demanded, the sound of coins clinking together reached my ears.

"The rest of the dwarves took gambles on if Mr. Baggins would show," Thorin explained, however, I already knew this due to Gandalf.

"What about you Thorin? Did you participate?" I said looking at him, he shook his head laughing slightly.

"I don't participate in silly affairs, though if I did I would've guessed he wouldn't have come." I can see how that's true, sometimes people just don't want to leave home. They'd rather stay in their safe comfy beds, and I was one of them. "You seem deep in thought." My cheeks turned red as I realized I had been staring at him the entire time.

"I'm alright." Clearing my throat awkwardly only to hear Bilbo shouting about something else.

"Uh-wait, wait. Stop! Stop! We have to turn around." Thorin groaned and I slowed the pony down, waiting to hear Bilbo's excuse.

"What on earth is the matter?" Gandalf wondered, he was riding a larger horse than the rest of us.

"I forgot my handkerchief." We can't just stop and go back because of some handkerchief, it would only be a waste of time.

"Here! Use this." Bofur rips off a bit of cloth from his robe and throws it to Bilbo, who looks at it with disgust.

"Move on!" Thorin announces, and I continue down the path of our journey. Later that night, we stopped by the entrance of a small cave. I slept close to the edge of the entrance, my wings keeping me warm and hidden from the others. That's when I heard shuffling behind me, it was Thorin setting down his sleeping bag.

"Did you miss me already?" I joked, making him roll his eyes annoyed.

"One of us has to watch you, you might try and kill us in our sleep." I just turned back around, curling back up into a small ball. It was colder outside than I expected, I should've brought warmer clothes. I shivered as a gust of wind blew our way, it took a while for me to fall asleep. The cold wasn't helping me at all, but I finally managed to sleep into unconsciousness. That is until I woke up to howls, not just any normal howls, wargs. I sat up, searching the area, getting ready to strike if I had to. The orcs were far off into the distance but I saw them, I could feel the evilness radiating off of them.

"You think that’s funny? You think a night raid by orcs is a joke?" Thorin yelled making me turn to him, he stood up abruptly, his fur coat missing. That's when I realized it was on me, he had laid his coat on me to keep me warm but why? What was his reason for being kind to me?

"We didn’t mean anything by it," Kili stated, looking down at the ground in shame.

"No, you didn’t. You know nothing of the world." Thorin angrily walks off, I had an urge to go try and cheer him up. He did give me his coat, after all, I could at least do something nice. Slowly I made my way over to him, he hadn't sensed my presence yet.

"Thorin?" I called letting out a small yawn. He didn't face me, instead, he kept his gaze pit on the horizon.

"Go away." He ordered but I refused to listen, my feet made their way next to him. He scowled at me, but said nothing else, he only just crossed his arms. His hand caught my attention, it was bigger than most, his fingers were twice the size of mine. Without thinking I tugged on it, making his eyes avert to me. I placed my hand against him, comparing the sizes. "Y/n?" He mutters, wondering what I was up to.

"Your hands, they're so much bigger than mine. For such tiny men, you certainly have large fingers, it's fascinating." I looked up at him, his eyes widened at my comment. "You know as a child I used to wonder what the tiny men of our world looked like, I tried to learn everything about dwarves that I could. My kingdom's library had multiple books about your culture, I have to admit it was interesting to learn about your courting styles."

"You know of our courting ritual?"

"Of course, I know everything about each race. I was a very strange child at that age, yet one question remained unanswered. Why do dwarves keep their hair long?" He smiled at my curiosity, those deep blue ocean eyes stared at me in adoration. Though those furious eyes returned, and he angrily pulled his hand away.

"You shouldn't be asking questions about courting, it's not as if anyone would marry your kind anyway." He lifted his hand, glaring at it in disgust. "Now I have to wash away the filth you have spread upon me." My heart broke a little as if a piece had shred from the flesh. As he stormed off I wondered what ran through his mind, he was the sweet innocent man a few seconds ago. What made him irritated with me? Thorin went back to the place we had been sleeping, and he grabbed his cloak moving to the other side of the camp. Each dwarf turned their head my way, and only three of them grinned at me.

"I'll keep watch," I spoke as I returned to my make-shift bed. It would be better if I stayed away from the others, at least that's not what Kili thought. Cause a few seconds later he plopped down right next to me. "What are you doing? Won't the others scold you for sitting next to me?"

"Who cares, they can argue all they want. No one should be alone, I'll keep watch with you." My heart swelled at his kindness, why was he being so nice to me? Did he believe me than those foolish rumors the others had heard? He frowned slightly, he was serious now. "Are you ok Y/n?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I be? I've dealt with stubborn dwarves before believe me. Their rudeness hardly bothers me anymore." I lied, staring down at my hands. How could this world think such cruel thoughts about my kind, why did Thror have to lie about us? Kili placed his hand on mine to try and calm me, and lightly he caressed it with his thumb.

"You know not all of us hate you, me, Balin, and my brother Fili we know the truth. I told my brother what you told me, and he sort of believes it. You don't seem like the angry ravaging digonisks we've heard about, and besides the reports in those mountains is evidence that your kin is innocent. Speaking of Balin however, he wanted me to tell you that when you get a chance he wishes to speak with you." I glanced over the white-haired dwarf who gave me a small smile. I wonder what he wants to talk to me about? Maybe his politeness was just a ruse to kill me in secret, what if Kili is doing the same? Ever since I've joined the company I haven't thought of the consequences, I treat them as if they're normal men. I have to be more careful if I am to get to the mountain. "You know you should probably get some sleep, we'll need those wings again."

"No, they're orcs not far, they're watching us. I need to be awake just in case they decide to come our way. I appreciate the gesture, sleep Kili, you and your kin are the most important people here after all." He opened his mouth to protest, but kept quiet and snuggled up in his bed. I kept my eyes on the frontier, watching as the orcs scattered away but I knew they would be back, they always come back.

~♪♠♪~

The harsh wind blasted against me, the building fell apart from the ice that covered the bricks. Shouts were heard from all over, but the only I could focus on was my mother's. My legs hurt bad, but her condition was worse, there was an ice shard in her side. It no longer looked like liquid water, instead, it was nothing but a melting ice block of blood.

"Mommy!" I reached out for her, my hand reaching out to try and save her from the man that stood close. His sword was raised ready to strike, and that's when I saw his face. Thorin Oakenshield, the leader of our company.

"Die filth!" His sword came crashing down hard, and as it decapitated her head I shot up. My chest beating fast, it was just a dream, just a dream. Most dwarves were asleep, the only one awake was Kili who was taking over my shift. I had fallen asleep, how could have been so stupid? He could've hurt me, or worse slaughtered me like the rest of my family. My body trembled as he came close to me, worry showing in his brown eyes.

"Kili stay back!" I warned, he raised his hands as a symbol of peace.

"I won't hurt you, I promise...are you alright?" I was shaking violently, and it wasn't because of the wind that blew our way. "Are you cold? Here." He sheds his cloak going to hand it to me but I shake my head.

"N-Nightmare." That was all I managed to get out, he dropped the piece of clothing on the floor and slowly made his way over showing that he had no weapons. When he was close enough he wrapped his arms around me, making me gasp. I didn't hug back, for I was waiting for any sign that this wasn't a nice gesture. It didn't come, he just pulled me closer, and I have to admit the hug was very helpful. I listened to his breathing, and eventually, it helped my heart stop beating at a rapid speed. He smelled of sweat and pine wood, surprisingly it was a soothing smell.

"Want to talk about it?" He whispered, pulling back to look at me as his thumb rubbed softly against my skin as a way to calm me down.

"No, it was just a silly dream. It's not as if you would care anyhow."

"I do care, and just in case another agonizing fantasy comes across your mind I'll sit right here. So if you do have another nightmare I'll be here to help." He gently pulled me into his side, which I hesitantly accepted, and soon I went senseless, succumbing to the darkness.

For the next few days when I wasn't flying above them to keep watch, I rode with Thorin. The more we rode together, the more he didn't mind it. Soon it was like second nature to him, and every morning when it was time to leave he would hold out his hand to help me on the pony. Although he was extra grumpy today as we continued our journey in the woods while riding in the torrential rain.

"Here, Mr. Gandalf? Can’t you do something about this deluge?" Dori begged, but to no avail, nothing could be done. Well at least for them, considering I was a dragon slayer and immune to fire. One of my abilities was magic, and that magic included creating ablaze. I felt Thorin shiver from behind me, and I felt bad. I never did thank him for letting me use his cloak the other night.

"Thorin take the reigns," I ordered, turning around on the horse, immediately he grabbed the reigns as I let go.

"What on earth do you think your doing woman?" He growled, his eyes piercing into my own. Resting a hand upon his chest, he blushed slightly at the contact I used just a little bit of my charms to summon some heat. "What curse are you putting on me? Get your filthy hands off of me!"

"It's not a curse, it's a spell to keep you warm you ass. Now hold still or I just might burn you." He growled and lifted his head to try and see in front of him, I wasn't that tall. After a few seconds of straining his neck to see, he eventually rested his chin on the top of my head lightly. "I'm not your headrest you know."

"Well, I can't see around your thick skull."

"It's not that big! I'm shorter than you!"

"Shorter, but your head is certainly wider. Are you sure you have a brain in there?" I burned him slightly, making him wince.

"Keep talking 'Oh great one' and see where it gets you. Your lucky I'm even giving you warmth, I could just keep it all to myself." I returned the heat to normal and leaned my head on his chest. His breathing went rigid for a second, then slowed down but his heartbeat sped up.

"...What other powers do you have?" He asked, moving closer to my hand to get warmer. I slipped it down to his side, making him jump. "Watch it."

"Other than fire, I have a vast amount of strength. I could rip a tree out of the ground, second I can fly at fast speeds while spreading my wings. Soldiers with wings are called our airborne army, they attack from above and can kill dragons a lot easier. Last but not least, only the royal line can take on the form of a dragon. At least we used to, The Power of The Black Dragon was lost long ago. It is passed down from generation to generation, but the Queen with the ability died along with it." My mother, just a year before my coronation to take on my birthright was gravely injured from the frozen blast caused by men. She passed away, I never got to tell her that I loved her. The last thing I ever said to her was 'I'm scared'. Though I will never forget her last words, 'don't take revenge.'

"How many more are there?"

"Once there were millions of us, and now because of people like you, there is only 1,000. I hope your happy, cause soon we'll be extinct."

"No, cause soon you'll get those reports. And you'll show the world the mistake we caused." He whispered, his comment made my heart swoon. Had he said what I thought he had confessed?

"Thank you." It was all I could say, I felt him smile as he wrapped his arms tightly around me. He was trying to keep me warm like I was doing to him, perhaps he's not like the monster from my dreams.

@fili-is-my-lover @kirenia15 @lunariasilver @depressedchilipepper

[thatshiscigar]

Trapped - Chapter Two

JJ Maybank x Reader

Chapter One

Warnings: slight swearing

Word Count: 1.8k

A/N: chapter three coming soon!

Masterlist

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You woke up the next morning with a pit in your stomach. You knew what you had to do in order to protect yourself. You couldn’t let your self fall into the trap what was JJ Maybank.

You took your time getting up, letting your eyes take in the body next to you, his features glowing under the new sunlight. It hurt so bad to know he’ll never be yours. Yours to love, to protect. You couldn’t handle the pain. It was too fresh of a wound to pour salt into this early in the morning. You couldn’t kick yourself while you were down.

You swiftly got out of bed and gathered your belongings as quickly and quietly as you could. You opened the bedroom door, and the creek sounding from the hinges made you wince. You glanced back to him, making sure he was still sleeping peacefully. You let your eyes linger on him for longer than you should’ve. You were supposed to be leaving and distancing yourself, not staying and falling for him all over again.

You finally ripped your eyes from him, not noticing the tears that were falling freely. You turned away and closed the door behind you, heading to the back door.

“Going somewhere?” The voice made you jump out of your skin. You turned to the couch, only to see John B’s smug little face. He was kneading a little stress ball in his hand.

“Um, yeah! My mom just wanted me home, so,” you jabbed your thumbs in the direction of the door, wanting to escape this conversation as quickly as possible.

“Oh, really? She’s never done that before, has she?” John B could sense your bullshit from a mile away. He always could, and you loved and hated that about him. He stood up from his place on the couch and walked over to you, his eyes burning holes in yours.

“What’s up,” he asked, his tone concerned, like a worried dad.

“Um,” you started, trying to gather your thoughts.

“He still hasn’t told me why, he said it didn’t matter.” You shrugged, desperately trying to play off your nerves.

“No,” John B rested his hand on your shoulder.

“I mean with you.” You looked up at him in surprise. You didn’t expect him to worry about you, especially not with JJ looking like he just his face caved in.

John B’s eyes were comforting. They told you that you could tell him anything, even about your crush on JJ. But you pushed those thoughts away. All they did was remind you of what you couldn’t have.

“Nothings up with me, I’m fine,” you said defensively. It was useless to lie to John B. He was like a bloodhound for the truth, but he didn’t want to press you to talk about something you didn’t want to talk about. He nodded in acceptance.

“Well, whatever’s up with you,” he opened your hand, sliding the stress ball into your palm.

“Take this little guy with you. You need it more than I do.” He closed your fingers around the ball for you, offering you a sympathetic smile. You smiled back, giving a weak thanks. You brought your free hand to his shoulder, giving it a few smalls pats before turning for the door.

“See ya later?” John B asked as you were half way out the door.

“Yeah.” You gave him a half-assed smile and walked out to your car, playing with the stress ball in your hand. You slid it into your backpack.

“Yeah, see you later,” you muttered to yourself. That was one lie John B didn’t catch.

-

It had been two weeks since you’d last seen your best friends, and the only thing keeping you company was the little stress ball. It tore you up inside, but you would rather push your friends away than feel the pain of longing and yearning for something you can’t have.

At first, you told them that your mom needed you to do chores, like, a lot of chores. Like cleaning the kitchen, the mud room, the bathroom, and everything else in between. It was the only lie you had thought of, and it was believable. For a little while. After about a week of “chores”, your friends were starting to get suspicious. Your house wasn’t any bigger than John B’s, or JJ’s, so it didn’t make sense to be cleaning it for a week straight. Your friends also knew your mom, and they knew her well enough to know she’s not the type of person make you stay in to clean the house in the middle of summer, when you should be out with your friends. Your lie was falling apart in front of you.

But they let you hang onto it for a few more days, even though they missed you just as much as you missed them, if not more. They knew if you were really distancing yourself from them, it was for good reason. You wouldn’t just leave them for good without an explanation, but the not knowing drove them insane.

Pope and Kie were concerned. They knew what you were going through the night before you left, and even though they didn’t play role in your distance, they couldn’t help but feel a little bit of guilt. Maybe if they had said more around the fire, you wouldn’t feel the need to push them away

JJ didn’t know how to handle himself. He felt like he drove you away. He knew that this would happen one day. You’d get sick of him, like everyone else in his life, and you’d leave. He didn’t know why it hurt this much, though. He thought he’d been preparing for it pretty well. JJ never let himself get too attached, and he never let you know how he felt about you.

Your last conversation didn’t sit right with John B. He knew something was up with you, and he let it slide. John B was the leader of the group, and even though nobody else knew about your conversation that morning, he felt like he let everyone down. He didn’t find out what was wrong with you, and maybe if he pressed a little bit harder, you wouldn’t be doing this. John B was getting sick of the not knowing. He knew you didn’t really like the whole “let’s talk about our emotions” thing, so when he finally decided to go to your house to see what’s up, he thought it would be best to not bring the peanut gallery.

You were sitting in your room making a friendship bracelet when you heard the familiar rumble of the old van. You ran to your window, your eyes wide as they confirmed what you thought you heard. You busted out of your room to look for your mom, and you quickly found her on the couch, reading the newspaper. Your sudden movements made her jump.

“God, Y/N!” She scolded.

“If one of my friends comes to the door, I’m-“ you were cut off by the doorbell.

“I’m not here!” You quickly shut your bed room door and sat down against it, your head in your hands. You grabbed the stress ball from your night stand, hoping it would live up to its name.

“Hi Ms, Y/L/N, is Y/N here?” You heard John B’s voice through the wood.

“Why yes! Let me get her for you!” Your moms tone was overly cheery, knowing she was so close to getting you out of the house and back out into the world with your friends.

She walked down the small hallway and knocked on your door. Swallowing the stone in your throat, you stuffed the ball in your pocket, stood up, and placed your hand on the doorknob. You hesitated before you twisted it, knowing what conversation awaited you on the other side of that door.

You cracked the door before fully opening it, coming face to face with your mother. Sho offered you a small smile before briskly walking down the small hallway to get to her room, leaving you and John B some privacy. You stepped out of your room, finally exposing yourself to your visitor.

“Hey,” John B said over a breath. Seeing you alive and okay lifted a thousand tons off his shoulders.

“Hey,” you said back, your voice low. You could barley look at him without feeling guilty and ashamed of leaving him in the dark. You moved to your couch and sat down, John B following suit.

“Alright,” he started.

“I’m just gonna cut out the shit, Y/N. What’s going on with you?” He almost sounded mad. He stood up from his place on the couch.

“I mean, you vanished for two weeks with no explanation! And don’t give me that I was doing chores bullshit, we both know that’s a lie.” You kept your eyes to the floor, afraid of meeting his fiery gaze. John B did not like being lied to, and that’s exactly what you’d done.

His face softened when he saw your tears splash on the ground. He felt guilty. He knew he wasn’t going to get anywhere with yelling, he just needed to get his anger out. You had abandoned him and the rest of your friends, and he was scared of losing you for good.

He sat back down next to you, and placed a consoling hand on your knee.

“He misses you, y’know.” John B didn’t have to say his name, you knew who he was talking about.

“He’s drinking more, smoking more, fighting more.” He paused, trying to think of his next words. He knew about your crush on JJ, he wasn’t blind. He recognized the look of jealousy on your face whenever JJ was with flirting with another girl at a party. The look of longing, yearning, and anger was something unmistakeable. He also knew that JJ had a crush on you. He might’ve let it slip one night while he was drunk. He saw you laughing with a touron, and his jealousy rose.

“You keep him together, Y/N,” he whispered. Your eyes shot up to John B’s at the quiet words. You had spent the mast two weeks convincing yourself that you didn’t matter to JJ, that he would always mean more to you than you would to him, but here John B was, the person who knew JJ like the back of his hand, telling you that you were the thing that was keeping JJ from crumbling.

“Come back, Y/N, please.” He grabbed your hand.

Going back to the Chateau wasn’t going to be easy, but if staying away was hurting JJ more than it was helping you, your pain didn’t matter to you anymore. You couldn’t go about your days knowing you were causing the boy that you loved to hurt.

“Yeah,” you said. It was so quiet, John B wasn’t sure you said anything at all. You had to face your feelings head on, or else you’d just keep living like you were.

“Let’s go.”

Taglist: @supremestarkey @lovelymaybankk @blueeyedbesson @whormotional @classywaves @sexytholland @danaerekat @em753 @babyhoneystvles @angelic-boca @milked-down-coffee @dolanfivsosxox @sunwardsss

[phis-corner]

statue of ice

Warning: major character death, fairly graphic description of dead bodies.

Masterlist ◈ Previous ◈ Next

Life goes on. Marinette now adds unscheduled akuma attacks to her daily life, but Jason helps her come up with a multitude of excuses and her grades don’t suffer.

As for Hawkmoth, she simply doesn’t have the resources to find one man in a city of 2.2 million people, but she knows someone who does- Batman. And Robin.

It would be unfair to ask them to prioritize her case over their own, however, especially when a lot more deaths, all of them permanent, stem from their cases, and so she waits and defends Paris. Patience is something she has in spades.

Halfway through the year, a new student appears. Her name is Lila Rossi, and right off the bat, Marinette can tell that she is of the same mold as the conniving businessmen who lie their way through everything, the kind that Janet Drake took extra satisfaction in putting down.

This girl is telling her classmates about how she is Ladybug’s best friend (lie), how she knows who Ladybug is (lie), that she knows famous directors and musicians and celebrities (all lies), and promising them false opportunities that they will rely on to further their careers. That will hurt them. Badly.

Marinette pulls the girl aside at lunch. “Lila, can I speak to you for a moment?”

They walk into an empty classroom, and the brunette flashes her a sickly sweet smile. “Marinette, was it? Alya told me that you like fashion and have a talent for business management. You know, I know a really good-”

“You can stop acting, Lila.” Marinette says sharply. Her gray eyes are cold, and Lila shrinks back a bit as they turn their piercing gaze on her. “You are lying to us. Why?”

The other girl’s smile grows wilder, more feral. “I only tell people what they want to hear.”

“And why do you?” Marinette asks calmly. “Even good lies are only houses of cards that are slightly more stable. Your lies, however, could be toppled over with the lightest breath of air.”

Lila Rossi holds two inches over her, and she tries to use that to her advantage, stepping forward in an attempt to look threatening. “People can’t resist when they hear what they like to hear. You won’t expose me, Marinette. If I think that you are even considering the action, I will turn all your friends, all your classmates, everyone against you. You will be nothing. Absolutely nothing.”

Marinette raises an unimpressed eyebrow. “And how do you plan to do that, exactly? By telling more easily disproved lies? I know your kind, Lila Rossi. I have met people who told bigger and better lies and were far more threatening than you think you are, and I have exposed them for the entire world to see. You think you will be able to turn everyone against me? Think again.”

The brunette opens her mouth, olive eyes furious, then closes it again. Marinette mentally notes that she looks like a fish. Eventually, Lila gives up and storms out of the classroom.

.o0o.

After school, she is drawing in the park when she spots Lila, who is reading a very ancient-looking book.

Inside her purse, Tikki gasps. “That book’s been missing for over a hundred years! Marinette, we need to get that book!”

As they watch, Lila throws it in a trash can, to which Tikki shrieks in outrage, and stands to meet Adrien Agreste, clinging to him like a leech.

Tikki takes this as her chance, and dives into the trash can, struggling to lift the book out. Marinette takes it from her hands and frowns as she flips through it.

“A book about… miraculous holders? Why would she have this?” Marinette tunes back into the ongoing conversation.

“Not only did Ladybug save my life, we've become very close friends because we have something very special in common- it's what I wanted to tell you about. I'm the descendant of a vixen superheroine myself, Volpina.” Lila tells an enraptured Adrien.

“Volpina?” Adrien says. “I think I read about her in my book!” He moves to open his bag, but Lila’s hand stops him.

So she stole it from Adrien. Marinette should return it to him, but not without recording the contents. They look important.

Marinette quickly and efficiently snaps photos of the pages (because eidetic memory couldn’t be shared with other people) while Lila prattles on about how Volpina is much more powerful than Ladybug.

As soon as she is finished, Marinette exits the park and ducks into a nearby alley to transform, choosing to approach the pair as Ladybug to disprove a few of Lila’s lies while she’s at it.

“Hello, sorry to interrupt, but does this book belong to you, Monsieur Agreste?” She asks, and revels in the expression on Lila’s face.

“Wait.” The blond says, and frowns when he sees that his bag is indeed missing the book. “Yes, yes it does, but how did you find it, uh, Miss Ladybug, ma’am?”

“I witnessed the young lady next to you throw it into a trash can.” Ladybug replies calmly. “It looked quite expensive, and once I inferred that it belonged to you, I thought you would want it back.”

“You stole my book and threw it in a garbage can?” Adrien whirls on Lila, outraged. “This book belongs to my father! It’s priceless!”

Ladybug files that tidbit away for later. “Monsieur Agreste, perhaps you should refrain from bringing priceless books to public places. Mademoiselle Rossi, please refrain from using my name to further your own popularity. I haven’t met you before today, and we are certainly not best friends. Additionally, do not use the necklace you purchased from Gabriel’s most recent jewelry line to try and convince his son that you are a superhero. If word got out, you would be in a lot of danger.”

“You lied about that too? Was anything you said true?” Adrien asks, and Lila buries her face in her hands, pretending to cry, but her shoulders do not shake.

“I- I just wanted to make you like me!” She fake sobs before running off.

.o0o.

Ladybug really doesn’t understand how her partner doesn’t realize that something is wrong when a huge asteroid manages to make it all the way into the inner atmosphere without being detected by the multitude of satellites orbiting Earth. Really, he should have been suspicious by then.

After the whole incident is over, Tikkit takes her to meet the Guardian, who turns out to be the old man she saved on her first day of school. Marinette is not impressed with the man, but sends him the pictures of the book that she took because the book was apparently a hundreds-of-years-old grimoire passed down by the Order of the Guardians. Who knew.

If this book was in Adrien’s father’s hands, there is a good chance that Gabriel Agreste is either working with or is Hawkmoth. Marinette texts Jason about her suspicions, and they agree to investigate. 

Jason repeats that one line of his, “I’ll always be here if you need me”, which makes her smile even though he must have said it a dozen times over by now.

Marinette realizes that she’s grown to need and rely on his support, and that she’s perfectly fine with it.

.o0o.

“I want to find my birth mom.” Jason tells her. “She’s in Ethiopia.”

Marinette frowns. “And Bruce will let you leave? Three-quarters of the way through the school year?”

Jason gives her his signature lopsided smirk over the video call. “By the time he realizes I’m gone, it’ll be too late.”

Marinette sighs. “Look, Jay, I won’t try and dissuade you from finding your birth mother if that’s what you want to do.” Janet Drake flashes through her mind, always cold and distant, the majority of her memories of her mother being her exiting the house to leave on another trip. “Just… remember that just because she gave birth to you, doesn’t mean that she will be a good person, or a good mother.”

“‘Kay.” Jason smiles, blue eyes dancing. “We’ll still keep in touch, right, ‘Nette?”

“Of course.” Marinette returns the smile, though hers is smaller and more awkward. Her facial muscles are still unused to the movement.

“Great.” Her closest friend beams. “And remember, I’ll always be here if you need me. That will never change, no matter what.”

.o0o.

Syren happens while Jason is in Ethiopia, and it is the first time she has seen so many bodies.

Seventy-five percent of the city- 1.65 million people estimated to have drowned. Ladybug brought them make, and they don’t remember anything. Their memories are blank gaps, voids that will never be filled for their own sanity.

But the survivors aren’t so lucky. She remembers, and there were so many bodies, so many corpses, just floating facedown on the surface of the water, elderly men and women and infants and everyone in between, with a handful of crying survivors on the tallest roofs-

Marinette stifles a sob. So many, and the only thing Chat Noir cared about was that she was keeping a secret from him. She had every right to keep secrets, but he seemed to think that the fact that they were partners meant they had to share everything, including their identities.

She needs to get this out of her head, to think of anything else. There are only two people that can help her right now, and she is only in contact with one.

Her finger hits Jason’s icon, and it goes straight to voicemail.

That never happens. Jason’s phone is never shut off, he has a policy of always answering his calls unless it’s extremely important, then he declines the call and fires a text explaining why. Marinette tries again.

“Hey! This is Jason Todd-Wayne! Leave a message!”

And again.

“Hey! This is Jason Todd-Wayne! Leave-”

And again.

“Hey! This is-”

Cold dread settles in the pit of her stomach. Something is wrong. Very wrong.

Nette: Jason, when you get this, call me. Please.

Nette: I have a really terrible feeling and my intuition is never wrong, but I need it to be just this one.

Nette: I need to know you’re okay.

Nette: Please, Jay.

A day passes without any response. Then two. Then three.

On the third day, the news app on her phone sends her a headline.

BRUCE WAYNE’S SECOND SON KILLED IN EXPLOSION IN ETHIOPIA!

No. This couldn’t be true, fake news exists, false reports of celebrity deaths happen all the time, it can’t be true-

Before she registers what she’s doing, Marinette hits Tim’s contact, and before she can hang up, the call goes through. 

“Marinette?” His voice is tentative, but there is something else, an undertone of… sadness?

“Tim, I’m so sorry for bothering you, but Jason isn’t responding to my messages and my calls are going straight to voicemail and I have a really bad feeling-” Marinette is in near hysterics, which has never, ever happened.

“Marinette.” Tim’s voice wobbles, and she knows that whatever he says next is not good news.

“The second Robin is dead.”

.o0o.

She decides to take the zeta tube, finally using one of his last gifts to her.

When Tim returns home from school, Marinette is standing in front of the doors of Drake Manor, a tentative smile on her face, and he runs towards her, bike abandoned at the entrance.

Marinette buries her face in her brother’s neck (he’s gotten so tall) and inhales the familiar scent of coffee and linen. The smell of home.

Home was never the cold, empty manor or the City of Lights. Home had always meant Tim.

She was home.

.o0o.

They hold their own little memorial, placing a framed photo of Robin in a hollow oak tree in the vast woods that is their backyard. 

Marinette swears to herself to never forget anything about him. Jason Peter Todd-Wayne had midnight hair and clear blue eyes that glinted when he smiled his trademark lopsided smirk, which always appeared before he got into mischief. 

He had a tiny splash of freckles across his nose and a raspy laugh from years of inhaling cigarette smoke, both first and secondhand. He loved classical literature, especially Jane Austen, and could recite almost all of Shakespeare’s plays by heart. He was intelligent and brave and stubborn, always ready to stand up to oppressors of any kind.

Robin loved the feeling of running on rooftops. He loved protecting his city, and loved being a hero. (Vigilante, he would have corrected.) He was the one that helped her through one of the worst days of her life. He inspired her to keep the earrings on and be a hero, to do what was right.

He made her smile on her good days, comforted her on the bad ones, and was always there for here, like he promised to be.

She thinks she may have loved him, and that is what breaks her.

A tear trails down her face, then another, and then she is sobbing, wailing, in front of a photo in a tree of a masked boy in a colorful costume. Her brother wraps an arm around her as her shoulders shake, his own silent tears sliding down his face.

You said you would always be here if I needed you, Jason. Well, I need you right now, more than ever. You said you would be here. Where are you?

Previous ◈ Next

...sorry?

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[dreamescapeswriting]

Middle Of The Night ~ KTH [Request]

↬↬↬Word Count: 3.5K

↬↬↬Genre: Fluff, college AU, angst, fuck boy!Taehyung, song request [Monsta X - Middle Of The Night]

↬↬↬Pairing: Kim Taehyung x Fem!Reader

↬↬↬A/N: This song is perfect for those late night drives and now I want that, someone take me out (with a gun or long car ride I don’t mind which)

Taehyung was staring down at his phone expecting it to start ringing but there was nothing there, it was normally this time of night that you could call him and ask if he was going to pick you up to hang out. Both of you had an arrangement which had recently been brought to an end, his own fault really and if he'd had known it was going to affect him this much he never would have started it in the first place. He'd had plenty of the same arrangement with girls before you but there was something about you drew him in and brought him back whenever he thought he couldn't be there anymore. His thumb hovered over your name in his phone debating with himself on if he should call you or not when another example of why you weren't like the others came into his head, you had your name and a cute emoji beside it whereas the others all used to have ''Girl #1'' or whatever number they were to him but you took priority. You'd taken over the number one spot and become the only one, it took a while but all of the girls he used to sleep with become nothing but dirty memories to him. All of them ditched and long forgotten as if they never had existed to him, their names were all there in his phone of course and he could have called any of them to keep him company but there was just one problem with that. They weren't you and they were never going to be you.

He came out of the contacts app and went to his photos clicking on yours and switching through everything that was inside, once again you were different. The others used to all be filled with the girl's nudes that they'd send him but you'd never send him anything like that, these were all cute images of you and him together. Something he never would have allowed with anybody else ever no matter the circumstances. All he wanted to do was drive down and see you, he wanted to sit with you in the car and talk to you for hours like you used to. What was he thinking?! He threw his phone down onto the bed and ignored the feelings that were creeping into him. The whole arrangement started so that he wouldn't have to catch feelings for someone, relationships were far too much to hassle and time to waste on but you told him you wouldn't sleep around with him. That you wanted something other than sleeping with him, you didn't want him to just 'hit and quit it' he laughed at the memory of you telling him that. 

He'd invited you out to go for a ''drive'' but by that he meant he took you to a layby, pulled up and expected you to start sucking his dick as though you knew what the invite had been - you didn't you thought it was just an invite to hang out with someone in the same class as you - He was surprised when you didn't just start sucking his dick, he'd assumed you'd hooked up with guys before but you told him you'd only ever been with your ex-boyfriend. 

Sure you'd slept together after a few more meetings together but that was after he stopped seeing the other girls and started taking you seriously and hanging out and getting to know him some more. His nights were no longer spent alone like they used to, he would stay in your dorm room or you would go to his as long as none of your friends was around. It was one of the only rules that you had included in his little arrangement, no telling anybody what you were doing and who you were doing it with.

The alarm clock beside his bed kept blinking the same four numbers at him - 00:00 - trying to torture him and let him know that he'd fucked up. The rest of the universe seemed to be against him for doing what he'd done but it was for the best, wasn't it? Leaving you there and ending things was the better thing for you both, it would have been cruelty dragging it out longer than it had to be. But then again, he'd been with you, doing the same thing for a year now and maybe that was bigger cruelty. Letting you think that there was something going on between you when there truly wasn't, not in his mind at least. But in yours there was. In your mind you had been changing him for the better, getting him out of his fuck boy ways and finally getting through to him that there was a relationship worth pursuing between you both.

"I thought you wanted this!" You yelled at him as he began packing up his clothes into his bag, he'd come over for the week since your roommates were all home for the Christmas holidays. You and Taehyung both stayed back for different reasons, he stayed back because nobody back home wanted him to go home for the holidays and you stayed because you didn't want him to be alone though you didn't tell him that. You told him it was because your mother was going away on some bullshit holiday you'd made up on the spot.

"You thought I wanted this?! Seriously?" He yelled looking at you, you felt a pit in your stomach as you noticed the look in his eyes, it was anger mixed with hurt and you knew Taehyung. He was going to swing it all around so he wouldn't have to feel anything, it was what he did. He projected his emotions onto everybody else so he wouldn't have to feel anything he was going through, he didn't do feelings. He hated feelings they got in the way of anything good in the world. 

"I don't want this! I don't want this kind of lifestyle and I especially, don't. Want. You." His words sank into you like bullets and your bottom lip shook as you realised he meant every word that he was saying to you. Taehyung looked down at his feet knowing this was going to kill you but it was going to be easier for you to hate him than to love him,

"Why do this? Why put on a whole show for a year just to leave me?!" You were crying now but it wasn't going to let it bother him, he couldn't just stop what he was doing because you were crying he had to do this. He'd already convinced himself that he had to leave you. 

"Because I was using you, fucking you was fun." He pushed out the laugh he didn't want to use, it was how he broke up with each girl he slept with. Except with you, he didn't mean it, he never wanted to mean it with you he never wanted to hurt you.

"You were a good fuck but you're getting boring, I'm one guy with a big dream." You stared at him as he continued to go on about how this wasn't what he wanted. All you'd done was put up a tiny Christmas tree and buy him a small present, it was nothing big just something small. A keychain with a photo of you and him on the inside that when you pushed the button it lit up. 

"It was a stupid idea, I take it back. You don't need to keep the chain." You tried to get him to stay but it wasn't going to work, 

"You're right, it was stupid but you can't take it back. You caught feelings and you know what that means. Game over." He was too good at this speech, he'd played it so many times with everyone else but your heart was being held in his hands. He was crushing it ever so slowly and he could tell by the look in your eyes it was killing you more than you were going to show him right now. He had to get out of there before he took it all back and told you he didn't mean it.

"See you around babe," He said as he walked past you and out of the front door of your apartment leaving you. 

He just left you standing there, he looked back at you and you were on the floor crying he remembered it like it was yesterday but it had happened two weeks ago. Since then you hadn't been seen in your classes and your friends would bring in your projects that were due. He'd thought he'd never need you but he needed to see you and he needed to see you now, he missed showing up to class and seeing your smiling face as you were genuinely excited to learn about something. He missed being able to call you at night and talk to you about whatever was on his mind,

"Fuck this," He grunted grabbing his car keys and his phone rushing out of his dorm room, ignoring his roommate's questions as to where he was going when he walked past them and he sprinted down the stairs. He had to get to you before he regretted it even more. 

Taehyung didn't care that it was the middle of the night and he was on his way to your apartment, he knew you'd be awake you couldn't sleep without him next to you, you'd told him that a bunch of times. The red light in front of him seemed to be taking forever to change so he looked around where he was, the motel he'd taken you to for your first night was right there. Motel room number 6, he'd kept the keychain from that night in his sock drawer back at the dorm so that no one could find it and find out how soft for you he truly was for you. He flicked on the radio and a song faded out as a man took over the signal, 

"We're going to slow it down a little for all those on a late-night drive, Middle of the Night by Monsta X." He knew this song, you played it whenever you went for drives together, especially the longer ones. You made a playlist for each of your late-night adventures - you always called them adventures even if it was just a trip to a Mcdonalds or something like that. It was one of the things that Taehyung loved about you. His eyes shot open. Loved. Loved about you. The light turned green and he pushed his accelerator down onto the floor and began driving to you as fast as he could, all of the memories you had in the car seeping back into his brain as if he was in a movie everything running through his head like a black and white movie. Your first kiss together was the most prominent moment in his mind, 

"You could always study by yourself you know," You said as Taehyung kept annoying you. Poking you continuously with his pencil as he tried to get you to give him your notes from your studying. 

"I could, but there's no fun in that." He whispered looking at you. You were both sitting in his car working by torchlight and the street light that was sneaking in through his sunroof. 

"Life isn't always fun you know Tae," You giggled and it was like music to his ears, seeing the way you smiled as you said his nickname sent butterflies to his stomach and he could have grabbed you and kissed you. But you'd already made it clear that you were both just friends until he decided to clear up his act,

"What?" You questioned when you noticed him staring at you, he just shook his head. 

"I'm just realising how beautiful you are under streetlight light," You groaned at how cheesy he was being and you pushed him away from you, 

"You're blocking my light, fat head." You joked and he pretended to be offended turning away from you and pouting out his bottom lip. He shook his head as you tried to get him to talk to you. Poking him in the sides, asking him to talk to you, 

"What will it take for you to talk to me again?" You whined out but he kept his eyes on the street outside his window, 

"If I kiss you will you forgive me?" His head shot around to look at you and you smirked knowing it was something that he wanted and it was something you'd wanted almost as bad as he did. 

"Kiss me." You whispered to him, he didn't need to be told twice. He moved away from the window and put his hand on your cheek soothing your skin as he stared into your eyes, he had to make sure you were sure you wanted him to kiss you. 

"Just kiss me you big idiot," You groaned at him and his lips pressed against yours. It was a soft and slow kiss at first, his thumb rubbing your skin as he softly kissed you in the car, your hands worked their way around the back of his neck to bring him closer to you and it was as if your touch heated up his skin. He could feel himself blushing as you kissed him back, fireworks were exploding around you both as you made out in the front seat of his car.

"And I'll be on the way in the middle of the night, its something in the way you've been running my mind." He slammed the car door as he pulled up outside your apartment after what felt like an eternity in the car alone without you there. Your dorm light was on so he knew you were awake but he could also see that your roommate was awake, he went to reach for a stone to knock on your window with when it hit him. He didn't want to hide it anymore, he walked up to the front door with confidence and began knocking loudly.

Your eyes looked away from the keychain in your hand - you'd been sitting there for who knows how long, turning the small light on and off and staring at the photo - then out of the window out of habit. It was something you'd picked up after being with Tae, he'd either text you to tell you he was there or throw small rocks at the window, you presumed the street would be empty but there it was, the black jeep you'd spent most of the last year in you threw down the sheets from your legs and rushed down the stairs before your roommates came out of their rooms. 

"I've got it." You yelled with a little too much enthusiasm for someone who'd been ''dumped'' by the guy who was at the door. The closer you got to the door the more you began to overthink why he was there though, maybe he was there to rub it in that he had somebody else now but from what you remembered. He'd left the car engine running and his lights were on, your hand held onto the handle of the door questioning on whether or not to open it.

The door opened and Taehyung was walking back to his car with his head hanging low, 

"What are you doing here?" Your voice was music to his ears, he turned around and practically ran over to you, 

"You got me," He panted before grabbing your face and connecting your lips together. It was as if no time had passed, all of the feelings came crashing back to both of you like waves, your hands wrapped around his neck as you stood up on your tiptoes to reach him probably and he licked your bottom lip asking for entrance which you gave him. 

Once reality caught back up to you you both pulled away but he held you close to him, laying his head on your forehead as he stared down into your eyes. He was panting out of breath from the kiss and you could feel his heart racing as you placed the palm of your hand on his chest,

"If you want me to stay for the rest of my life, you got me." You stared at him confused for a second trying to come to terms with everything that was happening. 

"I'm yours. I was an idiot okay, I backed away because I was scared." You were trying to keep up with him as he spoke so fast you thought he was going to pass out. 

"Sit down." You whispered sitting him down on the step in front of your apartment door, you reached up to shut the door so no one would see him this way, you knew it was the last thing he would want right now. 

"I want to be yours, all yours. I said all of those things because I thought it would be easier." 

"Easier for who? Me or you?" You whispered trying to think about everything he'd said two weeks ago. You'd spent the last two weeks locked in your dorm room refusing to do anything or see anybody because of everything he'd said to you, it wasn't just something he could come back from. 

"I thought it would be easier for me, I tried to get out once I saw how much I was starting to care for you...I love you and I'm an idiot...I'm so used to everyone just leaving me that I thought you'd leave me." You stared at him as he admitted all of this to you, you knew he had problems at home with his family. His father left him and his mum, then his mum left him and he was forced to move in with your grandparents and even they didn't want him. He told you everything about his life, he didn't want to at first but everything about you drew him in and made him want to share his life with you. 

"I was scared of loving you, scared of getting close to you so I pushed you away but I'm going out of my mind for you." Your eyes locked together as you realised he was being serious for the first time, he was tearing up as he spoke about everything he'd been dying to tell you for the last two weeks. 

"You love me?" He nodded and this time you cupped his face in your hands, running your thumb under his eyes to remove the tears that were rolling down there. 

"I love you, only you." He whispered repeatedly as he felt your hand on his face, you went to move it away but he stopped you. He put his on top of it not wanting you to leave him just yet but you weren't going to leave him, 

"I love you too Tae," His eyes opened as heard you standing up trying to take your hand back, he stood up with you and you looked at the car. 

"Where are we going? I thought your roommates were home,"

"They are," He answered looking to the car and back to you wondering what you were talking about, 

"Well I can't invite you in, the girls are all home." You whispered but he shook his head rushing to the car and pulling his keys from the engine, 

"So what?" You stared at him with wide eyes, 

"You want them to know?" He nodded coming over to you and wrapping his arms around your waist, your arms went around his neck as you just stood there together enjoying the moment. 

"You got me, I want everyone to know." Your small smile turned into a huge one as you realised you weren't going to have to hide being in love with him anymore,

"Let's go then." You whispered pushing the front door open and walking inside, it looked different to the last time he was there. All of the directions were away. You led him to your bedroom and looked around, 

"I think I have a pair of your shorts here somewhere," He looked around the room as you went into your wardrobe, he went to the side of your bed and found the keychain you'd been playing with right before he came to the door. He smiled as he slid it onto his car keys and began turning the light on and off, looking at the photo of you both. It was one of your dates, he'd taken you to the beach and you took a photo of you kissing his cheek while he ate a doughnut. Now it was going to sit there on his keys and remind him how much he loved you not that he needed reminding when he could feel it in his heart all of the time.

Tagline: 

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[sainadazai]

When your crush is angry all the time

Ch.6

"A red haired bitch that glows"

2nd person pov

°•○●○•°•○●○•°•○●○•°

You weren't sure how things could even possibly move so quick, but as fire burned and terrifying creatures tormented citizens, all You could do was stand. Nomus, is what endeavour called them. Some gross being that seemed to have multiple quirks, you'd never seen anything like them. 

Even with all of the times you'd been beaten and interrogated and harassed by villains, nothing like this ever happened. It could have been the fact that you spent most of your young life hiding away in a castel in the middle of nowhere, but seeing all this destruction froze you in place. 

"Kid, help get the citizens out of here! Do not engage in combat, understand? Hey! L/n!"

You broke the terrified stare that was burning into the ruined city streets to meet eyes with your boss. He seemed so calm, even though everything was going wrong. The world was quite literally burning. Those monsters were hurting people. There were screams of horror, and still his calm demeanor was all you could focus on. How was he so calm? 

"Now!"

His yell broke You from your trance and you scrambled around, eyes searching for someone, anyone to get the hell out of here. However there wasn't just one, there were hundreds. Some under building scraps, trapped behind fire burning the streets. Too many people, too much noise, it was never this loud back home. Why could you just focus?! 

One of those boys from earlier today let our scream. You only recognized it because it was the same as how he'd screamed at bakugou earlier. You whipped your head around looking for his sound, body, anything. Spinning in circles until you caught that little red shirt cowering beneath one of those things. 

"Hold on, i'm coming!" You didn't know if he could hear you, the statement was more a confirmation to yourself. You wouldn't stand there cowering. You didnt wanna be the helpless princess waiting to be saved. You were going to save others, it was like an instinct, like you had to. 

Being unsure of your abilities with vines and plants, you opted to use a power long ago mastered. Twirling your pointer finger in a circle to slowly collect wind into a tiny ciclone and build it up bigger and bigger. This action disrupted the wind in the area, some of the bystanders' hair began flowing with the force of it, getting shivers from the chill. 

Then with all the focus you could muster you let your eyes bored right into the head of that nomu aiming with your mind and following the action with your finger. Then, with a snap, the ciclone flew off towards it, lifting it into the air and growing larger the more he struggled. 

You felt the pressure of all that wind, and its body on your back. Hundreds of pounds of pressure on your spine, but adrenaline forced you forward. Sprinting to the boy in the red shirt, crouching down under all that weight to wipe away his tears. You completely ignored how underdressed you were and brought his small form into a tight embrace, whispering sweet nothings to which you didn't know you could say. 

It all felt so wrong, so opposite to what you wanted, but you couldn't help it. Grazing the lasso on your thigh an idea sprouted in your mind as to how you could get this crushing weight off of your back. You let the boy down telling him to stay behind you. 

Don't engage in combat. 

Do not engage. 

Get them out of here. 

Ignoring your mentors words, you snatched the lasso off of your thigh, doing as you were taught and lighting it ablaze, if your mother was thinking straight, she'd have it made of mineral wool- fire retardant and easily manipulated. The flames would not be actually catching on anything but the air, therefore saving her from an uncontrollably fire. 

As it lit up your hair not only changed, but shined a bright red. It was so brilliant that it lit up the area around you, the boy behind you shocked and the people in the vicinity scared. 

However, you had a hero suit on. That meant to them, that you were trustworthy. 

You swing the lasso all but twice above your head before releasing the ciclone, and the pressure on your back, and whipping it towards the monster. 

It had activated some sort of electricity quirk once free from the wind and as the lasso made contact, rather than burning and bringing the nomu to the ground, it sent a high-powered electrical current through your already spent body. 

You should have stopped there, tossed the kid out of the way and called for help. Yet, for some reason you couldn't. Being shocked only numbed the pain on your spine more, and upped your adrenaline. Bad news for mr.nomu, huh? 

"Whew, that's one way to boost your energy huh, kid?"

 You smirked back at the worried boy behind you, hoping a joke would lighting the mood now. Similar to how you would joke in class yo avoid any real emotions or connections. 

Only, now, it held the benefit of an adorable smirk appearing on his face and a little giggle exciting his mouth. 

"Watch this!" 

Despite being electrocuted your lasso was still intact, so you took to attacking it around the monster's leg and pulling back towards you. Once it was too close for your liking, you shot a roundhouse kick into the empty space in front of you. It seemed like a fruitless action, until the surrounding citizens noticed how the wind around them mirrored your actions with equal force. 

The nomu went flying out of the city, likely landing somewhere around hosu (😏Yes, hosu) and you released the pressure on your leg. 

As soon as you took the time to inhale, your back gave out, and you fell to the ground. 

However you hadn't given up, using the little burst you could make with your fingers, you shot several people away from the mess with winds. Then, after what you counted to be person number 34, you gave out and the world went black. 

The heroes in the area who were not distracted by nomus had been paying close attention to your actions, surprised they haven't seen you in the sports festival, or anywhere for that matter. 

Mr. Woods was disappointed at the initiative you took, knowing how injured you must be from being out of practice with most parts of your quirk. However when endeavour informed the other pros of some sort of incident in hosu, he was forced to leave you there. Limp body cold against the concrete. 

When doctors and healers arrived, you were one of the first in an ambulance and on the road to the hospital, and the news reports of your body being wheeled off were matched with that of your battle with the nomu. Streaming across all platforms and displaying on one particular tv screen, in the hotel room of one fire quirked boy. 

A boy who truly was noticing he had no idea what you were capable of. A boy who was angry you'd been holding it back in class. One who had been thinking of the way you spoke of fire to that little boy all day, and above all a boy who was entranced by the glow of your hair when it turned red. 

Bakugou wasn't sure how to process these overwhelming feelings towards you, the stalker girl who said dumb shit about his eyes. Still, after seeing that video, the feeling your own eyes held, staring up at that devilish creature. He could no longer say he didn't know what you meant by being obsessed with the look in his eyes. He was now too. 

A six year old girl struggled against her restraints tirelessly. She has a power that she doesn't know how to use, and yet these men want to take it from her. There is one door exit, it's blocked by tall men in black suits. The whole room echoes with screams from children. It crashes against the walls and her little ears, and she cant get it to stop. 

Why was this happening to her? Why couldn't she do anything to stop it? 

"Please, just let my brother go! Please I'll do anything. Im sorry. Im sorry. Plea-"

Her words are stopped by a suffocating hand, larger than her whole face, it reeks of bleach. Her little eyes can only release so many tears before they are running over the hands knuckles, wetting his skin with her despair. The man doesn't care, though. The men never seem to care. 

Her brother, only two years old, cries in a stranger's arms. The stranger showed her how he could completely disassemble any object, or put it back together. What a horrible powerful quirk. With something like that, she really couldn't tell why he needed hers too. Still, he did. 

So the tiny boy whined in his firm hold, terrified, but not sure why. They both just wanted their Mommy. Mommy always comes to save them, she and her friends will take them home. To the castle, with the comfy beds, the pillowy blankets that their small bodies float on like clouds. 

Not this rough metal wall, with arms chained, and bruises forming from their so-called interrogation. Why didn't they understand? 

She doesn't know how to give her quirk away. She is only six, after all. 

Mommy told her that men are greedy. Men like these have all they want and still need more. They take things, without asking. They took her and her brother without asking, so where was Mommy? To tell these men that you aren't supposed to take things, or hit people. 

Where are their mommies? Did no one tell them hitting people is bad? Especially smaller people. Is that why the men are bad? Because they didn't have a Mommy or daddy to tell them how to be good? The little girl is lost in a pit of sympathy. Sympathy that she does not owe these horrible men, yet she can't help it. 

"I don't give a shit princess, your brother can go home when you give us the quirk."

"Mommy never told me how! I'm sorry míster that you don't have a mo-mommy!" She sobre through the rough palm over her mouth. At the response he removed his grip, though. Opting to allow the girl her voice. 

"P-please. I'm sorry, I'm sorry no one told you not to be mean. It's okay though! My Mommy will come, she'll tell you, okay! Please j-just-" though her words held great meaning to those men in suits-bad men- she couldn't finish. Her sobs were too loud and violent. Her little arms shook, because though she was such a sweet little girl,she was terrified. 

Her cheeks hurt from screaming and tensing to release tears.  Her arms hurt from being suspended at her sides. Her little legs had lost all feeling, gone numb under the pressure of standing for so long. She just wanted to go home, to keep her brother safe. 

Even being only six, she felt so stupid for being so helpless. It was her job to protect their family quirk, but she wanted to give it up. More so, even though she wanted to give it away, she didn't even know how. 

A small, weak girl, helpless really. She never wanted to be helpless like that again. 

"Now!" His hand collided with her cheek. Hard, swinging, jaw snapping pressure. It rang through her ears, like her baby brothers sobs, til she shot up from her bed. 

-

-

-

Sweat covered by/ns face as she jolted awake in her bed. Around her were some unrecognizable faces, or that's what she thought at first. Except, in truth, they were simply blurred in her eyes. 

As she was taught when she was little, she began recounting things to herself that might make her come back to reality. Might help ease the fear of her dream. 

- I am not 6 years old 

-my brother is at home in the castle 

-im not in a warehouse 

-those men are in prison 

-i am alive 

As she was repeating each of those truths in her head, her eyesight began to come back so that she could recognize the faces of those around her. Three boys: todoroki, midoriya, and iida. 

Midoriya was furthest from her, as she now noticed she was on a bed. Then iida, and closest was todoroki. The familiarity of his stone face gave y/n great comfort. However, he looked troubled.

The three boys in the hospital room with her were truthfully at a loss. This girl who had been at their school for one week, had proved more honest and heroic than them. After being scolded by the chief of police, they were each confronting their own feelings about the events.

However, each came to the conclusion that y/n was the only participating hero-in-training that followed the rules and fought earnestly. Little did they know, she had been breaking rules too, except her wouldn't be hid so easily. 

What were the police meant to do, a teenage girl-princess no less- save countless lives, that heroes were neglecting, and its broadcast all over japan. Unlike in the boys' case, where the media didn't even have to know, everyone had already seen her heroism, but they had no idea where she came from. 

Some viewers pointed out her position as a princess, but no one expected to see her in a hero outfit anytime soon. They knew what happened was illegal, but what backlash would they face for arresting her. Could they even arrest her? 

Still, all y/n knew was that she was scared, and she needed to hide it as deep within her as it could reach. No one likes a cry baby, anyway. 

"Oh..uh, hey guys?"

The first to look up was the green haired, face widening in surprise and worry. 

"Y/n! Y-you're up!? Wait, don't sit up yet..um they said your bac-"

"You left damage on all your thoracic vertebrae. You could have killed yourself with that amount of pressure!" 

Todoroki interrupted. Face still void of emotion, but his voice held anger. 

Making sure to agnowledged how touched she was that he cared at all, y/n then quickly brushed it off. In the mood for jokes, not fights. She just finished fighting, why would she wanna argue some more about it? 

"Aww~todoroki, were you worried about me?"

"Yes. It was stupid of you to use your quirk like that, out of practice and such." 

"Um-"

"There's no um. he is right y/n, i didn't know your quirk could do that, but you obviously haven't been keeping it in practice during class, that was really risky..." midoriya added on in a ramble. 

Feeling a bit cornered she settled for sighing and staring up at the ceiling. 

"Can I walk?"

"No" 

"Why not?"

"Did you not here the whole vertebrae thing, i-"

"No, I did, but I don't feel any pain...is it not healed?"

"I'm not really sure, we can ask.."

So slowly but surely, the boys helped her sit up, and yes, she did feel an immense pain shoot through her. Additionally, she was compensated with shoto conspiracizing about his negativo afecta on peoples hands, getting to know these classmates better. They even let her in on why they were in the hospital to begin with. 

She would have to admit, though these boys being around made her happy, she was still thinking about bakugou. Was he in the area during the fight? Is he okay? Why do I give a shit about that mean old fact face anyway? Oh, right. His eyes. 

The rest of her time was spent ignoring the extreme trauma these events reminded her of, and fantasizing about those angry eyes. 

Bakugou pov 😡

°•○●○•°•○●○•°•○●○•°

There the bitch was, right on my hotel tv screen, fighting the same fight on replay. Those media bastards hasn't stopped talking about her all day. How even when she was barely alive on the ground, she kept saving people. 

I know it wasn't about me, hell, I wasn't even there, but it feels like a taunt. Some karma cause I called her an entitled princess, or her purposefully saying "Look what I can do." 

Well I fucking am. Looked like some sort of wind quirk, but I saw her use fire with those kids, and in class she makes that plant shit. So what the hell is she? She thinks having multiple quirks makes her better than me? Good enough she doesn't have to use them all just to beat me? Thats bullshit. 

I'm just so fucking angry at her for it, but I have to be. Or else, the next time they show her shitty face on that shitty screen, looking

...shitty, i'll start to worry. 

That maybe she has only been here for a week, but she is already gone. That the whole time at school she spent avoiding me, to make me happy. Worrying I'll never hear her say what she looks at in my eyes. 

In her eyes, that night, I saw pure rage. It almost looked as if she couldn't control it. An impending anger that loomed over her, and controlled her; made her strong. Not stronger than me, but strong. 

Still, I can't go "falling for'' every girl that I see with strength. If a dunce 's face hadn't told me that feeling I had at the festival was a crush, I could have spared myself a week worth of it, I don't even know what. 

Stupid dunce face. 

Now, though, that shitty princess, even if she is shitty. Well, she has at least my respect.