#i was like. i need. to give her dramatic lighting. and blood. and my favourite colour scheme [red and black]

[thedeafprophet]

Artfight attack for @rainrein's Marlowe. I love terrible women 👍👍👍

[fawnme1]

THE SOFTEST THING — WILLNE

CHAPTER FOUR

previous part ,, next part

──★ ˙🧷 ̟ !!

You weren’t supposed to be in the video.

You’d tagged along with Joe and Alfie mostly for moral support and free snacks. The Sidemen were shooting some kind of chaotic, unscripted Truth or Dare special, and they were short one person after someone bailed last-minute. That’s when Tobi looked at you and went, “Wait, get her in. She’s funny.”

Joe, of course, lit up like a christmas tree. “Yes! Oh my god, yes. She’s perfect.”

“She’s also not wearing makeup from camera,” you protested weakly, already knowing resistance was futile.

“That’s the raw aesthetic Gen Z wants,” Alfie said, throwing an arm ariound you dramatically. “It’s cinema, babe.”

And just like that, you were mic’d up and seated between Joe and Will on one of those weird gamer-style couches that didn’t actually support your back. The camera crew was setting up, lights glaring, and you were running through the very real possibility that this was going to end in public humiliation.

Joe leaned over, voice low. “Promise to pick truth when it gets to you.”

“Why?”

“Because you’ve been too mysterious lately,” he grinned.

“Joe.”

“I’m just saying. The people need to know.”

The shoot started.

Within minutes, it had descended into the usual nonsense: mini dares, oversharing, KSI doing a weird dance, and Vik being sneakily savage with his questions. You managed to stay off the radar for a while, mostly letting the chaos swirl around you.

Until it was your turn.

Tobi looked right at you. “Alright, you. Truth or dare?”

Joe didn’t even give you time to think. “Truth. She’s definitely picking truth.”

Will chuckled beside you, resting his arm on the back of the couch. “Safe choice.”

You narrowed your eyes at them both. “Fine. Truth.”

Tobi grinned like he’d just won the lottery. “Okay then. Is it true that—” He glanced at his phone like he was double checking the wording. “—you haven’t dated anyone in five years?”

The room erupted.

“OH MY GOD,” Joe wheezed, clapping his hands together.

Alfie fell sideways onto the floor with a dramatic gasp. “EXPOSED!”

Your mouth dropped open, equal parts horror and disbelief. “Who told you that?”

Will turned to look at you, fully now, brows raised. “Wait — for real?”

You blinked. “That’s… wow, okay. I thought we were doing like ‘what’s your favourite cereal’ type truths.”

But Tobi just laughed. “We go deep here.”

You took a breath, trying to will the blood out of your cheeks. “Yeah. It’s true.”

The room went quiet for a beat, only broken by Joe and Alfie’s combined gremlin giggles.

“She’s emotionally celibate,” Alfie added, wiping fake tears from his eyes.

“Full-on romantic nun,” Joe agreed, raising his bottle of water in a toast. “Five years strong.”

Will was still looking at you.

Not laughing. Just… surprised. Curious.

“Didn’t expect that,” he said under his breath, not loud enough for the camera to catch.

You shot him a sideways glance. “Why, because I seem so emotionally available?”

He smirked. “No, just… you sing like someone who’s been through it.”

Joe heard that and howled.

“Oh my god, this is killing me,” he wheezed. “The two of you sound like the start of an angsty music video.”

“You are the angsty music video,” Alfie added, still on the floor. “She’s giving heartbreak, and Will’s giving ‘guy who doesn’t realise he’s the problem’.”

Everyone laughed — including you — but you could feel Will still watching you out of the corner of his eye.

And later, when the cameras were off and the lights came down, he bumped your shoulder lightly and said, “Five years, huh?”

You nodded, trying to keep it breezy. “Life got busy.”

“Or maybe the right person never showed up.”

You didn’t say anything.

You didn’t need to.

Because for the first time in a long time, someone was starting to look at you like they might just want to be the exception.

The Sidemen vide blew up fast.

You woke up to hundreds of tags. Not dozens. Hundreds.

The comments had gone feral. TikToks were circulating, edits were made, and the clip where you admitted — on camera, no less — that you hadn’t dated in five whole years had gone ultra-viral.

“5 YEARS?? that’s not a dry spell, that’s a biblical drought”

“she’s so real for this. healing era icon.”

“joe and alfie’s reaction sent me to the moon”

“why does will look like he just found out she’s a disney princess with a tragic backstory??”

Someone even made a fan cam of your face, backlit in that Sidemen studio glow, overlayed with Lana Del Rey and the words “she deserves the world and also a midly sarcastic boyfriend.”

You laughed. You cringed. You considered moving to a remote forest.

But no one was letting it go — especially not Joe and Alfie.

And then came the ChrisMD pub crawl.

You hadn’t intended to be in that video either. But one “come on, it’ll be jokes” from Alfie turned into a full night of chaotic filming, multiple pubs, far too many pints, and an on-camera game of “Pub Truths” that immediately got out of hand.

You were two pints deep when Chris pointed a camera in your face with that smile that meant you should be worried.

“Right then,” he grinned. “Everyone wants to know — how long exactly has it been since your last date?”

Groans and cheers exploded around the table.

Joe physically clapped. “YESSSSS. Get in there!”

“Run it back!” Alfie yelled. “Five years and two months now, don’t lie!”

Will, sitting across from you with a half finished cider, looked up — smirking, but clearly listening.

You blinked. “Is this my punishment for having a career?”

Chris leaned closer. “So? Confirm the timeline. The people need to know.”

You sighed. Loudly. “Fine. Five years, three months, and…” You paused, checked your phone. “Seventeen days. Happy?”

The table screamed.

“No way you’re tracking it that precisely,” Chris said, wide eyed.

“She’s counting like it’s a prison sentence,” Joe said through tears.

“She’s like those girlboss wolves who wait for one mate their whole life,” Alfie added.

Will nearly choked on his drink.

You covered your face. “I hate you all.”

“You love us,” Alfie grinned. “And also you’re lying. You’ve definitely flirted.”

“I’ve flirted for sport. That’s not dating.”

“Iconic behaviour,” Joe muttered. “Tactical flirtation. Maximum power, no commitment.”

Chris was still cackling. “No but seriously, no dates? None?”

“Not one where I actually liked the guy back,” you said honestly.

That shut everyone up for a beat.

And then Will said — so casually it could’ve passed unnoticed: “Well, you’ve got high standards. That’s not a bad thing.”

Joe caught it. Alfie caught it. You definitely caught it.

The camera probably did, too.

And from the way Will didn’t even pretend to be embarrassed about saying it, you knew he meant it.

The next day, your mentions were in meltdown again.

This time, it wasn’t just “5 year dry spell girl.”

Now it was:

“she’s the heartbreak popstar and he’s the sarcastic youtuber… they share ONE drink on a pub crawl and i’m writing vows”

“this is the slowest of burns and i’m obsessed.”

“her saying ‘that’s not dating’ while will looks at her like THAT? yeah i screamed”

Your group chat was on fire.

Joe: ur a menace and ur fans want you to marry will

Alfie: i say u milk it. fake date him for views

Joe: or real date him for love

Alfie: LAME

Joe: grow up

And then —

You got a DM.

WillNE: just watched the chris video

you’re dangerously good at not getting flustered

next time i’m raising the stakes

(aka: i’m calling the next pub. don’t ghost me.)

You stared at the message for a good ten seconds, heart doing a thing it hadn’t done in — well, five years and seventeen days.

And maybe the streak wasn’t technically broken.

But something had definitely cracked.

[bubblypeachymitsuri]

Meeting the (unconventional) Parents | Togachako and Twicepress Oneshot fanfic

Summary: “I don’t want to bring up any bad memories but I thought your parents were awful to you.”

“They were! But I never said we were meeting my biological parents silly!”

Himiko and Ochaco are at that milestone in their relationship - meeting each other's parents. But for Himiko, it was not her abusive biological parents, the ones responsible for hurting her all those years ago. Instead it's the 30 year old villains, Jin and Atsuhiro, who gave her the guidance and love she didn’t get growing up. Now introducing her girlfriend to the people who mean the world to her, she is able to experience something she never thought she would get to have, and she couldn't be more excited. Ochaco on the other hand has her suspicions with meeting other villains, but knowing how important this is to Himiko, she goes in with an open heart.

A/N: This is cross posted from my A03, it is one of my favourite fics I have written so far. I love the Twicepress + Toga family dynamic I need more of them. This has no warnings just some light angst but it is mostly fluff. Hope you enjoy!

Word count: 3,675

Ochaco Uraraka walked cautiously through an abandoned alleyway with her black hoodie pulled low, covering most of her face. The city buzz could be heard from the distance, a stark contrast to the eerie silence surrounding her. She kept her head low, making glances over her shoulder to ensure no one had followed her. If anyone had followed her to see who she was meeting with it would have meant saying goodbye to her hero career. The career she had worked so hard to build and yet, here she was meeting up with her villain girlfriend to her hideout. She has never visited it before no matter how many times Himiko invited her. It was stupid and reckless she once thought but over time her heart won over her sense of heroism, leading her straight into the arms society deemed dangerous.

She spotted Himiko Toga on the outskirts of an abandoned building, she had a huge smile on her face and was waving frantically as soon as she spotted her, clearly excited to see her girlfriend. “Ochacoooo!!” She called out before running towards Ochaco and throwing herself into a desperate but overly affectionate hug. “You are late!” whilst giving a dramatic pout, tightening her grip on Ochaco. “I started thinking you were not coming at all,” Toga whined.

Ochaco hesitated before slowly relaxing into her embrace, still not used to Toga’s abundance of affection. “ I’m sorry Himi, I just had to be extra careful getting here, you know?” Ochaco mutters, giving her girlfriend a reassuring smile. “You know I would never do that.” She gives an apologetic kiss on Himiko’s cheek.

Toga reacted immediately, causing her to blush profusely and hold Ochaco even tighter.

After a lingering moment in each other's arms, savouring the rare time together after not seeing each other in person in weeks, Toga finally steps back and clasps her hands behind, fidgeting nervously on her heels. There was a certain giddy but nervous energy radiating from her. “I have a surprise for you today!” Toga announced her golden eyes gleaming from anticipation, like she couldn’t hold it in any longer.

Ochaco blinked. “What kind of surprise?” she asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

“Since you finally decided to meet me here, I want you to meet my parents!”

Ochako stared, that was not the answer she was expecting. Toga could have told her she was gifting a stranger's blood to her and that would be more believable. “I don’t want to bring up any bad memories but I thought your parents were awful to you.” Ochaco was being careful with her words, not wanting to upset her excited girlfriend.

Toga however, was not phased by the mention of her past life, in fact, she started giggling over it. “They were! But I never said we were meeting my biological parents silly!”

Ochaco felt a wave of relief over her light-hearted response.

“Do you remember me telling you about Jin and Mister?” Toga asked eagerly.

Ochako seems to recall. Twice and Mr. Compress, are infamous villains part of the League of Villains. Toga always spoke fondly of them, clearly they were very important. Ochaco nodded in realisation.

“I really want you to meet them Ochaco,” Toga said as she was bouncing on her feet. “Nothing would make me happier than seeing my favourite people together!”

Ochaco hesitated, unsure if this was a good idea. “Is it really okay for me to meet them, I mean… I don’t think they’d want a hero in training hanging around them.”

Toga gives her best puppy dog face, pouting in the adorable but exaggerated way that was impossible to resist. “Pleaaaaaaasssee Ochaco? They are really nice, I promise!”

Ochaco felt her hesitation completely melt away by Toga's hopeful expression. There was no winning against that look. “Okay, fine.” Before she could think over her agreement, Toga had already grabbed her hand as she squealed with delight, dragging her deeper into the building.

They entered a room that was surprisingly cosy for a villain’s hideout. It was small but lived in, with a worn out couch, an old TV, and a hallway leading to a kitchenette. The scent smells vaguely of cigarette smoke but also has a surprising hint of sweetness. Like if someone has attempted baking earlier. Jin was seen lounging on the couch, gesturing animatedly as he retold a story to Atsuhiro, who was curled around him and listening intently with a dreamy expression. Hanging onto every word coming from Jin’s mouth. The moment the two men noticed Toga and Uraraka, their conversation halted and the room fell silent.

Toga cut straight to the point, ignoring any greetings. “Jin, Mister! This is my girlfriend, Ochaco Uraraka!” Announcing proudly.

Jin was the first to react, already on his feet as bounced over to them. “Toga’s girlfriend?!” He exclaimed, eyes wide with excitement. “I am finally meeting the girl Toga has nonstop obsessing over - heh classic Toga. This is amazing. Awful. No sorry, I definitely mean amazing!” With a wide grin, Jin thrusts out his hand towards Ochaco for a handshake. “ Welcome to the family!”

Ochaco hesitantly replies to the skittish man, slowly reaching out to shake his hand back. “Uh, hi” The overwhelming greeting was a little much as shyness slowly crept up on her. A more calming voice followed behind Jin.

“Jin, be kind.” Atsuhiro chided gently, placing a hand on his partner’s shoulder in an attempt to calm him. Then he turned his attention towards Ochaco with a polite nod. “It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Uraraka, I’m Atsuhiro though I assume you know me better by my other name.”

His introduction was more refined, something about it that seemed to slightly calm Ochaco’s nerves. Still, Ochaco recalled him as the villain who kidnapped Bakuguo at the summer training camp. But here he was dressed without his signature mask, seemingly carrying a less intimidating aura from when she first saw him. He didn’t seem like the same villain that once intimidated her. However, she still remained cautious.

Jin sits back on the couch, enthusiastically patting the spot beside him. “Come on, sit down! We have so much to talk about! Like how did you fall for Toga of all people? Was it her smile? Her cute face? Wait, her bloodlust? That's actually terrifying. Probably not that. Definitely that, it's kind of charming!”

He continued his nervous rambling until Atsuhiro gently steadied him again. “Jin dear,” placing a hand on his knee with a knowing smile. “What did we say about pacing ourselves?”

Jin tried to calm himself before throwing his hands up dramatically. “Right right. I’m just so excited. I mean Toga’s got a girlfriend.” Jin let out an exaggerated woe. “Our girl is all grown up.”

Atsuhiro sighs, used to his partner's antics.

Toga was entertained, laughing at Jin’s dramatics, as she grabbed Ochaco’s hand and tugged her towards the couch to sit together. “Aren't they great?” She whispered in her girlfriend's ear, looking at her with her usual affection.

Ochaco glances at the two men. Great wasn't exactly the word Ochaco would use, but there was a certain chaotic but endearing charm to them. She found herself relaxing, even just a little.

Later, Atsuhiro placed a tray of steaming hot tea before progressing to other conversational topics. He took a seat next to Jin before turning his gaze towards Ochaco “So dear Uraraka tell us more about yourself, preferably about outside of hero work” he mused, his tone polite but with a light tease. “Unless you already trust us enough with that information.” There was a glint in his eye as he passed a cup of hot tea towards her.

Ochaco was hesitant to answer, fingers wrapped around the ceramic warm mug trying to think of the right words to say. She took a glance towards Toga, silently asking for her help.

Toga instead just giggled, finding her girlfriend’s shyness both adorable and amusing. “Ochacooo, how are you supposed to be a hero when you are this shy around villains.”

She was not entirely wrong. Ochaco was nervous but not for the reasons Toga assumes. She has come face to face with lots of villains in her life and has arrested plenty of others as well but this was different. They were not just some of Japan’s most dangerous criminals but these people were important to Toga, people Toga considered family and their opinion of her meant more than anything right now, and she wanted to make a good first impression.

Jin sensing the tension, spoke up but his tone turned deep, his usual playful grin gone. “So a hero dating a villain huh?” Tapping his chin, as if deep in thought. “Sounds to me like you are not far from taking that final step into villainy yourself.”

Ochaco immediately flusters at his words, as she waves her hands nervously. “No– no I mean– that’s not my intention!”

Atsuhiro chuckles, setting his teacup down with a soft click. “Relax dear, Jin is only teasing,... mostly.”

Toga, who was thoroughly entertained by the conversation, cuddled closer into Ochaco. Wrapping her arms around her, she was being clingy. “You would be so cute as a villain,” She cooed. “We could be a villain power couple!”

Jin turned excited again, completely on board with the idea and starts clapping his hands in excitement. “Ooooh, what would your villain name be? Anti-gravity? Moonbreaker?”

Ochaco groaned, holding her face in her hands. “I am not becoming a villain.”

Atsuhiro took another sip of his tea before placing it down on the coffee table again. “And yet you are here, engaging in conversation with villains over tea. How strange.” his tone turned slightly more authoritarian.

Ochaco was not naive, she knew this conversation was more than a playful tease, deep down she knew it wasn't a joke. She was being tested. Despite the light-hearted tones, she could feel the weight behind their words. The men were as skeptical of her as she was of them. She understood completely. Ochaco can see how much they cared for her almost like a parent with their daughter. This made Ochaco’s presence as a hero more significant to them. With their already disdain for heroes, this was just inevitable. However, there was something inside her that made her happy. Toga found people who didn’t see her as the monster the world sees her as, treating her like a normal girl for once. No wonder Toga held them in such high regard, they were more than just comrades. There was care and protectiveness. They had every reason to distrust Ochaco. They didn’t want to see Toga heartbroken, betrayed, or used by a hero to help society.

Ochaco gave them a thoughtful, serious expression, taking a deep breath. She needed to choose her next words carefully. They needed answers. “It's more than just tea,” She said, her voice calm. “I’m here because of Himiko.” Ochaco gave a glance towards her girlfriend, her face softening as she looked into those golden eyes. “I care about her more than anything.” Then, she looks up at their other villain’s gazes, meeting Jin’s expectant eyes and Atsuhiro’s unreadable expression. “I know I am risking everything by being here,” she admitted. Her words were heavy on her tongue but she didn’t falter. “If anyone were to find out, I would lose my future as a hero. Everything I worked so hard for, would be gone. I know that.” She glanced back towards Toga again, she saw tears brimming in her eyes. “But if being a hero means turning my back on someone who needs me, someone I love. What kind of hero can I call myself then?”

Toga’s tears were now streaming down her face but her face was lit up with happiness, a smile that Ochaco loved so much. Her once teasing expression turned into something more vulnerable.

Toga’s smile gave Ochaco the confidence to continue. “Toga has spent her whole life being told she’s a monster. By society, by the heroes who were supposed to save her. Even by her so-called family.” Her voice grew stronger. “I was taught that heroes save people, even the ones who appear too far gone and out of reach. But Himiko was never given that chance.” Ochaco turns fully towards Toga, taking her hand into hers. “But I see you Himi. The girl who gets excited over cute things, the girl with the cutest smile in the world, the girl who was never taught how to love. And yet you taught me to love openly, without fear. You taught me what it means to truly care about someone. I saw someone who needed saving, no matter what the world thinks.” Ochaco swallows, preparing to finish her speech. “And this is why I am here. For her.” She took a shaky breath, getting emotional. “And I promise to love, care for and cherish her, the way she deserves.”

When Ochaco finished her speech, the room went into a heavy silence. Her nerves crept back in as she looked at Jin and Atsuhiro, waiting for their response. Then in perfect union, both men let out dramatic woes over Ochaco’s speech. Jin was fanning his face as if holding back tears and Atsihiro was wiping a fake tear from his face with a sigh. “Oh damn, that was beautiful.” Jin sniffed exaggeratingly before burying his face into his partner's shoulder. “Toga, your girlfriend is incredible.”

Toga beamed in delight as she gave Ochaco a big tight hug, her cheeks pressed against her girlfriends. “I know right, she is the best!” she gushed.

Atsuhiro exhaled as his facial expression softened, amusingly shaking his head in defeat. “You make quite a compelling argument, Miss Uraraka.” He admits, with a slight tone of respect.

Once the tension from the serious conversation passed, Ochaco found herself relaxed but more importantly relieved. Toga’s tears never seemed to dry, Ochaco knew they were from happiness and that proved to her that this evening was more than worth the risk. And to her surprise, Ochaco also found herself enjoying Jin and Atsuhiro’s company more than she expected.

Jin’s ramblings were more entertaining rather than overwhelming and Atsuhiro’s charm and humour were a much-needed balance with the chaos. What also seemed to surprise Ochaco was that she could tell that they were warming up to her too, the earlier tension being more like a distant memory replaced with something gentle, something like acceptance. And honestly, their dynamic was oddly adorable as well.

As the night stretched on, Ochaco was becoming more aware of how late it was getting. She had school the following morning as much as she wanted to stay longer. Reality was still a thing, unfortunately.

Toga was in her arms refusing to let go, making it hard for Ochaco to leave. Her smile was so bright, that Ochaco felt her heartache at the thought of leaving. “You’re really the best Ochaco.”

Jin let out an aw at how cute they were being, clasping his hands in delight. “I’m so happy for you Toga, you found someone who understands you! It's what you deserve!” His playful tone carried truth.

Atsuhiro looked at the girls with a fond smile. Like Jin, he is also happy Toga has found someone to call her hers, much like with him and Jin. His soft expression soon turned serious as he wanted to address something to Ochaco. “Miss Uraraka.” The weight in his voice as he called her name made her look up from Toga. “I must admit that I was skeptical of you.”

Ochaco nodded, not surprised at all. She understood completely. “I know.”

Atsuhiro’s lips twitched slightly as if to suppress a smirk. “But I have never seen young Toga this happy before, and as much as it pains me to admit, it comforts me.”

Ochaco gave him a sweet smile, appreciating his words. Before she could respond Toga perks up.

“Wow, you made Mister go all soft. You must have really won them over, Ochaco.” she teased, her tears finally dried up.

Jin gave an over the top gasp, placing a hand over his heart. “Excuse me, Toga! Uraraka actually won me over the moment I first saw her!”

Toga giggled, grabbing Ochaco’s hand to pull her into a spinning, playful hug. “I knew they’d love you Ochaco!” She pressed a flurry of quick kisses across Ochaco’s face, causing Ochaco’s cheeks to burn bright red. Toga is feeling very giddy from the success of the meeting.

Atsuhiro let out an exaggerated sigh. “Love is a strong word, Toga.”

Jin however, already had his arms wrapped around both of the girls, pulling them into a tight group hug. “Pfft babe that's nonsense! You love this! The more family, the better.”

Ochaco found herself laughing, warmth spreading through her chest as she melted in the embrace. Yep definitely worth the risk.

Ochaco was finally ready to leave and Toga eagerly offered to walk her back to UA. The moonlight filtered through the cracked windows of the hideout, casting a silvery glow as goodbyes were exchanged.

Jin was frantically waving, shouting out contradictions of “Come back soon!” and “Never come back” while Atsuhiro instead gave a polite bow with his mask back in place, wishing for their safe travels, with an unmistakable warmth to his voice.

Ochaco gave one last wave before slipping her hoodie back over her head with her and Toga’s hands joined together as they disappeared into the shadows of the alleyway.

“You did great!” Toga beamed, looping her arm through Ochaco’s. “Thank you for doing this.”

Ochaco smiled, feeling warmth through her chest at seeing her girlfriend so happy. “Anything for you Himi.” The softness in her tone caused Toga to squeal before Ochaco shushed her to not draw any attention towards them whilst trying not to laugh.

By the time they made it to a safe distance from UA without Toga being detected by the security, the walk back grew quiet, both of them lost in their thoughts. Toga eventually let out a dramatic sigh. “I wish I could come with you!” She whined with a pout. “I'm going to miss you!”

Ochaco laughed softly even though her heart ached at leaving her adorable girlfriend. Ochaco takes Toga’s hand, squeezing it before having to part ways.“You know why we can’t do that.”

Toga huffed but didn’t argue.

“I promise to text you as soon as I am back in my dorm room,” Ochaco reassured her. “Just be safe walking back okay?”

Toga looked at Ochaco’s bright reassuring smile and couldn’t help but to mirror it. She was so beautiful.

Ochaco thought the same thing. Seeing that smile, that beautiful bright smile, she couldn’t help but press her lips to Toga’s in a kiss that was full of unspoken love. Soft and sweet just like her.

Toga kissed back with enthusiasm, her arms wrapping around Ochaco’s neck, deepening the kiss. Like she never wanted to let go.

When they finally pulled apart, both were breathless and their cheeks were flushed. Both looked at each other like they were the most beautiful person in the world. Confessions of ‘I love you’s’ were exchanged soon after.

Toga smirked but her eyes were still soft. “Ok you better get inside before I change my mind and kidnap you” she teased.

Ochaco giggled, giving one last peck to Toga’s lips. “Goodnight, Himi.”

“Goodnight Ochaco.”

With one final reluctant glance, they parted ways.

Meanwhile, at the hideout, Jin and Atsuhiro were relaxing in their shared private quarters. Jin was nestled against Atsuhiro's side, his usual excitement slowly dimming as the day's events settled in. “You think she’s good for Toga?” Jin asked, his voice quieter than usual.

Atsuhiro ran a hand through his partner's hair, letting out a satisfied sigh. “Without a doubt,” he replied.

Jin hummed in agreement, sinking further into the embrace. “It’s nice seeing her happy like that, isn’t it?”

Atsuhiro pressed a soft kiss to Jin’s forehead. “Yes, it is.” For a moment they simply enjoyed the silence but then as expected Jin was hit with a burst of energy as he thought of an idea. He sat up abruptly.

“Let's go on a double date! It will be fun! A disaster!”

Atsuhiro chuckled, shaking his head fondly. “Of course, you would suggest something like that, Jin.” he teased before placing a sweet kiss on Jin’s lips, cutting off any further ramblings.

Jin melted into the kiss but pulled back for a moment of sincerity. “But seriously…, I’m really happy for Toga and that she doesn’t have to live life like I did back then.”

Atsuhiro softened, and he wrapped his arms a little tighter around Jin, Atsuhiro had always loved how caring Jin was towards Toga. “We will never let that happen,” he promised, pressing his forehead against Jin’s.

Jin gave a steady nod against Atsuhiro’s forehead. “Uraraka knows what she's getting into. Did you see her back there? She’s all in, just like you are with me.” He curled his fingers around Atsuhiro’s hand, squeezing gently.

Atsuhiro felt his chest tighten from Jin’s words, he can be surprisingly mature when it mattered.

His mind wandered back to Ochaco again, remembering the way she spoke with such conviction, her holding onto Toga’s hand like a lifeline. He has seen few heroes speak with such sincerity, such selflessness as her. And that thought gave him hope. He pressed another gentle kiss to Jin's temple, “You are right.” Jin grinned. “Good because they remind me of us, you know.” Atsuhiro couldn’t deny that. Jin's genuineness had shattered the well-built walls he built around himself. Cracking him out of his mask, teaching him to be vulnerable just like how Toga did for Ochaco and that realisation caused him to smile.

Everything was going to be alright.

And with that, the two of them sat in comfortable silence, reminiscing about a time when they, too, had found love in the unlikeliest of places.

[volklana]

I’ll Be Looking at the Moon, But I’ll Be Seeing You

Title Comes From This Song:

Summary: Bucky has been having terrible luck with the dating scene. Until he makes the match of his dreams on a dating app, and breaks your heart in the process. 

(Based on a request that I will post at the end to avoid spoilers)

Words: 10,000+

Warnings: Angst. Angst. Angst

Bucky flopped down dramatically on your bed, arm covering his eyes and sighed.

“What was it this time?” you laughed, closing your laptop and shoving him with your foot.

“She was more interested in the other guy, the soldier. Doll she asked me if I would dress up as him, chase her through the forrest and fuck her there.”

“Wow…” you laughed “And you were not into that at all?”

“Doll,” he sat up suddenly serious “Come on, do you know how  triggering that would be?” 

You reached over and rubbed his arm reassuringly “I’m sorry Buck, I was just trying to lighten the mood but you’re right that is completely out of line to ask of you.”

He went back to slouching on the bed, pulling a pillow and burying his face in it “This dating thing is a complete disaster and I am so done!” 

You sat up straight in the bed when Bucky bolted through the door it took you a second to realise he was crying, “Buck?” you just about managed before he crashed into you sobbing.

“What is it? What happened?” you were beginning to panic.

“It was a set up,”he just about managed into your shoulder, “It was a fucking set up.”

You rubbed soothing patterns into his back,”She was waiting with a gang, turns out the soldier killed her cousin, she saw it as a perfect chance to get revenge.”

You pulled apart to examine him, his shirt was torn and there was blood drying on his bottom lip.”

“And you let them hurt you?” you shrieked, cupping his cheek gently and he melted into your touch but he was too ashamed to meet your eyes.

“I deserved it doll, I hurt their family.”

“You didn’t! It was the soldier,” you almost cried “And you are done, DONE, taking the punishments for him, do you hear me?” Bucky nodded but still refused to meet your eye, so you hooked your finger under his chin and forced his eyes up to meet you, “Do you hear me?” you whispered and he melted completely into your touch.

What you had hoped would perk him up and bring him out of his shell was actually having the opposite effect and when you saw his gloomy form, sitting at the island with a coffee in his hand the next morning,informing you he was going to delete all dating apps, you had to persuade him otherwise. Surely the right girl was out there somewhere.

And just when he was about to give up completely, a match took his breath away.

He told you about Luna a few days later at training, “We stayed up all night talking, and she never mentioned him once,(Him being the Winter Soldier) she wanted to know about me, what kind of music I liked, my favourite song, about my thoughts,” he was practically soaring and you couldn’t help but smile along, “And she’s so smart, they way she talks about things I honestly want to know her thoughts on everything.”

It was like Bucky was walking on air, everyone at the compound could see it.

His phone pinged at lunch and you watched in awe as his eyes lit up, smiling from ear to ear as he read the message,your heart fluttered heavy in your chest at the realisation that he was reading a message from her.

When the messaging moved from the dating app to instant messaging you realised that this was getting quite serious for Bucky.

“I think maybe you need to slow down Buck,” you tried to keep your tone light, “I know it’s exciting but just remember, it’s the internet people can be different in real life.” 

“I know doll, but there’s just something about her, I really could see myself  falling.”

Your heart sank down to your toes and you couldn’t deny the uneasy feeling in your stomach.

Weeks went by and Steve was beginning to joke that Bucky’s phone was surgically  attached to his hand. He was getting in trouble during briefings for being on his phone, during movie nights his phone never stopped lighting up and no one could deny the change in his personality.

“I wish I was there with you,” he wrote as he lay in bed, phone resting on his chest.

“I wish you were too,” was the reply and he bit the inside of his cheek before he typed out, “I know it’s crazy but little things make me think of you. I saw some lavender on my run today and I couldn’t stop smiling. When I look out at the moon all I can think of is that you’re here in this world and I can’t help the way my heart beats faster just knowing you exist.”

“My favourite part of every day is talking to you Bucky.”

“I think I’m falling, is that crazy to you?”

“It’s not crazy at all Buck x”

“Do you think she’s scared?” Bucky asked, “I mean we’ve been talking for months and she keeps saying she’s just not ready to meet, is it me do you think she’s afraid of me?”

You paused, choosing your words carefully “Maybe she’s afraid it won’t be the same in person as it is online. Maybe she’s afraid you won’t like the real version of her.”

“That’s literally not possible doll,” he gushed “I’m in so deep at this point.”

“Maybe she’s just not ready Buck,” you gulped and he nodded.

“That’s what she says,” he conceded.

As Bucky was falling in love, you were becoming a shell.

You weren’t sleeping, the bags under your eyes were testament to this. You were in a constant state of feeling like you were losing your best friend and as the days went by you were less and less able to eat, much less able to look Bucky in the eye.

He noticed the distance but put it down to you being busy. You seemed to be training with Steve a lot more, you’d been on quite a few missions with him lately. 

Before Luna, Bucky had thought about maybe being open about his feelings to you but now he wondered if maybe the reason nothing ever happened between you was because you had feelings for Steve? You’d never confessed that to him but he truly wished happiness for you the way he saw himself finding happiness in Luna.

And then it all came crashing down. 

Bucky didn’t show up for training, or dinner and he wasn’t answering your messages, so before you called it a night you swung by his room. He reluctantly let you in and you could see in his eyes that something was wrong. He smelled of whiskey and you noticed the empty bottle on the bed, face scrunching up in concern, Bucky followed your gaze and laughed humuourlessly,

“It didn’t even take the edge off it.” 

“Bucky, what's wrong?” you tried reaching for him and he gladly moved into your embrace, hugging you so tight he lifted you off your feet. 

“Whats’s wrong?” you tried again when he placed you gently down.

“She doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore,” he said with a half smile “Said it was truly amazing while it lasted and that she would never forget me,” he broke away from your gaze and moved to look out the window “But she has found someone in real life and that’s it, she wishes me the best.”

“Bucky,” you sighed sadly, moving over to wrap your arms around him from behind, “I’m so sorry.” 

“Y/n I know it’s stupid but no one has ever  made me feel the way she did. Apart from you, no one has ever bothered to get to know me the way she did. I feel like I bared my entire soul to her and now she’s just tossed me aside, like she was always just waiting for someone better to come along. And I really don’t blame her, everyone leaves eventually.”

“You still have Steve, you still…have me,” you offered weakly and he smiled a small smile.

“Yeah until some guy comes along and sweeps you off your feet,” he nudged you with his elbow.

“Well lucky for you there is only one guy I am interested in  and I’m right here with him,” you nudged him back. 

He contemplated that for a moment before turning to face you fully “I would be lost without you doll, thank god I still have you.” 

 Bucky was making coffee at midnight when you wandered into the kitchen his somber mood was echoed with the sad record he was playing on the turntable. 

You took a seat at the island and he automatically began to fill a second cup.

“You feeling a little down tonight Buck?”

He simply hmmed stirring some sugar into your coffee. 

“Would you like company, or would you like to be left alone?”

That was one of the things Bucky loved about you, you always gave him the opportunity to be left alone if he needed it.

“No, I would love some company doll.”

You sat in silence for a long time, simply enjoying the warmth of the coffee between your hands. 

The record changed to one you had heard Bucky listen to a thousand times, “I’ll Be Seeing you,” by Bing Crosby began to waft across the kitchen and before you could overthink it you were on your feet, Bucky looked at you puzzled but didn’t make an attempt to stop you pulling him to his feet.

“Dance with me Buck,” you whispered and he pulled you flush against his chest, swaying you slowly across the cold tiles, his metal hand resting on the small of your back and your hand firmly clasped in his human one.

“This is my favourite song,” he whispered into your hair and you nodded gently, “I know.” 

He swallowed thickly and you lifted your eyes to look up at him through your lashes. It felt like an eternity looking into each others eyes and gently swaying, before a look of confliction crossed his entire features “Doll…” he swallowed and you rose up on your tiptoes to close the distance between your lips. 

He met you gently at first, hands planted firmly on your waist and when you pulled away he moaned gently at the loss.

You caressed his cheekbones with your thumbs, “Do you want me to stop Buck.”

“No,” he rushed, “Please don't stop. Need this. Need you,” he rasped, closing the distance between you again.

Bucky was a gentle lover and worshiped your body in ways no one had ever done before.

When you woke up in the morning naked and in sheets that smelled like Bucky, you thought you were in a dream until said man pulled you close and whispered “Good morning beautiful.”

Bucky was sent on a mission to South America with Sam and Steve, he’d been gone exactly three weeks and there wasn’t one day you didn’t think about that night in the kitchen. 

While you hadn’t explicitly spilled your feelings to Bucky you were hoping something good could begin when he arrived back. 

He was different when he arrived home. You had run out to meet the quinjet when it landed, Steve and Sam encompassed you in tight hugs, but Bucky tight lipped, simply acknowledged your existence with a nod. And it only got worse from there.

He was actively refusing to meet your eyes and after their briefing he simply told you he was tired and wanted to rest, brushing by you in the corridor. 

His rejection hurt, but you had to respect his privacy, maybe the mission had been triggering to him or tough on his mind, you decided to allow him his space. 

But when one nights turned into two, you couldn’t help yourself meekly knocking on his door. 

“Come in,” his voice called from inside and you gently let yourself in.

He was lying across his bed, records littered around the floor and again the room smelled like whiskey.

“Bucky?” you tried and he lifted his head, grinning stupidly when his eyes landed on you “Here she is the woman of the hour!” 

“Bucky you’re drunk!” you gasped in disbelief and he waved you off dismissively.

“What’s wrong?” you asked gingerly, not enjoying the change in pace of his treatment of you.

“I don’t know y/n why don’t you tell me?,” he laughed bitterly “Y/n is that even your real name?”

“Of course that’s my real name Buck, what the hell has gotten into you?”

“You lie so well it’s hard to tell.” 

Your heart hammered in your chest as he rose from his bed swiftly, “What is that supposed to mean Buck?” 

He was in front of you within seconds caging you between his body and the door behind you.

“Tell me why you did it?” he demanded “Because I can’t decide if it was out of pity or cruelty. And I’m not sure which one is worse” 

“Did what?” you asked, voice shaking.

“Stop lying,” he pleaded fist colliding with the door behind you.

“I want the truth,” he was seething “I want to give you one chance to tell the truth before I spell it out for you.

“No?” he mocked as you shook your head, tears springing to your eyes, “Fine,” he huffed stomping over to his backpack and rummaging before he flung something in your direction, you caught it eyes widening in terror when you realised what it was. 

Your second phone.

“Bucky,” you cried, whole body shaking and feeling the bile rise in your throat, “Bucky I can explain.”

“No, please do! I would love to hear the explanation for this…Luna” he gestured to the room around him.

“I was trying to help, please. Please, you have to believe me,” you stood in front of him pleading “You had so many awful experiences. I wanted to show you there were still good people out there, people who would love you for who you are. I wanted to give you a boost. You were in such a bad place I just wanted to help.” You were openly crying and you reached for his hand but he snapped it away.

Bucky actively sniffed and you could see him trying to blink away the tears threatening to fall.

“I never meant to lie to you,”

“You were born to lie,” he snapped, still refusing to meet your eye.

“I hated lying to you Bucky, it just snowballed out of my control and it was too late to back out. I didn’t expect you to message back. I didn’t expect you to develop feelings but the connection was real, everything we talked about was real, none of that was a lie. Please, you have to believe me.” 

“You are twisted,” he cried in disbelief “Truly twisted. Standing there telling me it was all real I thought I was talking to a real person, a real person I had a chance of a relationship with and all along it was you playing god with my emotions, with my feelings. I mean god, don’t you think I have been lied to enough in my life for one person.” 

“Bucky I never meant to lie to you, please,” you cried reaching for him, but again he batted away your touch again, “I know it sounds stupid and I don’t expect you to understand but I genuinely thought I was doing a good thing but here’s the truth, I needed to talk to you as much as you needed to talk to Luna. It was selfish and horrible but talking to you really was my favourite part of every day and when I was falling for you I knew I had to end it so I did.” 

“When I lost Luna, I kept thinking at least I had you. And do you want to know the worst part of this whole mess, you never had to do this. God you’re so stupid, it was always you I wanted from the start. I never wanted to go on stupid dates with anyone else I wanted you, and now you’ve destroyed everything!” 

You were sobbing “I’m still me, Bucky you know me. You know everything about me please, I never meant to hurt you.”

“Crocodile tears,” he scoffed “Let me ask you something, were you ever going to tell me the truth.”

You had the decency to look ashamed.

“That’s exactly what I thought,” he laughed in disbelief “You’re not sorry you did this, you’re sorry you got caught.”

“I am sorry Bucky, I can’t make you believe that, and all I have to give you is at the time I thought I was doing a kind thing, only now I see that it was cruel. But my feelings for you were never a lie, and I know you don’t want to admit it, but you know you have feelings for me too.”

Suddenly he was before you again towering over you, seething, finger pointed in your face  “You mean nothing to me anymore. Nothing. Do you hear me?  You don’t look my way, you don’t speak to me, you don’t touch me ever again.” 

You backed away from him until your back hit the door “You’re rotten from the inside out and you sucked me in with that pretty face,” he cupped your face forcing you to meet his eye “I might be ugly on the outside but you, you are the worst kind of ugly, poison wrapped up in a pretty package but that’s all you’ll ever be,” he spat venomously  “And when those pretty looks fade you’ll be left with no one and nothing.”

He released his hold on your face with force and your eyes automatically fell to the floor again, you tried to find your voice but the shame in your chest threatened to choke you if you opened your mouth again but still you tried.

“My feelings were real and my intentions were true, and I am so so sorry I lied to you. I can’t bare the thought that I’ve hurt you.”

Bucky wiped the tears that fell from his eyes aggressively, “Get out y/n. Please I can’t bare to be around you.”

“Bucky,” you pleaded.

“Get out. Please!” he pleaded, opening the door, forcing you out into the corridor and slamming it closed in your face before you could even catch your breath.

“I think it’s for the best y/n,” Steve said softly and you nodded. You were being redeployed and Steve had done his absolute best to make it a job you would be happy in.

He helped you carry the last of your luggage out, the rest of the team weren’t exactly on speaking terms with you but Steve, ever your captain, held no malice towards you.

As he held your door open for you he scratched the back of his neck and cleared his throat.

“Y/n, I have to know, was it real?”

You held back tears as you nodded, “I loved him with all my heart Steve, I just went about it all wrong.” 

“Why Luna?” you smiled fondly and  the pang of guilt that ran through you, knocked the smile right off your face and you sniffed “It’s from his favourite song, there’s a line that says “I’ll be looking at the moon, but I’ll be seeing you.”

“Bing Crosby,” Steve smiled fondly, “He always did love him.” 

“And Steve, I did love Buck, I really loved him.” 

“I know you did, and deep down he knows that too y/n.”

Bucky was miserable. He threw himself into training recruits with Steve and going on as many missions as physically possible but he couldn’t deny that he missed you.

God he was so mad at you, sometimes he contemplated calling you up just to yell at you, but he also considered calling you up to tell you to come back, come home. 

He couldn’t listen to “I’ll Be Seeing You" without crying, it used to make him nostalgic for a simpler time, before the war, before HYDRA, before it all, but now it just reminded him of slow-dancing barefoot in the kitchen, your hand in his.

He would never tell anyone this but in the first few weeks since you left, he would let himself into your old room and sit on the bed.

It used to be the place he would flop down and tell you his thoughts, and fill you in on every failed date or every time Sam was driving him insane.

Now it was just empty and cold.

He knew he had every right to be upset with you, that was never a question, but he did regret how he had spoken to you in the moment. Some of the things he had said were out of line but he was hurt. More hurt than he’d felt in a long time. 

Part of him felt guilty that everyone sided with him, no one not even Sam waved you off as you left and Nat had looked at you like you were a piece of dirt on her shoe. 

Good riddance he’d thought at the time, so why was he being eaten alive by guilt now.

Soon your room was filled with a new recruit and Bucky had to accept the fact that that room held nothing for him anymore. 

“You could always call her,” Steve suggested and Bucky shriveled under his knowing gaze.

You were at a work party with your new team, the shots were pouring and you were knocking them back. It was the first time you had let loose in months and you were enjoying the feeling of floating on air for a while. You had danced with one particular teammate all night and you gladly accepted another drink he bought you.

Until tipsy turned into absolutely paralytic and you found yourself unable to get up from the chair you were sitting in.

Bucky’s heart began to pound in his chest as soon as his phone began to vibrate and your name appeared on screen, he contemplated ignoring it and letting you go to voicemail just so he could prepare himself more but three, four rings and he answered.

“Is this Bucky?” a shaky voice the other side asked and Bucky sat upright in the bed “Who is this? Where is y/n?”

“My name is Claire, I’m on her team,” Claire’s voice was shaking. She sounded like she was panicking “I’m so sorry to bother you but you are down as Y/n’s emergency contact on her phone and I don’t know what to do.”

Bucky was pulling on pants before Claire even got to finish her sentence, and he was pulling on clothes as he made his way down to the garage to grab his car.

“I’m on the way,” Bucky rushed heart beating so fast in his chest he thought he would surely have a panic attack before he got to you.

Bucky arrived to find you in Claire’s arms, cradling your head to her chest, you were very clearly intoxicated and tears were streaming down your cheeks.

“What happened?” he asked Claire, not quite ready to meet your eyes yet

“I think her drink was spiked,” Claire was actively trying to recall your movements “It’s the only way she could have got this bad so quickly. She just kept saying your name over and over again, I figured with that and you being her emergency contact she would want to be with you.” Bucky felt his heart break in a way he didn’t know was possible before bending down to come face to face with you, as drunk as you were you refused to meet his eyes.

“C’mon let’s get you home,” he said softly, “Thank you so much Claire I’ve got her from here.”

Bucky spent a sleepless night watching you. He was terrified if he took his eyes off you something bad would happen.

You mumbled in your sleep and he was by your side in an instant, it took him a moment to realise you were saying his name and he couldn’t help but reach out and tuck a strand of your hair behind your ear, you fussed slightly in your sleep but didn’t open your eyes.

“Why did you do it doll?” he sighed, continuing his ministrations on your hair, “Why did you do it?” 

Request:  This is such a weird request, but I live in the UK and there's a soap here where there is a catfishing storyline and it got me thinking what if Bucky was struggling with dating apps and y/n made a profile to try and boost his confidence but they actually end up falling for Bucky and have a shit tonne of angst and heartbreak and hopefully a happy ending but I trust you to take it wherever it needs to go?

Tagging:  @spookyparadisesheep   @jbbarnesgirl   @salvatoreitmeanssaviour@princesscornbread   @loki-laufeyson-1054 @firstcashheroathlete @missvelvetsstuff     nana1000night   sapphire-rogers   @sarahrogersevans   @steverogerssimpp @spudinthemud   @mrsragnarlodbrok @buckgasms @miss-patriciah-maximoff   @hellomissmabel  @knittingknerdy @shamvictoria11 @buckysberrie @assembletheimagines @dearthofequanimity @wellthatsrandomkek @mitra-k-w @nikkitia7 @fantasticimpaladoctor @feelmyroarrrr @sebseyesandbuckysthighs @andhiseyesweregreen @frickin-bats @buckyywiththegoodhair @iiharu-kunii @bellenuit45-blog @james-bionic-barnes @avengerofyourheart @jaegers-and-kaijus   princess76179   brasspistol  thelittleredrobinhood  

[missblissy]

Hullo, I just discovered your content and man oh man, I am HERE for it. I was wondering if you could do something with Alastor fancying a new worker (who secretly fancies him as well) at the hotel that ALWAYS has headphones on, grinning, dancing and singing along to their tunes while they work. But, in honour of Freddie Mercury’s B-Day and MY favourite band, the new worker accidentally gets so lost in their singing and dancing that they inadvertently serenade Alastor with the song Radio Ga Ga. Thank you in advance. ☺️

((No problem Nonny~!! I had a lot of fun playing around with this one!! I'm sorry for the wait I know a lot of time as passed since then but I hope this makes up for it :'D ENJOY!!))

You had only started working at the... Happy? Happy Hotel? Yeah... Whatever, you had only been there for a week. Your job was simple, you were the hotel's private cook for its tenants. This place didn't feel like a hotel at all. You've worked at one before. It felt more like a sorry attempt at a rehab center. But that didn't really affect you at the end of your day. You simply just cooked food, and you were good at it.

The nicest part about your job was that you pretty much stayed in the kitchen, out of sight, and left to yourself. You were the only cook they needed. You'd often wear headphones and sing to yourself as you'd work tirelessly over a meal. You would also dance while you cleaned, jamming out to whatever song came out of the shuffled playlist.

You were lost in doing a little dance and wiping down a counter. In fact, you were so lost in your task that you didn't notice someone come into the kitchen. Very rarely did this happen so you never really looked out for people coming in. That and... They were behind you.

With your headphones in you also couldn't hear them. And when the next song came on you just had to turn up the volume. Your heart filled with joy at hearing one of your favorite songs. You did a little sway of your hips and pretend a spatula was your microphone.

Some parts you hummed, but when it was time to sing... Oh... boy did you sing, "I'd sit alone and watch your light~! My only friend, through teenage nights!" You were still cleaning the counter as you ran the rag over its surface and wiped away the crumbs, "And everything, I had to know. I heard it on, my radio! You gave them all! Those old-time stars, through wars of worlds- invaded by Mars~"

You through the rag into a sink across the kitchen with ease, doing a little dance and still unaware of someone with big smile, watching the new cook sing away.

"You made 'em laugh, you made 'em cry. You made us feel like we could fly! So don't become, some background noise. A backdrop for, the girls and boys. Who just don't know, or just don't care. And just complain- when you're not there!" You still had your back to the doors as you walked around the counter and dramatically dragged your fingers. You gave a quick swish of your hips as you made it over to the sink.

"You had your time, you had the power~ You've yet to have your finest hour~Radio- radio. All we hear is radio ga ga! Radio goo goo~! Radio ga ga! All we hear is radio ga ga! Radio blah blah-" You sang into your make microphone and raised a hand to the sky, you took on a the stance of the stars and sidestepped to your dance, "Radio, what's new? Radio- someone still loves you-" You did a little spin then screamed at the top of your lungs.

You dropped the spatula and nearly jumped out of your own skin. Who the hell was this!? How long was he here????? You tore out your headphones as your face began to burn.

"C-can I help you?" You had never seen him before...

The man standing before you had a loose and shallow grin on his face with his arms tucked neatly behind his back, "You have a lovely singing voice," He said to your surprise. He took a few steps towards you and went on to say, "I came by because I heard we had a new cook! I had been busy up until now so I hadn't the chance to stop by. I'm certainly glad I did now!" Eventually, he closed the distance between the two of you and held out a hand, "Alastor. A pleasure."

You stood there frozen for a few seconds. You hesitated then shook his hand, "(Y/n)... And... Thanks. I guess."

Alastor gave you a charming smile and asked, "So how is your cooking?" His red eyes bore into you, "I fancy the craft myself, so I am quite intrigued by your skill, if I may so ask."

Geeze he sure did talk like an old man. You looked around the kitchen then shrugged, "I was a private chef before I died. It's why Charlie hired me. I'd say I'm pretty good."

"Excellent!" Alastor beamed. He quickly took off his red tailor coat and threw it in some random direction. You were instantly met with a far different outfit. His red dress shirt was neatly tucked in pants, which were held up by thin black suspenders. You were most surprised as Alastor rolled up his sleeves. His gloves were not gloves at all, but a part of his skin. the deep dark colors bleed like veins up his arm before fading out

You found yourself oddly attracted to this man all of a sudden. Not because he wanted to cook with you, but because of you... didn't expect him to look that. Which happened to be very handsome without the raggy rundown tailcoat. You simply couldn't lie. He was slowly swooning you.

"W-what are we cooking?" You shyly asked.

But his enthusiasm still startled you. He had already grabbed a long knife, swung it in his hand then pointed the tip of the blade at you, "What is the dish that makes your memories come to life?"

That was kind of... how would you say it? Deep? Philosophical? Something like that. You managed to stand on the other side of the counter and grab a large spoon. You closed your eyes and thought, "Chicken and Dumpling Stew," You said as you felt a smile grow on your face as the memory came to you.

Your mother was a kind woman, and the biggest reason you became a cook. Warmth flooded your blood as the golden reminder of her cooking brought peace to your mind. You hadn't made that stew since you were alive, so something seemed even slightly more special than normal.

When you opened your eyes again, letting the memory fade away, you saw Alastor with a large smile on his face, "Well, let's get cooking then," He grinned at you, then even managed to give you a charming smile with a wink. It almost seemed like he was flirting if you didn't know any better.

You smiled at him, slightly flustered by how odd this man was but... also how nice he was trying to be. He wanted to cook with you, which honestly there was no greater way to spend time than cooking with the people you enjoy. Food brought people together, and you had an idea that Alastor saw it the same way. Which was true, he wanted to cook with you so he could get to know this new member of the staff, and perhaps he found you rather... intriguing as well too.

[harrysweasleys]

to find each other // g.w

summary: Hi love I was wondering if I could request a george x reader. I like the whole like when you're angry or anything write to the person but never send it but one day George finds the love letter. And reader is all embarased and runs away before he can tell her he like her so he writes her a love letter. (Also I'm aware this is a george ask but in my mind fred didnt die. I'm also imagining this before the battle but fred still doesnt die). If this doesnt spark anything that totally fine. Thanks

warnings: mentions of war, blood and death (relax, it aint fredward)

word count: 4.4k 

a/n: this request was so cute and i enjoyed writing this so much! also i hope you don’t mind that i changed up the time that it takes place just a tad. also i want a love letter from george, thanks. 

[i do not give permission for my work to be reposted to any other platform.]

———————————————————————

No amount of window shopping could hide the anxious bubbling in your stomach. Diagon Alley, though usually one of your favourite places, was currently the cause of your shaky fingers and heavy breathing. It was the last day of summer holidays, and for the countless students returning to Hogwarts, it meant a place to get away from home, a place that they could escape to to get away from the chaos of the real world.

However, for you, it meant that things would get messy. That the raging war that was brewing in the evil corners of the Wizarding World was bound to strike. And strike hard. 

Dangers lurked around every corner and even the comforting atmosphere of Diagon Alley was no longer a place you wanted to be. Countless shops were boarded shut, their windows shattered to pieces as if an attack had taken place. Which was most likely the case, if you were being honest.

The only store that seemed to be alive also happened to be the one that you wanted to avoid at all costs. The large purple and orange shop stood practically glowing in the middle of the gloomy alley, music and laughter echoing from the inside. You had to give credit where credit was due; the shop owners were brilliant. 

Students piled in and out in dozens — you couldn’t blame them. Fred and George had a knack for making people laugh. And right now, people needed laughs more than ever. You couldn’t blame these young students for stocking up on joke products to keep themselves entertained for the year. Especially since everyone was well aware this may be the last year of ‘normalcy’ that they get.

However, the shop seemed to be doing marvellously. You’d go in to say hi if it wouldn’t crush your entire existence to do so. Slightly dramatic, but true. You hadn’t left things off on a good foot with George, and the last thing you wanted to do was go in there and make things awkward. After all, maybe he had moved on. 

The last time you saw him, he held your crumpled note in his hand, his broom in the other, and a proud smile on his face as he waved goodbye to the school behind him. The school in which you two shared some of your best moments, the inside jokes and the late nights giggling into pillows in the dark of the common room. 

Until the note. 

The one you had written him the night you found out he was leaving. The one with tear drop stains and smudged ink — the one that confessed your long-rooted love for the ginger boy that had stolen your heart the first day you met him. 

He had found it himself, actually. It wasn’t “given to him,” per say. He had snuck into the girl’s dorm — how, you still have no clue — and found you crying on your lumpy four-poster, your hair a disheveled mess and your cheeks bright red from sobbing. You had been furious at him. Not because you were mad, but because you’d miss him. Miss his smile, the way he brought light to every boring class, and you’d miss the way he made you feel like home, even though your home home was miles and miles away. 

He’d found the messy parchment scrunched up on your dresser and picked it up at the sight of his name. He didn’t let you take it away from him, so you made him promise he’d read it after he was long gone from school. So that you could be saved from the embarrassment of him not feeling the same. The last thing you wanted was to have to sit through the last few months of school with your best friend hating your guts for the unfortunate feelings you had developed.

You thought you were way over him by now, but looking up into the glorious glass windows of his store, you were hit with a wave of nausea. Not because you didn’t  want to see him, but because you wanted to see him so badly it was sickening. To be fair, it had only really been two years, but still. Had he missed you? Had he sat there every night, clutching your wrinkled love letter and thinking back to the moments you two shared? 

You shook your head and walked past the shop, trying your best not to peer in through the windows and catch sight of the familiar grinning man. He somehow always had a smile on his face and that was something you could really appreciate, especially right now. Nothing ever seemed to bring him down and that was one of the things you appreciated most. 

———————————————————————

“What’re you grinning at, Weasley?” you asked, a smile on your own lips as you gave George a teasing look, your hands running through his hair as he sat on the ground between your legs, eyes focused on the common room fire that was slowly burning down to embers.

“Nothing,” he replied, “Just… taking it all in.”

Gryffindor had won the House Cup just that evening, along with the Quidditch Cup just a few days before. You supposed George did actually have quite a bit to smile about, but as he sat there, his eyes slightly dazed and a lazy grin on his lips, something told you it actually had to do with something else.

“Right,” you replied, taking your hands out of his soft hair and leaning back on the couch, “Because I totally believe you.”

He turned around, his smile never faltering, “What? You’re gonna give me a hard time for being in a good mood? C’mon, let me live, woman.”

You tossed your head back, cheeks flushed, “Fine. The day you don’t have a smile on your face is the day I’ll know something’s wrong, yeah?”

Sitting up and crashing next to you on the couch, he gave you quite the exaggerated nod before dropping it and gazing softly into your eyes, “Around you, how can anything ever be wrong?”

———————————————————————

Popping in and out of stores seemed to be the best distraction — Quidditch Supplies, Pets, Quills, the best Parchment in town — all stores that you remember running in and out of while you were just a wee child, hoping to buy the top quality items for another long year at school. 

You’d been so distracted by the sound of children laughing and charging by you that you barely registered the fact that you had walked into a tall body. Luckily, your balance hadn’t been knocked over, but you had been walking at such a quick pace that you’re surprised the other person didn’t go falling backwards.

“Sorry,” you mumbled, looking up and catching your step, nearly losing it completely as your eyes caught sight of the person in front of you. 

Eyes still golden like the sun, George Weasley hadn’t changed. His hair was slightly longer and he wore nicer clothing — perks of running your own business — but he hadn’t changed a day. His lips were still a deep pink, and the freckles on his cheek seemed to be more prominent than you remember. 

“Y/N?” the corners of his lips turned up into a smile, “Bloody hell, what are you doing here?”

You stared up, mind completely blank, “Oh — It’s — I’ve gotta go.”

His hand shot out to grab your wrist, his fingers leaving a touch of sparks in their wake. You snapped it away, rubbing over the skin to soothe the electrifying touch that George left behind. Even years later, he still had that effect on you, and you wished more than anything that you could curse him out for it.

“Y/N, blimey, wait, let’s catch up,” he shrugged, eyes pleading, “What’re you running from? We were best friends. I’ve missed you. It’s been two bloody years, woman.”

“You know damn well why that changed,” you grumbled, trying your best to look anywhere but his inviting eyes. You knew that if you made eye contact, you’d be sucked right back into whatever hold he had on you while you were in school. You weren’t sure you could deal with that right about now.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, “Look, Y/N, please. Just stay for a few minutes. Come see the shop, yeah? Reckon Fred’ll be thrilled to see you.”

You gave in and looked up at him, already knowing you wouldn’t be able to say no. He was right, you guys were best friends. You were inseparable. They always say catching feelings for your best friend is a beautiful thing, but in your case it felt like the worst thing to happen. You fell head over heels for George and he had no clue. He continued living his life, continued doing the things he loved, and then he left.

You only hoped the letter kept him up at night. As petty as that was.

“Fine,” you let out a deep breath, “Just a few minutes.”

You nearly missed the wide grin that spread across his face, showcasing the beautiful smile that still managed to leave your chest in a fluttery mess. You internally scolded yourself — you weren’t over your feelings and chances are this was going to make things worse.

The shop was magnificent. Shelves lined the walls as far as the eye could see. And even though Diagon Alley was nearly deserted, the shop seemed to be thriving — not that you were surprised. Kids and young adults huddled in groups to gawk and stare at the latest products, eyeing everything with keen interest as George’s twin, Fred, explained to them how things worked. 

“You did good,” you smiled up at George, all hostility towards him fading as the bubbly atmosphere of the shop engulfed you, making you feel as if you were transported back to your childhood, “I’m proud of you guys.” 

“Blimey,” George grinned, placing his hand on your shoulder, “Didn’t think I’d ever hear you say that.”

Your smile faded and you turned away from him, cheeks burning at his comment.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he spun you back around to face him, “I just meant because it’s been so long since I’ve seen you. Wasn’t sure I’d ever see you again, to be honest.”

You bit your lip, nodding slowly, “I know. I’m sorry. It was just so hard to work up the courage to see you.”

You weren’t exactly lying. After what happened, you couldn’t find it in yourself to face him. But that wasn’t the whole truth, really. Your courage and confidence had left with him, there was no way you’d be able to come here and see him happy with someone else. Someone that wasn’t you.

“I actually have something for you,” he held his finger up and rushed out of sight, up the stairs and through a door. You stood awkwardly, debating whether you should just turn around and walk out of the store and into the city. He’d never be able to track you down. But, somehow, you couldn’t bring yourself to move your feet. You were grounded in the moment, still gazing at all the trinkets and items around you. 

Some made noise, some were brightly coloured — some of them even looked like that evil witch Headmistress Umbridge. You stifled a laugh, remembering the times you and the twins had narrowly escaped her wicked grasp. She was not one for fun, that was certain.

———————————————————————

“Down here!” you called, grabbing George’s hand and running down another dark corridor, Filch’s footsteps still echoing behind the two of you.

“When I catch ya, you’ll be expelled!” his grimy voice reached your ears, sending you into another fit of giggles as you linked your fingers with George’s, the two of you barreling down the stairs and continuing your run up to the Gryffindor tower. You had to admit, it was quite far, but if you kept up this speed, Filch and his limp wouldn’t be able to catch up.

“Wait, there’s a prefect,” George whispered through his heavy breathing, giving your hand a heavy tug and pulling you behind a pillar.

Your body fell against his, the two of you squished in a tiny space as you heard the distant voice of the Ravenclaw prefect approaching your hiding spot. George’s breathing was heavy, his chest rubbing against yours with each inhale he took. Your breathing would be heavy if you weren’t having heart palpitations, his body so close to yours you couldn’t think straight.

“Reckon that’s another narrow escape,” he chuckled, breath fanning your face. You couldn’t bring yourself to make eye contact, way too caught off guard to properly process his words.

Did he realize what this did to you? This closeness, this intimacy? 

It was undoubtedly true — you were falling for your best friend.

———————————————————————

“Well, if it isn’t Y/N Y/L/N,” Fred sauntered over, hands in his pockets and a bright grin on his face, “What brings you to our little corner of the wizarding world?”

He brought his arms out for an embrace; one that you gladly accepted. He was warm and familiar, and you felt a grin spread across your face. 

“It’s nice to see you, Freddie,” you pulled away, “You guys have really blown me away with all of this.”

“Well, what can I say?” he shrugged, tips of his ears turning slightly pink, “We’ve clearly got a knack for entrepreneurship.” 

You shook your head, laughter bubbling in your chest. You always knew they’d be successful — hell, you told them a million times — but seeing it in person after all these years of shutting yourself away, it sort of felt like a dream. As if you’d missed quite possibly the biggest event of their lives.

And you felt like a horrible friend.

“Sorry I wasn’t more supportive,” you said softly, “I really am impressed.”

He lifted his hand and ruffled your hair, “Don’t be so hard on yourself. We knew you always had your full support.”

Before you could respond, George came rushing back down the stairs. You were rather thankful for it, as your conversation with Fred was causing your emotions to come through. You could feel your throat closing in and the familiar sting of tears in your eyes, but George’s presence caused your feelings to shift.

He nudged his brother away and stood in front of you, an envelope in hand. On the front of it, your name was scribbled in swirly handwriting — George’s, you recognized — and you could see the faint outline of parchment inside it.

“What’s this?” you asked, taking the envelope from his hands as he shoved it in your direction, his cheeks a tad pinker than before. 

He let out a deep breath, “You’ll see when you open it.”

You nodded, placing the envelope gently into your purse, “I’ll open it when I’m home.”

“Okay,” he responded instantly, shoving his hands into his pockets. You knew it was a nervous habit of his, and it raised a question as to what could possibly be in that envelope that had him so on edge.

“I’ve, uh, I’ve gotta get going,” you said, your voice barely audible. But by the way George’s shoulders slouched, you knew he heard you. He took his hands out of his pockets and pulled you in for a hug. 

Without thinking, you wrapped your arms tightly around him, resting your head on his shoulder and taking in a deep breath. He smelled the same as he did all those years ago, and although he was the same height, he also definitely felt a lot stronger. 

Lifting boxes on a daily basis has taken its toll.

You couldn’t count how many hugs you’d shared with George during your time at Hogwarts, but something about this hug felt different. It felt final, conclusive. As if you both knew that this would be the final time you’d get to see each other. 

“I’ve missed you,” he said, mouth mere inches from your ear.

“I’ve missed you too,” you replied right away, pulling your body away from his to look into his eyes. You tried your best to force a smile, but it most likely only came off as a grimace. After all, you couldn’t find anything to feel enthusiastic about in the moment.

You leaned up and pressed a kiss to his warm cheek, letting your hand linger on his arm for a second longer than intended, before pulling away and leaving the store without another word.

It was safe, and very unfortunate, to say your feelings were still very much present.

———————————————————————

You stared down at the paper, stunned. It was possibly your seventh time reading it and you still couldn’t believe it.

After all these years, he felt the same. 

George Weasley felt the same.

You lifted the letter, once again preparing yourself to read it, wiping your eyes with an already soaked tissue.

Y/N,

I don’t know much about writing letters with a romantic goal, but I do know that I couldn’t leave yours unanswered. There were too many things left in the air, and I might never even get to give this to you, but it’s worth writing anyways.

I remember the first day we met. Do you remember? We were in second year and you fell down the stairs onto Freddie. You were so cute, and so flustered. It was nearly immediately after that that we became friends, if I remember correctly. (Which I always do.)

Skip forward a few years and you practically owned my heart and soul. I barely went a moment without thinking of you. Of your smile, of your laugh, of your hair and your face. You know, I did it on purpose. All the jokes, they were for you. To make you laugh. Bloody cliche, I know. But that’s the truth, love.

When I left school, it was hard. Not because I’d have to start a whole new life, but because I’d have to start that life without you. Without your constant positivity and your radiance. It was nearly impossible, but you were so proud. So proud of Freddie and me that I knew I couldn’t let you down.

But I did. I left you there, in that horrid place with that toad woman. And I regret that to this day. I read your note every day. I still do. It’s the only thing of yours that I have in my life and I cherish it more than you know.

So, this note kind of has no purpose, but it does have a point. The point is that I love you too. That I’ve loved you for a long time, and chances are that I always will. You’re the best part of me and that’ll never change.

Please take care. And I hope we get to find each other.

Yours forever,

George.

You read it again, and again, and again, and could barely process the words on the tattered parchment. It was a pretty neat piece, which indicated that there was no way he wrote two years ago. It had to be recent — within the last year. And the fact that he decided to give it to you now meant that he might even still feel this way.

With the amount of times you envisioned George professing his undying love to you, not once did you think it would be in these circumstances. With the two of you living different lives. 

You went to bed that night, the note tucked under your pillow. You couldn’t part with it. Even though you had no clue what to do about said note, you didn’t want to let go of it. It was true, and all these years later you finally realized it. All the shared touches, the laughs, the smiles across classrooms; it all made sense. Not only were you falling hopelessly in love with your best friend, but he was doing the exact same thing.

And I hope we get to find each other.

If that meant what you thought — what you hoped — it meant, then maybe there was a chance for you. But for that chance to happen, you had a lot that you needed to sort out. What would this mean? Would you two start from scratch?

You hadn’t exactly had any sort of relationship over the past two years, how would you just jump into something like this? Maybe him giving you the letter was his form of closure, his way of telling you that maybe it could have happened, but now there’s no chance.

You didn’t want to dwell, but there was no way you couldn’t. How does one let something like this go? You can’t. You can’t go back to living a normal life with this knowledge hanging over your head.

He loved you.

If only there was a way you could talk to him, clear the air. Maybe he did still feel the same.

———————————————————————

Hogwarts was, to put it kindly, in the middle of chaos. Spells of bright green and red shot out from every which direction, hitting columns and occasionally, other bodies. You passed lifeless bodies on the ground and couldn’t bring yourself to look down. Some of them you might even recognize, and that wasn’t something you could bring yourself to feel right about now. Your emotions were running wild enough as it is; the last thing you needed was to find the body of someone you loved.

Your wand was tightly gripped in your hand, your mouth repeating the same spells over and over as Death Eaters continued to swarm the homely school grounds. You had called this place ‘home’ for seven years and yet now, it was the last possible place you wanted to be. You wanted to turn around and run, never to look over your shoulder again.

But you couldn’t.

There was no way you could bring yourself to leave. Not now.

“Well, what ‘ave we got ‘ere?”

You spun on the spot, coming face to face with the sunken eyes of a Death Eater. His voice sounded awfully familiar, but that was really the least of your problems right about now. His wand was raised in your direction, his lips already beginning to move.

You raised your own wand, ready to fire out the first spell you could think of. But the man went flying back into the wall before you could even open your mouth. You gaped down at your wand, trying to figure out how the hell you managed to do that without even thinking of the spell.

“Reckon that’s about the fourth time I’ve saved you.”

You turned to the sound of the voice, recognizing it immediately. George’s hair was tousled like crazy, and he had a bandage tightly wound around his head. You could see faint blood where his ear should be, and your heart did a quick flip in your chest. You had heard about his accident — you had run into Ginny in the Great Hall, but seeing his wound and his face in person brought an unsettling feeling to your chest.

“George,” you sighed, running over to him without a second doubt. You jumped up, wrapping your arms around his neck tightly, squeezing harder than you thought. But he didn’t seem to mind, his arms finding their way around your waist and holding you up, his head finding its spot in the crook of your neck as he let out a low chuckle. You could feel the warmth of his skin, and in that moment, he felt so real. As if two years apart had never happened. As if everything said between you two in your letters was unspoken, but acknowledged. 

You pulled your head away from his shoulder and looked into his eyes. The eyes that had been a comfort source in your life for so many years. As if looking into them brought out all of your confidence, you gave him a shy smile before leaning down and pressing your lips against his.

You immediately pulled away from him before either of you could register the action, letting yourself fall back down to your feet as you looked up into his eyes. He didn’t blink, his mouth hanging open.

Maybe you made a terrible mistake.

“Oh, I’m sorry—” 

You were cut off by his hands on each side of your face, pulling you in for a second kiss. One that lasted much longer. 

His lips were incredibly soft against yours, moulding as if this was the place they were meant to be. Your hands went up into his hair, giving a small tug as he pulled your body closer to his. It was as if all the war and death around you two didn’t exist — the only thing you could focus on was George’s warmth and the eruption of butterflies that went off in your body.

After what felt like hours, you pulled away and looked up at him. His lips were swollen and red, his breathing slightly uneven, but he looked happy.

“That was long overdue,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair. 

You let out a breathy laugh, “Definitely.”

———————————————————————

taglist

@grierpilots

@hxfflxpxffs

@mikumana

@msmimimerton

@pit-and-the-pen

@diary-of-an-onliner

@theweirdsideofstuff

@thoseofgreatambition

@theweasleysredhair

@haphazardhufflepuff

@starlightweasley

@mytreec

@thisismysketchbook

@valwritesx

@vogueweasley

@hufflrpuffforfred

@phuvioqhile

@marvelettesassemble

@shadowsinger11

@ickle-ronniekins

@almostweepingbanana

@iprobablyshipit91

@wand3ringr0s3

@susceptible-but-siriusexual

[chaotic-carnifex]

We played the most dramatic game of Werewolves last night and I felt the need to turn my favourite scene of the night into a story. Explanation of the game mechanics involved at the end.

His first clue should have been how exhausted he felt after what should have been a full night's sleep - and then some, he noted as he saw the length of the shadows in his room, much shorter than they would have been had he woken up at his usual time. The sun shining in through his bedroom window was much closer to its zenith than it should have been.

He groggily got up, getting ready for the day in a bit of a hurry, worried about being late to the meeting at noon in the town hall. He felt lethargic, his brain clouded by fog, his body moving like he was dragging each limb through an entire bog, but he would not let that stop him. He prided himself too much on his discipline.

Had he had more time, had he been in less of a rush to get to the town hall, had he not been so godsdamned tired, then he may have put the pieces together earlier. As it was, he assumed he must have slept fitfully due to the horrors of the last days, plagued by nightmares perhaps. He might have found it strange that he could not remember any dreams, that he could not recall having had any trouble falling asleep or having woken at any point during the night, if his thoughts had been clear enough to wonder about such things.

He made it to the town hall in time. A crowd had already gathered, the air abuzz with the agitated murmur of a few dozen voices. People were anxiously whispering to each other and pointing at something on the bulletin board at the front of the hall. Curiosity piqued, he pushed his way through the crowd to see what had his neighbours all riled up.

Even in his exhausted state it would have been hard to miss the large "G" scrawled onto the board in what appeared to be blood. By the time the new mayor called the meeting to order, the consensus was clear: the former mayor had returned as a ghost to impart a hint about the identity of the monsters to the town.

"G". Glasses? Perhaps not - too many townsfolk wore those. Grey? Green?

Green. He eyed his direct neighbour, the one who lived to his left. She tended to wear green. He considered the one who lived two houses over to his right as well, but discarded the thought soon after. She did own a green jacket, but it was a very light colour. Perhaps closer to mint. Surely the ghost would have found a better hint to point to if it were her.

He brought this up, nominating his neighbour for execution and explaining his reasoning. He kept his voice steady and measured. If he spoke a little slower than usual, enunciated a little more clearly, it would surely be attributed to the need to be understood over the sounds of the gathered crowd, not the need to keep from slurring his words, to make his sluggish mind stay on task and give himself time to choose his words. It would not do for the townsfolk to know that their hunter was compromised - and for the monsters in their midst even less so. He would not show weakness. He prided himself too much on his discipline.

As the discussion continued around him, another villager was nominated on the basis that the "G" could stand for "grey". The possibility of his neighbour with the possibly-mint coloured coat having been meant was brought up again, but quickly dismissed, same with the Indian man who lived across the village from him.

As the nominees were given the chance to deliver their defenses, he realized he felt cold. How strange, it was a beautiful sunny day. He surreptitiously raised a hand to his head. Was he running a temperature? But his forehead felt not fever-hot but cold and clammy.

As he lowered his arm, his sleeve brushed against a tender spot on the side of his neck. He froze.

With trembling fingers he traced the two puncture wounds above his carotid artery.

All sound around him seemed to be fading. He did not have much time. He could have screamed, could have called for help, could have raged at the unfairness of it all, but he didn't. He prided himself too much on his discipline.

With numb fingers, he pulled his hunting rifle from where he had slung it over his back. He chambered a cartridge and lifted the firearm to his shoulder, index finger outside the trigger guard until he had taken aim. The action seemed to take much more energy than usual, his arms wanting to tremble under the weapon's weight, but he forced them still. He could not miss. He prided himself too much on his discipline.

He pulled the trigger and crumpled dead to the floor.

Across the hall, his neighbour, the one in green, stumbled back, shot straight through the heart. She, too, collapsed, her body convulsing in her dying moments and expanding, ripping through the green fabric that had marked her for death and replacing it with dark fur as she transformed into her monstrous form for the last time.

A hush fell over the town hall.

Suddenly the shocked silence was split by an ear-splitting shriek. A figure darted forward from a corner of the room with inhuman speed, the hood of her mint-green coat falling back with the sudden movement. She sank to her knees beside the dead werewolf, wailing in despair. She did not react as the sunlight streaming in through the tall windows began to sizzle upon her pale skin. Bowed over the body of her beloved, weeping, the vampire let the sunlight claim her, slowly smoldering and finally fading to dust.

---

So, what happened here re: game mechanics? Let’s start by introducing the relevant roles:

The Hunter can choose a player to take down with them if they get killed.

Amor (or Cupid) chooses two people at the start of the game who fall in love. If one of them dies, the other will die of a broken heart right after.

The Vampire picks a victim at night who dies the next day, after the people nominated for execution have made their defenses but before the execution itself.

The Ghost is the player who died first (unless, as was the case in this game actually, the first player to die is a werewolf. That was a weird series of coincidences.) - to make up for being eliminated from the game so early, they get to stay involved in the gameplay by leaving hints for the villagers. Each day, they get to write down one letter and tell the town whether it’s a new hint or if it goes with the previous letter(s). There are limits to what the letters are allowed to hint at, e.g. no names, ethnicities or things written on somebody’s clothes.

And the Werewolves of course kill one player each night.

In last night’s game, the Hunter was chosen by the Vampire at night (the Werewolves’ victim didn’t really add to the drama so I kinda left that part out) and the Ghost gave the hint “G” the next day. As a group, we tend to go for colour clues (and also the Ghost gave it away by asking the Storyteller to confirm she got the colour right, as she’s colourblind), so we quickly landed on the hint being either “green” or “grey”. The Hunter suspected the girl with the green sweater sitting next to him, so when he died of the vampire bite, he chose to take her down with him. Her and the vampire in the mint-ish coloured coat had been chosen by Amor at the start of the game, so the vampire died as well that day.

And that’s how you end up with a very dramatic Triple Death in Werewolves.

[drivingsideways]

Seo-ryeong and Tae-eul, allies

She sees her shoes before she sees the rest of her.

Correction: she sees her feet, before she sees the rest of her- the tension of the high arch radiating up to the calves revealed by the thigh high slit of her indigo skirt, as she climbs the stairs ahead of Tae-eul. It's a quick, confident gait: the stilettoes not wavering a centimeter. Tae-eul, slowing down, feels her back tense in sympathetic reaction.

She pauses at the door, hand raised to knock, when she realizes that she's not alone, and turns.

Tae-eul has already realized who it is, so she's able reply with composure.

"Madam Prime Minister, what a surprise."

The stairs give Koo Seo-Ryeong even more of an advantage; she looms, larger than life, than reality itself on Tae-eul's doorstep, her expression guarded.

"Detective Jeong," says Koo Seo-Ryeong coolly. "I'm glad to find you at home."

A pause, an upward curl of lip.

"Your real home."

"I'm sorry it's not fit to greet Your Excellency," Tae-eul says, mildly, as she reaches the landing. Koo Seo Ryeong doesn't step back, so she has to awkwardly move in the small space between the door and the giraffe behind her to unlock her door. Perhaps it was something in the water in Corea, she reflects, but they really did seem to produce people who couldn't resist being unnecessarily dramatic.

Koo Seo-Ryeong waits until the lights are switched on before she ducks her head to step over the threshold. She looks around, taking everything in- there's not much, Tae-eul admits, but it still feels like exposing her underbelly to a predator. But Jeong Tae-eul isn't a fool; she knows which battles to pick.

As does Prime Minister Koo, she thinks, watching her face as her gaze lights on the wall with the photographs. Without a word, she makes her way to it; saunters, really, like a giant, sleek cat strolling the savannah. The tension from the stairs is gone, replaced by indolence; which one is the act, Jeong Tae-eul wouldn't place bets on.

"Would you like something to drink?" Tae-eul says, after a minute.

"Hmm?"

Koo Seo-Ryeong tilts her head, showing off her lovely profile, her porcelain-cheek finely contoured, the elegant line of her neck. Her hair is coiled in a loose bun settled at her nape, a delicate white- jade hairpin holding it in place. She looks like the queen she intends to be.

"No."

"Suit yourself," Tae-eul says, shrugging, as she walks to the counter and turns the coffee maker on. "Personally, I find that caffeine helps speed up my brain."

Koo Seo-Ryeong turns toward her then, a half-smile playing on her cherry red lips.

"What's the hurry," she drawls. "Do you have somewhere to be?"

A pause, then a long, fair hand lifted to cover her mouth, showing off perfectly manicured nails in that same blood-red as her shoes. "Oh, that's right, you must be waiting for His Majesty."

Oh for the love of—

"What do you need my help for?"

"Did I say that I needed your help?"

Tae-eul rolls her eyes, as the coffee-maker hisses behind her.

"Your Excellency," she says, trying to use her best traffic-cop-explaining-rules-to-eighty year old ahjumma-in-a sedan-voice, "I can't imagine anything less than an emergency has brought you to my door. So, let's get to it."

"Where's your mother?" Koo Seo-Ryeong asks.

Tae-eul blinks at her.

"Dead," she says, after a minute. "I was five, it was cancer, there was nothing we could do."

She thinks rapidly, trying to remember the factoids of Koo Seo-ryeong's life that she'd devoured during her brief time in Corea.

"Where's yours?" she asks, but she thinks she knows the answer.

"Lee Lim's got her," says Koo Seo-Ryeong, casually, as though reporting the weather, "Somewhere here, in this world."

"Are you sure?" Tae-eul asks, after a moment. "It's my understanding that he usually—that he doesn't leave any loose ends," she amends, at the last minute, because there's something in the rigid nonchalance of Koo Seo-Ryeong's face that tells her she's not ready to hear the words "dead" and "your mother" in the same sentence.

"Somewhere in this world," Koo Seo-Ryeong repeats, "I'm sure."

"And you want me to help you find her," Tae-eul prods.

Seo-Ryeong shrugs. "You're a detective aren't you- and you and that little hound dog that follows you around- you've been investigating Lee Lim for a while now, so—"

Tae-eul sends up a prayer of thanks that hyungnim isn't around to hear this.

"Why should I, though?" Tae-eul asks.

It's not that she hasn't already made up her mind- taking down the bad guy is the job description, hello, and that's the golden rule even if the person who benefits from the work is a snake—but Koo Seo-Ryeong is a mystery she'd never thought she'd get a chance to solve, and here she was, delivered to her doorstep.

Plus, this was work.

Koo Seo-Ryeong looks bored.

"Do I have to explain the advantages of taking down a common enemy? Are you really the child you look like?"

Tae-eul takes a sip of coffee to hide her grin- but not fast enough, because Koo Seo-Ryeong's expression changes into a storm cloud.

"I see," she says.

Then the expression smoothens out, like a magic wand has been waved.

It was fascinating.

Tae-eul wonders if she'd ever thought of a career as an actor, and then reflects that Koo Seo-Ryeong's makjang style was probably more suited to her current career.

"If those are the games you like," the Prime Minister of Corea is drawling, "I can guarantee that His Majesty is going to bore you to death in two weeks."

"I'll take my chances," says Tae-eul placidly, hopping onto the kitchen counter, and swinging her legs. "Alright, eonni- I can call you that, right? Since we'll be working together and all? Tell me everything you know."

"You may not call me eonni," says Her Excellency, from her throne at the center of Master Jeong's 2 x 4, "And I will tell you what you need to know."

"See," says Tae-eul, slurping her coffee loudly and enjoying the barely hidden wince from the woman opposite her, "That kind of thing isn't going to work. All or nothing, Your Excellency."

"The things that you don't know, and I do, could fill the library of Sungkyunkwan," declares Koo Seo-Ryeong.

A pause.

"I will answer any questions pertinent to the situation."

"Cool, cool," says Tae-eul, "I can live with that. What's your favourite dish, Your Excellency?"

A glare.

"Why is that relevant?"

"It’s relevant to our dinner plans. I can't think when I'm hungry."

A (glorious) sneer.

"Pathetic," says the woman who possibly secretly smoked two packs a day to remain that svelte and run a country.

Tae-eul shrugs, pulling her phone out. "Alright, fried beef dumplings it is, then. I take it you won't mind it spicy?"

They're poring over the files that Koo Seo-Ryeong had brought- intelligence reports, and her own notes from her meetings with Lee Lim, comparing them with the information that Tae-eul has so far on her side, when the doorbell rings.

"Oh yum, food," says Tae-eul springing up and scooting to the door.

It's Jo Yeong, looking like Doom, as usual.

"Oh, not food," she says, disappointed, and steps aside to let him make his dramatic entrance.

Seriously, Coreans.

But hyungnim's right behind him- or would be, if he wasn't leaning against the railing with a put-upon look on his face.

Behind her, she can hear the exchange of artillery fire as Captain Jo Yeong meets the bane of his life in Master Jeong's living room.

She closes the door behind her.

"So, what, you and that crazy woman are allies now?" Kang Sin-jae asks, as he thrusts a bag at her, from which the delicious smell of fried dumplings wafts up.

"Nope," she says, rooting around in the brown paper bag, because she knows a fried food aficionado when she sees one, and if she doesn't get to her share now, it was unlikely that Koo Seo-Ryeong would be considerate enough to leave her any. Besides, for a woman like Koo Seo-Ryeong, ally would rank higher that blood-brother or soulmate for other mortals, and Tae-eul hadn't earned it. Not yet. There was time, she thinks, for that.

"Nah," she says, again, over half a mouthful of crunchy goodness. "just two people working together. Shall we go in before there are bodies to bury?"

"What, again?" mutters hyungnim, but he opens the door for her, and follows her in.

[lunapwrites]

Numb

(I am once again posting unedited nightmares to Tumblr.)

CW: strong language, violence, character death. The first thing Remus noticed was that the floor was cold. The texture rough against his stubbled cheek, scraping against his forearms as he slowly pushed himself up. He blinked blearily, eyes adjusting to the dim torchlight. Stone floors, stone walls, iron bars.

A cell.

His head was throbbing; there was dried blood in his hair. This time it might have been his own. He recalled bright lights, curses flying, sizzling past his ear. Red. Darkness.

A Stunner.

How did they find me?

He couldn't remember.

If he concentrated, he could hear breathing, other heartbeats. One, two, three... no, four. He scented the air; three male, one female. Human, goblin. Familiar — very familiar, though he was struggling to think beyond the pounding in his skull. He couldn't recall their faces.

Somewhere out of view, a door swung open: hinges creaking, wood groaning, scraping along the floor. A jangle of keys. This scent... (juniper berry and wood shavings and cheap dusty tea) this scent he knew.

rat rat rat

"Oh good, you're not dead," Peter said in a tone that might have sounded cheerful if not for the underlying tension of attempted murder and heart-wrenching betrayal.

"Sorry to disappoint," Remus replied. His voice was rougher than the stone he'd woken on and twice as cold. On the other side of the wall, two heartbeats quickened; a quiet intake of breath.

They know me.

"Ah, don't be like that, Moony. I've brought you supper."

"Think I'd rather starve, thanks."

Peter gave that snorty little laugh that Remus used to privately think was endearing and now just made him want to yank the bastard's brains out through his nostrils.

"Just as dramatic as ever, I see." He showed the plate to Remus. "It's just a bacon sarnie. Light on the butter and practically raw, just the way you like it."

It was the way he liked it, and Remus hated him for it.

"Why am I here?"

"Skipping right over the small talk, eh? That's not like you at all." Peter opened a small grate, pushing the plate through the bars. "Come on, Moony. You know why."

"Don't call me that."

If he hadn't been watching for it, he'd have missed the tiny flicker of hurt across Peter's face. The twitch of his brows, the near imperceptible thinning of his already too-thin lips. The shadows under his eyes darkening.

He looked terrible. He looked sorry. Remus hated him even more.

"Alright, Remus then. Or would you prefer Lupin?"

"I would prefer you didn't call me anything, honestly."

"Too bad," Peter said briskly. "I'm the jailor, so unless you just don't want to talk at all..."

"That would be lovely, actually."

"Liar." Peter grinned. "You love hearing yourself talk, always did. You were worse than James—"

The bars rattled as Remus slammed into them, fury bubbling in his veins. Peter leapt out of his reach, eyes wide, frightened as he'd been that night in the shack.

"DON'T!" Remus snarled, fangs bared. "Don't you ever speak his name!"

Peter stared at him, his hummingbird pulse slowly steadying as he remembered who was on which side of the bars. He put his hands up, placating.

"Alright, Remus. Fair enough. I'm sorry."

No you're not.

Peter hovered awkwardly for a moment, rocking on his heels like he had something more to say — like there was anything more to say. As if he had a right to be disappointed that Remus would sooner swallow his own tongue than accept anything he offered.

"Right. I'll leave you to it, then. Be back tomorrow."

Remus watched him slip out of the room in silence, the heavy door swinging shut, the lock turning with a dull click just as the plate shattered against the wall.

-

"Brought you some soup today," Peter said conversationally. "Figured you might need it after talking to Bellatrix."

He slipped the bowl through the grate; Remus didn't move from his spot against the opposite wall. Every one of his nerve endings was on fire, but he'd be damned before he'd show it.

"She really needs to work on her conversational skills," he croaked, and immediately regretted it. Peter's eyes sharpened, searching his face.

Nothing to see here. Not for you.

"She was always mad as a hatter before, but Azkaban really didn't do her any favours in that regard." Peter sighed, leaning back against the wall, arms crossed. "Can't say I'm upset about getting out of that one."

It was in that moment that Remus decided that the Killing Curse was too good for Peter.

He hauled himself to his feet, trudging over to the front of the cell on shaky legs, leaning over carefully to pick up his supper.

"I see you remembered my favourite again." He sniffed at the bowl of soup suspiciously, checking for strange ingredients.

Potato. Leek. Broth... chicken I think. Cream. Bacon again, probably leftover.

"Figured a taste of home might not go amiss," Peter said quietly, frowning. "I haven't poisoned it, you know."

"I'm well aware that the only thing you poison is friendships," Remus agreed. "If you wanted to kill me, I should watch for a knife in my back."

"...That's not fair."

"Isn't it?"

They stared one another down silently, Peter with his best rainy morning face on, Remus towering above him like a thundercloud. He slowly poured the soup out onto the floor, flinging the bowl back through the bars. Peter dodged at the last second; it bounced off the wall next to his ear and clattered harmlessly to the floor.

He'd learned his lesson since the plate, apparently.

"Right," Peter declared in an overly plummy tone as he pushed off the wall, "we'll just try again tomorrow, shan't we?"

-

The following day, Peter brought down bangers and mash; it was cold and grainy, and the bangers were burned to hell.

Remus ate it anyway.

-

"You know, as pleased as I am that you've stopped throwing tantrums over the food," Peter mused through a mouthful of toast, "I'm genuinely surprised you haven't asked me why I did it."

Remus paused, looking up from his plate through one, unswollen eye.

"Probably because it doesn't matter."

He spoke slowly, as if to a particularly dim child, as if he weren't lying through his teeth.

Peter scoffed, spots of colour rising to his cheeks.

"Please, like you didn't spend twelve years tearing yourself up over Sirius. Why should my reasons matter less?"

"I'll give you three guesses."

Peter wrinkled his nose, scowling.

"You always liked him best."

"Dunno what to tell you, Pete. He gives great head."

There was a muffled snort from the neighbouring cell. Dean, by the sound of it. A week ago, Remus might have even been embarrassed.

"Remus Lupin, unfiltered," Peter said with a wistful shake of his head. "I fucking missed you, you know."

"This is very good bread. Do give my compliments to whichever unfortunate elf was responsible for it."

"That would be me."

Remus snorted at him, raising his mug of water in toast.

"Here's to moving up in the world."

"Fuck off." Peter eyed him speculatively for a long moment. "It was because I wanted it to end."

Remus peered at him over the rim of his mug.

There was a dark intensity emanating from Peter. Not dangerous in the same way that Bellatrix or even Sirius was; sharp and sinewy, a predator stalking prey. It was as if Remus was moving among the stars and encountered a vast nothing that devoured everything it dragged into its field.

No sound, no light, just cold, dead silence.

"All my friends were dying or turning into people I didn't recognise anymore, and I was terrified," Peter continued quietly. "Every day I was terrified, and I just wanted it to end. I didn't care how."

He pushed off the wall, leaving without waiting for a response.

It didn't matter. There was nothing to say.

-

On the fifth day, an apple rolled off the plate as Peter approached the cell. It hit the ground, rolling at his feet. He leaned down to recover it, and the rest happened very quickly.

Remus rushed forward, his arm darting out to catch Peter around his neck as he rose back up, yanking him back hard against the bars.

"You always were an idiot."

Peter thrashed and struggled in his grip. His fancy silver hand clawed at Remus' forearm, more powerful than Peter had any right to be.

But Remus was stronger.

"I would be lying if I said I didn't miss you, Pete," he said calmly, tightening his grip. "I missed you every day, like a limb. I still do."

The keys were jangling against Peter's belt loop, against the bars. Remus could reach through and grab them now, if he wanted to.

"You weren't the only one who was afraid, you know? We were just kids. Only the rest of us learned to kill our enemies instead of our brothers."

It wasn't about the keys.

"My brothers died twelve years ago." The fingers scratching and scrabbling against his arm were weakening, slowing. "I buried one with his wife in Godric's Hollow, and they put up a little statue for them that I still can't stand to look at."

Peter's knees buckled, his weight against Remus' steady arm adding pressure.

"I buried the other in a little plot in Coxheath, and I used to wonder why it couldn't have been me. And I grieved."

Remus took a deep, slow breath. A holy calm settled over him.

"I want you to know," he continued in that same soft, conversational tone, "that everything you've done has amounted to nothing. That you are nothing, and no one will remember you."

Things happened very slowly after that.

Peter stopped struggling.

Remus counted heartbeats.

There were six.

And then there were five.

He reached down and pulled the keyring from Peter's belt, popping the beltloop clear off. It wasn't like Peter needed it anymore. He left the body against the bars, opening the door to his cell without looking back.

-

"Hullo Professor."

Dean was watching him open their cell door with wide eyes, more surprised — appraising — than fearful. Luna waved at him cheerfully, same as when he'd last seen her, if a little taller. Remus nodded to them both in greeting.

"I'd say it's good to see you both, but I'm rather sorry you're here. Can everyone move under their own power?"

"Ollivander and Griphook are both a bit worse for wear," Dean said apologetically.

"Alright, well give me a hand now then."

-

It only took a few moments for them to get Griphook and Ollivander situated on Dean and Remus' backs, respectively. Remus, in the meantime, had been coming up with a plan.

So long as they were quiet and careful, he could sniff out the exit while avoiding the manor's residents. They just needed to be quick about it; he didn't know how long it would be before Peter was missed.

But no sooner did he reach his hand out for the door than it burst open, revealing a particularly unhinged-looking Sirius, closely flanked by Harry and Ron.

There was a short pause in which the two men processed one anothers' sudden appearance.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Remus asked faintly.

"We came to rescue you," Sirius said with a vaguely affronted tone.

Remus turned around, looking at the assortment of prisoners he'd broken out and the cooling body of the jailor at the other end of the room, and then turned back to Sirius.

"Well done."

Harry let out a choked sort of noise that might have been either a sob or a snort, he wasn't quite sure.

"Right," Ron said quickly. "So, mission accomplished, let's go!"

He and Harry ushered Dean-and-Griphook and Luna up the stairs first, Ron taking point and Harry flanking. The moment they were out of the room, Sirius reached out and cupped Remus's jaw, brushing a thumb across his cheek. He felt something damp on his face.

"Have you been crying?"

Remus shrugged.

"Maybe. I didn't feel anything," he said quietly, shaking his head. "It doesn't matter. Let's go."

Remus pushed past him, following the boys up the stairs. Sirius followed close behind.

They didn't look back.

[volturicangetit]

A.V- Summer crush

Summary: You and Alec found each other during your summer in Italy were he realized you were mates. When you sadly need to leave him to go back home to your father and sister, Bella. But once the Cullen find out about you and Alec they cast you out. 

Request: yes/no Anon: One shot were the reader is Bellas sister and Alec Volturis mate and once the Cullens and Bella find out the Cullens distance themselves from the reader and Edward tries to drive the reader away so she runs away only to be found by Demetri while he was on a mission in the area she ran to and brings her back to Alec where she begs him to let her stay.

warnings: swearing, mention of depression

wordcount: 1880

MASTERLIST

You lay on the little loveseat right in front of the windows in Alec's room. Both of you are cuddling up against each other while looking at the stars outside of the window. The sound of your steady heartbeat and slow breathing sends waves of comfort crashing over him. With you, it was almost as if he could sleep. The warmth of your skin radiating against him, warming his skin up. His mind got fuzzy. He knew what it meant. He knew Marcus could see the red string that connected his soul to yours. Even he could faintly see it. You didn't know what any of it meant. You thought it was just love at first sight. You met him during your exchange in Italy you did for school. You met him on the second day here, immediately falling for him and his goofy smile. You spent almost all your time with him. " I have to leave tomorrow," you whisper. He nods, nestling his head closer against your neck. Your scent was mouthwatering to him. " I know. " he croaks out. Tears suddenly start to sting in your eyes. The realization of leaving him suddenly hits you. You won't be in beautiful and warm Italy anymore with Alec. You'll be in cold and rainy Forks, without him. " I don't wanna leave you," you say as the tears come crashing down.  

Alec quickly sits a bit more upright, pulling slightly from him to look into your eyes. He wipes away the tears running down your cheeks as he tries to calm you. " Hey, hey, don't cry. Please don't cry. You can come to visit again soon. Fall break. You can come during fall! " he tries. He knows that you leaving won't be easy. Not for either of you. Being away from his mate will feel like torture to him, he knows that. You nod, trying to stop the sobs and hiccups wracking through your body. " You can see Volterra in fall, it's beautiful. We'll make it work. ". You nod. " We'll make it work. ".

" You're back! " Bella exclaims as she runs over to you, engulfing you in a hug. You cling into her, breathing her in. Forest, mud and strawberries. Tears prick up in your eyes again. You nearly forgot how much you missed your sister. " I missed you so much, Bells. ". She nods, still not letting go of you. Footstep starts to get closer to you two.

" They're back. " Emmett states. You let Bella go out of your grip as you look at the tall man. The other Cullens have followed him. Everyone has a smile on their face except for Jasper which was usual. You run over to Emmett and hug him as well. You and Emmett have become close friends, and surprisingly, also with Rosalie. You try to hug Edward as well but he just pushes you away from him slightly, giving you a disgusted look. What's wrong with him? You shake it off as him just being him. You never know what going on with vampires. " Did you see dad yet? " Bella asks.

You shake your head. " Nope came here straight from the airport. ". She gives you a playful slap against your arm as she grabs your phone out of her pocket. " Come on! He must be worried sick. ". Before she could ring her father Edward grabs the phone out of her hands. " Don't," he says. You look over at the rest of the Cullens, trying to find an explanation. You find it when you look at Alice. Her eyes are wide and she's clinging onto Jasper's arm for dear life. They know. Of course, they know how the fuck could you keep a secret from someone who sees the future and a mindreader.

" They're dating Alec. " Edward says. No warning. No softening the blow. He just brings the news as it is. The room goes dead silent. The Cullens are at a loss for words. You, sweet little human Y/n, is dating a human blood-drinking vampire with a terrifying gift. Emmett takes a step away from you, dragging Rosalie with him. Carlisle warm eyes are suddenly filled with disgust. Bella steps back from you as well. Nausea fills your stomach. It suddenly feels like your infected with some disease, none of them wants to get close to you. " Bella- ' you start.

" Don't! " she yells. All the love in her voice is replaced by hate. " You're dating that monster? ". That statement hurts. You know he isn't a monster. " He's not. Look, it's just-". Bella throws her hands in the air, effectively cutting you off. " Break up with him. ". Shock fills every cell in your body. Break up with Alec? The one person who seems to have lifted your mood? The person who made you feel like you were walking on clouds? Never.

" They can't. " Alice says. Carlisle looks over at her with a pleading look. She nods. A sight leaves his lips. " They're mates. ". The world crashes around you. In second Edward has picked you up and put you outside of the house, luggage included. The Cullens stand away from you, on the little porch in front of their door. Bella and Edward follow soonly after, joining them. " I'm sorry Y/n. But you have to stay away. " Edward says. Esmee but a hand on his shoulder which he shakes off. " Edward. Don't be dramatic. ".

" I'm not! That monster will kill them. I don't want to have anything to do with that. It's disgusting. ". Disgusting. You loving Alec is disgusting. You shake your head, letting the tears that were building up to fall freely. You take a step towards him. " No, you know what's disgusting? You almost got my sister killed five times. Five. Fucking. Times. You left her without a word when she needed you. You fucking disgust me, Edward Cullen. " you spit out the words. You need to get it off your chest. You hated him the moment he came into Bella's life. Toying with her emotions. Leading her on and then leaving for months. You didn't like it one bit. You grab your bags off the ground, not caring about the mud that now covers the underside of them. " I'll hitchhike my way home," you say before walking off, away from the Cullen.

It was awkward. It was awkward and painful and you hated every second of it. Edward forbid Bella from talking to you. She moved in with the Cullens. The only ones still talking to you were Emmett and Rosalie. That was until Edward forced them to stop talking to you as well. They were your friends. The people you trusted your life with. Now, you were alone. You didn't bother making new friends. You just kept going trough the slur of life. Falling in the same depression that Bella got into when Edward left her. Your thoughts are consumed by Alec. Thinking back on memories, replaying scenes. You wanted to call him, so bad. Beg him to take you to Italy. But you couldn't do that to your dad. He didn't deserve to have you disappear.

You sat in biology, staring down at the notebook in front of you. None of the words made sense. The letters blending with each other, forming words in a language you couldn't understand. Seconds started ticking away as slow as hours. Your eyes are red and burning. You couldn't cry anymore. No, you had already shed more tears than most would in their life. The ringing of the bell feels like sweet freedom. Finally being able to go home. Away from the Cullens, away from school and people. You stuff your books into your bag hazard and quickly run out of the classroom. The hallway is still quiet, only a couple of students in them. You rush past them, almost running toward the doors. The moment you step outside the cold air stings against your skin. You look over at where your car is parked. Bella's old car, since the Cullens gave her a new one. A man was standing next to it. Dark coat adorning his body. Demitri. You run towards him. A smile is plastered on his face as he holds his arms open for you. You pull him towards you in a hug. Tears start to come up again. Two months passed since you last saw him. " What are you doing here? " your voice sounds muffled against his coat.

" Just checking up in you. ". You missed his accent so much. " Are you crying? ". You nod your head. There is no hiding anything with vampires, you learned that. He pulls away from you, placing either hand on your cheeks. " What happened? ". You shake your head. A sob wrecking through your body stops you from talking. Demitri understand. He guides you into the passenger's seat of your car as he gets in the driver seat himself before he drives off. Just seeing him reminded you how much you missed Alec. How badly you felt here. You wanted to go back to Volterra. You need to go back. Demitri only stops the car when he found a quiet forest road.  He rubs circles with his thumb against your arm to try and calm you down. " What's got you feeling like this? ".

" The Cullens. " you start. You can feel him stiffen. There was no denying that the Volturi hated the Cullens. " They f-found out about Alec. They...They casted me out. " you cry out. More sobs break from your throat. Demitri pulls you into a hug. He tries his best to comfort you. but after all these years of immortality, he forgot how it. " Take me with you! ' you say in between sobs. " Take me to Alec. Please. I don't want to be here anymore. '. He nods, still shushing your and softly rocking you from side to side. " I will. ".

The cool air in the castle nips at your skin, yet you don't seem to mind it. The familiar scent of stone, dust and rosemary flows through the building. The guards passing by you all sent you a smile. You brought light into the castle. You made one of the witch twins happy. You made the favourite four of the kings feel normal. They were happy to have you back. Demitri stops right before Alec's door. He doesn't need to knock, Alec sensed you the second you stood before his room. The door flies open and in a second, Alec has engulfed you in a hug.  " You're back," he whispers into your hair. He takes you in. You're here. This isn't a delusion or a daydream. You're here in flesh and bone. You happily hug him. " I'm back. And I won't be going away. ".

TWILIGHT TAGLIST:

@scuzmunkie​ @thanossexual​ @prettyinblack231

[boxofbadaddiction]

Build Me Up, Buttercup

George Weasley x Reader

Song Inspired

Warnings: Zilch. Pure Fluff.

Life at the Burrow can get pretty hectic. With so many people running in and out all of the time things can quickly get out of hand. So, fortunately for Mrs Weasley she had so many ready and willing children to lend a hand when necessary.

Okay, maybe 'ready and willing' is a stretch. It's more of a 'whether you like it or not' arrangement if we're being honest. But regardless it gets the jobs done.

Today being no exception, so while Molly and Arthur left for town to run some errands preparing for the new school year, there were a list of chores for her 'happy' helpers; Fred, George, Y/n, Ron, Harry and Ginny, to get done.

Ron and Harry were set the challenge of De-Gnoming the garden, Ginny had a chicken coop to clean, Fred - to his great pleasure - were on laundry duty (though last George saw there weren't much folding going on. More his brother were sprawled out dramatically over a pile of towels groaning loudly), Y/n meanwhile was on kitchen duty and so that left George the very taxing chore of cleaning the attic. Molly were sure to give he and Fred separate jobs knowing full well, left to their own devices, no work would get done - if anything she'd come home to a bigger mess.

George hated the attic, it were so cluttered and stuffy. Not to mention the Ghoul were no help with all the racket he liked to make banging one piece of junk against the other. Thankfully, however, he were nearly finished.

Placing the final box atop the others he'd organised George dusted his hands before resting them on his hips with a tired sigh.

He let his eyes roam the space - damn they had some junk. Although there were a notable improvement thanks to his efforts. All that remained was to dust the, many, cobwebs and sweep the floors.

Looking around the room he noticed the broom and dustpan were nowhere in sight - that's when he remembered y/n had been using them to clean the living room earlier. As he was sure she'd be finished using them by now, he turned to descend the staircase, ducking briefly to avoid an old pan the Ghoul threw in protest of the houses usual quietness, George made his way towards the sitting room.

Passing Fred, whom were not much better off than when he'd started - still groaning, but now upright and reluctantly folding, this brought an amused smile to his twins face until something piqued his curiosity. There were Muggle music coming from the bottom floor.

Y/n, being a half-blood, had introduced the Weasleys to some records from her home on her previous visit and must have put one on to listen to whilst she cleaned.

As he drew nearer the music grew louder and more recognisable. Her record of The Foundations was playing - a favourite of hers George had learned.

As he reached the bottom flight of stairs his eyes scanned the room - y/n had done an excellent job - unfortunately though the object he required were nowhere to be found. Turning to step off the landing George reddied to ask y/n if she were done using it, assuming she'd carried on her good work to the dining room, but he found himself halted by the sight before him.

Y/n were by the sink scrubbing this mornings dishes. But that's not what stopped him in his tracks. She were dancing and singing along to the record as she did so - quite passionately.

George leant against the nearby cabinet as he admired her while she 'performed', so obliviously happy wrapped up in her own little world. He watched the way her hips swayed in time with the beat, the slight bounce in her step as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. How her hair was flowing wildly with each silly head-bang and nod along. He could see the way her face lit up in joy by the faint reflection in the window. His favourite thing by far though was the way she used the scrubbing brush as a microphone as she sang along.

His smile grew as the next song began to play, which he knew she were very fond of, and her enthusiasm seemed to increase ten fold.

Her arms flailed about of their own accord as she danced, singing excitedly, "Why do you build me up, Buttercup, baby, just to let me down?"

It were moments like these George found himself falling for her harder - everytime. When she finally let her walls down and would let herself be truly happy and unashamedly expressive of her real - crazy - self. A side he wished she'd show more.

His relationship with y/n were complicated in a way. They've known each other for years. Grown up in the same small town and had been sorted into the same house at Hogwarts; so naturally she'd always been close with the Weasleys, especially the Twins, and over the years it became blatantly obvious to everyone, even y/n and George, that they'd developed feelings for each other.

They'd just never managed to act on them.

There'd been plenty of moments. Nights spent up late talking by the fire of the common room. Plenty of long walks by the Black Lake. Plenty of midnight snack runs to the kitchens and Butterbeers drank in Hogsmead. Plenty of moments, just never the right one.

A slight chuckle rolled from the back of Georges throat as he watched on and y/ns movements became more energetic and her voice began to carry more over the music

"...worst of all, you never call, baby. When you say you will. But I still-" y/n had spun in place only to be met with the realisation she were no longer alone and that her little concert had an on-looker.

George stood smugly, with arms folded as his tongue slowly came to wet his lips and a wide toothy smile graced his features.

Y/n was frozen like a deer in headlights. Her make shift microphone still held high. Her eyes left his as she drew a heavy breath but simply shrugged and carried on with her karaoke, only now it weren't a show for the dishes - she instead began to serenade George.

She smoothly tossed the scourer from one hand into the other, her dominant one now pointed dramatically at George as she sung,

"I need you! More than anyone, Darling." George raised his eyebrows in mock surprise as if to say 'oh, really?'

"You know I have from the start" her arm that'd been pointing at the redhead was then swiftly cast high into the air, her head falling back with it singing loudly "so, build me up!" George couldn't help the laugh that erupt from his chest at her theatrics watching as she put her hand over her heart, looking back to him with doey-love eyes, a slight shake to her head finishing the chorus' "don't break my heart" in a loving tone.

As the song continued y/n kept on with her awkward dance moves, beckoning for him to join her. He'd genuinely tried to resist - but he could never say no to her.

His hands found hers twisting in time with the music and twirling her just to hear the laugh it brought from her.

Y/n hadn't expected him to join her much less start singing himself but he did and she couldn't be happier.

"Baby, baby, try to find a little time and I'll make you happy" both were laughing loudly as their moves slowly became more comical. George was swaying her about the room, pushing her away in a twirl before pulling her back into his chest (all those lessons for the Yule ball really paying off right now) as he continued to sing y/n jokingly raised the brush for him to sing into as she had, which he did with as much energy and flare as he does anything.

"But I could be the boy you adore, if you'd just let me know...BA-DAH-DAH!" he yelled the last part particularly loud which nearly had y/n falling to her knees in laughter, but George had caught her.

Y/n snatched the 'microphone' back from him as the chorus came back round and sang sweetly to him once again;

"But I love you still. I need you, more than anyone, Darling. You know that I have since the start. So build me up, Buttercup. Baby, don't break my heart."

George didn't know what came over him. Maybe it were because of how unbelievably adorable she looked in this moment. The way hearing her say 'I love you' got his heart racing, beating harder than a drum. Or simply the build up of years of pointless pining for one another, when they both clearly wanted this - all that wasted time in which they could have been together. Whatever the reason; he knew there'd never be a more right moment than this.

Suddenly his hand was finding her waist and pulling her body tight against his while the other came to her cheek. His thumb delicately traced her bottom lip as his fingers slowly moved to caress and rest lovingly by the nape of her neck.

"I'd never" he'd whispered the words so tenderly, with eyes which seemed to hold more love than could be considered possible. Her body all but melted under his touch, eyes dancing frantically back and forth between his trying to anticipate his next move. But it was her word he was waiting for, he wasn't taking this any further unless he was sure she wanted it, and she did. Her gaze flicked briefly to his lips encouragingly.

Georges hand slowly glided across her soft skin, tracing the line of her jaw till reaching her chin, tilting her head up ever-so-slightly as they leaned towards one another. Their eyes fluttered close, lips only just meeting in a feather-light touch that had y/n inhaling shakily at the tingles which had erupted through her spine. Their lips were just about to connect-

A flash of green and loud crash from the fireplace sent them jumping from their skins. Lungs coughing copious amounts of soot which indicated the return of Mr and Mrs Weasley.

"My, the place looks marvellous" Molly beamed, admiring the dining and living areas. "Afternoon, Kids! Keeping busy then I hope?" Arthur greeted smilingly. "Yeah" George answered, "we're just finishing up the dishes." He grinned down to y/n who was determinately focusing on the two adults in attempt to control her nervousness. "Excellent, well don't let us mind you - we'll be out of your hair in a tick" his father spoke as both parents ascended the staircase fussing over the school supplies they'd purchased.

The teens turned their attention to the long since forgotten dishes in the sink. They worked in comfortable silence, y/n scrubbing as George dried. His eye was constantly being pulled to the girl beside him as he noticed how she were trying - and failing - to hide a smile. Playfully he bumped her hip with his own, which finally turned her attention to him once again. She was waiting for him to speak but he never did. Merely smirking down at her with a glance to her lips, a look that completely broke the girls composed facade as she focused back to the task at hand, biting her lip to suppress a giddy smile.

George did the same, but there were no hiding his own wide smile, not even if he wanted to.

[yarbz]

cowardly game of rival — n.jaemin ( f )

synopsis!

 ━ as the girl’s football team captain, you were used to the endless derogatory taunts, the wolf-whistling, the attempts at romance being boys telling you what they thought of barcelona’s starting XII. na jaemin fell into all those catergories, a detestable flea in your hair. as sworn enemies, there was not even an inkling of romance, and you were convinced that your attraction to him was ONLY physical. weren’t you?

pairing ━ na jaemin x female!reader

word count ━ 6k

genres ━ fluff, rival!au, football!au, comedy, romance, very little of the football game is described in detail.

warnings ━ profanity, football terms, dirty jokes, y/n and jaemin are literally just cowards

( author's note! )

this one came to mind when i thought of how i love female footballers and decided that jaemin would be the idiot in question to chicken out of confessing to their crush by being an ass instead. i really hope you like it !! other notes are sissoko is the name of like three different players and a cracker is slang for a really good goal.

Football.

A sport of creatively insane wits, fancy footwork and incoherent celebrations. Those were all the things you loved about it, along with the ridiculously cute uniform.

It provided you an escape from the man's world, a chance to carve out your own story, free from the shackles of stereotypes. At least, that's what you'd initially thought.

Unfortunately, the boy's football team made it their sole objective in life to demean you. As captain, you took on the strenuous task of refusing to resort to physical violence when a stupid comment about your short length was made or when boys assumed you couldn't tell your Sissoko's apart (you could, quite well actually).

You had taken it as a sign of war, and refused to comment on their pathetic sneers. You did, however, feel as if Na Jaemin made a blood pact or something to be a parasite towards you.

He stood at the cusp of six foot, towering over you like an evergreen beanstalk, cheshire-cat like smile taunting you. Chocolate colour tresses fell over his eyes in straight lines, shielding his forehead.

It's not like you paid attention to his visage, but even you had to admit in your spite that he was attractive. And horribly so.

Today started like every other, going to your locker before heading to your homeroom. Luckily, you'd managed to get there before the freshmen started to pile in. Being a senior had its positives along with its various faults, one of them being the early access you got to the school.

You jammed your key in the lock, flinging open the locker door, making quick work of exchanging your books. In your fast-paced stupor, you didn't notice the figure leaning behind the door. You slammed the door shut, nail catching an patch of skin, scraping it.

"If you wanted me to leave, you could've been less catty." The voice wheedled, throwing a withering glare in your direction. You rolled your eyes, annoyed, arms crossed across your chest.

"Jaemin." You sighed, rubbing your temples. "Why are you hiding behind my locker? Are you looking for a death wish?"

He sat up slowly, soothing his reddening nose, suddenly regaining his smile as he leaned closer towards your face. "If I was looking for a death wish, I'd eat whatever food you just stuffed in there."

"Fuck off. Don't see you making any gourmet meals."

"I'm the gourmet meal." He slithered, breath fanning your nose. From this distance, you could see the wonder swimming within his eyes, breath caught in your throat.

Damn, he was too fine.

You tore your gaze from his eyes, "And yet, I don't feel inclined to taste it." He jumped back in surprise, eyes widening, giving you an opening to dash. Chuffed that you left him speechless, you walked towards your next class, resisting the urge to turn back to revel in his awe-struck face.

Jaemin's eyebrow quirked in curiosity, crooked smirk hanging from his lips. He watched you stalk away, cursing underneath his breath softly. You carried a fiery aura around you, burning him with every snarky remark — even though it beat him bruised ghastly lavenders, he could bear to play with fire if it meant you would pay him attention.

You see, Jaemin did not hate you as per say. The 'hate' which you believed in was merely his inability to profess his affections towards you. For lack of a better word, he was a coward.

A dashingly handsome one, but a fragile, chicken-legged coward all the same.

You'd made it to class in record time, ego bared boldly on your shoulders, attracting the curious eyes of your best friends Yangyang and Donghyuck. Both were terrorists in their own right, but you couldn't help loving them all the same. Sure, they came as a dreadful pair, but love had decided to shackle your heart to them.

"What's got you so happy? Jaemin finally drop dead?" Yangyang joked, shifting to make space for you. Headband strapped to the pinnacle of his forehead, he grinned at you from beneath the base of stretchy ebony material.

"No..not yet." You hummed, sad lilt to your tone.

"Awh, didn't kill him yet?" Donghyuck teased, nudging Yangyang in their laughter. "I think it must be love stopping you from committing the crime yourself." You shoved both, peals of laughter tickling your throat at their whines of pain.

"If you don't shut up, I'll be killing you two instead, never mind Jaemin." You snapped. "Love is what I feel when I score a cracker from the halfway line. Seeing Jaemin makes me want to jump out of the nearest window."

"Are you sure it's not just unresolved sexual tension? I, too get antsy when I haven't jacked off—"

"Finish that sentence and you'll have no arms."

"I'm flexible enough to suck myself off." Yangyang mused, "You'll never stop my libido."

"You're disgusting." You and Donghyuck said in sync, swatting his grabby hands from flying at your shoulders. Quite frankly, you didn't want to hear about his freakishly boneless limbs, or his untameable sex drive, nor hear anything about his genitals at all.

"Does that count as self—"

"Yes, it does. Please don't be telling people that I'm your friend, or that you can do that. It's not a little icebreaker."

Friendship with these two had crossed all sorts of personal boundaries you didn't know existed, and it was starting to decompose you, like a rotting piece of cabbage infested by slugs, yet still hanging on for the glimpse of sunlight to regenerate.

Okay, so you were being dramatic. But, that didn't explain their dire need to over share certain aspects of their lives with you.

"Doesn't change the topic at hand —Did you get my pun?" He asked, looking for Donghyuck's reaction.

"I did. Not going to comment on it before she breaks my arms. Just know I enjoyed it very much."

"If I wanted to mess around with Jaemin, I'd put my hand in a beehive. It'd sting less." You snarled, slamming down your books. They winced comically, faces alert as the teacher walked into the class.

Apart from football, you enjoyed learning — how to make things, break things, self defense, people skills, and education fell not too far from that. Classes like biology interested you greatly, which is why you found yourself fully immersed in the process of respiration.

Your mind drifted for a second, thinking back to what he'd said. Was it actually sexual tension? Did you actually bare an emotion other than loathing towards him? Then, you thought of that face and how you'd want to do nothing more than break his pretty little nose—

Yeah. There it was. You were normal after all.

School had come to her daily dreadful end, and you were happily striding into the ladies' changing rooms for football training. Nobody had gotten here yet, luckily.

You glanced over into the full body mirror, tugging at your shorts until they fell just above the bump of your knee, pulling your sock midway at your calf. Lean abs shone underneath the dim light, and you proudly paraded around the room, happy to be alone.

A knock on the door came, and you swung the door open with a feverish excitement. "Who is it?"

"Didn't take me as a bra kinda girl. Was thinking more spandex or a binder." Jaemin seethed, hands on hips, azure jersey hanging off his lithe frame.

"You're insufferable. Why are you here?" You groaned, choosing to ignore his taunt at your breast size. His eyes crinkled into upside down crescents, wandering lower to the dip of your frilly black bra.

"To see my favourite girl, of course." He whistled, eyes still glued to your unmarked expanse of skin. "I think those need a new owner." He pointed towards your chest.

"Preferably one whose face I can stand to look at."

"I'm roaring with laughter." You snarked, voice dripping with sarcasm, making no attempt to cover yourself up. Jaemin was still staring, face flushed a flaming cerise. "You gonna keep staring or are you gonna leave me alone?"

"I'm not staring. Why are you staring at me?" He shot defensively. Your eyes narrowed at him, watching his cheeks darken with every lingering stare.

"You're in the girl's changing room, drooling over two lumps of fat on the body of a girl that you hate. The real inquisition here is your lack of sensibility to stop thirsting after anything with a vagina."

Jaemin stayed silent, eyes boring holes into your full lips, tongue instinctively darting out to wet his own nimble, chapped ones. Rolling your eyes, you lead him to the door, hand clasped against the door handle.

Then, you heard loud footsteps approaching the room, incoherent rambling increasing in clarity. You began to conjure up a plan, wondering how on Earth you'd be able to kick Jaemin out without the girls knowing.

With the shouts of the team gradually getting closer, you panicked, chucking Jaemin into a locker.

"Fine, I'll leave! Lemme out!" He squirmed, trying to come out of the metal confines.

"You can't leave now, they're literally outside. Do you want to be stomped to death by Nike Mercurials?" You hissed, closing the door over, much to his protests.

"Don't wanna die with the last image being your breasts."

"If you survive this, I'll gladly provide you a new image."

He shut up at that, and you straightened, reaching for your jersey in a false calmness. The girls burst in, squeals of various greetings being thrown across the room.

You smiled gently at them, encouraging them to get changed, joining in to laugh at their jokes. The topic kept shifting from manicures to new boots before finally settling on Na Jaemin.

"Cap'n, what's going on with you and Jaemin?" One of the girls asked, batting her eyelashes softly. "A boy on the football team told me that you guys are dating."

Dating..that devil? A sin punishable by death! You repelled all instinct to shudder in disgust, instead choosing to maintain a neutral expression.

"I am absolutely not dating Na Jaemin. He's a despicable little mongrel and I'd rather eat my shoe—"

"Mon bébé chérie, why do you curse me like this?" Jaemin squeezed from the locker, voice like a wounded puppy.

"Did you hear that? I think it was—"

"No! It's my Jaemin impression. Isn't it so good?" You spluttered, voice rising in volume. You were sure that your face was a painful beetroot, breathing crazily as you over-exerted yourself.

"Cap'n, it was so good I almost thought Jaemin was in here with us!" She gushed, hands clasped. "You guys would be so cute together. Even if you don't like him, I think he most definitely has feelings for you."

The rest of the girls joined in at this, shouts of 'you should take a chance!' resounding in the hollow room. You'd already ruled out that as a possibility, chalking it down to his uncontrollable thirst for being a pest. Na Jaemin was your rival, the utter bane of your existence, a rodent that fed on robbing your spirits dry of any positivity.

"He'll get a chance when pigs fly." You muttered, noticing their eyes staring at you inquisitively, as if they knew something you didn't. Awkwardly, you smiled at the girls, ushering them towards the door, scanning the hallway after the last one had skipped out.

Jaemin untangled himself from the locker, straightening his limbs, pulling at his calves in a stretch. You peered over your shoulder, frown deepening at him.

"Did you mean what you said?" Jaemin breathed, walking into your personal bubble. He was way too close. His breath tickled your forehead, eyes dark with something you couldn't decipher.

He felt his heart pound against his chest, resisting the urge to pick the stray hair in your eye to the side. You were looking at him with a confused expression, nose scrunched, eyebrows furrowed. You were going to be the death of him. Devastated, he broke eye contact, feeling all forms of fight seep from his bones.

"You don't like me." You whispered, wincing at the wobble in your voice. "Everyone's just saying that....right?"

"What do you want me to say?"

"No. I want you to say no."

"I can't do that."

"Well, you have to say no. I don't want to hear the rest of your sentence — keep us as just this." You softly yelled, pointing between the pair of you. "Don't change anything."

"Okay. I'll leave, but only because you want me to. But, before I go..you've gotta start being more observant." He sighed, ruffling your hair before making his way out.

"I’m plenty observant. Wouldn’t be a good player if I wasn’t.”

"I’ll see it when I believe it. Oh, and the thing you said about pigs flying..”

“What about it?”

“Renjun’s working on it.”

You laughed heartily, locking the door behind you. So, Jaemin did in fact think of you as his Aphrodite — all those nicknames were genuinely created out of affections. 'Mon bébé chérie' held a lot more emotional weight than it did twenty minutes ago, and you had to breathe before your eyes prickled with saltine tears.

Fresh air hit you like a loaded delivery truck, Mother Nature delicately wiping the tears from your eyes, shaking you with a cold flourish, roaring your cheeks to life. The team had already started their warm-up drills, as opposed to the boys' football team who were cooling down from their jog.

You ran over, tightening your ponytail, shifting into 'Captain' mode. The coach pushed you into the circle, encouraging you to take the reins. "Team, we've been doing nothing but straight work. Let's make this session count before the match tomorrow." You shouted, feeling that familiar rush of adrenaline.

The team chanted back, settling into their positions for the first drill — a penalty shoot out. You stepped to the ball, striding back to gain a better angle, socks hugging your knees.

Giving yourself a five second countdown, you charged at the ball, foot pointed, kicking it with a passion that rivalled Lionel Messi. It rolled in the back of the net, flying past Hyejoo, who could barely even process it.

"Still got those fire feet, I see, Cap'n!"

"Lady Luck gave them to me for a reason." You boasted, smugness slapped all over your face.

From the corner of your eye, Jaemin snickered, winking at you when you turned to make eye contact. At least he had the audacity to keep up appearances in front of everyone, even if you had probably made everything awkward.

"My granny could kick better than that, babes!" He boomed from across the pitch, teasing smirk on his lips.

"Your granny lives in a retirement home and still calls on you 'Nana Banana'..it's not very nice to lie." You retorted, eyes narrowed, nearing his hunched form.

"Doesn't mean she can't kick your ass. Granny was a little Aguero back in the day."

"She can't if I'm the Manè, can she?"

"But I'm a Modric. I'll beat your ass, any day, any time." He grinned, leaning in to you. "In any way you want."

You heard blood pumping in your ears, your cheeks filling with immense heat. He grabbed your cheeks softly, grinning even wider when you flushed even warmer, a human sauna. Pushing a lock out of your eyes, he searched your eyes for any sense of rage, face softening at your lack of that emotion.

"Any..way..I want?" You mouthed silently, innuendo catching your attention again as you mulled over the words. "Na Jaemin, you're a dirty boy."

"I think you're the dirty girl." He hummed, saying the next sentence in an octave that made your head spin, quietly enough that only the two of you could hear. "Sauntering around in your little Victoria's Secret bra, cozying up to me without even batting an eyelash or covering up."

"These boobs are mine. I'm allowed to show them to anyone I want."

"So you admit to showing them to me? You admit that you were trying to put on a show for me?" He pressed, purposely craning his neck over you.

"I was trying to change. If you didn't come into the room like a little pervert, you'd never have gotten a visual of these."

"And yet I know how they look now. There's nothing that can erase that image."

"Fuck you, Na Jaemin."

"I think you meant to say fuck me, but I'll allow the slip-up just because I'm so nice." You squirmed under his predatory gaze, heat in your cheeks akin to a fever. "Better get back to training, Cap. Your team's got a match tomorrow."

You hissed at him weakly, choosing to walk away from his provocation, going back to the team, who were all smiling at you with a glint in their eye. By the looks on their faces, they'd definitely taken that exchange as a form of flirting.

Not that you were disputing it, of course.

The coach rounded the girls up, calling them to grab bibs. You relaxed, running over to take the last bib once you'd calmed down. Na Jaemin was a little toe-sucking, filthy mongrel who only knew how to charm his way out of everything — totally not your ideal type or anything.

His penance for being blunt coupled with that honeyed voice was what was throwing you off. Not your physical attraction to him. At least, you hoped so.

The shrill shriek of the whistle behind you shook you out of your mind, bringing your attention back to the practice game. With every shot at the goal, you could see Jaemin taunting you, making kissy faces.

After the first half, you weren't sure if it was real or if you were hallucinating — almost like a mirage, he was wearing that stupid little smirk and there was nothing more you wanted than to slap those lips clean off his face.

Soon enough, you clocked that it wasn't just an illusion, as he'd shifted to the opposite end of the pitch, the other boys from the football team watching from the stands.

They'd started jeering at every pass, exaggerating their reactions, commentary toeing the border of sexual harassment. You volleyed the ball on your foot, battering it into the stands, grinning widely as it hit one of the boys in the face, leaving his nose lopsided.

"If you're gonna be a sexist piece of shit, just fuck off. My team doesn't deserve to hear your brain-dead commentary, nor see your fuck face." You smiled, bite in your voice. "Kindly take the opinion that nobody asked for and shove it up your ass."

Jaemin's eyes twinkled with respect, breath caught in his throat at the dark look in your eyes. He felt his chest warm in adoration, heart doubling in size. "You heard the lady."

"Includes you too, Jaemin. Better get home before Granny Na starts missing her little boy."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Fuck off." You said playfully, recovering the ball. He waved you bye, lugging his bag over his shoulder, fixing the collar of his jersey. A beam touched your lips, face lighting up.

Jaemin smirked back at you, taking his leave. He dragged the remnants away with him, leaving the girl's football team alone in the cooling dwindle of Autumn light.

"Nice shorts." A tug.

"Oh? Na Jaemin complimenting me?" You mused in surprise, arms folded across your chest.

"You didn't let me finish." Jaemin whispered, standing on the sidelines of the pitch, pulling at the hem of your shorts. "Ooh, I can see your stubble. Better bring out the razor."

Your jaw tightened, feeling that rush of annoyance fill your veins again. The nerve.

"More stubble than you'll ever grow on that chin."

"At least I'm not a human Sasquatch."

"I've got hair in the right places—" You started, catching the innuendo, glaring at Jaemin's raised eyebrows. "—I know what I meant. Don't be such a dirty boy."

"Say it again. Love the way it rolls off your tongue."

You gaped at him, whole body blowing a fuse, skin reddening at his tone. Sweltering heat danced atop each fingertip, each muscle, making you jolt. His gaze was still glued to your face, relishing the quickly dilating pupils in your eyes.

"I—"

"—Would rather have you speechless after our first time, not for your championship final. When you win, I'll buy you fucking adorable ice cream with the little star sprinkles that you like."

"Going to ignore you on that first statement, but the second one sounds like a motive."

"Win the match, and I'll ask you out. Properly."

You saw his eyes flash with something passionate, flakes of gooey molasses swirling behind the irises. Before you opened your mouth to reply to him, he pleaded silently for you to just take it as it was. "Gimme a chance. Who knows you better than your enemy? Nobody."

"I mean..."

"Only you know that my grandma calls me those corny names or that I see her all the time."

"Or that you lose every game that's not football because you're too lazy to pay attention." You added.

"And I know that you broke a guy's jaw because he was bothering Yangyang." He continued. "And I also know that you know one thing I've never told anyone."

"Ooh, what's that?"

"That I like you."

You looked away from him sheepishly, goosebumps popping up on your skin, and whether it was from the cold or from his words, you didn't know. He was looking down at you tenderly, ruffling your bed of hair, pressing a small, wet kiss to your forehead as the whistle blew.

"Don't play with fire, Na."

"You're more like a carpet burn."

You sighed, defeated. "Fine. I'll give you an answer when we win. If you're playing me, I'll break your arms."

"Okay. Go get 'em, Lady Luck." He smiled, waving you off as you scurried onto the pitch, face glowing under the fluorescent lights. Jaemin felt his chest tighten with pride, jaw aching from all the strenuous smiling.

With that absurdly contented face, you reminded him of a cross between a kid at a carnival and a man about to kill another. Your hair gathered wildly atop your head, a wicked glare painting your face.

This was you at peace, he deduced. Even with the gruesome of expressions, you looked calm. The pitch was truly your home away from home.

Two minutes into the second half saw you being carried off on a stretcher with a torn hamstring. You'd fallen to the grass, no sounds coming from your limp body. Jaemin swore he felt his heart plunge into his ass, and with a frantic flourish, he was coddling your head into his chest.

"Luck, don't die on me. I'm supposed to take you out for ice cream after this, and I stole Renjun's Baskin Robbins loyalty card to cut costs so if we don't go, I'll be getting beat up without having kissed your stupid face." He babbled, slapping your cheeks, scared that you'd genuinely lost your life.

You groaned, rolling slowly in the elastic. "Stop touching my face, I'll get acne." Mildly concussed, you soothed your throbbing headache, registering Jaemin's face looming over you. "Jaemin?"

"Oh, thank God. Thought I'd never see that unruly sparkle in your eyes again."

"Fuck off. My hamstring feels like a fried chicken mukbang and you're talking about my eyes."

"I can't cry before our first date. You'll think I'm a wimp."

"Already think that."

He hit your arm lightly, beaming at your focus on his face, meeting your eyes. You were glaring at him with a kissable pout on your lips, eyebrows furrowed — he wanted to pepper your face in balmy kisses.

The paramedic pushed him away, leading you to the ambulance. You flipped him off, yelling loudly as they wheeled you in, "Make sure you win! Won't forgive you if you don't."

The girl's football team had gathered around the door, all tight-lipped smiles and crumpled faces. They visibly brightened at your declaration, huddling together to recalibrate — the ref blew her whistle to call them back, summoning them back into position.

Yangyang and Donghyuck left the stands, rushing into the ambulance alongside you, closing the door behind them. Jaemin could faintly hear your loud curses, and sighed in relief, knowing that you'd be fine.

With two goals up, the team were at optimum working speed, playing loyally for your honour. Jaemin stood at the sidelines, holding your jacket in his hands as he recorded the match on his phone, wanting to send it to you later.

At 90 minutes, the girl's team had become the winner of the Division One Seoul Inter-district championship, and Jaemin was content. Not because it meant you'd go on that date with him, but because he could feel how much it meant to them.

Everyone around him was cheering madly, chanting and spraying assorted drinks in each other's faces, an infectious joy lingering in his veins. Amongst all the commotion, he'd somehow been pushed into the middle of the team, feeling their gazes boring into his frame.

"You like Cap'n, right?" The brunette said, eyes bright.

"No. I don't like her. She's my rival." Jaemin lied pathetically, trying to escape their judgement.

"Why were you in the locker room then?"

"Damn. How do you know that?"

"Cap'n is horrible at lying, so she's always upfront. She also cannot do an impression so she never attempts it."

"Wow, you guys sure know your stuff. Bet she's glad to have a team like you. I know I'm feeling a little jealous."

"Cut the smooth talk. If you like Cap'n, just be straightforward. She's more innocent than she seems, and can get her heart broken easily."

"Got it." He nodded, "Well...ladies, I have to thank you for the advice."

"No problem, but if you break her heart.." They chorused, "We'll break that pretty little nose." Fifteen studded feet swung at his face, narrowly skimming the bridge of his nose.

He flinched, caught off guard, grin bared. "Now, I definitely got that message. I'll be going to check up on her, what do you want me to say?"

"We've already called her and shown her the trophy, so we have nothing left to say, you, however...take all the time you need."

"Since I have your blessing, am I allowed to—"

"Don't finish that sentence. Keep in your lane."

Jaemin promptly closed his mouth, and bid them a goodbye, dashing into his car towards the hospital, stopping at Baskin Robbins to buy the ice cream he promised. He hoped you’d at least be able to eat the sprinkles (the ones you liked were expensive, and if you didn’t eat them, he’d just wasted an extra 2,500 won.)

In the hospital, you were now dressed in a medical gown, surrounded by the two idiots. It smelt like an experiment lab, and the spotless shades of ivory splashed on the walls made you feel a tad bit overwhelmed.

Your leg had already undergone the MRSI scan, and the nurses had told you that you’d definitely tore your hamstring, but surgery would fix it right up along with natural healing.

Of course, all those details lacked in comparison to your team finally winning the trophy you’d worked so hard towards — that excitement numbed the pain considerably.

“We thought you’d somehow died.” Yangyang confessed, grasping your hands in his clammy ones.

“You did.” Donghyuck sneered, pointing at him, continuing when he saw your face change in confusion. “Yang was convinced that you were invincible like Superman or something. He started blubbering about how you could definitely defeat the grim reaper in close contact and that should be enough to steal back your soul or whatever—”

“I’m just never going to ask questions again.”

“Jaemin was on the verge of a breakdown when he saw you fall. Never have I ever seen him run so fast towards a girl.” Donghyuck said, hand on chin in mock thought.

You blushed, remembering your promise about the ice cream and falling back into the bed in distress.

“What’s going on with you? I saw you two all friendly at the sidelines.” Yangyang murmured, eyes squinting in judgement. “Don’t tell me...you guys fucked before the game?”

Suddenly it was too hot in the room. You fanned yourself to cool down, slapping your own cheeks before pulling Yangyang’s ears. “Yeah, because I have the guts to just have my first time in a school setting.” You deadpanned.

“Naughty girl.” Both boys swooned, unable to note your sarcasm.

“Just because my leg is gone doesn’t mean I can’t harm you anymore. I’ll break your kneecaps.”

In the midst of your fight with your best friends, you spotted Jaemin opening the door, wearing that greasy smirk that made butterflies tickle your throat.

“I see a broken leg isn’t enough to stop you, is it?” Jaemin drawled from the door, hands behind his back. “Still threatening people?”

“It’s not threatening if they deserve it.” You mumbled, suddenly shy. Jaemin maintained his distance from you, arm outstretched, ice cream tub in hand. He was looking away from you, faint blush tinting his cheeks, lips squeezed in a puffy ‘o’.

“Not that I remembered or anything, but you did say something about liking these sprinkles.” He said, eyes darting around to focus on anything but you.

“I do...like these sprinkles..how did you know?”

“Everyone calls you star, and you’re cute. It’s your personality in an edible sugar shape.”

You rolled your eyes at his words, forgetting both Donghyuck and Yangyang were seated in the room. It felt like the two of you were just stuck in your own world, glaring at each other like a pair of lovers.

Unfortunately, that moment was cut short by your ungracious best friends, cooing annoyingly. They were squealing like little girls, incomprehensible screams of ‘our girl’s grown up!’ scraping your eardrums.

“Leave me alone!” You whined, face scrunched in discomfort, making futile attempts to push them away. “Jaemin...please get these two off me.”

“Asking your boyfriend to get rid of us? Already?” Yangyang hollered, one of Jaemin’s arms stopping him from jumping on you again.

“He’s not my boyfriend. As of now, he’s the only sensible one who isn’t mauling the girl with a broken leg, and that’s why I’m asking him for help.”

“Should I throw them out?”

“Yes —actually, do whatever. Let them go terrorise someone that isn’t me.”

“Your wish is my command.”

On that, Jaemin escorted both boys outside, shutting the door on them, cutting off the beginning to their long-winded rant with a smile. That left the two of you alone.

Oddly enough, the silence wasn’t stifling but rather a conversation of the mind — you were able to see what he wanted to say by looking into those mocha coloured eyes. You threw the ice cream tub in the bin, reaching for Jaemin’s hands shyly.

He’d sat down beside you on the bed, just staring at you like you were an abstract painting, a mosaic of a splendid array, unable to take his eyes off you. He took your hand warmly, running his fingers over your calloused knuckles, sharing his heat with you.

“Jaemin.” You yawned, head falling onto his shoulder. “I’m saying yes to your date. If I didn’t get injured, you could’ve taken me out today, I’m sorry.”

“Don’t say sorry. Being with you is enough for me, even if I do want to comment on your horrible tackles during the match.” Jaemin teased, grabbing your hand a little tighter.

“Haha...I’m dying of laughter.”

“Hey! None of that here.”

“Sorry. I’m just happy. My team won our first championship, which we’ve been trying to do for three years, and I feel on top of the world. All those years of boys being absolute dickheads to us about our abilities, trying to put us down have amounted to this moment. I’m at peace right now.”

“Don’t apologise. I should be sorry instead. It was easier to talk to you if I pretended I hated you. I shouldn’t have been like that.”

“I accept your apology. But..I think it was cute you couldn’t tell me you liked me! That’s so endearing.”

“Fuck off.”

“That’s my line! Well, you were always attractive to me, even when you were being a dickhead. Now that I think about it, you’re at your hottest when you’re being mean.”

“Is that so?” Jaemin mused, rolling onto his hands, dangling over you, lips eerily close to your own. “Do you want me to treat you mean, keep you keen?”

“Firstly, don’t ever say that again.” You stopped him, hand placed on his chest to push him away lightly. “Secondly, I’ve never had a boyfriend or my first kiss. That means no experience.” You slurred that last part, rushing the words so he wouldn’t be able to hear.

“Cap’n, you’re telling me that I’ll be your first?”

“Not if you don’t ask me out.”

Jaemin sat back beside you, looking up to the ceiling. This was the moment. He took a deep breath, standing up before you, hands rubbing his stomach softly to calm down.

“I wanted to do a real dramatic confession, but I rushed over here in fear that you wouldn’t be able to hit me again, so I’ll have to stick with my speech.” He cheesed, trying to ease himself of his nerves. You laughed, hissing in mock anger when he wore that stupid grin. “I like you. Like a lot. Sometimes, I come to school with a dirty scowl on my face, but then I see your face and start smiling like a love struck fool. You’re someone that I wouldn’t want to lose.”

“Jaemin, you little mongrel. Come here.” You waved him over, arms outstretched in a hug. “Even though I know your ego won’t let you ask me out properly, I would love to be your girlfriend. However, if my heart is broken..I’ll be stoning your car.”

“Thought you were gonna say that you’d break my face.”

“That too.”

He snuggled closer into you, peering up at you with shining eyes, not wanting to move too much to keep you comfortable. You grinned back at him, placing a soft kiss on his head, running a hand through his hair.

That familiar silence returned, and that’s how you fell asleep with Na Jaemin enveloped in your chest. Although you’d broken a leg, Lady Luck seemed to have twiddled her fingers to send you a ‘get well soon’ present, the ever cunning Na Jaemin.

Five months later had you no longer hobbling around on crutches like a hobbit, but walking proud and tall. Jaemin drove you to school (using the excuse of carpooling) and helped you take your books to first period everyday — the alpha male in him winced seeing you attempt any ‘heavy lifting’, and he’d made it a routine.

“Can you fuck off? I can carry this.” You complained, pinching his side. “Just because I see a physio biweekly doesn’t mean I’m about as able-bodied as a monkey.”

“Got the hair to be a monkey.” He snorted.

“Look who’s talking, Mr.Sasquatch. Bigger feet than his prints, you little scoundrel.”

“Big feet means big—”

“Don’t finish that if you wanna keep the body part in question.”

“—heart. Dirty girl.”

You felt the honey pooling in your stomach, kissing his cheek in haste to escape his relentless teasing. He shut up at that, pulling you back to kiss you properly, attracting the attention of everyone in the hallway.

“Get to class.” He announced as he parted from you, enjoying your petulant face. You hit him softly, flipping him off from behind you, blowing him a kiss.

Ah, Na Jaemin. You still hated him. Just a little less this time.

[captain-josslett]

Broken Melody - Part Twenty

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven, Part Twelve, Part Thirteen, Part Fourteen, Part Fifteen, Part Sixteen, Part Seventeen, Part Eighteen, Part Nineteen...

Summary: Grammy Award winning Emma Danvers is the first to say she has a pretty good life. But what happens when it implodes around her and it looks like things will never be the same again?

Words: 5.8k+

Warnings: Angst, Fluff.

Pairings: Emma Danvers x Lena Luthor

This Part: Emma tries to work through everything and continues to struggle with not seeing her sisters.

So, so, sorry it’s been a while since updating. I’ve started a full time job and my mind just hasn’t been able to write 😅 But I do get to daydream when I work so I have loads of ideas stored away and hopefully will be able to update quicker.

Thank you for reading and let me know if you wanna be tagged or any general feedback will be greatly appreciated. Please! I like knowing your thoughts.

Taglist: @finleyfray​​, @life-is-hella-unfair​, @natasha-danvers​, @supergirl-writingz​, @camslightstories​, @thinking1bee​, @aznblossom​,

Ten year old Emma Danvers jumps awake when she hears a blood curdling scream. For a few moments she blinks into her dark room, confused at the noise that woke her. But when a softer wail fills the silence Emma quickly rolls out of bed. Recognising the cries coming from her recently adopted kryptonian sister, Kara.

Emma pads out of her small room and into the hallway, yawning and tiredly rubbing her eyes as she gently pushes Alex and Kara’s bedroom door open. Kara’s whimpering increases in volume as Emma enters the room. She softly closes the door behind her and quietly tiptoes over to Kara’s bed.

Emma sadly looks over at her oldest sister, Alex, who is turned away from the crying alien. Seemingly ignoring Kara’s pain. This annoys Emma greatly and the sisters have already argued over it. The blonde had even offered to swap rooms with Alex but the redhead stubbornly refused saying it was her room.

“Kara?” Emma whispers softly and waits for the crying figure to respond. Tearful blue eyes peer over the shaking duvet before quickly disappearing again.

Emma looks mournfully down at the other blonde as she thinks of ways to help her. After a few moments Emma lifts the corner of the covers and climbs into Kara’s bed. She gently reaches out and hugs Kara close, remembering how her Mom would comfort her after she’d have a bad dream.  

Her new sister flinches slightly at the touch but soon Emma feels Kara settle and maneuver around to hug her back. The alien starts to shake as she tries to stifle her sobs into Emma’s shoulder.

Emma’s heart aches at the sound. She pulls her head back so she can see Kara’s face. The night light illuminates Kara’s flushed cheeks and bloodshot eyes. “No, it’s okay to cry. Mom said you get sick if you try to keep your tears in.” Emma tries to encourage the alien. Though she doesn’t know if Kara can fully understand her yet. However, Kara’s face scrunches up and fresh tears fall.

“It’s okay.” Emma says soothingly while stroking her hair.

“S-s-sing?” Kara gulps out and buries her head back into Emma’s little shoulder.

“Which one?” Emma asks softly and Kara thinks for a moment but shakes her head as she sniffs heavily. “Okay.” Emma purses her lips forward as she thinks about the other songs she has sung to Kara. “I got it.”

Somewhere over the rainbow, Way up high, There’s a land that I’ve heard of, Once in a lullaby.

Emma immediately feels Kara relaxing as she continues to quietly sing. The sisters had recently watched ‘The Wizard of Oz’ with Kara because Emma wanted to show her new sister one of her favourite films. The alien had truly been fascinated with the movie and Emma couldn’t help but watch Kara’s reactions to certain parts. How Kara’s face lit up when Dorthy opened the door to a world of colour or how freaked out Kara got when the Wicked Witch appeared in a plume of red smoke and disappearing in a blaze of fire.

Somewhere over the rainbow, Bluebirds fly, Birds fly over the rainbow, Why then oh why can’t I?

As Emma nears the end of the song Kara’s sobs start to die down, being replaced with shuddering breaths. The twelve year old alien clings tightly to the little human, the pressure hurts Emma slightly but she knows Kara doesn’t mean to hurt her and she is not use to her super strength yet.

Emma stares over at Alex’s back. Not knowing if the redhead was awake or asleep. But Emma guesses she is awake by how she is breathing. Silently Emma hopes her oldest sister will come around to Kara.

Yes it had been a shock when Superman brought his older, but now younger, alien cousin to them but Emma was overcome with curiosity and intrigue over the other blonde. She tried to communicate with the alien and found a way through hand gestures and persistence. Repeating words for Kara and pointing items out. Mainly important things like water, food, Star Wars and everything a ten year old finds important. Once Eliza found Emma talking to the Kryptonian about the different plants and vegetables in the garden and Kara patiently listened. Fascinated by the texture of the leaves and the words Emma was saying. Both missing the scowling glare Alex was giving them from her bedroom window.

Emma then presented the wooden swords her dad had made. Giving Kara Alex’s and demonstrating how to sword fight. Soon the two blonde’s were giggling while twirling around and bashing each other’s swords. Until Alex furiously stormed over to them and took her sword away from Kara. Grumbling it was hers and she was going to break it. Jeremiah immediately set to work making Kara one of her own. Which the two blonde’s watched with tilted heads.

But when Jeremiah told them to go play and leave him to concentrate Emma took Kara back into the house, trying to figure out more things to show her new sister. She had already displayed her seashell collection, which Kara analysed deeply and Emma noticed a crinkle appearing between the other blonde’s eyebrows.

Emma looks around the house and her eyes fall on her art supplies. Making Kara jump when she claps her hands together in excitement.

“I hope you like art! Alex doesn’t really, which is sad but she likes her own things. Like reading. Reading is okay but I much prefer doing something.” Emma smiles at Kara who smiles politely. “Have a seat.” Emma points at the dining room table and Kara complies. The ten year old then pulls out all of her art supply to show Kara. She watched as the alien’s blue eyes lit up behind her glasses.

“Did you do art on Krypton?” Emma asks, happy that she may have found something Kara enjoys.

Kara nods and the pair quietly sit for hours as they draw and paint. Emma didn’t mind Kara using most of the red paint and was pleased she thought of a good idea.

She hardly sees Alex, seemingly too moody that she wasn’t the centre of attention in the Danvers household anymore. Keeping to herself and barely talking to her baby sister.

Weeks turned into months and slowly Alex seemed to warm up to the new addition to the family. Especially when Kara defended Emma against a group of bullies. Standing with her little sister and ready to defend her. Alex marched over and stood next to her side, ready to punch any bully in the face that hurts either of her sisters. This was the moment Kara uttered her family motto, explaining they were stronger together.

The three started to become closer over time and would regularly be found in the forest by their home playing and having adventures.

On one such occasion a fifteen year old Alex and twelve year old Emma teamed up together as heroes to try and take down the evil villain that was destroying their town of Midvale.

“Psfft I don’t see the target. Over.” Emma quietly talks into the walkie talkie and holds her wooden sword tightly in her other hand.

“Please tell me you did not just make the static noise?” Alex laughs while rolling her eyes.

“Ah come on Al! Plus you need to say over. Over.”

“Fine.” Alex sasses back. “Over.” The redhead continues to look around, listening intently for the fourteen year old Kara. Having a sneaky suspicion that her alien sister was using her powers. Which was against the rules.

“Psttf I have an idea. Over” Emma’s voice whispers out from the walkie talkie.

“And what is that?” Alex responds quickly. “Over.”

“What if we do what that guy did in that movie. Over.”

“Vague… We watch loads of movies dork.” Alex rolls her eyes again at her little sister’s comment. She twirls her bow in her hand as she waits for Emma’s response.

“You know he sacrifices himself. Draws the evil guy out and gives the hero a chance to defeat them. Over.”

“Not a bad idea. Especially if you are the bait.” Alex chuckles and shakes her head. “Over.”

“Let’s do it by the fallen tree in the clearing? You can hide and I’ll call for her. Over.” Alex smirks at the excitement within Emma’s voice.

“Sure Peanut. Over.”

Alex quietly jogs to the huge fallen tree. Constantly on the lookout for Kara. But her adopted alien sister is nowhere to be seen. As Alex approaches the clearing she sees Emma step out of the other end and start to look around. Their eyes immediately connect, as if Emma could sense where she was and Alex quickly hides within some bushes and waits. Readying her bow and arrow. Making sure the arrow was a dummy that would only sting Emma slightly if she got in the way.

Emma waits for Alex to get into position and cups her hands over her mouth, yelling loudly. “Kara?! Hey Kara!” She waits and soon enough a blur appears before her. “Hey! You used your powers!”

“Well as a villain of course I would!” Kara bites back slyly with a grin.

“You really are evil!” Emma gasps dramatically, raising a hand to her chest.

“And when I am finished with you I will hunt your sister down and hurt her! And your little dog too!” Kara slowly takes a few menacing steps towards Emma who stands her ground.

“No! Not Alex and Toto!” Emma’s eyes fill with tears. Alex is always blown away that her baby sister can cry on demand and would often use her sister’s talent to get extra treats from their Mom or sitter.

“Little one?” Kara asks, concerned enough to break character.

“They are fake, keep going! You’re doing really well!” Emma gives Kara a smile before filling her eyes with tears again. “You will never get away with this!” Emma yells dramatically, pointing at Kara.

‘Give her the damn Oscar!’ Alex thinks with a smile as she watches the blonde’s.

Kara nods and puts a sly smirk back on her face. “But I already have!”

“No! You will never win! Good always defeats evil, you piece of bantha fodder!”

Alex snorts at Emma’s Star Wars reference and readies herself, knowing she’ll need to spring out at any moment.

“How dare you insult me! Me the mistress of all evil! You are nothing but the dirt on the bottom of my shoe!” Kara yells as she reaches for her wooden sword. Emma circles around so Kara’s back is to their eldest sister. “Now prepare to meet your doom!”

“Not if I can help it!” Alex suddenly appears behind them and fires her bow and arrow at the blonde. Hitting Kara’s right shoulder where it harmlessly falls to the ground.

“No! Ow!” Kara screams and collapses to her knees. “Damn you!” She coughs comically and falls to the floor.

Emma snorts and places a hand over her mouth.

“Emma! It’s rude to mock the dead.” Alex scolds her little sister.

“Sorry.” The blonde tries to wipe the smile off her face and make her expression natural.

“Who says I’m dead?” Kara’s muffled voice pipes up from the ground.

“Well the arrow would have been made out of a substance that could kill you and due to my excellent marksmanship it went through your heart. Killing you instantly.” Alex explains as she twirls the bow around.

Kara lifts her head up and smirks at the redhead. “You hit me in the right shoulder. My heart is on the left dummy.”

Emma snorts again which erupts into loud laughter when Alex glares at her. “Great shooting Alex!”

“Which means… Sneak attack!” Kara yells while pulling Emma onto the floor and starts tickling her.

“Nooo!!” Emma screams with laughter and tries to get out of her sister’s grip. “Please! Stop! Argh! Alex! Help!”

The redhead watches the pair with amusement before stepping in. “I’ll help you!” Alex yells theatrically. But instead of aiding Emma she joins in with Kara.

“Traitor!” Emma gasps out. “You’re… My sister!”

“And? Maybe I purposefully aimed for Kara’s right shoulder to take down the real villain!”

“Dun dun dunnnnn!” Kara laughs out as she continues ticking the thrashing blonde.

“Please stop! I’m gonna pee!” Tears of laughter stream down Emma’s face and the sisters finally stop their attack.

Alex smirks at her baby sister as Emma wipes the tears from her face, the redhead then looks up at the sky. “It’s getting late, we better head back.” She stands to her feet and holds out her hands for her sisters to take, helping Kara and Emma stand. The sister’s turn towards home and walk together in unison, laughing and joking together. Ready to take on the world.

-- -- --

Present day Emma stares out of the DEO window while plucking at her guitar while her mind wanders through her memories with her sisters. Though she can’t really remember the time before Kara came. To her Kara has always been there.

Slowly her mind starts to filter through the session she had with Alistair. They had worked on her fuzzy memories of the attack. How they are slowly coming back into focus but seemingly her brain was protecting her by blocking most of it out. Emma had projected the hurtful words spoken by her sisters that Emma does remember. That a part of her believes making her insecurities bubble up to the surface.

Lily, Alistair’s white german shepherd, had almost instantly jumped up on Emma’s bed and placed her head in Emma’s lap. Staying there throughout the session. Helping to ground Emma and when she got emotional or experienced a flashback, Lily had been a comforting presence.

A noise by Emma’s open door draws her attention away from the window. Standing in the hall was a transfixed Winn with Brainy and Nia behind him.

Emma smirks and waves at the trio. Stopping the music seemingly snaps them out of their trance.

“Hi Em.” Winn smiles brightly as he approaches one of the chairs around Emma’s bed. Emma returns his smile but it is more subdued. “You okay?” He frowns at the blonde, noticing her lack of a smile. He places the food container on the tray table by Emma and she nods while pulling the table closer to her. Her smile brightens slightly when she sees the sausages, vegetables and mash potato.

“Doctor Hamilton said you can start trying some form of solid foods and as I know you like that British restaurant down the road we thought lunch could be a bit more international.”

‘So the Tai food the other day wasn’t international enough for you?’ Emma wants to say but doesn’t write it down. Instead letting out a breathy snort as she starts cutting into the food.

“Oh yea Doc also said to cut it up real small. Chew lots before swallowing” Winn lists off the instructions Doctor Hamilton had told him while opening his container. Watching as Emma nods in response. “Enjoy your bangers and mash!”

Emma lets out a breathy laugh, remembering the weird names the Brits call their food. ‘Spotted Dick’ being her favourite by far. Not believing they would call a fruit, sponge dessert by that name, but had been proved wrong when the amused waiter brought the pudding out for Emma to try. Despite the very off putting name, Emma thoroughly enjoyed it. Almost having to fight off her bandmates to eat all of it in peace.

“Have you been to the UK Winn?” Nia asks, filling the silence.

“Yea I have. Both future and present.”

Emma lifts an eyebrow in response. Wondering what life is like in the future and being frustrated that Winn was keeping so tight lipped about it all.

“Awesome! I haven’t yet but it’s on my bucket list.” Nia replies enthusiastically, a longing look fills her eyes.

“Did you know the British public consume over sixty billion cups of tea a year. Around 100 million each day.” Brainy chimes into the conversation, causing Nia and Winn to gape at him about the statistic.

Emma continues to listen to her friends talking. Wishing she could join in and tell them about her time in the UK. But also being aware of how painfully slow conversation flows when she has to write everything down.

Sighing deeply Emma shoves more food in her mouth. Thankful that Winn chose something she enjoys. To be fair Emma likes anything. Other than Marmite… A disgusting yeast spread that half of Brits like. One of her stage managers in the UK dared Emma to try it. Making the blonde gag and causing her to drink loads of water to get rid of the horrible taste in her mouth.

“Emma?” Nia calls out, breaking Emma’s train of thought. “You’ve been to the UK many times right?” Emma nods. “Have you seen the Queen?” Emma nods again.

“What when?” Winn asks with a mouthful of food and his eyebrows almost up to his hairline.

Emma quietly sighs and grabs her notebook, keenly aware of the silence in the room as she writes.

‘The Royal Variety Performance.’

“Ah yea!” Nia smiles remembering the video she found on youtube after Kara first told her about Emma. She had been transfixed by Axis’ music and Emma’s performance. Singing a powerful ballad that moved the brunette to tears. Nia had spent hours upon hours going through Axis’ social media and debated about whether to send Emma a friend request. The brunette had squealed loudly when Emma had accepted and immediately messaged her,

A knock stops Nia from asking more questions as Emma looks over to see Lucy standing awkwardly by the door. Emma can’t help but shift uncomfortably in the bed, hoping Lucy has calmed down from earlier this morning.

“Don’t worry, I’m not here to yell at you.” Lucy says as if she has read Emma’s mind. “May I come in?”

Emma nods before turning back to her meal. Though she feels like she has lost her appetite.

Lucy glances at the three friends who give her looks of encouragement as she cautiously approaches Emma’s bed, watching the blonde push her food around.

“Can I sit here?” Lucy points to the end of the bed and Emma nods without looking up at her. Lucy lowers onto the bed and takes a deep breath. “So, I’m sorry about earlier. I overreacted when I found out you were missing and you are like a sister to me and I got so scared-” Lucy lifts a hand to her head trying to find the words to how terrified she had felt when Emma wasn’t in her room or in the building. She immediately rushed down to the cells but when there was no sign of Emma anywhere the brunette really panicked.

A hand grasps her knee and Lucy’s green eyes snap up to Emma’s. “Sorry.” Lucy breathes out and Emma gives her a timid smile. “So, we also need to discuss the next steps. Mainly the timeline of your recovery because we cannot disclose the Phoenix serum.”

Emma nods and leans back against the bed.

“How long would this timeline be?” Winn asks with a frown.

“We are trying to not make it overly long. Doctor Hamilton did say wounds like Emma’s would have taken at least 3 months to heal fully and she’d be bed bound for a while.”

“But Emma isn’t bed bound.” Nia blinks in confusion. “Would Emma need to stay here?”

“Or in her apartment.” Lucy looks at the blonde mournfully, who deeply swallows in response. Not liking the sound of that at all. Not feeling at all ready to go back to the apartment. Even after J’onn had told her a crew had made it good as new, with no evidence of the incident.

“There would be a huge media frenzy if any photos come out of you like this. The world thinks you can barely open your eyes and hardly move due to the amount of broken bones you have.”

Alarm fills Emma and she quickly grabs her notebook to write.

‘Robyn?!’

“Ah yea. I had her sign a NDA.” Lucy rolls her eyes. “She was annoyingly persistent. I thought you hated each other?” Emma shakes her head and lets out a breathy chuckle. “Jack isn’t far behind, though I’m trying to hold him off for as long as possible.”

Relief starts to filter in and Emma nods before starting to write again. She bites the inside of her lip at the thought of returning back to her apartment. Not sure she’s ready or even wants to go back there.

‘How do you propose we move forward?’ She holds the pad up and watches her friend’s face as she reads.

Lucy hesitates slightly before unlocking her tablet to bring up the timeline. “We will need to stage photos and videos showing your recovery and release them at the right time.” Lucy looks down at her notes. “We do have some already but I’d be happier if we do more.”

Emma glumly sighs causing Lucy to glance back up at her.

“I’m sorry Em but we need to do this to keep the media off our backs. J’onn and I had hoped it would have died down but everyone is still up in arms about what happened.”

Emma’s expression morphs into one of shock and disbelief. She quickly writes one word before showing the lawyer.

‘Why?’

“Because those that listen to your music feel a powerful connection towards you. Even though they have not met you or know you personally.” Brainy explains simply.

“And the attack has brought your music to the attention of more people.” Winn points out.

“Tell me about it.” Lucy says exasperatedly and runs a hand through her hair. “I had a three hour debate with your record label as they want to release the work you’ve done on your new album. Even the covers you’ve been sending Lena.”

Emma immediately shakes her head quickly at the idea. Causing a ringing in her ears.

“Yea I told them they can shove it.” Lucy agrees and quickly takes a piece of sausage from Emma’s container. Almost getting her hand stabbed from Emma’s fork.

Emma playfully glares at the brunette and Lucy sticks her tongue out before popping the meat into her mouth. Emma shakes her head and starts writing.

‘So I will be under house arrest?’

“I’m afraid so.” Lucy says softly, causing Emma’s shoulders to slump and her expression becomes sullen.

“I may be able to help with that.” Winn pipes up, causing Emma and Lucy to stare at him. “I, with Brainy and Lena’s help, could develop a face modifier. That way Emma can move around freely and not disrupt the timeline.”

“That could work.” Lucy squints her eyes as she considers the idea.

“May help Alex and Kara to know Emma is moving around too. I’ve never seen them so broken, I mean poor Alex, you would have thought Kelly would have stood by her and not run away-” Nia comments passionately and Emma freezes.

Horror fills Emma's whole body. She remembers Alex telling her the morning before the attack that she and Kelly were having problems but Emma never imagined Kelly would leave Alex like this. Especially with what her sister is going through.

Immediately Emma leaps out of bed and sprints to the door. She needs to see her sisters. Her heart aches knowing they are both in pain. That they are broken.

“Emma?!” Her friends yells fill the hallway as they chase after her. Agents seemingly appear ahead of her but the blonde easily sidesteps them. Using the training Alex had taught her in self defence.

As soon as she reaches the end of the corridor the blonde slides into the wall and repeatedly slams her hand on the elevator button. When it becomes obvious the doors won’t open quick enough she dashes towards the door to the stairs. Her determination gives her tunnel vision and she ignores those around her.

Until someone leaps on her back.

“Emma stop!” Lucy yells as she clings to Emma, wrapping her arms and legs around the blonde. Halting Emma from leaving the floor. “I’m sorry but they aren’t ready to see you. I’m so sorry.”

Emma tries to get Lucy off her back but the brunette has too good a grip. The blonde heaves in heavy breaths and her face scrunches up as she starts to silently cry. She longs to hold her sisters. To reassure them they are okay.

A ping announces an elevator has arrived. Emma turns her head to gaze longingly at it but feels Lucy’s grip tighten around her chest.

“Emma please.”

The blonde watches mournfully as the doors close.

When it becomes apparent that Emma won’t be running down to the cells Lucy slides off her back.

The brunette sadly looks at the tears streaming down her friend’s face. Placing a gentle hand on Emma’s shoulder Lucy guides her back to the room.

“Emma.” Nia squeaks out with wide eyes as she walks with the pair. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t think-”

The blonde reaches out and squeezes Nia’s hand. Giving her a barely there smile which Nia returns with an encouraging one of her own.

Emma re-enters the room and sits heavily on her bed. Staring out of the window.

“Em?” Winn asks softly, causing Emma to slightly move her head and focus on him. “Are you gonna finish that?” Winn points at the half eaten food.

Emma shakes her head before turning back to the window. She ignores the yelp of pain from Winn when Lucy slaps his arm as he reaches out for the discarded food. Purposefully tuning out the conversation in the room.

Instead, focusing on the world outside of the DEO. The airplanes that zoom across the sky, the birds that flutter past the window and settle on the sill. The traffic down an avenue she can see. Anything to try and keep her mind from acknowledging the pain she’s feeling. The thoughts that are screaming in her mind about her sisters.

“-ma?” Winn’s voice breaks through as she recognises he’s calling out to her. Slowly she turns to look at him. “We’re going back to work. I- er- left your food.”

Emma looks down at the tray and sees that Winn hasn’t touched it. She nods and lifts the right corner of her mouth slightly to show her appreciation.

Emma eyes flick to Nia as she cautiously approaches her. “Can I give you a hug?” Emma nods and opens her arms. Nia immediately dives into them. “Message me if you need me.” Emma nods again and squeezes the superhero. When Nia steps back Winn is already there with his arms open, waiting for a hug. Making Emma voicelessly snort.

“Ah come on!” Winn whines and Emma motions for him to hug her. He does immediately and Emma can’t help but feel more of her anxiety melt away. “If you need anything just give a shout.” Winn says as he pulls away. Emma raises an eyebrow at him and can’t help but smile at the look of horror that comes across his face. Especially when Brainy, Nia and Lucy lower their heads into their hands. “Em. I’m so sorry I-”

Emma immediately lifts a hand to his lips, silencing him. Thankfully he complies, instead gaping at her like a goldfish.

“See you later Emma.” Brainy nods at her before quickly leaving the room, already analysing his tablet at ideas for a face modifier. Nia forcefully grabs Winn’s hand and pulls him out with her.

“I can stay if you want me to?” Lucy asks as she hovers by the bed and massages her shoulder.

Emma is tempted to shake her head but instead she nods. Not wanting to be alone right now.

“Okay great!” Lucy beams at her. “Do you want to do anything? I mean I have work I can be doing but I can watch a film with you or we could play a card game? Chess?”

Emma looks over at the chessboard on the coffee table by the sofa. Lena had brought it in to give Emma something else to do. But the board is currently being taken up by an intense game the girlfriends were playing. Emma reaches for her notebook and writes a response.

‘Lena will immediately say she’s won if we mess the board up.’

“Ah! We can’t have that!” Lucy jokes and sits on the end of Emma’s bed. Her expression becomes sombre as she studies the blonde closely and Emma stares right back. “Are you okay?”

Emma looks between Lucy’s questioning green eyes and slowly shakes her head.

Lucy reaches out and gently holds Emma’s hand. “I’m here if you want to discuss it.”

Emma’s eyes start to glisten with tears and she wipes at them in exasperation.

“Hey, hey, hey.” Lucy grabs Emma’s hand to halt her rubbing. “It’s okay to cry. God knows I’m done my fair share recently.”

Emma tilts her head and frowns slightly.

“What?” Lucy mirrors Emma’s expression. The blonde lets go of Lucy’s hand and starts writing.

‘What do you mean?’

“About what?” Lucy asks, confusion written across her face.

‘What have you been crying about?’

“About you! And Alex and Kara! This whole shit show!” Lucy says bitterly and watches Emma move her pen to paper. “And don’t even think about writing that you are not worth my tears cause you fucking are!”

Emma eyes’s snap up to Lucy’s and her mouth drops open. She was going to write exactly that.

“I’m right aren’t I?”

Emma shuts her mouth and shakes her head.

“Bull.” Lucy narrows her eyes. “Have you forgotten I am a lawyer? And a damn good one at that?”

Emma smiles sadly and looks down to write. ‘Yea you are. Frustratingly so.’

“Unless I’m the one defending you right?” Lucy raises an eyebrow and Emma nods, her smile turning more genuine. “So, do you wanna write about it? You don’t have to, I just-” Lucy hesitates, sighing deeply as she chooses her words. “I worry about you and I wish I could make everything better.”

‘I know.’

“You totally wrote that with Han Solo in mind didn’t you?”

Emma lets out a breathy snort and Lucy laughs loudly.

“You're such a nerd.” Lucy teases and Emma just shrugs. But her smile fades and the blonde gazes down at the paper as she thinks about her sisters. “Em?”

Emma takes a breath and starts writing. Lucy watches her and the expressions Emma makes as she scribbles her thoughts down. In these moments Lucy really misses Emma’s voice and her anger bubbles up at whoever did this to her friend. But before Lucy’s anger simmers up anymore Emma turns the notepad around.

‘I just feel so helpless. We’ve always done everything together and I’m happy they have each other but I want to be there with them. Dad always joked we were like a three legged stool. When one of us wasn’t at home we almost couldn’t function. I get what you are saying that they aren’t ready to see me... But I just miss them so much.’

“Aw Em.” Lucy says sympathetically after she reads. Her eyes flick back up to Emma’s. “It will get better. I know that doesn’t help right now. But, it will.”

Emma nods and leans back against the bed.

“So, what do you want to do?”

‘Okay if I paint?’

“Of course it is! I’ll just work here on my tablet.” Lucy smiles reassuringly at Emma and hops off the bed. She pauses and turns back around to Emma. “Hug?”

Emma smiles and opens her arms. Lucy wraps her arms around the blonde and tries to convey how much she cares for her in it.

After Lucy sits in a chair to work she can’t help but watch how Emma morphs into her creative mode. How the blonde focuses solely on what she’s doing with her paint brush. The way Emma’s eyes squint and her tongue slightly pokes out to the side.

Lucy smiles and tries to concentrate on her own work. Leaving the pair in peaceful silence.

-- -- --

Many hours later there is a knock on the door. Lucy glances up as Lena and Sam enter the room.

“Hi!” Lucy greets the friends happily and turns to look at Emma. The blonde is still so busy with what she’s doing she hasn’t noticed the new arrivals.

It’s only when Emma cleans her brushes, happy with what she’s done, does she sense Lena’s presence in the room. She quickly looks up towards the sofa where Lena, Sam and Lucy are sitting. Seemingly halting their conversation as the trio notice Emma’s focus on them. Lena can’t help but greet her girlfriend with a beaming smile.

“Hi love.” Lena says while standing and approaches the blonde. Emma waves at her but gives her a questioning look. “I didn’t want to disturb you.” Lena gracefully sits on the bed next to Emma and softly kisses the blonde’s lips. “You were so engrossed in what you were doing.”

“Sorry.”

“No don’t be! I’m glad you are painting.” Lena smiles reassuringly at her girlfriend. Her smiles then morphs into a shy one. “I- er- got you something.”

Emma tilts her head and her eyes bulge when Lena lifts a huge bouquet of flowers up. Having not noticed them when the raven haired beauty walked in or when she came over to the bed.

“Wow!” Emma signs and she reaches out to touch a red rose. Feeling the softness of the petal and admiring the colour.

“The florist told me the roses mean love, obviously. The baby breath is everlasting love. The-” Lena pauses as she tries to remember the meaning of the other flowers. Emma starts kissing her cheek making Lena beam and lean into them. “Em! I’m trying to think!” Emma pulls away and rests her chin on Lena’s shoulder. “So, the daisies are my love is pure and the tulips all have different meanings, the red being eternal love, the orange desire and passion, yellow happiness and sunshine and the cream tulips-” Lena gently moves her girlfriend’s head so she can gaze deeply into Emma’s slightly bloodshot eyes. “I will love you forever.”

She watches as Emma melts and her eyes glisten with tears. The blonde tilts her head and slowly leans towards her girlfriend. Lena copies her and they gently kiss but before they can deepen it further and noise fills the room.

“Blurgh!” Lucy yells out, pretending to heave. Emma furiously pulls away and flips her off. Glaring at the brunette before turning back to her girlfriend.

“Thank you. I love them.”

“I’m glad.” Lena smirks at the blonde and Emma carefully places the bouquet on the tray table. Making sure not to knock any of the other stuff on there. “So, how's your head?”

“Haven’t had any complaints yet.” Emma signs cheekily and Lena roars with laughter.

“What did she say?” Sam looks between the two girlfriends, wanting to know why Lena reacted the way she did.

“Haven’t had any complaints yet.” Lena responds while continuing to laugh, causing the two brunettes to join in with her and Emma just smiles happily at them as she snuggles into her girlfriend.

(Part Twenty One)

[bubblypeachymitsuri]

Who is the Most Liked in the LOV? (Spoiler Alert it is Not Dabi) | LOV Oneshot fanfic

Summary: Bored one evening, Toga comes up with an idea for game night. A little popularity contest of course. The others end up reluctantly agreeing.

By the end of it, some people's feelings get hurt. A proper 10/10 bonding experience.

A/N: This is cross posted from my A03. I decide to post here to reach more people. I hope you enjoy!!

No warnings this is all fluff and crack. Minor mentions of Dabihawks, Twicepress and Spinneraki

Word count: 2,300

Toga bursts through the door of the bar like a child on a sugar rush. Her cheeks are flushed, her smile stretching from each end of her face. The bar was where most of the league met up. Shigaraki sat hunched over at the bar, conversing with Kurogiri about a new plan. Spinner was wiping blood off his sword. He looks like he just came back from a mission. Dabi was smoking on the corner sofa, his legs kicked up across the armrest. Mr. Compress was grandly showing Twice a new magic trick he came up with, an easy slick of the wrist with a coin. Twice watches him with starry eyes. The sudden intrusion of the girl causes them to stop what they were doing to look towards the door where she was standing. Her eyes were lit with mischief.

“Guys!” she squeals, flapping her arms in excitement. “Let's get everyone to rank each other from favourite to least favourite, and whoever wins, we all have to steal something for them!”

There is a moment of silence before Shigaraki scoffs. He hated being rudely interrupted by something so unnecessary. “What crazy thing have you seen online again this time?”

Toga just giggles; a cheeky expression crosses her face. She doesn’t say anymore. 

Atsuhiro comes into the conversation with a polite chuckle, one hand resting on the table, the coin still resting between his fingers. “That prize does intrigue me. I am in desperate need of a new coat.” “What happened to your other one that you always wear?” Jin asks, head tilting curiously. “It’s a tragedy!” Atsuhiro says dramatically. “It was ripped during our last mission!” He shows his yellow trench coat by extending his arm to show the small rip on the sleeve. It is barely visible. The others look at him with an unimpressed expression.

 Dabi gives a smirk like he was trying to suppress a chuckle. “You’ll survive.”

“I am surrounded by idiots,” Shigaraki mutters under his breath, scratching his neck aggressively.

“Give it here, I have learnt how to sew to keep my mask always stitched up. YOU ARE ALL USELESS.” Jin reaches out to inspect the coat. “It's only a small scratch.” 

Atsuhiro hesitates, looking mildly offended before Jin looks back to Toga. “Anyway, I’m in. Let's play your weird game, Toga!” 

Toga lights up. She clearly already came prepared in advance. She whips out stolen paper from their small office and cute glitter pens in hand that she owns from when she was young. She hands out everyone a piece of paper and a pen. “Okay, so write your rankings from favourite to least favourite, from 1 - 6. You can include explanations too, but be honest.” 

Without hesitation, Atsuhiro and Dabi were quick to start writing the list. Atsuhiro gets out his own elegant fountain pen from the inside pocket of his coat to complete the task. Jin quickly writes a name for the top spot immediately, but struggles with the rest of the list. He scratches his head, scribbles out a name, rewrites it, then scribbles it out again. Spinner was in a similar predicament, taking a petty ranking game seriously as to not offend his teammates.

Kurogiri is staring at his paper in contemplative silence before finally picking up his purple glitter pen.

Toga doodles tiny hearts around beside each name in an attempt to make it look cute. She already knows her list as she writes each name effortlessly. 

Jin groans as he scribbles out another name. “This is hard,” he mumbles quietly. “What if I like you all the same? Nah, I hate you all the same.”

Meanwhile, Atsuhiro caps his pen and elegantly places it on the table beside his paper, he is the first to finish. Dabi and Toga follow shortly behind. Toga giggles behind her paper, and Dabi places his list flipped over so no one takes a peek. 

The silence breaks when Shigaraki grunts in frustration. Atsuhiro cringes with their boss's pen holding technique.

“Spinner, how do you spell your real name again?” he grumbles, glaring down at the paper.

Spinner looks up from his paper. “Just put Spinner.” He says with a deadpan expression.

Shigaraki huffs, feeling offended. His lack of education made this a struggle for him, and it was starting to show. He hates being reminded of it; he feels inferior. Kurogiri notices. He leans in and helps him, whispering each letter with patience only he possesses in their little group of misfits.

Toga was slowly getting impatient as she was visibly getting twitchy. “Hurry up, Jin!”

“I’M TRYING!” Jin panics, writing down the last name before throwing his pen across the room so he doesn’t change it at the last minute.

Finally, the last pen rests at the side. They all hand the lists back to Toga. Her eyes widen in anticipation.

“Let’s see who is our most beloved villain!” 

Toga’s list was first to be read out loud. Her handwriting was girly, with curved calligraphy and every “i” dotting with a heart. The page is decorated in different coloured glitter pens with cute doodles, hearts, and stars. She read out her list with pride.

TOGA’S RANKINGS

JINNNY (He's like the best big brother I never had. He gets me.) 

Tomuraa (He lets us do what we want! Best boss ever!)

Mister~ (He spoils me and treats me well. He can be bossy sometimes.)

Shuchi! (A secret softie underneath his serious exterior.)

Kurogiri (He cares for us like our League dad. I just wish he would let loose once in a while.)

Dabi (Can be scary, and he smells. Let a poor girl breathe.)

Jin’s face lights up the moment he hears he is at the top. “Aww, Toga!” he cries, already getting up to hug the girl. “I put you first too! Read mine next. Don’t read it, it’s too embarrassing!” He cowers slightly.

Toga giggles as he pulls his list out from the stack. “Too late… I am already trying to read behind the scribbles.” She squints at the paper, trying to decipher the mess. Along with the scribbles, the page was decorated with doodles of each of their faces and rambles in the margins.

TWICE’S RANKINGS

TOGAAAA (She’s like my little sister! I’ll protect her always. :3)

MR. COMPRESS (He is really nice to me and his magic tricks always cheer me up. He smells nice :3)

SPINNER (Video game buddy. He does not get mad at me when I lose.)

KUROGIRI (He is nice to me and a great listener.)

BOSSMAN (PLEASE DON’T KILL ME FOR NOT PUTTING YOU HIGHER.)

DABII (Scary and mean. He blamed me for setting fire to the couch THAT HE STARTED!)

Jin is sweating profusely.

“Twice I don’t care that you ranked me so low,” Shigaraki says unexpectedly. “I saw you struggling to rank us. You were having a meltdown over it.” His voice was oddly casual; it put Jin’s nerves at ease. The leader may have lacked an education, but he didn’t lack emotional awareness, especially in the league. He is smarter than he seems.

Jin gives an exaggerated sigh of relief. Until…

“WAIT, why did you say I smell good?” Atsuhiro speaks up dramatically, his eyebrows raised.

“LET’S MOVE ON!!” Jin yelps, his voice cracking.

The next in line is Atsuhiro, whose list was written in elegant script. He used his own fountain pen to write it. There are no doodles, only precision.

MR. COMPRESS ’ RANKINGS

Jin (The heart of this odd little group. My assistant in magic and crime.)

Shigaraki (Our beloved leader.)

Kurogiri (A gentleman, nice to have another mature person to converse with.)

Toga (Sweet girl when she is not asking for my blood.)

Spinner (I respect him, his loyalty is admirable.)

Dabi (He is well… mysterious but also a brat sometimes.)

Jin’s eyes waters with tears knowing he came first in someone's list for a second time. “He called me the heart of the group…” he whispers, clutching his chest. Those words did things to his beating heart.

“Ain’t no way Twice is first again. He is going to win at this rate.” Spinner spoke with a slight playful resentment in his voice. “Can I change my list real quick?” he adds, only half-serious. 

“No! That’s against the rules, Spinner.” Toga scolds. 

“Yeah, what she said!” Jin says quickly. “ I am going to win! I can’t believe you guys love me.” He tears up more with emotion.

“Can we just move onto mine now?” Spinner interrupted. 

“LET ME HAVE MY MOMENT!” Jin shouts towards the lizard. “I’m the winner right now!”

Toga pulls out Spinner’s list next and clears her throat. His list appears normal with average handwriting and minor spelling errors. “We all know who is going to be first.” Toga teases with a smirk.

SPINNER’S RANKINGS

The boss (My ride or die.)

Twice (Genuine guy.)

Toga (Terrifying, but I admire her free spirit.)

Compress (Entertaining.)

Kurogiri (Helpful.)

Dabi (He keeps calling me lizard. We are going to fight one day.)

“I knew he would put Tomura first!” Toga squeals. “That’s adorable.”

“It's so obvious,” Dabi mutters.

Atsuhiro looked towards Dabi. “Haven’t you noticed you have been last on every list so far?”

Dabi just rolls his eyes but doesn't speak. He pretends not to care, but the twitch in his jaw says otherwise.

Toga, oblivious, prepares to read the next list. Their leader is next. “Ooooh~ our fearless leader is next!” She clears her throat before reading out loud. 

SHIGARAKI’S RANKINGS

Spinner (Loyal. Plays league with me)

Kurogiri (I have known him forever.)

Toga (Crazy, but she gives me snacks.)

Compress (Neutral.)

Twice (Too emotional. Gullible.)

Dabi (Talks back to me. His stupid face pisses me off.)

“Aaaa! Tomura has Shuichi as his number 1 too! You guys are sooo cute.” Toga immediately squeals again. “Poor Jin is falling behind though.”

Spinner turns pink and tries to hide behind his hoodie.

Meanwhile, Jin looks deflated. He strips his mask off and clutches it to his chest. “It’s what I deserve for putting the boss so low,” He says.

Shigaraki's face matches Spinner's, looking flustered. He yanks his hood a little lower on his face. “Can we just move on to finish this!” he snaps.

“Okaaaayy~ Kurogiri is up next!” Toga sings out with a wink.

KUROGIRI’S RANKINGS

Shigaraki.

Iguchi.

Bubaigawara.

Sako.

Toga. 

Dabi.

“Where are the notes, Kurogiriii?” Toga asks with a whine. “Where is the fun?”

“You said explanations were optional.” Kurogiri's voice echoes in his deep, commanding voice. “I was merely following orders.”

“You’re no fun sometimes,” She pouts.

“Shigaraki is first again.” Spinner cuts in. “He probably will beat Twice at this point.” 

Jin let out a soft whimper. “I was close to being the favourite… WHAT WERE YOU EXPECTING!”

“Frankly, I am more offended that no one has placed me first.” Atsuhiro chimes in with his usual theatrical voice. He flips his coat over his shoulder with a flourish. “I doubt Dabi will be so kind as to put me first.” 

Dabi chuckles beside him. His arms are crossed.

“Oooh, I’m excited to see Dabi’s list,” Toga says as she gets the list in hand. She scans over it for a couple of seconds before realising what was written. Her brows lift. “Are you serious, Dabi? You can’t count yourself!” She turns the paper around so that everyone can see.

DABI’S RANKINGS

Himself

Hawks

Crazy girl

The boss

Everyone else

Twice.

“What? It’s only fair considering you all ranked me dead last.” Dabi shrugs as he lights another cigarette. 

“And why the hell is the number 2 hero included?” Shigaraki screeches, his voice rising in disbelief.

“Why not? At least he’s better to hang out with than watching the rest of you complain.” Dabi says dryly.

“You literally ranked our enemy above your found family,” Spinner says, his face deadpan.

“We all know why Dabi included him.” Toga sweetly says, wiggling her eyebrows.

Atsuhiro sighs heavily. “Can we all agree to disqualify Dabi? We all know he has completely failed this game.” The others nodded in agreement, even Kurogiri. Dabi mumbles to himself about how he didn't care to win anyway. Toga starts to tally all the points using her calculator on her phone, until she comes to a final score. She slams the results down when finished. It is as follows -

FINAL RANKINGS:

Shigaraki

Twice

Toga

Spinner

Mr. Compress

Kurogiri

Disqualified - Dabi

“YAAAY! Well done, Shiggy!” Toga claps and cheers to congratulate him. Jin joins in, and Atsuhiro claps along too. 

“I demand a new game by tomorrow.” Shigaraki declared before pulling out his phone to play straight into his mobile gacha game. “Spinner knows which one.”

“I was so close!” Jin whines, flopping dramatically on the floor. “I thought you all loved me!”

Atsuhiro reaches down, placing a gentle hand onto Jin’s shoulder.“You are still number 1 on my list, my dear Jin,” he says, trying to reassure him.

“I still can’t get over what you wrote about me on yours.” Jin giddily says. “IT WAS SO DISGUSTING.” He spots the coat resting on Atsuhiro’s shoulder as he pulls himself off the floor. “Oh wait! I said I would fix that for you. Gimme here!”

Atsuhiro gives his coat with a soft smile as they leave the room together to go look for thread and a needle.

“Well, that was fun!” Toga says with a bright smile that she is pleased with her idea.

Spinner mutters. “I did better than I expected.” his arms are crossing, but he is secretly proud of himself.

Kurogiri’s yellow eyes sharpen in the dim light. It looks like he is smiling even with a lack of a face. I guess that could have gone worse.

“...Let us never do that again.” 

[mythicamagic]

wow! that's an amazing list. “i’ve been falling in love with you since the first day we met”

A continuation of other tumblr prompts I’ve made into a fic - here

Hopefully chapter four will be the end lolol this fic has been far longer than I intended it to be.

---

Kagome stared out at passing scenery beyond her window with a glazed look dulling her eyes. Heavy thoughts carried her attention far away from the mundane train ride. She hadn't visited Kyoto in years, and especially not for such a special reason before.

Shippo's voice had sounded so strange on the phone. Mature, but not overly deep, maintaining its playfulness. He'd invited her over for a visit right away.

A 'bing!' noise roused her enough to check her phone- which showed a picture of Natsuki posing with a spear and fresh kill.

Kagome snorted, resting her chin on her knuckles. There were a few things about Natsuki that she was surprised Sesshoumaru hadn't commented on.

Number one; her boyfriend was a demon.

And number two; he was, specifically, an inuyoukai. A mongrel. She imagined Sesshoumaru felt mighty smug to know she'd found a demon of the same species as him to date. Natsuki being of mixed breeding surely made the Daiyouki feel all the more superior.

But Kagome had never cared about such things. She'd loved Inuyasha once, too.

The short version of their 'getting together' just two months prior was that she'd located a demon bar a few years ago and had been dating youkai ever since, using the place as a means to meet them. The relief of finding the secret den of long-forgotten youkai had been unparalleled. Kagome now knew exactly how to locate and see through glamorous thanks to years of experience.

She'd found out through the process of elimination that humans just kind of...weren't enough for her. Kagome needed the youki, the rush- the bite of claws, talons or fangs.

Natsuki was one of many in a long line of potential 'forever' partners, but Kagome had long since stopped expecting marriage down the line. If they lasted, that was fine. If not, that was fine too.

She had resolved never to fall hard for someone again.

Natsuki left Tokyo a few days prior to go on a hunting trip with his pack in a remote location up in the mountains, a monthly tradition.

'Can you skip it this time?' Kagome had asked. 'I'd just...really like it if you could come to Kyoto with me?'

'But I don't know your fox friend.'

'Doesn't matter- he hasn't seen me in 500 years. I would feel so much better if you were there.'

Natsuki looked as though she'd spat in his breakfast. 'Ah, uh-' he ran an awkward hand through his light-brown hair. 'I guess?'

The hesitancy and look in his eyes- begging to be let off the hook- made Kagome force a smile and drop the subject.

She sighed, figuring they'd probably break up soon. There wasn't really anything wrong with their relationship, just a difference in values and priorities.

It seemed to be the norm. No huge fight. No big dramatic breakup. Usually she even stayed friends with her exes.

Sesshoumaru was the outlier in all things.

She made certain not to tell the Daiyoukai of her impending singleness. If he was irritatingly optimistic now- Kagome imagined he'd be a nightmare to shake off if she were available.

But he'd stop if I outright told him to never speak to me again.

Her lips thinned, stomach turning at the mere thought.

For the rest of the journey, she resolved not to think about him. And failed miserably.

----

Shippo had greeted her at the door with an enormous hug the second she'd arrived at his hilltop home. Brilliant red hair had grown longer, swept back into a ponytail. Since his house perched a little further out from most of the houses, he wore no glamour. The pointed ears and foxtails- five of them- Kagome counted, were on full display.

Tears pricked her eyes, and she hugged him back fiercely.

His wife was pleasant, though a little eccentric for a racoon youkai. She'd made a 'welcome' banner and everything for Kagome's arrival.

Three young kits with dark circle markings around their eyes raced around the house- which had crayon drawings sprawled all over the walls at waist-height. Shippo and his wife seemed to have given up on house maintenance, but they were a happy family.

Blue eyes softened as Kagome sat with him in the relative privacy of his art studio. She was so pleased he'd found happiness. As they talked, she bent down- reaching into her bag for her phone to show him some pictures of her workplace- only for it to tip over.

A small bottle of pills rolled out, stopping by his foot.

Kagome paled. She glanced away from his questioning look as he handed them back to her. "Reiki suppression pills?" he asked.

"How'd you know?"

"I've got friends in Tokyo. You're not the only priestess who secretly dates demons," he shrugged, pinning her with a calculating look. "But, it's kind of a shame you feel the need to take them."

Kagome forced a smile, tucking them away, "yeah well- it's because I'm so big and strong," she joked. "I haven't met a demon in Tokyo who could withstand my aura if I really let it out. Taking these is easier. Gives demons the 'flavour' of dating a miko without actually getting burned. It just thins my powers a little."

Shippo nodded in acceptance and swiftly changed topics since it made her uncomfortable. He chattered on about his life, detailing the 500 year gap between when they'd seen each other last. Apparently, after Miroku and Sango had passed, he'd taken to spending more time with Sesshoumaru. When Inuyasha had died, he'd started living with the Daiyoukai permanently.

"You...did?"

He nodded, hands wrapped around his steaming mug of tea. A handmade bracelet clasped around his wrist, and the mug was half-melted, made from clay. Clearly they'd both been crafted by three well-meaning kids. "I guess we were gonna talk about him eventually," he smirked. "I promise not to be biased, okay? Sure, he saved my ass, but you're still my favourite."

Warmth flooded her heart, and Kagome giggled a little despite herself. "You're talking like we're your divorced parents or something," she mused, sobering. Taking a long breath, she stared at her own misshapen mug. "What happened?" she asked quietly. "Why didn't he create a pure-blooded heir?"

Shippo sighed, sweeping a hand through voluminous red hair. "He chased after you pretty much a second after you left through the well. Only he couldn't get through."

Her chest tightened, body stiffening.

"He's told me before though...that regretting what happened wouldn't have been enough, and maybe it was better he didn't stop you. He still felt the same at the time, deep down; that only a pure-blooded heir should take over the Western Lands to ensure he was survived by a long-living heir. He was gonna do it," Shippo muttered. "He was prepared to lay with an inuyoukai to produce an heir, but when the time came he just...couldn't. It frustrated him for a long time."

Kagome took a sip of her lukewarm tea, lips thinning. "He could've taken a mate. It didn't have to be some random woman."

"Heh, yeah but his inuyoukai instincts had already chosen a mate," Shippo winked at her. "And no matter how much he tried to force logic onto himself, his instincts refused to budge. You weren't dead, so in his mind, he couldn't move on. He's remained your captive all this time."

Her eyes widened, swallowing. "That sounds terrible!" she burst, frowning. "What the hell...I'd resent that. Why doesn't he hate me?"

"Hard to explain but...he could have moved on, Kagome," the kit sighed. "If he really wanted to. He's the one who lacked the desire to change how he felt about you. So, despite some relationships, Sesshoumaru has pretty much maintained his bachelor lifestyle."

Kagome stood from her seat, setting down her tea and distractedly looking at Shippo's art pieces, picking up a sketchbook and flipping through it.

Sharp green eyes searched her guarded features. "You're still in love with him, right?"

"Some habits are hard to kick," she said softly, pausing on one sketch. Her vision grew blurry.

Shippo rose and swept the shuddering miko into a hug before she could drop the sketch of Sango and Miroku. He held her for a long time, and they moved on to talking about their friends. About all the things they'd done and the happiness they'd shared.

"M-maybe I...left too quickly," Kagome mumbled, wiping at her wet cheeks.

"Nah, don't get that thought stuck in your head," Shippo rested a hand on her head, gently ruffling the dark strands. "You wanted distance between you and Sesshoumaru. It's not your fault the well shut."

"Why did..." swallowing thickly, she looked up at him, oddly feeling like a child in comparison to his steady, easy-going presence. Like nothing in the world could shock or frighten the little kit anymore. "It took him 6 years to come talk to me, why is that?"

Shippo's smile turned slightly sad. "He wouldn't want me to tell you. In fact, he'd kill me for giving you this-" Shippo reached into his pocket and took out a vial.

Kagome understood what it was almost immediately, accepting the glamour with a perplexed look.

He then scribbled down the name of a random park in Tokyo she hadn't visited before, handing it over with a smirk. "Put that glamour on and visit this park on either Tuesday or Thursday, weather permitting. You'll find him near the duck pond."

She arched a brow, eyeing the vial. "He'll recognise me, even with a glamour on."

"Nah, that's my own creation- and I'm pretty darn brilliant at magic now!" he puffed out his chest, tilting his chin up in a very Sesshoumaru-like manner. Shippo then smiled warmly, taking the sketchbook and tearing out a page. "He's not being honest with you, but it's not outta nefarious purposes. You'll see," he reassured her. "He's changed. Even if he's still an asshole."

Kagome accepted the page, freezing. Her fingers stiffened, emotion clogging her throat at all the implications that came with the picture. She couldn't help but cry again in the safety of Shippo's arms- promptly bursting into tears while on the train ride home too.

Shippo's sketch remained clutched in her hands.

The weight of so much wasted time rested upon her heavily, making the woman bend low in her seat, ignoring the stares of other passengers and letting out several years of loneliness and disappointment. How her skin had ached and burned up with a fever of remembrance- straining for a demon lord to take her wrists and kiss her palms like he once had.

---

Overcast skies blocked out the sunshine that Tuesday, so she wondered if he'd show. The glamour had made her look like a 40-year old, a few grey streaks in her magically short hair. Brown eyes stared back at her instead of blue. She smelled like lavender and home cooking. Kagome sat upon a bench and pretended to read beside the duck pond. An available bench sat further away, nearer to the empty play park.

It was there that a dark-haired man eventually sat, five children having followed him. A lanky teen took a seat next to him, his hair short and grey- eyes milky white with blindness. Kagome squinted from behind her book, sensing he was a snake youkai. Two young hanyous of differing species immediately ran to the play park, squealing. One had concealed horns, the other hiding their leopard spots behind a glamour.

A human girl around the age of 11 carried a toddler to the edge of the duck pond, talking quietly with him and pointing to the ducks.

Kagome held back the hot sting of tears, forcing her gaze to the book in her hands and robotically turning a page.

"Shinto needs to get out of his room," the snake youkai was muttering sourly.

"There is little I can do. Did you wish for me to carry him kicking and screaming to the park with us?" Sesshoumaru snorted, elbows bent to rest on his knees.

Kagome glanced at him furtively from the corner of her eye.

Gone was the easy confidence he'd presented to her during their encounters- the impeccable dress-sense and untouchable air of a bachelor. He looked like a mess. Or rather, a single parent struggling to juggle too much at once. He wore a jacket that had seen better days, hair dishevelled and slight lines under his eyes.

"Maybe that would've been better," his adopted child was muttering, soon sighing and glancing to the side as Sesshoumaru toyed with his phone. "Do you even have her number?"

Sesshoumaru arched a brow, feigning ignorance. "Hm?"

"You know who I am referring to. Just ask for it from Uncle Shippo."

Dark lashes lowered, followed by a rich, silky chuckle that made Kagome's skin warm. "Such underhanded methods, Hiroji," he teased, "no wonder you're not popular with women."

Hazy eyes gazed in his general direction flatly, huffing. "Please refrain from trying to dodge the question. Have you actually asked this 'Kagome' woman out yet?"

"I invited her to coffee."

"Such a cheap date, Papa!" the human girl by the duck pond smiled, carrying her brother back to them. "Couldn't you have invited her ice-skating, or to a fancy restaurant?"

"Or to the park!" one of the Hanyous yelled from the swings.

Sesshoumaru cut his eyes to grey skies fondly, accepting the toddler from his daughter. "The location does not matter. Miss Higurashi is not easily swayed," he uttered, large hands toying with little boots. The toddler giggled, kicking his legs. "Initially, I wished to bury her with gifts, but she would merely see that as an attempt to 'buy' her. No, I sense only a display of humility and regret will soften her opinion of me, however that seems quite impossible."

"Hm? Why's that?" his daughter asked.

"Because I do not wish to use you all as an example of my having 'changed.' It would feel as though you are mere tools for my redemption," brown eyes slid away. "My mindset altered gradually over the centuries. No large thing triggered it. I know of no other way to prove myself other than introducing her to you."

Kagome could tell by the twitching of his fingers and the way he kept brushing them over his jaw absentmindedly that he was itching for a drag of his pipe. She'd wondered if he still occasionally smoked. He must've decided not to around his children.

"Sounds like heavy stuff," the girl hummed, patting his shoulder in consolation. "Can't you just say-" she cleared her throat, voice deepening into a poor imitation of Sesshoumaru's- "Miko, I've been falling in love with you since the first day we met. Fall into my arms~"

Deep brown eyes flattened, and he playfully shoved a hand into her face. "Things are not so easily fixed, Akiko."

"I see. Well, don't worry! If it doesn't work out, we can all go ice-skating instead!"

Sesshoumaru tsked, sinking back into his seat and allowing the toddler to snuggle up on his chest. "How dull. I'd much prefer to go on a date with a beautiful woman than babysit you brats."

Akiko only giggled and whined good-naturedly, calling him a 'meanie' before running off to join the Hanyous on the swings.

Left in silence, the Daiyoukai's brows knitted together, thoughts clearly far away.

Mild concern softened Hiroji's boyish features. "You should try talking to her again," he said quietly, so faintly Kagome could barely hear it.

"Hn, and why is that?"

Shifting, the snake demon glanced sightlessly in Kagome's direction- causing her blood to freeze in her veins. "I suspect she may be more receptive to speaking with you now, that is all. Call it a hunch."

Stiff shoulders slowly relaxed upon realising he wasn't going to expose her. After a few minutes, Kagome rose from her spot and slipped away from the park.

In the comfort of her own apartment, Kagome gazed at the sketch Shippo had given her; Sesshoumaru sleeping without a glamour obscuring his exotic features. Resting on mokomoko, his knees, and the crook of his arm were children, different from the ones at the park, but just as mixed in species.

It implied he'd been adopting them for centuries. What had started with Rin all those years ago- the accidental adoption of his first child, had become a long-enduring habit. And it also gave Kagome the stupid, insidious idea that maybe he wanted hanyou children now. Maybe he wanted them with her.

And that was too dangerous a thought to linger on if she was incorrect.

[max-the-d0g]

“So like that then...”

Audrey Tindall x reader 

Audrey gets the ending she deserves I think

Being Sidney’s assistant is a nightmare, on normal days. But having to go back to the Roanoke house is The nightmare. Being on the set wasn't too bad, nothing too weird happened. You were surprisingly close to the actress, Audrey Tindall. She was sweet and hilarious, and you loved her but would never let her know. You loved being near her, so going back the Roanoke house wouldn't be extremely bad. The only downside is, you won't be in the house with her, you would be in the van with the monitors with Sidney. The schedule you had been given told you that your arrival would be at dawn. So, you couldn’t see the gorgeous blonde or the joyful smiles. Which she sends you whenever you were in the room. she would always greets you with a bear hug during your set hours.  

You were driving on the dirt road in the direction of the van that Sidney had sent  earlier in the day. In the seat next to you, you acquired some takeout for the guys in the van and some coffee you kept sipping from to keep you awake on the journey, it was Audrey favourite. She told you about it when you went to a cafe with her. Which was the most exciting times of you life. When you arrived at the destination of the van, everything seems off, like someone was telling you to leave. The vibe feels uneasy, making you second guessing coming here. 

Hopping out of the car, your eyes zone in on the body on the grass. Scrambling to the body, you see Sidney's covering the grass and a camera beside his head. “What the actual fuck!” You voice raises slightly, gagging at the sight. You look around seeking any sign of what could caused this, blood splats on the van, all over the grass and a few specs on you hand when you rolled the body over. The grass coated in blood.

You fish for your phone in the glove box of the car, “ Shit. Shit Shit. What the actual fuck.” After frantically typing in 911, you get hold of the police. Telling them what you have just encountered. You stay on the phone with them, they inform you not to disturb anything and to stay where you are. You place your hand on your forehead   trying to think what evil shit could do this, turning your head slightly to the bushes you see another body. “ Are you shitting me? There's another body? Oh shit, it's Jill.” You say to no one, but the operator replies telling you to keep calm and look for shelter. You look to the van then your car. The van you decided. 

Walking in you look around and to see the cameras still on and working fine. Studying one you see Shelby. Dead. “Oh shit,” you mumble. You look at the one in the corner and see Matt in the basement with his head smashed against the concrete floor. “Fuck.”

 “Is it safe there, hello Y/N? Is everything okay?” The operator says.“No... I am not fine. Shit, I think they are all gone.” 

“Okay, keep where you are. If you hear anything, grab some sort of weapon and hide. I will keep on call until the police arrive. They are 20 minutes away.”

---- After 20 minutes you heard the sirens. A knock is heard after a couple of minutes. “Police! Is anyone in there. Come out now.” “Oh thank god... they are here. Thank you, Dana.” “You are welcome.” she hangs up. “There is a house. There might someone alive.” You mumble to them. Getting into the front of the police car. The rest of the police are already at the scene when you pull up. Some officers near a trap door on the ground and some in the house. Peering towards the house, you see Lee leave. Oh shit, she survived whatever bullshit that has happened. “One survivor.” The officer declares next to you. Where is Audrey? Oh god, She can't be gone. Shit please no, if there's a God up there. Audrey better be alive. “Another one. Two survivors.” You look to the right and see Audrey. You get out of the car and step to Audrey. She doesn't see you, her eyes are zoned onto Lee. “You.” You hear Audrey say. You see Audrey looking at Lee and then the officers gun. No! “Audrey!” You yell, her hand grabs for the gun on the officer, officers around begin to react.“Audrey!” You yell louder. Her eyes find yours and her hands flops at her side. You manage to run to her, gathering her into you. “Oh my god, what the hell happened? Don't answer right away. Ok. Let's get you out of here.” She hugs you back. You capture her soft face looking for any marks and scraps that may litter her face. “That fucking bitch.” She mumbles into your side of your exposed neck, her warm breathe tickling you. After you let go of her face, she pulls you tightly to her. Her body trembles as she steps away from the officers and into a clearing. 

 An officer gives you a blanket. You wrap her into it, covering her shoulders. “What? Lee... What did she do?”A soft sob leaves Audrey's mouth,“She killed Monet and she tried to kill me.” She mumbles incoherently, her shaky arms tightening around you and a hurt rasp leaves her mouth. “Let's get you away from her and to the ambulance, okay?” Your eyes land on Lee who looks in shock, the police around her try to ask her what allegedly happened. But, she seems not to recall anything.

---

 The past couple of days she has been staying at house. Most days she is okay, she is still her bubbly self, making jokes and making you laugh.The night, however, are what hits her worse. She wakes most nights from nightmares, screaming and thrashing around on the bed. The scream are the thing that wakes you up, the gut wrenching screams fills the empty house. You rush to her side to aid her. Always there to comfort her, once she is settled down and calmed you usher her out of the bed to the kitchen for a cup of tea. She snuggles up to you, keeping contact with you. You then, usher her to your room with a warm smile. “Your presence always helps.” She will mutter before she falls to sleep, a content smile gracing her lips. 

---

A couple of weeks later, both of you hear that Lee has is been put on trial for murder of at least six people, but she walks free somehow. This issue pisses Audrey off, but also frightens her, knowing a murder is walking free and especially one that tried to kill her and that killed her castmates and friends. She plagued with the though of Lee stalking her and killing her. Lee haunts her thoughts most days, and not leaving when she sleeps. These thoughts keeps the British woman awake, afraid to closer eyes only to open them in a nightmare where she dies brutally. Audrey has began to fear the dark, scared of what lurks there. She's afraid of what lurks in the shadow, most nights she will leave the lights on and try to sleep, only to fail and take a nap whilst you are in the room. 

---

Audrey was reading the news of a new court case that Lee has been put on trial for this one being her ex-husband murder. “If she walks free, I'm going freak out. She killed him. It’s apparent.”Audrey mutters,“Her daughter is testifying against her... That is a mum from hell. She witnessed her mother kill her father with a rock.” She adds.“Is she going to prison?”You peer over her shoulder placing your head softly on her shoulder. Audrey looks to your side of your head,“Are you joking me? She blamed her daughters imagination? She walked free again...”Audrey places a soft kiss to your cheek.“She has to be in prison soon.” Looking at her with shock, she looks away and carries on reading. Touching the place, she kissed you feel yourself fall deeper for her. Well, that was unexpected.  Lana Winters had asked Lee for an interview after the trials, unbeknownst to the both of you who enjoyed watching her shows.  “Y/N, it’s on. Come on, I need to see it. You know I don't miss an episode of Winters.” She yells, you run and sit next to Audrey, her face falls when she sees that Lee is on her screen. “Are you joking me? Her? She's a murderer. Lana could've asked me, Y/N.” She says, a little dramatically. “She might after, who knows maybe you might be her guest next week. Do you wanna keep watching? We could rewatch Billie’s show again if you want?” she ponders for a bit and shakes her head no. Nothing new was heard, other than Lee lying about her encounters and who massacred them. Lana asks her a few questions, “Why did you agree to come to this interview?” Lee believes that they have something in common. Rolling your eyes at the irony, “Yes, killing her son who tried to kill her isn't something you have in common.” Audrey yells at the screen. A question that shocks both you and Audrey is Lana asking Lee, “Where her daughter is.”  Lana says she has been missing before the show even started. Audrey looks to you, the shock is written all over her face. She comes closer to you, almost on your lap. “She wouldn't, would she? Kill her daughter? ”You mutter. “If she killed those people and her ex-husband in front of her daughter of course she can.” When she says this, someone bursts through the door on screen.“That's one of them hillbilly incest fuckers, that took me.” She mutters, her voice wavers a bit. Tensing a bit at the mention of it, he knocks Lana out and when he is about to kill Lee he is shot down by an officer. The screen blacks out and text comes up, saying there's a ‘slight problem we will return in a few minutes’. “What the hell just happened?”

You both decided to call it an early night. Walking to your separate rooms you feel Audrey clammy hand around you wrist. “Can you sleep with me tonight?” Freezing a bit, not knowing how to reply. The silence gives Audrey the impression she overstepped, asking too much of you.  “Never mind that was foolish. Goodnight, Y/N” “Yes, I will sleep with you.” Relief washes over her after you say it. She grips your hand and ushers you to the bed. “You can take this side. I’ll take the other side.” She points to each side. Both of you are settled in you respected sides, laying there stiff a little stiff. Audrey shuffles closer to you, she rolls onto her side. “You look a bit stiff there y/n. Relax it's just me, we’ve done this before” she whispers. “Sorry, didn't realise.” Rolling over to her, to face the gorgeous woman, you see conflict. A concern expression, almost. “Is there something on your mind, Audrey?” She doesn't look directly into your eyes. “If you didn't shout my name that day, I would have probably either have killed Lee and gone to prison or died,” she mutters. “And I wouldn't be here with you. Someone who makes me content and someone I love dearly. Not like a friend. Knowing you could’ve seen me shot and killed, kills me inside.” Love dearly, not like a friend. Probably like a family member. 

“It frightens me that if I didn't have you here. How would I handle anything?” She tears up and chokes on a sob.“Hey, come here,” she scoots into your neck. “Well, you don't have to think about that. I’m here for you that's all that matters. You will get through this whole mess, and you won't be alone. You have me.”You push her closer, your hand rubbing light circles on her back, until her both relaxes.“But I don’t have you.” You frown slightly at this.“What do you m-” You are silenced by a pair of lips, caught off guard at first you don't react. she starts moving away at the lack of reaction, thinking it was rejection. You capture the side of her face pulling her closer to you and kiss back. “So like that then...” You mutter against her lips. She hums in reply deepening the kiss.