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battle-subway-twins · 1 month ago

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It was certainly true that accidents could happen to anyone but he felt like this one was his own making. He could have and likely should have just stayed home that day since he was just so exhausted. Or perhaps had one of his Pokemon accompanying him on the train like Chandelure who could have gone for help when he had his accident. Hell, it occurred to him as they were moving that the could summon her in order for her to use Psychic on him to him.

While he was thinking that his focus completely switched tracks from what he should have been focusing upon. One shaky step in front of the other, slowly and carefully moving forward. It was that mistake that nearly spelled disaster for the slowly moving pair had Emmet not seen them first. Thankfully for them both, more so Ingo, the white clad conductor had very fast reflexes and had managed to snag them both before more damage could be done. He was also no stranger to moving his injured brother so he did so carefully and with obvious practiced care.

As Daedra confesses to what she knows a rare fully formed frown appears on his face. "Ingo, is this true? Why did you not say so on the radio!? I would have come to help you there! The battle could have been postponed!!" There was a bit of anger in his voice but mostly it was just utter worry and concern. Ingo for his part just seemed to be thoroughly ashamed and looked to the ground, fully showing the injury to his still standing tall brother. The double conductor gave a sympathetic look before heading to the cabinet. "We'll have to get a medical professional to come look at it but for now we need to clean and bandage it. Daedra, firstly thank you for assisting him during this and secondly can you keep him awake while I do this? I'm sure he's concussed and I don't want him to sleep until he's seen."

"I'm sorry Emmet... I made a miscalculation in how severe the injury was when I came to... The hat had acted like a bandage to keep me from realizing sooner. I also am unsure of how long I was unconscious on the train after the fall... I can't... really recall falling though..." He spoke quietly as if he would upset his twin further by adding more to the truth but it needed to be said. He was also aware that he was starting to fade more quickly now that he was 'safe'. It felt like his whole body was made of lead and he just wanted to sleep. Emmet was right though, he needed to stay awake until such a time that he was deemed clear. Even if every cell in his being was screaming to just sleep.

Hearing what Ingo says doesn't put Emmet at ease but he is relieved to have the truth. If the fall was that bad it was no wonder his normally calculative brother was so out of sorts. "It's okay Ingo... I was just scared... Now then, this is going to sting." He comes back with the medical kit and starts to clean the injury with great care and caution but the pain still shows on Ingo's face. "Ah, can you hold this gauze here while I start the wrap? Thankfully the bleeding was almost done but I want to keep it clean now too." It showed just how concerned the normally bright man was that he didn't say his name in an odd way while talking as he worked.

Once he's finished bandaging his twin's head he pulls out his radio to ask for medical assistance at their office. With that done he looks to Daedra and gives a weak smile, "Emmet's so glad you were here today. It scares me to think of what would have happened without you finding him."

"These things happen, Mr. Ingo," the redhead offered with a particular earnest tone. Oblivious to the real specifics of the situation, but still confidant in the words she spoke, regardless. "Sometimes things happen you simply can't account for; everyone has accidents! Besides, I know for a fact it's much easier to see things of concern for other people, compared to looking at yourself..."

Afterall... it was quite hard to see oneself without a mirror right before you, wasn't it?

Daedra left her little musings at that, for the time being. Currently, her main focus was getting Ingo up and out of the train. It was still not the easiest task, but the petite woman was managing; grip held at his waist as she worked her legs at his guidance. Miraculously, the Main Offices seemed to be on the platform level: no stairs!

While they moved, Daedra tried her best to keep a slow and steady pace, as to not jumble Ingo more than the walking was doing. It was all going well, until the final stretch of the 'race'. Just as they turned a corner of a hallway, she felt one of his polished shoes bump against hers as his knee buckled. Daedra's eyes widened when she realized, gripping her fingers tight into any bit of his clothing she could. She tried to lock her limbs, hold his upright so he could regain, but it was fruitless: they were going down.

"Don't rush, Mr. Ingo, we're almost there--- Slow down, Mr. Ingo--Mr. Ingo, slow down!!!" As she felt their equilibrium tumbling like a felled tree, Daedra tried her best to pull them back. Keep him upright to try and hit his knees! Don't let his face hit the floor-- not his head!!!

Suddenly there was a firm grip on her shoulder and she was jerked back. Not painfully, but there was no longer a weight pulling her forward. Ingo wasn't tumbling either. Daedra looked over her shoulder to see salvation had arrived clad in a stark white coat and hat.

"Mr. Emmet!! You're here," Daedra couldn't help but practically cheer.

Unsurprisingly, the usually more cheery brother looked anything but--- With all three of their efforts, it was now an easy task to get the dark dressed man swept into the safety of their private space. Even though Ingo promised explanation, Daedra didn't wait. Ingo's bottom was barely on the cot before she started blurting key details to Emmet.

"He fell on the train, Mr. Emmet," the redhead blurted out, quickly but perfectly easy to understand. "Mr. Ingo hit his head, it's bleeding at the back!! We didn't realize until we were practically at this stop."

Had she'd noticed it earlier, Daedra might have just called for assistance via the train intercom, compared to trying to get him here on her own. An unfortunate miscalculation... than again, halting the lines for emergency stops always seemed to take longer.

#tactful kind daedra #;ic #//hey in this kind of situation being a tattle tale is a good thing!#//now if they check the cameras they'd just see Ingo deadass falling asleep standing up on the train

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ellekhen · 2 months ago

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POV: You’re trying to figure out the most tactful way to extricate yourself from third-wheeling this research session at the Lighthouse. 👀

———

Can’t stop smiling at this. :’) I commissioned the incredible Valentina Paz (@redactedshapes) to illustrate Ryo and Neve together! She was wonderful to work with and proposed a couple scenes including this one, and even from the thumbnail sketches I was transfixed (and so is Neve heheh.)

Thank you so much again, Valentina! ❤️

If you want to read more about Ryo and Neve’s story, check out my fic, Here Comes Trouble!

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all4simone · 22 days ago

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lucky girl syndrome- a.a

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

older!abby anderson x femme!reader

| synopsis: sum older!abby headcanons of mine !!

| c/w: men dni, abby is early-mid 30’s, reader is in early-mid 20’s, nsfw towards the end, not proofread

| w/c: 1.2k

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

╰┈➤ older!abby…who thinks the memes & videos you send her are stupid but thinks bentellect is hilarious – like she’s crying laughing at them and you just stare at her with pure judgement

╰┈➤ older!abby…who wakes up super early and makes herself ten scrambled eggs from breakfast with ketchup and the whole kitchen just reeks of it

╰┈➤ older!abby…who sometimes falls for your ragebait whenever you call her old and tries to defend herself, but then she realizes she fell for your teasing and just silently pouts at you for the next hour.

“damn. don’t break a hip, baby.” you snicker, watching her pick up the fork she dropped on the floor.

abby slowly turns to look at you, dumbfounded by your words. “you act like i’m fifty. all of my bones are still in tact, sweetheart.”

“hmm. weren’t you complaining about how badddd your back hurt yesterday”

“no I did not!”

you tilted your head, cocking your eyebrow up, “okay…don’t act like you didn’t make me help you out of bed this morning.” you said, trying to hold you laughter in.

“are you fucking with me?”

“no?”

“I hate you.”

╰┈➤ older!abby…who buys you a custom made flower bouquet every week because she says that “chivalry is gone” even though she complains about how much is costs her

╰┈➤ older!abby…who takes longggg ass naps every now and then, dragging you into bed with her. she never lets you go either because she’s already comfortable.

“can you please let me go?” you ask for the third time, knowing the answer was going to be the same.

“why”

“because you’re suffocating me and It’s eighty degrees in here”

“okay” she’s says and kicks off some of the blanket and slightly loosens up her grip on you, “there.”

“oh my god.”

╰┈➤ older!abby…who owns a cabin in the mountains and takes you there during some weekends for some internal cleansing.

╰┈➤ older!abby…who believes in ghosts and tells you about the several “encounters” she’s had over the years. she sometimes makes you play the oujia board with her.

╰┈➤ older!abby…who, even though believing ghosts are real, refuses to watch horror movies because you guys might “awaken something in the house” but, you always manage to convince her it’s fine.

“sweetheart. both of us will be dead by the end of the movie. let’s just pick another movie, yeah?”

“you literally asked me to play on the oujia board with you two days ago.”

╰┈➤ older!abby…who always keeps an eye on you when you’re out at the gym, trying to see if anyone’s checking you out or anything.

╰┈➤ older!abby…who dreads bringing you around her friends because they just tease the two of you about your age difference.

╰┈➤ older!abby…who needs you to do a full body massage on her at least twice a week because her “muscles are sore” when you know it’s actually because her back hurts.

╰┈➤ older!abby…who spontaneously adopted two dogs from the shelter and named them cinnamon and sugar because it “had a nice ring to it”

╰┈➤ older!abby…who comes up with dad jokes throughout the day and immediately sends them to you while snickering to herself.

“why was 2019 scared of 2020?”

“baby–please don’t torture me today with your awful jokes.”

“because they–“ she begins to laugh, unable to finish her jokes. “because they–pshh oh my god”

“terrible delivery.”

“because they had a fight and 2021.” not laugh, not even a chuckle, not even a smile came out of you.

╰┈➤ older!abby…whose super clingy in the morning: grabbing your waist from behind, sticking her face to your neck, randomly smacking your ass repeatedly, and whining about how you didn’t give her a good morning kiss.

╰┈➤ older!abby…who just stares at you getting ready in the morning, standing there behind you with her arms crossed.

“what?” you pause brushing your hair and turn to look behind you.

“nothing. you just look pretty.” she continues to stare at your reflection in the mirror in the most monotone voice ever.

“sometimes I think you’re possessed, I swear.”

╰┈➤ older!abby…whose obsessed with football while you could care less about it and she sometimes boasts to you about the recent games she’s watched.

╰┈➤ older!abby…who you try to play video games with, but she just cannot understand how the controller works at all.

“you use this button to steer” you instruct her, pressing your thumb to the joystick.

“it’s not moving me” her eyebrows furrow as she furiously moves the joystick around.

“we’re not even loaded into the game yet, baby.”

╰┈➤ older!abby…who lives on coffee. straight black coffee. and she just sips on it like she’s drinking water.

╰┈➤ older!abby…who just eats straight protein powder instead of putting it in water because it “tastes better”

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ nsfw

╰┈➤ older!abby…who has a fixation on your nipples. she always needs to nibble, play, or flick them anytime she gets. whenever you guys are in bed her hand always finds her way to your chest and fidgets with your nipples to help her fall asleep.

╰┈➤ older!abby…who would secretly steal your underwear when you first started dating, but once you guys got more comfortable she would do it right in front of you.

“wait no, that’s my favorite one abby.” you whined, watching her grip the soft lace in her hand.

“mine too. I think I deserve it.” she smirks, giving it a good sniff before stuffing it in her pocket.

╰┈➤ older!abby…who lovessss edging you. she likes the control of it. how you’re so desperate and needy for her so you can cum. it’s a power trip.

╰┈➤ older!abby…who threatens you by saying she’ll use a small strap-on whenever you’re acting bratty so it doesn’t hit your sweet spot.

╰┈➤ older!abby…whose obsessed with the idea of fucking you while at work. she can just imagine you sprawled all over the desk, struggling to keep quiet as she fucks deep into you with her strap.

╰┈➤ older!abby…who loves how much stronger than you she is, using it to her advantage by trapping your arms to your back while she’s thrusting into you from behind.

╰┈➤ older!abby…who randomly buys you lingerie that she thinks would look sooo good on you.

╰┈➤ older!abby…who touches herself to the sex tapes you guys have made whenever she’s out on a business trip or working overtime.

╰┈➤ older!abby…who loves it when you sit on her face. and when I mean sit on her face, I mean all of your body weight on her, no hovering at all.

“ahhh–no! I don’t want to crush you…”

“sweetheart, i’m made out of pure muscle. I can handle a little weight. fucking sit on my face.”

“but–“

“please baby? I want to you make you feel so good.”

╰┈➤ older!abby…who loves a bush and combs her fingers through it while she’s eating you out.

╰┈➤ older!abby…who makes a warm bath for the two of you after having sex.

╰┈➤ older!abby…whose obsessed with the idea of getting you pregnant. she’s always lapping up her own cum with her fingers and shoving it down you pulsing cunt. even if she knows she can’t, she tries to.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

a/n: i made this in like 20 mins so don’t mind if it’s shit. i haven’t made anything for abby yet and ive been super free as of recently so I guess today’s the dayyy!! thanks 4 reading !!

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sh4nksslvt · 2 months ago

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hellooo I really like your work and would like to request some angst

maybe like reader dies or gets close to it. some more uncommon charcters too like nami, usopp, or franky please!!

thank you for really cool work and I hope you can do this!!

hii! thank u sm~ oohh~ thats a great idea, ive decided to put them all together, hope u like it!

What Remains

The Straw Hats survive a Marine superweapon test — but only because you don’t. You made a choice to save them all, and they didn’t see it coming.

strawhats x platonic gn! reader tags: angst, sfw, ooc, major character death, platonic bonds, grief a/n: this js me trying to write ffs, this is experimental and for fun only, so expect this ffs a bit cringe word count: 1k

masterlist | ko-fi

: 𓏲🐋 ๋࣭ ࣪ ˖✩࿐࿔ 🌊

Smoke curled upward from the scorched ruins of the Marine testing island. The sky was dim, bleeding orange as the sun tried and failed to burn away the choking clouds.

They found your body beneath the collapsed structure—arms still raised like you were shielding the others even in death.

It wasn’t the injuries that broke them. It was the look on your face.

Peaceful.

Like you knew.

ONE WEEK EARLIER.

"These weapons..." Franky said, examining the diagrams. "They’re worse than anything Vegapunk ever dreamed up. They’re built to erase islands."

“And they’re testing them here?” Nami’s voice trembled with disbelief.

Usopp peered over the map. “That’s not all. Some of this... it’s Poneglyph script. These freaks are mixing history with firepower.”

You didn’t say anything.

You just stared at the map. Quiet. Calm. Like a storm on the horizon no one else had seen yet.

“We have to stop this,” you said.

Of course, everyone agreed.

But none of them saw what you saw. None of them realized the cost yet.

Not even you.

THE BATTLE.

The Straw Hats split into teams. Luffy and Zoro drew the front lines away. Robin sabotaged the comms. Brook and Jinbei distracted the guards. Chopper tended to wounded civilians trying to escape.

You were supposed to go in with Franky and Usopp.

You didn’t.

You slipped away the moment they weren’t looking, whispering your last words to Nami before disappearing into the smoke.

“I trust you. Don’t look back.”

You found the core buried deep underground.

A thrumming vault of seastone and ancient script, glowing with stolen knowledge and raw destruction.

You knew what it meant.

You could read the Poneglyph fragments embedded in the weapons.

You knew what would happen if they were activated.

So you made a choice.

A selfish, irreversible choice.

You overloaded the core.

THE AFTERMATH.

When the blast hit, it carved a crater into the earth.

Luffy felt it first—his scream carried across the island like a cannon blast. “(Y/N)!!”

Franky’s stomach dropped. He bolted toward the smoke, ignoring everything—orders, pain, fire.

Usopp followed. Nami, too. She didn’t even speak. Her Clima-Tact sparked wildly, emotions bleeding into weather.

They dug with bare hands and bleeding fingers.

And finally, they found you.

Still. Burned. Crushed.

But unmistakably you.

And unmistakably gone.

THE SUNNY.

Franky hadn’t spoken in two days.

He sat in the engine room, back turned to everyone, arms blackened with soot and oil. He worked until his hands bled, building gods knew what.

Chopper had tried to check on him. Franky didn’t even look up.

Usopp wandered the deck in silence, eyes red, mouth dry. He hadn’t told a single story since they left the island.

He’d tried. He opened his mouth once to make a joke, and nothing came out.

So he just sat with your grave marker, talking to it like you were there.

And Nami—Nami was broken in a way no one had ever seen.

She didn’t cry loudly. She didn’t scream. She just shut down.

She went days without food. Sat curled in the crow’s nest, staring out to sea, clutching the note you left her in your final moments.

"Don’t look back."

She hated you for it.

She loved you for it.

She never stopped shaking.

NIGHT.

Luffy stood by the railing, his hat pulled low, wind in his face.

Sanji stood beside him in silence.

“You knew they were gonna die,” Luffy said suddenly. His voice wasn’t angry. It was hollow.

Sanji lit a cigarette, fingers shaking. “I knew they weren’t coming back.”

Luffy didn’t answer.

“They saved all of us,” Sanji added after a long pause.

“I didn’t want saving,” Luffy whispered.

Then he turned and walked away.

FRANKY.

The machine he was building exploded.

He didn’t flinch.

Robin found him hours later, crouched beside the wreckage, staring into space.

“They’d have slapped me for this,” he said quietly.

Robin knelt beside him. “For what?”

“For not stopping them.”

“They knew what they were doing.”

“That doesn’t make it easier.”

Robin placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. “It never does.”

USOPP.

He buried the dials you used in a small, unmarked box.

Every trap you helped him design, every gadget you tweaked. Gone. Hidden away like a secret.

“I’m never going to be that brave,” he whispered.

Then he broke.

Ugly, shaking sobs that echoed across the deck.

NAMI.

She didn’t speak for three days.

Then, she found Franky. Slammed him into a wall.

“You let them go alone!” she screamed.

Franky didn’t fight back. “I know.”

“YOU PROMISED—YOU PROMISED ME THEY’D COME BACK—!”

He wrapped his arms around her mid-swing, held her as she sobbed, her fists pounding against his chest until they were too weak to lift.

ONE WEEK LATER.

Luffy called everyone to the deck.

No one knew why.

When they arrived, they found him standing in front of a small, newly-built monument.

A single beam of the destroyed fortress. Carved with your name.

And beneath it—your jacket. Cleaned. Pressed. Folded neatly.

Luffy didn’t speak.

He didn’t need to.

They stood together. Silent.

One by one, they left offerings.

Sanji placed a bottle of sake.

Robin left a single violet flower.

Chopper tied a string of charms around the wood.

Zoro leaned his sword against it for a moment. A quiet nod of respect.

Brook played a low, mournful tune on his violin.

Jinbei lit a lantern and pushed it into the sea.

Usopp placed a small slingshot on the beam.

Franky left a blueprint.

And Nami… Nami placed your note. The last one you ever wrote.

“Don’t look back.”

She whispered, “I’m going to.”

Then she walked away.

They kept your room the way it was.

No one said it aloud—but they all visited.

Nami would sit on your bed when the nightmares came.

Usopp would fix the shelves you always overloaded with junk.

Franky recharged your tools every week, even though you weren’t there to use them.

And Luffy…

Luffy would sit on the figurehead, facing forward, holding your jacket in his lap.

He never cried where anyone could see.

But the jacket was always warm.

As if it still remembered you.

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luxaofhesperides · 11 months ago

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the harmless series

Danny Fenton is reborn as Danyal al Ghul, Damian's older brother. He dies young and returns with memories of his past life in tact, which leads him on a long journey away from one home and to another. Damian, meanwhile, is searching for his long lost brother while trying to care for Ellie, the niece left to him by Danyal before his second disappearance, and the rest of the family is struggling to hold things together.

all parts will be linked on this post! please don't ask to be tagged, just check here occasionally for new updates

the beginning - danny

the lost brother - damian

a safe place to rest - duke

title from this excerpt of Ada Limón's "To the Busted Among Us"

#dc x dp #dp x dc #dpxdc #dcxdp #the harmless series #demon brothers #my writing

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moonstruckme · 11 months ago

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mae my lovely, can i possibly request emt!marauders and reader who hasn’t replied to any texts in a few days/a week? pre-established relationship but not quite living together, and reader struggles with her mental health and has holed herself up in her apartment which worries the boys greatly? please don’t write if you feel uncomfortable (and if you’ve already written it but i’ve devoured emt!marauders today and i don’t think you have) obviously!! love you

Thank you for requesting my love! And thanks to @ellecdc for helping me figure out the emt stuff <3

cw: mental health struggles, self isolation

emt!marauders x fem!reader ♡ 1.5k words

Sirius’ knuckles rap loudly on your door.

“Fuck, ease up.” James winces. “She’s gonna think we’re the cops.”

“Good. Maybe she’ll answer for them.”

“You need to calm down.” Remus’ voice is patience with a firm edge. “We don’t know what’s going on. If we go in angry with her, it’s not going to help anything.”

“I think I have the right to be somewhat miffed,” Sirius argues. “You ghost someone after a first date, not once you’re in a relationship. It’s fucked.”

“She’s not ghosting us,” James says certainly. Sirius’ mouth pinches in response.

James knows that, truly, his boyfriend is as worried as any of them. You’re well past the point in your relationship where you feel the need to establish the next time you’re going to meet before parting, but after your date last week it took the boys a few days to put it together that none of them had heard from you.

At first, James presumed you’d simply gotten busy. Remus was convinced he’d done something to upset you. Sirius, secretly the most prone to worry, would rather believe he’s been slighted than consider the possibility that something might be keeping you from responding to their calls. Now that it’s been nearly a week, James is convinced something’s happened. You’ve had to take an emergency trip out of town or something’s spooked you and made you avoid them or—worst case scenario—you’re ill and have been holed up here with no one to check in on you for almost a week.

Once he brought up that idea, it wasn’t difficult to convince his boyfriends to do a wellness check during their shift.

“Just don’t be harsh with her,” Remus says gently.

Sirius huffs. He knocks again, albeit somewhat softer.

“NHS,” he calls.

James holds his breath when he hears some shuffling from inside. Gradually, it gets closer and louder, until the door is creaking open and you’re peering through the crack.

Your voice is scratchy, like you haven’t used it in a while. “What’re you doing here?”

James expects Sirius to snipe at you, is already prepared to smooth it over himself with kinder words and a gentler tone, but something seems to shift in the other boy at the sight of you. He pushes through the crack in your door, hugging you fiercely.

“We…” Remus seems as thrown by this deviation as James is. “We thought we ought to check up on you.”

Your hand migrates up, touching Sirius’ back tentatively. “Why?”

“It’s a wellness check.” Sirius’ voice is bitter, but the effect is somewhat muddled by how he’s speaking into your neck. “We had reason to believe you could be harmed or deceased.”

“Oh,” you murmur.

James takes a moment to look you over. You’re in pajamas, visibly rumpled, and yet you look as tired as if you’ve not slept in some time. There’s something off about your expression, something missing that he can’t put his finger on. It’s unsettling in a way that makes him want to wrap you up in a tight cuddle and not let go.

“Are you okay?” he asks, perhaps more brash than he means to be. Normally he’d expect more tact from himself, but he’s shocked Sirius hasn’t asked yet, and someone has to.

“Can we come in?” Remus asks at the same time.

You look between them like you’re not sure what to do with them. Like you’re questioning whether you’re still in some sort of dream.

“Yeah,” you say after a moment. James gets the sense you mean it to answer both of them. You step back from the door to make room for them, and Sirius moves with you. “Um, forewarning, it’s really bad in here.”

Really bad by your standards isn’t the same as James’. If he hadn’t seen the way you normally keep things, he’d never notice anything was amiss. Your place smells a bit stale, like when you leave for a weekend and then come home. There’s a laundry basket on the floor with a few balled socks like you’d started to fold them and given up, and if he peers into your bedroom he can see a small trash pile on your floor and the covers of your bed all twisted up. It’s no worse than his side of the dorm he’d shared with Remus and Sirius in school.

“What happened?” Sirius asks you. His voice sounds clearer now, and James focuses back in to find that he’s let you go enough to press his forehead to yours. His brow and lips are pinched. “Why have you been avoiding us?”

James is nearly overcome by the desire to kiss him and rub his back, but he decides to let you have the honor, if you want it.

You look unsure whether you do.

“I’m sorry.” The words seem scraped out from some aching part of you. “I wasn’t trying to.”

“Then why didn’t you answer our calls?” Sirius’ tone matches yours for desperation. Remus’ expression twinges compassionately.

“I couldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“Sirius,” Remus chides softly.

Your shoulders are slumped, but when Sirius moves away you seem to droop further. He’s only giving you space, his expression far from unkind.

“Why couldn’t you pick up, dove?” Remus asks gently.

“I…” Your eyes meander the floor. “I didn’t know what to talk about. And then my phone died, and it was just easier. I’m really sorry.”

“Is talking to us really that bad?” Sirius is clearly making an attempt at joking, but the heartache underlying his words is unmissable.

“No,” you sigh. “I’m just not really fit for the world right now. I didn’t want you to worry.”

James’ ribs hurt at your admission, but he feels himself nodding. Even if he doesn’t know exactly what it is you’re dealing with, he’s familiar with people who think they’re somehow so damaged they don’t deserve to engage with anyone or anything. Sirius was like that once. Remus even more often. He sees the recognition on both of their faces now, pity and love and regret all tangled up into one messy thing.

“Well, it was a noble effort,” says James, giving you a small smile, “but you can’t stop us worrying. Can I hug you?”

You nod, making an effort towards returning his smile. It’s a half-hearted, flickering thing, but he appreciates it nonetheless.

He kisses your forehead as he folds you into his arms, starting gentle and tightening when you hug him back. Your grip feels a bit weak, if ardent. James pushes his palm up your spine.

“Have you eaten today, sweetheart?”

Your hum in the negative vibrates against his skin.

“I’ll make us something.” Remus starts toward the kitchen, passing a hand over James’ curls as he goes by. “A sandwich alright, dovey?”

“Yeah,” you murmur. “Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.” His voice raises as he enters the kitchen, and James knows he wants you to hear. To understand that this is something he would happily do for you.

“Let’s sit down,” James suggests. “Pads, would you mind opening the curtains some?”

Sirius complies with vigor, whipping open your drapes while James gets you situated on the couch. In the light, the shadows under your eyes are more evident, as is the redness in them.

James squishes you up against his side. Rubs up and down your arm. “It’s okay,” he murmurs.

You make a tiny, stymied sound, and turn your head down.

“Hey.” Sirius sits on your other side. He kisses your shoulder, worry hewn into the lines of his face. “What’s wrong?”

Your shoulders give a little shake. It’s small, defeated. You curl further in on yourself.

“Oh, baby. I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t have to explain,” James tells you, continuing to drag his hand up your arm. “It’s okay. You’re alright.”

“I wanted—” You take in a wet inhale. He feels close to tears himself. “I wanted to be better when I saw you. I’m sorry.”

“We don’t need you to be any sort of way, sweetheart.” Sirius’ voice is soft but fervent. “We just want to be with you.”

“As much as you’ll let us,” James agrees. His own voice is thick, and Sirius slides his arm around you to rub between his shoulders.

You don’t say much after that. James holds you tight until your trembling stops, and even then he only loosens his grip to let you eat the grilled cheese Remus has made for you. From the wrappers he saw in your room, it’s likely the closest thing to a prepared meal you’ve had in some time.

When you’re done eating, Sirius insists on kissing the saltiness from your cheeks even though your tears have dried. Remus coaxes you into a bath while James and Sirius tidy your room and change your sheets, and then Remus enlists Sirius to shampoo your hair while he tucks your sheets in more effectively. They put your phone on the charger. James makes dinner and puts it in the fridge for you to have later. None of it fixes anything, but he hopes it makes you feel less alone.

When they have to go out for another call, Remus gives you a long hug, James makes you agree to go on a walk with him the next day, and Sirius threatens to pester you with calls until you block his number if you ignore them ever again.

Your eye roll at his antics makes James’ heart sing.

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