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sunflowersoonyoung · 5 years ago

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imperfection | eunha

w.c ↠ 2.0k

pairing ↠ eunha x fem!reader

genre/s ↠ fluff, high school au!, featuring best friend!yerin

description ↠ You have spent countless hours observing perfect student Jung Eunbi. But it’s not enough. You want to see what lies beneath the surface.

warning/s ↠ possible underaged drinking (it’s kinda ambiguous as their ages aren’t mentioned)

author’s note ↠ my first piece of writing for this blog! woo~! i have noticed a severe lack of gfriend fics on this site so hopefully i shall stay committed enough to fill that hole :3

"You’re staring at her again.”

Yerin had her fingers wrapped tightly around your forearm, dragging you back to reality with a lilted tone. Her crescent eyes were crinkled, filled with amusement. It was not the first time she had commented on that particular tendency of yours, one that would be near-impossible for you to give up.

Jung Eunbi’s seat was two from the front, on the far right. You had that fact engraved into your mind. From your place near the back of the classroom, you could freely view the side of her features; you could lose yourself in her, commit to memory her subconscious habits.

Yerin sat back in her chair, reflecting back to you a mischievous smile, her thoughts as enigmatic as ever to you.

Ever since your friendship had blossomed in early middle school, Yerin had acted almost as a guardian to you. That role had remained despite both of you being almost adults. Although, recently it had taken on a new flavour. She was a little concerned that you were missing something - or rather, someone - in your life, and had been giving you small nudges towards finding that someone.

“I know she’s pretty but it won’t rub off on us,” she teased, seemingly unaware that her beauty was comparable to Eunbi’s. It was only due to her tomboyish and brash nature that male students were too nervous to approach her, whereas Eunbi was famously regarded to be sweet and polite.

“That’s not what I’m hoping for,” you muttered, taking care to be quiet enough that Yerin did not hear you.

Rather, your true wish was to capture a glimpse of Eunbi’s inner workings. Although you had spent over two years observing the school jewel, much of what you witnessed was only surface deep. You only wanted to know her deeper.

It all had begun when the round-faced girl had raised her hand to answer every question during orientation. Her chestnut irises would glitter, her enthusiasm to start the school year shining through.

That day you found yourself enraptured. You were not alone, either; boys flocked to Eunbi, drowning her with flattery and grasping for any scraps of affection from her. They reminded you of starved animals. Perhaps you might act like that if you were in a similar position, with the confidence that you had somewhat of a chance with her.

You had long since crossed that idea from your mind. Initially, you enjoyed clinging to the fantasy. Nowadays, however, that small sliver of hope stung, so you tried to stifle it.

“Then, what are you hoping for? I’m curious.”

Shock washed over your skin as you realised Yerin had, in fact, overheard you earlier. You met her firm gaze reluctantly, noticing the way heat rose on your face. You had not revealed your sexuality to Yerin but knew very well she had suspicions. It was only natural; not once had you offered your attention to a boy.

Just as pressure was building for you to reply, the bell sounded. You leapt upon this opportunity, hastily tidying your desk as you knew Yerin would be more eager to head home than pursue this topic. You were correct in this assertion. Immediately she abandoned her interrogation to stuff her pack with her notebooks.

Another time, you thought with passing relief, you would save that conversation for later.

The gradual walk home with Yerin came paired with a lukewarm breeze. She usually overwhelmed your ears with chatter, but today her mouth remained closed. A comfortable silence draped the air.

Abruptly, she spoke.

“There’s a party tonight. I know you don’t like them, but I thought I’d invite you anyway. I heard Kim Mingyu is going,” a broad grin stretched across her full cheeks as if the knowledge of the school flirt attending was thrilling to you. You could think of nothing worse than ending up pressed to a wall, enduring the wrath of a tipsy boy deadset on peeling off your clothes.

Feeling like an evening out regardless of potential consequences, you heaved a sigh and responded, “I’ll go. What time?”

Yerin clasped your arm tightly, offering you a giddy smile as her eyes lit up, “really? I’ll pick you up! Is eight o’clock okay?” It was rare that you joined Yerin on her drunken antics, and her excitement was bubbling up on her expression.

Before you could respond affirmatively, she was already skipping ahead, far more animated than moments earlier - when she had seemed almost subdued.

“Make sure you wear something cute,” she hummed, turning on her heel to face you with interlocked fingers held at her chest. Dread began to weigh down your gut like a heavy stone; usually, you would come to regret these evenings out.

But it was too late to change your mind. Yerin was far too overjoyed, and even the thought of extinguishing that burned you with guilt.

The night air was stuffy, and after only a few moments of exposure, sweat was sticking your clothing to your figure. Hardly heeding Yerin’s advice to dress in something “cute”, you had put no effort in your appearance, attending in only jeans and a tucked-in shirt. Upon scrutinizing this outfit, Yerin had only frowned.

Compared to your friend, you felt significantly underdressed. Her lustrous hair cascaded down her back in waves, a short baby blue dress revealing the ivory gloss of her legs. She was bound to receive attention tonight, and so would you - unfortunately not the positive sort. Standing beside such a gorgeous girl would surely cast shadows upon you.

Inside, the proximity of bodies overwhelmed you with nausea and shortness of breath. If it were not for Yerin’s hand enclosed around yours, you would have directly avoided the mass for the outskirts of the room. Instead, you ended up amidst all of the chaos, thanks to her iron grasp.

Yerin had filled a cup with liquor-laced cola and busied herself with casual conversation, leaving you to observe your surroundings out of boredom. The lounge room had been modified somewhat, fold-out tables squeezed into corners, lined with alcoholic beverages and a variety of soft drinks. As you took in the room, your gaze settled upon a crimson leather sofa - empty, save for a petite girl curled up on the end.

It took you a brief moment to realise the aforementioned girl was none other than Jung Eunbi.

“Yerin,” you hissed, drawing her attention, “what is she doing here?”

As if this was all a part of some diabolical plan of hers, she shot you a grin, responding with a dismissive, “who knows?”

Eunbi had never shown her face at a party before, perhaps out of fear of smearing her good-girl image. She looked horribly out of place, nervously glancing around her as if worried that someone might approach her. Her fingers would intermittently adjust the collar of her white blouse, then return to swirling the contents of her plastic cup.

By the time you recognised that you were staring unashamedly at her, Eunbi was staring back.

Initially, you grew panic-filled, searching for something else to look at as if it were mere coincidence that you had met eyes. It was too late to pretend; you had now drawn her attention.

Feeling hot and embarrassed beneath her curiosity, it took enormous willpower not to turn your back on her. Instead, you allowed the tension between you both to heighten, until you flicked your gaze back up at her. It was her who went scarlet this time. If you had not just witnessed it, you might not have believed it.

The evening melted away, much of it spent exchanging shy glances and nervous smiles with Eunbi. Occasionally she would stand and refill her cup, and these were the only interruptions, apart from when Yerin (who was now quite intoxicated) stumbled backwards into you, causing the world you and Eunbi shared to shatter briefly. The tension between you both was obvious.

As the night reached its culmination, she stood, this time making a direct bee-line for the doorway you had witnessed various couples disappear through. Her steps were unsteady, and she appeared less than confident in her ability to walk.

As her figure retreated from your vision, cold hands grasped your shoulders from behind.

“Go on. I think she wants you to follow her.”

It was Yerin, giving you the shove you needed. You would thank her later when she would remember it.

Although most rooms were undoubtedly occupied, the study remained open; this is where Eunbi had found herself. Her palm leant against a dark wooden desk, back turned to you as her almond-shaped eyes skimmed the bookshelves. She was not truly looking at them, however, her mind far elsewhere. She turned hearing the sound of your footsteps coming to a halt, expression brightening in the wake of you.

“You’re (F/n), the pretty girl in my class, aren’t you?”

Nothing could have prepared you for a compliment so direct, a blush heating the tips of your ears. Eunbi had an air of innocence as she spoke, perhaps due to the alcohol in her bloodstream. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip as she proceeded, and you could not help but look.

“Hey, (F/n), will you listen to me while I talk?”

Though you hardly needed to be asked, the way her voice trembled would have convinced you regardless. Her eyes glistened with tears as she began to describe her situation, opening up to you with such desperation that you realised she had no one else.

You learned that Seonghwa, a popular boy with questionable motives, had been pursuing Eunbi and that despite her obvious disinterest her friend group was pushing her in his direction. Uncovering her imperfections somehow made her more attractive.

“I’m too scared to say anything. They already make fun of me because I only focus on my studies. But I don’t want to date him, I really don’t,” as she began to sob, shock coursed through your veins. Out of desperation, your hands found hers. She took this contact as permission to bury herself in your arms.

It was strange, how natural it felt to hold her. You were frightened to hug her too tightly, her figure small and fragile. She did not share the same fear apparently, because she was clinging to you as if she had been craving this moment forever. You allowed her to cry, tightening your embrace in an attempt to soothe her. It seemed to work; gradually, her quivering slowed till she was still.

Somehow, this was happening. All you had ever desired was to be the very person who Eunbi took solace in, and this night had lead to just that. Her easiness in trusting you made you realise, perhaps this romance was not as one-sided as you had always assumed.

When she withdrew, her raven hair falling over her face in disarray, you were cold without her. Would this be the last of a breathtaking moment? Your heart threatened to break over the mere idea.

“I’d much rather date you, (F/n). I like you a lot,” she murmured, as if unsure whether she was ready for you to hear it.

You heard it regardless of her intentions.

Time passed amidst a thick silence, as neither of you could find the right words to say. You were not sure where the inspiration to kiss her came from, an abnormally bold move from yourself by your admittance, but Eunbi’s warm lips were inviting you to continue so you did.

Her fingers reached up and tentatively brushed your cheeks, gently tilting your jaw to draw you a little closer. She left a sweet flavour behind, and when she peered at you her round eyes sparkled with a clarity you would have expected from someone sober. It was all you could do not to sweep her up and kiss her till her lips were swollen.

For a moment you peered back at each other almost in disbelief.

“Do you think we could try being together?” Eunbi’s voice shrunk, barely audible.

This time you failed to fight your urges, cupping her face to taste her once more, a wordless answer to her question.

#gfriend #girl group fanfic #girl group imagines #gfriend x reader #gfriend fanfic #gfriend imagines #eunha x reader #eunha fanfic #eunha imagines #gxg imagine #wlw #kpop fanfic #kpop x reader #eunha #jung eunbi #kpop #girl group fluff #kpop fluff #gfriend fluff

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likesomekindofcheese · 5 years ago

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Punishment (The Great blurb)

Pairing: Grigor Dymov x fem! Reader

Word Count: 1K

Warnings: swearing, brief mentions of sex and nudity, almost death, drowning (but saved)

From Anon request: Hi, first of all I'd like to say I absolutely love your writing. Second of all could I request a fic for Grigor Dymov? I had this idea based on the scene where Catherine is in the chest and Peter throws it into the lake. Instead of Catherine it could be the reader and Grigor is really concerned and orders for the chest to be removed from the water and is then all cute and caring for the reader. I know its pretty lame...I've got kinda bad writers block at the moment.

A/N: Sure thing! Good luck with the writers block- and thank you! This was lovely to write!

You woke up into darkness. No morning light. No familiar bedroom. Only darkness.

How on earth did you get here? What were you doing here?

It was rocky. Panic shook you awake as you blinked your eyes open. Your fingers began to reach out to feel your surroundings. Everything felt wooden. It was a rectangular shape. There was a bit of grey light peeking in the form of a thin line just over your head.

How did I get there? Did someone do something to me?

You were in a chest large enough to stuff you inside, you figured. Feeling your own body, you were still in your night clothes. Blinking and pinching yourself, you felt the pain. There was even the cold air from outside seeping in. This wasn’t a dream.

It shook and you felt it being lifted with the huffs of masculine breaths and voices just outside. You took your fists and beat against the wood.

“Who’s there! Is someone there?” Please let me out!” you cried.

There was no response.

“I’m inside! There’s someone in the chest!” you yelled.

When you pushed up against the lid, you realized it was locked tight. From the inside there was no way of unlocking it from your frantic inspection and what little you could see. Then you heard the rush and bauble of water right outside. And it came pouring through the cracks. First as a puddle. Then more. And more. And more.

Girgor stood outside next to Peter watching the servants take the chest into the river. It was a chilly morning. The sky was overcast, and the trees were either bare or brown. His fur hat itched on top of his head. Guards in dark coats and beards stood all around them watching apathetically. Glancing at Peter, the Emperor’s eyes were dark, and his hands folded. His gaze downward. His lips curled into a smirk. But Grigor felt his stomach turn sour at the sight of the servants lowering the chest into the lake. He heard your voice clearly and clenched his fists.

Already it was halfway down. Y/N’s pleas turned into frightened screams.

“HELP! HELP! SOMEONE HELP PLEASE!”

Her cries rung haunted into his eardrums as if she were being set alight with fire rather than being buried in water.

“SOMEONE! ANYONE!” followed by a scream that made him feel cold despite his clothes.

His hands fidgeting, he sucked in a quick breath through his nose. He turned to Peter.

“Don’t you think she’s learned her lesson?” he suggested.

Peter snarled.

“The bitch fucking called me a piece of shit unfit to rule. She needs to be taught a lesson. No one gets away with calling me names.”

“Well, she didn’t say a ‘piece of shit.’ If I remember the report correctly,” Grigor said.

“She still said I was a bad Emperor!”

There was another scream, the chest was getting lower.

“But…she is being punished and doesn’t know why. I don’t think anyone told her that was why this was happening…they stole her when she was just sleeping! And Peter-wouldn’t you rather be known for your mercy to those who have the little slip up?”

“I’ll be seen as weak! And insulting your sovereign ruler isn’t just a little ‘slip up!’”

“You could…tell her not do it again, she will know why she’s being punished…and you’ll be celebrated. And then she won’t do it again. Peter the Merciful. Peter the Saintly. Peter the Beloved- how does that sound to you? I don’t think Peter-who-drowns-women has the same ring to it!”

He blinked, then stared blankly at the chest.

“If you’re not feeling merciful- let her walk back to the palace in her state. Don’t give her death as quick mercy-but just rather let her suffer humiliation. She could be back in court in half-drowned with everyone knowing what was done. It will stain her life more. That would be even worse than just killing her off- don’t you think?”

There was no response. Peter’s mouth twitched slightly and his eyes looked a little brighter.

There was another scream. The chest was almost lowered completely. If nothing happened, you were doomed.

“I guess…that would be worse…” Peter said.

Running forward, Grigor motioned to the servants in a panic. The Emperor behind him didn’t stop him.

“Stop the chest-bring it up- now! Bring it fucking up! There’s someone in there!” he barked

They glanced at Peter who nodded coldly.

They brought the chest back up out of the lake. The water dripping down created mud beneath their shoes. You could be heard grasping for breath inside.

“Open it,” Grigor ordered.

They pulled open the lock and out dumped leftover water and you.

You coughed out what water you swallowed by accident. Your hair was dripping from your head and your fingers were wrinkled. Although you had landed on your hands and knees, you nearly teared up at the sight or earth and grass. You took in desperate gulps of air, inhaling life until it stung your insides.

You looked up and saw the Emperor, Grigor, and some guards. Looking down, you put your arms over yourself. Your nightgown was drenched, and all these men might be able to have a look of your body now outlined through the soaked, white dress made sheer. Shivering already, the water did nothing to protect you from the icy air.

“Mademoiselle Y/N, do you acknowledge you were wrong?” Emperor Peter scolded.

“About what?” you asked.

“Told you,” Grigor muttered.

“My spies reported to me what you said last night. Are you sorry? Do you take back your words and say I am fit to rule Russia?” Peter asked.

You blinked open, suddenly recalling. You thought no one else could hear it. It was at the crowded party last night and it was to a friend you had in court. Or thought you had.

Grigor walked forward. At first you shifted your weight back, your arms desperately shielding any private bits that could be visible from your soaked, white gown but he put his hands up in peace. He leaned down and took off his fur hat, placing it on your head. Then he removed his fur coat, placing it around your shoulders. It was large enough it covered you entirely.

“Th…thank you…” you sputtered to him.

“Yes, I know I’m merciful and brilliant and have a massive cock and you should be grateful…but are you sorry?” Peter demanded.

Grigor helped you stand up. His eyes at you were wide like a dog begging for scraps of meat.

The new warmth from the fur hat on your head and the protection of his coat gave you strength in your voice.

“Yes….I’m sorry. I take back my words. You are fit to rule,” you said obediently.

“Well, good. And you can walk back to the palace…we have horses waiting for us.”

The fur stayed on you on the walk back. The guards followed Peter like a murder of crows around his horse. Your feet stung from the rocks and pebbles beneath. You had no shoes or stockings. Dirt got all over and there was a slight cut near your toe. There was even a blister growing on your right foot.

Once the large, grey palace was in sight you saw that Peter’s horse and his guards had vanished. But there was one familiar figure, jogging up to you.

“Y/N…are you alright?” Grigor questioned.

“I…I’m…I’m just in shock,” you answered.

“Here-you’ve walked enough!”

“Wha-oh!”

Suddenly he took his arm under you and his other arm went down to your legs. Before you could respond he was carrying you, rushing to the palace and walking inside. Feeling your feet dangling from the other end, you seemed weightlessness. Grigor’s handsome profile was right over your face and your breath stopped at the sight.

He headed up the grand staircase and through a door to the hallway.

A few courtiers seeing you both gasped and murmured. Heads decorated with wigs ran up to look at you. A few servants rushed up.

“Where is her chambers- she needs help” he ordered. “Mademoiselle Y/N almost drowned-we need blankets and warm clothes and hot broth-now!”

There was a scattering of feet. You saw the brown wood and chandeliers over your head, as well as a stag’s head mounted on the wall, antlers twisting to the heavens. Grigor helped you down to a maid who helped you up and walked you to your room.

Two hours later, you sat with a dry nightgown, a thick robe, and a blanket made from a bear’s fur over your lap as you sat in your chair next to a crackling fire. You held a bowl of hot broth and sipped the last bit.

At a knock of the door, you voiced out “you can enter.”

Grigor walked in.

“I…I wanted to see how you were doing…” he commented.

You stood up, setting the bowl and blanket aside.

“I’m better…and alive thanks to you…though I still have your hat and coat.”

Gesturing to the writing desk, Grigor picked up the clothes and kept them in his arms.

“I’m so sorry this happened. Y/N, please be careful…please…” he begged.

You nodded.

“I will be” you promised, “I heard you order the chest out of the water. You saved me today. I saw how mad the Emperor was at you, but you did it anyway…for that, I owe you my life.”

“You owe me nothing, Y/N. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Walking up to him, you took his hands. Pulling them to your lips, you kissed the knuckles.

“But…I must say it again…thank you, Grigor.”

He grinned. You felt hotter than all the blankets in the world could make you feel at the sight.

“I’ll check on you tomorrow, Mademoiselle.”

Taglist: @sgt-stardust-killerqueen @queenlover05 @itsametaphorgwil @foxinaforestofstars @iwritefanficnotprophecies @simonedk @panagiasikelia @grigorlee @fueled-by-novocaine @xviiarez @vintage-and-hypnotic @raerae27 @i-wished-upon-a-star-one-night

#carrie writes #the great #the great fanfic #the great fanfiction #nicholas hoult #gwilym lee #welsh disney prince #grigor #grigor x you #grigor x reader #grigor dymov #grigor dymov x you #grigor dymov x y/n #grigor dymov x reader #grigor dymov x fem! y/n #grigor dymov x fem! reader

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adrianasunderworld · 5 years ago

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More headcanons for the boys +romance

Piers

Piers is secretly a sap for old movies. Black and white ones to be more specific. He not only finds them aesthetically pleasing, but also with their own charm. Theres a small theater in Spikemuth that exclusively airs vintage movies, and visits whenever he has time.

His and Marnies biggest bonding activity is hair night. She'll help him redye the white streaks in his hair(which is no small task). Piers will blow dry and straighten hers. They'll put on a bad movie from netflix, order take out and have a night.

Piers can play guitar. But it's more for personal use than anything. He finds it relaxing to just sit an play while he writes songs. It's only for very specific songs that he'll play in stage. They're usually the very emotional ones that mean a great deal to him. Every piers fan knows, if he's holding a guitar, the crowds tears will follow.

Ever see that video of a dog relaxing while his owner plays the pokemon theme on an acoustic guitar? That's Piers and his pokemon.

Obstagoon is like a big bratty dog. Always wants treats, always wants attention. And will whine when it does not get them. When it was a zigzagoon, it would give big pouty eyes for treats and table scraps, and it always worked on young piers. He was a chubby little thing back then.

When skuntank was a stunky, it was biter. Nothing was safe. Furniture, clothes, fingers. Piers always had little red mark's from the teething pokemon. A quarter of all his money always went to replacing toys Stunky had destroyed.

Romance

Piers has always been bashful around people he genuinely likes. *coughraihancough* he'll do his damndest to play it off. But he's always been terrible at hiding a crush. Especially if he blushes around them. He's so pale any color on his face will be very evident.

Half the time he always assumes the other person has no interest in him. But he isn't dense enough to not be able to tell when he's being flirted with. He feels better talking to someone when he knows/feels like his attention is wanted. It makes him less nervous.

Isn't one for initiating pda, but is not opposed to it. He likes having his arm around his s/o shoulders though.

Has written breakup songs before. No you can't hear them. They're private and locked away in his desk. He has just enough self respect to not air his relationship drama on stage.

Play with his hair, he'll be putty in your hands.

Has never understood people who stay in relationships with someone who does not get along with their loved ones. Marnie is all Piers has, and if someone cannot get along with her or makes her uncomfortable, they are out. Plain and simple. Unless Marnie says it's ok to keep seeing them, Piers won't pick a relationship over his sister.

Piers is always busy with gym responsibilities or performances and practice. As fun as it can be to bring his s/o to events, his favorite date night activity is to stay home with them. He'll make them a nice meal, put on a movie and relax on the couch.

Is actually a big cuddle bug. He loves snuggling on the couch. His head on your lap. Holding them in bed. Piers is touch starved and needs attention, please give it to him.

Start giving him good luck kisses before a performance, it'll be his favorite thing.

Raihan

Raihan acknowledges he can be very vain at times. But the one being that out vains him at every turn is Duraludun. If it sees Raihan filming or taking a photo, it will butt in and try to take over the whole shot. It has become very good friends with the Rotom in his phone. When they get bored they'll stage a hostile takeover of his instagram andTwitter. It become a monthly thing.

Not so secretly a bookstagramer. Raihan always ends up in the vaults and libraries of Hammerlocke. He saw one of his gym trainers, Camilla, taking pictures of the books she was reading and asked about it. She showed him a lot of aesthetically pleasing pictures of books, and libraries, and artfully cluttered desk and wanted to try. It's not a secret, but he does try to keep it separate from his hyper dragon man gym persona. Sort of business vs. Personal deal.

He dresses very well. Despite that more often than not he is in his favorite hoodie and gym uniform, when Raihan wants to dress up,damn son. He spends a lot of time online and is friends with Nessa and Sonia, he knows what's up in fashion and what looks good on him.

He and Gordie are the Meme Team. Everytime they have a conversation it will descend into quoting and reenacting vines. Only the younger gym leaders know what they're saying, they just refuse to encourage it. Except Alister. Hes a little kid that hears these cooler older dudes being funny and try to join them. Hes they're third member now. Poor Bea, she couldn't save him.

Out of all his pokemon, he's had flygon the longest. Raised it from a trapinch when he was a kid. That's why he wears that orange hat/headband thing, to honor his buddy.

Takes very good care of his skin. Partially because his face is always on camera, but also because his skin dries out easily and always need moisturizers. Nessa showed him all her favorite brands. He likes chilling out with a face mask, it's very soothing.

Romance

Raihan is a very confident, attractive, and friendly guy, he pretty much never has trouble getting a date.

That being said, sometimes he gets a bit too confident and ends up coming on too strong for some people.

This was definitely a problem in his teen years. He would just say the wrong thing with all the bravado he could muster and whoever he liked would scoff and walk away. He grew out of it, but it could be downright painful to watch young Raihan flirt.

Raihan is pretty laid back and generally takes rejection very well. Only when it was someone that he REALLY liked and had for awhile is when he gets truly upset. And when that happens he just hangs out at home for a bit or go out to the wild area, Spends time with his pokemon. Generally just wants be alone with his thoughts till he can bounce back.

When Raihan is dating someone, he surprisingly doesn't want to post about it for awhile. If they're still together after a few months is when he'll post selfies and cute couple pictures. He's learned the hard way how certain types of fans will react to him dating, and once they go public they wont have as much privacy. He likes to have that grace period of just being a couple without all eyes on them.But once that initial hurtle is over. Its photo city with him.

Is a big fan of "good morning" and "good night" texts. Also loves falling asleep over the phone when you can't spend the night together.

Honestly just text him a lot in general. A lot of gym things take up a large chunk of his time. Text that you miss him, or a picture of one of your pokemon sleeping on the couch, ask if he wants pizza later. Literally anything will brighten his day. He'll definitely return the favor.

Loves taking s/o out on the town. From league events, to friends parties, or just dinner and shopping. He wants to show them off. If you aren't comfortable with it, tell him sooner rather than later.

Is a giant tease. Loves to whisper whatever he can in your ear or send something risque over text to make you blush and then act completely innocent.

Leon

Has a room in his house just for Hop. Hop used to love visiting him every summer in Wyndon. Otherwise he would never see his brother. The visits got less frequent over the years. But Hop always has a place to stay with Leon.

After he had been champion for a couple years was when the merch train really got rolling. Tshirts, posters, stationery. You name it, it had Leon's face on it. As a kid he lost his shit over it and but over the years got less enamored. Although he does have a soft for the Leon toys. After all, who doesn't want an action figure or doll made of them?

Leon does his best to keep himself and his pokemon in shape and on a daily routine. That all gets thrown out the window when he visits home or family comes to see him. All his pokemon get treated like spoiled house pets. FromHaHaxrus being a test taster for his mom to Hop flying around the neighborhood with charzard. Its takes over a week to get everything back on track after.

Charzard is obviously the leader of all the pokemon next to Leon. All the newer pokemon always look up to them for guidance and charzard is always friendly and helpful. They are also very fond of kids, it loves events like visiting schools or children's hospitals. He's like a drampa in charzard skin.

Haxorus is a diva. She loves attention and shiny things. She adores Sonia because when she was just an Axew, Sonia always gave her a little trinkets, like sparkly hair pins or a pretty rock. She also loves to be complimented, Leon always calls her his pretty girl. Theres pile of shiny stuff that no one is allowed to touch at Leon's house unless she allows it.

Whenever leon visits home, he always tries to go out with his old friends. Usually they have a few drinks at the local pub and have dinner. Oddly enough, Leon can get lost going next door, but can stumble home no problem when he's drunk. Go figure.

Ever heard of a sneaker head? Well Leon is a hat head. Whenever his favorite brands come out with a new hat design, you can bet your ass he'll be line for the release or online waiting for the listing to show up. The wall of caps at his moms house is but a humble sample of his collection.

Played softball as a kid. He throws his pokeball the way he was taught to pitch. As a kid leon liked to think if he couldn't be a trainer, he would like the be a baseball player.

Romance

Leon can't flirt for shit,and I mean this in the nicest way possible. His idea of breaking the ice is asking if you want a battle.

Leon was especially hopeless as a teenager. He spent so much time with the league, an environment of mostly adults, being around anyone his age was a damn miracle.

Sonia and Raihan would always take him to parties to socialize. But anytime someone tried to make a move on him, Leon would just think they were being friendly.

Raihan has always been his wingman.

Raihan: My friend over there thinks you're cute. *points at the damn champion waving awkwardly from across the room.*

Even Now, they still do this. And it still has 50/50 shot of working.

Has been in a couple relationships, but both have ended badly. They were ultimately with Leon for his title and not him.

Leon wants to be with someone, he just finds it's harder for him than he realised. When he does find someone, it's going to be a bit of a slow go to know them and be sure they aren't using him. When that wall breaks he going to be the happiest man around.

Leon is affectionate and will always find a way to touch his s/o. From a kiss on the cheek, to random hugs, to lightly touching their back as he passes.

This man has never half Assed anything in his life. Leon's a go big or go home kind of guy, so when he wants to make a romantic gesture, he'll put his all into it. From picnics on the stadium field, to a special camping spot in the wild area, dinner on the top floor of the battle tower. Even just flowers will be from the best florist in in the city. Leon wants to show how much he loves you and nothing but his 110% best effort will do.

As extra as Leon is, it's always the small quiet moments that get him. He'll wake up early and see his s/o peacefully asleep, and he'll just melt and stay there for awhile.

You could try to make his favorite meal and burn everything and he'll still be touched. It's very much the thought that counts for Leon, because it shows you care enough to put the effort in.

King of cheesy lines. Will say the lamest pick up lines or something he heard in a movie to try and make you laugh. It usually works because he always says it with a straight face.

#cant be back on my bullshit if i was never off it #they're just fun to write ok?#pokemon #pokemon sword and shield #pokemon swsh #Raihan #gym leader raihan #gym leader piers #piers #leon #champion leon #leon x reader #raihan x reader #piers x reader #pokemon headcanons

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bai-zewarrior · 5 years ago

Text

So I finally nailed down my designs for the black heart characters (except colossus, perry/predator and Madusa I'm still massing with them) along with some head canons! The characters might look a bit weird next to each other, I didn't draw them all on the same canvas. I know I'm suppose to but I was lazy and didn't want to re draw the refs on one canvas. I also appologize for this being so long.

I'm hoping to start a comic with these guys. I always end up saying no to projects like this because I don't think my art is good enough but I think I'm going to put my foot down this time!

Hal:

Can talk(unlike my version of Cyan)

Pretty laid back but knows when he needs to be serious

Will curse you out

Thinks Aura and Nautilus are cute together

His cape works as his "soul meter"(idk what to call it). It has 3 squares on the back that represent Hal's souls. The cape becomes tattered and ripped when souls are taken.

He just wants 5 minutes of peace without someone trying to take his souls, please give him his 5 minutes of peace.

Really hates colossus

In the context of black heart I don't consider him a nano bot. He can bleed and stuff like that.

When he sleeps his body starts to heal any wounds and mend his cloths. This leaves him defenseless as he will remain unconscious until it's finished. He tries not to sleep out in the open and often uses caves and trees as temporary shelters when he needs to sleep. This can also activate when he is knocked unconscious but in cases like with Colossus the healing part is stopped.

He can change colors but he prefers red. His cloths don't change colors with him. Just his skin and his cape.

Again, in he context of black heart, I imagine Hal just kinda woke up somewhere with a bit of knowlage about himself and that's about it. Shortly after works he ran into Aura and Nautilus for the first time. He considered the battle a joke.

Nautilus:

Has glowing markings all over his body. He can cause them to glow at will

Can only breath air for around 10 minutes( this time can decrease with some conditions such as heat or cold. This is because his gills need to be wet for him to breath air, so if it's really hot out his gills will dry out faster)

Has a stutter due to the N.A.T.U thing, among other things. Like trust issues when Xero is around

Is euryhalinr(this just means he can breath any kind of water)

His suit adds about 100lbs to him (material, water, and special boots to help with balance when moving around in the suit)

Likes to make jewlary with shells and stuff

Loves Aura to death. Would litterally die for her.

His teeth work like a shark's. One falls out? You've got plenty more to fill the gap! He has given pretty much all his friends breif heart attacks when he casually spits one out after they hear the loud bone cracking noise of a tooth braking. He keeps all the teeth.

Runs on all fours for some reason. No one knows why, including Aura.

Aura:

Learned all her magic from her parents

Her parents lived like hermits because they believed people still hold witch hunts. Aura hated this because she snuck out a lot and knew that this wasn't the case.

Can be a bit forgetful with spells so she always keeps her book with her at all times

Love Nautilus to death, would die for him too.

Can't swim, her body it denser then water so she just sinks. Nautilus is almost always with her when she's near water for this reason.

Aura's wand is broken but she just keeps fixing it with tape because she doesn't know how to make a new one. She also doesn't want to ask her parents because they wouldn't let her live it down.

Made the headphones Puffer wears so he doesn't have to worry about Siren trying to mind control him, again.

Aura has a secret garden. She uses it to grow her magic plants. It has a defense system that even Jestar can't get past. Only those she has given permission can enter, but those people can give temporary permission to others. Only Nautilus, Puffer and Solario have permission to go into the garden.

Has gotten use to the weird things Natalie can do.

Puffer:

A bit of a hermit, but will open up when he trusts someone

Always has his eyes closed because he thinks his eyes look scary. He can still see for some reason? (Like Brock from pokemon, idk how he could see but he traveled like 3-4 regions like that)

Changes colors depending on emotions. Blue is calm and happy, purple is upset and sad and red is anger and frustration.

Puffer can create lots of spikes all over his body if needed as well as a set of claws. He doesn't do this often.

Likes to cook but keeps it a secret from everyone. (Aura and Nautilus found out though, they just kept the secret)

He really doesn't like Siren after what she did to him, but he will talk to her and hang out with her if someone else he trusts is around.

Really wants to apologize to Hal but he hasn't gotten the chance to yet.

Is really self conscious.

He's not very good at swimming but Nautilus teaches him when Siren isn't around or in Aura's secret garden.

Siren:

Likes to sing for no reason

Has a not so small army of skeleton fish

Is litterally heartless (she doesn't like to talk about it)

Has a crush on Puffer but she doesn't know how to fix the bridge she burned with him

Plays chess with Myst a lot(and wins a lot, much to Myst's dismay)

She can shape shift her tail into a pair of legs. This was a "gift" from Jestar to help her be a better assassin for him

Thinks Xero is a prick

Likes to steal Xero's alcohol sometimes

Can water bend. She can't blood bend though. She's tried.

Likes rock and country music for some reason

Nautilus likes to play with her fish some times.

Knows a bit about necromancy. She doesn't like to talk about it though. She never does it in front of anyone besides her fish army

Myst:

Doesn't like to talk about his life outside work

Is well over 100 years old( he lost count)

Is very protective when it comes to Shade

Doesn't really understand Shade but will support her regardless

Likes to smoke when he thinks no one is around

Can create an umbrella to protect himself if he is caught outside when the sun comes up

Likes to play chess

Is basically a dad to the other assassins

Rarely opens his third eye. This usually only happens when he gets frantic, scared or extreamly angry

Does not have any remorse over killing Parry

He doesn't eat in front of others if it can be helped

Myst told Nautilus about Shade once. He had a bad feeling and asked that if anything happened to him Nautilus would take care of her. Only problem was no one thought about the address of Myst and Shade's mansion. He found her though, don't worry.

When he is exposed to sunlight it will immediately cause him to get sunburned. If he doesn't leave after about 30 seconds- 1 minute he will start to die slowly and painfully. He has taken a lot of tea baths because of the sun

Solario:

A big dork

Very loud and bubbly

Is a prince from a kingdom galaxies away from where black heart takes place in

Was suppose to marry the moon from the moon is getting away level (haven't given her a name yet) but she unknowingly broke Sol's heart so he left. He wanted her to be happy and he clearly couldn't give her that happiness.

Doesn't understand "mortal" things but wants to learn.

Nautilus taught him the word yeet and now he won't stop using it

I headcanon that his voice actor would Gary LeVox(lead singer of Rascal Flatts)(don't ask why, I can't change what has happened in my brain)

Will stop at nothing to see his friends happy

Likes hanging out with Aura, Nautilus and Puffer

Can make himself hotter or colder at will. He tends to stay at a heat that won't hurt others when the go near him, but not cold enough to cause himself harm.

If he gets to cold he can die. He also starts to become extreamly cold or extremely hot before death. The direction his tempature goes in is dependent on what he was doing before hand. (Example: reading a book, gets shot, starts to get colder and colder. Attacking Hal trying to get his soul, shapeshifts so much he almost blows himself up, gets hotter and hotter)

Can be a bit over dramatic sometimes

He is incredibly strong. He can lift both Puffer(who whieghs roughly 230 lbs) and Nautilus when he's in his suit(so about 250 lbs) with no trouble. He forgets about his stranghth some times and has accidentally thrown a few things before quickly trying to fix it.

His shapeshifting isn't limited to just objects, he can shape shift small things about him self like his cloths or his entire body into something like a dinosaur. He doesn't do it often though. Mostly just the cloths thing.

Jestar:

Yells a lot

Thinks everyone is incompetent except Xero, for some reason

Accidentally took Puffer when Siren joined do to a confusion about Sirens powers. He refused to send Puffer home.

Colossus is basically just his pet

Xero is the only one who can get away with yelling at Jestar. No one really knows why but they hold really long arguments about all sorts of stupid stuff

Did I mention he yells a lot? I did? Well I’m saying it again. He yells A LOT.

Can shapeshift in to anything

Does not know how to handle baby Madusa. He doesn't know how to handle people in general, and he thought creating a baby was a good idea.

Xero:

Smokes and drinks a lot

Has a German accent(I can’t un heard it, I’m sorry)

Has a wrapped sense of humor

Calls Natilus “shark boy” after natilus bit him(this is related to what happened before N.A.T.U)

Calls everyone a nicknames besides Jestar.

Makes more robots then he needs and holds robot death battles at night.

Wants to dissect Siran after he found out she’s litterally heartless.

Is drunk 90% of the time but that's when he works best. He doesn't care that he has a problem either

Dressed Madusa up is costumes a lot during the 2 weeks it took him to grow up. He created a scrap book with photos of them too.

Can actually be a really nice dude when he wants to be. He doesn't normally want to be nice

90% of his robots are idiots

He's left handed

Colossus:

Is basically Jestar’s pet

Doesn’t speak a language anyone knows

Is basically a king without a kingdom

Starts out really tiny but gets really big for a short period of time once he has infected someone

Shade:

Has trust issues

Is only like 16 years old

Has normal(ish) ghost powers because she was born a ghost

Drives Myst nuts with her edgy stuff

Likes talking to Perry(she meets him after the Funk Hole level)

Can bounce between having a ghost tail to having normal legs.

Her flower is technically apart of her but she doesn't consider it part of her.

Perry:

Kinda skittish around people who look scary to him(so 90% of the black heart cast)

Has a crush on Shade but won't admit it out loud because he's scared of getting bitten in half by Myst, again.

Around 18 years old

Left home because his mom and brother suck and he wanted to be a ghost hunter like the ones he saw on tv. He got his wish for like 2 hours?

Transforms into Predator during the full moons and special moons. Special moons can have different effects on his transformation and mental state. Like a blood moon causes him to become more blood thirsty but a blue moon causes him to actually retain his normal mental state.

He has a habit of spiraling about everything

Predator:

Can't say anything understandable

Each part of his head has a brain so they agrue sometimes

Around 5X the size of Parry

Acts like a dog sometimes

Would have probably just ate Hal instead of taking the souls.

Madusa:

Can breath underwater and air without issue

Doesn't like the fact that he looks like Nautilus

Hasn't figured out how to swim fast like nautilus yet but won't admit it

Calls Jestar dad

Actually gets along well with Xero

Xero calls him Moccasin

Has markings like Nautilus but they only glow in the dark and they aren't as bright

He's allergic to shell fish

Actually had about a 2 week period where he was a kid. Xero and Jestar just gave him a special serum that caused I'm to grow up faster.

Most of his teeth ended up like Aura's but his canines are significantly sharper then they would be. Xero also found an extra set of teeth under Madusa's adult teeth.

Doesn't like the idea that his whole life rests on a tiny, easy to brake, stone on his head but just rolls with it.

Scared Jestar and Xero a lot during his first few days of life. He not only descovered his allergy to shell fish but almost got himself caught by the others a bunch of times.

All these guys belong to OL666 except Hal, he belongs to vitamin games

#art #bai zewarrior #my art #project arrhythmia #project arrhythmia puffer #black heart project arrhythmia #nautilus project arrhythmia #project arrhythmia Hal

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tradgicworks · 4 years ago

Text

Heartfelt P-3 Deeper Still

Anna, Eva and Gwyneth are trapped in a mysterious bunker, what's worse is that something might be waiting for them in the dark. WORD COUNT - 5870

Anna woke up to a painfully sore back. Bruises were beginning to form because of Caroline’s beating and the long fall. Unnaturally cold air snaked through Anna’s entire body. Anna sat up as best as she could. She searched for her phone and turned on its light. The pitch black abyss that surrounded her burned into an desolate concrete hallway. Behind her a mountain of shattered debris formed a wall. Broken and dated lights hung from the ceiling by their bare wires. A battered direction plaque leaned against one of the walls, the text long since scraped away by weathering and rust.

Anna slowly got up onto her feet. She took deep shaky breaths as she struggled to move her aching body down the hallway. She eventually found herself at a two way split. To her left was another hallway blocked by rubble. A broken window stood in place of a wall in front of her. She peered over the edge. An abandoned cafeteria stood on a lower floor, bits of shattered glass scattered directly underneath her. Decay ridden plates laid on top of the old tables. Torn apart scraps of clothing and long since forgotten accessories littered the entire room.

“Anna?!” Eva’s voice called out from below.

Anna flashed her light forward and discovered a disgruntled looking Eva crouching over a small pile of scavenged valuables.

“Eva! Are you okay?” Anna asked.

“My butt hurts from the fall, but yeah I’m good,” Eva responded. “What are you doing up there?”

“What are you doing?” Anna gestured to the pile of valuables.

“What?” Eva glanced at the pile. “It’s not like they’re being used.”

“You don’t know who that stuff belongs to-” Anna frowned.

“Goldilocks, don’t be an idiot,” Eva gestured to their desolate surroundings. “Also, I was looking for something useful. Something like this.”

Eva grabbed a lighter from the pile. Its tiny flame sparked to life and barely illuminated her face.

“I was going to use it as a light, but now I got you. Come down here, there should be some stairs to your left- wait crap uh- my left your right,” Eva said before continuing to scavenge through the cafeteria.

Anna turned to her right to find a crumbling set of stairs. She carefully made her way down to the cafeteria and met up with Eva.

Eva’s hoodie was partially torn up. Her hair was unkempt and covered with dirt. Scratch marks and tiny cuts decorated her legs. She brushed off some dust of her skirt and stood up as Anna approached her.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Anna asked as she looked Eva over.

“You don’t look too hot yourself either, Goldilocks, but yeah I’ll live,” Eva responded.

“Good. Do you have any idea where we are?” Anna looked at their surroundings.

“Nope. Hella spooky though, and freezing. Honestly, this whole place just gives me the creeps. But panicking is the last thing we want to do right now,” Eva said as she pocketed the lighter.

“We need to find Gwyneth and get out of here.” Anna said firmly.

“Poor thing is probably bawling her eyes out right now,” Eva commented before turning towards the broken window. “Anything up there?”

“No, just a bunch of dead-ends,” Anna answered.

“Well, I came from over there,” Eva pointed at an offshoot to the left of the cafeteria. “I think- hard to tell in the darkness- which leaves our only option…”

Eva turned and pointed into the hallway in front of them. A plaque limply hung from a single bolt on top of the archway. It read “Living Quarters”.

“...god dammit,” Eva shuddered.

“Maybe we’ll find someone who can help us,” Anna started walking down the hallway.

“This place looks like it's been abandoned for years, Anna. Anything that was once alive in here has probably been dead for a very, very, long time,” Eva followed suit to try to stay near the light. “Though I don’t know if that makes me feel better or worse.”

“We don’t have anywhere else to go and Gwyneth needs our help so we need to hurry up. Maybe you can spin kick a ghost’s head off, if one shows up,” Anna turned back towards Eva with a slightly mischievous smile.

“You are some sort of messed up if you think that’s funny,” Eva huffed.

Anna replied with a drawn out giggle before looking forward again.

“...screw you,” Eva muttered.

After walking for a few moments, they found themselves at a destroyed entryway. Deep jagged cuts tore through the concrete. A thick rusting door laid torn in half by their feet. Dark stains splattered all throughout the floor.

"What the hell happened here?" Eva asked slowly as she surveyed the wreckage.

"Something tore the door open…" Anna replied.

"No, dur. What the hell that 'something' is the question… Could have been a forklift," Eva crouched down to inspect the door.

"I don't think a forklift can split a door in half," Anna looked at her with disillusionment.

"Yeah, but I'd rather be worried about machinery gone rogue than some giant mutant abomination that can cut through us like butter," Eva stood up, forcing herself to smile. "Y'know, I'm being optimistic."

"Don't be paranoid, you said it yourself whatever was down here has long since been-" Anna walked through the door.

Rows of mangled bunk beds were thrown all throughout the room. The shredded innards of mattresses coated the floor. Several skeletons wearing tattered clothes laid against the destruction. One slumped a few feet in front of Anna, it's head missing.

"-dead," Anna barely managed to get the words out.

Eva shrieked with uncharacteristic squeamishness. She crouched away from the room and clutched herself tightly.

"They're dead! What the hell happened here!? What is this place?!" Eva yelled out.

Anna ran up to her.

"Calm down, Eva!" Anna grabbed her shoulders.

"Calm down?! How the hell are you calm right now?! Something broke into this place and killed everyone, that thing could still be alive, we could be slaughtered at any minute. What even is this place anyways? Why is it under a private all girls school of all places? I HAVE NO IDEA HOW YOU'RE CALM RIGHT NOW," Eva yelled at her face.

"Because someone has to be, we can’t afford to panic, remember?" Anna said sternly. "I'm scared too, but we need to get out of here. All of us."

Eva looked up at Anna. Anna's breaths were controlled but shaky. Her eyes were determined but fear lingered in her face. Eva noticed her faint scar. This wasn't the first time Anna was this scared. Eva's breathing steadied.

"You're right. Just give me a couple minutes to calm down," Eva said as she closed her eyes.

"We don't have a couple minutes. Gwyneth could be a danger," Anna said in a soft tone.

"Yeah, yeah! I know!" Eva held out her hand, her eyes still shut. "Lead me to the other side, I'm not good with death and stuff."

"Okay," Anna grabbed her hand and stood up. "You know you can be cute sometimes."

"Keep talking and I'll crush your hand, Goldilocks," Eva growled, her eyes still shut.

Anna and Eva slowly traversed the destroyed room. Anna led Eva through the clutter of bone, forgotten items, and broken scrap. Eva meekly followed Anna’s steps, shuddering ever so slightly everytime she thought that she brushed against a skeleton. Eventually, they made it to the other side only to find another dead-end.

"So much suspense for nothing," Eva grumbled as she opened her eyes again.

"Come on, we must have missed something," Anna said as she turned around.

"No, we didn't. The only thing that we haven't explored is all the blocked hallways."

"Then we better start digging," Anna said matter of factly.

"That would literally take forever," Eva protested.

"Better than being stuck here forever-" Anna started before being interrupted.

"Help." Gwyneth's faint voice called out from underneath them.

Anna and Eva searched around them before noticing a garbage chute partially covered by the rubble.

"Come on!" Anna gestured as she propped her phone on the rubble and started pulling rocks out of the way.

"Dammit and here I thought we could avoid digging," Eva groaned before catching up and helping Anna at a much faster pace.

"Gwyneth, can you hear us?!" Anna yelled down the chute once they cleared it.

"Help." Gwyneth's trembling voice replied.

"Stay put! We're going down to get you!" Anna yelled before grabbing her phone and climbing into the chute.

"Ugh, more crap to wash off. Great," Eva groaned as she got into the chute herself.

The two slid down the grimy chute and fell into a massive dump. Trash bags full of maggots and rotting junk made the entirety of the floor. The stench of filth mixed with the frigid air to create an overwhelming air of dread. Identical chutes lined the walls like holes that stretched into the unknown. Most were out of reach and the rest clogged by piled on garbage. Anna flashed her light throughout the room. Dark splotches of mold splattered against the walls. A slick coating of putrid violet flesh squirmed as the light washed over it. Cysts full of an unknown fluid sparked to life, lighting the room with an otherworldly purple glow. Strange human sized cocoons, about 17 in total, hung from the ceiling. They wriggled ever so slightly.

"W-What is this?" Eva whimpered.

"We need to get out of here!" Anna yelled.

"Help. Please." Gwyneth's voice called out before they could do anything.

"God dammit," Eva said with a shaky voice as she ran towards Gwyneth's voice.

"Gwyneth, we’re coming!" Anna said as she followed Eva.

"Lets quickly grab her and get out of this hell hole!" Eva climbed over a mound of trash, her feet pushing against several half empty bottles of alcohol.

A few feet in front of Eva sat Gwyneth curled up into a ball. Strange and incredibly faint cuts swirled their way up the entirety of her body. Her uniform was barely held together by tatters. Blood poured from her temple onto the trash below.

"Anna, I found her. She's in really bad shape!" Eva yelled as she kneeled next to Gwyneth.

Anna soon caught up and went to her side as well. The two of them propped Gwyneth on their shoulders and began to carry her.

"How do we get out? We can't carry her back up the chute," Anna said as they began to slowly walk forward.

"Look for an exit, there has to be one somewhere," Eva replied.

"Door." Gwyneth limply pointed at the wall opposite to them.

An old, nearly rusted over door labeled “Maintenance” stood in the middle of the wall. Anna and Eva nodded to each other before moving towards the door. The flesh on the walls began to writhe uncontrollably as it crept closer and closer towards them. One of the cocoons shook violently as something tried to force its way out.

"We need to hurry," Anna said as she picked up her pace.

"I'm trying but deadweight over here ain't exactly helping. Soft my ass, she's heavy as all hell-" Eva complained.

"GET AWAY FROM IT!" Gwyneth's voice boomed from above them.

Anna looked up at the ceiling. Gwyneth hung upside down from the cocoon that shook violently. She took heavy exhausted breaths. Her face was horrified.

"Wait, who the hell is this then?-" Eva turned to face the Gwyneth they were carrying only to get thrown across the room.

"EVA!" Anna yelled as Eva smashed against a pile of trash bags and rolled onto the floor.

Anna quickly moved away from the fake Gwyneth and grabbed a broken iron pipe from the junk. She turned around and swung hard against the fake Gwyneth's temple. The pipe snapped into two pieces as it collided against the fake Gwyneth, seemingly unharmed. Anna clutched her aching palms that hurt from the recoil of the blow. The fake Gwyneth tilted it's head to the one side.

"Help. You." It said slowly in a deep breathy voice.

The fake Gwyneth began to twitch violently. The cuts throughout its body burst open. The sound of cracking bones echoed out of it as it began to shift it's form. It's body twisted and unraveled from Gwyneth's skin to putrid purple muscles. It's limbs crunched as they elongated to their original length. Rows of fang like bones stabbed through it's slimy skin and formed a light suit of armor. It's hair melted into three squishy points that resembled a jester's hat. It's face hollowed into a mouthless, nose-less, and eyeless mask- deep indentations sitting where the eyes should be. Tendrils slithered through the cracks in its body and finished shifting everything into its place. A pitch black orb rolled out of it's stomach and up into a cavity in its chest. A slab of bony ribs slid over it as it clicked into place. The Jester hunched over Anna, it's hideous form towering several feet above her.

Anna stood scared stiff at the transformation that occurred in front of her.

"Anna!" Gwyneth yelled as the Jester raised it's arm and large claws shot out of it.

Anna's face hardened as she snapped back to life. She narrowly ducked out of the way as the claws cleaved through the concrete effortlessly. Anna hopped back onto her feet and threw her broken pipe at the Jester’s head. It bounced off it doing no harm.

"Just run! You can’t hurt that thing!" Gwyneth yelled from above.

The Jester let out a raspy howl and turned towards Anna. Anna narrowly sidestepped the tendrils that shot out of its body and past her. Before she could react, it yanked itself towards her with blinding speed and pinned her against the ground. Anna struggled in vain as the Jester’s face cracked open and numerous tendrils poured out of it.

"Save. You." It gargled out as the tendrils began wrapping around Anna's body.

Anna's breaths quickened to panicked pants as her body became harder and harder to move. She took one last shaky breath as everything around her was plunged into darkness. Anna shivered as she felt herself get wrapped in a cold, damp cocoon.

"...help me….save me," Anna heard very faintly in the back of her head.

Anna gasped in a heavy breath of air as the tendrils suddenly shriveled up around her. She looked up to see the Jester engulfed in flames. Shards of a broken liquor bottle were stuck to its face. Anna rolled out of the way and got back onto her feet.

"Now we're even, Anna," Eva yelled through gritted teeth from the top of a pile of garbage, a lit Molotov cocktail in hand.

The Jester howled in pain as the fire ate at its boney flesh.

"Shut it you ugly crone," Eva screamed as she threw another Molotov against its body.

Anna ran towards Gwyneth.

"Gwyneth, drop down I’ll catch you!" She shouted at her.

"The drop is too long, I don’t think I can-" Gwyneth said nervously.

"Don't worry, I'll catch you," Anna said firmly.

"O-okay" Gwyneth whimpered.

Gwyneth shut her eyes as she pushed against the cocoon. She shrieked loudly as she fell from the ceiling. Anna braced herself and caught her as she fell, sending the two of them onto the floor.

"You okay?" Anna grunted.

"I'm okay," Gwyneth replied slowly.

"Glad you're both safe," Eva said quickly as she ran up to them. "But on your feet, I'm out of junkyard moonshine to light on fire.".

Eva helped Anna and Gwyneth onto their feet and the three of them ran towards the door. Anna rammed it open and the three found themselves at yet another dead end.

"What a sadistic piece of crap, it wanted to lead us to a dead end to kill us!" Eva exclaimed.

"Not exactly," Anna pointed to an exposed air vent on the ceiling.

"Finally, somewhere I can get to easily" Eva said as she ran up to the vent and jumped upwards.

Eva grabbed the ends of the vent and pulled herself up.

"Your turn, Gwyneth," Eva held her hand out.

"Come on we have to hurry," Anna said as she kneeled under the vent and held her hands ready to boost Gwyneth up. "Hop on".

Gwyneth shakingly stood on Anna's hands. Together the two of them managed to pull Gwyneth up into the vent.

"Goldilocks!" Eva exclaimed as she stuck her hand out.

Anna was about to jump when the door burst completely off its hinges. The Jester forced its way in. The melted flesh on its face slowly squirmed back into place. Two tendrils shot past Anna and into the rubble behind her.

Anna threw herself prone onto the floor. The Jester pounced above her into the rubble behind her.

“That won’t work on me twice,” Anna said with a determined glare.

She jumped and caught Eva’s hand. An echoing roar coursed up to them as she climbed into the air ducts.

“SAVE. YOU.” It roared as its alcohol drenched tendrils stabbed into the air ducts.

“God damn persistent piece of-” Eva grunted as she sparked her lighter to life.

She quickly crushed it against the duct. The lighter fluid ignited into a weak flame, but it was enough to reignite the alcohol and cause the tendrils to retreat in howling pain. The three of them began crawling through the air ducts as fast as they could. Eventually they found themselves at an old vent cover.

“Well, without that lighter we can't defend ourselves. Let’s hurry and get the hell out of here,” Eva huffed with adrenaline as she kicked open the vent cover.

“We must be closer to the surface by now. Hopefully we can find out from here,” Anna said as she hopped out of the air ducts.

“Y-Yeah…” Gwyneth said quietly as she hopped out as well.

“What’s wrong?” Anna asked with a tender gaze.

“I’m cold,” Gwyneth shivered.

Her clothes were soaked in a mysterious fluid that was frigid to the touch.

“Jesus, that thing really did a number on you huh?” Eva said as she took off her hoodie.

It was cheaply made and several sizes too big. The large gash tore through one of the pockets, making it so that it barely hung onto the hoodie.

“Wear it, warm up. It’s not much but the last thing I want is to be dragging around a corpse,” Eva tossed it towards Gwyneth.

“Thank you…” Gwyneth looked at it for a few seconds before putting it on.

The three of them surveyed their surroundings and found themselves in a nearly empty room. A large vault gate took the place of the wall farthest to them. Eight massive deadbolts lined each side of it, locking the gate more than securely in place. A small cubicle hugged the corner of one of the rooms.

“I think this is our way out,” Gwyneth said as she walked into the cubicle.

It was a cramped thing with barely enough room for the chair and computer that sat in it. The computer was incredibly dated. It had an LCD display and a clunky keyboard that was covered in a thick layer of dust. Latched onto the wall was a broken in half shotgun. Gwyneth sat down and turned the computer on, its screen hummed to life.

“What are you doing?” Eva raised a brow as Gwyneth began clicking away.

“Seeing if there is anything useful on this thing,” Gwyneth squinted as she wrote command after command.

“So... are you like hacking it?” Eva said with a tinge of meekness.

“No, I don’t know how to do that. But I have some friends that love computers and they taught me how to use old operating systems like this one. They also taught me how to fiddle with radio signals, that's how I was able to mess with Warden 06’s radio before,” Gwyneth’s voice turned slightly somber. “They taught me that stuff just to annoy me, but who could have known that it would turn out to be useful…”

“You’ll see your friends again and once we regain our strength we’ll save Sophie too,” Anna said in a comforting tone.

“Yeah… Thanks, Anna,” Gwyneth said before continuing to tap away at the keyboard.

Eva stared at the two in silence. She averted her gaze, guilt washing over her face.

“Okay, okay!” Gwyneth’s face lit up as she finished typing. “I think I can unlock the gate”.

“That’s amazing to hear,” Anna sighed in relief.

“Okay, if I run this…” Gwyneth tapped a few times.

The sound of screeching metal echoed through the room as the deadlocks creaked out of view. A guttural roar emitted out the last one as it suddenly stopped.

“One of them jammed,” Gwyneth frowned. “I can’t open the gate without all of them being unlocked.”

“It’s almost all the way in,” Eva grabbed the stock end of the shotgun. “A little elbow grease should do it. Come help, Goldilocks”.

“Sure,” Anna said as she followed Eva to the stuck deadbolt.

“Here, whack it,” Eva handed the shotgun half to Anna.

Anna grabbed it and focused. She smashed the stock against the bolt causing it to inch slightly. She took a deep breath and smashed it again. With every bash the bolt moved closer and closer to being unlocked.

“My turn,” Eva held out her hand once Anna had exhausted herself.

Anna handed her the shotgun and Eva smashed the deadbolt with a hearty thud. The deadbolt lurched forward, a mere inch from being unlocked. Eva grit her teeth and rammed it as hard as she could. The shotgun split into broken parts as the deadbolt fell into place.

“Doors unlocked, hurry up and open it!” Eva yelled towards Gwyneth and then turned around.

Gwyneth stood in front of them with a furious face. She clenched the barrel end of the shotgun tightly with one hand, on the other she held an ID.

“What’s wrong?” Anna asked as she noticed Gwyneth’s erratic breathing.

“What is this doing in your hoodie’s pocket, Eva?” Gwyneth held out an ID.

The image of Sophie’s lint covered ID barely peered through the darkness. Anna turned towards Eva in shock. Eva simply stood with her fists clenched.

“Why do you have this?! Did you do something to Sophie?” Gwyneth stomped closer towards the two of them.

Eva remained silent.

“Answer me!” Gwyneth yelled.

Eva clenched her fists until her knuckles went white.

“I knew your name sounded familiar, you’re that Eva. The Eva that blackmails and harasses students until their lives are ruined. The Eva that every freshman is told to stay far away from. The two faced, spineless, worthless piece of human filth, Eva Moore!” Gwyneth howled at the top of her lungs

“Shut the hell up you effing brat, you have no idea what you’re talking about,” Eva roared back.

“I know exactly what I’m talking about. You’re the reason why Sophie is always so depressed. You’re the reason that everyone avoids her. It's because of you that she’s in this place. It’s because of you that we’re in this mess in the first place. All because you’re a bully that can’t live without terrorizing others.” Gwyneth’s eyes began to water as her words quickened.

“It’s not my fault her dumbass got captured by that thing. Yet, here I am forced to crawl through this murder den and deal with you- a pathetic weak child- so that Sophie can go back to being pampered by her psychopath parents. Y’know what, I’m glad she’s in this mess. All I did was give her what she deserved,” Eva said coldly.

Anna looked at her with disbelief. Gwyneth’s mouth gaped open in shock. Her breaths quickened as she sprinted forward.

“You monster!” Gwyneth yelled at the top of her lungs while swinging the broken shotgun at her face.

Before Eva could react Anna stood in between the two and grabbed the shotgun.

“Anna?!” Gwyneth and Eva said in unison.

“Enough, both of you! Fighting now isn’t going to get us out of here, it isn’t going to save Sophie either,” Anna glanced between the two of them. “While we spend time arguing, that thing is catching up to us. We need to work together or else we will end up in cocoons like the others.”

“But-” Gwyneth started before stopping at the sight of Anna’s glare.

“Like hell I’m calming down, that brat called me an effing-” Eva stopped as Anna roared in a surprisingly loud voice.

“Eva you are smarter than this, stop wasting our time! What, are you trying to get yourself killed by that thing?!”

Eva and Gwyneth looked at her with anger and dejection respectively. After a few moments the two relaxed a little.

“Good, I’ll get the gate open and you too start making your way out,” Anna walked towards the computer. “We’ll talk about what you did to Sophie later, Eva.” Anna turned around and stared directly into Eva’s eyes.

“Whatever,” Eva spat as Anna walked away.

Anna looked at the computer screen.

“Press enter to continue”, a simple prompt read.

Anna pressed enter and the door began to churn to life. It slowly slid down into the floor, revealing stairs that led up to an exit. Anna’s head snapped towards the air duct as the sound of something shattering pierced through the concrete.

The Jester’s body poked halfway out of the air vent. Its neck split open and a tentacle shot out piercing the gate and stopping it from lowering further. Anna sprung out of the room and brandished the barrel of the shotgun. She smashed it against the tendril, causing it to unhook from the door and slightly bend the barrel. A massive crash roared out as the gate fell down. The Jester’s mouth gaped open and shot another tendril. Anna reacted in time and swung the barrel against it, causing the tendril to pierce into the ground behind her.

“Anna!” Gwyneth yelled as the gate finally lowered and allowed access to the stairs.

“Hurry up, Goldilocks!” Eva screamed.

Anna turned around and ran towards them. The sound of another part of the Jester’s body snapping open clicked behind her. Anna turned around to see two more tendrils shooting towards her. Anna narrowly stepped out of the way as they zoomed past her and towards Eva and Gwyneth. Eva managed to duck in time but Gwyneth yelped in pain as it grazed her side. The Jester began pulling itself out of the duct, its body contorting unnaturally to force its way through. Anna attacked the two tendrils, causing them to detach and erasing the progress that the Jester made.

“Just go, it’ll force its way out if I don't stop it!” Anna yelled at Eva and Gwyneth before turning back towards the Jester.

“No, we’re not leaving without you,” Gwyneth pleaded.

“Yeah, Anna. Hurry up, we can outrun that thing-” Eva said.

“JUST GO!” Anna hollered at them.

Eva stared at Anna as she held her bent, nearly broken, makeshift weapon in her hands ready to swing at any other tendrils that shot out. She noticed Anna’s firm stance, her calm and steady breaths. Anna glanced towards her with eyes filled with a furious determination.

“God dammit,” Eva muttered with a pained face before grabbing Gwyneth and dragging her up the stairs.

“What the hell are you doing?! We can’t leave her there on her own, we have to help her!” Gwyneth yelled in a panicky voice.

“We can’t help her if we’re dead, she said it herself we regain our strength and then we can save the day,” Eva grunted as she struggled to hold Gwyneth back.

“No, I’m not leaving her!” Gwyneth kicked and screamed as she tried to break free.

“We don’t have a choice!” Eva yelled into her ears.

The two slowly made their way up the stairs. Anna gave a relieved smile as she saw them approach the exit. She turned towards the Jester.

“I. Save. You.” It groaned as countless holes split out of its mouth.

“So you’ve said,” Anna braced herself. “Got anything new?”

Numerous tendrils shot out of its mangled body. Anna weaved in between them and deflected as many as she could. Pain surged through her body as the tendrils grazed her arms and legs. The shotgun’s barrel shattered to pieces as a tendril impaled through it. Anna fell onto the floor overwhelmed by the Jester's attacks. The wall crumbled into debris as the Jester yanked itself through. Its twisted and broken body stretched into a set of quadrupedal legs. More flesh burst out of its back and formed a makeshift torso. Flesh shifted into place as it carried the black orb to the center of its new chest. The tendrils retreated back to the main body, each carrying a chunk of concrete. They wrapped themselves into a set of arms. A massive cobbled together concrete lance reinforced with bone was wedged within the stringy flesh of one of them. A new head shaped itself at the top of the abomination of muscle and bone. The Jester turned grotesque Centaur howled with such ferocity that it shook the entire room.

“Save...” The Centaur stomped towards Anna as she tried to stand up and run, causing her to lose balance and fall back onto the ground.

“...you.” The Centaur cleaved the lance towards the gate and completely destroyed it.

Anna looked in fear as her only exit became nothing more than a pile of rubble. She turned to face the Centaur that towered above her.

“Take. You. Home.” It said slowly, its stomach opening up to an endless sea of tendrils.

Dread began to set into Anna. Her vision became slurred from the tears that began to well in her eyes as the tendrils inched towards her.

“I’m sorry, dad,” Anna whimpered as her hope vanished.

“Don’t be sorry yet...” Caroline’s voice rang from behind the rubble.

Two bright flashes of dark green light cut an X through the rubble, destroying it instantly. Caroline shot towards the Centaur brandishing two ethereal green sickles. She swung upwards at the Centaur. Its arms were cut clean off as the sickles effortlessly burned through its flesh. The lance shattered onto the floor as the Centaur tripped backwards in hollering pain. Pitch black smoke billowed out of its wounds.

Caroline stood in front of Anna. The green in her Warden’s uniform glowed the same shade as her sickles. Her coat fluttered in the air from how fast she moved. An emerald green crystal heart took the place of the sigil that was sat on her badge.

“...there’s still much more pain in store for you,” Caroline gave Anna a cold look before removing her coat and letting it fall to the floor.

The Centaur roared again as more tendrils shot out of its body and reformed its damaged arms. Bit of its chest became exposed, revealing the black orb.

“There you are,” Caroline rolled her shoulders before readying her sickles once more. “I hope you're a fighter.”

Caroline swung forward in an X pattern. The Centaur hopped backwards and avoided the attack. Chunks of concrete shot from the ground as it landed. It quickly grabbed them and threw them at Caroline with blinding speed. Caroline effortlessly avoided them and cut one chunk in half before it hit Anna. She pirouette forward and swung downwards with her right sickle. It hooked onto the Centaur's back causing it to yelp in pain. The Centaur swung its free arm towards her. Caroline cut through it, causing it to fall onto the floor as a lifeless stump. Before the Centaur could even scream in pain, she spun her free sickle and cleaved its chest wide open. The Centaur attempted to stomp on her legs in desperation. She hopped over its legs and pushed against its body. The sickle wedged in its back cut through its entire torso and hooked into the black orb as she did. She leaped off of its body, the black orb stuck to her sickle, and landed a few feet in front of the Centaur with her back towards it. The Centaur gave out a blood curdling battle cry as its body unraveled into a mess of coiled tendrils ready to spring towards Caroline.

“Hmm,” Caroline said as she hooked her other sickle into the orb. “Apparently not.”

Caroline turned around to see a wall of tendrils speeding towards her. She gave a sadistic grin as she pulled her two sickles apart cutting the orb in half. A ghastly wail echoed out of the Centaur as its tendrils fell limp. Its body began to dissolve into a dark violet smog.

“...save...me…” Anna heard faintly as the Centaur’s body dissipated into nothing.

Anna sat up as best as she could and looked at the remains of the orb. Its obsidian like form glistened with a faint light that rapidly snuffed into lifelessness. Anna looked up at Caroline through her pain and exhaustion.

"Sorrow neutralized," Caroline said into her radio. "Moving to extract the intruder."

“What are you?” Anna could barely manage to ask.

“The time for questions will come later. For now you and your friends have to go to pay for all the damage that you all have caused,” Caroline crouched low until she was face to face with Anna. “Welcome to a world of Sorrows, Miss Anna. I wonder if you’ll survive.”

A slight grin stretched across Caroline’s face as Anna’s vision faded to darkness.

…

Beatriz blew on her tea as she finished stirring it. She took a sip and stared peacefully at the sunny day that surrounded her. Her black hair had a few white strands and was tied into a braided bun. Her face was slightly wrinkled but her emerald green eyes burned with an eternal youth. She wore a uniform similar to Caroline's, but instead of having a gaudy coat she wore a simple scarf. A woman holding a folder approached Beatriz as she continued enjoying her tea.

"Lovely day is it not, dear," Beatriz smiled at the woman.

"Good morning, Mrs. Reine," The woman opened the folder and began reading from it. "An incident has occurred at Central Station, the chief is currently busy addressing issues in the D.E. Atham's academy and has requested your aid in alleviating the issue."

"Oh my, what could have occurred that would require my help?" Beatriz asked.

"Three intruders discovered the abandoned sections of the Central Station and unearthed a Sorrow nest. Two managed to escape to the surface before being captured by Caroline's team, the other was saved by Caroline herself."

"I see," Beatriz lowered her tea onto a small dish below her. "Why was the other saved by Caroline?"

"According to the mission report, it seems she stayed behind to stop the Sorrow from attacking her accomplices."

Beatriz looked up at the woman with a slight awe.

"What is her name?" Beatriz asked.

"Anna, Anna Hjarta," The woman replied.

"Anna…" Beatriz took one last sip from her tea. "What a pretty name".

#oc #ow #writing #mystery #thriller #horror #action #anime inspired #female protagonist #cw violence #cw body horror #cw gore #cw language #finally I get to show off why anime inspired is in the tags lol

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hattywatch · 5 years ago

Text

J. Vesey - You Like Making Me Wait For It

Author’s Note: This was supposed to be done for Valentine’s day but uhhh, about that... So here it is, almost a month late. The premise for this story is that Jimmy is actually a BIG FUCKIN’ SOFTIE and not the sarcastic little shit that I constantly make him out to be. This can be proven by the attached tweet. As always this is fiction, so don’t get carried awayyyy :)

“It’s not a real holiday,” he texts his mom, in regards to her message to him, bright and early, on February 14. He follows it up with a heart emoji and tells her he'll see her tonight though, because she’s his ma and he’s not a complete mutant, but he pulls the blanket over his head and rolls onto his side and tries to fall into the warm feeling of sleep again.

As cool and standoffish as Jimmy tries to come off, everyone who knows him would jump at the chance to tell you that in reality, he’s soft as shit. A quick scroll through his recently played on Spotify would give him right up if he tried to deny it.

His icy indifference to Valentine’s day was never the norm. He used to look forward to it, liked it even, but after years of disappointment the shine has worn off and he's really had enough of it.

_____

His first Valentine’s memory is fond. He put on his best clothes and walked into school, chest puffed out and chin raised proudly, the little red and pink valentines he worked on with his mom tucked away in his backpack, heart-shaped lollipops carefully taped onto each one.

He didn’t understand the point of it until his mom patiently explained to him, “Sometimes we’re so busy everyday that we don’t tell people we love them like we should, so on Valentine’s day we spend the whole day letting everyone know we care about them.” He snaked his little arms around her waist and promised his mom he’d never be too busy to remind her he loves her.

She hugged him back tightly and brushed away a stray tear on her cheek before she opened up the box and had him start listing off the kids names in his class so she could neatly write them on each card. He spends his time taping the lollipops gently to the cards that declare “Have a sweet Valentine’s Day.”

As the class walked around dropping a card into each other’s decorated shoe-boxes, Jimmy couldn’t help but be filled with love for his friends. Tipping over the box afterwards, he was a little glum when he found out Tommy was the sole recipient of a card from Ashley, the pretty blonde with pigtails who sat 3 seats in front of him.

When he walked home from the bus stop with Jess later, they talked about their favorite ones, in particular the heart shaped erasers the teacher gifted each of them. She didn’t get a card from Ashley either. His mom told him not to worry about it and quickly diverted his attention to the pile of valentines with pencils and stickers attached, ooh-ing and ahh-ing as he explained who each one was from.

_____

In highschool Valentine's day is marked (like everything else during those awkward teenage years) by a rush of hormones and snickers.

The week leading up to Valentine's day the cheerleading squad hung signs up all over the halls detailing how to purchase a rose to be delivered to the person of your choosing during classes. All of the proceeds go to a local charity, so each morning the voice over the speaker reminded the student body to buy a rose for a good cause before listing off the lunch of the day and signing off.

Jimmy fills out a few; a pink one for his little cousin a few grades down from him, a yellow one for the librarian who helped him submit his college applications, and an orange one for Jess who just got a rejection letter from Duke and could use some cheering up.

On the 13th he finds himself with $2 extra dollars and some time to kill before Jess is done with extra help and ready to walk home. He goes to the office and fills out a slip for a red rose to be delivered to Molly, a girl he's helped in Chinese class a few times; she's popular and cute. He can't help his heart from quickening when they go over characters that have been giving her a particularly hard time during the spare period they share once a week.

He writes her name clearly in black ink, trying his best to keep his penmanship even and neat.

"There you are!" He jumps, but luckily his pen is off of the paper, having just finished scribing the Y in his name. Jess walks up to him, braids trapped under her backpack straps; it looks uncomfortable. "I've been looking everywhere for you, dude."

He slides the scrap of paper into the slot of the box in front of him. "Sorry, last minute love, you know how it is."

He feels his cheeks get warm at the thought of Jess catching him in the act. She is much more pragmatic when it comes to love. She hasn’t dated at all in high school, laser focused on her grades and soccer. He knows she thinks he’s a sap for caring at all when it’s unlikely anyone will find lifelong love in high school, but he's a romantic, sue him.

"Yeah, I know. You're a sucker for this stupid holiday," she rolls her eyes at him and adjusts her bookbag, swinging the tails of her braids free. He shrugs a shoulder but smiles, because she’s right and he can’t deny it.

“C’mon Romeo, my mom said she’d pick us up out front, it’s freezing today.” He follows her, excited about the prospect of tomorrow. He’s not sure, but he thinks Molly may feel the same way, and there’s no time like the present to find out.

_____

When he quietly places his lunch tray down next to Jess she knows something is off. He usually bounds over to the table, chatty and excited to talk about his morning classes and who said what stupid thing that made the class groan, but he’s downright meloncholy and she can feel it roll off his body in waves.

Jess twirls the stem of her orange rose between her pointer and index fingers, “Thanks Jim. Made my day.” She bops him on the head with the flower. He smiles a little but it doesn’t reach his eyes.

“Rough day?” He nods and starts picking at the crust of his pizza.

“I didn’t sign my fucking last name.” Jess doesn’t quite understand, so she kicks him under the table to get him to look up from his pizza and make eye contact. She raises her eyebrows in question and he finally continues, “I sent Molly a rose.”

Jess hums for him to keep going, she heard a rumor going around about Molly and James Jordan getting together, but she hadn’t heard anything about Jimmy.

“We study together every week. Chinese. She has a hard time with the-" he waves his hand to clear the subject, "anyway it’s not important. We have a free period together every Tuesday and I help her with it. I thought maybe she noticed.” Jimmy sighs and squishes his water bottle in his hand, “You know I get nervous around her, so I thought maybe she knew. Anyway, I sent her a flower, but I just wrote ‘Jimmy.' No last name. She thought it was Jordan and she walked right up to him in between classes and kissed him. They have a date Saturday night.”

Jess winces, “That blows. I’m sorry, Jim. Maybe it’s not meant to be for a reason. I heard that she…" she pauses because she's never actually heard anything bad about the other girl, but desperately wants to cheer up her friend. "I heard that she… snores?" Jimmy finally rolls his eyes and laughs.

"Oh yeah, cross her off the list. That's a deal breaker." He smiles for the first time in hours and he's sure Molly isn't the one he's been waiting for.

_____

In college his fervor to have a nice Valentine’s day led him to ask out the brunette from his Public Finance class, she said yes and seemed excited, but then text him to cancel 2 days before that she "forgot about a big paper that's due on Monday." His buddy John is in the same class and didn’t say anything about a paper, so Jimmy takes the hint and decides to go home for the weekend, tail between his legs and heart heavy from the rejection

He heads to the laundromat with a veritable sack filled with, what feels like, every piece of clothing he's ever owned, downtrodden and pissed off. He's loading his clothes into the machine when someone jabs him in the side with a boney digit.

"What the hell are you doing, Jim?" Jess beams up at him. She's wearing pink lipstick, but is otherwise dressed in all black, like always.

“Laundry. My mom had too many loads at the house ‘cuz Nolan brought his home too, so I’m just going to do it here quick.” He keeps shoving his clothes in the washer machine.

Jess nods at him, “Cool… cool. So, your mom still does your laundry?” She shoves her hands deep into the front pockets of her jeans and leans back on her heels with a shit eating grin.

Jimmy stops and looks up at her, “Uh, usually. Yeah, why? Can you tell?” He stands up, back sore from being hunched over the front-loading washing machine. She looks up at him and grins wider.

“You’re supposed to separate the colors. Let me help you.” She starts pulling all of his clothes out of the washer and dumping it into her orange pop-up hamper. “Come over here, I’m using this machine.”

“Why are you here,” he attempts gentle conversation since, apparently, he’s domestically useless. Jess opens a machine and starts pulling out all of his light colored clothes, basically pairs and pairs of socks and a few t-shirts here and there.

“My stupid comforter is too big. It takes forever at my house, so I just bring it here instead of drying it 6 times,” she pauses, pinching a lone sock and holding it out in front of her swinging it in his direction before throwing it in the washer, “lucky for you, James.” She helps him sort the other colors and shows him where the detergent goes and lends him some fabric softener that smells nice, she even advises him against washing his suit pants and the one nice sweater he owns, saying that he’d be better off dry cleaning them.

An hour later when their stuff is all folded and packed back up, he’s got no other plans and he hasn’t seen Jess since the summer, so he helps her bring her comforter and sheets to her car and stands there awkwardly trying not to make this weird.

“Jessie,” she turns around, scarf half wound around her neck, death glare pinned on him.

“Did you want me to kill you? Don't call me that,” she swats at him and opens her trunk so he can drop her cottony smelling bedding in it.

“Let me buy you dinner, this was really nice of you to help me.” She smiles and agrees without any cajoling.

“Oh god, yes. I’m starving. Chipotle?” There’s a reason they’ve been friends for so long.

They order and he pays while she fills up their cups and finds an empty booth. When he drops the trays down on the table and slides her the burrito she ordered, he smiles and reaches his hand across the table, “Jessie, will you be my Valentine?”

She rolls her eyes, but it’s warm and laced with affection when she kicks him under the table, “You fucking sap. You’re lucky you bought me food or I’d say no.” She takes a bite and chews, but Jimmy keeps needling.

“So you’re saying the way to your heart is through your stomach.” He nods, “Noted.”

They chat over dinner, discussing college and what people from high school are up to. She’s in an accelerated program at BC and should graduate a year early. He’s reserved, but hoping to get drafted.

It’s not long after they're done, still taking up space in the booth, when his mom calls, “Hey ma.” Jess mouths ‘tell her I said hi!’ and gets up to throw away their garbage and heads to the ladies room.

“Jess said to tell you hi,” it’s barely out of his mouth before he regrets it.

“You’re out with Jess. On Valentine’s day?” Her tone is accusing, but soft. “I always liked her. I didn’t realize you were seeing each other. You don’t tell me anything anymore.” Before she can get too deep in her pity party he stops her.

“It’s not like that. We just ran into each other, we didn’t plan anything” Jimmy scratches at a scuff on the table, wishing he just waited until he got home to have this conversation. The last thing he’d want to do is make Jess uncomfortable with this. His mom prattles on about how she’s always liked Jessica from down the block, but Jimmy mostly tunes it out. It’s not until she’s walking back to the table, smiling softly at him that he rushes his mom off the phone the best he can.

“I’ll tell her you said hi. I’ll be home soon, see you, love you, bye!” He hangs up before she can get a word in.

Jess plops down across from him, “Did you tell her I said hi? I love your mom.” He assures her he did, and stands up, stretching.

“We should get going,” he grabs his keys off of the table, and Jess stands too and follows him out to their cars.

“Thanks, Valentine,” she unexpectedly hugs him around the middle. “I usually hate this fucking day, but you made it pretty bearable.”

He can’t help the laugh that escapes him; she’s such a pessimist. “Yeah, I get that a lot after dates. Bearable.”

His heart stutters when he realizes what he said, his hands get clammy. He feels dumb, hanging up on his mom so she didn’t make Jess feel like tonight was anything that they didn’t intend it to be, and then he sticks his foot straight into his stupid mouth.

Jess doesn’t flinch though and just follows him out the door to their cars. “See ya later, Jim. Don’t be a stranger. Cambridge isn’t that far, yeah?”

He laughs and hugs her goodbye again before getting in his own car and driving home.

When he unlocks the front door his mother is on him like a hawk. “Where’s Jessica? Why didn’t you bring her here? I just love that girl.” He has to remind himself to calm down before he opens his mouth, because she means well and loves him.

“She had some stuff to do, but she said hi,” he grabs a cookie off of a plate cooling on the countertop and prays his mom doesn’t need to go out, lest she catch sight of Jess’ car in her driveway and ruin his lie.

She takes his half eaten cookie from his hand and takes a bite, chewing slowly. “What you’re saying is that I shouldn’t get my hopes up,” before she pins him with a glare only a mother could muster.

“Still single, ma.” He grabs a cookie in each hand and hustles up the stairs to his room before she can pepper him with more questions.

He lies on his bed and flips on his tv, clicking channel to channel until he finds a hockey game that will keep his attention. By the end of the 2nd, the Bruins are up 4-1 over the Leafs and he mutes the intermission report to scroll through twitter uninterrupted.

His timeline is filled with photo after photo of happy couples and gushing declarations of love. He can’t help but sigh and be a little jealous. After watching the rest of the beating Boston lays on Toronto, he shuts the TV off and lies awake, staring at his ceiling. The jealousy has faded, and now he’s just a little sad, slightly disappointed, with a pinch discouraged mixed in.

He’d blame his next action on hopelessly romantic desperation as he opens Twitter back up and drafts his tweet.

Spending another Valentine's day without having found “the one.” Hope she is out there somewhere safe and sound.

Jimmy taps the button to send the tweet and rolls over onto his side before the day catches up to him and he falls into a mostly dreamless sleep.

_____

Valentine’s day as a Ranger finds him alone in the city once more, begrudgingly texting his mother back and pretending this holiday doesn't make him feel like Steven fucking Glansberg.

At least he's back in Boston tonight, starting an away stretch down the eastern seaboard. He has two whole days to spend with his friends and family in his home state before the game against the Bruins and before they leave for Carolina and two more down in Florida.

He takes his parents out for dinner soon after he lands, and then hits up a few friends to go to the bar. They’re all happy to hear from him, but only Tommy can come out, everyone else is busy with their girlfriends. He can’t blame them. He’d rather be courting a pretty girl than third-wheeling with his parents, but he’s not there yet in his life, so a few beers with Tommy will have to do.

They’re chatting through their second round of Guinness and watching the basketball game when his phone vibrates in his pocket. He leaves it, the game is getting good and it’s almost the half. A three-pointer closes it out and Tommy excuses himself for the bathroom, so Jimmy signals the bartender for two more and finally pulls his phone out of his pocket.

Jess: Jimmmmmmmmm

He smiles in spite of himself.

What’s up Jessie?

But then Tommy comes back from the bathroom and he puts the phone back into his pocket, because he’s a good bro and that’s rude.

He almost forgets about it, laughing with Tommy through the rest of the game and catching up with a few kids from the neighborhood that walk into the bar and spot him, but then he takes his phone out to order an Uber and he sees the notifications.

4 unread texts from Jess

He orders the Uber after putting in Tommy's address as the first stop and his parent's home as the second before he swipes back over to his texts.

Jess: I'm at a galrnyinrd day party

Jess: Galrntinrd*

Jess: GALENTINES*******

We were playing text or delete and I didn't want to delete you 😭

She's obviously had a few. Jess was never one for overt emotion. But it's always fun getting it out of her, so he hopes she hasn't sobered up in the hour that's passed since she text him last. He climbs into the Uber after Tommy and types out a careful message to her. Eyes struggling to focus since he had a few beers himself.

Didn't know you cared, Jessie.

He finally looks up and says goodbye to Tommy with a handshake that turns into a hug when the car comes to a stop, before settling back into the backseat for the rest of the ride to his childhood home.

He doesn't get another message from her until the driver stops at the final destination and wishes him a good night. Jimmy leaves a tip when the app pops up asking for a review and sits on his front steps in the cool night air, trying to sober up before he walks inside and wakes the whole house up.

Jess: You're a big dummy.

The message is quickly followed by another.

Jess: When are you coming home next?

Jimmy doesn't know what to say to that, so he stands up next to his house number and snaps a selfie before sending it off to Jess.

Jess: 👀👀👀👀

Jess: I'm walking to you now

He hears her front door slam from 6 houses away in the quiet stillness of the late night. The next thing he hears echoing are her giggles followed by heavy footsteps as she runs over to him.

"I misssssed you." She's a little tipsy still, he can tell by how tightly she wraps her arms around him.

"Missed you too, Jessie," he winds his arms around her too. She buries her face in his chest and he can feel her cold nose through his shirt.

"Let's go hangout in the basement. It's freezing out here," he unlocks the front door with his Patriots key, the same one he's had since middle school; the paint chipping with use over the years.

When they walk through his mom's kitchen, she opens the fridge and grabs two water bottles before following him down the steps to the basement where they'd spent much of their youth watching movies, doing homework, and playing Mario Kart. He feels calm and at home here, sunken into the old couch with her by his side.

"So, Galentine's?" He swipes one of the water bottles from her and takes a sip before switching on the TV to whatever is on TBS, it looks like The Notebook.

"Don't make fun. It's a nice excuse to drink some wine and have a good night with your friends." She sniffs haughtily.

"Yeah, yeah. Any excuse to drink and gossip," he's just picking on her a little. It's what they do.

She swigs her water and looks at him with a little distaste coloring her face. "Stop acting like you and Tom didn't do the same thing earlier; I saw his insta story."

Her eyes open wider as she realizes what she said, and he's a little taken aback. If she saw Tommy's story, that means...

"So you knew I was home?" He presses his knee against hers on the couch.

She looks anywhere but at him, finally focusing her attention to the water bottle in her hand- unscrewing and re-screwing the cap back on.

"I mean..." She rolls her eyes in that careless way she has about her, and he notices her sweater is pink, as are the socks peeking out of the tops of her boots. "Kinda." He feels her move imperceivably closer into his side.

He can't help the smile taking over his face, "You just wanted to spend Valentine's day watching chick flicks with me, you can say it."

"Shut up," she hits him with a pillow, firm across his chest. "Maybe."

It's the closest he's ever gotten to a mushy declaration from her and it warms him up. "You're an ice queen," he wheedles gently, wrapping his arm up and over her shoulders along the back of the couch.

She sighs and leans her head on his shoulder, he's happy to sit here watching Noah hang from the ferris wheel, just like this, but Jess is apparently not.

"Not feeling so icy right now," she whispers, so low he's not sure if he imagined it, but then she's right up in his ear, "Feeling a little warm, actually."

She places her hand flat on his chest and sucks gently on the skin under his ear behind the tendon in his neck and he's feeling a little warm too, as a matter of fact.

"Jess," she doesn't pause at the sound of her name, "Jessie," he pushes, a little more firm, he can't bear to physically remove her because it feels too good, but he's just, not sure she wants this.

"Jimmy," it's mumbled against his neck, and she barely pauses sucking into his skin to pant out his name.

"You don't really…" he stutters, not sure how to go about this. "Are you sure you…" She bites gently at his neck and he can't help the groan that leaves his lips, "Jesus Christ, stop that for one second. I can't think straight when you do that."

He gently pushes her shoulder to give himself room to breathe and collect his thoughts, but when he looks over at her she looks downright chagrined.

"I'll just… go," she starts to stand up and he grabs her wrist and pulls her back down to the couch.

"No you don't." She falls to the couch ungracefully next to him, red in the face and eyes glassy. "What the hell is this about, Jess. You can't just do… that and then leave without a word."

"Don't make me say it." Jess looks down at her hands. Her face gets impossibly redder and Jimmy is sure he's going to like this next part very much.

"Gotta tell me your feelings, Jessie." She refuses to look at his face and he can't stop the grin from forming.

Deciding to put her out of her misery, he nuzzles his nose against her neck, gently exhaling into the sensitive skin there.

"You… I… ugh!" She grasps at the back of his head and tilts her own to give him better access, but he refuses to take the bait until she says it.

"Say it," he whispers, pulling away just enough so his lips don't graze her skin.

He can feel the sigh she releases before she steels her body, spine going straight and takes a deep breath.

"I want nothing more than to watch cheesy chick flicks with you. Both on Valentine's day and every other single day of the year. You're the only person that has ever made this day worthwhile and I…"

He's not sure how the sentence was supposed to end, because he's so proud of her that he can't wait and stops her mid-sentence with a kiss on her mouth.

She doesn't really have much to say after that, and he knows she's not great with feelings, so he's just being merciful.

_____

Mrs. Vesey makes her way down into the basement on February 15th, a basket of laundry propped up against her hip. She screams once, startled by the unexpected lump she finds on the couch in what she thought was an empty basement.

She screams a second time when she realizes who spent the night.

Jimmy could have done without either.

#jimmy vesey fic #jimmy vesey imagine #hockey fic #hockey imagine #buffalo sabres fic #buffalo sabres imagine #nhl fic #nhl imagine #jimmy is soft soft soft #this is the first time I did a third person narrator #help #someone tell me if this is okay?#VALIDATE ME I HAD A ROUGH WEEK

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sophiexwrites · 5 years ago

Text

A Gift from the Ghost King

Inspired by this awesome headcanon from @give-nico-a-gun, thanks a ton for the inspo! It’s come to be a long-ish one, 2.2k words.

Trigger Warning: Mentions of Christianity and needles, but not in the medical context... it’s really just harmless and sweet.

Setting: General Riordanverse/PJOVerse with canon/established Solangelo.

Mentioned couples Christmas sweaters from the shop (link).

Note: because most people recognise American-English more than normal English, I’ve decided to go American this time, like dropping the u when I have to and using ‘sweater’ instead of jumper so that no-one gets confused (fingers crossed I do it properly).

Nico and Will, for all their opposites, had one major thing in common: they were raised Christian. Neither were quite sure why, since their mothers were well aware of the Greek pantheon of gods rather than a monotheistic one, but they supposed their childhood communities wouldn’t have taken sweetly to the change.

Which meant the emo teen wasn’t focusing on Halloween this October, but on Christmas. Already. What do you get someone who claims to have it all?

Talking to his friends didn’t help much. Most of them suggested medical equipment or a simple day off; there were even a few jokes about sunscreen that Nico didn’t quite understand. Those of them who knew Will better said they were buying him new arrows, notebooks or trinkets to fit his sunny-surfer-dude aesthetic - those were great ideas but Nico couldn’t copy them. Will knew him well enough to tell whether it was Nico’s idea or not. The pale teen scowled, wondering why he even asked. He was completely stumped.

Until early November, that is, when Will began to drop hints. Nico only realised it when when his boyfriend convinced him into a store just to look at their collection of couples Christmas sweaters, covered with sickeningly sweet messages and nicknames.

"Aww. look Neeks - this one says ‘Don't go bacon my heart’!" Will laughed a laugh that turned Nico's cheeks to bright red, pointing at the sweater closest to them. It was attached to another one, reading ‘I couldn’t if I fried’, along with a drawing of a fried egg reaching out toward the other’s bacon.

The hints came a few more times before Nico swallowed his pride and decided to learn how to make one from scratch. Why DIY? Because everything Will did for Nico was done himself: from writing and playing his own music (nevermind how Will’s voice was definitely not winning X-Factor material), to the fake Mythomagic set full of realistic depictions of the gods, or the admittedly adorable summertime picnics with more food and baked goods than Nico could ever eat. Nico felt it was time to return the favor, and step one was learning how to knit.

It started clumsy and full of holes. Nico seemed to have a talent for dropping stitches. The section he was working on started too tight, then so loose that it was almost falling apart. After two weeks of constant secret practice, however, along with more YouTube tutorials and undone rows than he was willing to admit, Nico made something basically shaped like clothing.

But it was just regular, boring clothing. Of course, Nico knew Will would be overjoyed at just that, but this was the first Christmas the couple planned to spend together, at camp. It was time to go big or go home.

Long story short, Nico swallowed his pride again: this time, to ask his step-mother how to embroider. He was met with suspicious glances and wary questions before Persephone began cooing in delight.

“Oh, that’s the cutest thing! Who knew you could be so soft?” She giggled, already rushing around for threads, test fabrics and needles. “Though I suppose you take after your father, he’s secretly a big softie, y’know - now, are we doing patches, appliques, or diving in the deep end and sewing right onto the yarn?” Nico had a rule not to dive into anything, but with Christmas soon approaching he had to learn fast. Somehow, too, he had to keep it a secret from Will. By December 10th, he’d pretended the wide-eyed needles poking out of his cabin floorboards were totally a prank from Cecile, and Hazel definitely left behind the scrap of paper filled with wobbly cursive last time she visited... Will simply hadn’t noticed. Nico was just glad his boyfriend didn’t have time to read what was on the paper before he snatched it away; that would have ruined it all.

Christmas came quickly, fronted by sleepless nights of embroidery and fingers full of pinpricks for Nico. But he was glad to have it done by Christmas Eve, all wrapped and stashed under the black tree in the Hades Cabin. Usually, he would be spending the night alone, but tonight a warm Will-shaped bundle of joy hugged him while they slept. Nico could only hope he would be as happy the next morning.

“Is this one from you?” Will asked, voice quiet with hidden excitement. Nico nodded, too nervous to speak, pulling at his plain hoodie. The wrapping fell away as Will teared and tugged, soon left left cradling a lump of fabric. “This is... beautiful, Nico!” The nervous boy’s chest sagged in relief, smile stealing onto his face as Will threw off the sweater he was wearing and donned the new creation, spinning around in his rush to the nearest mirror.

“Do you like it?”

“Oh Gods, Nico, of course! Did you make this? Thank you so much!” Will held it up before putting it on, gifting Nico with a laugh like soft rain pattering down on a warm summers day as he read the words out loud. “Significant Annoyance? That’s perfect!” Nico laughed with him, glad the nickname was still well-received, as the teen slipped it on.

He was the greatest model Nico could have asked for. A narrow frame showed off the fabric well: a stunning blue, deep and bright at the same time. Nico thought he’d chosen it because it was cheap, but when Will put it on he realised it’s because it matched the doctor's eyes perfectly. The body of it fit well, even if the arms were a little loose, which made Nico glad he hadn’t painstakingly added rows upon rows of purled stitching for a cute pattern or edge. It wouldn’t have been worth the struggle - the embroidered words were centerpiece enough. They spilled across Will’s chest in a haze of silver, grey and white; threads mixed and blended in the way Persephone had learn from Athena herself. The 20 letters had taken ages to get right, but to see them coupled with Will’s pure joy and excitement as he studied them in his reflection made all the effort worth it.

Needless to say, it beat Will’s gift to Nico that Christmas... which may or may not have been a good thing, because Will’s competitive nature soon swarmed up, and he was already making a gift of his own by the New Year.

“Kayla!” He rushed, panting, into the Apollo cabin from the infirmary. “Please tell me you know where I left my other needle?” Will held a lonely knitting needle in his right hand, pointing it at his half-sister.

“Laundry pile.” She replied, waving behind her towards said pile. It was mainly full of denim and orange cotton, but Will managed to extract the pale wooden tool after some digging. “Why, are you making something again?” It had been years since Will had done any knitting, having been taught by Malcolm Pace of the Athena Cabin during Will’s first few weeks at camp, so Kayla had every reason to be curious.

“Yep.” Will fell onto his bed, after fishing out a ball of yarn from under it. “You know the sweater Nico made me?”

Kayla laughed, sitting up straight. “The one you’ve been wearing almost every day since?”

“Yeah, I want to make him one too.”

“What, for Christmas next year or something? Are you just going to hand it to him now?” His head was bent too far over his busy fingers to see as she raised an eyebrow at him, but he knew her sass too well.

“Oh, totally. You know me, just can’t wait to be organised and do everything in advance.” He grinned down at his work, shaking his head slightly with concentration. He didn’t want to drop a stitch, after all. “It’s his birthday on the 28th, I’m going to give it to him then.”

His sister aww-ed in delight, deciding (for once) to leave him be so that he could get it done on time. Will appreciated that, because he had a lot of work to do in the coming month - or, rather, 27 days.

Will certainly worked hard in those four weeks. Between shifts at the infirmary, general camp stuff and counselor responsibilities, he barely had time to himself let alone keep spending enough time with his boyfriend to make everything seem normal and knit him a sweater. Much like Nico had, he considered just buying one ready-made or getting someone else to help him, but he was eager to do it properly. So, it was a relief after sleepless nights and busy days that Will was finally finished with the sweater three days early; only the embroidery left. But Will was tired and had already misspelt half the terms on his latest patient file, so he had to keep it simple.

GHOST KING 👻 He finished, snipping the end of the silver-white thread. Will held it up to Kayla and the light, dusting off any last threads. “What do you think?”

“Ghost King...” Kayla read, a small smile on her face. “With a tiny ghost, too! That’s adorable, Will.” She wandered a little closer, inspecting the gift in the light cast from the sunrise. “You used a template, right? Because you can’t draw, and your handwriting has never been that good.”

“Geez, Kayla, no need to be so harsh.” Will smiled, clearly joking. “Of course I did, it’s got to be perfect for tonight.” It was already Nico’s birthday; Will stayed up all night to finish on time. Kayla knew this and sighed, deciding to make her brother get some rest.

“I’m covering your shift today, you need to sleep before you have your date tonight.” She decided, swinging Will’s bag over her own shoulder and giving his weary face a last look. “Seriously, sleep. I’ll make up some worthy excuse and tell Nico, he’ll understand.” Will protested for only a moment before yawning, and flopping down onto his bunk. A sleep couldn’t hurt...

He woke up near sunset that day, almost time to meet Nico. It was a rush for him to get ready and properly awake, but he made it to the woods just as the sun disappeared below the horizon.

“Will!” Nico waved from the edge, a small look of worry on his face. “I was, um... beginning to think you wouldn’t come.” He admitted, and Will felt his face burn in shame for making his boyfriend worry, even a little.

“Of course I’d come, I just slept in all day. Sorry.” He said, and they wandered a little deeper into the woods, searching for the clearing. Nico insisted it was no problem, which made Will feel more at ease. He was still excited, however, to show Nico what he made (the gift was hidden in his bag, with food for the birthday picnic).

The two made their way into the clearing in content silence, Will secretly itching to see Nico’s reaction to his gift. But he remained as patient as he could, happy to enjoy Nico’s smiles, quiet laughs and stories, enjoying his birthday together in the peaceful way Nico loved. In fact, Will (and Kayla, but she was sworn to secrecy) was the only demigod at camp who knew it was the Italian boy’s birthday - all Nico’s other friends were off in New Rome or the mortal world, after all. It made for far less stress on Nico’s half: he didn’t want random people wishing him a happy birthday all day. No, Nico di Angelo was perfectly joyful to spend the night with his Significant Annoyance under the stars, especially when he surprised him with a gift.

“Here you go.” Will said, presenting a soft package wrapped in black paper with tiny ghosts. The Son of Apollo bought it specially for that, and the remaining roll would stay unused in his cabin except from wrapping Nico’s other gifts: so he was relived to see the other boy smile ever so slightly.

“Thanks, Will.”

“Don’t thank me yet, you haven’t opened it!”

“Okay, okay!” He almost laughed, ripping the paper to reveal an equally dark sweater. “Wow, did you make this?” Will hummed in excited agreement, watching Nico unfold and hold it up to the moonlight.

“Oh my Gods.” He read the words and for a moment Will thought he was going to hate it. But then Nico laughed - no, giggled - a clear, pure sound cutting through the crisp air like a knife through cake. “It’s pretty cool, thanks Will.” The compliment wouldn’t seem like much to an outsider, but Will knew it meant a lot. Nico turned to look at the blond with his dark brown eyes, plain and simple in a way Will could get lost in forever. They were creased at the sides as he smiled, a true smile with his eyes that Will enjoyed so much. He looked good, too, with the well-fitting black sweater on, small letters and tiny illustration embroidered on the neckline.

“Stop staring.” Nico suppressed a smile, going red as his boyfriend shook his head slightly before looking Nico in the eye again.

“Aww, but you look so cute!”

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hersheyotaku · 5 years ago

Text

Cloaked Feelings

Fandom: Tangled Characters: Varian, Ruddiger, Rapunzel Pairings: One-sided Varipunzel, heavily implied New Dream Tags: post series, before wedding, minor fluff, minor angst, unrequited love, pining, Varian being a dork, also starring Eugene’s face

Summary: Stumbling across the shapeshifting cloak was a complete accident. But with a bright and inquisitive mind like his, Varian can’t help but want to study it. However, a case of mistaken identity soon forces him to choose between doing what’s right…or falling further into a tangled web of deception and selfish impulses.

Read on Ao3 here

“Ruddiger!” Varian called in exasperation. “Get out of there! You can eat your apples after we finish sorting through this stuff.”

With a grumbling chitter, the pudgy raccoon abandoned the bucket of apples he’d been rooting through and ambled over to where Varian was sitting cross-legged on the floor. The young alchemist gave his friend a quick scratch behind the ear before nodding his head at a nearby basket, and the raccoon dutifully clambered up the side and disappeared over the rim.

Satisfied that Ruddiger was doing his part, Varian went back to rifling through his own box, which was filled with an assortment of unclaimed goods that had been salvaged from the wreckage of Corona a few months back.

Rapunzel had told him that since no one had come forward to claim any of the items, he was free to sift through and see if there was anything he could use for his experiments. He may be a fully-funded royal engineer now, but he still had personal projects that he liked to work on.

Besides, he enjoyed the thrill of the hunt! Back in Old Corona, he and Ruddiger had spent many days together digging through scrap piles for hidden treasures, though Ruddiger was usually more interested in gobbling down the remains of someone’s half-eaten sandwich than extracting metal bedsprings from a mattress to be melted down later.

Lance had helped him haul half a dozen boxes and baskets full of odds and ends down to his lab in the basement of the castle, but he’d paid the price for the help by spending the next half-hour cleaning up the minor explosion the larger man had caused during the five minutes he’d spent in the lab, touching everything Varian told him not to. Once the exasperated alchemist had contained the globulous purple fire and sent Lance on his way, he had finally been able to start sorting his haul.

Varian had just dropped a dented pocket watch into his pile of useful objects when he heard a hissing sound from Ruddiger’s basket. Brow furrowed, he stood and leaned forward to peer inside.

An orange tabby cat lunged out at him, and Varian let out a startled yelp. “Gah! What the—?!” He ducked his head as the strange cat clawed its way up his vest and curled around his shoulders. Where had it come from?! And where was Ruddiger? Grabbing the edge of the basket, he tipped it towards him, searching for his friend.

“Ruddiger?” he asked, then winced when the cat yowled right into his ear. He reached up to grab it, but instead of fur he got a fistful of fabric. Baffled, he pulled at the material, and in a shower of sparkling light a dark piece of cloth slid off of the cat and revealed Ruddiger instead.

They stared at each for a moment, then both of their gazes darted down to the cloth hanging from the alchemist’s hand. What…had just happened?

—

To Varian’s utter astonishment, he discovered that the large piece of cloth was actually a cloak. A hooded cloak with a chameleon-shaped brooch that could change a person’s physical features and was apparently controlled by neural oscillation or…something close to it. Essentially—as he’d had to explain to Ruddiger when the raccoon had tilted his furry head in confusion—you think of the person you want to look like, and boom! Instant change! And just as astounding, the cloak itself shifted into whatever outfit the wearer willed it to, making it the perfect disguise!

Remarkably, the cloak wasn’t simply bending light to create an illusion; it changed the physiological structure of whoever was wearing it. While experimenting, Varian had shifted to look like Quirin, and his head had collided with a high shelf that normally wouldn’t have posed a risk. Aside from the forming bump on his forehead, it was an exciting discovery!

He’d also found that the cloak only functioned correctly if the brooch was attached. Separated, the two items lost their transformative properties, and even when Varian tried attaching the brooch to other materials, it never yielded any results. But if he could find a way to replicate the materials, the scientific possibilities could be endless!

To that end, he’d laid the cloak out on a workbench that he’d hastily cleared of beakers and books. One corner of the fabric lay under the lens of a microscope, while the chameleon brooch floated in a beaker of chemical solution that Varian planned to test to see what properties it contained. He also had a few stray pieces of thread from the cloak floating in their own solution. He was going to find out exactly what these things were made of!

Plucking the brooch from the solution with a pair of sterilized tweezers, he carefully cleaned it before reattaching it to the cloak. Then he took the two chemical compounds and poured them into labelled test tubes. Since the day he’d tried to test Rapunzel’s hair, he’d improved on the process and come up with an alternate method in the form of a chemical solution that could analyze the composition and properties of whatever he soaked in it.

Once he’d placed the test tubes into the chamber of a small centrifuge machine of his own design and set it to run, the teen alchemist placed his hands on his hips and took a step back, letting out a satisfied huff. That should do it!

But it would be a few hours until the results were ready, so now he had some time to kill.

Glancing around his lab, his eyes landed on his bookmarked copy of Flynn Rider and the Cursed Isle of Sairaag. He grinned. He knew just how to pass the time.

—

“Ha! You think a few scurvy pirates can stop the great Flynn Rider?” Varian goaded his invisible foe, brandishing his prototype electromagnetic sword. Wearing the face of one Eugene Fitzherbert, he swiped at the rubber ball that came flying towards him, envisioning it as a savage pirate charging him at the command of the Dread Pirate Ruby-Eyed Rick.

While Eugene might not be the Flynn Rider from The Tales of Flynnigan Rider, his was still the face Varian associated with his favorite fictional character. And with the help of one totally non-magical cloak, he now had the chance to be his childhood hero!

“Is that the best you’ve got, you flea-bitten rapscallion?” he taunted, hopping from one foot to the other in anticipation of the next round.

Dropping the ball he’d been about to load into the Varian’s homemade launching machine, Ruddiger gave an indignant chitter and planted his paws on his sides.

“No, Ruddiger—I know you don’t actually have fleas,” Varian reassured his friend with a touch of exasperation. “It’s just a line from the book!”

Ruddiger didn’t seem entirely convinced, but nonetheless, he picked up the ball and dropped it into the machine.

“Ha-ha!” Varian crowed triumphantly as he cut through the projectile. “Give it up, Ruby Eye! Your two-bit lackeys are no match for—”

He froze at the sound of the door creaking open. Shoot, he hadn’t been expecting anyone!

“Hey Varian, have you seen—oh there you are, Eugene!” Rapunzel stepped into the lab, a wide grin on her freckled features.

“O-oh, no, I’m not—” Varian stammered, his cheeks flushing at being caught in what was essentially an elaborate game of make-believe. Why did he have to give in to his childish impulses without locking the door first? And why did it have to be Rapunzel of all people to catch him?

But apparently Rapunzel had drawn a completely different conclusion, and she let out a light laugh as she approached him. “Were you playing with Varian’s inventions again?” She took the sword from his hand and placed it on the nearest table. “You know how he feels about people touching his stuff. Remember how you crashed his Flynnoleum-powered cart into the city fountain?”

Wait, that had been Eugene?! Varian knew he hadn’t forgotten to set the emergency brake when he’d—

The alchemist was jolted from his thoughts when Rapunzel gave his nose a light tap. “Don’t worry!” she told him, before leaning in close and whispering conspiratorially, “I don’t think Varian has it out for you the same way he does for Lance.”

With Rapunzel so close, her large emerald eyes and cute freckled nose mere inches from his own, Varian was finding it extremely hard to articulate any of the thoughts tumbling around in his head, and that gave the princess time to move on to the very reason she’d come looking for Eugene.

“Now, who’s ready for our date~?” she practically sang, bouncing on her heels.

“Date?” Varian echoed, before realization dawned on him and he held up his hands in alarm. “Rapunzel, I’m not—”

“Oh very funny, Eugene,” Rapunzel smirked. Then her fingers curled into the material of his shirt to pull him down—a foreign feeling for the normally short-statured teen—and she pressed a kiss to his mouth.

Time ground to a complete standstill for Varian, his every sense zeroing in on the feeling of Rapunzel’s soft lips pressing against his own. She—she was kissing him!

Then her lips began to move against his, and Varian couldn’t help himself.

He kissed her back.

He had no idea how long the kiss lasted—it felt like an eternity and a split second all rolled into one—before Rapunzel pulled away with that shining smile of hers.

As Varian slowly came back to his senses, he realized that his arms had wound around the princess and pulled her into a tight embrace. But it was unlike any embrace they’d ever shared before. It was intimate, and Varian could feel a hot flush creeping up his back and neck as his heart pounded fiercely, keenly aware of the feel of Rapunzel’s body pressed against his.

He wasn’t given too much more time to think about it before Rapunzel expertly twirled out of his hold and grabbed his hand. “C’mon, let’s go! We don’t want to miss the sunset!”

Before Varian could ask ‘what sunset?’ he was being pulled towards the door.

Turning his head to look over his shoulder, he caught sight of Ruddiger watching from atop his workbench. ‘Help!’ he mouthed to the raccoon. Ruddiger tipped his head, seeming to consider the idea before giving him a toothy grin and curling his small raccoon hands into double thumbs up.

What…that little traitor! Varian didn’t even have time to glare at the raccoon before Rapunzel towed him down the hall, chatting excitedly about their date.

Now, Varian’s first instinct was to protest and tell her he wasn’t Eugene and that she was mistaken. But the fresh memory of what had just transpired between them kept his lips sealed as his pulse thundered in his burning ears.

He couldn’t let her know that he wasn’t Eugene now! What would she think if she found out she’d kissed him and…oh geez, he’d kissed her back! If he hadn’t been an idiot and gotten swept away in the moment he could probably play this all off as the huge misunderstanding it was.

But he had kissed her back and even wrapped his arms around her, which had just prolonged it. There was no explaining that away! She’d find out—she’d know how he…how he felt about her, and then what would happen? She was engaged! To Eugene! One of his best friends!

If Varian’s hands had been free he would have tangled them in his hair in frustration. What was he gonna do? The kiss had been wonderful, everything he’d ever imagined it could be, but he couldn’t let Rapunzel find out!

The best thing he could do now was escape before things got out of hand.

“Oh hey, um…s-sunshine?” The nickname tasted foreign on his tongue. He was so used to calling her Rapunzel or princess, but Eugene usually reserved the first for more serious occasions and never used the second. This was going to be tricky.

“Hm?” Rapunzel glanced back at him curiously.

“Uh, I forgot that I had a…a thing that I need to do. Y’know, captain of the guard stuff and…uh…” Varian trailed off as Rapunzel’s face fell, his chest constricting uncomfortably.

“Oh…does that mean we have to cancel our date?” Her large green eyes stared into his sadly, and suddenly Varian felt very small, despite his magically-enhanced height. Well…it wasn’t like one little date would hurt anything. It would make Rapunzel happy and—if he was honest—the idea of actually going on a date with her was pretty thrilling.

“No,” he finally said, giving her a lop-sided grin. “It can wait.”

The beaming smile that lit Rapunzel’s face effectively washed away all of Varian’s doubts about his decision, and he willingly allowed himself to be whisked down the hall.

—

Varian glanced around the docks uneasily, his doubts resurfacing now that they were actually here. Eugene had apparently made arrangements for a romantic sunset boat ride, which made the teen alchemist wonder where the real Eugene was. Shouldn’t he be here if he was the one who set up this date?

Rapunzel hopped down into the boat and held out an inviting hand. “Ready?” she asked, her smile drawing Varian in like a moth to a flame.

Well, the fact of the matter was that Eugene wasn’t here. And someone had to take Rapunzel on this date! “You bet!” he said, taking her hand and joining her. She untied the mooring rope while he grabbed the oars, and soon they were headed out towards the open water.

They found a spot where Rapunzel insisted they would have the absolute best view of the sunset. Already the darkening sky was turning a dusky pink, and Varian had to admit that it was probably going to be a spectacular view when the sun dipped below the horizon.

But until that happened…he had no clue what he was supposed to do. What were they going to talk about? What did she and Eugene talk about when they were alone like this?

Fortunately for him Rapunzel was a take-charge kind of girl, and she was all too happy to snuggle right up into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she sighed, gazing up at the pink and purple streaks coloring the sky.

A response popped into Varian’s head and, emboldened by his concealed identity, he decided to voice it.

“Not as beautiful as you.” Then he held his breath, not knowing how she would respond. Was that too cheesy? Too forward? Too out of character?

Rapunzel pulled away from his shoulder, and Varian felt his heart jump into his throat. He’d messed up, he’d definitely messed up! Slowly turning his head, he was shocked to see Rapunzel looking at him with a soft smile, her cheeks lightly tinted pink. “Aw, that is so sweet!” she cooed, and this time Varian’s heart skipped a beat for an entirely different reason.

With his confidence boosted and nerves soothed by Rapunzel’s positive response, Varian committed himself to the task of enjoying his time with the bubbly princess.

Amidst amiable chatter, he gave her compliments, enjoying how she’d flush with happiness. He took her hands and softly rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, brushed her hair back from her face, gently pressed his forehead to hers. No matter how small, each touch was absolutely electrifying to him, charged with an emotion that Varian could only describe as…well, love.

This was a side of Rapunzel that only Eugene got to experience, and while it wasn’t like the couple hid their affection in front of others, there was just something about being the direct recipient of Rapunzel’s coy looks—how she would bite her bottom lip while looking at him from beneath her thick eyelashes—that stole his breath and made his stomach do somersaults.

He relished each small romantic gesture—both given and taken—that he’d otherwise never dare to indulge in, and committed each and every one to memory.

This was both the best and worst idea he’d ever had.

Then Rapunzel leaned in, her eyes slipping closed, and Varian’s heart beat a million miles a minute. It was happening! She was going to kiss him again!

Varian was no stranger to physical affection from Rapunzel. She was the type to give out hugs like candy, and she had no qualms about holding hands with Varian or even snuggling up to him if they were sitting next to each other. But it was always platonic in nature, and while Varian enjoyed it, he hadn’t realized how different those innocent gestures of affection were compared to what Rapunzel shared with Eugene. Even if it was the exact same physical action, it was the emotion and intent behind it that made it special.

And none of it was truly intended for him.

Then her lips were on his, and Varian allowed himself to forget that crucial little detail and be swept away. One hand tangled itself in her hair while the other settled at the small of her back, pulling her closer. He could feel the light pressure of her hand on his chest, and the sensation of her thumb brushing along his jaw sent a delightful jolt up his spine.

By the time Rapunzel pulled back, Varian’s head was buzzing pleasantly and he felt lighter than air, like he could just float away on the slightest breeze.

“Th-that was great, thanks…” he mumbled dazedly, a goofy grin on his face.

Rapunzel giggled at his dazed expression. Then she tipped her head to the side, studying him. “Y’know, you’ve been acting a bit funny, Eugene. Is something wrong?”

Panic sliced through Varian’s euphoria, and he quickly shook his head. “N-no! Of course not! Why would—why would something be wrong? Nope, ev-everything’s cool, we’re cool!” Chuckling nervously, he made to lean on the side of the boat, but his elbow missed and he nearly tumbled into the water.

“Woah!” Rapunzel exclaimed, grabbing his wrist and yanking him back before he could fall overboard. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay? Should we head back?”

Varian took a second to calm his rapidly beating heart, which felt like it was about to pound his ribs to dust. “I-I guess maybe that would be a good idea,” he conceded reluctantly, almost shakily. As much as he was enjoying spending time out here with Rapunzel like this, on an actual date, he was also painfully aware of what a charade it was. And the longer it continued, the more likely he’d be found out.

Taking both of his hands in hers, Rapunzel locked eyes with him, gazing at him so intently that Varian’s previous attempt to calm his heart became an effort in futility. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

Completely entranced by her soft tone and those vivid green eyes filled with understanding and concern, Varian’s mouth automatically opened to confide in her. But at the last second he caught himself and snapped it shut.

He loved her. He’d loved her since the day she’d offered him forgiveness and the chance of redemption, from the moment she’d refused to let him kill himself to clean up the mess he’d made. But he couldn’t tell her that, and he couldn’t tell her that he’d selfishly taken advantage of her to see how it would feel if…if she returned his feelings.

But it was a pale imitation. She thought she was with Eugene, not him.

Taking a deep breath through his nose, Varian gave her a weak smile. This was something he couldn’t share even with her.

So instead, he told her, “I think I might’ve had some…bad fish for lunch. Didn’t um…taste right, y’know?”

Sighing, he lifted his hand and cupped her cheek. Maybe it was wrong, and she certainly wouldn’t know the true meaning behind his words, but this might be the only opportunity he had to tell her without potentially ruining their friendship.

“I love you, Rapunzel,” he told her gently, combing his fingers through her soft brown hair reverently.

Rapunzel’s eyes lit with a warmth that made Varian’s heart ache, and she reached up to rest her hand on his cheek in turn. “And I love you, Eugene.”

It felt like she’d slapped him. Even with her tender touch, and even when she leaned in and pressed her mouth to his once more, Varian felt the sharp ache of Eugene’s name on her lips. He hadn’t even been expecting anything, he’d just wanted to finally tell her, but…it was too much.

The feeling of something warm and wet sliding down his cheek made Varian’s eyes snap open. To his horror, he realized that his vision was swimming. No, he couldn’t cry, Eugene wouldn’t cry!

Breaking the kiss, he was thankful that Rapunzel’s eyes were closed as he swiped his sleeve across his face. What was he doing, he’d known all along that he had no place with Rapunzel. Not like Eugene did.

“Eugene?” she asked, utterly confused when she opened her eyes to the sight of her fiancé vehemently swiping at his eyes with his sleeve.

“All-allergies” was his weak excuse. Leaning down, he picked up the oars and attempted a reassuring smile. “Let’s head back, we can…we can do this again some other time. When there’s less…pollen.”

A lie. She would do this again with Eugene, but not him.

Varian could tell that Rapunzel suspected something was off, judging by the concerned looks she kept shooting him as he rowed them back to shore. So he did his best to buck up and make light small talk, for her sake. He didn’t want her to worry…or to question Eugene about it later.

That thought sent a jolt of horrified realization down his spine. Eugene. There was no way Rapunzel wouldn’t mention the date to him later, probably to ask what he’d been hiding from her. Stupid stupid stupid! They were going to find out!

It took a lot of effort to not let his panic show as he helped Rapunzel out of the boat, a wide smile plastered onto his face that probably looked a bit manic, if Rapunzel’s raised brow was any indication. “Eugene…maybe you should go see a doctor?”

“No!” Varian exclaimed hastily, before clearing his throat. “It’s just that I uh…I need to…need to go.” He stood there for a brief moment, his overly wide smile still in place. Then he ducked away and booked it down the street.

“Wha—Eugene!” Rapunzel exclaimed in surprise, reaching after him. “Where are you going?!”

Somewhere he could take off this stupid cloak and try to figure out a way to salvage this whole situation! But Varian thought back to his ‘bad fish’ excuse and decided to roll with that. “Bathroom!” he shouted back.

As he disappeared around the corner of a building, Rapunzel’s hand slowly lowered. Well that was…weird.

—

Back in the relative safety of his lab, Varian took a moment to lean against the door and catch his breath. Initially he’d wanted nothing more than to rip off the cloak as soon as he was out of Rapunzel’s sight, but had thought better of it. He couldn’t risk someone seeing him go into a building as Eugene and come out as himself, especially while carrying such an incriminating piece of evidence.

So instead, the citizens of Corona got to witness their illustrious captain of the guard tearing through the streets like his tail was on fire. Which…really wasn’t all that rare of an occurrence, but still.

Varian grabbed the cloth at his shoulder and pulled the cloak off, his body returning to normal in a sparkling flash of light. With a heaving sigh, he ran his fingers through his bangs. He had a lot to think about.

Dragging the cloak with him, he sat down at his desk and let his head fall on top of the scattered blueprints and schematics with a thunk.

On the one hand, he’d never imagined he’d get the chance to be with Rapunzel like that, and it had been amazing. But any joy he might derive from the memory was tainted by his gnawing guilt at the false pretense those stolen moments had been under. And he still had to figure out what he was going to do when Rapunzel inevitably talked to Eugene…

A knock at the door nearly made Varian jump out of his skin, and he frantically stuffed the cloak under his desk, kicking it against the wall and nearly tripping as he scrambled from his seat. He’d locked the door this time, but it’d be suspicious if it took him too long to answer it.

“C-coming!” he called, heart pounding as he undid the lock and cracked open the door.

A cold sweat broke out on the back of Varian’s neck when he saw who it was.

“Rapunzel?” he squeaked, before clearing his throat and opening the door fully. “I mean uh, h-hi!”

“Hi Varian!” she grinned, then tilted her head as she took in his frazzled appearance. “Are you…busy?”

“Busy…um, no!” Varian stepped back and gestured for her to come inside, making a valiant effort to keep his hand from shaking as she moved past him. “What—” He paused, wetting his suddenly dry lips as he struggled to maintain eye contact. “What brings you here?”

“Well, I wanted to ask you something.” The princess twirled a strand of brunette hair in front of her ear while Varian held his breath, dreading her next words. “Earlier, I went on a date with Eugene and…he was acting kind of funny.”

Varian’s mouth went completely dry. She knew.

“But,” Rapunzel continued, clearly not reading into Varian’s wide-eyed expression. “it turns out he was just having indigestion from eating some bad fish for lunch.”

Varian’s fight or flight instinct had been about to kick into overdrive, but just like that it vanished, leaving him somewhat numb as he tried to comprehend this turn of events. “…what?”

“Yeah, I think he came here earlier to see if you could help him, but you weren’t around and I might have dragged him off before he could get something to fix it,” Rapunzel explained sheepishly. “So I was wondering…do you have anything that could help with an upset stomach?”

Varian blinked. “Upset stomach?” he echoed. That’s why she was here? Not to force him to give her an explanation for his actions, or chew him out for tricking her, or kick him out of the castle? “Uh I…don’t really do much with medicine, though I could probably whip something up if you need me to.”

It’d have to be something with no potency whatsoever, since he doubted Eugene—wherever he was—had actually had bad fish for lunch.

Rapunzel’s smile was dazzling. “Oh, thank you, Varian!” she said, grabbing his hand and giving it a quick squeeze that made the young alchemist’s heart flutter. Then she was out the door, giving him a lighthearted wave. “I’ll be back once I find where Eugene went!” And she was gone.

Varian slowly let out the breath he didn’t even know he’d been holding as he closed the door behind her. He meandered over to the cabinet where he kept his alchemical supplies, absentmindedly plucking a few colorful vials before moving to his workbench.

So he hadn’t been found out. And really, if nobody knew he had the cloak, they couldn’t possibly pin him as the fake Eugene, even if Eugene and Rapunzel did talk. But the thought of Rapunzel worrying about who the stranger in the boat had been, touching her, kissing her—Varian didn’t want to imagine the distress that would cause her.

…should he come clean? Before Eugene could confirm that he hadn’t been the one in the boat with Rapunzel?

The very idea made Varian’s gut twist into an anxious knot. Telling Rapunzel would keep her from worrying about being molested by a stranger, but would she forgive him? Be able to trust him again? Understand why, in his prolonged moment of weakness, he’d done it?

Well. She’d been able to forgive Cassandra but…somehow that felt different. Cassandra hadn’t tricked Rapunzel into kissing her. And he hadn’t had an ancient demon manipulating him.

The sound of squeaking door hinges jerked Varian from his spiraling thoughts, and he whirled around. Then he let out a sigh of relief when he saw it was just Ruddiger coming through the special door flap he’d installed for him. “Oh, it’s just you,” he breathed. Then he noticed the raccoon had something in his mouth, and he kneeled down to get a better look. Was that…an empty vial?

Ruddiger deposited the vial into his waiting hand, and Varian’s breath caught as he read the label.

Quirinian 2.0

Ironically, in his attempt to help Rapunzel’s parents regain their memories, he’d actually managed to create a weaker version of what the Quirinian was originally supposed to be: a memory-erase serum. The effects of the serum caused whoever drank it to forget everything they’d experienced in the last 24 hours. But since it didn’t help people regain their memories, and the king and queen had managed to remember their lives without his help anyway, he’d shelved the serum and moved on to other projects.

His eyes darted back to Ruddiger. “Did you…” He swallowed weakly, afraid of the answer. “Did you give this t-to Eugene?”

Ruddiger nodded, looking immensely pleased with himself.

Varian’s heart dropped. So this was why Eugene hadn’t shown up? Because he’d forgotten about the date altogether? Varian had no idea how recently they’d made their plans, but apparently it had been fairly impromptu, probably something they’d decided last night or this morning.

Oh no. Ruddiger must have interpreted his plea for help when Rapunzel had taken him from the lab as asking for help with the date, not getting out of it! No no no, he hadn’t wanted this!

“Ruddiger…no,” Varian said, his voice cracking as he clutched at his hair with both hands. “No, you went too far! I—” Slowly, his hands fell to his lap. “No…I went too far,” he admitted miserably.

Dimly, he was aware of Ruddiger’s concerned chitter, how his friend patted his leg in a gesture of comfort. But that left Varian to wonder just why he was so upset. Was it because he’d tricked Rapunzel? Broken her trust so he could live out a fantasy for a few hours? Indirectly drugged Eugene? Or was it because…

He swallowed thickly. Because he knew that he’d never experience that sort of happiness, that sort of thrill, with Rapunzel again?

Varian’s eyes darted to the cloak, and he chewed his lip, torn. There was a chance, just a small one, that he could experience that happiness again. But it wouldn’t be right. It wouldn’t be fair. To Rapunzel, to Eugene, to himself.

All he had to do was get rid of it and no one would ever know. Rapunzel might even blame the bad fish thing for Eugene’s memory. But…

Shaking his head, Varian tore his eyes away from the shimmering fabric. He shouldn’t even be tempted to use it again. He should just move on, cherish the memory of his short time with Rapunzel, let everything go back to the way it was.

But there was a dark, desperate part of himself that wanted to experience being with Rapunzel again, regardless of the cost...and it scared him. If he kept the cloak, the temptation would be too great.

He couldn’t let that happen. He’d made enough mistakes in his life—he had to get rid of the cloak before he made any more.

Resolve hardened, but afraid it wouldn’t last, Varian moved to where the cloak lay crumpled on the ground and snatched it up. “C’mon Ruddiger, let’s get rid of this thing.”

With a chitter of agreement, Ruddiger climbed to his shoulders and the alchemist strode from his lab to dispose of the magical cloak.

Not a moment after the door shut behind them, a high-pitched ‘ding’ echoed through the lab as the centrifuge machine came to a stop, and the spectrometric press hooked to it printed out two sheets of data.

The test results were ready.

#varian #rapunzel #tangled the series #rapunzel’s tangled adventure #tangled #tts #rta #fanfic #varipunzel #hershey’s written works

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chickensarentcheap · 5 years ago

Text

Sanctuary -Chapter 4

Warnings: none. Just some cute Ovi and little kids ;)

Tagging: @valkyrie-of-the-light, @alievans007, @c-a-v-a-l-r-y

It is a fifteen-minute drive into town; a picturesque central area with a healthy mixture of both low and high end shops and numerous eateries and cafes. In the winter it is reminiscent of a Dickens novel; snow covered trees and streets, the Victorian area store fronts boasting immaculate decorations and displays in their front windows, white lights strung from almost every available surface, and a skating rink in the centre of it all. In the summer, when tourists flowed into the area and brought in the most money for the economy, the sidewalks were full of patios and lined with immaculate floral gardens. Telluride is a small town, and regular residents all seemed to know one another; conversing in front of the bank and post office, catching up on gossip and talking about high school sports. Tyler’s already exchanged pleasantries and small talk with five people, and that was when just stepping out of the car.

When they’d first arrived, talk had spread fast about the new family in town. They’d spent four months living with her parents and getting on their feet before buying able to buy a home with their joint savings and money that Mahajan had managed to scrap together and give as thanks for taking care of his son. Nik had taken it upon herself to act as the ‘small town gossip’, quickly using some of her contacts to spread small little rumours about who they were: an ex Australian Army soldier who’d been injured in Afghanistan and forced to retire at a young age, his young pregnant wife and their baby girl, and a kid that they’d adopted after losing both of his parents. It had managed to keep people from asking too many questions when they’d show up unannounced at the house with various casseroles and baked goods and welcoming gifts. Every so often someone would ask about his service record and just what happened that forced him to leave at such a young age and Tyler would just repeat the same old bullshit about arthritis and nagging injuries and show off some of the more prominent scars that marred his body. Just like five years ago in Dhaka, people had taken to them. They were young, friendly, always willing to lend a hand if someone needed it. Never too accessible, but just accessible enough. Never free and easy with their personal information, but giving out just enough that kept people curious. And when he started his own business, word travelled fast and within a week he had a client list of over two dozen. On his first day of school, Ovi already had people waiting to meet him. Interested in who the kid with the ex Army Aussie dad was.

Even five years later it is a novelty of sorts: an Australian living in their small town. They’re intrigued by his accent and his slang and always want to hear stories about ‘the land down under’. Even now he couldn’t go into the hardware store or into the pharmacy to buy diapers without someone wanting to hear all about kangaroos and koalas and was it really true they had spiders the size of dinner plates? He humoured them for the most part; slightly annoyed when they attempted to copy the way he talked. What was the saying? Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? He’d just laugh it off and they’d think it was hilarious whenever he called them mate.

The twins and Millie had decided to tag along; the boys wanting mohawks done at the barber and their sister wanting ice cream. The little mom and pop candy store was always one of their stops when they happened to make it into town, and she wasn’t about to let her father forget about it.

“I can take her,” Ovi offers, still trying to make up for his huge fuck up the night before. “I could use some ice cream too.”

“Oh please, daddy?! Please?!” Millie gushes, as she waits for him to unload her brothers from their car seats before tending to her. “Can Ovi take me for ice cream? Let Ovi take me for ice cream!”

“Sometimes I think you love him more than me,” he teases, as he leans across the back seat to unbuckle her, and in response she curls both arms around his neck and gives him a sloppy, noisy kiss on the forehead.

“I don’t love anyone more than you daddy.”

“Not even mommy?”

“Mommy is a close second. Don’t tell her that though. It might make her sad.”

“What about your brothers? Where are they on your list?”

“Oh they are wayyyy down there. Like between broccoli and Brussel sprouts.”

“You hate broccoli and Brussel sprouts.”

Her eyes narrow. “Exactly.”

He can’t help but laugh at the seriousness in her voice, at the frown that takes over her face, the way her normally brilliant blue eyes grow dark. So much like him in so many ways. He sees it all the time; in all of his kids. Certain facial expressions and mannerisms that he long ago recognized in himself.

“Okay, I know they piss you off, but they’re still your brothers,” he reminds her, as she clambers out of the SUV.

“Maybe they’re adopted,” she sounds hopeful at the idea, and then rolls her eyes at them when they start harassing her about her dress and her pig tails.

“I hate to break it to you, but they’re not. They definitely came out of mommy’s tummy. I was there. I saw it happen.”

“But how’d they get in there? Maybe other babies got put in her tummy by accident.”

“Naw, I was there for that too. So sorry. You’re stuck with the brothers you have.”

She’s side eyeing them now, with absolute disdain despite the fact they’re actually behaving and just waiting patiently for their dad to lock the car and set the alarm. He recognizes that look, too. He’s used it many times himself when someone’s mere presence has annoyed the shit out him.

“They’re just so…ughhh…” she huffs dramatically.

That’s definitely more her mother coming out.

“But at least I have you, right Ovi?” she curls a hand around two of his fingers and gazes up at him adoringly. “At least you won’t pick on me and pull my hair and do stupid boy stuff. You’re like an older brother, right? That’s what mommy always says. That you’re practically my big brother. Is that true?”

The kid looks as if he may burst into tears at the mere thought of it. “If that’s what you want. Do you want me to be your big brother? I’ve always wanted a little sister.” He’s always seen her that way. She’d been his first hands on experience with babies and he’d relished every moment. Never once complaining when he was asked to change a dirty diaper or she threw up on his clothes. He was a natural, calm, patient, compassionate. A surprise, considering he’d never been brought up experiencing any of those traits.

“I can be your little sister,” she offers, and picks his arm up and slings it around her shoulders.

It takes him a moment to compose himself. And he blinks his eyes several times and clears his throat and then smiles down at her.

“I’d like that.”

****

When he was a kid, this place would have been paradise. An entire wall devoted to clear plastic cylinders filled with a rainbow of various candy, display cases showing of chocolates in all kinds of shapes and even cartoon characters and over two dozen different flavours of fudge. There’s even an old fashion milkshake and ice cream bar on the far wall, serving everything from basic cones to sundaes with dozens of available toppings, and enormous banana splits.

Oh, to be a child again! He longed for those days. Not his childhood and his previous life in India; spent as a prisoner in his own home because of his father’s evil misdoings. But a childhood that would be much simpler. Worry free. Where he could actually be a kid and enjoy all the innocence that came with it. If he could choose, he would pick this moment, this place, this family, to experience as a child. In a home where he felt safe. Valued. Respected. Loved. Where his opinions and his feelings are validated, and he can speak without being spoken to. Where there is more laughter than there were tears. More smiles than harsh raised voices.

And love. Lots and lots of love.

That is what he witnessed in his new home, with his new family. He’d been made to feel as if he was loved just as much as the biological children. He was valued. Seen as a person and not a thing. Tyler and Esme never said those three little yet powerful words, but he felt them. In the way they expressed pride in his school accomplishments, in the way they helped him battled his issues since the incident in Dhaka five years ago, how they encouraged him to always try his best and learn from his mistakes. Even when he was younger and being disciplined, there was love in it. They only wanted what was best for him and hated to see him wandering down difficult paths.

No. They never said it. Neither did he. But it was all around him. And inside of him.

Half a dozen customers linger in the store; a small family picking out candy, a couple sitting on the stools at the counter, and a solo man sitting in one booth at the very back. A trucker style hat pulled low over his eyes, sleeves of brightly coloured tattoos visible under his t-shirt, a mug of black coffee and that day’s newspaper in front of him. He glances up as they enter; his eyes locking on Ovi’s for a split second, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Ovi finds it a tad unsettling. He’s spent a lot of time wandering the town and in and out of the various shops and he’s never seen that face before. And in Telluride, newcomers stick out like sore thumbs.

Millie tightly holds his hand and happily skips alongside of him, pausing every couple of feet to spin in a circle; commenting on the way her dress looked when she twirled. Because that’s how the princesses’ dresses moved in all the movies she’s seen, and she would very much like to be a princess when she’s old.

And a firefighter.

“That’s quite the combination,” he remarks. “A princess and a firefighter? Are you going to wear your tiara and your princess dress when you go to fires?”

“Maybe the dress, but not the tiara,” she says. “Because I wouldn’t be able to get my helmet on.”

Pretty sound logic.

He notices the way people watch them, mostly out of curiosity. That sweet little girl in her blue and white gingham dress and her light up Frozen sandals. With her unruly hair and her huge blue eyes, her hand tightly clutching his. They probably think he’s a babysitter. Or a family friend. But truth be told, he is closer to her than he’s ever been to any of his blood family.

“Let’s see what we want,” he says, and scoops her up into his arms, settling her on his hip in the same fashion he’s seen Tyler use so many times. And she curls an arm around his neck and pushes her unruly hair out of her eyes and leans forward as far she can go in order to get a closer look at the tubs of ice cream laid out in the freezer before them. He doesn’t know why he bothers. She orders the same thing every time they’re there.

“Aren’t you a lucky little girl,” the cashier says, as she rings up their order. “Having a friend take you out for ice cream.”

“Oh, he’s not my friend,” Millie informs her. “He’s my brother.”

The woman arches an eyebrow.

“What she means is…” Ovi attempts an explanation of his own, but Millie jumps right in.

“Just ‘cause we look different doesn’t mean he’s not my brother. ‘Cause he is. My mommy and daddy adopted him when his mommy and daddy died. He didn’t have anywhere else to live so mommy and daddy let him live with us. I also have three other brothers.”

“Are they adopted to or…”

“Nope. They’re my real brothers. They have the same mommy and daddy as I do. Two little brothers were enough and when mommy was having another baby, I really wanted a little sister. Or a puppy. Puppies don’t cry all the time and wake me up in the middle of the night and steal my toys. But nope, another brother,” she’s clearly disgusted by that fact. “How come so many boys? Daddy says that some people just have lots of boys and others have lots of girls and some just have a little of both. But mommy says daddy is a boy making machine. Whatever that means.”

“I am so sorry,” Ovi apologizes. “She likes to talk.”

“My brothers that came right after me are twins,” she continues, taking the cashier’s wide-eyed interest and awe at her precociousness as her cue to keep going. “Tanner. And Tyler. Tyler’s my daddy’s name too. My baby brother is Declan. He’s the cutest one. The other two are just way too annoying. And Declan doesn’t pick on me and pull my hair. And I’ll make sure he doesn’t…” she makes a fist, as if to signify she’s going to punch him in the face if he doesn’t tow the line.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ovi notices the tattooed man in the trucker hat slipping out of his booth; mug of coffee and newspaper in his hands as he moved closer to them. Dropping into one of the stools closest to the entrance. He shifts nervously from foot to foot; keeping one arm tight around Millie as he pocked his change and then carries her and their treats to the nearest table. He makes sure that he’s facing the door. Tyler has always told him that is was the smart thing to do; you didn’t want to be surprised by trouble sneaking up on you.

He hates that he’s still so paranoid. That the nightmare he’d gone through in Dhaka still bothers him to this day. It’s his cross to bear; painful and heavy. And some days he just wishes he could ease the burden on his tired shoulders.

Instead of taking the seat across from him, Millie slips in right beside him, kneeling on the vinyl bench in order to reach her ice cream. She happily digs in; spooning the bubble gum flavoured concoction into her mouth as she rattles on about gymnastics and martial arts and how she really wishes that daddy didn’t hate hockey so much, because she’d really like to learn how to play it. And how to hit people really hard and fight them. And as he listens intently and offers up nods and appropriate responses, he casually keeps an eye on the stranger seated at the counter. Ovi knows he’s watching them. He can feel it every time he looks away to pay attention to Millie.

“Ovi?” she suddenly asks, as she licks ice cream off her fingers.

“Yeah?”

“What does daddy do? What’s his job?”

“He fixes up houses and makes them nice again. And helps people do things they’re not able to do in their own homes. You know that.”

“I don’t mean that job. I mean his other job. The one that Auntie Nik always calls him on the phone about.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I…”

“He always leaves in the middle of the night and then he’s gone in the morning and I’m mad that he didn’t even say goodbye,” she continues. “And then he’s gone a long time and mommy is really sad and cries about it. She tries to say that she doesn’t cry, but I hear her when she thinks I’m asleep. I know she’s worried about daddy. Is he doing bad things?”

“No,” he assures her. “He’s not.”

“I don’t like that he’s gone all the time. It makes me sad. And then I can’t sleep because I’m sad and daddy isn’t there to tuck me in and read me a story. Where is he? Where does he go? Mommy says he’s far away, but he still calls us every night. It makes me feel better when he calls. ‘Cause I can hear his voice.”

“He’s a lot of different places,” Ovi explains. “He travels a lot.”

“But what does he do? What kind of job is it?”

“He helps people. People that are in trouble.”

“Are bad guys after the people?”

He nods. “The bad guys are after them and your dad goes and helps them get away. He rescues good people from bad people.”

Her eyes widen and her voice is above a whisper, speaking in astonished awe. “You mean like a superhero?!”

He grins. “Just like a superhero.”

“Like the Avengers?!”

“Just like them. Just like Thor.”

“Oh, he’s my favourite!” she gushes. “Mommy’s too because she says he’s a total snack.”

“I wouldn’t tell your dad that. About mom thinking Thor’s a snack. Or about how you know he’s a superhero. He doesn’t see himself that way and he doesn’t like to talk about it. You know how some superhero’s keep it a secret and no one knows who they are? That’s how it is with your dad. So we’ll just keep it between us, okay? You don’t want to embarrass him, right?”

“I’m not brave, mate.”

“Of course you are. You rescue people.”

“Yeah, sometimes. Sometimes I do other things.”

“You mean like killing people?”

Ovi can hear that conversation as if it were just yesterday. At Gaspar’s house, when he’d asked Tyler if he’d always been brave. How could you not be? When you willingly put your own life on the line to save the lives of others? Even if there was money involved, it still took a lot of courage to go into a situation where you didn’t know if you’d survive or not. Tyler and his father were nothing alike. His father had killed people with horrible intentions. Tyler kills because he has to. To save others and himself. He would never tell the little girl beside him that. Those details are difficult to digest and painful to hear about, and she doesn’t need to know them until she is older.

And maybe not even then.

“Ovi?” she asks once again, and he uses the tip of his thumb to clear ice cream from the corners of his mouth.

“Yeah?”

“That man is giving me the creeps.”

He shifts uncomfortably in his seat, tries to play it cool. “What man?”

“That one,” her eyes narrow once more as she glares at the stranger in question. “He keeps looking at us. Why does he keep looking at us?”

“Maybe he just thinks you’re cute. Or he’s jealous because you have ice cream and he doesn’t.”

“We could always ask him,” she suggests. “About why he’s staring at us.”

“Or we could just mind our own business and eat our ice cream. We don’t want it to melt, do we?” he wraps an arm around her waist and pulls her a little closer and a little tighter to his side.

***

The chime above the door sounds as it swings open and Ovi watches as Tyler and the boys enter; the twins being maneuvered over the threshold with a large, strong hand gripping the back of their shirts, effectively steering them in the right direction. Both have mohawks now; one with frosted green tips, the other blue, and Ovi grins at the sight of Tyler’s own new look. Or was it in an old look? Newish oldish perhaps? The same cut he’d sported when they first five years ago. He remembers how he’d been intrigued by it; no one at school would dare have their hair cut like that and there was no way his own father or any of those paid to watch him would have ever allowed him to get it done.

He also notices it’s a bad knee day. That limp a little more prominent than usual.

“Over here boys,” he says to his sons, and with a gentle push with his thighs sends them the right way.

Ovi clears his throat noisily, making it a point to catch Tyler’s attention. And when their eyes lock, he makes a small nod in the direction of the man sitting at the counter. Pretending to be immersed in his paper as the cashier refills his coffee mug. Through the lenses of his sunglasses, Tyler’s able to check him out without even being noticed, and Ovi sees the way his head barely moves as he gives the stranger a once over; his brow slightly furrowed, lips set in a thin line.

“Hi daddy!” Millie cheerfully greets as he approaches the table, and Ovi notices how the stranger finally looks up; no expression on his face as he eyes Tyler from head to toe. “What’s up with your hair?”

“Most of it’s gone. Why? You don’t like it?”

She frowns. “It’s kinda weird.”

“Blame your mother. She likes it like this. Get in,” he instructs his sons, and helps each of them by grabbing the back of their shorts and lifting them onto the bench.

“Nice hair cuts boys,” Ovi enthuses, and he gets high fives from each of them. “Very cool. What’s up with the colour though?”

“My wife’s going to kill me,” Tyler laments, and then heads off to purchase ice cream for the twins. Ovi notices yet again that the man at the counter watches him intently; brows arching as he takes in the tall, powerful frame.

Impressed, maybe? A little intimidated? Even now Ovi himself found it hard not to be. When you’re that tall and you’re back and shoulders are that broad and your muscles are that big, you tend to draw attention to yourself. Mostly it was from women. Ovi noticed that a lot. The females like Tyler’s big muscles and his blue eyes.

Tyler slides into the seat across from him, removing his sunglasses, placing them on the tabletop and then getting the twins settled with their ice cream. He’s a good dad. Ovi has always thought so. He’s a gentler version of himself when he’s in ‘dad mode’; his features softening, his voice not as gruff. Calm and patient.

“What’s up with that guy?” he asks, jerking his head in the direction of the counter.

“He’s been staring at us,” Millie answers for Ovi, as she ducks under the table, crawls to the other side and then resurfaces and climbs onto her dad’s lap. “It’s creepy.”

“Maybe he just thinks you’re cute,” her father reasons. “Or he wants your ice cream.”

“That’s what Ovi said. Hey!” she flashes a dramatic pout when he helps himself to some of her treat.

“He’s just been sitting there,” Ovi says. “He was here before we got here.”

“What’s he be doing?”

“Sitting. Reading the paper. Drinking coffee.”

“And watching us,” Millie pipes up. “Super creepy. I don’t like creepers.”

Tyler chuckles at the use of the word ‘creepers’, and running a palm over her hair, drops a kiss on the top of her head. “You definitely are your mother’s daughter.”

“You ever seen him before?” Ovi asks. Tyler’s in town more than he is; always at the hardware store picking things up for his side business.

“Don’t think so. I think I’d remember a face like that. Definitely doesn’t fit in around here.” But then again, neither did he really. With the accent and the tattoos and the scars. And now the haircut.

“People are weird,” Tanner chimes in. He’s the observant one out of the two boys; the kind that sits back and quietly takes in a situation or an environment, brain coming up with different scenarios and outcomes. Wise and intelligent beyond his years.

“You’re one to talk with that haircut,” his father teases, and nudges him playfully with his elbow. “You realize your mother is going to seriously hurt me, yeah? She’s not going to be happy at all. Think it’s worth it? Think it’s worth me having to sleep on the couch for the rest of my life?”

His son nods enthusiastically.

“That’s it. Throw me under the bus. Now I remember why your brother is my favourite,” he’s teasing of course, and reaches across the bench to gently and playfully pinch his name sake just below the ribs.

Ovi notices just how much they all actually do like alike. The same facial features: blue eyes framed by impossibly long and dark lashes, almost the exact same colour and texture of hair, the same noses and ears. Even the same smiles and mannerisms. The way they will each smirk and cock their heads to the side when they’re sensing someone else’s bullshit.

There are definitely some extremely strong genes on Tyler’s side of the family.

“He’s coming this way,” Ovi whispers, as the stranger slides off his stool, and folds his newspaper and puts it under his arm before carrying his empty cup to the cash register.

He’s average height and has a stocky build. Nothing remarkable about him at all save for the arms full of tattoos.

Tyler casually watches him; legs stretched out under the table, an arm across the back of the booth. If he senses something is up, Ovi can’t tell for sure. There’s no darkness to his eyes or furrows across his brow.

The other man turns towards them now, briefly pausing at the side of their table as he looks down at Tyler, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

“Can I help you, mate?” Tyler asks. Calm. Cool. Collected. It was a trait that Ovi admired; the ability to stare someone down yet remain completely relaxed and expressionless.

“Just admiring your family. I’ve got a few kids of my own back home. Just made me miss them seeing you all together.”

“Where’s back home?”

“Chicago.”

“You’re a long way from home.”

“I could say the same about you. Accent and all.”

Tyler nods slowly. “Here for business or…?”

Ovi enjoys watching the process. The way the questions come so easily and never seem prodding or invasive. Tyler’s expression and tone never wavering.

“You could say that. What brought you here?”

“The wife’s from Colorado. Decided to move here when we started having kids.”

“Definitely a nice place to be. Well you all take care. Enjoy your family. Kids are a special gift. Don’t take it for granted.”

Tyler nods, then casts a casual glance over his shoulder, watching as the man heads through the shop and out the front door.

“Anything?” Ovi asks expectantly. “Feels weird, right?”

“Felt like it’s just a guy away from home and missing his family. I’ve been there. I know what it’s like. He probably just wanted someone to talk to.”

“But the way he was watching us. The way he was watching Millie…”

“Maybe he has a little girl of his own and she reminds him of her.”

“So you felt nothing? You didn’t feel like there’s something weird? Something’s going on?”

Tyler smirks. “Not every strange person is out to get us, mate. Sometimes people are just weird. Or lonely. Sometimes they just want someone to talk to and don’t know how to go about it. Remember how you felt when you first moved here? How different it was and you didn’t have any friends? It’s like that. But a hundred times worse. A guy’s thousands of miles from home, missing his wife, missing his kids, maybe having a shit day. So he wants to reach out to someone.”

“So you really felt nothing? Nothing at all?”

“Just a normal guy missing his family, kid. That’s all. Thought you were getting a handle on this. The paranoia. It’s been five years. If someone from back home was after you, they’d have found you by now.”

“You don’t worry? About people from your past coming to find you?”

“If I just my entire time worrying about stuff like that, I’d never leave the house. And let’s not get too into it, yeah?” he nods down at Millie and then over at the twins. “Little ears and all.”

He likes to keep things on the downlow as far as the kids are concerned. They’re young and vulnerable. Impressionable. And telling them that their dad helps people is one thing, but telling them that he sometimes has to hurt and even kill people to do it, is a different beast all on its own.

“Does chocolate milk come from brown cows?” TJ suddenly asks, effectively breaking the mood.

“Excuse me?” his father laughs. “What?”

“Well if the white milk comes from the black and white cows, where does the chocolate milk come from?” his son continues. “Brown cows, right?”

“That’s not how it works,” Tyler chuckles. “That’s not how any of that works. It comes from putting chocolate in white milk.”

“What about the grass?” Tanner’s turn now. “How come the grass is green and the sky is blue?”

“That’s a simple one,” Tyler says. “If the sky was green like the grass, you wouldn’t know where to stop mowing.”

Ovi can’t help but laugh at that. The way it is said with the utmost seriousness and how the kids are now both in awe that their dad knew that and thinking he’s apparently the smartest man on the planet. He’s able to relax again. Calmed by the fact that he’s with his people.

His family.

#tyler rake #tyler rake fan fiction #tyler rake fan fic #chris hemsworth character #extraction #sanctuary

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mollymauk-teafleak · 5 years ago

Text

what more can I say?

There is a minor mystery for Juno to solve- why is Rita acting so strangely?

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Please consider reblogging or leaving a comment on Ao3, it means the world to me and it’s free!

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Juno had known Rita for a very long time, he knew her better than just about anyone. So, quite some time ago, he had stopped trying to understand a lot of her decisions. There were some things that could only be chalked up as pure Rita-isms.

Something he hadn’t realised until recently, or at least hadn’t allowed himself to realise, was that following her crazy straw streams of non-logic would usually lead to a lot more fun than scowling or snapping at her would. He still felt a hot pinching sensation in the pit of his stomach when he thought about things he’d said to her in the past.

So for that and other reasons, when she came to him after their weekly family dinner, dragged his plate out from under his fork and told him they were gonna go to his room and get him dressed up nice, he didn’t immediately tell her to go to hell.

Instead he gestured with his fork at the plate, still with a good few mouthfuls of the moussaka he’d spent all afternoon making, and said, “I’m not done with that…”

“You can eat later, Mistah Steel,” Rita said immediately, stepping on the end of his sentence like he’d barely even spoken, “C’mon, let’s go to your room, let’s hang out! Like the old days, right?”

Juno narrowed his eye, not bothering to point out that they hadn’t hung out really in the old days, he’d been a sour asshole of a cliff face and she had been an undeservingly relentless tide of friendship crashing against him.

“Why exactly would I go get dressed up?” he put audible air quotes around the phrase, “We’re floating in the middle of deep space and will remain that way for the next three weeks.”

Rita’s eyes darted left and right before her grin increased another factor of ten, “I just think it’ll be fun! Who needs a reason, right?”

“Certainly not you…” Juno admitted, looking around at the kitchen.

Was it him or had the table cleared eerily quickly? Normally the crew lazed around, enjoying knowing their work for the day was done and the evening was entirely their own. He was used to Buddy lighting up the one cigarette she allowed herself per day, filling the air with a rich smell like burning flowers; he was used to Jet closing his eyes, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair, no one ever quite sure if he was asleep. He was used to doing the dishes with Rita, flicking bubbles at each other until Buddy calmly and fondly told them to quit before they turned the floor of her kitchen into a swamp. He was used to his boyfriend pulling him to rest against his shoulder and wrapping curls of his hair around his fingers, gradually getting more intimate and caring less about who was watching until Vespa would pretend to retch and tell them to get a room.

But it seemed like everyone had somewhere to be tonight, including his boyfriend. Nureyev was nowhere to be seen, which was passing strange. Juno had suggested they watch a movie together about now and he had seemed to agree but now he’d disappeared. Not completely unusual for Nureyev, obviously, but Juno somehow felt a little stood up, like a date left lingering at the bar.

“Fine, fine,” Juno sighed, “Whatever. Still don’t see what’s wrong with what I’m wearing…”

Rita looked down at his homemade tie dye shirt, the pyjama pants with the slack elastic, bright purple and patterned in cartoon bats that he’d been wearing since one not even memorable Halloween decades ago, the bed socks that didn’t match. She didn’t say anything which, for Rita, spoke volumes.

Juno pushed back his chair, rolling his eyes and walking towards his room. Behind him, Rita squealed and clapped her hands in delight before hurrying after him.

Nureyev wasn’t in there either, as Juno had been hoping. Not that they ever really hung out in his room, given that it was a tip and all the disorganisation gave Nureyev a headache. Juno thought that was kind of hypocritical, he’d seen the inside of that man’s pockets.

But he did have to admit, it was looking more and more like a teenager’s room as the days went by. It didn’t help that he hadn’t slept in here since he and Nureyev had gotten back together and now basically used it to store all the things he didn’t regularly need. The important stuff like his everyday clothes, his current book and his guitar were in Nureyev’s much tidier bunk. This was where he threw things he knew he wouldn’t need to put his hands on at a moment’s notice.

Like his wardrobe of nice clothes and fancy dresses, which Rita currently had the whole upper half of her body sunk into like she was going to end up face first in Narnia, spitting out snow.

“You got a lot of real cute outfits in here, Boss…” she called back, her voice muffled by netting and satin.

“Not your boss,” Juno yawned, flopping back onto the bed, sending a sheaf of files on jobs completed months ago tumbling onto the floor, “They’re mostly stuff for heists and the one date night a month me and Ransom get when we’re not stuck in the outer space ass crack of the middle of nowhere.”

“Nothing from the old days?” Rita hummed, reappearing briefly with a necklace wrapped around one of her space buns before plunging back in.

“You think anything from then is still gonna fit over my thighs?” Juno arched an incredulous eyebrow, “Nah, that all got left behind when we split from Mars. Besides...I dunno, I guess it wasn’t really my style anymore.”

Rita reappeared, looking like some kind of burrowing animal who’d made her nest in fabrics, “Oh I know, Mistah Steel. Cos you were kinda depressed back then, huh?”

Juno had to laugh wryly, “Yeah, I guess so. Or at least...I dunno. I was different, that’s for sure.”

Rita grinned and disappeared back into the wardrobe, “Now you got Misah Ransom. And you’re in love and happy.”

Juno felt himself blush and he suddenly became very interested in his fingernails, “I mean...I guess…”

“How about this one?” Rita burst out, holding a dress that was floor length and blue, glittering gently in the light.

Juno remembered it as soon as he saw it, it had been from a job at a Venusian casino. He’d spent the whole night with one hand idly stroking the skirts as they’d lain across his lap, he’d enjoyed the feel of it that much. As soon as he’d been presented with it, he’d thought of it as a slice of the night sky taken down and woven into a garment. He’d felt a little like a constellation come to life, he’d felt actually kind of pretty.

And, after they were back on the ship, Nureyev had disappeared under those skirts and made him feel beautiful.

Juno shook his head, “I still don’t see why we’re doing this but sure. That one works. There’s shoes to go with it somewhere in there.”

Rita found the shoes and a necklace and earring set that hadn’t been part of the original ensemble but matched very well. They were gold and gossamer thin, like the product of some jewelled spider, and they were studded part way along by miniscule stars. They looped and hung subtly, like Nureyev’s own earrings that he’d always admired.

“Aren’t you getting dressed up?” he tilted his head to fix the earring on better, looking in the small wall mirror that had come with the room, “I thought we were hanging out? I’m gonna feel like an ass looking like this on my own.”

He could see her reflection in the background of the mirror, she was checking her comms. Just as she’d done six times since they came in.

“Oh you won’t be the only one, Boss,” she said quickly, “I’ll get my gladrags on in a little bit.”

“Not your boss,” Juno sighed, “And fine, whatever. Though this is feeling more like a prank by the second.

“Not a prank,” Rita replied primly, “Just think it’ll make you feel nice. Does a lady good to beautify themselves every so often, y’know?”

Juno shared an exasperated look with his mirror self but he pulled out his old make up bag all the same. It was a mess, smeared on the inside with smudges of colour like a parrot had exploded inside it, and it’s chaos reminded him why he used Nureyev’s much more extensive supply instead.

Still, it was sort of fun, picking out shades that looked nice, playing with colour and shape. Nureyev always applied his make up too, doing it with one eye wasn’t impossible but it was harder. And he loved having his boyfriend so close, being the sole focus of every scrap of his attention. It made him squirm in a good way and often led to things that meant they had to redo the make up anyway.

But there was something fun about doing it himself too. It reminded him of being a teenager, one of the few fragments of that age that made him feel good, trying out the lipstick and mascara he’d shoplifted and suddenly feeling happy with his face in a way he never had, eventually finding words that could give him the same feeling. It didn’t have to look good, it didn’t have to be perfect, it never had. It made him smile all the same.

“That’s looking real pretty, Mistah Steel,” Rita popped up again, beaming like a proud older sister seeing her brother off to prom.

“It’s lopsided,” Juno grunted, focused on his eyeliner, “...but thanks.”

“You’re always looking real pretty,” Rita continued, her voice softening, “Does me good to see a smile on your face every day, Mistah Steel, it really does. You’ve always deserved someone like him, you know, someone who makes you smile and treats you right. I’m glad you found him and you worked out all the sticky bits and now you kiss and stuff…”

Juno turned to give her a look, “What’s with the misty eyes, Rita?”

“No reason!” she jumped, like she’d realised she was sliding down into something and busied herself looking at her comms again, her face a little tense like she was concentrating.

Juno watched her for a long minute, feeling the detective part of his brain stir. She was up to something, he could have seen that with his one eye closed. It was what she was up to exactly that he needed to find out.

“Say!” she bounced up to his side, taking his arm, “Why don’t we go up on the observation deck? Take a little walk? Maybe we can...oh! That’s it, we can take some pictures! Nice pretty pictures!”

Juno was too intrigued to argue, wanting to see where this was all going, “Why the hell not, huh? Me looking like a debutante and you still in your pyjamas. Why the hell not…”

Rita did blush, her eyes sliding down to the floor. But then she seemed to gather herself, the way he’d seen her do on so many late nights at the HCPD, so many cases that had seemed impossible, so many things he hadn’t thought they’d survive.

“Well what are we waiting for?” she grinned, tugging him up onto the kitten heels she’d found, “Let’s go see some stars!”

Again, the Carte Blanche seemed oddly silent. Juno could never forget that he lived with five other people, there would always be someone playing music or voices echoing down the halls as someone had a conversation. Jet hammering away or cursing as solder dripped on his fingers, Rita shrieking at some jumpscare in her show accompanied by the patter of popcorn hitting her bed, Buddy singing to herself as she brushed her hair out before bed, Vespa working late in the infirmary, knives and scalpels clattering out a sharp edged song as she sorted through them.

And Nureyev, always his Nureyev, humming to himself as he brushed out his hair, singing in the shower, stealing Juno’s book and laughing at the same bits he’d laughed at, talking away as he sewed. His voice, always part of Juno’s life, the constant reminder that he was there and close and Juno’s.

But it was like he and Rita were the only ones on the ship, in the universe even. There was only the click of his own heels and the gentle jangle of his jewellery, along with Rita’s heavy breathing which seemed to be getting more and more as they went along.

She was keeping something from him. Not something she did often but he could see she was practically bursting at the seams, about to explode in a fountain of confetti and probably an ear splitting scream. He was suppressing the urge to take a step back from her, just in case.

The Carte Blanche’s observation deck was right at the top, in the outermost of the ship’s bulged exterior. It required the climbing of a lot of stairs and a ladder, worming through the ship’s tightest spots, not exactly easy in heels and a long, swishing skirt. Harder even, seeing as Rita insisted on never letting go of his hand as she led him for some reason, her fingers warm in his own and trembling with the excitement she was trying to pretend wasn’t there.

If asked later, Juno would say it was because he hadn’t actually been a detective in years, it was no wonder his skills were a little rusty. That would be his excuse for why he didn’t realise what was happening until they reached the bottom of the last ladder and he heard the music drifting down.

It took him a moment to place it but once he did, he was there so completely it was like he’d slipped and ended up in another time. He was in a ballroom with towering ceilings and walls lined with impossibly expensive treasures. His dress wasn’t blue but gold and his heels were uncomfortably tall and Nureyev was beside him, slowly opening up to him over the course of an evening, ready to hear what he was saying. It wasn’t the high energy song they’d danced to, but the quiet, gentle song that had been playing as they’d ran as fast as they could back out into the night, laughter rising in their chest like champagne bubbles, a piece of a legend hidden under Juno’s skirts and his fingers wound through Nureyev’s.

Back in the moment, realigned in the here and now, Juno froze, a soft gasp escaping him.

Rita stopped, one of her feet on the rung of the ladder, turning back to him and seeing in a second what he’d realised.

“Oh no,” she moaned, her face falling into despair, “I told Mistah Ransom I’d keep it secret, I’m sorry, I knew I’d ruin it…’

Juno shook his head, squeezing her hand, “No, you’ve not ruined anything, Rita. He won’t be mad and neither am I.”

Rita looked at him doubtfully from behind her rhinestone encrusted glasses. He remembered the slow day they’d sat cross legged on his dusty office carpet and glued all of those little things on there. He’d found the bastards in the pockets of his coat for months afterwards.

“Are you sure, Boss? Cos you look kinda...pale? Like that ashy, not so good colour...”

Juno chuckled roughly, “It’s just a big deal, y’know? Everything kind of changes from this point. And I’m not your boss.”

Rita scuffed the toe of her sandal against the floor, “Maybe not as much as you think though? You’ll still have your thief and we’ll still live on this awesome ship like super cool space pirates. You’ll just get to call him something different!”

Juno considered that, feeling like he wanted to grin so hard his jaw would ache, his heart hammering against his ribs like it wanted out, “I do…”

“And...well,” Rita flashed her ten kilowatt smile, “If you wanna go steal Mistah Jet’s car and go drive off to Pluto together? We can do that right now. I got your back, Mistah Steel.”

Juno cackled, “Thanks, Rita. Maybe one day but for now...I think I’m gonna go in there.”

Rita nodded, making her space buns bounce, kissing his cheek lightly before starting back down the way they had come, “Sounds like a good idea to me. I’ll talk to ya later, Boss.”

“I’m not your boss!” Juno called after her, only realising when their voices were echoing together off the chrome walls that she’d mimicked him perfectly.

Juno chuckled to himself and faced the last ladder again, taking a deep breath. Another fragment of another time tried to press in, wanting to overlay itself across this moment, wanting to drag his thoughts in another direction. But Juno swept it away firmly. He would enjoy this. He would look back on this and feel nothing but joy.

Still smiling, he climbed, stepping up into the music.

Nureyev always paced when he was nervous. He was just so rarely nervous that many people didn’t notice.

But he was pacing now, rapidly walking the length of the observation deck, checking his comms over and over, watching the little digital numbers tick higher and higher.

Juno was supposed to be here two minutes and twenty seconds ago. That was what he had agreed with Rita, having to sit her down, hold her head and speak very slowly to make sure she was actually listening. It was all as meticulously planned as any heist the Aurinko crime family had ever pulled off, maybe even more so because this was his plan. He’d constructed this, down to the second, and he’d selected his partner carefully. He had a lot of faith in the little hacker, at least in how much she wanted Juno to be happy. He’d laid it all out for her at a table in the nicest restaurant he could find during their last stop planetside, he’d run her through every step and sub-step, every contingency plan. After she’d cried happy tears into her wine for an hour.

But now, right at the most important moment, it was falling apart. He was in position, with the music playing and the candles flickering like some of the stars outside had come loose and settled on every available surface. He was dressed impeccably, in the outfit it had taken him two weeks to decide on. It was part way between Duke Rose and Rex Glass, sleek and sophisticated but softer than he would dress for a job. He didn’t want armour for this, he wanted to be vulnerable. He wanted to wear things that would remind Juno of everywhere they’d been and every step that had brought them here. He even had sunglasses perched on his head as something of a joke.

He was as ready as he was ever going to be, sweating under his silk and mouth dry as a bone behind his perfectly lipsticked smile. But he had no Juno.

A million rationally unlikely but impossible to shake off theories vied for his attention. Nureyev knew they’d talked about this at length, he knew Juno’s past, he knew how he’d been hurt. He had been completely ready to accept that this was never something he’d want.

But he had also believed him when he’d taken his hands, a hundred nights ago now, and said this was okay. That one day, at some shining point in their future, Nureyev could ask and he would answer.

Nureyev knew that. He told himself that over and over but the possibility that Juno might have bolted was lurking in the back of his mind now, a shadow on a wall that kept catching on the corner of his eye. Maybe he’d been wrong this whole time, maybe he’d heard only what he wanted to hear. Maybe he’d dreamed the whole damn thing and was about to wake up alone in a hotel room in Hyperion City.

Four minutes now. Nureyev pressed his fingertips to his temples and willed himself to calm down. There was no time to spiral, he had to keep his feet on the ground. Losing his head had never done him any good, only telling himself he was in control until he willed it so had ever worked. If he told himself all was well then it would be, even if Juno never turned up, if he never turned up…

“Nureyev?”

His voice was soft but Nureyev would have picked it out from thousands. His heart was in his throat as he turned, a soft breath leaving him as he saw the lady life had rewarded him with, in spite of everything he’d done.

Juno looked beautiful, wearing his blue, star studded dress, a number Nureyev wasn’t likely to forget after how the night had ended the last time he’d worn it. His face was done up but it was everything underneath that made Nureyev stop, the scars and the badly healed breaks and the lines. Everything that reminded him it wasn’t a goddess he was looking at, it was something so much better. A human person, broken and tired as he was, who by some miracle loved him as much as he loved them.

You couldn’t spend the rest of your life with a goddess, after all.

It only took a second before Nureyev realised what that coy, lopsided smile meant. He knew. And a heartbeat later they were both laughing.

“I’m sorry,” Juno managed to get out in between his wheezing laughs, bracing on his knees, “I’m so sorry, go ahead, pretend this didn’t happen. Do your thing.”

Nureyev had his arms wrapped around himself, like he needed to physically hold it together, giggling madly, “Nothing ever goes right for us, does it?”

“No,” Juno admitted, finally straightening and wiping at his eye, “But I like that. We’re consistent if nothing else. But seriously, pretend I’m not a complete idiot, go ahead.”

“You’re not,” Nureyev smiled crookedly, taking a deep breath and brushing down the front of his suit, though it was as spotless as ever, clearing his throat before asking, “May I have this dance, Mr Steel?”

Juno smiled bright as a sun and held out his hand, “Thought you’d never ask.”

Nureyev had been trained in every kind of formal dance found on any solar planet, he knew every step, every combination, and he could move through them with grace and poise, every limb extending perfectly like he was underwater. Juno clearly had a scant fraction of that knowledge but what made the difference was he danced like he enjoyed it. He didn’t dance to perform, he didn’t dance for other people’s eyes. Clearly, he danced because it made him smile. And the smile he gave Nureyev as they danced across the observation deck, silhouetted before a galaxy, was beautiful enough to hurt.

It felt for a moment like they were dancing through the last decade. As the pink light from the cluster of gas and stars shifted, Juno’s face changed and Nureyev saw all the versions of his love that he’d known. He saw a scared and bitter detective who’d wanted him to save him but wouldn’t let it happen. He saw the man who’d fully intended to die for him. He saw the man who had held him and promised him his heart, only to snatch it away at the last moment so he wouldn’t see how cracked and scarred it was. He saw the man who’d bared everything to him after knocking on his door, with mascara smudges in the corner of his eyes, and made Nureyev want to stay for the first time in his life.

Nureyev couldn’t bear it any more. He stopped, dipping Juno carefully in his arms, pressing a feather light kiss to his lips so he didn’t overbalance them. Juno was laughing again as he righted them, knowing what was coming, tears already beading on his eyelashes.

Smiling softly, the thief sank to one knee and produced the ring he definitely hadn’t stolen, seemingly from thin air but actually from his pocket.

“Juno Steel,” he murmured, not seeing the point of flowery language, not right now, “I love you more than I have ever loved anyone in the whole Universe. Will you marry me?”

It was an old ring, something he’d picked up at an antique shop the last time they had been on Earth, the only planet old enough to actually have antiques. It was simple, winding silver arms holding a small diamond, nondescript so he would never have to take it off no matter what job they were on. It had a deep sense of history to it, a piece of living proof that everything difficult in their lives, everything that had hurt them, couldn’t take away the future they had in front of them. Things kept moving forward, they always had.

Juno gave a little sob when he saw it, the kind that was kind of a laugh too. He held out his hand, nodding hard, “Yes. Yes, Peter Nureyev, I will marry you.”

Before the ring was even fully on his finger, he was crashing down onto his knees to kiss him, throwing his arms around Nureyev’s shoulders. They were laughing again because how could either of them have imagined it would end like this?

“I love you,” Juno gasped, kissing him hard in between bright bursts of laughter, “I love you, I love you, god damnit, I love you…”

“Fool,” Nureyev breathed, smiling, tears running down his face and not caring, “And I love you too.”

They wouldn’t be able to do it officially of course, Nureyev didn’t really exist and they were all living outside of the law and very much wanted by several different authorities. It would be something more performative, Buddy as their captain performing the rights in something of a space age matelotage, just their little family to witness it. But it would mean everything to them.

And Juno knew exactly who his maid of honour was going to be.

#jupeter #tpp #the penumbra podcast #juno steel #peter nureyev #tpp juno #tpp nureyev #tpp rita #rita #junoverse #juniverse #proposal #just some wholesome gayness tonight #and some good good Juno and Rita friendship

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voyages-extraordinaires · 7 years ago

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C:R ~VE~ Chapter 51 (EXPLICIT)

The following chapter contains explicit content between Nemo and Aronnax.

---

“We’ll have to come up with evacuation plans for the workers here,” Barbicane muses as he walks out of the hangar. “Cy-chan, can I put you in charge of that? We’ll have to prep enough of the fleet that everyone can get out of here safely.”

“Think we can do it in a week?” asks Smith.

“The ships look like they’re in better shape than the airships,” Barbicane continues. “It’ll be easier to get them ready. We’ll send a proper rescue up here once we get back to Steel London. Nobody’s going to die here. Not while Impey Barbicane is on the job!”

“You really do belong on the nice list, Impey,” says Cardia.

I watch the three of them walk off, Barbicane’s face so red that it matches his hair.

However, when I begin to walk down the hall, I almost trip over a leather boot.

“Ohohoho! Where do you think yoooooooou’re running off to so fast?!”

I look up to the owner of the leather boot, who’s leaning against the wall with a wide grin.

“I’m going to find Hatteras,” I reply. “Shouldn’t you be working on your part, too?”

I step over Nemo’s boot and continue walking, only to almost trip over its mate.

Nemo… is spread-eagle, balancing on his heels with his back to the wall, his smile strained. Where he looked rather attractive before, now he just looks, ah, rather desperate.

“What’s the huuuuuuuuuuuurry?”

Nemo’s smile fades as he begins to lean back, the flimsy wall beginning to buckle. With a shout I grab his arm and hoist him back up.

Instead of standing up, though, he leans on me, resting his chin on my shoulder.

“Nemo… we only have a week.”

I feel him shrug under my arms.

“A week for me to do my joooooob? Ha! I could get it done in haaaaaaaalf the time, even leeeeeess…”

He turns his head and looks at me with a grin. “I’m more iiiiiiiiiinterested in dedicating some tiiiiiiime to seeing what their research is all about.”

My eyes widen.

“A-haaaa! See? Your eyes are spaaaaaaarkling, Polly-chan! Come oooooon! We caaaaaan’t let all this go to waaaaaaaste!”

Before I can protest, he grabs my hand and begins to lead me down one of the halls.

“T-The research laboratory is the other way!” I manage to stutter out.

“Mrm?” Nemo straightens up before looking to where I’m pointing. Like he had meant to go that way the entire time, he swerves on his heels and pulls me to his hip so we’re walking side-by-side in the correct direction.

When we get to the laboratory, of course it’s filled with people performing their research.

“We won’t be able to look at too much without it being suspicious,” I say.

“What’s suspiiiiiicious about two scientists enjoying science?” Nemo looks at me with his bright smile. “Come ooooon!”

Not needing any prompting, Nemo begins excitedly looking over the shoulders of the researchers, peering into their microphones, flipping through their notes and generally being a nuisance. He looks so happy, though!

“Fwee hee hee… ohhhh, the Royal Society would tie themselves in knooooooots to get ahold of this!” Nemo snatches a clipboard out of a researcher’s hand and waves it to me. “The composition of the North Pole itseeeeeeeelf! This is the stuff Britain’s sent multiple exploration parties to their deaaaaaths for!”

I notice the room clearing out rather quickly, and I nod apologies to the disgruntled workers. It’s convenient, though, this way it will be easier to look around.

“OOOOOOOOOOH! Ohhhhh, you’d looooooooove this, Professoooooor!”

That particular screech was the one that sent the rest of the scientists packing, leaving us alone in the laboratory.

“Tch, cooowards…” Nemo mutters as he sets the clipboard down. “Now, let’s see what juuuuuuuuicy secrets you boys were hiding………”

He begins to type into a console, the lights reflecting in his goggles and teeth so he looks like a monster.

Eventually, though, he leans back with a sigh. “No breakthroughs, reeeeeally… other than their observations of the Pole…… not that I’m not iiiiinterested in the astrological phenomena, flora, fauna, geology, magnetism, all of those delightful thiiiiiiiiiiiings…”

Nemo pouts.

“I was reeeeeeeally hoping that Hatteras would have some diabooooolical weapon designs hiiiiding…”

I walk up behind him and put my hand on his slumped shoulder. “Isn’t that what he wanted to hire you for, Nemo?”

He suddenly straightens up, looking at me with a big smile. “That’s right, that’s riiiiiiiiiiiiiiight--!”

Nemo’s as loud as ever, humming as he begins looking at the binders of work stacked nearby.

“You don’t plan on… really stealing…?” I hiss in a whisper.

Nemo looks at me before pulling his goggles down enough that I can see his violet eyes shoot an icy glare my way.

“Despiiiiiiiiiiiite what Mister Gravity Alleviator saaaaaays…” he pushes his goggles back into place. “I’ve never stolen a scrap of research in my life. I’d neeeeever ask questions when I received certain things, liiiiike…. The Gravity Alleviator…” he coughs into his fist loudly. “But I don’t pilfer. If…” he lowers his voice, but it doesn’t do much. “If this research leaves this place… the scientists who did that work will be the ones to receive credit, accolades, profit, etcetera etcetera.”

He sniffs, looking offended.

“I don’t plaaaaaaaaaaaan on furthering my careers with lies, Aronnaaaaaaaax.”

“I should have known,” I say, putting a hand to my chest. I tiptoe to him and peer up at him from below. “I’m sorry.”

“Mmmmph,” he shrugs. “Sometimes it’s hard to keep traaaaaack of my morals, I don’t blame yoooooooou.”

He leans down and rubs the tip of his nose against mine, smiling.

“Besiiiiiiides… it’s fun to make cute girls nervous!”

With a giggle he grabs me and kisses me deeply, only stopping when I pull away with a gasp.

“Nemo!” I exclaim. “Don’t you think it’s a little too cold to be playing around like this?”

“Playing arooooound…?” he arcs an eyebrow. “You really do think I’m up to no gooood, huh?”

He moves aside and pushes me down on the table, his grin wide.

“Maybe I should prove you right…. how cold aaaaare you, my deeeeear?”

I see his eyes widen in delight behind his goggles as he unbuttons my coat and grabs a handful of one of my breasts.

“Nemo!” I can do little more than gawk.

“Fwee hee heeeeee….” he clucks his tongue. “Looks like you ARE cold, or maybe you just enjoy it when I’m baaaaad?”

He rubs his thumb over one of my nipples, and I arch my back when he bends down and kisses it through the fabric.

“Wait, Nemo!” I sit up, only a little surprised when he steps back to allow me to get up. “It really is too cold in here… come on…”

I push my coat together and take his hand, my cheeks burning from embarrassment as I take him to the back room.

I sheepishly stare at the floor as Nemo shuts the door behind us, leaving us alone with the narwhal skeleton.

“Always with your mind on sciiiiience, thaaaaaaaat’s my girl…” Nemo puts a hand on my shoulder.

I lean into him, a smile teasing the edges of my lips. “It’s warmer in here, too.”

“Warm enough to play around…?”

I give a nod before letting my winter coat slide off my shoulders and pool on the floor.

I can’t hold back my laughter as Nemo loops his hands around my waist and buries his head in my neck, tickling me with his chin and assaulting my skin with kisses. I lean my head back, smiling as he begins to undo my blouse.

But then I see something in the corner of my room.

Nemo whines when I turn around, but his expression grows serious when he sees me gesture to one of Hatteras’ listening devices.

“We have… twoooo options, darling…” he tilts his head. “If he’s liiiiiiiiistening, then he’s already heaaaard enough to know what we plan on doing…”

He pushes my body tight against him, and I blush when I feel his penis shift under the fabric.

“Either we give him a show he never forgeeeeeeeets…” his smile splits wickedly across his face. “Or I get to show off a bit! Aaaah, if I do that, thooooough…”

He steps back and shrugs.

“There’s no waaaaaaay he wouldn’t send his men to investigate. We would have to work quickly, my darliiiiing…”

He takes one of my hands and puts it to his crotch, and with half-lidded eyes I wrap my fingers around his swelling shaft.

“You know I don’t last long when you do theeeeeese things to meeeeee… it might be fun to go against the clock…” he looks from my hand to my eyes. “It’s up to you, Pauline.”

“Shoving clothes aside and desperately seeking out each other’s heat…” I bite my lip and stop myself from continuing when I remember the listening device. “Show off for me, Nemo.”

Nemo kisses my hand and laughs, “Myyyyyyy laaaaady!” before reaching into his coat and pulling out a pistol. With a bow and a flourish, Nemo fires at the listening device. Then he turns and does the same thing to another one that I hadn’t seen. Three, four, and a final one near the door.

He drops his gun to the floor and soon his winter coat follows it. Sparks haven’t even stopped falling from the devices before Nemo’s turning me around and pushing me against the wall with my buttocks arched up in the air. With a groan he lifts up the back of my skirt and begins to pet my panties with his thumb, pushing it in and rubbing it in circles.

“Are you reeeeeady~?” he giggles. “This might feel a little different, but…”

He pushes my panties aside and rubs the tip of his penis against my entrance, sighing contentedly when he feels that it’s already lubricated. I can tell he’s only half-hard at this point, but that doesn’t stop him from pushing inside.

“It’ll feel amaaaazing… to grow inside of yoouuu..!”

He bends his knees so he’s closer to my height, beginning to slowly thrust into me. Sure enough, the feeling of him swelling inside my vaginal walls makes me groan in delight.

“Good, huh~? Do you like how your body makes me get nice and thiiiiiick? Wicked little thiiiiing!” he bends over me, brushing a strand of hair away from my ear as he hisses against it. “What if those researchers come baaaaaaaack? What a sight they would see--!”

“F-Fuck me harder!” is the only thing I can manage to cry out.

“You’re getting better at telling me what—” he thrusts hard “—you—” again “—waaaaaant--!”

By this point he’s completely stiff, and I bite my lip as I begin to grind myself against him. He stops thrusting to watch me rock his penis in and out, rolling my hips so he’s rubbing me at different angles.

“You’re amaaaazing…” he moans, bending over and hugging me from behind, one arm wrapped around my stomach and another kneading one of my breasts. “I love you… I love you so much…!”

He buries his head in my shoulder, panting and grunting as he continues to thrust.

“I really… reeeeally… missed this… missed yoooou…!”

But there’s something else, too, a wetness on my shoulder as his thrusts become more erratic.

“P-Pull out for a second, baby…” I shudder when I hear how lusty my voice has become, but there’s something more important I need to check on.

Nemo sniffs as he pulls out and steps back, confirming my suspicions.

I turn around and lean my back against the wall before pulling him back towards me, holding his face in my hands and gently kissing his wet cheeks, darting out my tongue to lick away the tears streaking his skin.

“Good boy…” I whisper. “That’s a good boy, Nemo… I love you too.”

Nemo’s penis visibly throbs when I tell him that he’s a good boy. How cute…

I arch my hips up for him, pulling my panties aside so he can see just how aroused he’s made me. My labia’s so swollen with lust, the overhead lights making it shine with its lubrication. For a moment, it looks like poor Nemo’s forgotten how to breathe.

I make sure I’m looking directly at his goggles as I lift one of my legs and wrap it around his hip, pushing him back against me. Shaking, he grips my thigh with such force that I shudder before he enters me again.

Still trembling and sniffling, he wraps his other arm around my back and pulls me so close to him that it’s more like we’re grinding against each other than thrusting.

“I missed you too, Nemo,” I murmur into his shoulder, blinking away tears of my own. “It feels like I had to sp-spend such a long time without you!”

I begin kissing him, gently, tasting his lipstick and sucking on his skin as we get back into the rhythm we had before.

My mind’s getting cloudy as I begin to nip at him, which finally makes him smile again as he buries his head in my neck, biting down as he resumes his deep thrusting.

“I love it when you bite me like that…!” I cry. “Hold me in place like an animal in heat!!”

I rake my hands through his hair as our pace picks up again, murmuring over and over again what a good boy he is and how good he’s making me feel. I’m not even sure he can understand me, my words have slurred so much and his moans are increasing in volume.

“Deeper… deeper… deeperdeeperdeeper…!” I bite my lip and curl my toes as he finally lifts me off the ground, positioning his hips so he can thrust in as deep as I want him to.

“I—I can’t hold baaaaaaaaack…!” Nemo’s moan is so loud that the wall around us reverberates from its lustful force.

“Inside---!” my cry is strangled. “I want it—”

I bite my lip, trembling and clinging to him desperately as my body begins to rock with a powerful orgasm. He’s shaking, too, clenching his teeth as his semen fills my insides, spurt after thick spurt. It’s so warm, and the feeling reminds me of how much I had missed him. I lean my head against his shoulder, reminding myself that he’s here. He’s here and he’s inside and I refuse to let him go!

My body finally begins to relax and I roll my head back, listening to our breathing slow to a normal tempo. I kiss his head, his ear, his forehead, whatever I can until he lifts his face so I can reach his lips. Only then do my kisses slow, until our lips are gently roaming over each other’s as our bodies calm down.

“D-Did yoooou…?” he tilts his head worriedly, and I nod, answering him with another kiss. He smiles proudly, puffing out his chest before gently lowering my leg back to the floor. When he pulls out, he quickly pushes my panties back in place—and I swear I can see a wink behind the goggles.

“Don’t want to spill a drooooop~” he grins before quickly giving me an innocent shrug. “It’d be inconveeeeenient to have to clean our mess up.”

“Mm-hmm,” I wrap an arm around his shoulders and give him another kiss. “I’m sure that’s all it is, huh?”

I reach down with my free hand and gently give his penis a slow squeeze, making him tremble again. A droplet of semen oozes down his tip and I wipe it off, bringing my messy fingers to my lips with a smile.

“You’re one to taaaaaaalk,” he says as he gestures to me. “May I put it away or did you want to plaaaaaaay with it some more? Gooooodness… making looooove in public places… reeeeeally gets you going, doesn’t it?”

I look away, scoffing. “I’m not some kind of exhibitionist, you know!”

Nemo smiles, bending down to my height and seeking out my eyes. “Uh-huuuuuh? Soooorry, my deeear, but the scientific evidence prooooves otherwise!”

He cups my cheek in his hand and turns me towards him so I can see the look of delight on his face. “You were saying the most woooonderful things… moving your hips so exquiiiisitely! It was a real… reeeeeal turn-on…”

“And what about you?” I mimic him, cupping his cheek in my hand. “You definitely swelled a bit when I told you what a good boy you are.”

I glance down and smile when I see his penis give a tired twitch. I reach down and tuck it back into his pants, buttoning them up as I give him a quick kiss.

“I guess we all have our quirks,” I say with a resigned sigh.

“I beliiiiiiiiiieve they’re called kinks, my loooove.”

He leans his forehead against mine and giggles, and I soon join him, only stopping in order to kiss him.

“I love you,” I say. “Even if you are an ass.”

“Eveeeeen?” he arcs an eyebrow.

I give a wry smile before tweaking his nose. “Fine… I love you -because- you’re an ass, Nemo.”

He looks so damn proud as he puts a hand on his hip triumphantly, using his other one to pull me to him so he can give me more and more of his kisses.

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dootznbootz · 7 years ago

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DIFH x2 Chapter 4: Hoarding?

Nalu multichap Basically it’s Natsu’s and Lucy’s point of views in which their away from each other and sad/mad about it. And if any of you have read my other fics, You KNOW It’s going to have more Fluff in it than a Build-A-Bear Workshop and a Pillow factory combined! Sometimes so fluffy that it may seem out of character at times so yeah! (Better summary in first chapter!)

On fanfiction

Rating: T (swearing, puberty, violence, some mentions of abuse and there is sadness but there is not smut or sex in any way shape or form!)

Words:

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |

I really couldn't figure this out and I've rewritten it SO many times but out of all of the ones I had this one was my favorite. It's really cheesy, but whatever. What do ya expect? I have a dairy farm! There's gonna be cheese! And honestly I was kinda just letting my writing go wild on this one...

"What the fuck are you doing Salamander?" Gajeel said, one metal eyebrow up, looking at the pinkette who currently had the top half of him flopped out the window, from his sitting position on the couch. In the tall man's hands, was the metal box that was on the couch earlier.

"I'm trying to see if I can see any sign of Luce but... it's so dark in there right now. There was so much noise before but now it's gone. What do you think they're doing?"

"Uh, probably sleeping. Which I am tryin' to do and what you should be doin' too!" Gajeel sneered. When Gajeel didn't hear a response, he looked up to see if Salamander or his blue cat was looking. Happy was sleeping on his green sack that he always carried on his back while Natsu still out the window but now whimpering and whining softly. Tch, what a moron… Gajeel thought. ...Can't he see how damn lucky he is? Even though deep down, Gajeel was in the same state. But by now, he was used to the pain of being away from the one he loves...

Knowing that Natsu was occupied and Happy sleeping, (He didn't have to worry about Pantherlily seeing, he already knew) Gajeel looked back at the intricate metal box and smiled softly. Patting the top, he opened it carefully as if it was the most precious thing in the existence.

Inside was a book, an orange T-shirt, and a yellow polka-dotted headband. Quickly, he tucked the items into his arms, flipped over on the couch so his back was facing everyone. He took in the scent of paper, ink, and lavender of all the items and immediately relaxed, the familiar rumbling from his throat began. All tension left his body all at once. Although the scents of the items were faded, they were enough to calm him.

The whimpering pinkette had his eyes squinting and nose twitching, searching for any sign of his most precious person but nonetheless, even the comfort of his absolute favorite scent of vanilla and fruity sweetness was nowhere to be found as he stared at the building. It took every fiber of his being to keep from jumping out the window and going to her… He promised Gajeel and Natsu neverbroke a promise…

No matter how much it sucked.

Natsu sighed in defeat, knowing that this was better than nothing. He was disappointed that he didn't get to see Lucy. But he understood why Gajeel didn't want Natsu to do what he originally wanted to do. He would be mad if someone told Lucy or anyone else about him sneaking in her home to sleep next to her. Speaking of sleep he was starting to feel drowsy.

At least if I'm here, I'll see her first thing when she comes out... She'll have that pretty smile on her face like she always does… And with that, the pinkette laid his head against arms and closed his eyes…..

But painful stab of abandonment and longing washed over him before he could even get comfortable on the windowsill, unknowingly yelping as it did. His hand that was not holding him up was clutching his aching chest. He felt as if his heart and guts were being brutally ripped out of him with some sort of poison. As if they were being slashed into tiny little pieces. His head felt like it was being ripped apart, as if someone was trying to rip him in half. It felt worse than motion sickness.

Mavis, how he hated this! It hurt so goddamn fucking much! It made him want to rip everything apart and wreak havoc on anything and everything that was in his way, keeping him away from her. The world seemed to spin and flip around plain darkness. He just wants to be with her. That's all he wanted. Nothing seemed right without her. Was that so much to ask?! He groaned and keeled over, sweating profusely. His hair and clothes sticking to his overheating body. He luckily fell on the floor and not out the window. He shook and shivered, pleading to any merciful being to just let him be by her side…

"Open your eyes, dumbass!" Was all he heard in his state of pain and then suddenly the world was...back to normal?

"Ugh..." Nope, scratch that.

"Hurts doesn't it?"

Natsu looked away from the ground and instead looked to where the source of the sound was, but everything was so blurry...

"Gods, is that you? If it is please take this pain away…" Natsu croaked, his face crinkled in pain.

"What? Hell no! I ain't no God! Where'd the fuck you get that fro-Oh, shit! HE'S BURNING A HOLE IN THE FLOOR!" Gajeel retorted, but Natsu just moaned back curling further into himself, making the metal floor slowly turn into a bright red and melting underneath him. Gajeel growled. "Happy?!"

"Aye?! What can I do?!" The blue exceed looked up from his hurting friend. He knew Natsu was too hot to comfort him even though Happy wanted to.

"Go to Lucy's hou-"

"LUCY! What about Lucy?! Is she here?! Where is my Lucy?! I need to see her!" the pinkette tried to look around but was too delirious and in too much pain that he just flopped back over.

"Oh geez, Lily please don't tell me I am this pathetic when I get like this?"

Lily just laughed. "You act exactly like this guy."

Gajeel groaned and slapped his hand to his forehead. "Whatever. It doesn't matter right now. Happy like I said, go to Lucy's house and-No, Natsu, she ain't here right now! Stop bein' so dramatic, ya piece of shit!-when you get there grab something of hers like a T-shirt or somethin'. Do NOT grab any of her panties or bras! You'll kill 'im if you do. Now go!"

"Aye, sir!" And with that Happy flew off, you could hear him yell 'Max speed!' as he went. Gajeel sighed and shook his head looking down on the groaning pinkette, "Shoulda known you wouldn't have been able to handle it right away. It's your first real night that you're tryin' to go to sleep bein' this far away from her without anything of hers, right? Maybe it woulda been better if I'd just sent your sorry ass back to her place... At least you can go to hers..."

"Wha…?" Natsu felt as if his mind was warring against itself. One side was screeching at him to go to her, but the other was resisting. Knowing that promises are meant to be kept. He was in hell right now…Where was his Angel when he needed her?

All of a sudden Happy burst through the window, landing in a metal bucket that made a 'clang!' sound on impact, panting heavily. "I got... the stuff…" He wheezed as he showed what he had in his arms. A little blue T-shirt, a yellow and pink tank top, and a little ripped white blanket.

"Damn, you're quick. Good job now give 'em here," Gajeel said, putting out his hand for the items which Happy gave to him, then began to walk towards Natsu. "Lily, what do you do when I do-"

"GIMME!" A blur of pink flew past him and suddenly the items that were in Gajeel's hands were now in the possession of the Flame Dragon Slayer as he crashed into a pile of scraps.

The boy, who wasn't even affected by the crash (it was nothing to the pain he felt earlier), marveled at the wondrous treasures in his hands, he fondled them, just indulging the fact that they were in his arms, as if they may disappear if he were to let them go. Everything about them screamed 'LUCY'. He brought the articles of fabric to his face as if he were trying to suffocate himself and deeply inhaled the sweet, sweet scent. Relief came over him as the excruciating agony he was in seconds before ebbed away until it was only a slight throbbing ache in his chest and head. It was only a substitute for her after all. He began to purr softly, something he only did when he thought of her or was with her. He remembered how he got embarrassed by it at first and smiled.

He and Happy were hanging out with Lucy at her house when he first purred. It happened a few weeks after they met. She was doing the dishes while Natsu and Happy dried them, when the two boys looked at each other, forming an idea. They snuck up on her as she was humming to a tune, wiping the inside of a bowl when they picked her up! (She squealed! It was so cute!) Next, they threw her on the bed and tickled her! She laughed her pretty laugh and yelled for them to stop but they refused and kept tickling her!

The boy and cat started to laugh also as the girl beneath them squirmed and giggled trying to get the boys to stop. The cat laughed because Lucy screamed 'Stop! I'm gonna pee!' and the boy laughed because he was just so happy because she was so happy! He noticed that something was vibrating within him he just didn't think much about it.

Soon, the boy and the cat decided that that was enough and stopped tickling her but Natsu still kept his hold on the beautiful girl. As she calmed down from her torture, she was about to punch and scold the boys when she heard something. With every cackle that Natsu released, there was a low rumbling with each breath. She said 'Wait, Natsu hold still!' before she put her pretty head on his chest trying to hear his breathing.

Natsu immediately froze as the color of his hair started to show on his cheeks, he was not expecting her to do that. He was surprised that she didn't hear his racing heart as she listened. He… really liked her being there. As if she belonged there…

The boy, distracted by the girl who he so very much adored, unknowingly began to purr louder. Lucy gasped suddenly and jerked away from him, making him very disappointed, and giggled cutely 'OH MY GOODNESS, NATSU! YOU PURR! THAT'S SO CUTE!' Happy and him were surprised to hear that statement, but Natsu was still delighted to hear that she thought he was cute, making him purr even louder to the point where they were able to hear it without being close to him. Happy gasped too and jumped up and down and shouted 'We're purring buddies!' then began to purr also.

Natsu made them pinkie-promise not to tell anyone which they agreed to.

Ever since that day, whenever Lucy came around, he would purr. Sometimes so softly that only he knew that he was purring, sometimes so embarrassingly loud that he felt like he was causing an earthquake! Sometimes he would hold his breath trying to make it stop! It was so embarrassing! Imagine if Gray or any of the guild for that matter found out! At least Lucy thought it was cute…

"-mander! Salamander! Get your lazyass up!"

"You didn't take this long…"

"NATSU! ARE YOU DEAD?!"

"Salamander's fine. He's purrin', ain't he?" came not so cute voices. Natsu groaned from his position, still breathing in the heavenly scent. Couldn't they just leave him alone!

"YOU'RE NOT DEAD!" Happy said well, happily and flew into Natsu's back for Natsu was laying on the scrap pile face first, curled around his precious treasures.

"Well, that's good. I'm gonna sleep now, and you two better be out of my house in the morning," Gajeel grumbled, his own precious treasures still in his hands. With that, the tall dragon slayer went back to the couch getting ready to sleep again.

"What?! You just can't leave him there! You need to help him!" Lily yelled in Gajeel's sensitive ears.

"Ouch! That hurt ya jerk!" Gajeel got up and yelled back at the cat, forgetting that he was supposed to be quiet. "And anyway, you know this is the best we can do for him right now!"

"What's going on? I don't get it!" Happy cried, then pointed at the limp boy in the pile of metal scraps. "What happened to Natsu?!" "He's hoarding that's all. That stuff you got him should last him through tonight at least."

"What's hoarding?! I still don't get it!"

"Ya don't know?!" Gajeel shouted back, honestly surprised.

"Tell me…"

All the males in the room stared at to where the new voice spoke. Natsu, was now sitting up, his eyes, the only part of his head you could see, staring everyone down menacingly.

But…

Let's just say that it is really hard to be taken seriously when you have a white blanket, a blue T-shirt, and a yellow and pink tank top wrapped around your head making you look like a mummy who went berserk in a paint shop.

Happy, Lily, and Gajeel burst out in laughter.

"You look stupid!"

"Oh, like you're one to talk, Gajeel!" Lily said, in between his laughter, holding his sides. "You do it too!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP LILY!"

Although you couldn't see it, Natsu started to blush under his makeshift mask, still breathing deeply while pressing the cloth to his nose and mouth, rubbing the soft fabric with his fingers. It felt so nice...

"Don't change the subject! Tell me what's going on!" Natsu demanded.

"How do you not know? And you call yourself a dragon slayer! Oh, and quit shouting!," Gajeel said between boisterous laughter.

"No!" Natsu shouted back, pointing a finger into the older dragon slayer's chest. "This obviously is somethin' that I apparently don't know! This has somethin' to do with being a dragon slayer right? I'm not that stupid! You've been holding onto that stuff of Levy's for the longest time and I need Lucy's stuff to function! I think Igneel said something 'bout this but...Arhgh! I don't remember!" He threw his hands up in frustration. "Wait, what about Lucy?! What's she got to do with this?! ANSWER ME, GAJEEL!"

"Geez, you're loud. You're just lucky that you didn't burn a complete hole through the floor so that I was able to fix it quick. By the way, you are stupid. Especially if you don't remember your dragon telling you this," Gajeel replied still snickering.

"Gajeel just tell us!" A little voice shouted. Happy had jumped in between the 2 blinked in surprise, and stepped away from each other.

"I already told ya. He's hoarding."

My goodness, give them some info Gajeel! Pantherlily thought, pinching the bridge of his nose. Then he sat next to Happy who was now on the floor waiting for answers.

"Hoarding?" Natsu asked, tilting his cloth covered head.

"Yeah, at least that's what I call it," Gajeel said. "You seriously don't know what's going on?"

"No, I don't."

"Wow. Ok, uhhh," Gajeel said, thinking about how he should word this to the unknowing dragon slayer. He for some reason felt an older brother teaching his kid brother about puberty. "So, Bunny Girl's very important and precious to you right?"

"Yeah! She means everythin' to me!" Natsu responded, saying it as if it was the most the most obvious thing in the world.

"Well, uh… Damn this feels weird to talk about. Ok, to sum things up, Dragons like keeping whatever is most precious to them close to them and safe. Whether it be gold and jewels or friends and loved ones. They're able to be away from them for a while, just as long as they come back to whatever it is to sleep. Don't know why but dragons feel reassured when they are able to be with them to protect them because when they're asleep they can't watch over them in the way they want to. So they like to be with them, makes 'em feel comfortable. Kinda makes them feel safe too. And with us bein' dragon slayers, we kinda have the same thing. That pain that you were in was basically your body telling you "You can't go to sleep yet, you need to go back to the hoard" The pain is supposed to wake you up or something so you can go back. Ya catching on so far?"

"But…Then why hasn't this happened to me before? I've been away from her before-"

"But you would usually stay at her house right? At her house, Bunny Girl's scent is everywhere. So in a sense, she's "there". At least enough to fool you or whatever."

That makes sense, Natsu thought. That's why he can't sleep without Lucy…

"Wait a sec, if we have to be near them or whatever, why didn't I just run over there?"

"I don't know man! All I know is that Dragon Slayers do this thing for some reason."

"Gajeel curls up into a ball and turns completely into metal," Lily stated.

"Thank you for saying that Lily," Gajeel said through gritted teeth.

"You're away from Levy right now. Why didn't you get like that, Gajeel?" Natsu asked, still playing with the fabrics across his face.

Not realising the can of worms he just opened.

"Because unlike you, asshole," Gajeel snapped, he stood up and glared at the pinkette, his red eyes narrowed dangerously. "I don't have the privilege you do! I don't get to be with Levy every fuckin' night like you do! This is as close as I get to be with her! I'm used to the pain! I had to get used to it! And it was hell! It still is hell! Think about it Salamander! Could you handle this every goddamn ni-"

"I think I heard something. It's coming from up there!" Said a voice from outside.

The voice was a girl.

A girl they knew.

It was Levy.

Everyone up in the metal treehouse froze.

I know it’s a bit different but please be nice!

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n3rdybird · 8 years ago

Text

A Woolly Hat

Written for @simons-thirst-squad’s Simon’s Advent Calendar Challenge

Prompt-Woolly Hat

SimonxReader

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It all started with a package left outside his room. Simon had a rough day, and was ready to call it a night. Although keeping track of the days, it was generally believed to be near the middle of December.

And if the weather was any indication, it was shaping up to be a cold winter. Even the hot water afforded to the citizens of the Sanctuary didn’t seem to be enough to fully warm him up. He kept his towel around his neck, using it as a makeshift scarf to keep in what little warmth the shower had given him.

So when he saw a bag hanging from the door to his room, Simon was a little confused. He glanced up and down the hallway, seeing if whoever had left the package was still around. The dark hallway was empty and quiet, only the ever present hum of machines reverberated through the building. It was after curfew after all.

Seeing no one, he grabbed the bag and entered his room. He hung his towel up and turned the gift bag over in his hands. There was no note on the outside, so he assumed it was for him and opened the bag. Inside was a pair of gloves. As he examined them, he saw that they were handmade. The knitted stitches were even and tight, but did not have the appearance of a pair made by machine. The yarn was smooth, dark blue with brown accents.

When he tried them on, they fit well, keeping his hands warm while still allowing for movement. Each stitch flexed easily, but stayed snug against his skin. He pawed through the rest of the bag, but there was no note explaining the gift or who it was from.

Simon yawned, the events of the day catching up with him. Giving the gloves one more look, he removed them and set them down on his desk. He’d worry about the mystery gift tomorrow. The comfort of his warm bed beckoned to him, and the fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

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The next few days passed without incident. Simon was thankful for the new gloves that had appeared at his door. His old pair had gotten ragged, allowing wisps of cold air to stiffen his fingers. Now his hands stayed warm and decidedly not stiff.

While walking with Negan one morning to survey the supply trucks that had returned that morning, the aforementioned boss zeroed in on the new addition to Simon’s wardrobe.

“Pretty fancy gloves you got there, Simon,” Negan said offhand.

Simon flexed his hands.

“Yeah, pretty nice,” he said simply.

“Where’d ya get them? Looks homemade.”

Simon shrugged.

“Got left at my door.”

Negan’s eyes lit up and his mouth split into a shit eating grin.

“Oh ho, does Simon have a secret admirer?”

Simon internally groaned. Negan may be king dick in charge, but he could be like a gossipping soccer mom when he wanted.

“I don’t know about that. Probably a thank you gift from someone. The people love their Saviors,” he evaded.

Negan didn’t want to let the matter drop. After all, needling people was one of his favorite past times. Negan liked to think he was a pretty fair guy, so even his second-in-command was not safe from this activity.

“Wonder if she’s cute? I know there is till some prime wife material running around,” he mused out loud.

When Simon only hmm’d in response, Negan shook his head.

“What’s the matter? Don’t want a little lady to come home to? Knitting you socks? Shit, that sounds nice. Wonder what else she could knit?” Negan trailed off as he let his mind wander.

Simon thought about Negan's words. He had a few companions since the world fell, and never more than a night. It was all stress relief, more like mutual masturbation than anything including feelings. In the beginning, the world was unstable, too unstable to pursue anything of merit. Even now, with the security of Sanctuary, the idea of having something serious with someone seemed farfetched.

Simon was broken from his thoughts when Negan’s hand came down abruptly on his shoulder.

“Or… it could be a guy,” Negan said, raising his brows exaggeratedly.

Simon’s groans were audible this time, and Negan laughed at his reaction. The mustached man cut his eyes to his leader in annoyance.

“What? No judgements here,” Negan said twirling Lucille before raising his hands in a defensive shrug.

A shout drew the pair’s attention, and Simon was thankful for the interruption. Negan gave Simon a wink.

“Enough gossiping, apparently some assholes can’t do their jobs properly. Let’s get to work.”

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A few days later, another gift was left. Simon opened the bag quickly, and found a chunky knit cowl scarf folded neatly at the bottom.

This time, there was a note. He unfolded the scrap of paper, and smiled at the words written in a delicate script.

Glad the gloves fit. Stay warm.

Simon fingered the soft yarn. This time it was a dark grey. Instead of hanging, the ends of the scarf would button under his chin. It was as if the maker made it specifically with Simon’s job in mind. A dark color and no dangling bits for a walker to grab ahold of.

Negan once had a slight mishap when a walker grabbed his scarf from behind. After that, Negan made sure his trademark red scarf was tucked securely into his jacket.

Simon scoured the note, looking for any clue as to who had written it. The handwriting, he guessed, could be seen as feminine. The message itself was written on a random scrap of paper. No hints as to the identity of the person to be found.

As he held the gift in his hand, he was surprised that a literal lightbulb didn’t appear over his head.

The Marketplace. If they were getting yarn, it would have either been a perk from scavenging or bought with points. As far as he knew, none of the Saviors had a talent for knitting, so it had to be a worker. Plan and gift in hand, he headed to the communal area of the factory.

Despite the early hour, there were still people picking over organic pickles, new clothes, and other sundries. Simon nodded to several workers before coming to a stop in front of Shirley. She was in charge of deducting points for purchases and keeping the marketplace in some semblance of order.

Simon gave the octogenarian a winning smile as he leaned on her desk.

“Good morning sunshine.”

The older woman was living proof that the 80s were the new 60s. She had survived the initial outbreak alone in her house, shot gun in hand. When they had found her, Negan loved her no nonsense attitude when she berated them for wearing dirty boots inside her house. And now she ruled the Marketplace with an iron fist.

“Cut the baloney Simon,” she said dryly, not looking up from her ledgers.

“You wound me,” Simon said dramatically, clutching his hand to his chest.

Shirley sighed and looked at Simon, lowering her glasses to put the full force of her glare on him unhindered.

“What do you want?”

Simon produced the gloves and cowl, setting them on top of her books.

“You sell any yarn lately? Knitting supplies?”

Shirley furrowed her brows.

“Not too many people waste their points on craft supplies,” she said examining the items.

“Though these are pretty nice. They’d be good sellers.”

She looked back up at Simon who was looking at her expectantly.

“A name?”

Shirley held out her hand expectantly, raising a brow. Simon sighed.

“Aw, c’mon Shirl. We can call it a Christmas gift for your favorite Savior.”

She pursed her lips and flipped through her ledger.

“You find me a bottle of wine. Nice stuff, off the books.”

“Yes ma’am,” Simon agreed quickly.

As Shirley scanned the pages, she found the entry she was looking for and wrote down the details of the purchase.

She handed Simon the information, jerking it back when he reached for it.

“A red, preferably Cabernet. A shiraz will do if you can’t find one. Not a pussy Merlot.”

“You got it,” he said, thinking of the wine surplus that the Saviors had squirreled away.

Shirley gave him a long look before handing over the paper.

“Be nice to her. If I hear anything untoward, I will display your balls right here on my desk.”

Simon gave her a reassuring nod, while his balls seemed to climb back up into his body at her words.

“Now scat so I can get back to work.”

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You sat in one of the greenhouses, knitting needles clacking between your fingers. The woolly hat you were working on was coming together quickly. Sure, a loom would be faster, but in your opinion, not as well made.

You had spent the last bit of your surplus points on the new yarn. It was thicker and a higher quality than your previous finds. It was perfect for a toboggan for a certain Savior.

Elsie, one of the other women working in the gardens had tried to convince you to just give Simon the gifts, rather than leave them for him to find. But you couldn’t. You fucked up your first and only meaningful interaction with the mustached Savior, and still felt embarrassed months later.

A shadow fell over you, and you nearly jumped to your feet. You scrambled to gather your things.

“Sorry Marv, I didn’t realize my break was over,” you said hastily, keeping your eyes down to not draw the ire of your boss.

A hand, slimmer than Marv’s, reached down to pluck the half finished hat out of your hand.

“This gonna be for me too?” a familiar voice asked.

You looked up to see Simon studying the hat’s stitches, careful to not let your hard work unravel.

“What?” you squeaked, not mentally nor physically prepared to see the object of your affection standing next to you, let alone talking to you.

“Your name is (Y/N), right? Work in the green houses. I asked around,” he said, still looking at the hat.

You chewed your lip, running through all the possible scenarios that could take place. All seemed to point to disaster.

Simon picked up on your unease and knelt next to you.

“Didn’t mean to scare ya. Just wanted to say thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” you said softly, keeping your eyes to the ground, hoping your hair camouflaged your red face.

A warm hand cupped your chin and brought your eyes up to meet his.

“So what reason does a pretty gal like you have for giving an old man like me gifts?” he asked, giving you a smile.

“I wanted to say… thank you. You probably don’t remember, but you offered me gelato on my first day here,” you explained hesitantly, not wanting to revisit your embarrassing first meeting with him.

Simon’s eyes widened when he remembered the event.

“You ran away from me. Negan busted my balls for days after that. Said my mustache scared you off,” he said, laughing at the memory.

His laugh was infectious, and you couldn’t help but giggle softly.

“It wasn’t your mustache. I like it. You just took me off guard. I didn’t expect to draw the attention of the right hand man of Negan,” you explained through your laughter.

“You say that, but you are still laughing. I’m not sure if I believe you,” Simon said, mock pouting.

“I do, I do,” you promised.

Simon looked at you unconvinced.

“Prove it. Meet me for gelato, tonight after dinner. For real this time, no running.”

You felt your face heat up, but found yourself nodding at his request.

“Wouldn’t miss it,” you said.

Simon smiled, and stood up, offering a hand to help you up. It was then you noticed he was wearing your gloves, and the cowl you had made him.

You took his hand, and he helped you up easily. After standing, he kept a hold of your hand, giving it a soft squeeze.

“See you tonight,” he said, bringing your cold fingers up to his mouth to place a kiss on the tips.

You nodded, liking the way his mustache brushed against your skin.

“Tonight.”

#simon twd #simon the savior #simon x reader #simon x you #twd simon #The Walking Dead #twd fanfiction #the walking dead fanfiction #the walking dead fanfic #twd one shot #the walking dead one shot #simon one shot #simon's thirst squad #simons thirst squad #SimonsAdventChallenge

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sonicasura · 7 years ago

Text

Heir of Ink Ch 2

Chapter 2: To Kidnap a Hyuuga

A month had passed since Hariken had sent that package to Hinata. Over that time, he was busy training with his new form and powers under the tutelage of Bendy. Apparently being reborn as an Inkuhato had a lot of advantages not just the familiars or creating toons and Inkbourne. His body was a living storage for ink. He can consume and hold as much of it as he liked and look completely normal! He could also form weapons with it by manipulating the ink into any shape, form, density and sharpness at will. As long as he had ink, he could create endless amount of items and weapons with ease.

He could also transform his body into pure ink and move around easily slipping through doors, grates to hiding in paper or anything that absorbed ink. He could also manipulate outside sources of ink whether in its purest form or already used for writing so he can copy and sabotage documents to spying enemy bases when they least suspect it. He also realized what Bendy meant about not always bailing him out of trouble. Since half of Bendy’s soul existed within Hariken, he can create a Pseudo-Bendy to help him in battle and can link himself to the demon’s mind but the Pseudo-Bendy was only going to be as strong as he was or how much ink he pumped into it.

He no longer had chakra points in his body since he wasn’t human anymore so his body can absorb chakra but he had a small intake though due to his old body’s chakra reserves however he could still perform jutsu but he needed to boost his reserves if he wanted to do high level jutsu not involving ink. Since he was made out of ink, he was immune to poison so that was one less thing to worry about in battle and his form could change depending on how much ink he was using to change it. So far, he only had his Monster form mastered along with his Toon form and Stealth form.

He wasn’t close to the level where he could manage Nightmare for longer than 3 minutes and he always blacked out when attempting Infernal but he made a lot of progress on not just the transformation but also his Ink Jutsus as well. He was able to modify the Shadow Clone just to create his Ink Clone Jutsu and was working on an Ink affinity Rasengan. He also happened to create some toons to help with the village’s reconstruction alongside 3 toons that Bendy had made. A wolf toon named Boris, an angel toon named Alice and a demon toon named Mina were assisted by Hariken’s toons Tora the Tiger, Kitsune the Fox and Niwatori the Rooster.

He taught Izuku some basic commands before sending him out hunting. This time he had Izuku hunting bandits also. Bendy told him that if Izuku ate human like beings mainly corrupt ones then he would evolved into a better form faster not just hunting rabbit and deer. He told the young Inkbourne to return after a month had passed so he could spend a week with a more evolved Izuku on teamwork. It was about time his partner should return. Hariken was currently meditating in one of the rooms of an estate that they had recently repaired when the door slammed open courtesy of Niwatori. Niwatori was a toon anthropomorphic rooster with an white ink made feathers, feather like hands, black tail feathers, black crown and wore a black butler like outfit with red highlights. Hariken was still new to Ink so he could only give his toons a certain amount of color for now.

Niwatori was known to be quick in going into action when something happened, he was also a good messenger and quick-footed strategist. “Master Hariken! It’s Izuku! He’s returned and he grew much more than we’ve predicted. So much more.” Niwatori had explained as he closed the door almost as if he was keeping something from getting in as the window to the room had turned black. “Niwatori, I think you should get over here before you get flattened like a pancake! I don’t think Izuku wants to stay outside!” Hariken shouted as the rooster toon ran over to the other side of the room with Hariken.

The two watch the door come apart as a big flood of ink washed into the room which was around a good 25 X 25 in size due to the expansion seals while also serving as the living room. The ink had washed in before beginning to conjoin and reform itself into a more suitable form. “Holy crap!” Hariken cried out as the ink blob took shape of Izuku. He had to be at least 50 ft in size right now! The newly grown Izuku was more bulky and built with appearance cross between a beast and a demon.

His eyes were no longer cartoonish or cute but had narrowed and become beast like, his arms were longer than his stubby legs and his fists were huge with spiked knuckles and massive clawed fingers, his hooves had now turned into sharp claw like talons that looked to be used for grabbing things, he had grown a long mane that wrapped around his neck going all the way down his back while cover his shoulder blades to the top part of his chest were his abs had begun, his four horns had grew longer arching down his head before going back up to a point with an extra pair forming a V on the top of his head, two row of spike like blades went down his back to his tail which ended like a mace and his face was now white and morphed slightly into a muzzle holding lots of sharp teeth. He also had a pair of black wings growing on his back too!

Next thing Hariken knew, he was grabbed by a massive hand then lifted to Izuku’s face. “Hey Izuku… You’ve sure gotten big! Don’t eat me!” Hariken spoke nervously before getting licked by a massive black tongue and nuzzled by a purring 50 ft Inkbourne. Bendy had arrived through the back door and merely whistled at the big Inkbourne. “Damn! He must had eaten an entire Bandit Camp if he got this big! I’m glad I added some Expansion Seals into this house or you would have been suffocated! He sure did a good job hunting to come back like this.” Bendy stated as Hariken shot a little glare at the demon.

“Yeah but he’s too big! If we go to Konohana with him like this, then they’ll call out every ninja like it’s the Nine Tailed Fox attack all over again! I still remember you telling me that I could store my Inkbournes inside of me since they're made out of ink but he’ll still grab a lot of attention!” Hariken explained as Izuku had finally put him down after he drenched Hariken in ink drool. “Maybe you should give him the shrink command. He’s clearly evolved enough to shrink into a smaller and more manageable form.” Niwatori stated as Hariken had hit himself muttering stupid.

“Izuku! Shrink!” Hariken claimed as Izuku nodded as his form melted into pieces before reforming into a much smaller state. He now stood around 3 ft in height and looked very much slimmed down and less beast like than his new form being a good resemblance to Bendy yet Hariken at the same time as he resembled a miniature cute cartoon Bendy with Hariken’s hair and similar clothing. “I swear if any girl sees him, they scream KAWAII and hug him to death! He looks like an adorable mini-you Bendy!” Hariken stated as Izuku held onto his hand like a lost child.

“I can easily see that. He does have our essence in him so it’s natural to take a toon form like yours truly but that’s not what I came here to tell you about. Plans changed. Kumo has moved their meeting date to be in 5 days due to issues involving Konohana Nin and a shared mission objective. We now have less time to prepare.” Bendy explained as Hariken’s eyes widened. “Damn idiots! Is our plan scrapped to hell or can we salvage it?” Hariken asked conflicted by this new info.

“Nope. I wanted you to go through teamwork exercises with Izuku but that’s been shot to hell so we’re going to take a bit of different approach. You and Izuku will do an advanced art known as Soul Exchange. You will share bits of your soul between each other so Izuku should become linked to your mind but he will witness a lot of your memories. I usually don’t have an Inkuhato do this unless they are ready but since you are skilled in my arts I can do it for you without much of an issue. It just depends on how Izuku can handle your worst memories blow to blow.” Bendy explained as Hariken thought about it.

He was putting Izuku in danger and he didn’t like it one bit but Hinata would be in danger as well if he didn’t succeed. Either way he was screwed. He looked at Izuku who somehow understanding the predicament nodded as if accepting the use of the advanced jutsu. “We’ll do it.” Hariken stated as Bendy nodded before walking towards them placing his clawed hands on their heads. “This is going to sting.” Bendy answered as sharp pain went through their heads while they felt and experienced each other’s memories.

It was intense as their forms slightly melted a bit but then retained their composure. Hariken experienced every one of Izuku’s kills while Izuku experienced every painful memory Hariken had as Naruto. Then as fast as it started, it had finished. Hariken’s iris had gained an animalistic feel to it while Izuku’s turned a shade of royal blue. Next thing the former blonde felt was a bone crushing hug from a demonic copy of himself which turned out to be Izuku. “I won’t let them take you brother!” Izuku shouted with a combination of Hariken’s and Bendy’s voice.

“They won’t take me Izuku! Will you please let go? You are kinda breaking my spine here.” Hariken squeaked as Izuku let go allowing Hariken to fix his broken spine. “I dub you two brothers now. As funny as it is, we’ve got stuff to do. I’ve sent Tora to set up a Warp Point near the village via Warp Cartoon. I’ve also set a warp point here since once we get Hinata, the whole Leaf Village will be on high alert so make it to the Warp Cartoon and warp back here. Don’t use it just to go to the village first or they’ll suspect something is coming and this Warp Cartoon has only one use in it. After all, we don’t want the Leaf getting any funny ideas with our techniques and jutsu.” Bendy explained as he straightened his bowtie.

“Do you have your disguise ready, Master Hariken?” Niwatori asked as he knew Hariken couldn’t go as he was looking now for it would raise suspicion later. “Yeah. Watch this.” Hariken spoke as his figure melted becoming unrecognizable until he reformed into an older looking man with black hair wearing a cloak with white clouds and an eboshi hat. “Nice. Very close to the Akatsuki look so you’ll be playing them as well. I’ll even paint red on those clouds to complete the look. Hehehehehe! I’m going to love all the panic you’ll cause!” Bendy replied giddy with all the mischief that was going to be caused as a massive grin was etched on Hariken’s face.

This was going to be good. 5 days later… Hariken had arrived to the Hidden Leaf Village in his disguise while Izuku had taken the form of a black and white cat that was close to his location just to be sure if things were going to be shot to hell but also to alert Hinata’s Inkbourne to make sure it’s at her side and ready to fight when needed. The mission objective was simple. To find and escape with Hinata with the results being distility between Kumo, the Hyuga and the Leaf and Hinata being safe from any breeding plans plus there’s a good chance of a better Raikage being appointed with this sort of mishap kicking the old one to the curb.

Hariken was so lost in thought he almost didn’t notice his target walking into the village. The Raikage’s ambassador who was also his brother. Raikage’s had a habit of their brothers being high up in the food chain when appointed whether as an ambassador to a Jinchuriki. They also tended to be strong physically and tend to hit hard unless your body is made out of liquid or in this case ink. Hariken sent the signal to Izuku who went off in a mad dash to the compound.

Izuku’s Perspective-Inkbourne Search Begins!

Brother Hariken gave me the signal! I dashed towards Hyuga Compound with fast speed! Have to get there before kidnapper does! Warn Hinata’s Inkbourne to be at the ready! Can’t let brother Hariken down. Spots Hariken’s former tormentors, Uzumaki Namikaze family at the Ichiraku Ramen. They seem to be enjoying ramen! Me going to change that. Runs on counter and knock food on them! Little girls scream as noodles cover their head! Minato shocked and Kushina makes mad face! Outta there before ignorant redhead gives chase.

Made it to Hyuga Compound! Guards just changed shift. Seem not to care about animals coming that aren’t rats or roaches. Passes guard who think me as pet cat. Sees kids are getting ready for dinner with ambassador. Found Hinata’s window. Combine and turn body to ink and slip through. No sign of Inkbourne. Where’s Inkbourne? Drip drop drip. Ink dripping to floor… Above! Look up to see Inkbourne emerging from drawing state on wall. What Hinata been feeding Inkbourne? Inkbourne has to be 14 ft in size. Definitely looks female almost like Hinata in looks.

“Your scent is of my kind… Are you of Hariken’s?” Inkbourne seems happy and a bit strange. Sense traces of Soul Exchange. Ask about Soul Exchange. “Yes we have. Dear Hinata shared part of her soul with me. She is a sweet girl. Her daddy doesn’t want to be mean to her but elders force her. I don’t like the elders. Want to get Hinata away from here. Branch members wish her to be free! Elders plan to place Caged Bird Seal on her tonight! Don’t want Hinata to be hurt. Ochako won’t let them!” Inkbourne or Ochako seems protective of Hinata. I tell about plan.

“That will work. Ochako agrees to help. Been learning about clan techniques and helping Hinata. Their stance not for Hinata! Hinata’s stance is like ink! Flows gentle but deadly! Needs everflowing strokes. Hinata be here soon. Attach myself to Hinata like tattoo. Hinata will be safe. Tell Hariken to free Hinata! Let her be free as birds in sky!” Agrees and ask why so big. “Assassin snuck in to hurt Branch Members. Hinata was there and was about to be attacked. Ate Assassin. Rest from treats Hinata and kind Branch Members gives Ochako! Good luck!” Return to Hariken.

Mission complete! Returning to Hariken!

Hariken was currently standing by a fence to notice Izuku had made it back. Hariken reached towards and touched the Inkbourne’s head seeing the new memories he had acquired and smiled. “Thank you Hariken. Now let’s prepare for our time to strike.” Hariken stated. An hour later… the streets seemed empty as a shadow figure carrying something ran past. It was the Kumo Ambassador carrying a sack on his back big enough to hide a child in it. There was no doubt that Hinata was locked inside of it. “These Leaf Shinobi are so damn cocky! This mission will be a breeze and Kumo will have the Byakugan!” The ambassador snickered to himself not noticing something oozing from the bottom of the bag. “Hehehehehe!!!” A feminine laugh echoed as the man paused in confusion and fright.

Then he felt the bag getting heavier before something from inside the bag grabbed the man. It was a black arm with razor sharp claws connected to something in the bag. The man watched in terror as the bag began to grow in size before ripping apart revealing a demon instead of a child. The demon was humanoid and female in appearance and figure with grayish lavender eyes, deer like horns, dark lavender hair, blades on her arms, curvaceous figure, ribbon like protrusions on her thighs, a long tail with moon shaped blade at the end, long sharp claws and there was a white ribbon wrapped around her neck. It was Ochako.

“Sorry but you aren’t going anywhere… Got plans for you after you try to steal what is mine! Now be a good human… and hold still!” Ochako laughed as the next thing the man saw was black while Hariken and Izuku had appeared on the scene. “Ochako? Do you got Hinata?” Hariken asked as the Inbourne nodded and her chest split open revealing Hinata as Ochako shrank and merged into the girl’s skin forming a tattoo on Hinata’s body. “I’m glad to see you again Hinata. It’s been awhile.” Hariken spoke as he lifted his hat up some showing his face to Hinata.

“Naruto-kun… I’m just glad to see you are okay. I missed you so much and I thought I’d never see you again after you disappeared 3 months ago. I asked everyone who was close to you to help look for you. Then I got your letter and you gave me Ochako. I’m happy to see you alive and well.” Hinata answered as Hariken smiled. “Thanks Hinata-chan. When I was still in my cocoon, I always thought of you and the others. You guys helped me survive my old life and the pain that came with it. Just know that I’m back and I’ll keep my promise to protect you.” Hariken spoke as Hinata smiled and hugged the former blonde.

“Even if you changed, you are still the sweet kind Naruto I knew.” Hinata answered. “Are you ready to depart Hinata? We won’t be coming back here for a very long time. There is much to be done and I don’t want to do it without you by my side. You deserve to be free not caged with a death switch on your forehead.” Hariken explained. Hinata looked back at the village she called home for 6 years before looking back at Hariken.

“I’m ready Hariken-kun. I won’t come back until I’m stronger. Plus I want to stay by your side always.” Hinata answered as Hariken smiled. “Then let us depart. A new life awaits us all.” Hariken spoke as the 4 left the village and not to be seen for years to come.

#heir of ink #ch2 #sonicasura #Hariken is Naruto #Naruto x bendy and the ink machine crossover #Naruto crossover #Bendy and the Ink Machine

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