#(OK there is oNE Development in a previous chapter I KNEW WAS COMING SINCE ORIGINAL ANIME ENDED {SIGH} B u T)

[koushirouizumi]

{D.N. A n g e l} ~ Stage 4 Vol. 39

BONUS:

[danniburgh]

Give you what you want (Javier Peña x f!reader x Horacio Carrillo)

Pairing: Javier Peña x f!reader x Horacio Carrillo

Summary: You’ve been crushing hard on Javier - and Colonel Carrillo. And when they both find out about it, they can’t help but indulge you.

Word count: +11.1k

Chapter warnings: mild angst, mentions of violence, divorce talk, discussion of polyamorous relationship. OT3 SMUT, oral (m and f receiving), fingering, double penetration, alcohol, a lot of cum lol

A/N: this is a collab between me, @maharani-radha-writes​ and @queenofthefaceless, okay, yes this is a repost (basically the blog in which this os was posted blocked me). originally posted on april 6th 2021

ao3 // Masterlist // ko-fi

comments and reblogs are eternally appreciated 💓

Carrillo slammed his face on the steering wheel of his car with a groan. He had just spent all day in court finalizing his divorce—which had been going on for months—and just as he had gotten home, he realized that he had forgotten his service pistol at the office. Something he was not allowed to bring in the courtroom.

Fuckers.

He had separation anxiety from it, so even though he had multiple spares in the house, he had one trusty weapon, and he wouldn’t be caught dead without it. He glanced at the clock, and saw that it was only eight o’clock, so it wasn’t too late for him to swing back to base and grab it. Shaking his head, he turned the ignition of his car back on and reversed out of his driveway to head back to the station.

When he got there, he used his keys to enter through the back doorway, not really wanting to have to greet the guards at the front. He was just… way too done with people that day. Although he and his by then ex-wife had separated amicably (or as amicably as it could get), the divorce had taken a huge toll on him. He and Juliana had separated about five months before, and he had spent that time sitting in lawyers’ conference rooms, arguing over this and that. He was ready to just give her everything and anything she wanted if it meant he could get that painful process over with.

Truth be told, Carrillo was lonely. He had been for a long time, even while he was still married to Juliana. They had been less of a married couple and more like roommates for the past year at least, and it was getting to them both. His job was tough and dangerous–Juliana didn’t understand a lot of it. To be fair, he kept most of it from her, but that got exhausting after a while. He longed to just...let go, and he couldn’t do that with her. And after a while, she had decided that staying married to him (and his job) was more trouble than it was worth. He couldn’t blame her, not one bit.

It didn’t matter any more. He had firmly closed that chapter of his life, and was ready to move on. He didn’t know what the future looked like for him, but the only thing that he was sure of was that Pablo Escobar would be dead. He would make sure of it–even if he died trying.

After finding his service pistol, which had been stuffed in a holster under his desk, Carrillo closed the door to his office, and proceeded to walk down the hallway to the back exit. But he stopped when he heard voices coming from the bullpen.

Odd.

He hadn’t seen anyone when he had come in. He turned slightly and strained his ears to try to see if he could discern who it was. Then he heard the distinct Southern American drawl of none other than Steve Murphy. The man had been pulling late nights in the office ever since his wife got up and left him.

“All right, kiddo, care to tell me what the fuck your problem is?”

Who–? Was “kiddo”? It certainly couldn’t be Peña. It was a Friday night, surely Peña was off….doing something (or someone) else.

“What’s my problem? What’s your problem, Murph?”

Oh, it was you. The lone female agent of the DEA. Carrillo had been quite wary of you when you had joined the team about a year before. He really wasn’t sure what, if anything, you would be bringing to the table. And he thought that having two DEA agents was two too many already. But over time, you had proven to be a strong, capable, and intelligent partner, and his respect for you had grown.

Bringing you to Colombia had been a good decision, on the part of your superiors.

Now that he had identified the two people still stuck in the base, he should have been satisfied and been on his way. But something about Steve’s tone of voice kept him rooted to the spot. He really, really shouldn’t have been eavesdropping, especially since he was sure that it was a conversation he was not meant to hear.

“You’re on edge. A lot more than usual,” Steve said, “What’s going on?”

“Nothing, Steve. Just drop it,” you grumbled.

“Oh, so there is something?” Steve snarked, “Look, I normally would back off and leave you alone, but you’ve been highly distracted lately. And it’s affecting your work. I need to know what’s up or at least confirm that you’re going to get this resolved soon because we need your head in the game.”

Now that Steve mentioned it, Carrillo had noticed that you were...not yourself. And you hadn’t been for a while. But Carrillo was too caught up in his own drama to give it much of a thought.

“I’m sorry,” you sighed, “I’ll try not to be so scatterbrained. I’ll fix it, I promise.”

“Is this what I think it is? The thing you told Connie that I’m not supposed to know about?” Steve asked.

Carrillo knew he absolutely needed to leave. That was not a conversation he should be listening to. But he just could not help it.

“You’re going to have to be more specific, Steve. I’ve told Connie a lot of things,” you chuckled, nervously.

“I mean about–” there was a pause, presumably Steve looking around to check that nobody was there, “–your feelings. For, uh, ya know, Peña?”

Oh. That was news.

“And–uh–Carrillo I think?” Steve continued.

Wait...what?

Carrillo whipped his head around so fast that he winced as his neck twinged in protest. Since when...since when did you have feelings? For him? And Peña? What was happening? Someone needed to shoot him because that could not be real.

“Must you say it aloud?” you hissed.

“I’m sorry, kiddo, I don’t mean to embarrass you,” Steve apologized, “And normally I would mind my own fucking business, but this is getting out of hand. You really don’t think I notice the cows’ eyes you make at Peña when he’s not looking?”

“I don’t do that!” you denied, indignantly.

“Okay fine, maybe that’s a bit dramatic,” Steve conceded, “But the point still stands. You definitely need to get this fixed. Have you thought, oh I don’t know, telling Peña? Or even Carrillo?”

“Are you crazy?” you stammered, “Do you have any idea what that would do to my career? Not to mention that Carrillo is...fucking married?”

“Well, he’s divorced now,” Steve clarified, “And nobody has to know. It’s nobody else’s business but yours. I’m just saying, think about it ok? You deserve an outlet, just like everyone else.”

Carrillo decided that it was best to not stay and hear what you had to say to that. Instead, he hightailed it out of the base, as quickly as he could, trying to keep his footsteps light so as not to alert you and Steve to his presence. Once he was finally in the safety of his car, he put his head back onto the seat and let out a long breath, trying to figure out what he was going to do with that information. He couldn’t deny that the idea of you having feelings for him was incredibly flattering. You were a very guarded individual and quite hard to read sometimes–not so dissimilar to him. He would have never, in a million years, guessed that you would be interested in him, and that was mostly due to your closed off persona.

But to find out that you had feelings for both him and Peña? That was an interesting development. Carrillo didn’t know how to feel about that. But he can’t deny that it intrigued him...more than it should have. His mother would be completely mortified if she found out that he was entertaining this--whatever it was.

But his mother was not here. His wife was gone, and had taken the kids with her. It was just him, and his large house. And now, apparently, you and possibly Peña. Carrillo tilted his head contemplatively and started the ignition of his car.

Maybe...just maybe, there was something to this whole charade.

**Scene Break 1**

Steve was tired. Scratch that, he was exhausted. Not physically, but mentally.

Javier had been looking at you for far too long, and Steve could taste the yearning and the tension that lingered around the office when Peña looked at you. It was maddening, and Steve had no idea how Peña had managed this long without jumping you. After all, he never seemed to have a problem getting a woman’s attention and keeping it. So, why were you so different?

And the worst part of this whole circus is that you were so blissfully unaware of it. It made Steve’s mouth foam with rage.

When he told Connie over the phone, the previous night, what you had said to him and how you had confessed to being attracted to both men, she actually convinced him to talk to Javi on your behalf. Because Connie knew you, and she knew you would just shut up about it, guard it as if you were a dragon with a treasure, never say a thing, and suffer in silence until your feelings went away. And if they didn’t. Too bad. Steve hadn’t wanted to get involved. After all, you were an adult, and Javier was an adult. You should be able to sort these things out yourself. But alas, that had not happened. And if Steve didn’t do something about it, it was going to get out of hand, quickly.

So when you got up from your desk and got out of the office, Steve walked to Javier and slammed his hand on a pile of files that Javier was almost hiding behind.

“Yes, Murphy, how can I help you?” Peña drawled, trying to keep his voice as even and unaffected as possible.

“Don’t give me that innocent bullshit, Peña,” Steve growled, “I’m so sick of you.”

“What could I have possibly done now?” Javier huffed, pulling a cigarette out of his pack and lighting it. He figured that if he played dumb, Steve would go away.

Alas.

“You, and her,” Steve said, emphasizing his point by jabbing his finger in the direction of the door you had just walked out of, “There’s something between the two of you. Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.”

Javier decided not to answer that. Instead he just took a puff of his cigarette and stared at Steve, daring him to continue.

“I’m serious Peña, stop playing coy. This is starting to affect your working relationship, and I’m getting sick of it,” Steve grumbled, “Do something about it. Now.”

It took a few moments of silence, but Javier finally decided to concede to Steve. Truth was, Javier’s head was full of thoughts. Full of you. Truth be told, getting infatuated with you was just a matter of time.

You were just… frustratingly attractive, incredibly strong and so damn smart. A dangerous combination, you were almost perfect. And that, scared the shit out of him. It had been a long time since Javier felt like that; he didn’t like the vulnerability of it all, he didn’t like how it was way too apparent that whatever you did, for small that it was, affected him in some way. He didn’t like the fact that he wanted to be with you all the time, see you all the time, talk to you all the time. He wanted to protect you all the time even when he knew you could perfectly protect yourself. And he had been feeling like that for months.

Javier interpreted that as karma, getting so madly, deeply into you and getting absolutely nothing in return. Until Steve chimed in, nosy as ever, to speak about something that was clear as a water drop but he just kept denying from himself.

He replayed what Steve had told him while he puffed from his cigarette and for a split second, and let himself smile at the words of his partner.

Steve was right. He was aware of how much he had been missing and how affected his job seemed to be because of how much time he spent thinking about you. It was so unlike him, and it was very unprofessional. But he just couldn’t help it.

You and your strikingly beautiful being. You letting him hold you close. You, with your hands on him. You and how sweet your lips must taste. You and how your naked body must look in the dimmed lights of his bedroom. Fuck.

So he decided, after his partner all but scolded him about being too dumb to realize, that he was going to face you and just… make things happen.

Steve smiled to himself while looking down at a file when Javier stood up from his own desk and walked out of the office.

“Attaboy,” he mumbled to himself.

**Scene Break 2**

You weren’t sure what it was, but suddenly the air in that bullpen had become oppressive, and you just needed to get out. Well, frankly...you weren’t stupid. You knew what was causing you to feel this way. It was stupid Steve and his stupid way of being right all the time, how the fuck did he do that? At some point, you were going to have to tell Javier (and possibly Carrillo, as well) how you felt, but if you could put it off for longer, you were absolutely going to do so.

You sat on the concrete wall bordering the police base, observing quietly as the citizens of Medellín went about their day, getting lunch and catching up with their colleagues. There was a man selling arepas just a few feet from you, and the smell was amazing. But no matter how tantalizing the scent was, you just couldn’t bring yourself to eat. All you needed was some air. Yeah, that’s what you needed. You’d be fine after a few moments.

Unfortunately, your peace wasn’t to last long, and as you were soon to discover, your observational skills would need a check up because Colonel Horacio Carrillo himself had just plopped himself next to you, and you hadn’t even noticed. Carrillo, for his part, waited a few moments before clearing his throat, startling you from your thoughts, and successfully getting your attention.

Ah shit.

One of the exact men that you didn’t want to deal with right now was sitting right next to you.

Joy.

“Those arepas look fantastic,” he remarked in that lovely accent you really liked, “Do you want one?”

You shook your head.

“No thank you,” you mumbled, “I’m fine.”

Carrillo hummed.

“I’m sure we could find something else if you would prefer. There’s all kinds of food in Medellín,” he replied. But you refused again.

“No, really, I’m fine. I don’t want any food,” you said.

Carrillo tilted his head and clasped his hands together, leaning forward slightly. He gave a small, almost imperceptible smirk, and if you didn’t know him so well, you would have missed it.

“I see,” he observed, amusedly, “So, then, Agent. What do you want?”

You frowned, and furrowed your eyebrows. What...what was he doing?

“I–I don’t want anything,” you replied, completely flabbergasted.

“Hmmm,” Carrillo began, “I don’t believe you. I think you want something.”

You raised your eyebrows at that. You’d never known the Colonel to be so bold.

“I want Escobar dead,” you quipped, “Same as you, I suppose.”

“Ah yes, I certainly want that,” Carrillo agreed, “But I want something else. Something that I imagine might be the same as you.”

You scratched the back of your neck, nervously, not sure where this was going.

“All right, Colonel, I’ll bite. What is it that you want?” you questioned.

Carrillo adjusted his position on the wall, turning so that he was facing you squarely. He looked you straight in the eyes before taking a deep breath, as if he was working up the courage to say something.

“You.”

You felt the air leave your lungs, Carrillo’s face was a puzzle laid before you but before you could say something else, you heard a deep, timbered voice calling your name.

You reluctantly turned around and saw Peña walking up to the both of you, you felt Carrillo shift beside you and let out a sigh, as if he knew something like that would happen.

“I was looking for you,” Javier mumbled, almost as if he didn’t want anyone else to hear but you.

“So, you found me,” your voice was shaky after the Colonel’s admission, and you tried to control it “What?”

“Can we–uh–talk?” he said, and you looked back at Carrillo.

“Can it wait?” you pleaded.

“No,” Javier declared.

“I think I know what this is about,” Carrillo announced, and you frowned at him, asking with your eyes for him to elaborate. But he just stayed quiet, looking between you and Peña.

“What do you mean?” Javier huffed, “This is a private conversation that I need to have with her.”

“I think we all need to have this conversation,” Carrillo mumbled, looking at the ground for half a second before returning his gaze to you and Javier.

“What are you two on?” you asked, frantically, “I am so confused.”

Javier glanced at the Colonel, at the way he was all but shifting around like a nervous kid. He realized Carrillo moved like he was hiding something, like he had a secret he so wanted to confess.

“Do you know something?” Javier questioned him, furrowing his brow. The Colonel turned to study him and there was a small moment in which they said nothing, and their eyes just locked.

And there, Javier saw him, as he was. Colonel Horacio Carrillo was an honorable man, everyone knew that, but as he was honorable he was dark, and Javier had a small suspicion of what he knew and was badly hiding.

Javier felt himself smirk at the man and Carrillo smirked back, and Javi knew it. Because he never misses things like that. For him is like having a sixth sense, somehow enhanced by his career and his experience. He just knows. Javier had never been indifferent to men. After all, being honest with himself, he had a little crush on Steve before he saw the wedding band. And Carrillo was… just his type. He never thought he would have the chance to even get closer to the Colonel like that. In the end, the time was not right and he was quite sure Carrillo wasn’t like that.

Clearly, he had been mistaken.

“Okay you two, I’ve had enough,” you grumbled, “What is going on? I’m sick of these games.”

“This is not a game,” Carrillo said, finally looking at you, you felt your frown get deeper.

“Then what is it?” you demanded.

Javier shrugged and took one last look at Carrillo, as if to confirm his consent, and replied.

“An arrangement,” he deadpanned, “With both of us.”

“If you want it,” Carrillo added, quickly.

You shot up from the wall you were sitting on and turned to glare at both of them. Javier put his hands on his waist and leaned on a leg, and Carrillo stood up as well, clasped hands in front of him, just waiting for you to say something. Anything.

Javier glanced nervously at Carrillo from the corner of his eye, searching his face for any sign of hesitation. I hope this is gonna go how you were planning, Carrillo, he thought, Because if it doesn’t and she refuses to speak to me again after this...I swear to god–

“Where did you get this idea?” you blabbered, feeling the sting of nervousness and insecurity settling into your stomach. Along with something else in your lower belly you refused to acknowledge at all.

Javier sighed, and shook his head.

“Steve Murphy has a big mouth,” he murmured.

“Dios mío,” you exclaimed, “He told you both?”

“Well, he told me,” Javier said, running a hand through his hair, “I don’t know about our Colonel over here.”

Now it was Carrillo’s turn to look sheepish.

“No, he didn’t say anything to me,” Carrillo admitted, “I overheard the two of you talking the other day.”

“You eavesdropped on me?” you gasped, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Is nothing I say private?”

Carrillo at least had the grace to look ashamed.

“It was an accident,” he tried to assure you, “But–I don’t regret listening in. I haven’t stopped thinking about it. About you.”

You scrubbed your face with your hands, trying to figure out what you were going to do. It wasn’t that you were–unhappy–more so embarrassed. You’d been carrying this secret for a long time now, and to have it so out in the open made you feel more exposed than ever. And you hated the feeling.

“I’m gonna need a minute,” you said, “Can we talk about this later? I need some space.”

Without waiting for a response, you briskly walked away from the police base and in the direction of the city. You weren’t sure where you were going or when you were going to be back. All that you knew was that your privacy had been massively violated, and you needed some space to collect yourself. Alone. And perhaps when you had calmed down, you could think about Carrillo and Peña’s proposal, like a functioning adult. But right now, you were too embarrassed (and aroused, let’s be real), to think straight.

Javier turned aside to look at Carrillo when your figure had disappeared into the city.

“So,” Javier broke the not-so-awkward silence, “Are you okay with this?”

Carrillo huffed at the question and glanced at the agent, noticing in him things he hadn't noticed before.

“Are you?”

Javier felt his stomach drop at the Colonel’s question… interesting.

“I’m all in,” he replied, smirking at Carrillo.

“Yo también.”

**Scene Break 3**

It was later in the afternoon by the time you had calmed down enough to return to work. You couldn’t believe what had happened today. You absolutely wanted to smack Steve. What you had told him was in confidence, and he had broken that trust. But you couldn’t deny that you were happy with the result. The idea of having even just one of those two men was enough to get you going, but both?

Men like them?

The pool of arousal was already forming in between your legs.

You could not deny how much you had wanted this, and how much you had been dreaming about it. And for a very long time. For god’s sake, you had lost sleep over this shit. It made you feel dirty, filthy, unprofessional. But you just couldn’t help it. You’d done a decent enough job of keeping your feelings in check, but now the cat was out of the bag.

And not only did these two men know how you felt. Apparently, they felt the same way. And for some godforsaken reason, they wanted you.

Were you really going to say no to an opportunity like that? Were you truly that stupid? No matter how much you were angry with Steve.

Connie would lose her shit when you'd call her to tell her about her husband’s work.

You walked into the bullpen and saw the office door opened, the first thing you saw was Javier’s face buried inside a file, his posture rigid and his hands grasping at the folder as if it were a lifeline.

He looked up and his eyes went wide when he saw you walk in.

But then you saw Murphy, sitting like nothing had happened and you saw red. You rushed at him and without a word your hand flew and you smacked him on the back of the head.

“What the fuck?” he yelled, and you heard Javier laughing behind you.

“You asshole,” you hissed, “Exactly what made you think it was a good idea to tell him? I trusted you to keep your mouth shut.”

“Excuse me,” Steve groaned, rubbing the back of his head, “I did you a fucking favor. I got tired of hanging around with you two idiots, just looking at each other and not saying shit.”

“You should not have done that,” you growled, fixing him with what you hoped was your most intimidating glare.

“Perhaps not,” Steve shrugged, “But I don’t regret it.”

“Can I–say something?” Javier asked behind you.

“No. Shut up.” you hissed without looking back at him.

“You do something like this again, and I’ll kill you,” you threatened Steve before storming out of the base, and into the parking lot. You sat in the driver’s seat of your car and banged your head against the steering wheel. You had had every intention of finding Peña and Carrillo and taking them up on their offer, but now all feelings of boldness had been once again replaced by shame and embarrassment. No doubt you were the talk of the police base, what with your massive crush on two of your colleagues.

Although you knew it was irrational, you couldn’t help but feel as though Carrillo and Peña were making fun of you. You knew it was stupid. Both of them were grown-ass men. They wouldn’t be so immature. If they didn’t like you at all, they would have just left you alone. But you just couldn’t help the raging insecurity you were feeling. Perhaps if you had actually told both of them, directly, how you felt, rather than let Steve Murphy do the hard work, then maybe you wouldn’t be feeling this way.

But that was all water under the bridge now, you supposed.

Later that night, you were heating up a pitiful TV-dinner in your apartment, not feeling up to eating, but you needed something, when your phone rang. You froze with the fork halfway to your mouth. There were only a handful of people who had your landline number, and even then, only a few of those people would have the guts to actually call it. This wasn’t going to be a fun conversation.

Sighing, you trudged over to the phone and lifted the receiver to your ear.

“¿Sí?” you asked, quietly, and you heard the low voice of Colonel Carrillo on the other end.

“It’s me,” he said softly, “You left work rather abruptly. I called to see if you were fine.”

“As fine as I can be, given the circumstances,” you grumbled.

“I’m sorry that things transpired the way they did, truly,” Carrillo mumbled, sounding genuinely apologetic, “But I meant it when I said I don’t regret finding out.”

“Of course you wouldn’t,” you snarked, “You’re not the one whose colleague breached her trust.”

There was a pause before Carrillo spoke again.

“Do you regret it?”

Now it was your turn to pause, contemplating your words and how you would respond. You didn’t want to hurt him, but at the same time, you wanted to make it clear that you weren’t pleased with the means---even if the end was fantastic.

“I regret how this started,” you replied, slowly, not trusting yourself to say anything further.

Carrillo hummed over the line, contemplating your words.

“I can’t blame you for that,” he said, “But forget about Steve for a moment, please. Have you thought about it?”

You inhaled and held your breath for ten counts, trying to calm down your racing heart. You couldn’t deny that just the mere thought of being in the same room with these two men, especially in a non-platonic setting, was difficult for you.

“I think you know the answer to that, Colonel. You aren’t stupid,” you quipped, “Have you discussed this with Peña? I must admit, I am surprised at you both. This doesn’t seem like something either of you would be interested in.”

“We’ve discussed this, absolutely,” Carrillo said, recalling the deeper conversation he had with Peña earlier that day after you had slapped Steve, “I think we’ve both surprised ourselves, if I’m being honest. But if the attraction is there, it’s there. But I want you to know, there is no pressure. This only goes as far as you want it to go.”

You frowned at that.

“What do you mean?” you pressed.

“Querida,” he sighed, “What happens between the three of us–well–Peña and I know where we stand–it’s up to you now. If you don’t want this, then just say the word. We’ll pretend this conversation never happened.”

You took a shuddering breath and tried to respond as best as you can.

“I–”

“You don’t have to give me an answer now,” Carrillo interrupted gently, “Think about it. Make sure it’s what you want. Then you can let us know.”

“I–ok,” you stuttered, for lack of a better response.

“I should leave you to your evening. But think about it, and let me know what you decide ,” Carrillo said, “Have a good night, querida.”

“Sure, good night, Colonel,” you mumbled, hearing the click on the other end, indicating that Carrillo had hung up.

You passed the rest of the evening in relative silence, going about your mundane business with an extra air of heaviness. Slowly you could feel the embarrassment from the day give way to desire. As you lay by yourself in your bed, clutching at your pillow, you couldn’t help the acute sense of loneliness that you felt. After all, you hadn’t really had anyone before you came to Colombia, and your job here certainly killed whatever chance of having a relationship you might have had. It was why you had so easily fallen for both of your colleagues.

You were lonely. And they were lonely too. But it wasn’t just out of loneliness. You’d seen what Peña was like when he just wanted to have a warm body next to him. Just as it had taken courage for you to confess how you felt to Steve, it must have taken just as much strength for Carrillo and Peña to admit the same to you. This wasn’t going to be a one time thing–born out of isolation and tragedy–it would be something much more meaningful than that. You could feel it.

You glanced at the clock, seeing that it was just past midnight. Although you knew that Carrillo usually stayed up late, you didn’t want to bother him, so you dialed the number of the only other person who you knew would be up this late.

“Hello?” Javier Peña gruffed on the other end, clearly annoyed at having been woken up.

“Javier, it’s me,” you said, by way of greeting. You heard some rustling of bedsheets, no doubt Javier was fully awake now.

“Are you all right?” he asked, concern coloring his tone.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you assured him, “I just–I’ve thought about your offer. Yours and Carrillo’s.”

You heard a sharp intake of breath over the phone.

“And what do you say, cariño?” he questioned, hope ringing in his voice.

You took a deep breath, steadying yourself.

“Yes. I’m saying yes.”

**Scene Break 4**

You sat inside Javier’s car, silently, as he drove the two of you through the streets of Medellín towards Carrillo’s address. It was a Friday–exactly a week from when Carrillo had overheard you talking to Steve, and you were completely floored at how your life had changed that fast. You didn’t regret anything though, not one bit.

You were nervous though. Having one of these men was enough to make you swoon, but both? You weren’t sure what was going to happen. All you knew is that it would be a fantastic night. You just hoped that you could keep up.

A hand on your knee brought you back to the present, and you glanced over to see that Javier was eyeing you out of the corner of his eye as he drove.

“Relax, cariño,” he ordered, “It’s just us.”

You laughed.

“I know, that’s what I’m worried about,” you said, jokingly. But Javier wasn’t having it.

“Why would that make you nervous?” he asked, turning to face you when you had stopped for a red light.

“You two are my friends and colleagues,” you stated, “I don’t–want to disappoint you. Especially since we will have to go back to work after the weekend.”

Javier shook his head and pressed down harder on the accelerator, hoping that if he got you to Carrillo’s place faster, you’d stop your fatalistic thoughts.

“None of that,” he grumbled, shutting down your line of thinking as quickly as he could, “What happens between us tonight stays between us. That’s it. No pressure or expectations. Just enjoy yourself, okay?”

You nodded, not quite trusting yourself to speak. And thankfully, you didn’t have to say anything because you and Javier finally pulled up in front of Carrillo’s house. It was a much larger property than you had expected, with a beautifully-kept lawn and a mango tree just at the front of the house. It was a stunning place to live, and the thought that Carrillo had been staying there alone, with nobody to share it with, for the past several months just left you heartbroken.

Well. That was likely about to change tonight.

“You’re still sure, cariño?” Javier asked, taking your hand in his and staring at your knuckles, “If you’ve changed your mind, I can drive you back now. No questions asked.”

You shook your head.

“I’m completely sure, Javi. Don’t worry,” you assured him, and Javier nodded.

“Bueno,” he mumbled, “Let’s go.” And with that, the two of you walked up the path to Carrillo’s front door and rang the bell. Carrillo answered almost immediately, face relaxing at the sight of you.

“I hope you didn’t have too much trouble finding the place,” he greeted, stepping back to allow the two of you to enter his house.

“I have some wine if you would like,” Carrillo suggested, leading you and Javier into the kitchen after the two of you had kicked off your shoes.

Carrillo walked straight to the fridge and took out what appeared to be a pretty expensive brand of wine, but neither you nor Javier said anything in regards to it. Instead, you both sat down and exchanged a series of fugitive glances at each other.

You thought you needed the wine, the bitter, strong taste of alcohol to run through your veins in order to be able to process the moment in its entirety. But suddenly, as you glared at both Javier and Carrillo, there was no need for anything else. No liquid distraction to be drunk beforehand, no ridiculous and meaningless pleasantries or comfort words. You knew those men. You trusted them with your life every day when you went out there on the streets, and you trusted them just as much now. Their mere presence was sufficient to relax you and ease the tension, although you thought they would both agree that the tension was thicker than you could’ve imagined.

“I trust you both, and I care about you both, so damn much.”

It came out of the blue; you weren’t even sure you thought about it in your mind, and yet you said it nonetheless, standing up. Both of them seemed a little surprised by your impromptu confession, but patiently waited for your continuation, if there was any to begin with.

“What I mean is… why make this harder on ourselves? Why bother with small talk and awkward conversations when we can just… do it, enjoy the night?”

Javier was the first one who smirked. And of course he would, he was probably used to a lot of those moments, or similar ones, and had almost no issue baring it all, you thought. You swore, for a brief, almost too rushed moment, that you saw Carrillo hesitate with saying something and averting his eyes from both you and Javier, but you brushed it off. Instead, he looked tall and mighty at you, as his official position required, and smiled gallantly at you.

“You are the one in charge tonight,” he told you.

Simple, yet effective.

From the moment you heard that sentence, it did something to your ego. It gave you an unexpected boost of confidence, it sparked a desire, a flame so bright and hot you wouldn’t have believed it to be true in any other situation.

You took a few steps closer to Carrillo, all the while having Javier watch the scene unfold from the kitchen entrance. He stood up when you did, out of some long-forgotten courtesy that he didn’t used to care about anymore, and he just knew where it was all headed. He recognized the look in your eyes, the longing on your face. He knew what it meant, how much it must’ve consumed you, and he felt oddly enticed and captivated by it.

Just as swiftly as the night began, Carrillo’s hands rested on your waist while he kissed you. You wrapped your arms around his neck and he only brought you closer to him; his lips tasted surprisingly sweet, with just a faint tint of nicotine. Your chest was pressed against his, warm clothed skin found yours and you shivered against him. His hands gripped your waist as if saying farewell to them and he slid them up your body. You could feel Peña’s eyes fixed in your bodies, staring at the scene, and when the Colonel broke the kiss to nibble at your neck, you opened your eyes to see him next to you; half-lidded brown deep eyes, an opened bottle of wine in one hand and his lower lip in the other. Your skin was burning, and you had barely been touched.

You smiled at him when Carrillo took your jacket off, Peña smirked and took a sip of wine directly from the bottle, careless about any pleasantries.

Carrillo’s wet tongue latched softly at your pulse point and ripped a low moan out of you, you closed your eyes again when his hands gripped your ass over the fabric of your jeans.

“Colonel, please,” you muttered, sighing as you felt his large hands had fun with your flesh and grip it after hearing the way you called him.

“Words, querida” he just replied, putting some distance between your wet skin and his lips.

“More,” you bit your lip, Carrillo smirked at you and you noticed the way his eyes darkened with desire in front of you. He turned to look at Javier, who was still standing at the kitchen entrance, palming his erection over his jeans.

“Bring that,” Carrillo said, pointing at the bottle, then slid his hand from your ass to the small of your back and guided you towards the staircase.

Between your hazed eyes and the cloud of lust that had begun to invade your mind you looked around Carrillo’s space and wondered how a man like him could live in a place that big. You smiled to yourself when he put his hand on the small of your back and soon enough Peña caught up to you, you felt his ever so imposing presence behind you.

Carrillo opened the door to the bedroom and pushed you softly inside.

You didn’t even have time to take your surroundings in when you felt a pair of warm hands find your hips and a set of lips grazing at your earlobe. Your eyes closed by themselves and the sweet, strong smell of Javier’s cologne invaded your nostrils as he pulled your back flush against his chest.

“Sh–shit,” you let out, half a whisper, half a moan, when you felt Carrillo’s hands roam around your waist.

You were losing yourself between the touch of the two of them, you shivered when Carrillo cupped your breast as Javier nibbled at the skin of your neck, from behind, you tilted your head to the side to give him more room to do whatever–the–fuck he pleased with your neck.

“Mírate, chiquita,” Carrillo whispered, you felt his breath on your lips and when you re-opened your eyes you saw him inches away from your face “you’re already wrecked.”

You felt Javier chuckling against your flushed skin, and you bit your lower lip, bringing a hand to the Colonel’s nape to pull him closer and kiss him again.

One of Javier’s hands found itself under your shirt, his mouth was moving and his other hand pulled softly at your shirt over your shoulder to find more skin to lick and kiss. Carrillo found the hem of your shirt and broke the kiss to look at you, as if asking for permission and reassurance that you wanted what he wanted. Javier watched the silent exchange and smirked against the skin of your shoulder, he gave it a last brush of his mustache and a last kiss before you nodded to the Colonel and he helped you out of the garment.

Carrillo smiled to himself when he saw what you’ve been hiding under it, a black, only-lace bra that showed the shade of your nipples, you bit your lip again when you took in his disheveled figure, his notorious erection under his military green pants that made the pool between your legs grow.

“How are you this fucking beautiful?” Javier muttered behind you, his mouth leaving a trail of kisses behind your ear to your nape.

Your breath hitched when Carrillo kneeled in front of you and you felt your chest heaving with desire when his large fingers dextrely unbuttoned your jeans and his thumbs hooked on the hem. He looked at you again and you nodded for a second time. Javier looked over your shoulder at the Colonel slowly sliding your jeans off your hips then your legs and he left his hands roam around the now naked skin of your torso. Your hands landed on the back of his head, and he took the hint, attacking the skin of your neck once again.

Carrillo threw your jeans away once he helped you out of them and you moaned loudly when his lips grazed against your knee. One of your hands dropped to grab Carrillo’s head as his trail of kisses moved up, up, up until he reached the soft skin where your thigh and your hip joined. You were sure he could smell your arousal, you were sure he could feel it at that point and you didn’t care, for once you let yourself only feel and let all thought out of your mind while you felt two mouths, two men, take care of you.

There was no hesitation from Javier’s side as his fingers gently grazed up your spine, expertly unclasping your bra, taking in the image of the straps loosening on your smooth skin. He was damn near panting at the mere sight, but he had to remind himself that that was only the tip of the iceberg. The moans you were letting escape your mouth as Carrillo pressed gentle kisses on your inner thighs aided him in no way. He felt himself get harder and harder and fought off raging instincts to turn that moment into another one of his one-night stands.

Javier made sure he tasted your skin while he took the straps from both sides between his fingers and slid them off your shoulders, he felt you shivering under his hands and over Horacio’s mouth and you could feel the smirk on your skin, once the bra came off, Javier took your chin and moved your head to face him, he pressed his mouth on yours, his tongue hungry for your scent, invading your cavities and feeling your warmth rush through his body with the speed of light. Everything about your scent was intoxicating and consuming, and ever so addicting that he could barely find it in himself to stop.

But then his calloused hands found your breasts and oh–oh, shit.

That first squeeze, tantalizingly slow and powerful, took you out completely. You gasped, and you weren’t sure if it was Horacio’s warm breath in between your legs or Javier fondling your breasts, but you embraced the overwhelming effect both had on you. Javier squeezed again, and moved around to locate the sweet torture of his mouth onto your nipples, taking one in his mouth whilst his thumb moved over the other one, twisting it in between his fingers as he nibbled at your skin. His tongue left a glistening trail as he peppered kisses in between your breasts, moving up your sternum, collarbones and neck and focusing on one particular spot that seemed to drive you wild. So much so that you reached behind your back to grab a handful of his hair, pull him in closer however you could.

“Lay her down, Peña,” Carrillo cooed, and the man followed suit.

You saw the Colonel untuck his shirt and take it off while Javier kneeled on the bed and helped you lay down on it, the softness of the sheets embraced you and the coldness made you whimper softly.

It was a premiere for him to witness Javier Peña, of all people, being so submissive and attentive, but he had other matters to focus on at the moment. His mouth left your already glistening and plump lips to grab the bottle of wine, your eyes followed him as you felt Carrillo’s hands spread your legs open and kiss the inside of your legs again, Javier came back to the bed and kneeled next to you, his hand gripping the bottle and the other cupping your face, he smiled softly at you and took a sip from the bottle; you moaned when Carrillo’s hands worked to get you out of your lace panties and Javier leaned down to you, the hand that cupped your face moved to your chin and he opened your mouth with his thumb, letting the wine pour from his mouth to yours, the wine was warm and it tasted sweet, when you closed your mouth and swallowed, Javier’s thumb grazed your lips and you heard a hard pant next to you, you turned to see Carrillo’s lusted face, you gave him a soft smile and he all but threw himself to you, kissing your mound, you moaned again and Javier leaned back, bringing the chilled bottle closer to your body, letting the tip of it graze against your warm skin, between the cold sensation and Carrillo’s lips tasting you, you were about to scream, Javier looked at you, smirked and pour some of the wine all over your breasts and abdomen, immediately reaching down on your again to lick the liquid off. A bit of the wine had traveled down your abdomen to your lower belly and found its way into Carrillos mouth, the feeling of the cold wine and their tongues made you growl. You had two pairs of equally sinful and skilled lips teasing and licking deliciously well over your exposed skin, and you had half of mind to grab either one of them and get to business. You couldn’t recall the last time you felt so aroused, but it was all a masterful torture and all for a good time. If anyone else was allowed to have their downtime, why shouldn’t you?

It was somewhat futile to even attempt to please either one of the men in return; their own pleasure seemed to be revolving around yours and they were both doing such an incredible job out of it that you had a hard time trying to keep track of where did the waves of pleasure come from anymore. It was all one big tsunami of feelings, from overstimulation to lust and appreciation and love in some form.

Carrillo continued his ministrations while Javier licked the remains of the wine from your body, his tongue traveled to your sternum and he took a nipple on his mouth ever so briefly, then he stood up and quickly undressed, not bothering to be cool about it, he just threw his clothes to the floor while he looked at Horacio have the time of his life between your legs, you let out soft moans and whispers and while Javier took off his jeans he saw your hand grip Carrillo’s hair as your hips hatched against the Colonel’s face. You felt his tongue flicking your clit and he pushed a thick finger inside you, curling it around, building you up and throwing you off the cliff with the same force he had put you there. You came on his mouth with his name on yours.

As you laid on the bed, legs spread for Carrillo as he helped you ride off your orgasm, Javier kneeled back on the bed next to your face, his hand snaked its way around your neck, gently grabbing both sides and helping you take his erection in your mouth, which you were more than happy to do. You could tell he was somewhat tensed: he was doing his absolute best to control his motions and to keep it at a normal rhythm, but the more you involuntarily groaned as Carrillo began to glide his tongue across your slit once again, building up your second climax, the more Javier was slowly losing bits and pieces of himself. Within seconds, you could just tell you weren’t gonna last long, but neither would Javier as he picked up the face and jerked his hips forward more and more, thus obliging you to take more of him in. You couldn’t explain it, nor find any logic behind the action itself, but you swore you felt his release in Javier’s impatient thrusts and, sure enough, mere seconds later, he finally came, grunting as ropes of his seed dripped down your jaw.

Your moans returned when Carrillo added two fingers to his mouthy torture over your clit, and you felt like you could explode. Not long after that all-too familiar gut feeling, that almost persistent desire to burn, you came for a second time, eager to jerk your hips forward and meet as much as you could of Carrillo’s tongue, but this time, the man’s grip over your thighs was impossible to break. He held you in place ever so expertly and ate you out like you were his favorite five course meal, soaking up every ounce of juice that you provided him with.

You temporarily lost feeling in your arms as you tried to raise them to make at least Javier pay attention, but words also failed to leave your abused mouth.

“Que buena chica,” Carrillo said from somewhere down below. (What a good girl.)

Your brain didn’t register what he said properly. All you could feel was a fire so intense, so vivid, you nearly saw stars. And something told you that was only the beginning.

And you were proven right.

In the momentary lack of physical touch, you thought about the moment itself, having two of the strongest, most desirable men eager to please you–simultaneously, might you add–and the more you thought about it, the more it threw you off completely. Why? You weren’t really sure. Perhaps it was the idea in the back of your mind that you wouldn’t have thought yourself capable of that. Or them, really. The activity hadn’t been exactly on your to-do list over the past few years and yet now, you couldn’t have thought of a better way to figure out your feelings for them, and to spare time.

The freshly acquired ecstasy was not only enthralling, but efficient as well.

After your second orgasm at Horacio’s ministrations you saw him between your lusted, narrowed eyes, undress completely, Javier was next to you, trailing his fingers up and down your wet torso–wet with wine and his saliva, what a fucking thought– while the both of you saw Carrillo take the remains of his clothes off and took in his lean figure, Javier smirked when he saw him whole and thought to himself the things he would do to the man if he had the time.

Javier wrapped his arms around your waist and helped you roll over to the side to face him, licking his bottom lip in the process and made sure you watched as he did so. He had been eyeing you up and down the entire day, whether clothed or not, and every glance he threw you, ever so dark and desirable, filled with subtext and desire, made you weaker and weaker, just like Carrillo’s touches were.

You reached his face and took his lips in yours, his tongue slid inside your mouth and as he explored the insides and his hand grabbed fistfuls of your ass, you felt the bed shifting behind you, and another hand snaked from behind and found your breast, you were being pressed against and between two bodies and the wam of them was driving you insane, when Carrillo’s fingers played with your nipple you bucked your hips forward and you felt Javier’s erection graze at your lower belly. Javier moved his hand from your ass to your thigh and then he let it slide to your pussy, you bucked your hips backwards and you felt Carrillo’s erection graze at your ass.

“How are you still this wet, bonita?” Javier asked, while his fingers found themselves between your lips.

“Don’t you know the answer by now, Javi?” you muttered, feeling the way Carrillo’s mouth found your shoulders.

You glanced at him and Carrillo the same way Javier looked at you and you understood in an instant why he always preferred to be that way. It was enticing, addicting and sinful, just the way he was.

And by the looks of it, Colonel Horacio Carrillo was no saint either.

“How do you want this to go, chiquita?” Horacio asked behind you as you moved your leg up to allow Javier’s fingers to find a way inside you.

You sighed. Why was he asking you that question when you weren’t even sure something like this would happen? For a brief, brief second you wanted to hide, just grab your clothes and hide. But you found yourself sandwiched between the men that you most desired and you just couldn’t waste this opportunity for the life of you.

So you rummaged around your deepest, filthiest fantasies you’ve had when everything had just been a sinful dream, a product of your lascive thoughts giving into what you catalogued as your darkest secrets and desires and you found one you couldn’t stop think about after it had given you a stars–behind–the–eyes orgasm.

“I want both,” you muttered, feeling the way both men groaned at your sides, “both inside me, please.”

“You sure?” Javier asked, pulling out his fingers from your cunt and looking at the way they glistened, you nodded.

“Words, chiquita,” Horacio said and you turned to see him, he leaned down and stole a short, deep kiss.

“I’m a hundred percent sure,” you murmured against the Colonel’s lips.

“Let’s get you ready, then,” Javier whispered on your neck and you sighed when his fingers slid back into your slit, you closed your eyes when Horacio played your nipples around his fingers and then his hand roamed down your body, finding their way to your pussy.

“Déjame entrar,” Horacio said under his breath, Javier stopped moving his fingers inside you and you squeezed your eyes tighter when Carrillo slid two more fingers inside your cunt.

“Fu–fuck, fuck,” you gasped, Javier let open mouthed kisses around your face and the skin of your neck within reach while your walls tightened around their thick fingers.

“You okay?” Javier asked and you nodded a few times before your body relaxed and got used to the intrusion.

“Mo–move,” you pleaded, feeling Horacio’s mouth nibbling at your shoulder and your neck.

Javier and Horacio moved their fingers at the same time inside you, looking at each other as if marking a dancing pace. You didn’t know what to do with yourself as they moved in and out and curled their fingers in all directions inside you, making you moan and whimper and open up more for them as they somehow found an identical pace to torture you with.

“Eso, eso nena, lo estás haciendo muy bien,” Carrillo praised behind you, feeling the way your walls were giving into the attention and dilating around their fingers (That’s it baby, you’re doing great)

“Más,” you pleaded, rolling your hips against their hands “Más, más,”

They grinned at each other, Javier’s eyes landed on your face and took in the way your features quirked in pure pleasure. Their fingers moving at the same time, pacing in and out faster. Javier’s mouth landed on your shoulder and Carrillo only took in the lewd noise his and Javier’s fingers were making as they pulled in and out at a murdering pace.

“Oh, sh–shit,” you bit your lip and tried to hide your face inside the crook of Javier’s neck but Horacio pulled you away with his other hand.

“We wanna hear you, querida.” he whispered behind your ear, you shivered again at the feeling of his warm breath and then it became too much, their fingers were covered in your arousal as you spread your legs impossibly wider as your throat began growling and your hands landed on both of them, digging your nails on their flesh. Javier hissed against your shoulder and Carrillo bit the skin of your mouth, both of them throwing you together from the cliff and your body spasmed between them.

“Oh my god, oh shit, fuck!” you screamed between their bodies and they slowed their pace to help you ride down your climax “please, please, fuck me, please,” you let out, almost desperately, eager to feel the same with them inside you. They slid their fingers out of you and you shivered again.

Your body was already a mess, after three powerful orgasms you were panting for air, the only thing you wanted was them inside you, you wanted to feel every ridge and every vein of them, you wanted; you needed to cum around them both.

“What is taking you so long?” you opened your eyes, quite frustrated at the lack of attention to your bodies, but the sight that you took in was otherworldly.

Carrillo had his fingers, his covered–in–your–arousal fingers inside Javier’s mouth.

“Fuck,” you let out, dropping your head on the mattress, looking at the way Javier grabbed Horacio’s wrist to keep his hand on his mouth and lick them clean of you while Horacio’s deep gaze took Javier in with a smirk adorning his face.

Horacio pulled his fingers out with a soft pop and they both looked at you, panting and brushing a nipple with your fingers.

“Next time you’ll have to put on a show for me,” you teased.

“You’re ready?” Javier asked, leaning down to kiss your temple, you looked at Carrillo and smiled at him as he licked his fingers.

“Very,” you replied, softly, your voice was already hoarse because of the moaning and screaming they had pulled out of you, they got comfortable on each of your side and you took a deep breath when Horacio lifted your leg and hooked it on his hip.

Javier was the first one to tease your entrance with the dripping head of his cock, when you felt it sliding up and down your slit you gasped and as he pushed himself inside you you grabbed his arm and licked any part of his skin available for you.

“Oh my god,” you cried out softly.

Javier was having a hard time staying still when your walls were warm and wet around him, his hands roamed around your body as Carrillo lined himself with you and him as well and then he pushed.

“Holy fucking shit,” you had close your eyes at the feeling of Horacio making his way inside of you, you breathed and panted and tried so hard to relaxe but they were thicker than their fingers and your pussy was clenching already around them. Javier took your hand and you squeezed his as both of them bottomed up inside you.

Horacio put his hands over the entanglement of yours and Javi’s and the three of you gasped and panted until your body stopped squirming between them and your walls stopped closing themselves at the feeling of two thick cocks making their way inside.

Javier had to close his eyes as well when he felt how your cunt clenched him tight closer to Horacio and he felt himself throb inside you, when he opened his eyes he saw you, open mouthed gasps leaving your body as it got used to being that full, and then his eyes traveled to Horacio, that buried himself in the crook of your neck, he supposed he was feeling the same way as him, trapped in a oh–so–tight hole with him.

“Move, move, move,” you all but begged, the initial sting of being filled like that disappearing and being replaced with the darkest, deepest, hottest desire you had ever felt, “fu–fucking move already!”

Horacio smirked against the skin of your neck at your demand and moved slightly to look at Javier, who nodded once and then, murdering pleasure; Javier pulled out and as he was thrusting slowly back in, Horacio pulled out and moved in as Javier moved out and you gasped and the air in your lungs left you for the time being as your cunt was filled with the two men you wanted the most.

It was pleasure delivered in a delicious swing of two hips rocking back and forth, back and forth, back and forth into you, making you impossibly wetter, incredibly hornier, and way too lost in the haze to even care about anything else.

The way that they were fucking you was shameless, the noises were lewd and your moans invaded the room as soon as they picked up the pace and kept driving into you at the same pace but in different directions.

Four hands caressed your body, two sets of lips nibbled at your skin, two tongues tasted the salty sheet of sweat that had covered your body, two thick cocks used your body at their will, making you want to explode; it was an eager combination of feelings and sensations pulled out of the most sensual, lechery, degenerated dreams you could ever had.

“Harder, please, pleasepleaseplease,” you panted out, gripping any skin and limb your hands could find. Your hips started rolling and rolling and rolling with them as they thrusted and pounded inside you.

“Mierda,” Horacio gasped behind you, biting at your skin, making you whimper.

“You’re so fucking tight, so fu–fucking good, baby,” Javier cried out as your pussy clenched around them and you absentmindedly rolled your hips harder.

It was an entanglement of limbs and wet skin, mouths clashing against skin, hands gripping and grabbing available flesh, a swing of bodies and a symphony of licks, kisses, hums, gasps, pants, begs and praises.

“Shit, sh–shit,” you panted harder and clawed at Javier’s arm when you felt the well-familiar tug on your belly of an incoming orgasm, you hummed and moaned and you felt lips in your ear, licking and nibbling at your earlobe, “I’m so close, más,”

Javier gritted his teeth when you demanded more and angled his hips to pound inside harder, Horacio followed his lead, dropping his hand on Javier’s shoulder for leverage. Carrillo’s touch burned in Javier’s skin and he felt his body stiffen with the feeling of his second release.

“Por dios, querida, me estás matando.” Horacio cried out behind you, feeling as well his body falling from the cliff. (My god, you’re killing me)

Javier’s free hand slid through your wet, glistening skin and his finger circled your clit slowly, you screamed his name, your legs buckled and your entire body squirmed with the sea of sensations your body was feeling and flooding with.

“Cum inside me, please, please,” you panted again, feeling the way your legs started to shake as both of their thrust became erratic and Javier’s finger kept circling around your bundle of nerves you exploded around them, gushing out and soaking them as your orgasm made you scream both their names.

“Mierda, querida, mírate,” Horacio grunted before he gave into the lustfulness of it all and came inside you and around Javier.

Once Javi felt the warmness of Carrillo’s release and the way you soaked both of them and his hand, he locked his hips with yours and spilled himself inside as well, gasping out your name.

“Ohmyfuckinggod,” you let out as a sigh, feeling your legs tremble with the strength of your climax.

The three of you stayed like that, joined, for a while. As your bodies relaxed you finally opened your eyes and saw the way Horacio’s hand was resting on Javier’s shoulder, wrapping you as well between them. Both of them breathing heavily, eyes closed, recovering from whatever the hell you had done was called. You sighed and smiled to yourself. If it weren’t for the four orgasms you had and the way your cunt was throbbing after the abuse and dripping with their seed, you wouldn’t believe it was real at all.

“How was that, cariño?” Javier asked, grazing a hand up and down your arm.

“That was–magnificent,” you gushed, not sure how else to describe that positively euphoric experience, “I think–you two have worn me out.”

Horacio chuckled and moved your head to press a kiss to your forehead, and shifted to allow all three of you to lie somewhat comfortably under the covers. You whined when they pulled out of you, solely because at the loss of them, you felt empty.

“Rest now, querida, we’ll be here in the morning,” he whispered into your hair, and that was all the permission you needed.

“We should–” you brought a hand to your mouth to cover a massive yawn, “–do this again sometime.”

After that, it didn’t take long before you had succumbed to the tempting pull of sleep. Horacio sighed and glanced over your shoulder at Javier, who looked rather worn out himself. Tenderly, Horacio reached over and brushed aside a small strand of hair that had fallen in Javi’s face.

“So, same time next week, then?” Horacio asked, giving Javier a lazy smirk, which was returned in kind.

“Yeah,” Javier mumbled, turning over to drape his arm around your way and bury his face in your neck.

“Absolutely.”

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[asimpfor2dcharacter]

Note: In this chapter there will mention two of my oc ( original character) their physical appearance will be present in the future chapters.

When you see this sign -- it means a flashback started/ended

Previous chapter Masterlist

Chapter 2: Cafè and tea

In the morning the rain was strumming against the window of her room and  she was preparing herself to go into the living room. She decided to wear a light pigiama suited for the weather and thought that it was unnecessary to wear the golden ring she usually uses because no one was going to see it anyway beside her parents. It has already been several days since she came back to Japan and she mostly spent her time with her parents: cooking with her mother, training with her father and beating him in a game of chess. Mundane actions that people usually do with their parents but she can't, due to the fact that she lives far from them.

She decided to join his father in the kitchen who was busy cooking breakfast.

Aizawa noticed the presence of his daughter when she entered the room, 

"Goodmorning Y/n, your mom already left this early in the morning to work".

"Morning Dad, are those pancakes?," she asked, setting the table.

"Yes your favourite, you can already eat the one on the table while it's still hot ," he said, pointing at the table where there were several pancakes on a plate.

"Thanks Dad," she glanced outside the window and there was still a drizzling rain, " the weather forecasts show that around lunch time there will be sun for the rest of the day, so me and Yuga  planned to meet each other in a cafè nearby,".

"That sounds great," he flipped the last pancakes on the pan and he put it on his plate and then he took a chair beside her daughter.

"Well dad thank you for the breakfast,".

While cutting his food, he asked her, "Y/n in a few days I have the final appointment at the tailor shop for my wedding suit. I wanted to ask you if you can come with me?,".

"Are you asking  me that because you genuinely want me to be there or you  just don't want to be alone with uncle Mic?," she said while spreading the Nutella on her pancake.

"A mix of both, so are you coming?,".

"Of course I will, it's not everyday to see you in such a formal outfit," he rolled his eyes at her daughter's comment, making her tease her father more, knowing his preference over more comfortable clothes rather than elaborate one's.

"But Dad, one week before I came here in Japan you told me that Nezu offered you the position of UA principal, have you already made a decision?,".

Once he heard the question, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and slowly he put the fork on the table. "Honestly no". 

"Why?".

"I thought about it and Y/n I know it's a great honour to be the UA principal but," crossing his arm he continued, " I'm getting older and I don't if I can continue to be a hero for more years let alone be the UA principal," he said touching his left leg. She knew what exactly he meant with those words. "Beside," he added, " working as a principal, sure does take off your free time and I prefer spending my free time with your mom rather than working on paperworks,".

"You really love mom," she said.

"Well yeah, that's why I'm marrying her," he admitted with a smile on his face.

"That's it I'm going to tell mom when she comes back home,".

"Please don't, she will tease me about it for the whole week,". 

Both of them almost finished  eating their food when her father asked, "Y/n I know you told us you took this vacation for health reasons but it might also be because of those articles about you?". 

She immediately stopped eating, her eyes were avoiding his father's gaze, almost ashamed to meet them,"So you saw it".

"Yes I saw them, I read those negative reviews about your latest book so does your mom but don't get down on yourself. I know how negative opinions of others can bring you down but don't forget that you will always have me and your mom support you for everything. Me and your mom just want you to communicate with us when something is wrong," and now it was his turn to avoid her gaze, not wanting her to see his eyes tearing up, "we just don't want to repeat what happened to you six years ago,".

She listened attentively at his words, she knows how both of her parents suffered for the events of that day and she promised to herself that it will never happen again, "I know dad I'm working on it and I promise you, you will never see me again in that situation".

"Your mom and I just what the best for you," he said, patting gently on your head.

"I know dad I know," she admitted, giving her father a reassuring smile.

"Oh wait, you said your meeting Aoyama right," he pulled out from his pocket his wallet and gave her 13,000 yen  (99 in euro, 117 in dollars), "here take it,".

"Dad, I'm twenty-six years old, I can pay for my stuff,".

"Just take it ok," He replied while sipping a cup of coffee pretending not to hear the protest coming from his daughter.

 

After the deep conversation she had with Aizawa this morning, she was now preparing to meet Aoyama. Once  choosing her outfit, she decided to wear the golden ring on the fourth finger of her left hand to complete the look. Fortunately the weather forecast was right and it was a sunny day outside and her best friend informed her that they will meet in a cafe. He told her how excited he was to try their famous cheesecake and the way he described the pastry makes her want to try.

It took only twenty minutes by walking from her house to arrive at the cafè shop Aoyama told her. From the outside the wall of the shop  was black and it was ornated with several climbing plants, there was also a big wooden door as the entrance and inside the place it was rather a cozy atmosphere.

 She was searching for her best friend who was in disguise to avoid fans attention towards him and he told her to be able to recognise him, he was wearing a green merchandise t-shirt of Deku with a pair of dark sunglasses and a dark blue bucket hat. After searching for a couple of minutes she finally saw her friend in the most isolated part of the shop and near him there was a TV attached to the wall. He was sitting in a chair using his phone but she noticed something different from her best friend. 

"I can't believe he really did that," she thought.

"Yuga I thought you were joking when you said to me you were going to dye your hair," admiringing his new hair color now similar to the shade of blonde of Lucius Malfoy.

After some years of not seeing her in person, he immediately gave her a warm hug, "Y/n!!! It's so nice to see you again". 

"Yuga, you don't know how much I missed you," she said, returning back the hug, "it's been two years since  we saw each other and the last time was when you visited me in New York".

"And what were you saying about my hair, for your information," flipping his hair with a hand in a too dramatic way, " these are amazing," he said, not caring too much about him blowing up his disguise.

"Whatever you say Lucius Malfoy. So how is my favourite hero?," she asked once they took their seats.

He confesses to her the struggle of being the number fifteen hero, how the paparazzi each day that pass are becoming more determined to invade his private life and his agency already gave five restriction orders to five paparazzi only this  last three months. He can't imagine how difficult it is for higher ranking heroes to maintain  their privacy, he admitted, but on a positive note he and his team are working hard to climb higher in the hero rankings this year and they are also trying to sign better sponsorships with other companies' brands.

"So yeah, this is basically what I've been doing in the last months," he picked the menu card, " and you, my favourite writer, keep me updated on what is happening in your life," he asked, flipping the menu card.

"Well first I'm sorry for what happened to you with the paparazzi, at least your agencies manage the whole situation well but don't worry I don't have any doubts that you will achieve the top ten hero podium. So you wanted to know my personal life or my work life?,".

"All of it," He admitted with a devilish smile painted on his face.

"You jerk, so where do I start," taking a deep breath, "let's talk first about work, even though I told my parents it was my own decision to be on holiday, actually, it is more like my agency imposed me to take this vacation, because of the critiques. Although my recent book was a success to the public, the critiques were, well, quite harsh. 

I have been working in this industry for a long time to develop a thick skin towards harsh criticisms but my agency didn't take it well, they told me, I should take time off from working before publishing a new book. They don't want to see again what they read about me in those articles written by literary critics, phrases like 'The book is so predictable, 'Has Adrianne lost her spark of writing?', 'The book is not on the same level as the other that she wrote', 'I will not even read to meet pets'.

He put down the menu card in his hands, "Y/n, I'm sorry for what happened to you but don't let those critics let you down. I know your worth as an writer and looks like also my colleagues know it, the way they were down knowing you took half year off from writing, you should have seen their reaction when they red what those literary critics wrote about you they were furious to them and every time they talk about your stories and theories about it, their face are engulfed of joy" he said taking both of your hands in his and slightly squeeze it. "Y/n if you can only see the happiness of my co-workers imagines the joy you bring to others millions of people that read your stories around the globe," he expressed with a smile on his face, after all the years that you know him that smile always brings you comfort. "Y/n remember you are the one who brought that medium company to become one of the biggest and most important company in New York with your amazing works, you are their big fish. Even if those literary critics didn't like your books, what can your company do against you? Fire you? Please they are nothing without you," he added.

Trying to not laugh at his last statement, she dried the tears forming in her eyes for the words of support from her friend, she said, "Ohhh Yuga chan, you really know how to make a woman cry".

He winked at her, "What can I say, it's the charm of being a hero".

"Ok let's stop with these tear-jerking moments and let's order." Playfully slapping his arm and picking up the menu card to choose what to order. "I honestly don't know what to pick besides their cheesecake, there are so many to choose from".

"Well I also recommend you to check their drinks,".

Flipping through the pages of the menu card, she decided what to choose, " I know what to order and you?," He nodded indicating to her, he was also ready to order.

A waitress came towards them after she called her, "Hi, are you ready to take an order?".

Y/n spoke for both of them, " Yeah, we both chose the cheesecake and for the drinks a black tea and a bottle of water".

"I'm sorry to say this but there is only one cheesecake left," the waitress informed them both.

"It's ok Y/n you can take it-"

"You are more excited than me to try their cheesecake, so I will pick the tiramisù instead of the cheesecake," she said to the waitresses.

Once the waitress was gone Aoyama told her best friend, " I still can't believe it, our friendship basically started thanks to cheese".

She laughed at what he said because it was basically the truth, she remembered the day she met him.

--

Her mother gave birth to her in Musutafu, Japan, but at the age of five her mother decided to move to London. When the young girl asked the reason why they needed to reside in another country, her mother's eyebrow frowned at the question but there was an evident sadness in her eyes and a wounded look  she tried to hide under a smile. Her mom lowered herself to approach the same height of her child and with her hand she gently patted the hair of her daughter and with hesitation she answered "It's for the best".

So the single mother and her daughter lived their life in tranquillity, trying to fit in a new community and culture with her mother working as a nurse in a big hospital in London and her going to school and living most of her childhood in England.

Y/n didn't make a lot of friends considering her timid nature until one day she discovered a blog that contains: information, fun facts and new discovery about cheeses. A lot of kids around her age didn't like the smell of it and they always say it because the smell of it reminds them of sticky feet. So when she met on this blog a person around her same age that also has the same passion as her they immediately became friends and this boy's name was Yuga Aoyama. 

The young girl and her online friend almost spent their time together, talking about what they wanna be in the future. 

"Y/n chan when I grow up I want to be a hero just like All Might," the young boy announced, showing to her the All Might plushie.

"I don't really know what I want to be when I grow up, maybe just like my mama?. I just want one day to meet you in person Yuga,". 

Unbeknownst to the ten years old girl, her wish will become reality when her mother informs her that they will go back to live again in Musutafu ,Japan. Her mom receives an offer to work as an assistant for Recovery Girl and to her mother's surprise her daughter was more than happy to go back to Japan because this means that she will have the opportunity to meet her online friend in person. 

After five years living in England they are finally back in Japan. Her mother was euphoric for the fact that both of them are finally back in their home country and after a few weeks of fixing their apartment Y/n didn't lose time to meet her online friend in person and they decided to meet near the UA school.

After meeting in person the two became closer to each other and their friendship solidified over the years until they both went to the UA high school with Aoyama achieving his dream to go to the hero course and her simply frequenting the general department. 

The first year of UA recently started and Aoyama and her were walking in the hallway of the school to go to the cafeteria during lunch break, their peaceful conversation was interrupted when they heard loud noises coming from their back.

There was a boy with blond hair and a black lightning symbol on his hair that just passed them running from something or rather from someone, "You see that boy his name is Kaminari, one of my classmates but I don't know why he's running this fast".

She was going to tell her best friend something until she heard another loud sound of explosion coming from  behind her. When she turned around to see what was the cause of the tumult the girl notice another blond boy running towards them with a furios remark on his face, the boy was clearly using his quirk in the school hallway, even if he wasn't allowed to, a blast of explosion appearing on his hands to be able to run faster and Y/n seeing all of this was already ready to ignore it until she heard.

"SHINE!".

After hearing those words coming from the blond boy, Y/n was astonished by what she realised and she didn't even register that she basically screamed to the boy, "What it's you".

Bakugo was searching for Kaminari trying to teach him a lesson for a stupid prank that him and Mineta played on him. After giving a lesson to Mineta it was Kaminari turns now, he was running to find him until he lost sight of him, the only evidence where to find him was hearing his scream of terror trying to escape from Bakugo. The angry blond male immediately knew where the noise was coming from and it was from the hallway near the cafeteria and of course Bakugo didn't lose time and he instantly used his quirk to run faster towards the hallway where the scream of Kaminari was coming from.

Out of frustration he let out a curse but he didn't know that screaming that word  can change his life forever.

In the hallway he saw his classmate Aoyama and a girl near him, he was going to ignore them until the unknown girl screamed at him.

Bakugo was continuously running but eventually lose his balance and control of his quirk when the girl in front of him screamed at him, his pupil become more dilated and suddenly his breath grow shorter until he was a few steps from the unknown  girl and at that moment he completely lose track of his footstep making him fell on the ground with the girl under him.

Y/n didn't understand what just happened, her body was lying on the ground and she felt a weight of another person on top of her, when she opened her eyes she was greeted with a pair of carmine eyes observing  her movement attentively. 

" Fuck it's you then ," Bakugo said.

--

"Y/n ," he called her, "you were zoning out," he added.

"I'm sorry I was thinking of something," she created an excuse, mentally scolding herself to stop reminiscing about the past with rose tinted glasses.

He was going to say something until both of their attention was now focused on the tv near them.

There was a lady in her thirties announcing that one month from now there will be an annual hero gala and the woman was presenting which heroes will be present that night. The lady was showing pictures of various superheroes which some of them were familiar to Y/n from Aoyama and old UA students but what caught her attention was the remark that the woman said when she presented the pictures of Bakugo and her girlfriend.

Look at those two our national sweet couple, we all can't wait to see them and in a few months by now there will be their six years anniversary together .

Y/n and Yuga looked at each other's eyes and they cringed at that nickname that the host gave them.

"National sweet couple? Seriously?," she asked, trying to hold her laugh.

A hand in front of his mouth to suppress his laugh, he said, "Believe me there are worse nicknames that I heard about those two. But you know what is more interesting," he suddenly lowered his voice and asked her to come near him, "there are some rumours in the hero circle that say that Bakugo cheated multiple times on Yua".

At his last statement, she looked with sadness at the golden ring present on her fourth finger and thought  Well this isn't like the first time that happen.

" but you know,  what is the most interesting part of the 'cheating rumors' about Bakugo is that none of it comes out from the public's eyes," he added.

"Well this is strange considering this is the type of news paparazzi and the media will fight to know ".

Suddenly the conversation she was having with her friends was interrupted when a waitress served them their food.

"Y/n  let's stop talking about Bakugo love life, tell me about yours-".

"Not existent," she cut him short.

"Oh c'mon Y/n there will be someone who can make your heart beat again- ".

His complaints were interrupted with the ring of her phone.

"Who is it?," he asked.

She checked her phone and told him, " It's Aki".

"Speaking of the devil. You mean that Aki, the son of the president of the company you work for? The golden bachelor of your company and every female tried to seduce but failed eventually?," he said, drinking his tea.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your fantasies but he's only a good friend of mine, probably he only called just to talk about work knowing him," she admitted, answering the call.

"Hi Aki, ohh you're coming to Japan, when?,".

She heard her friend whispering to her, "Interesting," she rolled her eyes at her friend's comment.

"Ok bye Aki,".

"So what did you talk about,".

She told Aoyama what they talked about and it was mainly about work. Aki is the vice president of the company and in a few days he will come to Japan to take over an important project that was to build a new branch company located in Tokyo.

"And he also asked me if he can take me out to dinner when he will be here,".

"Well well well this sounds like a date to me. Do you ever think that he might have feelings for you?," he asked.

She defended herself, "We knew each other for a few years now, if he ever had feelings for me I should have noticed it by now".

" Y/n , I mean you didn't even notice when Bakugo had-".

She knew exactly where he was coming from and she didn't like it. She touched the ring in her finger with her other hand and with a firm voice  she said to him, " Aoyama, stop, I might have not noticed in the past  but now I will definitely know if someone has it".

Aoyama noticed her discomfort around that particular subject and he immediately tried to ask for forgiveness, "I'm sorry. I should've thought better before bringing it out that subject".

"It's ok Yuga. I shouldn't be angry with you about things that happened years ago," she comforted him, returning to her calm nature.

"No no no I'm on the wrong side this time and I want you to forgive me by going shopping and let me pay for your stuff," he informed her.

"Wait no you shouldn't do it-".

"I insist Y/n and I don't accept no for an answer," he announced, winking at her.

"I mean if you insist….". 

[sfb123]

Sapere Aude - Part 9

Book: The Royal Heir

Pairing: King Liam Rys x Queen Riley Brooks

All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Catch Up Here

Series Description: I developed a theory of what I think will happen in TRH Book 4, and I was encouraged by some very lovely people to turn my theory into a fic, so here it is. Basically, Riley is recruited to join the Via Imperii, this series will follow her as she joins them to try and bring them down from the inside, and all of the drama and bombshells she learns along the way. Sapere Aude is Latin for “dare to know” it seemed like an appropriate title.

Rating: PG-13 Adult language, allusions to smut (but nothing graphic), discussions of death, conspiracy, blackmail, and other adult themes.

Warning: The Royal Heir Book 3 Spoilers all over the place.

Word Count: 2,655

A/N: Before I dive in, a little bit of unpleasant business to address. As you may know, there is another writer that is also working on a Via Imperii themed fic. We had been working together to make sure our stories didn’t overlap to the point of plagiarism, sharing ideas and pre-reading each others work. That partnership was abruptly, and unbeknownst to me, put to a halt this week (3/28/21). She has not read this chapter, and I have not read any of hers past her chapter 9 (which I don’t think I ever saw the final version of, so let’s safely say chapter 8). I just wanted to put that out there in the universe, I don’t want any previous approvals or conversations to be implied or carried over into work I have not, and will not, see. No ill will, it is what it is, I just want to make sure that nobody is misrepresenting anyone’s involvement in anything. 

HUGE shout out to my hype squad, @jessiembruno & @txemrn. It’s no secret that I haven’t been feeling to great about myself lately, and they’ve been so great about talking me through it and encouraging me to keep going. 

As always, shout out to @twinkleallnight for my amazing, and updated, moodboard!

Tags: I think my tags actually got figured out, so tags are below, but not in the comments as I usually do. If you don’t get the tag, let me know (which is a weird thing to say, because you might not even be seeing this).

Riley stood at the stove, scrambling eggs, when she suddenly felt Liam’s arms wrap around her as he kissed her neck. “Good morning, love. You’re up early.” He said in between kisses. 

“Hey you.” She shut off the burner and turned in his arms, reaching up to cup his cheek. “How are you feeling?” She looked at him with worry in her eyes. 

“I’m...past the worst of it, thanks to you.” He kissed her softly on the lips. “I’m just ready to move forward and come up with a plan to end all of this. Then I can deal with everything else.”

“You don’t have to bottle it all up until this is over, Liam. You can talk to me.”

“I know, you’ve more than proven that to me.” He winked, a slight smirk on his face. “Taking them down is how I need to work through it. It seems as though a majority of the struggles we have faced have been at the hands of the Via Imperii. Getting my revenge and eliminating them will be a cathartic, healing experience. It needs to happen for the country, and for my own piece of mind.”  

She nodded and pulled out of his embrace, taking his hand and walking him toward the island. “Good, that’s what we’ll do then. Sit and I’ll get a plate together for you. I need to fill you in on the rest before everyone gets here.”

“Everyone?” He asked as he watched her walk back to the stove and put two plates together. 

“I texted Maxwell this morning, he’s going to come back with Drake so that he can work with us on a plan. He’s already had time to process his dad’s shittyness, so you and Drake won’t have to do all the heavy lifting while dealing with your news.” She placed a plate down in front of him and sat down.

Liam looked at her confused, “Why would Drake still be processing my news? You told him the other day, didn’t you?”

Riley took a deep breath, there was so much she didn’t get a chance to tell Liam the night before. She would have to get through it all now. He had to be completely filled in before Drake and Maxwell arrived. “Not your news, Liam. I had some for him too.”

Riley filled Liam in on the rest of the information she had learned that weekend. Treading lightly when he spoke about Eleanor, making sure not to refer to as his mother, she would simply say ‘she’ and Liam understood. Liam sat there, pushing his own pain aside so he could focus on the task at hand, while also being there for Drake. He knew Drake, and he knew that he was likely feeling a similar storm of emotions, but being the selfless kind hearted soul Liam knew he was, he wasn’t dealing with any of that. Instead, Drake was keeping himself busy by taking care of his friends, just like he had his whole life.

After breakfast, Liam rescheduled his and Riley’s meetings and commitments for the day so that they could focus on the task at hand. Eleanor had her lessons, Drake planned on dropping her off in the Great Room when they arrived at the palace, giving them a couple of hours to talk. Liam and Riley finished getting ready for the day, and headed into the living room just in time to hear the knock on the door. Liam answered. 

Maxwell was the first to enter, bounding in and raising his arms over his head “The party is here.” He walked up to Riley and gave her their secret handshake before pulling her into a hug. 

Drake entered and Liam shut the door behind him. They turned to face each other, and nodded in silent understanding. Liam extended his hand and Drake took it in a handshake that was quickly, and mutually, pulled into a hug. They stayed like that for several moments speaking to each other in hushed tones that only the two of them could hear. 

After a few moments, Maxwell spoke up. “Hey, how come you guys never hug me like that?”

“Maxwell!” Riley yelled in a hushed tone as she elbowed him in the side, making a rapid throat cutting gesture when he looked at her, signaling that he should leave it alone. 

They finally pulled away, clearing their throats as they separated. Drake walked up to Riley, giving her a hug, as Liam approached Maxwell and shook his hand.

“Let’s sit, there’s a lot to go over.” Liam signaled toward the couch as he approached Riley, wrapping an arm around her waist.

Riley gave Liam a reassuring look. “Should we get Bastien in here as well? He should be a part of this.” She suggested. 

“Absolutely. You sit, love. I’ll go get him.” Liam walked her to the couch and kissed the top of her head as she sat, before going back to the front door to retrieve Bastien. 

Once everyone was there, Riley looked to Liam for the next move. She wasn’t sure which of them would take the lead on this conversation, not knowing if Liam would be able to get through the parts of the story that he had learned the night before. He took her hand in his and nodded at her as a signal to begin the conversation. 

“Ok, so we have a new threat. Well, an old threat, but in a new and soul crushing package.” She paused for a moment and looked around the room. Liam and Drake were fully filled in, Bastien was partially aware of the situation, and Maxwell was completely in the dark. The best thing to do would be to start at the beginning. 

With that, Riley explained everything, her conversation with Eirik at Applewood, the meeting in Portavira, and of course everything that had happened during her Valtoria trip. She made sure to grip Liam’s hand a little tighter when she got to the part about Eleanor, when Drake also reached over and placed a comforting hand on his friend’s back. The news of Eleanor and Jackson’s involvement, on top of Eleanor not being quite as dead as everyone thought, obviously, a total shock to those in the room hearing it for the first time. Maxwell’s jaw dropped, his hand quickly moving to cover it as tears welled up in his eyes. For the first time in his life, Maxwell was speechless.

Riley looked over to Bastien, who was standing by Drake’s chair. She was surprised by the emotion etched in his typically stoic face. Then she realized, she had been so worried about everyone else, that she didn’t consider how difficult this news may be for Bastien. Jackson Walker had taken a young, fresh-faced Bastien under his wing when he first joined the King’s guard, and invited him into his family. Bastien had been alone most of his life, so becoming an unofficial Walker gave him a sense of belonging and home that he hadn’t felt since he was a little boy. He had known Jackson was a member of the Via Imperii, he was trying to recruit Bastien prior to his death, but the way Jackson talked about it didn’t line up with what he had learned in the last couple of weeks. Suddenly it all made sense, the information he was getting was based off of the original plan that Jackson had been working on. If he was killed for going against them, it would explain why they stopped pursuing Bastien after his death. He always found something a little suspicious about Jackson’s death, this just confirmed it, and made him want to exact his revenge for the man that had given him everything. 

The room was silent as everyone continued to process the information. Maxwell was the first to speak up. “You guys, I don’t even know what to say. I mean my dad was bad news, but this is a whole other level.” He looked at Liam, “I mean, a coma is one thing, but to pretend to actually be dead? And then to find out you have a brother?!” 

“Thank you Maxwell. It has been a...trying few hours to say the least.” Liam squeezed Riley’s hand a little tighter to keep himself calm. “But that is why you are here. We need to work together to remove them once and for all.” 

“So, what do we do?” Drake chimed in. 

“That’s what we need to figure out. How do you take down a group that nobody even knows exists?” Riley looked around the room, hoping one of the men might have a suggestion. 

Bastien cleared his throat to get the room’s attention. “Perhaps we start by getting some form of hard evidence against them. Something tangible, and undeniable.”

“Yea, we could release it publicly. If everyone knows they exist, and what they’re up to, they won’t have any power.” Maxwell agreed.

Riley nodded. “Ok, that could work. How do we do that? I mean, I’m a member or whatever, but I don’t think you can just borrow membership records, or like walk in taking pictures.” 

‘We could send you in with a hidden camera or recorder of some kind.” Liam suggested. “I don’t want to get Amalas involved, we can’t be certain where her loyalties lie, but Olivia could be of help to us on that front.”

Drake interjected, skepticism in his tone. “Yea, but can we trust her? Her family isn’t really known for their loyalty to the crown.”

Liam stood from his seat. “Historically, you are correct Drake. The Nevrakis family has never been particularly with their standing within the monarchy, but I think that Olivia has more than proven herself. Not only in her loyalty to the crown, but in her loyalty to me personally.”

“Yea Drake, she’s had our backs through everything.” Riley also stood, linking her arm with Liam’s in a show of support. “Besides, in the few conversations I’ve had with these people, they don’t speak too highly of the Nevrakis line, they don’t seem like they would have much interest in bringing her onboard.” 

“Alright, let’s get her involved.” Drake ran a hand through his hair, still not fully convinced, but knowing he was outnumbered. 

“Great. Liam, you and Drake should work with Olivia to get it set up. I’ll talk to Mara and see when I will be meeting with them next, so that we know our timeline.” Riley turned to Bastien, “Bastien, since Hana is in Shanghai, I guess you’ll be taking her place in this mission.”

“Of course, your majesty. Should we make our way to the boutique so I can assist you in finding something to wear?”

Everyone stared blankly at Bastien, the corners of Riley’s mouth slowly turned upward. “Bastien, did you just make a joke?”

“Yes your majesty, I know you all tend to try to add a little levity to situations such as these.”

“Correction…” Maxwell stood up and positioned himself in front of Bastien, “I add levity. I’m the funny one, not Hana. Know your role.”

“My apologies, Lord Beaumont.” Bastien bowed out of respect, but mostly to hide the grin that started to spread across his face.

As the group continued to chat, there was a knock at the door. Soon after, Eleanor came barrelling into the room. “Mommy, daddy, I’m home!” She ran straight for her parents who knelt down to greet her. 

“Hello princess, we missed you so much.” Liam wrapped Eleanor in a hug. 

As he held his daughter, Riley noticed Thomas entering the room. She stood, giving Drake, Maxwell, and Batien a concerned look. This would be the first time Liam would be face to face with him, knowing who he was. 

Bastien rushed over to him, trying to usher him out of the room before Liam noticed. Just as he reached Thomas, the King stood up and looked directly at Thomas, his eyes going wide at the sight of his brother. He quickly shook his head and put his most stoic expression in place. Everyone exchanged worried glances. Riley turned to Liam and linked her hand with his, giving it a gentle squeeze to reassure him that he wasn’t alone. 

“Your majesties, Eleanor did wonderfully today. I was very impressed with how much she learned today.” Thomas bowed as he addressed the King and Queen. 

Liam gripped Riley’s hand tightly, as if he were falling from a building and she was the ledge preventing him from plummeting to his death. He opened his mouth to speak, but he couldn’t manage to get any words out. It didn’t matter, even if he could find his voice, he had no idea what he would say. 

“Thank you Thomas, that will be all for today.” Riley jumped in to break the silence. 

Thomas bowed and exited the room. Bastien gave the group a sad smile before bowing and following him out of the room. 

“Hey Eleanor, weren’t you telling me about a new dress you were excited about? Want to do a fashion show for Uncle Max?” Maxwell held his hand out to Eleanor, knowing that he needed to give Liam a moment. 

“Fashion show! Fashion show!” Eleanor grabbed Maxwell by the hand and pulled him down the hall. He looked back and nodded at his friends. Riley mouthed a silent ‘thank you’ to him as he rounded the corner. 

“Liam?” Riley turned to face Liam, placing a hand on his cheek. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her flush against him, burying his face in her hair. “I know Liam. It’s ok, we’ll get through this.” She peered over his shoulder, giving Drake a sad look. 

Drake approached the pair and patted Liam on the shoulder. “For what it’s worth, you handled it better than I would have.”

Liam pulled himself from Riley’s arms, and scrubbed his hand over his face, letting out a deep sigh. “Thank you both. That was...difficult.” 

“Should we talk to Bastien about having him reassigned?” Riley looked up at her husband.

Liam shook his head. “No, the timing will make it too obvious, they will know you told me. I won’t put you in danger like that.” His face had a slight look of panic. 

Riley was reminded of the conversation they had much earlier that morning, and Liam expressing his fear of losing her. She knew she had to do something to bring him back from that place. She gently placed one hand on his cheek and drew his face down to hers. As their foreheads met, she whispered “I’m right here. Always.” Before placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

“All we can do right now is get to work so that we can put all this behind us. We’ll deal with Thomas, and everyone else, after that.” The sound of Drake’s voice brought Riley and Liam out of the moment. 

Liam cleared his throat before turning to address his friend. “Right. Olivia will be here in a couple of days for the council meeting. We will speak with her then.”

Drake nodded. “I’ll go grab Maxwell and we’ll get out of your hair.” He approached Liam and placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’ll reach out if you need me?”

“I should be asking you that question.” Liam arched an eyebrow in response. “One of us is significantly more forthcoming with our emotions than the other.” 

“Touché.” Drake laughed as he clapped Liam on the shoulder. 

Maxwell and Drake said their goodbyes, and headed out leaving the royal family to themselves. They had a big fight ahead of them, but in this moment, Riley and Liam just wanted to be a family. Not a King and Queen with the heir, not warriors preparing for battle, a husband and wife spending time with their daughter. 

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Permatag: @anjanettexcordonia @athena-penrose @choicesficwriterscreations​ @cordonia-gothqueen @cordoniaqueensworld @gabesmommie1130 @gkittylove99 @hopelessromanticmonie @iaminlovewithtrr @jessiembruno @kat-tia801 @khoicesbyk @kingliam2019 @lucy-268 @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @mile9213 @mom2000aggie @pixie88 @queenrileyrose @secretaryunpaid @sweatyrysconnoisseur @theroyalheirshadowhunter @twinkleallnight @txemrn

Sapere Aude: @burnsoslow @busywoman @ofpixelsandscribbles

Liam x Riley: @jared2612

[sideshow-wolfie]

Coming Out...

I've been happy with these terms for so long, I feel like I need to express it to you... Even if it felt a bit painful...

I'm proud to announce that I'm Genderfluid. I've been having a Gender Dysphoria for a long time, since 2 months into my Sophomore (11th) year, and I finally found out who I truley was... Previously I was Demigirl, meaning I was full girl, but different. THAT didn't suit me anymore as I got to February... I just went off as genderless, Aka Nonbinary. Nonbinary suited me for a little bit, until that wasn't the case either as Spring Break started. I looked through the information, and I finally found out why my Gender Identity changed constantly... In the end of April I discovered I was Genderfluid... What does that mean?

My gender identity changes around infinitely, and it concludes that my gender was never meant to be confirmed.... I was previously a girl, but I'm fine with They/Them Pronouns. ❤️

Here's an example:

Day 1: Nonbinary

Day 2: Bigender

Day 3: Pangender

Day 4: Demigirl

Day 5: Transgender

and the gender list goes on and mixes around everyweek and day.

Lastly, for the gender part, I have been connected to wolves for so long.. both mentally and physically.. so long that I did not realize what I was until now. (I was like this all the way back in 2012, when I was in elementary)

I kept thinking I was something else. I constantly howled when I'm home alone, and that I wish I had someone to do it with me... And I bark, like other wolves or werewolves...

Not that I'm Genderfluid, but I am also WolfGender. WolfGender means that I connect with Lycanthrope/Wolf/Werewolf Life, and that I was a wolf in the first place...

I have been questioning to myself if I was always going to be with a boy, girl, whoever else, or remain single for the rest of my life when I was a girl...

In 2014, I had watched a show that eventually made me feel this... attraction to people.

You guessed it...

Inanimate Insanity

But so to let you know, it is NOT season 1. It is season 2.

The character that started to make me attracted to a gender was Microphone... Microphone was a hyped contestant, but eventually things got deep for her... I had loved this character for 6 1/2 years, and I kept constantly drawing her as a werewolf... Whenever I drew Mic, I felt happy. When I was 10 years old, I got a T-Shirt of her... My god I felt like life was complete ❤️

Throughout Middle School, I have had my first relationship with someone... Zero was my first crush that I had ever hung out. However, long story short, we broke up due to multiple toxic reasons (Involving me, and It was my fault...).

That took me a whole year to move on, and breakups aren't that easy to get over sometimes. I thought I couldn't be happy anymore, until I found Cory...

Cory was also a girl, like how I was... We both met on deviantart, and we would always hang out with each other. We both liked the same thing, and we like the same kinks (Aagh, I apologize for mentioning!!), But they weren't NSFW, don't worry! Me and Them would always chat on Discord... But then I developed a crush on them... Cory felt suprised when I told them how I was starting to feel... It had been 2 years since I fell in love with someone, and I was happy that the feeling came back.

However, we didn't start a relationship just yet... and was called off early a week after I told them in March, due to the fact they were shy... I understood that feeling. What honestly almost lost my future was the prom. Originally, Cory DID have a prom date to celebrate their night, but he cheated on them for another female... When they told me that he cheated on them, I knew It was time for me to become who I was meant for...

I wanted to be a Lesbian for the rest of my life... And it was my time to have that chance again... I was NOT desperate, but I wanted to make our future into a perfect never-ending chapter... We got together in April 2020 (during the COVID-19 pandemic), and I am happy to announce that we are still a couple! Though there ARE a few changes...

Cory eventually became Genderqueer and Bisexual, because they fell in love with a person (which is now a girl), and... I kinda felt anxious, but hey, it's all settled... Cuz, love is love.

I became Genderfluid, but I mainly identified as a boy, and considered to myself as Gay (I still did NOT want to be reminded of my previous relationship with Zero nor the Guy that had used me for Sexual Assault).

Both of us had felt more... And I realize that Love can and will be infinite 💙❤️🖤♾

So Everyone, Yes I am gay, but I'm also Polyamorous! Unfortunately it IS illegal in the United States, so this is why I'm not telling my school or my family about this... They do accept me for being Gay, but not the Polyamorous part. Again, I'm not telling them I'm Poly, in order to keep myself from being attacked and teased.

To Finalize my Coming Out Blog, I am also feeling attracted to something else... Kinda like how I fell in love with Microphone, but was from another show.

The show was called The Simpsons.

The Simpsons is one of the oldest animated sitcoms, yet it is still the funniest hits I had ever watched from Fox. Without them, I wouldn't have typed this final part...

However, I was not attracted to Marge, Homer, Lisa or anybody... In fact I was in love with a phsycopath... It isn't Snake Jailbird, or Homer's Killer...

I'm In love with Sideshow Bob (Robert Terwilliger).

At that moment when I felt flattered whenever he spoke, or was shown in some scenes of the show (old and new seasons, EXCEPT FOR HIS OLDER APPEARENCE)... I had drawn him for the first time, but it was kinda crappy, because I never drew a Simpsons character in my life. When I was younger I drew Itchy and Scratchy... For a while I stopped... I had a crush on both Itchy and Scratchy... Now it's that Palm Tree Haired Cutie. ❤️

I suddenly got curious if it was possible to love an character like him as a babe... Google gave me and answer, and It found out what my puzzle was.. it's not Bisexual, which I kinda figured...

Apparently, I am Fictosexual. I am in love with animated characters, whether from an adult animated show, teen animated, and POSSIBLY all-family animated show... Which Technically for me, I would always lay my heart on Bob's.

In Conclusion, it's ok to love who you care about, and what you care about, and it is okay to be true to yourself. You can be who you are, and who you think will make you happier, even if it is animated X3

Happy Pride, everyone! YOU ARE ALL VALID!!

#LoveIsLove

[softjeon]

Falling for you | Final

• Pairing: Jimin x Namjoon • Genre: fluff, nsfw-content | Rating: Mature | Christmas!AU / Curse!AU • Words: 7,4k | AO3 • Disclaimer: mentioning of blood, accidents, alcohol

written with @cassiavioletblue​

↳ Everyone told him that love was the highest aim, that it was what completes you and made you happy…but he was never lucky like that. It just took a piece of him and left scars on his heart every time. He was done with that. He had given up on love a long time ago so he should stick to it or else not only he would be affected.

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It was a crowded hustle, people buying hot cocoa and jewelry while the snow was falling. The streets were packed while Jimin squeezed himself through, the sweet aroma of cinnamon and chestnuts in the air. Pulling the scarf, a little tighter around his neck, he shivered from the crisp and cold air. There was something peaceful about walking in the evening with the Christmas light glowing off the mounds of snow around the building and so he had gotten out of the metro a few stations earlier, so he could walk the rest of his way. He was glad though that the sidewalks all were cleared, and he wouldn’t slip.

Jimin had gotten a call this morning from Hayoung, remembering how his cheeks glowed while she asked him how it’s been with Namjoon and if he was nice to him.

How could he tell her that Namjoon was more than that?

There were only two more days until Christmas and today was his last day cleaning for Namjoon. And tomorrow was the Christmas party that he had invited him to. Jimin was filled with excitement but at the same time felt anxious. What would happen after he was gone? Would Namjoon call? They had only exchanged phone numbers for business requirements when Jimin came in as a replacement and he wasn’t sure if Namjoon would. It had been easy with Jimin coming by every evening after work and he loved their little flirts, their exchange of shy smiles when they passed one another in the living room. And yet, there were times where he didn’t see Namjoon at all or where the feeling overwhelmed him that the other was hiding from him, locking the door to his office.

Jimin was wrecking his mind too much about it.

When he walked into the apartment, it was eerily quiet, and the lights were turned off. Namjoon must still be at work, Jimin thought, a pinch of sadness washing over him, but he quickly shook it off, focusing on his work.

Namjoon was indeed working. He had been working a lot since Yoongi’s visit, even more than usual and Jungkook was starting to get seriously worried. He was sure that something must have happened between Namjoon and his consultant even though he had no idea what it could be that pushed Namjoon to drown himself in work like that. It was as if he was doing it on purpose, not even going out for breaks and instead eating his lunch and dinner in the office (more or less, because when Jungkook signed off for the night there were often half-eaten sandwiches lying forgotten at the side of his desk). Not even Jimin could get him out of there despite them both still being interested in each other. He had seen the way they had flirted; he had been so sure that they would have ended up getting dinner by now or trading kisses in the hallway. If he hadn’t known for a fact that ‘Kim design’ was absolutely thriving he would have thought that Yoongi had told Namjoon that the company was in trouble. Yoongi’s cards had told the truth apparently, because Namjoon was losing his way - because with the pile of documents on his desk Jungkook was sure he could see nothing else but work.

Literally.

Jungkook straightened, knocking against Namjoon’s door. This time he would make sure that Namjoon would get home before midnight. “Namjoon?” As expected his boss had buried his nose in files. “I’d sign off now. And I’d really, really like it if you’d join me.” He could see Namjoon opening his mouth, ready to tell him how much work he still had to do so Jungkook knew he had to play dirty. Using his cutest, most innocent look he smiled shyly at Namjoon. “Pretty please? I can’t relax at home when I know you’re still there. How am I supposed to wind down if I have to be worried about your health and sleeping schedule? You wouldn’t want me to think about work all the time when I’m at home, do you? And it’s so close to Christmas! No one expects you to finish anything three days before Christmas, right? So, will you please go home too?”

Namjoon knew he had lost when Jungkook looked at him with those big doe eyes. Sighing deeply, he put his folder aside. “Give me five minutes to wrap things up and then I’ll come with you, ok?” It was worth it just to see Jungkook smile like that. He must have really worried him. With a guilty feeling in the pit of his stomach Namjoon packed his things and got his coat, letting the driver get Jungkook home first before he arrived at his own place.

It felt so normal for Jimin to walk around Namjoon’s apartment by now, knowing every corner by heart. He was dusting off the shelves on the second floor, making sure that every vase and figurine was back at its original place. Not even an inch different from before, because it was important to Namjoon. He was almost finished, yawning tiredly as he walked towards the stairs with half-closed eyes, hiding his mouth behind the palm of his hands.

The sound of the elevator made his eyes shoot open in an instant though and his heart skipped a beat. “Namjoon!” Jimin called out happily. It was his last night working for him and he had wondered if he could say goodbye…or even ask if their date for the Christmas party still stands.

Namjoon froze. He hadn’t thought that Jimin was still here this late or else he wouldn’t have given into Jungkook pleas, doe eyes or not. He had kind of avoided him since Yoongi’s last visit because he wasn’t sure what to make of it as he was afraid that he might drag Jimin into something that wasn’t good for him.

The smile on the younger’s lips grew brighter when his eyes fell onto Namjoon, leaning over the banister to look at him. “I was about to finish and wondered if I’d still catch you tonight. You know it’s my last day, right? Hayoung called me last night and…” His heart was doing a jump, but then his smile faltered a little, when he noticed the pale expression on the others face. “Are you o-okay? Joon?” He took another step down the stairs, keeping his gaze worryingly on the other’s face.

“Yes, I’m okay.” He gave Jimin a smile even though his insides pinched painfully. Jimin’s last day. They would see each other at the Christmas party, then have a nice Christmas together - and then? He would have to take the initiative if he wanted them to keep in contact or to be more. There was no question what he wanted, he liked Jimin, too much. He could pretend to keep the younger out of his life for a few days and lie to himself when in reality Jimin lingered at the back of his head anyways. His thoughts drifted to him whenever he wasn’t paying attention, he dreamed of him when his control slipped, and his unconsciousness took over. He had passed the point where he could walk away from this. He liked Jimin... no, he had developed feelings for him! Namjoon’s eyes widened when he realized what this meant. If he loved Jimin then Yoongi had a reason to come here because in his contract it was clearly stated that the one he loved would hurt.

He couldn’t love Jimin! He mustn't!

Jimin didn’t really believe his words, because they sounded off, a little too forced to be right. His heart ached when another thought came into his mind and it gave reason why Namjoon had been avoiding him whenever he could. Jimin hesitated, looking down to his fingers that were holding on tightly to the banister. Maybe Namjoon had decided otherwise and he shouldn’t come to the office party. He sighed. “It’s okay. I received the message.” Jimin gave him a quick smile, walking down the stairs. It was a one-night stand. Nothing more than that and although Namjoon had said so before, he had changed his mind. Or at least Jimin thought so.

“I’ll just get my things and…and then I’m out. Hayoung will be back by Monday. She said she is very excited to come back, as she misses you.” Jimin was halfway down when his gaze flickered back up to Namjoon. And it struck him hard. Like a lightning bolt right through his heart. He really wanted to be with Namjoon and seeing him avoid him hurt him more than he wanted to admit. It was a moment of carelessness, where Jimin didn’t focus where he was going. He screamed out in pain, when his ankle twisted painfully, slipping as he fell forward, trying to reach for something to hold onto but there was nothing. He didn’t even feel it when he hit the floor, blacking out from the overwhelming pain.

“Jimin? Jimin!” Namjoon was shaking the younger, getting desperate the longer he didn’t get any reaction. He had run over to him, falling onto his knees beside Jimin, ready to see a pool of blood and have the younger’s lifeless body splayed out with the knowledge that his dabbling in magic had killed him. Luckily, it wasn’t that severe and so when he could see Jimin breathing relief flooded him even though he was still utterly scared of what state Jimin would be in when he woke up. He had quickly pushed the emergency button on his phone that would get them an ambulance and now he tried his hardest not to panic completely and stay calm to get Jimin back to consciousness.

It felt like hours, pain flooding his head as he blinked his eyes, but it was only a few minutes. He could barely decipher Namjoon’s voice, his touch, where he was holding him. Jimin blinked his eyes a couple of times, stars dancing in front of his view and if it wasn’t for the pain he was in, they had reminded him of the beautiful Christmas lights. “Ah,” Jimin cried out in pain, when his body connected with his brain again and he sucked in a breath.

“Sh…, stay down please!” Jimin’s body jerked before the younger sagged back down like a deflated balloon, “Try not to move please, help is on the way. Is your head all right? Do you know the date and …and who’s president?” His head was empty from the shock, everything that one was supposed to do and say if someone might have a head injury gone and replaced with only fear that Jimin might not never heal. “I’m sorry!” It burst out of him, because he felt so guilty and it hurt so bad to see Jimin in so much pain, “I should have.. done something, I didn’t mean to hurt you, please, please get well again!”

Tears cascaded down his cheeks as Jimin tried to bear the pain, the image in front of him getting blurry again and he wasn’t sure if he felt nauseous or if it was just the tears. He couldn’t really answer Namjoon’s questions, mumbling incoherent words, reaching out for the other to hold onto something. Jimin wasn’t sure what Namjoon was apologizing for, while right now, he could barely hold a thought. “M…my ankle it hurts…I…” He got interrupted by the sound of the doorbell and within seconds the paramedics were already by his side. Jimin felt whiplash, searching for Namjoon’s hand in the chaos.

Namjoon stayed for as long as he could by Jimin’s side before the medics told him he had to stay back if he wasn’t a relative. At first he wanted to revolt, use all his influence and wealth to his advantage to make them let him stay, acting like one of the rich, spoiled businessmen that he had sworn to himself he would never be like. Then, however he let them go. Being close to Jimin would mean more danger to the younger than help, at least until he had made this right. He had made Jimin hurt with his magic mess, he would fix him the same way!

Jimin begged for them to let Namjoon come with him, but they refused as they got him into the car, already caring for the wound at the back of his head, trying to get his foot still. The medicine was making him drowsy. Namjoon’s name on his lips as he felt his eyes shut again and again.

After the medics had left Namjoon went to work right away. He had tried to google Yoongi before, so he knew that it was of no use, but he was sure that there was some way to contact him. Until now he had rather preferred him being in a safe distance but not today. So, he googled ‘How to summon a witch’.

He got way too many results and most of them didn’t help or he didn’t own what was required so he tried to use what he could. Instead of crystals he used a salt lamp, instead of the herbs that were listed he used the ones he had from the kitchen (mostly basil and chives). If those didn’t work he could still go to the next garden center and hope that he would get the right things there. He also needed a wind chime which he luckily owned even though it didn’t sound that nice, some water and some incense. He remembered the incense sticks that he had gotten as a gift and buried somewhere deep in the storage room because they smelled like something an old lady would wear as perfume. Looking at his small pile of makeshift-witch-callers doubt crept in, but he would still try. How else was he supposed to call Yoongi, run through the city yelling his name? Waiting for the other to just show up wasn’t an option because now that he had acknowledged to himself that his feelings for Jimin weren’t just temporary he was sure that the downside of his magic contract would take full effect and make Jimin hurt. Actually.. Jimin had been getting hurt quite a bit already.

It had started small, so he hadn’t noticed it but all these little accidents he’s had until now - had they all been the cause of Namjoon taking a liking to him? With a nauseous feeling he hurried to light up the incense stick, waving it around frantically with one hand and using the other to shake the windchime. He wasn’t quite sure what the water or the herbs were for.

He felt absolutely stupid but kept waving, closing his eyes to try and think Yoongi’s name as hard as he could (because he had read that intention was everything if he wanted to make a spell work and he was very intent on calling Yoongi!). This was why he only noticed the other's presence when the witch cleared his throat.

“I’m not sure what you’re doing here but you might want to open a window if you’re keen on not choking us both. Also, for the record, I’m not a demon.” Yoongi’s voice came from the top of the stairs, just right where Jimin had tripped and fell. The witch walked down slowly, keeping his gaze on the human. “You must be desperate to attempt to summon me like…like this. You know just calling out for me would have been enough. But I like the effort.” He really tried to keep it light, but even Yoongi knew he wasn’t here for fun. There was too much tension, too much pain in the room that he could feel in the air. “What can I help you with, Namjoon. You didn’t ask me to come here just for a cup of tea, right?”

Namjoon quickly put out the incense stick, unceremoniously dumping it into the bowl of water and placing the wind chime next to it. He didn’t care what Yoongi thought of him, as long as it had gotten him here he was happy to do whatever it took. However, now that the other was in front of him, with his lazy smile and twinkling eyes he had to swallow hard. Everything came with a price; he knew that and therefore he wondered what saving Jimin would cost him. Still, he didn’t hesitate for more than a second. Jimin was worth it, whatever the price would be.

“I want you to fix Jimin. It’s.. it’s because of me, right? That he fell and... and everything else. The bruises he got, the little accidents, the clumsiness. It was me that did this to him because of…my contract with you.”

“Correct.” He nodded at the other, walking towards the living room on his own, taking a seat on Namjoon’s couch as he crossed his legs. “I actually thought you’d notice a lot earlier. I tried to warn you…” Yoongi folded his hands together, looking up at Namjoon. “How do you want me to fix him?”

“You tried to...” Namjoon huffed, “Don’t tell me those cryptic messages were supposed to tell me anything. Why didn’t you just outright tell me ‘Careful, don’t fall in love with that boy or you’ll both regret it’! That’s something I would have understood! Not…cards.” He sat down  next to Yoongi on the couch, biting his lip. “I don’t know, you are the magic person here! Just go to him and heal him! Make him stop hurting! Make sure he’s okay, please! I’m sure you can do that.”

Yoongi raised an eyebrow, “Would you have believed me?” His eyes followed Namjoon’s every moment until he sat right next to him. “I’ve been there from the start, haven’t I? The moment there was more between the two of you, I appeared. Again…and again…what do you want me to do? Wave a windchime?” He chuckled low, “And despite that, if I would have told you, you would have told me it’s not like that. That it was just a one night stand like the others. Nothing special.” Shaking his head softly, Yoongi turned towards the other a little more. “I can’t heal people like that, and we had a deal, remember?”

Namjoon grew silent. Yoongi was probably right, at least at the beginning he would have denied that there was something more going on between Jimin and him, just like he had lied to himself about it at first. And after that... it would have been too late anyways. He ignored the little stab at his spellcasting abilities and pushed further right away, “What do you mean you can’t heal him? You can build a company from the ground up, out of nothing! That’s surely more difficult than mending a few broken bones and a concussion?” At least that’s what he thought Jimin might have. Hopefully, it wasn’t worse. “Of course, I don’t expect you to do it for free, you can demand what you want, we can make a new contract, I can work for you if that’s what you want! I can give back to you what I earned, I can give you the keys to my apartment, I…“ He broke off.

How should he explain that to Jimin when the other woke up and he had lost his company and his home? What should he tell people when they lost their jobs because Kim design didn’t exist any longer? All of his loyal workers and Jungkook, sweet little worried Jungkookie! Surely Yoongi wouldn’t put them all on the street on Christmas, would he? Just to make sure he added ruefully, “I understand that I have to pay you in some way, I really do - but my workers... it’s not their fault that I messed up. You wouldn’t ruin their lives as well, would you? Could you find them good jobs or maybe let someone else take over the firm, so nothing changes for them? Can that be part of our new contract?”

“I didn’t build that company. You did,” Yoongi answered honestly, “I gave you luck, an easy way and opportunities and made sure you wouldn’t fail but you were the one with the ideas.” The witch could almost hear the thoughts from Namjoon aloud, his eyes telling him much more than he said. “I don’t want those kinds of superficial things from you, Namjoon. I don’t care about them.” Reaching out for his hand, Yoongi turned Namjoon’s palm up, his eyes fixated on his. “Do you care about him? More than you care about the contract we made. Namjoon, I’m asking you if you want me to reverse it. To take away from you what I gifted you. Do you love him enough? Is he worth it?” He leaned his head aside, furrowing his brows as he held on tightly to Namjoon’s wrist.

“Yes.” He breathed out the word without hesitation. “If the people in my company won’t be lost and without a job then you can take anything else away from me.” He was more than willing to pay that - and more. It was soothing in a way to hear that all his hard work had been worth something, that in the end Yoongi had given him luck and opportunity and everything else had been his. He would miss it, creating and transforming his ideas into real, usable pieces… His chest grew tight for a moment but then he took a deep breath and nodded courtly. “Take it. Now please. Every moment that Jimin is hurting is a moment too long.”

Yoongi gave him a court nod, pulling his hand a little more towards him, as he held his own over his, letting it hover there for a moment. “I want something in return.” He didn’t look up, eyes focused on their hands.

There he was. The hook. Of course, it wasn’t that easy. Namjoon tried not to let his voice give away how much he wanted this to work. “What is it?” He had no idea what he could possibly give the other except for his company. Unless… Yoongi wanted his soul? He swallowed hard.

“That boy that is working for you…” Yoongi’s cheeks began to glow a lot rosier than before. “I want you to properly introduce me. I kind of fucked up…I tried to be all cool and…you know…” He shrugged his shoulders, trying not to show how much it was affecting him. “I just…I’m not good with humans, okay? But he has that aura. He’s a good soul and I really…I’d like to take him out.” Yoongi clenched his jaw, not daring to meet Namjoon’s eyes. “That’s all I’m asking.”

“A.. a good soul?” Namjoon’s eyes widened. He wouldn’t sell Jungkook wellbeing for his own. “I’m not getting you his soul! You can’t have him! Take mine if you need one but leave him...” He broke off when Yoongi snorted.

“For samhain’s sake, Namjoon I’m not a demon. How many more times do I have to tell you.” Yoongi interrupted him harshly but with an amused expression. “I want you to introduce me to him properly. Be my wingman or whatever you humans like to call it.”

“You want to... you want to go out with him? Like... date him?” He blinked like an owl. Now the blush on Yoongi’s cheeks made a lot more sense. “Oh, uhm, sure! I can introduce you... but everything else is up to Jungkook. Deal?”

“Of course,” He agreed easily, with his heart beating a little faster at the thought of introducing himself properly. This time he would make it right!

Closing his eyes, Yoongi placed his palm on Namjoon’s. There was warmth spreading through his veins, a tingling feeling that made a smile pull at the corner of the witches lips. He tightened his hold a little more, taking in a deep breath and holding it for a couple of seconds before finally letting go.

The witch got up in an instant, rolling his shoulders back as he looked down at a dazed Namjoon, with a stern expression. “It’s lifted. He’s still hurt, but I can’t change the past.” He turned on his heel, but before Yoongi could vanish entirely, he stopped again. “That also means you have to work harder from now on. Don’t mess up the things we built.” Yoongi winked at him, waving goodbye nonchalantly as if he hadn’t just lifted an entire curse, skipping happily, humming a Christmas melody to himself. “See you tomorrow!”

Namjoon nodded, lips pressed tightly together. He didn’t feel different. Sadly, Jimin didn’t either but he could heal and Namjoon would do everything in his power... wait! See you tomorrow? What did Yoongi mean? Here at his home? At the company? He scrambled up to get to his feet and ran after Yoongi into the hallway but when he got there the other was already gone. Namjoon held his breath. Could this mean what he didn’t even dare to hope that it could mean? Did Yoongi leave the company? Quickly and with trembling fingers did he call the number of the company building. It rang five times before someone picked up. He recognized Hyunjin’s voice, a young man who worked for him in the department for international communication, which explained while he was still reachable through the company number at this hour. “Good evening, Hyunjin. May I ask what you are working on at the moment?” He asked quickly before his nervousness could get the better of him.

“The presentation for our sellers, for the summer collection just like you asked me to this morning.” He answered, making it sound more like a question. “Do you want me to change anything or add something?” His voice was light and soft and Namjoon could hear him searching for some paper and a pen, ready to scribble down anything he wanted to add. “I wanted it to be finished before the Christmas party, so it’s ready after the holidays.”

“No, no that’s...” A sudden and overwhelming thankfulness for his loyal and hardworking employees overcame him and his voice wavered a little. “That’s perfect. Thank you for working so hard.“ He awkwardly cleared his throat before adding, a little more carefully, “While I’ve got you on the phone.. you didn’t receive any messages about changes for the company? Like…” How could he ask him if he was still the company’s boss without sounding like an idiot?

“No, not that I know of,” Hyunjin put the pen down and Namjoon could hear the sounds of finger drumming against a keyboard while he typed in his email. “No, there’s no email. The last one was from Jungkook’s reminder about the office party tomorrow. Jungkook told me you’ll come this year.”

“Yeah… yes, I’ll be there! See you tomorrow then. Have a good night Hyunjin.” He ended the call because his voice would break again. He closed his eyes, feeling the tears pressing against the inside of his eyelids. He still had his company. He just couldn’t rely on magical opportunities and an extra portion of luck anymore, but he would be fine! His company, his passion, his employees, they would all be fine! And most importantly…

“Jimin.” The younger’s name slipped as he got up to get his coat. Not that everything was settled he could go to the hospital; ask how he was and definitely try to sneak past the watchful eyes of nurses and medics if they would tell him that he wasn’t allowed to visit Jimin because he wasn’t family.

…

“Your ankle point is partially torn.” The doctor’s voice echoed in his mind, where the pain was only a dull ache in the back, all of the painkillers making it bearable. Jimin watched carefully how they stabilized his foot with a plaster cast, working effectively and fast. The bruise on the back of his head wasn’t as bad, so when they helped him into a wheelchair he already got his release papers in hand and a note for his doctor that he should visit on Monday. Jimin blinked up at the nurse who smiled at him with the most cheerful smile, “C-can you get me a taxi?” He had absolutely no idea how to get home, nor how to get up his apartment. With the crutches they had given him he would take ages.

“Of course, dear, where do you need to go?” Before Jimin could tell her Namjoon came towards them, with a beaming smile and a little swing in his step. “Hey! I’m so glad you’re okay!” He shouted from afar, until he was close enough for them to talk normally. “What is it? How long will it take to heal? Are you still in pain?”

Jimin’s eyes lit up immediately when he saw the other approaching him and if he could, he would have jumped up from the wheelchair and towards him. “No, not really, just a little but…” He held up the bag a little to show it to him, “I got loads of pain killers to deal with it.” Jimin was exhausted and tired, wishing nothing else but to rest right now and it was evident in every fiber of his body.

“Are you his husband?” The nurse smiled, taking over for Jimin who looked too pale to keep talking. “He tore his ligaments, and it needs some time to heal. Mr. Park has gotten all information for his recovery and check-ups in his release papers. Please make sure he is careful while working the crutches and rests his ankle as much as he can.”

Namjoon didn’t correct her in the slightest. “Yes, thank you for taking care of him!” He placed his hand on Jimin’s shoulder, trying to be as husband-y as he could. “I’ll make sure he rests well and won’t push himself too far too quickly.” Namjoon took the handles of the wheelchair, starting to roll Jimin out of the hospital. “The car is outside, so you don’t have to call a cab. “Do you want me to get you home or is there somewhere else you’d rather be? A relative maybe?”

“No,” Jimin answered honestly. He didn’t know where else to go, but his apartment seemed like a hurdle he couldn’t face right now either. When the other came to a halt in front of Namjoon’s car, Jimin pushed himself up on his crutches and his healthy foot, trying to balance just for a moment, before dropping onto the passenger seat. He leaned his head back, eyes closed when he finally was settled in. Every movement seemed exhausting right now. “I don’t know how to get up my apartment.” There were tears dwelling in his eyes again because he felt so frustrated with everything.

Namjoon’s expression softened. “I can help you Jimin. I can get you up there and help you with groceries and everything else. Or, if I’m not overstepping your boundaries with it you could come back to my place. There’s enough space and it would be easier for you to move a little. You can get the guest room; the toilet is right next to it and the kitchen is on the same floor so you could be relatively independent. Not that I won’t do whatever you let me do to help you, but I think you wouldn’t feel so … helpless if you’d know that theoretically you could do all that by yourself if you have to.” He realized he was rambling and so he stopped, trying to give Jimin room to breathe - and to decide what he wanted.

“I don’t want to annoy you or bother you.” Jimin averted his gaze down to the cast and the crutches that he was holding. “Just because it happened in your apartment, doesn’t mean you’re responsible for me.” He tried a smile, but it seemed tired. “I know you said that you wanted to get to know me…a-after our…night, but…it didn’t seem much like it anymore and it’s okay. It’s really okay! But you really don’t have to care for me, just because you feel responsible. It...it would hurt me more than this stupid thing in the end.”

Namjoon crouched down. “Hey. Can you please look at me?” He waited until Jimin had overcome his hesitation and dared to meet his eyes. “I’m not doing this because of some boss-employee-obligation that I might feel. I like you Jimin. A lot, actually. It’s been quite a while since someone made me feel that way and I got scared about ..the consequences. About what it could mean for the both of us.” So far he didn’t even have to lie. Just that the magical consequences of some contract with Yoongi could have continued to hurt Jimin was something that he better kept to himself. “I’m sorry if I made you feel like you weren’t important any longer, like I had lost interest or changed my mind. You are important to me and I won’t change my mind about that. I want to get to know you.“

Jimin could feel his throat clogging up, making it harder to breathe while his heart was racing. He gazed deep into Namjoon’s eyes, searching for a hint that he was lying to him, that he was just telling him what he wanted to hear but he couldn’t find anything. So, his body reacted first with his hand that pulled Namjoon closer by his neck and his lips that covered his softly.

Their position was awkward with Jimin in the car and Namjoon half in, half out and yet they made it work. Jimin’s lips were as soft and pliable as the last time, nothing gave away what he had been through. Namjoon reached out to caress over Jimin’s neck, trying to comfort him as best as he could.

He couldn’t tell him, but he would prove to him that there was nothing to be afraid of: He was safe again now.

…

There was music and the sound of laughter coming from the inside, while he pulled at his sweater for the nth time, not daring to go in, yet. The witch looked down at himself, soothing over the green fabric of his sweater, feeling up the many embroideries of Christmas trees and red tinsel that were sewn on. He wanted to look as human as possible. And he heard that humans liked those stupid, itchy christmas sweaters. Biting his lip, he walked back and forth, mumbling reassuring words to himself, before taking a deep breath and reaching for the door only to turn back around again and start his routine anew.

“Oh, there you are!” Namjoon finally realized who that person in that bulky green Christmas sweater was when Yoongi turned again. He had overlooked him at first because from behind he would have never guessed that this was his witch because at the moment Yoongi looked like he had sprung out of one of these cheesy Christmas movies. He wore dark velvety pants, that hilariously fluffy embroidered sweater and even his hair had a different color to match his festive spirit. He was pretty sure that Yoongi normally didn’t celebrate Christmas but made an effort because he wanted to fit in (or impress Jungkook).

Honestly though Yoongi could have worn a used trash bag and Namjoon would still have greeted him with open arms. He would forever be thankful that Yoongi hadn’t destroyed his life when he had the chance. “Come on in, you must be cold!” When he reached out for Yoongi though the other was warm. Of course, he was. He probably had a magical built-in heater or something.

“Ah, yeah…“ Yoongi was only hesitantly walking with Namjoon, sheepishly looking down at his feet, brushing over the trees on his sweater once more. “I just wanted to say ‘hi’ really quick. I don’t think I’ll stay long…you know, just checking in on you.” He was nervous and it was evident in the way he was talking a little faster than usual. Suddenly he felt that his idea to let Namjoon be his wingman to be a complete idiotic idea.

“Well, you can decide after you’ve taken a look at the decoration and the food. Jungkook always puts his heart into it.” He placed Yoongi at the Christmas buffet next to a plate full of cookies in Christmas tree shapes and told him to wait here so that he could get Jungkook for him.

Yoongi took one of the cookies, happy to have something to do as he let his gaze wander over the crowd of people that were celebrating Christmas. There was even a karaoke machine and Yoongi watched the two women do a sing off. It made a smile pull at his lips as he bobbed his head to the music.

“Hey, Yoongi!” Jungkook watched as Yoongi almost choked on his cookie, carefully patting the other’s back until it looked like he could breathe again. “Are you okay? You got to be careful with these to not get the sprinkles somewhere they are not supposed to be.”

“Oh,” He coughed again, trying to be subtle while his heart was racing just at the thought of Jungkook remembering his name. “I…I…like the cookies.” Yoongi could have hit himself for that stupid answer, trying to save himself as he took one to hold it in front of his sweater, “It fits my outfit, don’t you think?”

Jungkook chuckled. “Yeah, they’re great! Your outfit too by the way! You should give Namjoon tips on how to dress in the spirit of Christmas - though I should be thankful that he’s here.” He looked over to where Namjoon was feeding a cookie to Jimin, the two looking like they were completely in their own world. He was happy for them... and a tiny little bit envious. “By the way I never got to thank you for the card.” He opened his blazer and showed Yoongi that he was carrying it in his inner pocket.

“You like it?” Yoongi’s eyes lit up when he saw the younger carrying it around. He had made sure that Jungkook would find it, even if Namjoon would have thrown it in the bin it would reappear again until the assigned owner would have found it. Which he had. “I…I…wanted to apologize,” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, “I came off too strong that night and…I have that habit sometimes. I’m not used to…ehm, humans, I guess.” Yoongi shrugged his shoulders, trying to seem nonchalant but he cared too much for it to be true. “I didn’t want to scare you or anything, but I think one could say you made me nervous. You still do.”

“Humans, hm?” Jungkook winked at Yoongi without getting the hint, “I sometimes find them scary too. But you don’t have to worry about me, I don’t bite. Not when there are cookies around.”

Yoongi felt a lot more at ease now, smiling at the younger when he was so clueless to what he was. “Namjoon didn’t tell you, right?” He laughed softly, reaching out to where Jungkook had shown him the card. “You’re making me nervous because I want you to like me. Would you mind lending me it for one moment. I’d like to show you something..:”

“Told me what?” He only reluctantly gave over his card which was a little stupid because he knew Yoongi wouldn’t take away the gift that he had given him, but he had gotten so used to carrying the card with him that his pocket felt empty without it. It was like a pocket heater, a little thing he carried that made him feel warm inside whenever he touched it.

Yoongi flipped the card in his hands, his eyes fixated on Jungkooks. “Did you look up what the sun means?” He asked but didn’t give him much time to answer. “You have a really warm aura, Jungkook and I like that.” He blew onto the card, giving it back with a smile. “Would you mind if I ask you out some time?” He bit his lip nervously, folding his hands together because he didn’t know what else to do with them. “Maybe I can tell you what your boss should have told you.” Yoongi winked, side-eyeing Namjoon for a moment, who was still very much all eyes on his new love.

“Yeah, I did.” It meant optimism and positivity, warmth, and vitality. He had felt flattered that Yoongi had given him his sun because a tarot deck only worked with all the intended cards, so it wasn’t a small gift and the meaning just made it better. While Yoongi had held the card, the shiny golden details reflecting off of it made it look like a moon for a moment before Yoongi tilted the card and there was no reflection any more. “Oh, you’re a magician! Can you do card tricks?” Jungkook answered excitedly, and then, adding with blushing cheeks. “I’d really like that. You ...taking me out.”

Yoongi sighed deeply. It kind of hurt his pride to be called a magician, someone who did simple card tricks. He smirked in amusement about Jungkook’s sheer happiness, but when he actually agreed to their date, Yoongi couldn’t hold his magic in pure excitement. Leaning in, he lowered his voice as he whispered into the younger’s ear. “I’m more than that, Jungkook.” Softly he wrapped his hand around Jungkook’s wrist, his magic buzzing at his fingertips.

Jungkook gasped as the electricity ran down his arm up to his elbow. “How are you doing that?” He doubted that Yoongi was carrying around one of those trick toys that gave people small electroshocks. Also, it didn’t feel like a shock, rather.. warm and pleasant.

Yoongi easily let his fingers slide down to Jungkook’s, intertwining their hands. The younger followed him with a mixture of confusion and way too many questions burning on his mind, so Yoongi quickly shushed him. “I’ll show you,” He winked teasingly, “But there’s too many humans. Do you trust me?”

‘Humans.’ This time Jungkook caught up on the way Yoongi said it, like he wasn’t one of them. He shuddered, but it wasn’t fear, rather excitement that pushed him alone. He nodded and then followed Yoongi where he led them. Namjoon wouldn’t have let him meet Yoongi again if the other was dangerous.

“Who is that?” Jimin leaned aside to look over Namjoon’s shoulder, narrowing his eyes as he observed the man closely that leaned into Jungkook. “You brought him in earlier and…I don’t know I feel like I know him from somewhere. Have I seen him before?” Furrowing his brows in thought, Jimin turned to his boyfriend who had his leg up on his lap so he could rest it safely while the people around them were celebrating happily. Namjoon had taken care of him all night after their drive and had someone get some clothes from his apartment. He wasn’t staying in the visitors bedroom though, but right with Namjoon. And although he was still exhausted from the meds and the pain, he had insisted on coming to the party – otherwise Namjoon would have probably refused to be by his side anyways.

“That’s Yoongi. Jungkook's future boyfriend if it were up to him.” He took a sip of his mulled wine and smiled, “You might have seen him around the company. He’s been around since I started Kim designs and helped me a lot along the way. I think he retired from company business now, but I have a feeling he will stick around.” Namjoon reached for Jimin’s hand and placed a kiss onto his knuckles (because he wasn’t sure how Jimin felt about kisses in public), “Just like I hope you will now. Not necessarily in the company but in my life?”

“Does it count as my Christmas gift to you?” Jimin grinned cheekily before pouting his lips and batting his eyelashes. “I fear I can’t get you anything else this year.” Looking down at his foot in a cast, he sighed dramatically. “I hope you didn’t expect something expensive and I’ll count?”

“Only if you promise you won’t ever take it back. Cause there is no return option for Christmas gifts,” Namjoon answered with a teasing smile before he tilted Jimin’s chin up, looking right into his eyes. “You are more worth than any present I ever got.”

A/N: Happy fourth Advent! We wish you a merry christmas and hope you enjoyed our little fluffy story :) Stay healthy and be safe everyone!

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[hetyra]

So I’ve been concocting a NG+/time travel P5 story idea where both Akira and Goro remember the original timeline in my head for like the past week, and since I’m terrible about finishing multi-chapter fics I’m just gonna ramble about it in a very long post instead lol

The reset doesn’t apply equally to them.

Akira goes to sleep one night weeks or months after the events of the game and wakes up after what feels like only minutes later on the train bound for Shibuya just like he does at the beginning of the game.

Goro on the other hand goes from exchanging bullets with the cognitive version of himself in Shido’s palace to waking up in bed in the blink of an eye. It takes a few minutes, but he realizes he’s 14 again and it’s the first day of his last year of middle school – which is also the day the meta-nav appeared on his phone.

He winds up not using the app at all. Nor does he approach Shido and offer his “services”. He’s extremely shaken up by all the memories or dreams or whatever the hell they are. He decides he doesn’t care, but he’d rather avoid becoming that kind of person and meeting that fate.

By pure happenstance, he eventually ends up meeting Wakaba. Feeling guilt for being the original cause of her death, Goro feels the want to help her this time around and ends up expressing an interest in cognitive psience (which isn’t a total lie) that results in them making a sort of confidant deal.

Through Wakaba he also meets and gets to know both Sojiro and Futaba.

Realizing that his lack of involvement with Shido could have potentially prevented Akira’s original arrest, Goro chooses to attend Shujin for high school; intent on forming the PTs himself if need be.

It’s right around this time that Sojiro suddenly offers to adopt him.

He starts attending high school as Sakura Goro, and everything is going great. Until it’s not.

Wakaba dies. In the same exact manner as when he had been the one behind it.

Up to this point in time, Goro occasionally had PTSD symptoms when things reminding him of his actions in the previous timeline came up. Wakaba’s death affects him terribly, and all his symptoms get worse from there on out.

Sojiro moves them out to Yongen and eventually gets custody of Futaba, and Goro not wanting to deal with or think about what’s going on or what happened before, instead focusses on preventing Futaba from developing a palace. He succeeds.

Around this time, Sojiro starts worrying a lot about Goro. He knows he’s been… off ever since Wakaba’s death. Even now it seems like her death is weighing heavier on him than it is Futaba.

Right about the time Futaba passes her entrance exams to get into Shujin, Sojiro is asked to take in Akira for his probation. Goro, who was helping out at Leblanc at the time of the conversation, practically bullies Sojiro into accepting.

Back to Akira now.

His arrival in Tokyo goes exactly as it did before. The next day goes much the same, up until they’re in the car on their way back to Leblanc. For the hell of it, Akira asks Sojiro again why he took him in. Sojiro’s answer is the same, except instead of saying “I was already paid for it too.” He says “My son was rather insistent I do, too.”

Akira in shock and confusion asks “Son?” to which Sojiro explains: “Oh right. I have two kids; adopted both of them and they happen to go to Shujin too. My son, Goro, is a 3rd year while my daughter, Futaba, is a 1st year. Hopefully they’ll be a good influence on you instead of the other way around.”

Cue Akira’s brain short-circuiting at the mention of Goro.

Upon arriving back at Leblanc, Futaba and Goro are there waiting for them. Futaba wastes no time commenting on how Akira doesn’t look all that tough while Goro is standing behind the counter making everyone coffee – and wearing jeans and a hoodie to Akira’s continued shock.

Sojiro doesn’t let them talk long after he feeds them, saying they should all go to bed since they have school in the morning. Futaba leaves fairly quickly but Sojiro stops Goro to ask if he’s alright, having noted the bags under his eyes. When Goro says it’s nothing to worry about and leaves, Sojiro sighs and mumbles just loud enough for Akira to hear “Is it because there was another subway accident?”

That night, Akira’s dreams put him in the velvet room. He’s happy to see Lavenza and the real Igor but surprised when he hears Goro in the cell next to his.

Lavenza explains who she and Igor are to Goro and that despite their collective freedom from Yaldabitch, he does in fact still exist in this timeline and must be dealt with. Akira helps fill in Goro on how they dealt with him before but that’s all they have time to discuss before they’re being woken up by their respective alarm clocks.

Futaba goes to school ahead of them with the excuse that she doesn’t want to be seen with her dorky older brother and the guy with a criminal record, giving the two of them time to talk.

Akira is quick to demand answers regarding the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns, which elicits a rather desperate denial out of Goro. He insists it’s not him causing them and he doesn’t know who is, and Akira realizes quickly that Goro isn’t lying and is legitimately anxious about it.

The knowledge that someone else seems to have entered the “game” makes Akira uneasy, but assures Goro that things will be fine. They’ll stop whoever it is, Shido, and Yaldabitch. But first they need the Phantom Thieves.

This is when Goro admits he has yet to use the nav, despite having had it for 3 years at this point. Before Akira can comment on that, they exit the station to the rain and he instead opens the app and maneuvers them both so that they encounter Ann, Kamoshida, and Ryuji.

When they arrive at the castle instead of the school, Goro levels a look at him but simply sighs and goes with it when Akira tells him to trust him.

Everything goes the same as before, awakening and all, even with Goro there. That is up until Morgana just walks up to them. He’s not in a cell.

It turns out Morgana also remembers everything and it takes some improv acting on both Morgana and Goro’s parts to cover for Akira’s stupidity when Ryuji asks “Wait, you know this monster-cat?!”

 When they get home that night, Goro tries to take the blame for them being late but Sojiro doesn’t bite – turning to Akira and telling him that his son is a good kid and he won’t have Akira influencing him into bad behavior. Sojiro isn’t quite as angry a few minutes later when he comes upstairs to find Morgana chilling on Akira’s bed.

Goro asks Akira the next morning to text him when Ryuji asks to go back to the palace, to which Akira agrees with the full intention on not doing that.

The day of the volleyball rally, Akira is on his way to the next abuse victim he needs to question when he‘s suddenly yanked around a corner by a very miffed looking Goro. Akira apologizes and explains why he left him out, receives a grumpy “Ok, I forgive you” and continues on his mission.

Akira again does not tell Goro they’re going into the palace the day Ann follows them in and awakens to her own persona, despite Ryuji and Morgana both telling him he should.

It’s later when they’re exchanging their contact info with Ann that Goro appears looking very pissed off at certain someone. After that, the group chat is established with Goro in it so he will in fact know when they’re going to the palace.

Goro sticks to back up and surveillance due to still not having awakened to his persona yet, but throughout their infiltration he notes Joker’s watchful eye on him and the constant reminders to stay safe.

Come the gym-turned-church Goro decides he’s had enough of the other tricksters incessant worrying over him. The two of them start to argue, Akira never quite saying it’s because he doesn’t want to witness Goro die again, when the angel shadow appears and interrupts them. Akira quickly turns his attention to it and tells Goro to get to a safe distance, which cause the latter to yell back angrily.

Cue Loki’s voice and Goro ripping off a mask.

Goro’s has a new outfit, though it’s sort of a mix between his two previous outfits and Jokers

He discovers he still has Robin Hood as well.

And that’s about as far as I’ve figured out.

I haven’t decided whether the events of the new semester in Royal happened in the original timeline, but I really want to stick with the “from being shot to waking up in bed” thing so if they did I’m rolling with Goro’s memory of the events feeling disjointed and out of place.

There’s one scene I actually animated (because I was bored and in the mood to animate) that takes place later, when they go to the airsoft shop for the first time. Ryuji tells Akira about the shop over the phone, and Akira doesn’t tell Goro what they’re doing, only to meet up with them in Shibuya and that it was important. Akira thought it’d be funny if Ryuji were to ask Goro if he knew anything about guns with absolutely no context – and he does indeed finds Goro’s “overreaction” quite funny. At this point, Akira still isn’t aware that Goro actually has PTSD because of the events in the original timeline, and so thinks it’s just a funny inside joke. Goro’s anxiety meanwhile is through the fucking roof.

Here’s a link to the video of the scene.

[psycheswritings]

Nothing’s Fair in Love and War - Two

Title: Nothing’s Fair in Love and War

Fandom: Peaky Blinders

Pairing: Thomas Shelby x Original Female Character (Daphne Scott)

Warnings: Swearing and mentions of violence (not too much, tough)

Word Count: 4245

Author's Note: Happy New Year, everyone. Here's another part of Daphne and Thomas story. Hope you all like it. I want to thank everyone who liked/commented on the previous part, it makes me very happy to know that you are enjoying it. I will try to uptade it every tuesday/wednesday.

A special thanks to @livvtheangel​ for the lovely feedback, it made me really happy.

As always, this haven’t been proofread, so feel free to report any mistakes back to me; warnings are expecific for each chapter. Also, your feedback is also highly appreciated.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

Masterlist

Chapter Summary: Tommy tries to discover more about Daphne while making the necessary arrangements for his deal with Solomons. In the meanwhile, Daphne meets some old friends that try to ease her worries about Alfie hiding things from her and starts to question her feelings towards the Brummie ganster.

Two

“What did you discovered?” Tommy asked to John when he entered the private room of the Garrison.

“Not much.” Arthur was right behind him, closing the door. They both took his sits before John started talking. “Her name is Daphne Jane Scott, she was born in London, same year as me, appeared in Camden Town with Solomons after the war. She lives with him since them, always worked at the bakery, they are usually together in social events but despite the rumors about them people in Camden Town seem to believe that they have a brother-sister relationship.” Tommy exhaled a puff of air and smoke seemed uninterested, even when he was the one who requested his brothers to do some research in Daphne’s past.

“Some people believe that she serve in France.” Arthur said catching Thomas attention.

“Can we try to locate her file?” John and Arthur shared a look, before the first spoke.

“We can try, but if Solomons is really that invested in her I believe that it won’t be easy.”

“Do it, anyways. It doesn’t matter if it takes some time.”

“Tommy, why are you so interested in this girl?” Arthur asked, toking a sip of his whisky. “I mean, she is beautiful and all but you could have any other woman.” Thomas didn’t answer right away because even he was not sure why he was interested in the woman. After the whole ordeal with Grace, he should want to avoid mysterious woman but Daphne had something that he couldn’t explain.

“There’s something about her...” He got up, putting his jacket before speaking. “Find the file and bring it to me.” After he left, Arthur and John looked at each other, intrigued by his behavior.

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“You are worried.” His voice startled Daphne out of her thoughts and she raised her eyes to look at the man in question. From her spot at the door, she could observe him working – William was still with his scrub, organizing a few things in his office on a secluded area of the hospital, it was more modest than what you would expect of the eldest son of one of the most influential families in London.

He was a beautiful man – tall, lean but strong, a beard well-kept adorning his face, brown curly hair a little unruly and a pair of deep blue eyes that made all the women gasp at the sight of him – but what really got Daphne every time was his kindness. For a man born in one of the richest families in London, William was more down to earth than anybody could expect. Despite their bickering when they first met each other, the pair developed a strong friendship along the years. He was one of the few people that really knew her and her history.

“It’s nothing.” William laughed at that while closing the cabinet of medications right behind his desk.

“Nothing? That’s why you didn’t paid attention to anything I’ve said since you arrived here? I just said to you that Jane is going to marry and you said that it was a shame!” He looked at her with a half-smile and she couldn’t hold her own smile back, shaking her head in the process.

“I’m sorry. It’s just business, it will be over soon.” At least that was what she hoped, even when deep down Daphne had a feeling that things wouldn’t be so simple anymore. “Jane finally decided to end Charles misery, huh?” William sighed at that, stopping to take off his scrubs and replace it with his coat.

“In my opinion they are rushing into things but Charles received a proposal to go to America. I think that forced her to make her decision. Couldn’t think about all the American women swooning all over her fiancé.” Daphne smiled at her friend’s attitude because she knew that his constant bickering about the engagement of his sister and his best friend was just his way of showing older brother protectiveness. It always made her feel bittersweet, even more when she got to see the both Weston siblings together.

“Rush into things? They have been together for what, four years?”

“Yeah, more or less.”

“You’re just worried that you’ll lose you little sister.” He held one hand to his heart faking a gasp.

“Now you wound me, Daphne Scott.” The young doctor walked to her, stopping right in front of the woman. “And you’re trying to redirect. Don’t go thinking that I forgot your stupid little excuse for why you’re so worried.” Daphne sighed. She should know better than to try hiding things from him.

“Come on. Let’s eat something and I will tell you what I can.” He smiled, seeming satisfied with her answer, closing the door behind them and offering his arm to her and the pair left the hospital towards one of the cafes near the area. They talked a little on the way there, little things about Jane and his family, and Daphne had some hope that he would forget about his inquiry at the office. She should have known better.

“Ok, now you tell me what’s bothering you so much. Alfie didn’t listened to you again, huh?” He looked at her from behind his cup of tea while taking a sip.

“When does he?” She answered, rolling her eyes much to William’s delight.

“Well, knowing him I’m pretty sure that he listens to you a lot more than any other person.” Daphne took a deep breath, looking at the people talking and laughing around them. She knew that it was true, Alfie did listened to her most part of the time, but sometimes he frustrated her to no ends with his stubbornness.

“He’s playing something that I’m not sure if he will be able to handle.”

“That bad?” There was a hint of concern in his question. William and Alfie had created some strange type of friendship over the years, most part for her sake, but the both of them always asked about one another.

“That’s the problem: I don’t know. He’s been keeping things from me, he thinks I didn’t notice but I did.” They stayed in silence while the waiter came to the table with their food.

“It will do you no good overthink about it. You will have to wait and see what happens.” She knew that he was right, but her mind never seemed to listen to her.

“I just hope that this doesn’t blow out on our faces.”

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“Next lad.” A man enters the office and stops right in front of Alfie’s desk. “Name?”

“Abbey Heath.”

“Abbey Heath. Profession?”

“Baker.”

“Good lad. Fill it out and fuck off.” The Jew gives the man a folded paper while Ollie throws an apron at him before he leaves. The scene repeats itself without many changes until one of them caught Alfie’s attention.

“Next lad. Name?”

“Billy Kitchen.”

“Billy Kitchen. Occupation?”

“Head baker.” The way he says it makes Alfie take his eyes off of the papers to look at him. The man has an air of defiance, holding his head high.

“Fill it out.” The gangster said with a forced half smile, throwing the paper on the desk for the man to take, Ollie gave him the apron on his way out. They observed the man leave and Ollie took a step towards his boss while Alfie talked to him and moved his glasses. “Ah, Tommy Shelby, mate. Never give power to the big man, what did I tell you? Hmm? Never give power to the big man. Did Daphne came back already?”

“No, she’s not back yet.” Alfie scratched his beard in thinking; maybe it was better if she did not came back in time.

“Hmm. Next lad.”

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“Tommy. Good to see you, mate.” The two man shook hands and Tommy noticed right away the lack of the feminine presence in the distillery.

“Alfie. What do you think?” They observed the men being organized in the bigger room by Billy Kitchen.

“Don’t know yet, man. Let’s give them the instructions, yeah.” They both entered the precinct, Alfie stood closer to the wall, arms crossed in front of him. It was a good place to observe how Tommy worked and it gave him a menacing vibe that could come handy. Tommy started pacing in front of the men while he lit a cigarette and started explaining how things would work.

“All right boys, you've now all been enrolled as bakers in the Aerated Bread Company of Camden Town. If anyone asks, that's what you do. You're bakers. The coppers in Camden Town are on our side but north or south, you show them that piece of paper. Tell them you've come down from north to find work. To break strikes. Tell them you're fascists if you have to. We're finding lodgings for you but for now, you'll sleep here in the bakery. Don't touch any of the bread, it'll most likely explode. Any questions?” One of the man raised his hand. “Yes?”

“I haven't even seen any bread.” He says looking around and laughing with the other men. Tommy looks at Alfie, clearing his throat and continuing to smoke his cigarette. Seconds pass before Alfie approaches the man that made the joke, Buddy. He just stares at him for a couple of seconds before striking the man standing beside with his cane before looking at Buddy again, cane still in hand. Silence filled the room.

“He'll wake up. Well, he won't have any teeth left but he will be a wiser man for it.” Tommy and Ollie were behind him, none of them seemed surprised by the attitude. “And the last thing he will remember is your funny little joke, won't he?” Alfie paused before shouting in the man’s face and start walking. “RIGHT! There are fucking rules here, yeah? Yeah. There are fucking rules, for a fucking reason. Quite simply, they have to be obeyed. All right? Rule number one: the distinction between bread and rum... IT'S NOT DISCUSSED. Rule number two: anything, right, that your superior officer says to you or any of your other fucking superior officers say to you, yeah? NOT DISCUSSED! Rule number three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine... I don't care. For the rest of your fucking miserable, measly lives, yeah? Because I, like you, I am also a complete fucking sodomite.” In that moment, Daphne appeared at the entrance of the room, the men started to look at each other, not having the courage to talk but all intrigued by the woman. Alfie turned to look at her. Damn, the woman always seemed to arrive exactly on the time he needed her to. He recognized the question in her eyes but just ignored it because he knew she would play along. “Jewish women.” He said in a lower tone. “You do not go anywhere near them because Jewish women for you are off the fucking menu. I think that's fair.” He stopped talking and looked at Billy who was right in front of him for a minute. The self-titled ‘head-backer’ held his gaze for a moment before looking away. Alfie then turned to look at the man on the ground before looking at Tommy. “Hm... Oh, that's it then. Forgive me, I interrupted you.” The Jew walked away and stopped right beside Daphne. None of the men, besides Billy Kitchen, dared to look at them.

“Pick him up.” Tommy said motioning the man still unconscious on the ground, walking towards Billy Kitchen, talking to him in a whisper. “Get them out of here and make this fucking work.” They observed the man leave and Tommy took the opportunity to look at Daphne. She was dressed similarly as the day she appeared at the Garrison – a simple blue dress that ended a little bellow her knees, fitted at her waist but loose on the skirt, the neckline was a little open, showing the locket that she always seemed to be with – she caught his eye and smiled at him before Alfie directed them to his office, dismissing Ollie.

“How’s William?” That was the first thing Alfie asked when they entered his office. She raised her brows in question while Thomas closed the door.

“He’s fine. Send you his regards and asked to schedule dinner, said it has been a while.”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s been a while.” He looked at Tommy, who stood beside Daphne, seemingly uninterested in the conversation, looking at the ground, and smiled. “Right, let’s talk business.”

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Ada was sitting in the living room when she heard the noise of the front door closing. Immediately she got up and took the gun from her purse, pointing it at the door right in the moment it opened. She was more than surprised to see Tommy entering with his peaky hat in hand. He laughed when he saw the gun in her hands, before closing the door behind him.

“You've got a key!”

“I kept a spare.” He shrugged.

“Give it to me.” Tommy smiled, throwing the key in the air and catching it while he walked towards his sister. Ada took the key from him and put it away at the same time that Tommy looked around before sitting in the spare seat.

“Could do with some paint, eh?”

“Yeah, when I decide.” She observes her brother picking a book from the pile on the ground, taking a look at it and putting it back down, before sitting back in her own chair, arms crossed in front of her, sighing. “What is it that you want, Tommy?”

“Just came by to say hello.”

“Huh. Tommy Shelby never goes anywhere for no reason.” He sighs, putting his hands in his pockets.

“Right. Daphne. Where did you met her?” Ada laughs, rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

“What does it concern you?”

“I need to know more about her.” He simply said. It was true. Maybe not the whole truth, but true, anyways.

“To what? Fuck her and then leave her? She deserves better than that.” She knew she was pressing him but Ada needed to know his intentions towards the woman.

“She works for Solomons.” Tommy noticed that his sisters didn’t seemed surprised. He hoped to use Daphne’s connection to Alfie as an ace to make Ada talk but by her expression, she already knew that.

“I know.”

“Then tell me what you know about her.” The siblings stared at each other for a minute before Tommy pressed again. “I swear it’s for business.”

“I don’t know much, she is pretty reserved. We met in a café downtown. She comes from a wealthy family from the countryside, has medical training as a nurse, is well educated and works with Solomons as his treasurer.”

“Medical training?” The gangster looked at his sister, frowning.

“Yeah. Don’t know much more. She is almost worse than you when it comes to personal information. But she is a good woman.” Tommy wasn’t sure if Ada said that as a way to make him more interested in Daphne or as a warning that she didn’t deserved to be ruined by him. Probably both. “But there’s something more. You didn’t came all the way here just to ask about Daph, you could have learned a lot more about her in other ways. What is it?” It didn’t go unnoticed by him the use of a nickname, that could only mean that Daphne and his sister where more close than he predicted.

“I've got eight hundred pounds left in the Shelby Property fund. And I need somebody down here to look for suitable properties.”

“To rent?”

“Yes.”

“To poor people.” Tommy looks at her. “Ten to a room. No repairs, no water. And if they complain you just send Arthur and the boys around.” He looks around taking a deep breath. “You know, I give advice down at the library. Families, thrown on the street. It's men like you we're fighting.”

“Well, anyway, I was just passing.” He gets up and starts walking to the door. “Thanks for the tea.” Ada calls him before she can contain herself.

“Tommy?” He stops and turns to look at her. “There are always men outside, watching the house.”

“Yeah. Gangsters of the worst kind.” He mocks. “They're there to keep you safe.”

“No, there are others. They looks like coppers.”

“Well, they're on your side as well.”

“I don't have a fucking side.” Ada says annoyed.

“Ada, yes, you do. Anyway, if I thought there was no one watching the house, I couldn't sleep.” She looks at him taken by surprise but he cuts the moment short by leaving. “Cheerio then.” When the door closes behind him, Ada keeps staring at it for a long time. Of course that she knew that Tommy cared for her – for the whole family – but for him to admit it out loud was a rare occurrence nowadays. She couldn’t stop herself of thinking that maybe this had something to do with his sudden interest in Daphne.

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“You’ve been awfully quiet these days.” Daphne was leaning into the window-sill, looking out when he approached her, stopping right at her side.

“You know that I don’t like this time of the year.” Her eyes met his and Alfie recognizes the pain behind them.

“Aye, I know, your birthday. But this isn’t all.” He looked at her again before asking. “You still worried about Tommy?”

“Tommy, huh?” Alfie waved her off and she laughed at his antics. “Yeah, I’m still worried about it.”

“You shouldn’t. Everything’s going accord to the plan.” He looked at the almost empty streets of London trying to hide something from her that Daphne couldn’t put her finger on.

“And what’s the plan, Alfie?” Alfie didn’t answer right away. In fact, he did nothing to acknowledge her question but she waited nevertheless, observing as he changed his weight from one foot to another, the way he twitched his fingers… After some time he turned to look at her.

“Do you trust me?”

“I do. Why are you asking me that?” Her straight answer didn’t surprised him, considering all that they had come through together. Yet, it still felt like some king of punishment for lying to her.

“Because sometimes I wish you didn’t.” At that she turned to him completely.

“Where did that came from?” She knew that he was hiding something but confronting him directly never reached its intended purpose.

“Don’t worry about it, aye. Don’t listen to me, I’m just getting old and cranky.” That made Daphne smile, Alfie took a step closer to her, placing his large hands in both of her arms while looking at her. “I’m just worried about you.” Because of Tommy and his men – he didn’t needed to say it, she knew.

“I know how to fend for myself.”

“I know.” It’s been a while since they hugged each other but it always felt welcoming. Alfie draped his arms around Daphne’s smaller frame, resting his head on top of hers whilst she entwined her arms around his waist, leaning her head on his chest. “There are some days that I wish he was still alive. Keep thinking about what he would thought about it all.” The woman took a deep breath, closing her eyes, a flood of memories passing behind her eyelids.

“Me too, Alfie. Me too.”

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“There'll be another four boat loads tomorrow. What's up, Charlie? Business is good.” Tommy was leaning into a pile of boxes observing the men working with his uncle.

“This isn't business, this is bloody work. Cigarettes and booze is all right but this... this manufactured stuff, it's heavy. I'm not even sure it's stolen.” Charlie looked at his nephew a little unsure and Tommy just shook his head.

“Some of it is legally purchased. One day, all of it will be.”

“It's like having a fucking job.” The older man complained before yeling at one of the boys. “Easy with them fan belts.” Tommy smiled, taking another drag form his cigarette. “Wipe that smile off of your face. I want another pound a boat.”

“Done.” Charles laughed.

“You don't even fight me anymore. It has something to do with that woman from London!” Tommy arched his eyebrows at that. “Yeah, it’s all the men talk about: the beautiful woman from Camden Town that came all the way from London to talk to you.”

“She’s with Solomons.” For some reason his talk with Ada came up in his mind and Tommy felt the need to prevent Daphne’s name being attached to his. He knew that people already talked about her and Alfie being together but most part of the rumors were spread by people that didn’t knew them. If they thought that her relationship with him was anything but profession she could be, indeed, ruined.

“That’s not what I heard.” They just stared at each other for some moments before Charlie changed the subject. “And there's no sport getting through the Black Country with this truce. They just fucking wave at you from the bank.”

“You just wave back, all right?” Tommy patted his uncle’s arm before leaving.

“And all these fucking cars? When did you last ride a horse, Tom?”

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Daphne just smiled to herself when she saw Harriet coming down the stairs with a disheveled Alfie right behind her.

“Daph! It’s so good to see you!” The woman came straight to her, taking her in what could be called a bear hug. “It’s been a while, Alfie has been hogging you.” She gave him a pointed look and he just scratched the back of his head, sighing.

“It’s a little bit of my fault two. The last few weeks haven’t been the best.” Harriet’s deep brown eyes studied the other woman’s reaction and her expression softened.

“I know, I know, darling. Maybe I can stole you for tea?” Daphne had a feeling that Alfie was going to say something, but Harriet had already hooked her arms with Daphne’s directing them towards the door. “See you, Alfred!” The courtesan shouted before the two of them left the house and all that Daphne could recognize was Alfie’s voice saying ‘Damn, woman’.”

When the two of them were sat comfortably in Harriet’s office, the one in her apartment just down the street, each one of them with a cup of tea in their hands, Harriet took a moment to analyze her friend better. For anyone that didn’t knew her, Daphne could have looked normal, but her friend knew her well enough to notice the signs of tiredness and worry in the other woman’s behavior.

“You’re not sleeping well.” Daphne met the statement with a sigh.

“I never do at this time of the year.” Harriet knew that to. They had shared rooms for a long time, sometimes even sleeping on the same bed, it was difficult not to notice the tossing and turning of Daphne’s nightmares.

“You’re planning something for this year?”

“No. But I’m sure that Alfie is.” The courtesan laughed, taking another sip of her tea.

“He wants to show his little sister off.” Daphne rolled her eyes.

“I’m pretty sure that’s not his only intention.” Harriet knew that too – Alfie never took his promise of protecting Daphne lightly and her birthday was the perfect occasion for him to show to everyone that anybody that messed with her would be messing with him.

“I heard that you met with the leader of the Blinders. How is he?” Daphne raised her brows at that.

“Alfie told you that?”

“I coarsed it out of him.” Harriet smiled and the other woman only laughed.

“I’m pretty sure that you did.”

“Don’t redirect, honey. Tell, me.”

“Why are you so interested in this?” More often than not, Daphne ignored the fact that she knew Harriet gave Alfie information about what the two talked. Most part of the time both her friend’s intentions were good and deep down she knew that the woman would never betray her, so she just brushed it off and used it at her advantage too.

“Can a friend be curious about her friend’s life?”

“Alfie told you something. Come on, what is it?” Harriet rolled her eyes, annoyed.

“I swear to God, sometimes I forget you two aren’t related. It’s unbelievable.” She looked at Daphne and saw a little smile forming on her lips. “He said something about being worried for you. Said that he doesn’t like the way the Shelby looks at you.”

“It’s not like that.” The dismissive tone she used caught Harriet’s attention.

“Daph, we both know that men often recognize when other men looks at a woman a certain way.” Daphne took a sip of her tea to prevent answering the unspoken question. “Is this guy interested in you in some way?”

“He’s just curious because he doesn’t know what exactly my relationship with Alfie is, exactly. Thomas has a fame of wanting to have control over everything, this is something out of his reach. That’s it.”

“Ok I think I asked you the wrong question.” There was a pregnant pause before Harriet spoke again. “Are you interested in him?” The question took Daphne by surprise. She haven’t thought about it that way but one thing that you could trust Harriet to do was read her like an open book. Thomas Shelby intrigued her, that was for sure. Her answer was the most sincere thing that Daphne could master.

“I don’t know.”

[nevergiveupneverrun]

Bodyguard - Chapter Thirty-five “The smile that lights up...”

Hello, I hope you’re all doing great. Here is chapter thirty-five of my story Bodyguard. I’m so sorry for the long absence, I had a lot of things to do, but now, it’s summer break so I will have more free time to translate. I’m sorry by advance for the mistakes… English isn’t my first language and I do my best. Here is the link of the previous chapter because it’s been a long time since the last update: Click Here.

I hope you will enjoy this chapter :) 💛

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- Ok, we find ourselves at the entrance to the market… - Do you think you’ll arrive soon? Asks Rosie in the handset. - I’m waiting for Amelia, and we’re leaving immediately after, so in about twenty minutes. I have to leave you, sorry, see you later. I quickly hand up the handset of the house, after my last words. I preferred to avoid conversations from the direct line of the chalet: even though I knew that the probability that the crazy man is locating us in almost non-existent, I preferred to take no risks… and calling from a phone booth was a much safer option. But I could not really explain it to Rosie, it would expose her to one of the reasons for our presence and endanger her indirectly.

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I put on my leather jacket while scanning the house quickly. Our arrival a bit hasty had almost put aside the place so special that I found. Memories, images were inseparable from this small nook of Canada, anchored in the mountains. My eyes are then on the single photo frame of the room, present in a shelf installed in the living room. A photograph that crystalizes my past and the man I am… I take advantage of the absence of Amelia and I quickly get rid of this photo frame. I hesitate a few seconds then I join the kitchen and put it in the drawer that was not used, left empty until then on the buffet. I immediately return to the living room while I perceive steps resound on the stairs. And it’s a white apparition that runs down the steps. I need to blink several times to convince myself that this is not a mirage or a hallucination caused by the fatigue of the last days. But at the end of the third blink of successive eyes, the image becomes more precise and confirmed under my eyes… a special white lace dress that I had not seen for many years. Who dresses perfectly… Amelia, detached and slightly curly hair, falling along her shoulders. A silhouette, a dress that troubled me at first: Rosie’s words instantly return to my mind, the resemblance even more striking and disturbing when I see her dressed in one of my mother’s favorite dresses… I look at her and discover that she ha also put on white wedge sandals: an impeccably matched look that makes me realize that fashion is only an eternal restart… the 70s can mingle without false notes in the 21st century. - Excuse me… I took a little longer than expected… I always observe her without a word, captivated by her image: she was simply beautiful. She perceives my insistent gaze and scans herself, placing her attention on this dress. - Uh... I… I might not have had to… but I don’t have much to wear… almost nothing at all and I took a look in the wardrobe in the room and discovered a series of clothes… I spotted very pretty summer dresses, I tried this one… and as she is at my size… but I can change, it’s probably a bad idea, I don’t even know who it belongs to… She turns around as I recognize her lack of self-confidence strengthen over her words. I hold her by sliding my hand against her arm. - Don’t change yourself… it suits you very well… and if these clothes can be useful… - But the owner might not agree? - She would approve, I reassure you… I feel her indecisive, not really satisfied with my answer but I don’t develop more. I seize her leather jacket and my scarf on a nearby chair and hand her. - Can we go? She nods while putting the jacket and scarf, still a little troubled by my mysterious answer but doesn’t ask any other questions. - Your hand is better? I asked while recovering my wallet as I slip it into a pocket of my jacket. - Yes, I changed band-aid, but it’s already almost healed, by tomorrow there will be nothing left. I smiled weakly and grabbed the keys of the motorbike while heading to the crash-helmets placed on the living room table. - Are crash-helmets really necessary? Asks me suddenly Amelia. - It’s more careful… and it’s mandatory… - But if you don’t go fast… you drive carefully… it’s just that it’s so beautiful outside… I wish I could feel the breath of the wind freely on my and the heat of the sun on my face… I hesitate in front of her request. We did not have to hide here, we were several hundred miles from Seattle, in a secluded part of the mountain. And concerning the Driver’s Manual, we could get rid of it, the feeling of freedom is more important than the respect of the rule. Especially considering our context. - Ok, we can do without, but promise me that you will be careful on the motorbike, no clumsiness because, without a crash-helmet, a shock or a fall can be serious… She nods, smiling weakly at me. - Ok, so let’s go! I wave her to the entrance and locked behind her. The sun is sparkling and reinforces the beauty of the landscape: the edge of the forest a few steps from the chalet, the golden wood of this house that stands out by capturing the rays of the sun and a look back reveals me the reflections of this little emerald lake that springs against the chalet.

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Amelia is waiting for me next to the motorbike while watching intensely the landscape that surrounds us. Unlike our arrival the day before, I am reassured by noticing some lights dancing in her pupils, but she doesn’t make any comments. I get on the motorbike and slip the keys in the ignition. I feel a hand rest on my left shoulder while a slight breath makes me perceive the movement of Amelia in my back to settle behind me. Reflexively, I put my hand on her thigh behind me, but I forgot she was in dress… the position imposed by the motorbike has noticeably raised it and it is her skin that I feel under my fingers. - Hold you well… I detached my fingers quickly, this contact was unforeseen and I didn’t want to embarrass her… or increase my trouble. I feel her arms encircle me and her hands rest firmly on me. - I don’t clutch you too hard? - No, it’s okay… are you ready? - Yes, let’s go… I feel a hint of enthusiasm in her voice that makes me happy: a small foray into this joie de vivre that seems to be slowly returning. It only remained for me to relight gradually. I start the motorbike and we start at a moderate pace. We travel for several meters the path that crisscrosses the forest and that leads up to quickly lose several meters of altitude. We thus find the clearing and the tranquility of a mountain road. I remain attentive to Amelia’s contact with me: the pressure of her hands, the sensation of her body just behind me, focused on my handling of the motorbike to avoid any risk of accident or fall. I fork after a few minutes following the direction of a sign to the village we were going to join. We thus finish by distinguishing contours of residences then quickly a panel of entry of the village. I reduce a little more pace while in a few seconds, we reach the center of the village where I park the motorbike on small parking.

.

I let Amelia go down first while she leans on my shoulder. I leave my motorbike and then take a look at the place a few steps from us, where I spot traders’ stalls, so specific to market day. I scrutinize the scene a bit more and recognize Rosie, settling a greengrocer. - Rosie is here, we join her? Amelia nods and I slide my hand behind her to guide her. We are getting closer to the market activity and I meet Rosie who is smiling at me instantly and comes to meet us. - Hello Owen, she said, making me two kisses. She then turns to Amelia and I notice she stops a few seconds discovering her. - This dress fits you wonderfully Amelia, she whispers kissing her in turn. Owen, you were right to offer her your mother’s dresses, they have the same silhouette… Amelia finds my eyes and I detect the surprise in her eyes, Rosie has revealed the identity of the owner of these clothes. - Good, kids, I started doing some food shopping. Amelia, there is very nice clothes stand with little dresses that should please you, we should go! Owen, there are also shirts for you, but I think you have what you need in the chalet. - Yes, it should be fine… - Ok, so let’s go there! Amelia peers me a few more moments, intrigued by the information that Rosie just gave her, then she follows my long-time accomplice. I walk alongside Amelia and we walk along with several stalls until she stops in front of a florist. Rosie turns around, perceiving our stop and observes Amelia leaning towards a bouquet of flowers. - Henry has the most beautiful flowers in the area, says Rosie smiling at the stallholder on the side, cutting stems of roses. - These peonies are beautiful, I’ve never seen with such a bright pink… she says in front of a bouquet of pink and white peonies. - He has his secrets, our Henry. - A bouquet would make you happy, miss? The stallholder suddenly asks Amelia. I scrutinize her while she observes the flowers with a spark in her eyes and in particular a bouquet on which her eyes come to linger: a bouquet of white and purple peonies with roses, roses associated with an original touch that give some flowers of sunflowers. She remains silent for a few seconds while looking at this bouquet then raises the head towards the florist.

- No, thanks sir, she finally answers. But you have very beautiful flowers.

- Thank you, Miss, have a good day.

Amelia smiles at him before moving forward to continue our progression in the small market.

Rosie passes us again and we stop only two stalls farther, at the outer shop of a merchant of clothes.

- Jenny, here is the young woman I told you about.

A woman in her forties appears on the side and comes to meet us.

-Good morning Miss. I thought I heard that you needed clothes.

- Uh… yes, indeed, answers shyly Amelia.

- Rosie put me in the secret, resumes Jenny smiling. And I put aside several outfits to try, if you want, I can show you.

Amelia turns to me furtively and I encourage her with a smile.

- I really like your dress, by the way, style 70s that are all the rage right now. I think I just aimed in my choices. So, first of all, you have these two summer dresses.

Jenny presents to Amelia a long dress that looks like the one she had in Campeche and a shorter dress, light blue with straps.

- I also have jeans if you want, pants or capri pants and a whole series of T-shirts and light sweaters for this time of year. What do you say about it?

- It’s… very pretty…says Amelia staring at the outfits successively held by Jenny.

- Maybe it’s best to try them, right? You have a small space behind the curtain to change.

Amelia looks at me again, hesitant.

- Go, try it. Take your time.

I smiled at her and she finally walked away with Jenny to take a close look at the outfits and visibly choose the ones she would try.

Rosie is repositioning herself beside me by watching her.

- She is really beautiful…

- What? - Stop Owen, I see that you stare at her blankly. You are as transparent as your father was with your mother. I’m happy for you by the way…

- Rosie, it’s just a friend, do not start to imagine things that don’t exist.

I then notice Amelia’s gaze heading in my direction a few moments before she goes back to Jenny and disappears behind the fitting room.

- Things I imagine, huh?

Rosie asks with a crooked smile on her lips.

I don’t reply to her innuendo, it could last hours with Rosie if I fed her doubts.

- Thank you for preparing the house before we arrived… it was perfect.

- It’s okay. I see in any case that Amelia seems to be better than yesterday, less closed, more relaxed. - Yes, it takes time, but she takes over little by little. - All the better. There is nothing harder to bear than to see such a beautiful young woman sad and withdrawn.

The sound of a curtain we discover is heard and Amelia appears to us again dressed in the long dress that Jenny had shown her previously.

A long pink dress that brings out the blue of her eyes.

- So, what’s your opinion?

She asks us shyly looking at us.

- My opinion doesn’t count, I think. The opinion of a man is always the most important, replies Rosie.

I cross her eyes and I discover a touch of mischief that does not surprise me in the least.

I redirect my attention to Amelia while swallowing and preparing my answer.

- It suits you…

- Just that? You’re not going to convince her with that, Owen! Rosie launches by my side smiling.

She wanted to lead me hard and she took pleasure in the situation.

I keep my eyes fixed on Amelia who looks down, a little disconcerted visibly by my answer. I had to express my opinion clearly… not really the fields that I master best, or that I do it most easily, but I would have to force myself for the days to come.

- No, I mean… she fits you perfectly… you are… you are gorgeous…

Her eyes suddenly appear to me as her head is raised.

And one more detail captivates my attention: a smile emerges on her lips, spontaneous and candid smile, the first in a long time and I react in the same way in return.

- Well, I think this outfit is approved… more than approved, by the way, Rosie concludes.

I quickly drop my eyes while feeling the warmth on my cheeks when I see the insistent look of Rosie on me.

I hear the curtain close and Jenny slips a new outfit to Amelia.

- You must be sincere with her as you just did… did you see her smile? At this moment, she forgot the drama she has just lived and all thanks to you, do not forget that…

I nod as she picks her basket of hands.

-Well, I’m not very useful here anymore. I’m going to finish shopping and I’ll bring them home. With the clothes, you will not really have a place to bring back everything.

- Thank you, Rosie, actually, it’s going to be complicated with the motorbike. - No problem. Are they any particular things that I have to buy maybe?

I dig in my jean pocket and give her some shopping that I took care to scribble on a paper.

- If you can buy me what is on this list…

Rosie browses the words of the eyes while smiling lightly after finishing.

- Ok, I should be able to find all that. See you later. - Thanks, again.

She disappears after one last smile and I find myself alone waiting patiently for the end of the fitting session. Amelia will try five additional outfits, some for which I will not see her out and others for which she will ask me again my opinion.

An opinion that was summed up systematically to approval on my part, because everything suited her… everything suits well to her.

.

After about an hour, she reappears in the white lace dress she had donned for the day. Jenny then hands her two packets of hands and I go forward immediately to seize it. I notice, however, that Amelia is concentrated on a pile of clothes that I don’t distinguish precisely on the side. - Is it you who pay, sir? - Yes, it’s me. - Owen… Amelia whispers protesting. - No discussion… Jenny smiles slightly in front of our exchange as I present my credit card. Amelia is repositioning herself by my side and waiting patiently for me to finish before giving something to Jenny… a dark blue shirt. - Do you want to add that? Because we just paid for your purchases Miss? - No, that’s apart… it’s XL, it'll have to suit you, or you want to try it? She asks me looking at me. - Amelia… it makes me happy, don’t feel obliged to… - You lost a lot of things too… and I’m sure you don’t have your famous shirt of that color anymore. You told me you only had one. - Yes, but… - So I offer it to you, it was the one I preferred and it is almost identical… so XL it will be fine? - Yes, it should be fine… She gives her credit card in turn to Jenny then slips the shirt into one of the packages. - Thank you very much, have a good day! Jenny launches us as we walk out of her outdoor shop. I’m watching Amelia as we walk down the aisles of the small market, still surprised by her attention. - You want to see something else? I finish by asking after a few steps. - No, I think we went around. I notice a telephone booth, installed in a corner of the place. - I will make a phone call. The motorbike is a few steps away, I let you join it, okay? And most importantly, stay next I don’t lose your eyes. - Fine. Give me a package, you will be less loaded. I’m actually handing her a package and staring at her as she walks away a few meters to stand near the motorbike while I enter in the telephone booth. I compose a number that I know by heart, before hearing a familiar voice while keeping my attention on Amelia. - Jackson? - Hi Owen… it feels good to hear from you. - Yes, you too, your line is always safe? - Don’t worry, I have the same devices as our old headquarters on my line so nobody can listen to us or filter the calls. Good, tell me, everything is fine? - Yes. We arrived safely yesterday… and Amelia takes over little by little… - She is going to need some time, April is very worried, you know. - Reassure her, I watch over her… - I will tell her, she is not at best either. I go to see her regularly… This detail surprises me, but I didn’t question him more. - I’m going to have to leave you, I don’t want to talk too long and Amelia is alone waiting for me. Tells April and Nathan that everything is fine. I will give news if I can quickly. - Fine, see you soon! - See you, Jackson. I hang up and notice that Amelia is turned away from me, head down to the package she put on the motorbike, visibly reconsidering her purchases. I leave the booth and walk again in front of Henry’s stall with this bouquet that automatically captures my attention. I can not help but think of the smile that I was able to trigger a few minutes earlier… and I had before me an opportunity to spark another. I concretize my idea in a few seconds while taking care to hide it behind my back. When I get closer to Amelia, my steps inform her of my presence and she immediately turns around. - Everything is fine? Can we go? - I don’t know… are you sure you have not forgotten anything? She touches her jacket to feel her wallet in her pocket and looks up at me, with a touch of misunderstanding on her face. - No, I have everything… - Yet, I think you forgot… this… I finally announced, revealing the bouquet that I hid behind me. The bouquet she had scrutinized on our arrival at the market. I look at her with attention and her reaction makes me happy: her eyes light up and a beautiful smile emerges on her lips. A smile that revives all the features of her face and gives her an almost dazzling aura. - How… well when… she stammers while finding my gaze. - It seemed to please you… I saw how you look at it just now. She stays silent for a few seconds, alternating her eyes between the flowers and my face. - Yet, I made comments on another bouquet. - Did you prefer the other? - No… no… I prefer that one. I’m just surprised you noticed. - I am attentive when you are concerned. You should know now. She seizes the bouquet and breathes the perfume of flowers for a long time. She then looks up and stares at me with that same smile. - Thank you so much… - You’re welcome… it makes me happy to see you smile… I answer her by briefly sliding two fingers against her cheek. And hope wins me at this moment. As a wish, I wanted to make and see it fulfilled very quickly. Because I was hoping that this smile was the beginning of a long series… and that soon it would be nothing more than shouts of laughter that would resonate… annihilating the crying and anxiety that still haunted her.

                                      –––––––––––––––––––––––

Thank you for reading. 💛

Tell me which days you want me to post a chapter, please!💛

[kamihoshi]

Sakura and their assistant (and fellow mangaka) Risapaso were interviewed together for Creator’s Voice by Rikiya Kurimata. I don’t think Sakura’s ever done an interview so this was a surprise. Sakura talks a bit about aiming to become a mangaka and all things Yugami.

As this is a Yugami-centric blog, I’m only going to translate the questions and answers related to either the series or Sakura.

Apologies for any mistakes made (there are bound to be some), they are not my intent.

(Note: The interviewer’s name is listed as his nickname 仕掛け番長 but screw it, I’m just gonna call him by his real name. And since I have no idea what gender either Sakura or Risapaso are I’m just gonna use “they” as the pronoun.)

Jun Sakura ✖ Risapaso Interview: Connected by Yugami-kun

A love of drawing since childhood

Rikiya Kurimata: Alright, first question, what made each of you decide you wanted to become a mangaka? Sakura-sensei, you can start, if you please.

Jun Sakura: There wasn’t a particular event that made me want to do it but I’ve liked drawing ever since kindergarten. That never changed and in elementary school, I’d draw manga all over my notebooks.

RK: You were drawing original stuff from the start?!

JS: It was nothing that spectacular, just stuff like copying Doraemon. I remember doing the same with other manga I liked in my later years of elementary school.

RK: Did you like making your own stories back then?

JS: ............Probably, I guess?

RK: That was a long pause (laughs).

RK: What was it like when you were aiming to become a mangaka?

JS: I worked a side job in my hometown at the time. I’d get home from work dead tired and fall asleep before even drawing manga (laughs). After saving up some money from working, I quit my job and started working as an assistant for a mangaka who was publishing in a monthly magazine in my area. As a monthly assistant, you really need to have another job or else you don’t have many days where you’re actually working, so my living expenses were tight at the time but I figured I’d draw manga while living off my savings.

JS: I submitted my work to a competition and even though I didn’t win, I got a call from an editor at Shogakukan who wanted to work with me. After that I was told, “Draw whatever you want” and what I came up with ended up getting selected. It was decided that I’d debut so I moved to Tokyo and got to draw a number of oneshots while working as an assistant for a weekly magazine but I just couldn’t think of a storyboard for a series no matter how much I tried. I drew my last idea thinking I’d go back home if it didn’t get accepted. That was Yugami-kun ni wa Tomodachi ga Inai.

RK: Alright, thank you! Next, Risapaso-san, please.

[...]

RK: Risapaso-san is currently also an assistant to you, Sakura-san. How’s their work?

JS: They’re very dependable and always draw up these awesome backgrounds for me. It makes my art look so much better (laughs)! They’re a real pro and very reliable.

Risapaso: You flatter me.

RK: I think a lot of people aren’t aware of what assistants do - could you fill us in?

RP: I guess you can say we help give form to the what the author envisions. Sakura-sensei basically gives me a drawing as a rough guideline and using that as a base, I draw in the details.

RK: Ah, so you have to be able to read what the author wants and help them complete the drawing! That takes the skill of a professional!

JS: Yes. I'll ask them to spruce a panel up for me and they’ll give me a draw up a really nice backdrop for me.

RK: Sakura-san, what do you think of Risapaso-san’s series, Garyayama Poyomi no Kataomoi?

JS: The black humor and twists are really great! Whether it’s being comedic or serious, it surprises me, like, “That’s how it plays out?!” It betrays my expectations in a good way and the developments are so engaging. Even when the mood becomes serious, it’s well-balanced so I have nothing but glowing thoughts after reading it. Likewise, even when the story gets dark and heavy, there’s always a bit of comedy afterwards. I really like how it’s able to flip the mood back like that. I’m eager to see what happens next.

RK: And how about your thoughts on Yugami-kun ni wa Tomodachi ga Inai?

RP: I love it. I really like Yugami for how he’s the complete opposite of your typical shounen manga protagonist - acting not for the sake of those around him but for himself.

RK: For sure. When Yugami-kun ni wa Tomodachi ga Inai first came out, there weren’t many protagonists like Yugami. I think as the series got popular, we’ve seen an increase in them. How did you come up with Yugami-kun?

JS: It was born from a conversation I had with my editor. We were talking about people that were oddballs yet could also be strangely likable and that’s when I realized there are actually tons of people like that all around me, myself included. I took a bunch of those different aspects, pieced them all together bit-by-bit and made it into a manga.

RK: Wow, from a random chat like that?! When the first volume (of Yugami-kun) came out, my bookstore colleagues talked about it a lot. They were surprised at how well it sold. I think it really changed our image of a shounen manga protagonist and because you modeled the characters after people you know, that might be why a lot of the characters feel so real.

[...]

RK: And do you use Twitter too, Sakura-san?

JS: I do, but I’m no good at social media. I never know what to tweet. I've been like this since my student days so I’m probably just not suited for it. Yugami-kun is being rerun on Sunday Webry right now so I use Twitter to get the series out there while adding some of my own commentary on it. But I’m so stuck on what to say that it takes about three hours just to write three lines...

RK: Three hours?! That time ought to go to working on your manuscript, no? (laughs) But since you’re serializing in a magazine, you must get some fan mail, correct?

JS: Yes! Getting fan mail is so encouraging. I feel bad that I can’t return the favor with anything but new year’s cards... But I treasure every letter I get. When I’m feeling tired, I read them over again and they cheer me right up. Some senders have been writing to me since they were students and as time’s passed, they’ve sent me letters telling me they’ve gotten married. It feels like I’ve really gotten to know these people through their letters.

RK: Well then, Sakura-san, is there a particular chapter of Yugami-kun that sticks out in your mind?

JS: There was a moment when I was drawing up the draft storyboards and felt like I finally understood the characters. So in Yugami-kun, there’s an arc where the hero and heroine sever ties with one another. I wrote it without deciding how the two of them would make up. All I knew was that it would end with them reconciling and I forged ahead without deciding how it’d happen. But once I started drafting the storyboard, the chapter just wouldn’t go the way I wanted it to. Even if the story ended there, it wasn’t over for the characters. Characters were saying things they’d never say and things just didn’t feel right.

JS: I have a habit of cutting up parts of my storyboard drafts and reassembling them and in that mountain of papers was the heroine’s smile. Suddenly it hit me, “Ah, this is it!” and the somewhat sombre end of that arc did a complete turnaround. Just by picking up one piece of scrap from my drafts, all the other aspects of that chapter I was struggling with started to click as I pieced everything together like a puzzle. Like, “Oh, so that’s what he was thinking?” It felt like the characters were guiding me. It took a while to go through all of it but part of me drew the storyboard wanting to know how they all ticked.

RK: It sounds like the characters came to life in that moment!

JS: I discussed it with my editor beforehand but when I went to draw the chapter, something about the characters just seemed off so I submitted a completely different storyboard from the one I discussed with my editor, rewritten even though I’d already gotten the OK for the previous draft... I’m nothing but grateful to my editor for letting me make those changes.

RK: Thank you for all the work you put into this series! Well then, are there any manga you’d like to recommend?

JS: My friend told me I should read Ousama Ranking (King Ranking) by Sousuke Toka. It’s great; it has a kind of warmth to its style like a children’s story but also has these intense scenes that feel straight out of a shounen manga. A lot of times I’ve cried reading it. I love how multifaceted the characters are. Re-reading it and reflecting on the characters thoughts and actions with that hindsight never gets old.

[...]

RK: Finally, is there anything you’d like to say to your fans?

JS: Yugami-kun was really only slated to run for one volume with five chapters but it received a lot of positive feedback on reader surveys so it was given a second volume, and then the first volume got a reprint... And on and on, that cycle repeated. It’s thanks to all of your support that the series is still going and I’m forever grateful. When I was drawing Chapter 1, I’d thought of the ending by then but writing the story up to that point wasn’t possible so I figured that at its slated end, I’d show how the characters had grown in that time frame. But thanks to everyone, it looks like Yugami-kun will be fortuitous enough to finally have the ending I’d envisioned. I’ll be doing my best to make the rest of the ride enjoyable, so I’d be happy if you stuck with me.

[...]

RK: Thank you for doing this, you two!

Notes

Some of the oneshots Sakura has written in the past (all before Yugami began serialization):

こなた彼方の箒星 Konata Kanata no Houkiboshi

ぼくらのヒーロー Bokura no Hero / Our Hero

サンスポット！ Sunspot!

＆スマイリー &Smiley

The development Sakura mentions about Yugami and Chihiro severing ties with one another is a reference to chapters 56-58.

[lakinda5654]

~~~~A Girl and A God~~~~ Chapter 14- The Chase

—————————————————

A Girl and A God is a RATED M Loki Fanfic with an original character, Alexa, who is taken in by Tony Stark after the revelation of abilities of her own. There’s sex, romance, heartbreak, action, fluff, angst, all that good stuff. Full description in blog, and a jump-to-chapter list if you just want the smut or the cuteness bits. Enjoy <3 

Chapter Summary: Alexa frantically searches for the missing Loki, trying to get to him before Tony does...

Contains: action, injury, plot development, rescue

Word Count: 1,334

~Previous Chapter~~Next Chapter~

~~Beginning of Story~~

—————————————————

She began to shake. She pressed the button to speak to him. Maybe it’s an illusion… she thought.

“Loki?” She spoke quietly at first, not wanting anyone to hear her. When there was no response, she became louder. “Loki?!”

Nothing. She ran out of the room, looking everywhere. She was frantic, but couldn’t show it. She didn’t know what to think. He obviously escaped without telling her for a reason. She couldn’t tell anyone, though she knew she had to find him and had no idea where to start.

 As she desperately looked down every hall, she accidentally ran right into Tony, causing him to trip. “Woah kid slow down…” Tony said, and then he got a look at her face. She wasn’t an actress, and she couldn’t fully hide her panic. “You alright Alexa?” He asked, suddenly reading into her every movement. 

“Yeah, I’m just…heading out for a bit” Alexa knew her lie was shitty. Stark watched her as she hurried off.

She took the elevator to the bottom floor and frantically scanned the lobby. Nothing. She ran outside. It was around sunset, and the streets of New York were bustling with people. Even if Loki was out here, there was no way she’d see him.

Suddenly, alarms went off all over the tower. They’d realized his escape, no doubt due to Tony seeing straight through her. In moments, she saw Stark in his suit, flying out of the tower and soaring over New York’s busy streets. She remembered Stark was tracking him.

I have to follow him... She knew he would track Loki. There was no way she’d keep up with him on foot, but she did have an idea. “Playing witch” as a child was one of her favorite secret games, she could control something with her telekinesis and ride it like a witch rides its broom. 

Looking around frantically and knowing Stark was leaving her view, she saw a skateboarding boy. “Hey!” She yelled. “ I really need to use this I’m sorry I’ll bring it right back!”

Before the boy could protest she had stolen it from under his feet and sat on it as if she were riding a horse as it hovered in front of her. She gripped it tightly and held on as best as she could. It had been a long while since she tried this. But she focused and gave the skateboard her command. “Follow him,” she thought.

She instantly shot forwards at an uncomfortable and seemingly impossible speed. She lowered her head to the board and gripped it as tightly as she could with her hands and legs. She was going so fast everything around her was a blur. The wind was whipping through her hair so hard it felt as though it would take some out. It was so fast, she had no idea where she was until suddenly, the skateboard instantly halted. It sent her launching forward and she tumbled down into grass, rolling from the momentum until she was stopped by the side of her head slamming against a tree trunk.

…Ow. She weakly tried to lift herself from the grass. Her vision was blurry, and she struggled for a moment to process her surroundings. Upon moving, she determined her arms and legs weren’t broken, but one shoulder was severely bruised and hurt like hell. She was dizzy and nauseous, but she realized she could hear something. Was it screaming? It wasn’t her…

Loki. That’s why she was here. Loki. She could hear him screaming in pain. He sounded terrorized. That made her come to, but she was still very disoriented. She realized the skateboard must have stopped about 20 feet from where Stark was, as she didn’t see him from where she landed. She desperately pulled herself to her feet and clumsily stumbled towards the sound, only for it to be gone by the time she arrived at its source.

Oh god.

Stark was holding Loki, who was limp in his arms. Loki’s arm and hand were hanging limp below the rest of him, dripping in blood.

“Loki!” She heard herself scream and felt herself run at Tony, using her powers to force his arms to drop the body of her god, who she made float smoothly to the ground. She screamed at Tony, but what came out of her weren’t words. Then, she did something she’d never done before.

She threw him. Mustering all her power, she focused her power on Stark’s metal body and launched him into oblivion. She knew he’d be ok, he was in his suit after all.

But what had he done? She looked down at Loki and let herself fall onto the grass beside him. His arm had deep, claw-like gashes in it, all surrounding the bracelet on his wrist. She felt his pulse. He was alive, his heart was racing unnaturally fast but was slowing over time. She realized she was crying as she brushed his hair from his face. Tony landed behind her, and she turned her head enough to for him to hear her but not enough to be looking at him. “What did you do?” She asked through gritted teeth.

“Alexa…” he said softly. “He was trying to rip out his tracker. It caused him immense pain and he wouldn’t stop, so I knocked him out. He was trying to escape.”

“Escape what?” She whispered through her tears, looking back at Loki’s still body. The question wasn’t for Tony, it was for the man on the ground in front of her. Why would he try to escape now? What was he running from? She would still have been able to come to speak to him at night, now he just had a tracking device. Why did this make things so different?

Tony reached down and put his hand on Alexa’s shoulder. She immediately smacked it off. “He needs a doctor. Is there one in the tower?”

“Not yet but he’s on his way,” Tony replied. “I need to take him back.”

“You will not touch him” Alexa practically snarled at him.

“Oh ok, what’s your plan then werewolf? Drag him back? On a skateboard?”

Alexa didn’t want to admit he was right. She could try to use her power to carry him, but with how dizzy she felt she was worried she would pass out and drop him. Loki was bleeding a lot, and this needed to happen now. “Fine” she whispered and stood up, turning away so she wouldn’t have to see Tony pick him up and soar out of her view.

It was only now that she realized she was in Central Park. She had never been before, and there were few people around where they had landed, watching the scene unfold. She ignored them, and instead looked at the trees and grass, it was all so peaceful in comparison to the horrific adrenaline-filled event she’d just dealt with. Then she saw the grass coated in blood. Loki’s blood.

Why did he do it? What on Earth could have driven him to try to run, and why did he come to the park of all places… what was he even trying to accomplish? This wasn’t like him. He was calculating and cunning. This was a move of desperation.

Alexa wanted to get back to him. He was hurt. Regardless of what an ass he’d been, he was hurt and right now that was all that mattered.

She looked back to the skateboard. The thought of riding it again made her more nauseous, but she knew she had to. She straddled it once more and tried to give the command, but added “slowly” to it.

Much better. It smoothly made its way over the streets of New York, and Alexa held tightly to the board, worried she would fall with how off-balance she felt. She directed it to the helicopter pad. Once she stepped off, she commanded the thing to return to its owner, and off it flew.

[theycallmebeccawrites]

Perfectly Imperfect: Chapter 7

With Tumblr holding my original writing blog @beccaheartschrisevans captive (aka flagged as explicit), I have made a secondary writing blog and may end up closing the other all together. In the meantime, I am reposting all of my stories on my new blog.

Pairing: Chris Evans x Wren Arnold (OFC)

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: n/a

Disclaimer: This work of fiction is not to be reposted, used or translated without my permission.

Perfectly Imperfect Masterlist | Chris & Wren Masterlist

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Thanksgiving 2020

The rest of October and most of November passed quickly for Chris and Addy and before they knew it, it was Thanksgiving Day. As per tradition, they arrived at his mom's house just in time for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade to begin.

Chris helped Addy put a cinnamon roll on a plate and then got her a sippy cup of milk before she joined her cousins in front of the TV. He quickly fixed his own plate and then took a seat next to his younger sister on the couch.

"I'm happy you guys are here this year," she said glancing at him with a smile.

"Me, too," he agreed.

He and Jessa had met when she'd been a wardrobe assistant on the first Avenger’s movie, but they hadn't really hit it off until they'd met again during the filming for Avengers: Age of Ultron. She had been dating someone at the time, but there had been something about her that had called to him. So, when she'd showed up to the Captain America: Civil War set single, he hadn't wasted a second before asking her out.

Considering they'd married within a year's time, things had developed pretty quickly for them and he had given up living on the East Coast when she'd taken a TV show job in Los Angeles. Said job had made it nearly impossible for them to travel from coast to coast for a short trip, especially with a toddler, so they'd spent the last three Thanksgivings out west, away from his family.

"Daddy! Look it's you!" Addy shouted excitedly, pointing at the Captain America on the TV.

"Inside voices, Addy," he chuckled as a Marvel float with most of the iconic characters on it crossed their screen. Glancing around the room and seeing his family members gathered together made it seem like the old days where the only thing missing was Wren and parents. "Mom, when are the Arnolds' getting here?"

Chris's eyes followed his mom's as she glanced at his brother and then followed his brother's eyes as they went to their older sister then back to their mom. Even his younger sister shifted awkwardly in her seat next to him. Clearly, they all knew something he didn't.

"The Arnolds' aren't coming today," his mom finally answered. "They went to spend the day with -" she glanced in kids’ direction and saw that they were looking at her. "- with their daughter."

Chris could feel his mom and siblings watching him as he processed to the news. He felt crushed. He'd spent the last two months working through the issues that had been a result of his relationship with Jessa, but also ones that, according to his therapist, stemmed back from when his parents divorced. Not to mention, the memories of Wren that had swirled around his head and made appearances in his therapy sessions. He had been looking forward getting a chance to talk to her and apologize to her for being the world's biggest asshole in her final days with him.

But clearly, those final days had caused more damage than he'd realized. It was clear to him now that Wren hated him and wanted nothing to do with him. Why else would she have changed her phone number? A fact he'd learned in late October when he'd tried to call her.

"I need coffee," he said, standing up. The kids had, thankfully, turned their attention back to the TV, but he didn't want to break down in front of them, especially not Addy. His little girl had the biggest heart and was prone to crying when she saw people around her crying.

Going into the kitchen, Chris poured himself a cup of coffee and then grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the cabinet and added a couple splashes to his coffee. He held onto the bottle a second longer than necessary, tempted to just drink it instead of his coffee, but shook off the thought. He screwed the lid back on and then headed for the stairs down to the basement, needing sometime alone to process everything.

At the start of the summer, Wren had been who she'd always been to him: his best friend in the whole world. Then she'd started helping with Addy and she'd quickly become the person he wanted to help him raise Addy. At the time, he hadn't picture anything more than a friendship with her, because that had been their role in each other’s life. But sometime during the summer, his feelings had gotten convoluted and even now, four months later, he still wasn't sure what his feelings for Wren were.

He loved her, obviously, but it wasn't like the love he had for his other friends. Not to mention that it was a totally different love than he'd had for his previous girlfriends, too. Just like the woman herself, his love for Wren was totally unique.

"I thought I'd find you down here," Scott said, coming down the stairs. "You ok?"

"She hates me, doesn't she?" Chris asked, staring down at his empty mug. He couldn't look at his brother's face for fear of what his expression would be.

"Wren? Hate you?" Scott let out a laugh so obnoxious Chris had to look up at him. "Hate is the last thing she feels about you."

"But you didn't see her face that day," Chris stated, not even having to close his eyes to see the broken expression that had been on Wren's face that last day. "And she didn't come today."

"You broke her heart, Chris," Scott said as he sat down on the couch. "She might have been mad at you, but the poor girl has been in love with your sorry ass since we were in high school."

"She's what?" Chris asked, dumbstruck. "No way. I would have known."

"You didn't," Scott said with a chuckle. "She and I got a little tipsy after her senior prom. I told her I was gay and she told me she was in love with you."

Chris shook his head in disbelief. He and Wren had been out of high school for twenty years and she hadn't said a word.

"It was never the time for her to tell you," Scott explained with a sigh. "I tried to get her to tell you before she left, but, well, you know what happened."

Chris nodded as guilt flooded his stomach. His therapist had theorized that his comments to Wren about never marrying again as well as his sudden need to get a vasectomy had been part of the subconscious changes in his feelings towards Wren. That theory, added to the knowledge that she'd been in love with him, explained why she had been so hurt and why she had fled so quickly.

"She's never coming back, is she?" he asked.

"I don't know," Scott replied. "But I think she deserves the chance to move on with her life if she can."

"Will you tell her I'm sorry about everything?" Chris asked.

"Chris, she cut us all out of her life," Scott said, slowly. "All we know is what her mom has told mom. Wren is settled and loves her new job."

The rest of the day was a blur for Chris as he tried to process all the information floating in his head. He wasn't sure if Scott's revelation was a help or a hindrance in the large scheme of things. If anything, it made his feelings for Wren even more confusing than they had been before.

Chris was still trying to process it all, a week later, when an unlisted number called him. In the past, he never would have answered a call from a restricted number, but knowing Wren was out there somewhere, he answered it quickly. To his dismay, it wasn't Wren, but to his complete and utter shock, it was Jessa.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I called you."

"A little," Chris lied through his teeth. After the way she had up and left the house after handing him the divorce and custody papers, including one in which she gave up her rights as Addy's mom, he had never expected to hear from her again.

"I'm engaged," she said, getting right to the point. "He just asked me tonight and I didn't want you to find out from someone else."

"You're engaged," he repeated in disbelief.

"I know it seems sudden," she said. "But I met him through a friend of a friend and he's amazing, Chris."

"Does he know you don't want kids?" he cut her off, his tone bitter.

"Yes," Jessa replied, quietly. "And he is of the same mind."

"And does he know about Addy?"

"Yes."

Nothing was said for a couple minutes as Chris let everything absorb. His ex-wife was engaged just shy of a year after asking him for a divorce that had blindsided him completely.

"How did we get here, Jessa?" he asked with a sigh. "I thought we were happy. I thought things were good."

"That's because you were happy, Chris," she said. "You had everything you'd ever wanted. A wife and a kid." Her voice cracked. "I tried, Chris. I tried really hard to be the wife you needed me to be and the mother to Addy that you wanted me to be, but I wasn't being true to myself."

"What do you mean?" Chris asked her. He vaguely recalled her saying that at the beginning of their conversation, a year ago, but he'd shut down when she'd told him she didn't want to be a mom. A part of him didn't want to have this conversation, but he knew that this was an important conversation that needed to happen.

"I never wanted to be a mom, Chris." She sighed. "Then I met you and every time a kid came to set or you spent time with your costars' kids, I knew you were meant to be a dad. I knew that the world wouldn't be right if Chris Evans never had babies of his own." She sniffed. "I told myself that you wanting kids would be enough and that I could be happy by making you happy.

"And I was happy, Chris. I swear to you, I was happy. I was thrilled when you proposed and we started planning the wedding. And yes, I was terrified when I found out I was pregnant just hours before my final dress fitting, but I knew how happy you would be when you found out. And my God, you were the happiest I've ever seen you that night.

"Then we had Adelaide and she was perfect and you were perfect. And I felt like I had lost myself. It sounds horrible, I know, but I wanted to be back at work, helping with costumes for the movie, but I was stuck in a rental house with a screaming baby. Then we went back to LA and it got better for a bit, but I didn't feel the pull to her like you did. Like you do.

"My friend recommended a therapist and I put off seeing her until the summer that Adelaide turned two. I wanted desperately for her to tell me that I would get over it and we could keep living the way we were, but the sessions made me realize that by putting your dreams in front of mind, I had stifled myself."

Silence fell between them again as Chris processed what she had told him. He felt guilty for never asking her if she wanted to have kids and guilty for not noticing that she was depressed. But he also knew, from many hours spent with his own therapist, that some of the blame was on her, too, for not speaking up and not telling him what was going on.

"Do you regret it all?" he asked her.

"Us being together? No. Chris, I fell in love with you hard and fast. We made a beautiful daughter and I know that one day, she and I will have to talk about my decision, but I hope that she will be able to understand in the end."

"Where did we go wrong?"

"Honestly, I think we got caught up in being in love and wanting to get married before we reached our late 30's. It didn't help that we were on a set with people constantly telling us how perfect we were for each other." She laughed. "God, you should have had Wren come down to visit. They would have taken one look at the two of you and wondered why you were even wasting your time with me when she was in your life."

"What do you mean?" Chris demanded. He took a deep breath and then said, "Sorry. It's just that Wren and I sort of had a falling out a few months back."

"Oh, Chris, I'm so sorry," Jessa replied, her voice sincere. "She was lovely and always nice to me whenever we were together. I suspected that -"

"That she was in love with me?" Chris cut in.

"Oh, I knew she was in love with you," Jessa stated. "But I trusted you enough that I knew you'd never cheat on me and she was so genuine that I never worried about the two of you being alone together. No, what I suspected was that you'd move back to Boston and settle down with her. What happened?"

The idea of talking to his ex-wife about his problems with Wren made Chris want to roll his eyes, but in the end, that was exactly what he did. It took nearly another hour, but everything that had been circling in his head with no sense of organization spilled out of his mouth as Jessa listened. She made a few comments and observations, but for the most part just remained quiet.

By the time, Chris hit the end button on his phone, the storm cloud of thoughts that had been roaming around his head had settled down. He had tried to talk everything through with his therapist, just the other day, but it hadn't worked as well as talking to Jessa had done. Neither had talking to his mom. But with Jessa's help, he had come to a realization that should have startled him, but it didn't.

He loved Lauren "Wren" Arnold, his best friend, and in a more than "just friends" way.

Knowing there was something else he had to do, Chris sent his agent a text, asking him to find the doctor in the USA with the most successful vasectomy reversals. Success being measured in the number of kids born after the reversal.

Chapter 8

Want to find me off tumblr? I'm @beccatheycallme on twitter. I also post my stories on AO3.

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[imagine-loki]

Loki and the Witchling

TITLE: Loki and the Witchling 

CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: 33/?

AUTHOR: nekoamamori

ORIGINAL IMAGINE: Imagine you’re a healer working with the Avengers when Loki comes to join the team

RATING: T (so far) 

NOTES/WARNINGS: Also on AO3 click here

     “Y/N, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” Nat demanded as you struggled to your feet the second the jet had landed.

    “Do you want Loki to think I can’t stand on my own power?” you shot back at her as Thor braced you to keep you upright. Your leg was bleeding through the bandage and didn’t want to take your weight.

    “You can’t stand on your own power,” Clint jumped into the grumbling.

    “Do you want Loki knowing that?” you snarled at him. You wanted everyone to survive this experience and having Loki angry as little as possible seemed the best idea for that. “I can stand on my own. I’ll agree that I shouldn’t,” you finally admitted.

    The door to the jet opened and you stepped out with Thor’s arm wrapped around you to keep you on your feet. Loki had already been walking toward the jet, a grin on his face at the idea of whatever fun he’d found for you two for the evening. His expression fell when he saw you. He ran over, fear and worry replacing his previous grin. You tried to give him a smile to reassure him.

    He went straight for Thor with daggers drawn. One was held to Thor’s throat instantly. “You were supposed to protect her!” Loki snarled in frustrated rage. Thor moved his arm, pushing you behind him, away from Loki’s daggers.

    You tried to protest, but Thor held you back with one strong arm. “I am not letting you play with Loki while he has daggers out and is actively trying to stab me, little sister. You are already injured enough,” The two of them flew through a well practiced battle. It would have been impressive had Loki hadn’t been actively trying to stab Thor. Thor was just defending himself, and you. He was at an obvious disadvantage here.

    Loki’s rage and his frustrated pain were unrivaled. At least Thor could handle him.

    It was still dangerous, so you took the opportunity to distract him from killing Thor. It was a cheap shot and you knew it, but you did it anyway. You were a healer first, and your first instinct was to protect your family. You stepped out from behind Thor and took a step toward Loki, purposely letting your injured leg buckle beneath you.

    The effect was exactly as you expected. Loki dropped his daggers and rushed to you, catching you before you could fall. He held you cradled in his arms as he looked over your wounds. When he had taken inventory, he swept you up into his arms and started whispering worriedly in Asgardian. He must have been really worried to slip back into his native tongue and not English or All-speak. “I’m ok,” you told him, trying to reassure him, but you could hear the pain in your voice.

    “I’m so sorry, love. I should have been there,” he finally switched back over to a language you could understand, calming ever so slightly.

    “Reindeer Games, do something useful and get her to medical. Unless you’ve suddenly developed the power to heal her yourself, we’ll have to call the doctor in,” Tony grumbled. The rest of the team was trying to get out of the jet, but you, Thor, and Loki were in their way.

    “Yeah, we haven’t been able to get any pain meds in her yet. How she’s not crying in pain is beyond me,” Nat added, drawing Loki’s attention back to you again. Without answering them, Loki teleported the two of you down to medical. He laid you on the hospital bed.

    “Witchling…” Loki started.

    “I’ll be ok, Loki,” you tried to reassure him again, but you were fighting back tears of pain. You saw the heartbreak in his eyes. He felt terrible that you’d been in danger and he hadn’t been able to be there, worse, it was his decision to leave to find himself and deal with his problems that had led to him not being able to be there. “It’s not your fault,”

    “I left you and you had to go face this mission without me.” He started digging through the medicine cabinet until he pulled out the bottle of pills with ‘For Asgardians’ written on it in both English and Asgardian runes. “Let me take care of you, love,” he whispered, worry and pain in his eyes. He placed a couple in your good hand and handed you a held a glass of water to your lips. You didn’t need that much help, but you let him do it. He was so worried about you.

    Almost instantly, the pain was gone. Whatever was in those pills was strong. It had to be, to work on Thor. Shit. To work on Thor. Thor was a whole lot bigger than you. “That dose was labelled for Thor,” you murmured, finally realizing what you should’ve known. Loki smiled softly and kissed your forehead.

    “I am aware,” he replied gently. He was obviously glad you weren’t in pain anymore, at least. “I also know you quite well, darling. You will continue to insist you are fine while you are in pain, and will hate, fret, and fear every moment of a doctor fixing you up. This way you do not need to experience such things,”

    “Cheater,” you mumbled.

    “Let me take care of you, darling,” he bid you again. “Or I shall be forced to go kill my brother for letting you get hurt,” he grumbled.

    “Stay with me?” you asked him softly, fighting to keep your eyes open for a moment longer. Loki would make sure you were taken care of. He felt terrible for the fact that you went on a mission without him, especially since you came back this hurt from it. He wouldn’t forgive himself until you had healed, you knew. He was always too hard on himself.

    “Always, darling,” he replied and kissed you lightly. “Rest now. I will be here,”

    *

    The next time you woke, you found yourself tucked in your own bed. Loki was at your side the moment your eyes opened. “How are you feeling?” he asked softly, pushing your hair back from your face. You moved to sit up against the pillows and he was helping you in an instant.

    “Like someone broke my arm, then fed me pills that are dosed for Thor,” you complained at him. Your brain wasn’t quite awake yet. You right arm was in a cast. Great. You were right handed. Why couldn’t they have broken your left arm?

    “Those were two separate events, witchling,” Loki told you with a small hesitant smile. You gave him a smile in return.

    “I know. I just wish, yet again, that I can heal myself.” You sighed heavily. He kissed the top of your head.

    “I know, darling. You’re going to be out of commission basically until I’m off of house arrest. We heal faster than humans, but that was a very nasty break,”

    “How bad?” you asked.

    “The bones were broken in three places. It’s a miracle they didn’t break the skin. Your leg should be able to take your weight again in a couple days. The bullet went clear through and if you heal as fast as Thor and I do…”

    “Is Thor still alive? You were pretty set on killing him,”

    “He’s still alive. For now.” Loki grumbled. He was obviously displeased about this fact. “He was supposed to protect you,”

    “We were ambushed, Loki. There was no chance for him to protect me, or for me to hide away from the fighting. They also obviously knew who I was. I was their target the entire fight. We had no chance to circle the wagons around the healer either. It was an awful fight,”

    Loki nodded. “The team explained the same thing while you were unconscious,” he explained. You nodded and wearily laid your head on his shoulder.

    “I’ve been asleep for…hours?” he nodded. “Why am I tired?” you grumbled. You had just woken up. You shouldn’t be this brain-numbingly tired.

    “You’re healing, love,” he reminded you gently. “Have you never-?” you shook your head.

    “I’ve never been hurt like this before. Remind me not to do it again. It’s no fun.” He chuckled.

    “Gladly, darling,” he replied gently. “You should eat something before you go back to sleep, though,” he told you before you could fall back asleep on him. You grumbled at him in reply.

    “I’m not hungry,” you told him sourly. Eating seemed like too much work when you just wanted to sleep.

    “Sure you’re not,” he replied dryly. “Asgardians are already bottomless pits by human standards. Healing Asgardians are worse,”

    “You make me sound like Thor,” you grumbled at him, which got a real laugh out of him.

    “I apologize, my lady, I would never compare you to my idiot brother,” he laughed, which earned him a smile. “Natasha made that pasta dish you like so much,” he bribed.

    “Cheater,” you grumbled. You would gladly eat an entire pot of that stuff alone and in one sitting. He laughed.

    “I thought that might pique your interest,” he commented innocently. You rolled your eyes at him, but were delighted when a plate of the pasta creation was in your lap a moment later.

    “You are the best boyfriend ever,” you told him, reaching for the fork to devour your weight in Nat’s delicious pasta. About thirty seconds later you realized you couldn’t hold a fork while you had a cast on your arm. This was going to be a long eight weeks. You switched to your left hand, and fought to manage with it.

    Loki gallantly didn’t try to force the issue of helping, knowing you’d be too embarrassed to accept his help, if he offered. You weren’t having him feed you like a child. You weren’t. You swore you weren’t. Until he was telling such ridiculous stories about Thor being turned into a frog and still somehow wielding Mjolnir that you didn’t even notice the fork was no longer in your hand, but was in his instead.

[recentanimenews]

THE GREAT CRUNCHYROLL NARUTO REWATCH Sees An Old Enemy Return in Episodes 141-147!

With another week comes another batch of episodes in THE GREAT CRUNCHYROLL NARUTO REWATCH. I'm David Lynn and I'm here to guide you through the rougher waters as we truly begin our deep dive into the seas of filler in the back half of original Naruto.

  This time around we're finishing off our journey through the Land of Rice Paddies to see how Naruto and Sakura help out the desparate Fuuma clan. Right after that we transition into a full arc, including a return of the show's very first villain, Mizuki! Orochimaru is always up to no good, but did his antics entertain this time around? Let's find out!

The end of the Land of the Rice Paddies arc comes with a number of twists and turns. Did that story do anything for you as it wrapped up here? Joseph: This ended up being an decent little side story. I enjoyed seeing more moments where Sakura finds the need to shine, and this combined with later episodes in this set start to flesh out her abilities and potential a bit more. With that said, I find myself already forgetting about the conclusion of this saga and its beefed-up villain thanks to the one that immediately followed and also ended with a beefed-up villain! Kevin: The final fight was much more captivating that I thought it was going to be. Instead of just a monster of the week fight it showed off some of the great choreography that the franchise is known for, and the final scene with the Fuma siblings made basically no logical sense, but was beautifully shot. Paul: Overall, I thought the Land of Rice Paddies arc was more competent than the Land of Tea arc as far as filler story-lines go, but it didn't leave much of an impression on me aside from a few body horror moments. My biggest issue is that the writers didn't leave Naruto and company any decent clues to follow, so even though tracking down and rescuing Sasuke is still a driving goal, it feels like they're just spinning their wheels. Danni: Not really. Nothing in this arc was at all very compelling. We never learned much of anything about the Fuma clan, it was still all up to Naruto to save the day, and the final villain was incredibly underwhelming. There was potential in having the final battle be against the fused corpses of Arashi and his captives, but it was all undercut by giving him a cartoonishly evil personality for no reason. Hopefully Sakura’s training under Tsunade will pay off in future arcs. Noelle: It wasn’t bad, but it still doesn’t stand up to the canonical content. In terms of filler though, it’s pretty okay. I liked that they tried to pad some of the routes that Kishimoto ignores, such as Sakura’s further development. If a filler tries to add stuff, I can’t complain too much. Jared: It was acceptable. Not great, but not bad. We get Sakura something to do finally which will hopefully be good and it at least adds to Orochimaru being a jerk, but at the same time, is the Fuma clan going to be remembered at all? Probably not, but that’s to be expected. Carolyn: I’m also of the camp that this arc was pretty boring and not very compelling. I am also hoping for Sakura to get a truly meaningful arc but everything she gets to do is just centered around Sasuke. Sakura deserves better!

  The interim between the two arcs this week came with some relatively peaceful times, showing us what the characters do when there isn’t a crisis to solve or tournament to compete in. That part of episode 142 is also adapting the final chapter of the manga before it transitioned into the “Shippuden” storyline. Did you like that small break, and would you like the show to expand upon that part of their lives more often? Joseph: More valleys of calm would certainly be welcome in Naruto. At one point Tsunade said she feels like everything was just starting to cool down right when another situation popped up, essentially describing the pacing of a long-running series to the audience. I’d like to see more if only to connect to some of the side characters and see what Choji’s eating at any given moment. Kevin: Honestly, I would’ve been completely fine taking several episodes just to expand on what the characters do on a regular basis. If we’re going to have entire seasons of filler, then why not have a Lee episode, an Ino episode and so on, just showcasing what their normal day is like? Paul: While I enjoy getting a broader view of what daily life is like both inside and outside the Ninja Villages, the manner in which this material is presented can be a bit confusing. For example, although I knew that ninja society has police forces (such as the Anbu Black Ops), I'd never really thought about there being a ninja maximum security prison, and now I'm wondering about how different Villages deal with crime, punishment, and rehabilitation. Danni: My favorite part of shonen anime is whenever we get to see how these crazy powerful fighters function in their daily lives. Dragon Ball Super and Diamond is Unbreakable are two of my favorite examples of this. So, yeah, I appreciated it, and if I had it my way we’d get a full arc dedicated to Guy and Kakashi furniture shopping at IKEA. Noelle: I’m all for characters in their daily lives. While I certainly live for the plot, knowing that these characters have things to do in the day to day that doesn’t solely revolve around magical combat fleshes them out. It’s a lot more relatable connecting to characters that have mundane stuff to do too. Jared: I love when we get breaks like this and the show turns into a slice of life for a tiny bit. Especially since there will be all of this filler to go through, why not do more episodes like that. Although, I’m bummed we didn’t get to see Gaara attempting to teach the youngins at the school as that would have probably been good. Carolyn: I guess it didn’t feel like much of a valley to me. I felt like they were stretching out the few fights and confrontations they did have over multiple episodes when we probably could have wrapped them up much faster.

  Other filler arcs have had loose connections to the main story, but this one brings back the original villain from episode 1, Mizuki. On top of that, he gets a ton of development and backstory alongside Iruka. Do you find Mizuki or Iruka more interesting after watching this? Joseph: It was cool to see a character come back from the beginning, even if he was yet another who has been manipulated completely by Orochimaru and the promise of power. I appreciate the connections to the main story, but if we’re going to be venturing into non-stop filler I also kind of hope we run into some villains with their own unique motivations. With that said, I dug learning more about Iruka, one of the series’ great characters who isn’t on screen enough. Kevin: I liked most of Iruka’s development, since we get to see him work alongside Naruto and thus see just how far Naruto has come. Mizuki is much more developed now, but I didn’t particularly care for his development. I’m okay with bringing back the first villain of the show, but why not just make it a revenge quest or something of the like? They wasn’t any particular need to bring Orochimaru into the mix, outside of forcing a connection to Naruto trying to find Sasuke. Paul: All I can say is that Mizuki is a complete jabroni. In pro-wrestling terms, he doesn't even merit “jobber” status. It's also hard to take Mizuki seriously when his back story-paints his as a complete psychopath who murders his comrades when they become a minor inconvenience, but he receives a stiffer penalty for stealing a forbidden scroll. Also, his ultimate technique is wearing a karate gi with the sleeves torn off and using an experimental drug to express his tiger fursona. Danni: Can I say neither? Iruka didn’t do much, and we didn’t learn anything new about him. Mizuki, though...Someone at Pierrot really loves Mizuki. All of a sudden he’s super ripped and powerful and has a cool dude jean jacket with the sleeves torn off. I appreciate them trying to flesh out a backstory for a throwaway character, but I don’t think it could’ve gone much more poorly. Noelle: I think I appreciated more the attempt than the final product. Considering how large the cast is and how many throwaway characters there are, utilizing existing characters instead of creating some from scratch gives the writers more to work with. I don’t think it necessarily worked here, but it wasn’t a bad choice. Jared: I don’t think it really benefited either of them to be honest. Mizuki’s backstory just made him seem like a joke and yet we’re supposed to take him seriously as this big threat to everyone. I totally get why you’d bring in a minor character like this to utilize in the filler, but it didn’t really do much for me. Carolyn: I’m kind of over the whole villain was manipulated and isn’t that bad thing. We can have real villains. It’s OK.

  Connected to the previous question, would you rather there be more attempts at filler using characters we know, or do you prefer the ones that introduce us to whole new lands and people? Joseph: Balance is important. I like having characters we know branching out to other areas and taking the time to introduce more ways of ninja life in the land. On the spectrum of filler we’ve been presented with so far, though, I much prefer what’s been handed to us in these eps than the dull Land of Tea race arc. For a specific example: There was one moment in which Tsunade’s people casually enter her office to tell her they’ve captured all the inmates but three. I would have liked to have seen some of that go down! Kevin: Both options serve different purposes, so ideally I would want both. Maybe a filler arc where a different squad of people we already know about goes to a new land, but with Naruto or Sakura included so that we still have a connection to the main cast? That way we would get more worldbuilding while also learning more about minor characters through more in-depth interactions. Paul: It all depends on how the characters are written. Fujin and Raijin are completely new characters here, but for me they stole the show, because they're basically One Piece characters transplanted into the Naruto universe. As long as the filler arcs focus on characters who are interesting or unique in some way, and as long as the stories are decently well-written, I don't think it matters whether the characters are new or not. Danni: Like others have said, you need a good mix. It’s cool when they take inconsequential characters and try to give them some real material, but if you stick too close to the main story you run the risk of contradicting something the original creator had planned for later. Extended filler can really only take place as side stories, which is why people are so often disinterested in them. Noelle: Mildly addressed this in my previous answer, but I think both is the best mix. The only issue is, that if the writers make a character completely from scratch, they have to put the work into them too. Having a completely new face means that the audience needs to find some way to get attached to them, to want to see what happens to them. As far as that’s gone, it’s been a mixed bag, but anything can be pulled off with the right team and effort behind it. Jared: It’s best to have a mix since if you just keep going with established characters, you’re probably going to either run out of characters or just give them convoluted backstories. As long as you can make good and meaningful stories for either characters we know or ones we don’t, that’s the route they should take. Carolyn: I think a mix of both works. But don’t introduce us to new lands if they are going to disappear forever and not actually mean anything. Also, the closer we get to the end of the series the less I’m going to want to see new people. Don’t show me someone I won’t have time to get to know. When the series wraps up, go back to basics.

  Mizuki makes a surprising “evolution” of sorts here, thanks once again to Orochimaru’s blatant disregard for safety and ethics when it comes to scientific progress. If you were in charge, what would be the next wacky thing Orochimaru’s antics force Naruto and friends to contend against? Joseph: Mizuki’s evolution made me want them to dive even deeper into the mad scientists of the ninja landscape. Give me The Island of Dr. Ninpo or something. I’d be even happier if it didn’t feel the need to be directly connected to Orochimaru, though. It could even focus on a villainous rival of sorts. Kevin: Let’s see: a mad scientist who wants to generally find ways to gain more power while also mastering every Jutsu in existance and doesn’t care about the mortality rate of anything, so nothing boring like “make the Curse Mark not kill people.” I’d probably look into how to implant Kekkei Genkai like the Sharingan and Haru’s Ice Mirrors without needing to reincarnate into a new body every three years. So in terms of something for Naruto and friends to face: a shinobi with significantly weaker variations of basically every Kekkei Genkai we’ve seen in the show thus far. Paul: I'd try to invoke some sort of moral dilemma where Orochimaru's twisted machinations accidentally result in something positive happening. i.e. Maybe Naruto and the gang come across a small village where Orochimaru experimented on the inhabitants in an attempt to develop deadly new combat Jutsu, but his efforts failed in a way that inadvertently made the villagers happier and healthier. Orochimaru would have departed in disgust, but – unaware of his true character – the villagers presently idolize him as a hero and a savior. Naruto would have to decide whether or not to tell them the truth. I think that would be an interesting conflict. Danni: I already proposed an arc wherein Guy and Kakashi shop at IKEA together, so let’s say all their furniture had been destroyed before in Orochimaru’s attack and now they’re in the market for snake-proof end-tables. Guy does a cool roundhouse kick to Kakashi’s new table and breaks it, revealing a secret compartment full of food pills that rival the curse mark’s power. Turns out Orochimaru has been using furniture to smuggle these pills through villages. They don’t find Orochimaru in the end, but they do get a sweet new couch for their bachelor pad. Noelle: This is a mix, but I want to see just what makes Orochimaru such a draw to so many people. There has to be more than he’s offering to people than just power, and maybe the science experiments have to do something with that. So many people have joined his side, but what exactly is the pull here? What makes him so appealing? What is he promising people (beyond power, which gets dull after a while) that makes people so loyal? I want to see that. Jared: I’d probably go with something with lower stakes, but also goofy. Have some of Orochimaru’s goons sabotage some local event, maybe a festival or a sport of some sort. Naruto and the gang have to make things better, but at the same time, it’s not something that’s super dangerous or incredibly life threatening since we know that won’t affect any of the main characters. Carolyn: I do also like the idea of Orochimaru’s manipulations accidentally causing something good to happen. But then also maybe just someone who is a straight baddie? Like Orochimaru tries to offer them a deal and they’re like, “Nah, I’m just in it for the evil.”

  And as usual, what were your highs and lows? Joseph: My main high was Formation Ino-Shika-Cho! They seem like way more of a cohesive unit than Team 7. I love how their abilities complement one another and work together strategically. Also, it’s worth noting that episode 146 is artistically moody as hell. Low: Naruto stepping in to get his back stabbed in place of another happens twice in just these 7 episodes. I wish they would have skipped the first one to give the ultimate callback of the second one more weight. Kevin: High - Iruka and Naruto fighting alongside one another, showing that despite all of the powerful forces trying to kill Naruto and the people around him, he’s still quickly becoming strong enough to stand on his own. Low - Orochimaru being a part of Mizuki’s backstory. Bringing back an old enemy is perfectly fine, potentially even interesting since it’s a great way to measure how much Naruto has changed in the past 150 episodes. Making him a part of Orochimaru’s overarching narrative just doesn’t work for me at all. His entire original motivation was stealing a scroll and leaving the village. Sure, the new information doesn’t change that, but it overcomplicates it in a way that’s never going to be followed up on due to this being a filler arc. Paul: My high point was Kakashi summoning Pakkun into Iruka's hand. “May I offer you a tiny talking dog in this trying time?” Fujin and Raijin were a close runner up; I love those kinds of characters. My low point is how aimless overall the series has become in terms of pursuing the goal of finding Sasuke. I want to believe that Naruto really wants to rescue his friend, but it's hard to suspend my disbelief when he spends so much time goofing around on these low-level missions. Danni: The high point for me this week was easily the direction in episode 146. Seriously, I need the name of whoever storyboarded that episode. It was some of the best Naruto has ever looked. The low point for me is the fact we had two terribly written cartoonishly evil villains in a row. A good villain doesn’t have to maniacally laugh and yell about how evil they are! Just look at Orochimaru! Sure, he isn’t amazingly written, but he doesn’t have to prove to you how evil he totally is! He just walks up like “sup?” and you think “Oh geez this guy’s bad news, huh.” Noelle: High point, all that 146 has to offer artistically. It’s lovely to watch. Low point, looks like the fillers are shaping up to be ‘everything is Orochimaru’s fault’ and that’s not such a good sign.

    COUNTERS: Ramen: 2 bowls Hokage: 0 Clones: 46 + 1 uncountable scene

Total so far: Ramen: 47 bowls, 3 cups Hokage: 52 Clones: 503

  And that wraps up this week. It's more fun to be invovled, so you're always invited to join in on our rewatch journey by checking out Naruto today!

  CATCH UP ON THE REWATCH!

Episodes 134-140: The Climactic Clash

Episodes 127-133: Naruto vs Sasuke

Episodes 120-126: The Sand Siblings Return

Episodes 113-119: Operation Rescue Sasuke

Episodes 106-112: Sasuke Goes Rogue

Episodes 99-105: Trouble in the Land of Tea

Episodes 92-98: Clash of the Sannin

Episodes 85-91: A Life-Changing Decision

Episodes 78-84: The Fall of a Legend

Episodes 71-77: Sands of Sorrow

Episodes 64-70: Crashing the Chunin Exam

Episodes 57-63: Family Feud

Episodes 50-56: Rock Lee Rally

Episodes 43-49: The Gate

Episodes 36-42: Through the Woods

Episodes 29-35: Sakura Unleashed

Episodes 22-28: Chunin Exams Kickoff

Episodes 15-21: Leaving the Land of Waves

Episodes 8-14: Beginners' Battle

Episodes 1-7: I'm Gonna Be the Hokage!

  Here's our upcoming schedule: - On June 14th, PAUL CHAPMAN will continue on with our filler journey. - On June 21st, KEVIN MATYI will push onward into what the fillers have to offer. - On June 28th, JOSEPH LUSTER brings us to the Land of Birds!

  Thank you for joining us for the Great Crunchyroll Naruto Rewatch! See you next time! 

  Have any inquiries or thoughts on Episodes 141-147? Let us know in the comments!

---

David is always on Twitter @navycherub where he watches too much anime and plays too many mobile games.

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[kurozu501]

stayed up late playing camelot until i ran out of ap. time to crash into bed, but first some thoughts. under the cut bc spoilers 

we open on a scene setting up bedievre that is classic nasu. talk of inevitable death, a vow to be carried out no matter what, loyalty to ones king, and then an ending line turning it all on its head with mention that this loyal knight’s goal is to kill his king. Bedi being there for Arturia at the end of fate route always choked me up, im so ready to for his plotline in this chapter.  

instant follow up on the cliffhanger from last chapter with mashu collapsing with blood coming out of her head, thank you very much. 

I am super here for this lore and character development. the truth behind mashu’s artifical origins and her limited lifespan, how olga’s dad, the previous director, was apparently a typical asshole mage in that he carried out an experiment like that with innocent children, how olga was affected by her fathers death and feared mashu hated her and would take vengeance but still let mashu have as much autonomy as was possible.

im super weak for simple emotional set ups and pay offs, and the “i’d really like to see the outside world” from mashu -> “she’d die if she left chaldea and with short lifespan will Never get to have a life outside of it” -> “we are gonna get her a future and show her the outside world anyway because Fuck That” is a classic nasu one. I love it. 

how galahad had actually been summoned into mashu years ago and refused to awaken bc fuck mages, but also didn’t leave bc he knew leaving would kill her. that adds more depth to her becoming a demi servant in the fuyuki prologue, she didn’t just happen to get servant powers right then, it was galahad finally letting her use them since humanity was threatened. 

I REALLY liked roman’s words about how sure, Mashu’s life may be utter tragedy in that she’s got less then a year to live, but its not that different from other humans. Everyone’s gotta face the reaper eventually. What matters is what you do with your time before the end. Mashu is certainly making the most of hers.

Da Vinci!! Coming with us!! Being in the entire chapter!!! im so happy, i love fate da vinci, and having her with us already really changes the feel and tone of the chapter. She’s so competent, it feels nice not having MC and Mashu blundering around. From casually locating a destination out of the sandstorm to smacking nitocris awake with her staff, da vinci is a goddamned delight.

i had no idea this singularity took place in jerusalem? Since the knights of the round table are the big enemies this time i just assumed it would take place in Britain. kiiiinda have to question why we don’t get more david content/jewish servants, given that its friggen jerusalem of all places tho.

Sanzang just casually being like thanks bye!! and walking out of the holy city. bless her. 

Honestly after so long with all the knights in separate fate works, its downright surreal to see them all casually sitting around and chatting. Mordred casually calls Arturia “Father” in front of them!! something i’ll bet they never did in life. Im super here for this. I hope we get more knights of the round in lostbelt.

the battles so far do seem tougher then before, but i am going easy and just enjoying myself. mainly trying to use rider kintoki a lot. Im looking forward to the harder fights and for the game to make me get serious. 

nitocris is cute, but seems pretty standard tsundere so far.

bedi shows up with a celtic god for an arm??? looking forward to seeing more of him

ok thats all for now. this is pretty great so far, im excited to get deeper into it. 

[glitterrhowell]

Chapter 24

Title: Seized

Co-author: fadingcrystalvoid

Pairing:  Daniel Howell & AmazingPhil (Phan

Word count: 1.8k

Warning/Genre: Rape/extreme violence/ depression/PTSD/Degradation/torture/ Non-consensual pretty much everything/Little!Dan/Daddy!Phil/Kidnapping

Summary: What starts out as a day in the Park for Little Dan and Daddy Phil turns into something terrifying when Dan is suddenly kidnapped. Will Phil be able to find and save him before it’s too late? Heavy trigger warning

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A huge thank you to my beta Alyssa (phan-of-the_pen) for putting up with my sloppy messy writing and helping me turn it into something readable

“Lester get up!”

Phil was startled awake by a loud bang on his cell door. He sighed and swung his feet over the side of the bed. There was nothing on the agenda today since it was Sunday. The only reason he even got out of bed this morning was that his stomach had been growling ever since last night when he had skipped his dinner.

He washed the sleep out of his eyes and he just happened to catch a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror. If he didn’t know any better he wouldn’t even recognize himself. His eyes were sunken into his skull with big black circles under his eyes from lack of sleep, his hair was messy and long and if you squint hard enough you could see the hint of ginger coming through his roots. When was the last time he had gotten a full night's sleep or dyed his hair he wondered? It had probably been since all this madness had started.

“Lester come on!”

Startled from his thoughts Phil dropped the hand he had on his face. The guard shoved a food try in through the slot on his door.

“Eat up.” he snickered at him.

Apparently, he was not allowed to eat with the other inmates since he had not officially been found guilty or sentenced yet. Not that he minded he wanted nothing to do with anybody in this place.

He picked up his tray and grimaced a pile of gray looking eggs and a piece of toast was his breakfast. He debated just throwing it away but his stomach grumbled in protest. Sighing stabbed the gray egg with his fork and brought it up to his mouth. It wasn’t the worst thing he had ever eaten but it was close. Bringing another forkful to his mouth he ate his breakfast in silence.

Most of the day was spent pacing his cell. Jail was not a good place for someone who had lots of thoughts. All he could think about was Dan. How was he doing? Was he ok? He groaned in frustration, this was fucking bullshit. When they had first arrested him he figured that it would all get cleared up and he would be back at home by now. But since Dan was apparently still regressed he really didn’t understand what was going on. It had broken his heart watching him testify on the witness stand, not knowing any better, he agreed with everything that was being asked.

“Keep it moving Kide!” he heard an officer shout.

Spinning around Phil ran to the bars on his cell. It couldn't be, could it? There were lots of people with that name. But it only took a minute for his fears to be confirmed because walking down the walkway towards him was the scumbag, Roger.

“Come on man this is bull shit!” Roger bit back to the officer.

Phil expected the man to yell something back when he heard a quieter voice,” Mr Kide I advise you to not make enemies while in here.”

Phil was taken back, it was Dan’s lawyer Mr Daul. But why was he talking to this scumbag?

“Yeah yeah I know you already said that.” Roger huffed.

Phil could fully see them now they were stopped and talking in front of one of the other cells. The officer patiently waiting off to the side.

“How much longer is this fucking trial going to take anyway? I thought you said since Lester was on trial if Seth and I accused him that we would get some leniency? How did you say he got turned in any way?”

Phil couldn’t believe what he was hearing. From the sounds of it, Dan’s lawyer was in cahoots with the man who had kidnapped Dan.

“It was Howells therapist now will you be fucking quiet.” he hissed, “Do you want everyone to know that we made a deal?”

“Come on it’s not a big deal. Besides we got this. Like you said we cooperate with the police and accuse Lester of being the mastermind since he was already a suspect and the judge will give me a reduced sentence.” he said shrugging his shoulders.

“Do you know what they will do to me if they find out I’m helping you.” Daul hissed again.

“Come on baby it's not a big deal.” Kide closed the distance between himself and Daul and placed a hand on his waist.

Phil’s mouth fell open as he watched Dan’s lawyer kiss Kide on the lips, the police officer ignoring everything he saw off to the side.

“Once you're outta here we can finally be together right?” Daul whispered.

Kide said something he couldn't hear but they began walking towards his cell again. He flung himself on his bed trying to act like he hadn't seen or heard anything. As they walked by Kide happened to glance in his direction. A smirk broke out on his face. Stopping for just a moment he winked at Phil and continued walking and talking with the lawyer.

He didn’t know exactly what was going on but what he did know was somehow he needed to get in contact with his own lawyer and have her look into the lawyer the court had appointed Dan. “Fuck!” he whispered to himself. How did his and Dan’s lives get so fucked up?

~~~~~~~~~

Roger was escorted back to his cell the door making a loud bang and click sound behind him. It won’t be much longer he thought to himself. That dumbass lawyer had fallen right into his trap like he known he would. Up until a few weeks ago, he had no idea what he was going to do, the evidence was pretty clear that he and Seth had kidnapped that faggot, as well as he had been caught red-handed hold Dan and Phil hostage. He had been stripped of his badge the moment he had been taken into custody and thrown into this godforsaken cell.

At first his lawyer and tried arguing insanity, claiming he’d blacked out for most of it and didn’t realize what he was doing. It wouldn’t have even been an issue if that bastard Seth had kept his mouth shut. From what he knew after he had run from the cabin the first time Seth had been arrested. Then his sources at the police department had informed him Seth had claimed there had been a second accomplish he just wouldn’t name who. And he wasn’t fucking stupid he knew the moment they offered him a plea deal that Seth would hand him over in a heartbeat. So he figured why not get some revenge and have some fun before it all came to an end. Thus resulting him keeping that faggot and his “boyfriend” locked up in their own apartment.

When it had been revealed that Lester had been arrested and was being charged with having a part in the crime he couldn’t believe his luck.

Roger knew Chris Daul through connections at work. Several times while he had been on call at the police station Daul had been people’s choice of call for a lawyer to bail themselves out. After talking a few times they had fallen into bed together. It was just a simple fuck for him but for Chris, he knew it had been more, as he revealed some time ago that he was “in love” with him. He’d went along with it thinking it because at the time his ex-girlfriend was charging him with assault and he used Chris to bury the case and get it dropped.

Happy about not losing his job one night he had gone to a bar and that his where he had meet Seth. For both of them, their relationship had been nothing more than a quick hook up in a bar bathroom. But they did continue for a fuck here and there once or twice a week for a while eventually building a “friendship”.

It had been Seth who introduced him to Howell. Roger had no idea who the little twink had been beforehand not having much to do with the internet. At the time Seth was already pretty obsessed already. He was always going on about how much he wanted to ruin Howell and fuck his tight little hole until he screamed. Roger had to admit he found the twink attractive too but not to the extent that Seth had. He remembers multiple times while they were drunk they would talk about all the things they would do to him. Seth had lots of “ideas” when it came to torturing the boy they stayed up for hours talking about it. Roger had always been into that stuff but it felt amazing who got off on the same stuff he did.

So they made a plan. The plan had developed pretty fast. He doesn't even remember whose idea it had first been. But it had been his idea to stalk Howell and Lester for weeks beforehand learning all they could about them. As much as he liked Seth he could be a bit of a moron. If he would have had his way they would have acted immediately and they probably would not have succeeded at all.

It had been Seth’s idea to electrocute the boy while they held him at the cabin. But both of them getting off on the pain it had caused the young boy.

The moment he heard about Lester's arrest his lawyer threw out the insanity plea since there was no chance in that actually working and came up with the plan to accuse Lester of being the mastermind behind it all. It didn’t take Seth long to agree to go along with the plan as he did pretty much anything Roger told him to do.

It had been hard but he made sure Daul had been the one to take Howell’s and using the man's infatuation for him he manage to convince Daul that if they got Lester convicted he would get way less time than originally thought promising him they could be together. He knew he would do some time because he would have to admit to the kidnapping but not as long as Lester would.

He chuckled to himself as he sat down on his bed seeing Lester in a cell had been so satisfying. He couldn’t believe the plan was actually working.